Tag: Environment and nature
Colorado wildfires drag on later than normal, break records
DENVER (AP) — Orange skies, winds gusting up to 70 mph, smoke tornadoes and hazardous air. While it could be an apocalyptic scene out...
Weakened Hurricane Epsilon skirting just east of Bermuda
MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Epsilon's maximum sustained winds dropped Thursday as it continues to skirt east of Bermuda over the Atlantic Ocean.
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2 California wildfires last year blamed on electrical lines
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Investigations found that damaged electrical equipment ignited two Southern California wildfires last year, including one that threatened the Ronald Reagan...
Bird flu fears: Dutch farms ordered to keep poultry indoors
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government said Thursday it is ordering poultry farms to keep their birds indoors after six wild swans...
EU awards human rights prize to Belarus opposition
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday awarded its top human rights prize to the Belarus opposition movement and its leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,...
Major Hurricane Epsilon: Tropical storm warning for Bermuda
MIAMI (AP) — Epsilon rapidly gained major hurricane strength on Wednesday afternoon and is expected to skirt east of Bermuda in the coming day,...
Tesla posts net profit for fifth straight quarter
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla charged through a summertime auto industry sales slump in the U.S. to post stronger-than-expected net earnings for the third quarter.
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Can’t crush this: Beetle armor gives clues to tougher planes
NEW YORK (AP) — It's a beetle that can withstand bird pecks, animal stomps and even being rolled over by a Toyota Camry. Now...
Meet Amit Mehta, the judge for Google’s antitrust case
The Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Google has a judge: Obama appointee Amit Mehta, who was assigned the case Wednesday morning in U.S....
An electric Hummer? Battery-powered trucks head to showrooms
DETROIT (AP) — Seven auto companies have plans to roll out new battery-powered pickup trucks over the next two years, aiming to cash in...
Suit: Feds ignore risk of huge spills to endangered species
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Environmental groups asked a federal court Wednesday to throw out the Trump administration's assessment of oil and gas activity’s likely...
Trump environmental rollback spurs mining near Okefenokee
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A mining company said Tuesday that it plans to dig for minerals without a federal permit at the edge of...
China’s BYD, Japan’s Hino announce electric truck venture
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese electric car brand BYD Auto and Japanese truck maker Hino Motors said Wednesday they are jointly setting up a company...
Fortunes of China’s internet tycoons soar amid pandemic
BEIJING (AP) — Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, held onto his status as China’s richest tycoon this year as surging demand for...
Donors pledge $1.7 billion for Burkina Faso, Mail and Niger
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — More than 20 donors pledged nearly $1 billion for the three countries at the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis in...
More fire-prevention power shutoffs possible in California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Electricity may be shut off to about 54,000 Northern California utility customers this week to try to prevent power lines...
Epsilon strengthens to a hurricane as it approaches Bermuda
MIAMI (AP) — Epsilon has strengthened into a hurricane, the 10th of the Atlantic season, as it approaches Bermuda on Thursday.
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In debate countdown, Trump holds rally, Biden does prep
ERIE, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump pushed into arguably the most important state on the electoral map on Tuesday, opting for a rally...
California boat owners faulted for fire that killed 34
LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the deadliest accidents in recent U.S. maritime history was the fault of owners of a Southern California dive...
Environmental groups sue over Portland tear gas use
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Night after night in Portland, tear gas and other crowd control devices have enveloped protesters and bystanders in airborne chemicals...
Tennessee factory to become GM’s 3rd electric vehicle plant
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors plans to spend $2 billion to convert its Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant into a third U.S. site to...
Alaska Senate candidate hopes to ride Democratic wave
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Al Gross commands a fishing boat as a narrator describes him prospecting for gold and killing a grizzly bear in...
Tribes make new move to shut down Dakota Access Pipeline
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline once again have asked a federal judge to stop the flow...
Rare white sea turtle found on South Carolina beach
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Volunteers checking sea turtle nests on a South Carolina beach came upon a rare sight: a white sea turtle...
Woman missing for 2 weeks found safe in Zion National Park
SPRINGDALE, Utah (AP) — A California woman who was missing for about two weeks in Zion National Park in Utah has been found and...
