Winter weather packs a punch, plus more headlines

The deadline is fast approaching to apply to join the Ag & Water Desk’s reporting team with one of 11 new partner news outlets! We’re seeking passionate early-career environmental journalists who want to cover the Mississippi River watershed collaboratively and systemically, based in newsrooms from North Dakota to Nashville.

We invite you to spread the word about this opportunity by Jan. 31. Check out our incoming partner newsrooms below, and stay tuned for more stories.

Yours,

Annie Ropeik

Ag & Water Desk Assistant Director

Our latest story

Heavy snowfall wallops Midwest, could bring drought relief and raise flood concerns

The snow comes on the heels of drought that has left parts of the basin with rainfall deficits of a foot-plus. The eventual snowmelt could help restore depleted stream flows but might carry the risk of flooding downstream.

By Brittney J. Miller, The Gazette — Jan. 19, 2024

More headlines from our team

Note: Some stories may be paywalled. If you can, we encourage you to support our partners and reporters and your local news outlets with a subscription or donation.

Record power demand:

The Tennessee Valley Authority reached record electricity supply — both for winter and all-time — during deep cold in the Southeast last week. Our Daily Memphian reporter Keely Brewer has been covering all things TVA.

Water advisories in storms:

Keely also writes for the Memphian that boil-water advisories are an emerging winter problem for the Memphis Light, Gas & Water utility, driven by aging infrastructure and new weather extremes.

Pollution disparity ruling:

A judge has at least temporarily blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing rules requiring Louisiana industries to reduce toxic pollutants in minority and low-income areas, such as "Cancer Alley,” to lower levels than in majority white areas. Our senior advisor Mark Schleifstein reports for The Times-Picayune.

Kentucky discharge permits:

A Kentucky program authorizing certain industrial discharges may be enabling Clean Water Act violations across the state, reports Connor Giffin for the Courier Journal.

Critical minerals in the Ozarks:

Our expert journalist Bryce Gray writes for The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that an area known as the Lead Belt could be transformed into a crucial supplier of “critical minerals” for modern batteries, electric vehicles, renewable energy projects and more.

Farm Bureau insurance:

Proposed legislation would enable the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation to provide health care coverage to members outside traditional insurance regulations. Bennet Goldstein explains the implications for Wisconsin Watch.

Water perceptions:

Rural Wisconsinites greatly value their water but believe that farm pollution and other practices may threaten it, and also worry about PFAS chemicals, according to a new survey, covered here by Madeline Heim of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Carbon capture:

A Louisiana task force studying the growing industry heard input from oil and gas leaders, who said carbon capture could bring a “new golden age of energy production” in the state. Our expert journalist Halle Parker of WWNO writes that the task force’s final report is expected next month.

Extreme cold & climate change:

The arctic cold that blanketed much of the Midwest and Southeast in recent weeks may obscure longer-term trends toward fewer days with freezing temperatures as the climate warms. Mark Schleifstein has that story for The Times-Picayune.