BP is poised to settle a mass tort lawsuit with more than 25,000 people who were exposed to toxic emissions from its southeast Texas refinery. More than 40,000 residents of Texas City and neighboring La Marque sued BP, claiming that over 40 days in April and May 2010 the company released more than 500,000 pounds of toxic chemicals, including carcinogenic benzene, after diverting the compounds to the flare that was only 33 to 66 percent efficient.   read more

Singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne canceled his show at the University of Texas’ Bass Concert Hall over the school’s policy to allow patrons to carry concealed handguns at the venue. Senate Bill 11, also called campus carry, was passed in 2015 by the Texas Legislature. It allows concealed carry of handguns by license holders on state college and university campuses, and bars schools from prohibiting them except in certain areas. The law took effect Aug. 1.   read more

Federal wildlife officials made a formal recommendation to list the rusty patched bumble bee as an endangered species because it has disappeared from about 90% of its historic range in just the past two decades. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the recommendation after the Xerces Societypresented studies showing it was struggling due to a combination of disease, habitat loss, climate change and overuse of pesticides on commercial crops.   read more

In 2012 and 2013, earthquakes — five of them considered significant — shook East Texas near Timpson. A team of scientists for the first time were able to track the uplifting ground movements in the earthquake using radar from satellites. A study says it confirms that these were not natural, something scientists had previously said was likely using a more traditional analysis.   read more

At issue is how to help people find medical studies — and then to make the results public so that successes can reach patients more quickly. Federal law requires reporting the results of certain studies on a government website. But too often, that reporting doesn't happen, especially the failures. VP Joe Biden cited concern that such secrecy was stifling cancer progress. One analysis of 400 studies of diseases found 30% hadn't disclosed results within four years of completion.   read more

They were all from "special interest countries" — those that present a national security concern for the U.S. — or neighboring countries with high rates of immigration fraud. DHS said the findings reflect what has long been a problem for immigration officials — old paper-based records containing fingerprint information that can't be searched electronically. Fingerprints are missing from federal databases for as many as 315,000 immigrants with deportation orders or who are fugitive criminals.   read more

The measure allows people to carry hidden guns anywhere they can currently carry weapons openly. People who choose to get a concealed-carry permit could potentially carry their weapons into places off-limits to others. The legislation also would create a "stand-your-ground" right, meaning people don't have a duty to retreat from danger any place they are legally entitled to be present. The NRA says 30 states have laws or precedents stating people have no duty to retreat from a threat.   read more

"The reason FEMA's rules are secret is that it would be embarrassing if it had to publish them," said attorney Wesevich. "If people knew what rules FEMA was applying they would be outraged... They want to present a facade that they are helping people recover from disaster. But internally and in secret they have a complex set of standards that deny people assistance." One judge reportedly described FEMA's eligibility criteria as "Kafkaesque."   read more

Indiana Solicitor General Fisher provoked outrage from the court in his attempts to justify Gov. Pence's policy. "Are Syrians the only Muslims Indiana fears?" asked Posner. Fisher replied: "This has nothing to do with religion." Posner chuckled and boomed: "All of the terrorist attacks you pointed to have been done by Muslims. So we're secure against anyone except Syrians? Look! Has the FBI said, 'we're secure against people from France or Germany'? Why's Indiana focused on Syrians?"   read more

Angry animal advocates can calm down: Tens of thousands of wild horses and donkeys will be spared the threat of an untimely death. The Humane Society of the United States had described the recommendation as “unhinged advice,” “a complete abdication of responsibility” and “a sort of ‘Final Solution.'” An online petition has collected more than 118,000 signatures. But a spokesman for the bureau made clear in an interview that it had no plans to act on the advice.   read more

Crabb cut through the state's argument that state law says couples who conceive through artificial insemination cannot receive a two-parent birth certificate unless both women give written consent. Jessamy did not provide such consent, but Judge Crabb noted that the state is less strict with straight couples. "Obviously, the department is not treating female couples equally if its forms suggest that female couples may not even apply for a two-person birth certificate," Crabb wrote.   read more

Why, critics questioned, would he name a ship in honor of the late gay rights leader Harvey Milk or after former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords? Mabus has said he is honoring heroes outside the military so he can help connect people with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. "You have to represent all the values that we hold as Americans..." he said. "That's why I've named ships the Medgar Evers, Cesar Chavez, John Lewis, the Harvey Milk. Because these are American heroes too..."   read more

The dichotomy was starkest for women: Only 27 percent of older characters in the films were female. Among lead roles, only three of 10 with older actors were women (Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren and Lin Shaye). This is despite the fact that women outlive men and constitute a larger segment of U.S. seniors. The Census Bureau estimates 18.5 percent of the U.S. population is 60 or older. "Seniors on screen are an endangered species in cinematic storytelling," the authors wrote in the report.   read more

Civil rights activists have long called for police officers to wear body cameras, and even more so since the 2014 fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by a white officer. The Clarksville program ended when Chief Mark Palmer pulled the cameras in response to Indiana's new law requiring extended video storage. ACLU's Stanley said he's concerned that some departments might use those costs "as a cover" to avoid the added layer of oversight the cameras bring.   read more

"For me it's important to emphasize it's not about immigration. It's about building inclusive democracies and removing barriers in our communities," said Detroit Councilwoman Castaneda-Lopez. NCAAC's Tonova said the program "sends a really strong statement" about welcoming "the most vulnerable" residents. The push has come amid Republican nominee Donald Trump's proposal to temporarily ban foreign Muslims from entering the country and vowing to build a wall along the Mexican border.   read more

Trump described his call for repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits such endorsements, "my greatest contribution to Christianity and other religions." Repealing the amendment also is a plank in the GOP party platform. RNS reports that 79% of Americans polled thought such endorsements were inappropriate. "Americans already argue about politics enough outside the church. They don't want pastors bringing those arguments into worship," said LifeWay's McConnell.   read more