Large earthquake off Alaska prompts tsunami fears, fleeing
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A magnitude 7.5 earthquake prompted a tsunami warning Monday for a nearly thousand-mile stretch of Alaska’s southern coast, with waves...
China calls on India to honor pledge, return missing soldier
BEIJING (AP) — China’s military says it hopes India will make good on its pledge to swiftly return a Chinese soldier found lost along...
Tropical Storm Epsilon strengthens in the central Atlantic
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Epsilon strengthened Monday morning in the central Atlantic, the latest in what has been a very active hurricane season.
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Florida agency: Flying squirrels illegally shipped to Asia
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Flying squirrels were being trapped in Florida, driven to Chicago and shipped to South Korea, Florida wildlife officials said Monday...
Mickelson, Barkley to face Manning, Curry in golf match
Phil Mickelson will team up with Charles Barkley to face Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning in an exhibition golf match next month highlighting diversity,...
2016 sequel? Trump’s old attacks failing to land on Biden
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump stood before a crowd in a state that had once been firmly in his grasp. There were fewer...
UN hopes meeting will raise $1 billion for key Sahel nations
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. humanitarian chief is hoping a major ministerial meeting Tuesday will not only raise $1 billion for the three...
Plan to retrieve Titanic radio spurs debate on human remains
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — People have been diving to the Titanic's wreck for 35 years. No one has found human remains, according to the...
Artist hikes length of Vermont, painting along the way
MANCHESTER, Vt. (AP) — After hiking over 200 miles (320 kilometers) on the country's oldest long-distance trail, Rob Mullen had just 3 miles (5...
‘Big pile’ of eels dumped in NYC park; impact not yet known
NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Orkin was taking a break from his evening jog to sit by Prospect Park Lake when he turned around...
‘There’s a lemur!’ 5-year-old helps crack SF Zoo theft case
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Police said Friday they arrested a man suspected of stealing a ring-tailed lemur from the San Francisco Zoo, where officials...
US resorts adapt to new normal of skiing amid pandemic
DENVER (AP) — Helmet, goggles, skis? Check. Hand sanitizer, face covering, reservation? Check.
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AP Exchange: Nevada home to world’s 3rd largest Joshua tree
RENO, Nev. (AP) — In a land of twisted limbs and giant Dr. Seuss-like branches reaching toward the sky, it stood out among the...
Trump changes course, approves California relief for 6 fires
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration abruptly reversed course and approved California's application for disaster relief funds to clean up damage from...
Montana judge blocks actions by Trump’s former land boss
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A month after ousting the Trump administration’s public lands boss for being in the post unlawfully, a Montana judge on...
German utility restores water supply to Tesla after stoppage
BERLIN (AP) — A German utility said Friday it is restoring water supply to the construction site of a Tesla factory near Berlin, a...
Power cut to thousands in California to prevent wildfires
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of people in wine country were without power Thursday amid a fall heat wave that brought another round of...
Mitt Romney calls for US commission to deal with wildfires
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah announced legislation Thursday to establish a national commission focused on diminishing future wildfire...
Electric cars, homes and shops: NJ’s clean energy future?
ATLANTIC CITY,N.J. (AP) — Gasoline-powered vehicles would become a thing of the past, and nine out of every 10 buildings in New Jersey would...
EU leaders divided over new climate goals for 2030
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders agreed Thursday they need to raise their climate ambition above the existing target but stopped short of endorsing...
Forecasters: Drought more likely than blizzards this winter
Don’t expect much of a winter wallop this year, except for the pain of worsening drought, U.S. government forecasters said Thursday.
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Harris highlights stakes of election in Barrett hearings
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Unable to block President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Sen. Kamala Harris used three days of confirmation hearings this week...
Researchers discover fossils of new species in Arizona
PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Researchers have discovered fossils of a tiny burrowing reptile among a vast expanse of petrified wood in...
Tanzania asks for aircraft to battle fire on Mt. Kilimanjaro
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania's government is hoping helicopters and planes will help put out a fire raging on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain...
Wildfire smoke in US exposes millions to hazardous pollution
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires churning out dense plumes of smoke as they scorch huge swaths of the U.S. West Coast have exposed...
