Stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, a massive bloom of sargassum seaweed is swamping beaches and killing coastal wildlife. But scientists have discovered the floating algae also shelters a vast array of ocean creatures, and some are now calling for its protection. 

For years, Perdue Agribusiness has been embroiled lawsuits over claims it polluted local groundwater with PFAS, the cancer-causing "forever chemical." So neighbors were skeptical when Perdue asked to increase the treated wastewater it pours in a local stream.

North Carolina has secured $455 million in payments from Chemours, DuPont and Corteva over PFAS pollution, along with a separate $135 million reserve intended to protect future drinking water and cleanup work.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) worked directly with pesticide maker Bayer in approving the controversial herbicide dicamba earlier this year, presenting the company with different options for how to reduce drift and runoff and then aligning on those options in the final decision, according to internal agency records.  

Thousands of water systems nationwide still have not accounted for potentially dangerous lead pipes supplying homes and businesses with drinking water.