Public

"The toll from a major tornado on Sunday in Joplin, Missouri has risen to 89 confirmed deaths, local officials said."

"A dire drought that has plagued Texas and parts of Oklahoma expanded across the key farming state of Kansas over the last week, adding to struggles of wheat farmers already dealing with weather-ravaged fields."

"Members of Congress are asking the Food and Drug Administration to issue a voluntary recall of two hair-straightening treatments sold in salons under the brand name Brazilian Blowout, citing concerns about unacceptably high levels of formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen."

The oil industry's hold on Congress was illustrated by the Senate's rejection of a Democratic effort to repeal some taxpayer subsidies of the oil giants. A new chart makes clear the connection between oil-industry campaign donations and Senators' support of subsidies.

"In response to opposition by the Center for Biological Diversity, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan has stayed approval of a settlement agreement between WildEarth Guardians and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service until June 20 and ordered all parties, including the Center, back into mediation."

"U.S. government forecasters announced Thursday they expect three to six major hurricanes from an above-average Atlantic storm season."

"The state of Idaho has authorized sheriff's deputies in a tiny mountain town to kill wolves blamed for preying on pets and elk, a spokesman for the state fish and game department said on Tuesday."

"The president of Japan’s troubled power company, Tokyo Electric Power, resigned Friday, shouldering responsibility for the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as the utility booked one of the largest yearly losses in Japanese corporate history."

"Members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have trumped the agency chairman and forced the release of unredacted safety reports on the proposed nuclear waste repository in Yucca Mountain, Nev."

"A team of independent investigators has concluded that a corporate culture at Massey Energy put coal production before safety, prompting a collection of major safety infractions that caused the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster." Their report also faulted state and federal mine safety regulators for lax enforcement.