GRIST

JUNE 5. 2026

Your local park is bringing in the green

A new report finds that for every dollar invested in parks, cities reap $3 in economic benefits. Here's how.

In the Smoky Mountains, a volunteer effort aims to document every species — before it’s too late

For citizen scientists, counting thousands of species is one way to monitor climate change in America's most biodiverse national park.

JUNE 4. 2026

Blood in the well: One town’s fight against the slaughterhouse polluting it

Residents of a Pennsylvania town took on a beef processor after its waste polluted their wells. They won — but little may change.

No, rolling back these environmental rules won’t lower your grocery bill

The Trump administration is dismantling two EPA rules, promising cheaper groceries for struggling families. Economists and former officials say it'll only make things pricier.

JUNE 3. 2026

New York backtracked on its climate goals. Here’s why.

Lawmakers wanted to lead the energy transition, but Governor Kathy Hochul is worried about the cost of ditching natural gas.

Nebraskans are taking a hard look at data centers

Residents and officials are finding ways to slow down the development rush.

Biden’s clean drinking water plan is being rebranded as MAHA

The EPA is distributing billions authorized under the Biden administration while promoting the work as part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.

JUNE 2. 2026

Why is this Trump official dead set on saving a failing California dam?

Brooke Rollins’s latest culture war crusade threatens a delicate compromise between Potter Valley farmers and nearby tribes.

The hidden cost of owning an EV: Expensive insurance

Electric vehicle insurance costs an average of 42 percent more than it does for other cars, in part because of their complexity.

JUNE 1. 2026

US host cities made transit improvements a World Cup goooooooal

Several host cities used the tournament to speed up transit projects years in the making — and avoid the mistakes of past World Cups.

A simple — yet expensive — way to climate-proof the grid: Bury the power lines

Power lines across the country weren’t designed for a changing climate, with much of the nation’s grid built more than half a century ago. Today, stronger storms and heavier precipitation cause hundreds of outages a year, many because of trees falling on above-ground power lines. In northern Michigan, some utilities want to change that.

The USDA canceled $300M in farm grants, citing fraud. Did it make up the evidence?

The agency pointed to gazebos, massages, and a $20,000 budget for pens to justify the cuts. But the groups that lost funding say those claims don't add up.

MAY 31. 2026

70-foot wastewater geyser reflects New Mexico’s latest oilfield challenge

It’s a towering example of the contentious debate over what to do with the state’s ever-growing supply of oilfield waste.