A racing pigeon sits on a rooftop Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia, The racing pigeon, first spotted in late December, was believed to have made an extraordinary 8,000-mile Pacific Ocean crossing from the United States to Australia. (Channel 9 via AP) At a Glance The pigeon from Montgomery, Alabama, disappeared during a race in Oregon in October.It turned up in December near Melbourne, Australia. Australian agriculture officials had said it could be carrying diseases. Joe the pigeon has...

At a Glance High winds from a low-pressure system toppled trees and utility poles.About 1,250 people were ordered to evacuate because of fires in Santa Cruz County.Yosemite National Park closed because of downed trees and power lines.A search for a 12-year-old boy missing after being swept off a beach by high waves was called off.Red flag fire warnings continue for Los Angeles and other Southern California counties.Several tractor-trailers toppled over in the high winds. Firefighters gained the upper hand on...

The BP Texas City Chemical plant is seen Sept. 24, 2005, in Texas City, Texas. Texas had the fourth-largest amount of chemical releases in 2019 at 189 million pounds. (Photo by Dave Einsel/Getty Images) At a Glance The 2019 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis showed total releases of TRI chemicals decreased by 9%.Alaska had 852 million pounds of chemicals released, the most of any state.Texas is considered the riskiest state based on its Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score. Industrial facilities released...