Facing new fire threat, PG&E cuts power to tens of thousands
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric began turning off power to more than 50,000 Northern California customers Wednesday evening as dry, windy...
‘A little bit concerned’: Trump looks to boost Iowa support
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday sought to shore up support from constituencies that not so long ago he thought...
Cells at San Diego Zoo lead to cloning of endangered horse
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Little Kurt looks like any other baby horse as he frolics playfully in his pen. He isn't afraid to kick...
Earth breaks September heat record, may reach warmest year
Earth sweltered to a record hot September last month, with U.S. climate officials saying there’s nearly a two-to-one chance that 2020 will end up...
Takeaways: Pardon power, silent mics on Barrett’s final day
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health care again played a starring role in Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee...
Fierce winds fan Rockies wildfires, new evacuations ordered
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Strong winds fanned two Rocky Mountain wildfires Wednesday, prompting new evacuation orders as one spread toward communities outside Rocky Mountain...
Barrett keeps Democrats, Trump at bay in Senate hearing
WASHINGTON (AP) — Over and over, Amy Coney Barrett said she’d be her own judge if confirmed to the Supreme Court. But she was...
The Latest: Barrett’s confirmation hearing ends for the day
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett (all times local):
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China’s Xi promises changes to promote tech center Shenzhen
BEIJING (AP) — President Xi Jinping on Wednesday promised new steps to promote development of China's biggest tech center, Shenzhen, amid a feud with...
Fall heat wave bringing California more fire danger
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s siege of wildfires has significantly quieted but forecasters warned Tuesday that a fall heat wave will bring back high...
Trump makes water demand of farms priority for new office
President Donald Trump on Tuesday created what he called a “subcabinet” for federal water issues, with a mandate that includes water-use changes sought by...
India sets free top Kashmiri politician after a year
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Indian authorities on Tuesday released a top Kashmiri politician from detention more than a year after New Delhi scrapped Indian-controlled...
Trips by Trump, Biden illustrate calculations on voting map
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — With Election Day just three weeks away, President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden concentrated Tuesday on battleground states...
Tied to Trump fate, Ernst walks tightrope in dead heat Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Joni Ernst burst onto national politics in 2014 as a gun-toting, hog-castrating, motorcycle-riding candidate who was going to shake...
Mom who drowned boating in Lake Tahoe leaves 3 children
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A mother with three chikdren enjoying the weekend on a boat with her boyfriend and his children at Lake Tahoe...
UN: Climate change means more weather disasters every year
GENEVA (AP) — In the wake of heat waves, global warming, forest fires, storms, droughts and a rising number of hurricanes, the U.N. weather...
Southern California Edison focus of wildfire probe
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Investigators are looking into the possibility that tree branches hitting Southern California Edison electrical equipment may have sparked a fire...
Trump vs. Biden: Where they stand on health, economy, more
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid the tumult of the 2020 presidential campaign, one dynamic has remained constant: The Nov. 3 election offers voters a choice...
Washington state again fails to live-track murder hornet
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state officials said Monday they were again unsuccessful at live-tracking a “murder” hornet while trying to find and destroy a...
Danes start culling 2.5 million minks after virus hits farms
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish veterinarians and farmers have begun culling at least 2.5 million minks in northern Denmark, authorities said Monday, after coronavirus...
Louisiana’s back-to-back hurricanes: Future unsure for many
CAMERON, La. (AP) — Michele Vincent’s home was largely intact in spite of hurricanes Laura and Delta. But tears streamed down her face as...
Scientists return from Arctic with wealth of climate data
BERLIN (AP) — An icebreaker carrying scientists on a year-long international effort to study the high Arctic has returned to its home port in...
‘We can’t lose our momentum:’ Louisiana vows to rebuild
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Back-to-back hurricanes in the space of six weeks left parts of Louisiana blanketed Sunday with tarpaulins, mangled metal and...
Leftist, hard-liner in Turkish Cypriot leadership runoff
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A leftist incumbent will take on a hard-line challenger in a runoff to decide who will lead Turkish Cypriots in...
Team investigating deadly Calif. fire seizes PG&E equipment
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession...
