🇺🇸 United States
Under-reported stories from United States, surfaced by AI from official sources and wire services.
EPA Proposes Eliminating Federal Minimum Public Participation Rules for Minor Air Permits, Affecting Data Centers
→The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would remove minimum federal requirements for public notice and comment periods in state and local minor New Source Review air permitting programs. Environmental groups warn the change could reduce transparency for facilities such as data centers that often rely on backup generators classified as minor sources, while EPA officials say it aligns with the Clean Air Act and speeds permitting without weakening emission standards.
USDA Confirms Dozens of New World Screwworm Cases in Texas and New Mexico Livestock
→The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed 35 animal cases of New World screwworm since early June 2026, primarily in Texas livestock with one in New Mexico. Officials are responding with sterile fly releases, surveillance, and movement controls to contain the flesh-eating parasite. The pest was eradicated from the U.S. decades ago but has reemerged via spread from Central America and Mexico.