Advocates for a proposed Oakland Athletics downtown baseball stadium project won the backing of California appeals judges Thursday who rejected arguments that an environmental report was deficient.

FirstEnergy Corp. investors may proceed on behalf of a class on allegations that the company misled them about its role in a state legislative bribery scandal, a federal court ruled Thursday.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s negotiations with her fellow Democratic legislators are expected to continue after the deadline for the new fiscal year to begin. Talks about the proposed $227 billion budget are largely being held up by Hochul’s plan to increase housing and her push to change the bail law, legislative leaders said Thursday. If the budget or an extension bill isn’t passed by end of day Monday, paychecks for state workers could be delayed, according to the state Comptroller’s Office.

The 3M Co. and footwear maker Wolverine World Wide Inc. will pay $54 million as part of a proposed class action settlement over allegations they’re responsible for the release of PFAS chemicals into the environment in Kent County, Mich., according to a federal judge who granted final approval of the deal.

Some federal grant recipients don’t know about the criminal penalties they could face for defrauding the government, the EPA’s in-house watchdog cautioned agency officials in a Thursday memo.

Scientists on an independent clean air panel expressed concern with the scope of scientific consideration in an EPA draft finding for status quo ozone standards during a two-day discussion.

The Interior Department will prioritize conservation leasing along with wildlife habitat and wetlands restoration under a rule the agency proposed Thursday affecting roughly 245 million acres of public lands, mainly in the West.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to add the Lukachukai Mountains Mining District to the Superfund National Priorities List, according to EPA Thursday.

The European Union is seeking to clarify several issues with the US before signing an agreement on critical minerals designed to give EU companies access to some of the massive green subsidies offered in President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Southwest Airlines Co. is learning the hard way about climate change, blaming extreme weather as a culprit in a meltdown that stranded more than 2 million passengers over the year-end holidays.