Illinois bill would reward schools for hiring social workers, not armed security officers

Friday that would create a grant program for schools that employ social workers or psychologists instead of armed security officers to keep students safe. The bill would establish the Safe Schools Healthy Learning Environment grant to "promote school safety and healthy learning environments by reducing the reliance on law enforcement to address school disciplinary matters and implementing alternative strategies that will better address the full range of students' intellectual, social, emotional, physical, psychological, and moral developmental needs."

Coal Ash Ponds Put our Waterways at Risk

Toxic ponds filled with billions of gallons of waste from coal plants across the United States pose a threat to hundreds of rivers and lakes, and millions of Americans who live near them. As the public comment period closes on the Trump administration's proposal to weaken current rules protecting waterways, Accidents Waiting to Happen: Coal Ash Ponds Put Our Waterways at Risk , a new report from Environment America Research & Policy Center, U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group, documents the toxic pollution threats from these poorly-regulated waste pits.

Ag groups express opposition to amendments to Farm Bill

INSURANCE ARGUMENT: A monster hail storm that hit Kansas on the night of May 14 provides an illustration of why farmers so strongly support crop insurance. This field in Scott County was just one of many that were wiped out in the storm, which destroyed thousands of acres of wheat.

EPA’s Pruitt admits role in aide’s pay raise but calls attacks on him politically motivated

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt during an interview in his office at the EPA headquarters in Washington on Oct. 25, 2017. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt during an interview in his office at the EPA headquarters in Washington on Oct. 25, 2017.

EPA chief faces Capitol Hill grilling over ethical missteps

Lawmakers assailed Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on Thursday for the ethics and spending scandals that have prompted bipartisan calls for his ouster. On the defensive, the EPA chief blamed "half truths" and "twisted" allegations, an effort to undermine the Trump administration's anti-regulatory agenda.

John Kerry Joins TPG’s $2 Billion Rise Fund as Senior Adviser 2 hours ago

Rise Fund has enlisted former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as a senior adviser, bolstering its credibility as the fund sets out to prove that financial returns and social good can go hand-in-hand. Kerry said he will help identify investments and advise portfolio companies across Rise's various sectors, with a focus on renewable energy opportunities.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill to defend his conduct and management

As calls for his ouster rise, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill Thursday were he's expected to face scrutiny for misconduct allegations EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill to defend his conduct and management As calls for his ouster rise, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill Thursday were he's expected to face scrutiny for misconduct allegations Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2Hs06yU President Trump is defending Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt who is under fire for allegedly spending a lot of taxpayer money.

Tick first found in Hunterdon makes its way toa

An exotic tick unknown to America until its appearance in Hunterdon County last month is making its way east in Central Jersey. Tick first found in Hunterdon makes its way to Union County An exotic tick unknown to America until its appearance in Hunterdon County last month is making its way east in Central Jersey.

Remarks by President Trump and President Macron of France in Joint Press Conference

Ronny Jackson, Trump's V.A. Nominee, Faces Claims of Overprescription and Hostile Work Environment - WASHINGTON - The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is examining allegations that President Trump's nominee to lead the Veterans Affairs Department oversaw a hostile work environment Watchdog report points to power struggle involving VA pick - WASHINGTON - A watchdog report ordered in 2012 by Dr. Ronny Jackson - President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs - found that he and a rival physician exhibited "unprofessional behaviors" Sessions Declines to Recuse Himself From Probe Into Trump Lawyer - Attorney general's recusal from Mueller probe angered Trump - Sessions still may step back from some issues involving Cohen - Attorney General Jeff Sessions has decided against recusing himself from the investigation Mueller legislation is unconstitutional: Sen. Mike ... (more)

Opponents decry Scott Pruitt’s plan to roll back groundwater protections at coal ash sites

Heavy machinery excavate and carry coal ash from a drained coal ash pond at Dominion Power's Possum Point Power Station in Dumfries, Virginia. CREDIT: Kate Patterson for The Washington Post via Getty Images Residents have not been clamoring for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to weaken the nation's coal ash waste rules.

Climate deniers and tobacco flacks headline the EPA’s new science standard announcement

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Capitol Hill January 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. On Tuesday afternoon, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a proposed rule limiting the kinds of science that the agency can use in its rulemaking, a step that he described as bringing transparency and trust back to the agency's scientific process.

Vineyard Monocultures

The massive growth of the wine industry has led to a very real problem-wine monocultures that transform ecologically complex places such as the hills of Napa County into carefully manicured landscapes that leave no room for the wild. That a lot of wineries require hillsides makes this worse, as many species exist on a pretty strict elevation level.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage (FMCC) vs. Federal Agricultural Mortgage (AGM) Financial Contrast

Federal Home Loan Mortgage and Federal Agricultural Mortgage are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends and earnings. Federal Agricultural Mortgage pays an annual dividend of $2.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%.

Healthy people waste the most food, study finds

A new study revealed that Americans waste nearly a pound of food per person each day, and those with higher quality diets are the worst offenders. The research, released by the USDA, University of Vermont, and University of New Hampshire, found that between 2007 and 2014, U.S. consumers wasted nearly 150,000 tons of food per day, which equals roughly 30 percent of the average daily calories consumed by all Americans combined.

An Earth Day question: When will we see ‘tailpipes’ on cars as morally wrong?

With automotive emissions regulations again coming under political pressure, we thought we'd re run this Earth Day question from 2014 in an attempt to answer the question: Why all the fuss? Why do we still focus on green cars some 40 years after the EPA imposed the most significant emissions limits on cars? We hope it will provoke thought engender constructive discussion tor today's political environment: They're the costs of people's actions on other people or communities-though the people taking those actions don't have to pay for those costs, even as they harm others.

China puts charge on U.S. sorghum imports

Trade tensions heightened between the world's top two economies April 18 as China announced a 178.9% anti-dumping deposit on the value of U.S. sorghum shipments to the country. Traders said the higher-than expected deposit would essentially halt U.S. sorghum shipments to China for now, and raise prices of feed alternatives, such as barley and corn.