Environment

An anti-government armed militia group have taken over a federal building in Oregon on Saturday afternoon, led by Ammon Bundy, a rancher from the local area.  Authorities are monitoring the situation as the group continue to occupy a remote federal wildlife refuge operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The groups leader, Ammon Bundy, is a well known anti-government activist whose father inspired a standoff between local armed militia groups and federal officials who sought to confiscate illegal cattle grazing in 2014.

Since we first highlighted the potential for a "catastrophic event" in Missouri three months ago, there has been little mainstream media coverage. However, as Claire Bernish via TheAntiMedia.org notes, residents near the smoldering fill have expressed increasing frustration with the quarreling agencies offering few answers for an increasing number of health issues, like asthma.

After the first deadly winter storm this season, now come the floods: the near-record water level across the U.S. Midwest has disrupted everything from oil to agriculture, forcing pipelines, terminals and grain elevators to close. This is the worst flood in the region since May 2011, when rising water on the Mississippi and its tributaries deluged cities, slowed barge traffic and threatened refinery and chemical operations and is just shy of the worst flood of breaking 30-year records.

Submitted by Nick Cunningham via OilPrice.com,

In a clash of the titans, Warren Buffett just defeated Elon Musk.

Missouri is in a state of emergency as flooding continues and  record water levels expected over the coming days. Missouri’s governor activated the National Guard to help divert traffic from submerged roads and Illinois’ governor declared disasters in seven counties. Thirteen people in Missouri have died in floods caused by the severe storms over the weekend, and although the rain has moved on, swollen rivers are still rising Scenes from towns along the Mississippi this New Years.