Precedent, recusal, Roe: A court nomination viewer’s guide
WASHINGTON (AP) — A scant two weeks after her nomination, Judge Amy Coney Barrett goes before a Senate committee that's bitterly split along partisan...
Who’s Boss? No. 1 Clemson powers past No. 7 Miami 42-17
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another as No. 1 Clemson proved once more who's boss in...
Mother falls into Lake Tahoe, drowns; 6 kids on boat rescued
ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. (AP) — A woman drowned after falling off a boat carrying six children on Lake Tahoe and a man who jumped...
Biden hits Trump on economy in critical Pennsylvania county
ERIE, Pa. (AP) — With the backdrop of a union facility in a key battleground county of Pennsylvania, Joe Biden on Saturday blistered President...
Delta adds insult to injury in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — The day after Hurricane Delta blew through besieged southern Louisiana, residents started the routine again: dodging overturned cars on...
Warming trend means California’s lethal fire season not over
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Cool weather and light drizzle in some places provided relief for firefighters working to increase containment of numerous wildfires across...
Hurricane Delta inflicts new damage on storm-weary Louisiana
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Ripping tarps from already damaged roofs and scattering debris piled by roadsides, Hurricane Delta inflicted a new round of...
Man featured on ‘Tiger King’ charged with animal cruelty
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A wild animal trainer featured in the popular “Tiger King” series on Netflix has been indicted in Virginia on animal...
California mountain lion orphan nursed back to health
RAMONA, Calif. (AP) — An orphan mountain lion cub that was dying when firefighters found her in Southern California is being nursed back to...
‘This is not a bad dream’: New hurricane menaces Louisiana
ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) — Louisiana residents confronting the menace of a new hurricane weeks after one battered parts of the state got stark warnings...
Fishing boat owner pleads guilty in shark finning case
HONOLULU (AP) — A business that owns a Japanese fishing boat pleaded guilty Thursday in a case involving Indonesian crew members who cut fins...
Protests against new labor law turn violent across Indonesia
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Protests in many Indonesian cities turned violent Thursday as thousands of enraged students and workers criticized a new law they...
California authorities identify 2 more fire victims
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A woman and a child have been identified as two of four people killed in a blaze in Northern California,...
Experts: Warming makes Delta, other storms power up faster
Hurricane Delta, gaining strength as it bears down on the U.S. Gulf Coast, is the latest and nastiest in a recent flurry of rapidly...
Navigating by mango trees, pink houses in rural Puerto Rico
CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — Firefighters in this city near Puerto Rico’s capital cheered when they recently got updated maps that include rural neighborhoods,...
US officials: Climate change not a threat to rare wolverine
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. wildlife officials are withdrawing proposed protections for the snow-loving wolverine after determining the rare and elusive predator is not...
Prince William, David Attenborough launch ‘Earthshot’ award
LONDON (AP) — Prince William has joined forces with renowned British broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough to launch Thursday a new environmental award, the...
California governor calls for protecting 30% of state land
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday to protect nearly a third of California’s land and coastal waters in...
Busy 2020 hurricane season has Louisiana bracing a 6th time
MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) — For the sixth time in the Atlantic hurricane season, people in Louisiana are once more fleeing the state's barrier...
Hurricane Delta lashes Mexico’s Yucatan, then heads for US
CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Delta emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and headed toward Louisiana after making landfall just south of...
Tech worker pleads guilty in death of Utah college student
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A tech worker pleaded guilty on Wednesday to strangling a Utah college student whose disappearance over a year ago...
Mario Molina, Mexico chemistry Nobel winner, dies at 77
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mario Molina, winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1995 and the only Mexican scientist to be honored with...
Elusive eastern black rail threatened by rising sea levels
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Eastern black rail a threatened species on Wednesday, but stopped short of the stronger protections some...
Spain unveils economic recovery plan amid pandemic
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Spain’s prime minister unveiled a major plan Wednesday to boost his country out of recession by spending 140 billion euros...
Macron visits flood-ravaged mountains above French Riviera
SAINT-MARTIN-VESUBIE, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said it will take months to rebuild buildings, roads and bridges that will allow an area...
