The view from a barge moving down the Mississippi River toward a bridge under a partly cloudy sky.

Trump’s deregulation and FEMA cuts put Mississippi River and others at extreme risk, report warns

The Mississippi River tops this year’s list of America’s most endangered waterways, as environmental groups warn that President Trump’s sweeping deregulation and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) budget cuts are accelerating threats to rivers across the country.

Nina Lakhani reports for The Guardian.

In short:

The Mississippi River, which provides the primary source of drinking water to dozens of municipalities and supports nearly 900 species, is now the most endangered U.S. river due to worsening pollution, drought, and government deregulation.
Trump’s proposed dismantling of FEMA, which manages disaster response and flood mitigation, endangers rivers from Louisiana to Appalachia, including areas still recovering from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic flooding.
Data centers and fossil fuel expansion, heavily incentivized under the Trump administration, are further straining rivers in Virginia and West Virginia, where water shortages and pollution violations are already threatening ecosystems and public health.

Key quote:

“Our water wealth is one of our greatest assets as a nation. But pollution and extreme weather are putting our rivers, clean water, and public safety at risk. When our rivers are sick, our own health and prosperity suffers.”

— Tom Kiernan, president and CEO of American Rivers

Why this matters:

Rivers are lifelines for drinking water, agriculture, biodiversity, and cultural heritage, yet many are in crisis. The Mississippi River, often called the nation’s backbone, faces compounding threats from climate change and deregulation. FEMA, now facing severe cuts, has long played a key role in flood mitigation and rebuilding infrastructure after climate disasters. Without this support, communities face growing risks from flooding, contamination, and habitat loss. Simultaneously, the unchecked growth of water-intensive industries like data centers and fossil fuel operations is drying up aquifers and further polluting waterways. Ignoring the health of these rivers risks a cascading impact on ecosystems and the millions of people who rely on them.

www.theguardian.com

Trump’s deregulation and FEMA cuts put Mississippi River and others at extreme risk, report warns

China ramps up solar and wind power as clean energy output shatters global records

Melting ice and microplastics signal deepening disruption in Antarctica’s climate system

New technologies promise to transform farming, but most haven’t delivered yet

New rules to protect U.S. workers from extreme heat face political delays

California struggles to electrify trucks as Trump administration blocks state rules

The hidden cost of powering your phone might be someone else’s cancer

Toxic mine runoff cleanup revives West Virginia waterways and extracts rare earth elements

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.