Entries by Kayla Ritter

The Stream, January 31, 2020: High Waters in the Mississippi River Could Spur Rare Winter Flooding

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The Global Rundown High water levels in the Mississippi River threaten to flood communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and northern Iowa. Residents of three Colorado towns near the Peterson Air Force Base are in their fifth year of trying to get government compensation over PFAS contamination. Crop diseases worsen food security in Venezuela. Officials in Portage, […]

The Stream, January 30, 2020: Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Deluged by 32 Inches of Rain in 4 Weeks

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The Global Rundown In less than a month, 32 inches of rain deluge Brazil’s sixth-largest city. A group of six banks provides a $650 million loan to Kuwait to finance a water treatment plant. A no-confidence vote against the Bulgarian government over a recent water crisis fails. Democrats from the U.S. House of Representatives propose […]

Rain Alleviates Bushfires in Australia, but Threatens Waterways

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Pollution concerns rise following recent rains.

The Stream, January 29, 2020: Australia Drought Stimulus Packages Slow and Ineffective, Review Finds

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The Global Rundown A review by Ernst & Young finds that drought stimulus projects in Australian communities are slow and ineffective. Heavy flooding in Madagascar displaces at least 16,000 people. A major hydroelectric project in Portugal is set to replace coal-generated power in the country. A vessel runs aground on the Danube river in northern […]

The Stream, January 28, 2020: Alaska’s Longest Drought on Record Ends

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The Global Rundown Alaska’s longest drought on record comes to an end. Zimbabweans turn to unsafe open wells as tap water cuts continue. Water rates for communities in Flint, Michigan, remain unchanged for the third year in a row. The Australian government withholds funds from New South Wales after the state fails to complete Murray-Darling […]

HotSpots H2O: Dengue, Cholera Remain Concerns in Yemen’s Conflict Zone

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After a lull, conflict in Yemen is flaring again. The uptick in fighting is complicating attempts by health workers to stem the spread of infectious, waterborne diseases like dengue fever and cholera that have multiplied during years of civil war.

The Stream, January 24, 2020: New Trump Water Rule Imperils Streams, Wetlands, Across the U.S.

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The Global Rundown The U.S. Trump administration replaces the Waters of the United States rule, cutting protections for streams and wetlands. Zimbabwe announces that its grain reserves are running low after months of drought. A water utility in California sues the U.S. government over PFAS contamination from firefighting foam used at an Air Force Base. […]

The Stream, January 23, 2020: PFAS Contamination in U.S. More Widespread than Previously Thought, Study Finds

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The Global Rundown A new report finds that PFAS contamination in the United States is far more prevalent than previously thought. Michigan grants Flint an extension on submitting documentation about 2019 lead samples, as well as the city’s future plans for tackling contamination. Storm Glorida hits Spain’s Ebro river delta, deluging rice paddies. Namibia considers […]

The Stream, January 22, 2020: Rainfall in Australia Slows Spread of Bushfires

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The Global Rundown Heavy rainfall eases bushfires in Australia, but blazes still remain. Ongoing drought in Guatemala fuels childhood malnutrition. The U.S. Supreme Court rules that residents of Flint, Michigan, can pursue a civil rights lawsuit over the city’s lead crisis. Twenty-one “critically overdrafted” areas of California prepare groundwater management plans as part of the […]

The Stream, January 21, 2020: Water Crisis Leaves Bulgarian Government Facing a No-Confidence Vote

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The Global Rundown The Bulgarian government faces a no-confidence vote due to ongoing water shortages affecting thousands of people. Lawmakers in Michigan propose two bills that would limit access to groundwater for water bottling company Nestlé Waters North America, Inc. Controversy ensues over an $80 million water rights sale to the Australian government. China bans […]

The Stream, January 17, 2020: Florida Purchases Property in Heartland of Everglades, Saving it From Oil Drilling

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The Global Rundown Florida purchases a piece of the Everglades to protect the wetlands from oil drilling. A probe into the 2019 collapse of a Vale SA tailings dam in Brumadinho, Brazil, will wrap up in June, police say. Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, investigate tainted tap water in several of the city’s neighborhoods. […]