Senators said repeal was ‘particularly troubling’ and was counter to EPA’s mandate to protect human health

More than three dozen Democratic senators have begun an independent inquiry into the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following a huge change in how the agency measures the health benefits of reducing air pollution that is widely seen as a major setback to US efforts to combat the climate crisis.

In a regulatory impact analysis, the EPA said it would stop assigning a monetary value to the health benefits associated with regulations on fine particulate matter and ozone. The agency argued that the estimates contain too much uncertainty.

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© Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

© Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

© Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

Lawmakers left Washington for a long weekend without resolving an impasse over much-criticized agency’s funding

The Department of Homeland Security has begun a partial shutdown, after funding for the much-criticized agency expired, with a range of services, including domestic flights and the US Coastguard, now vulnerable to disruption.

The shutdown was all but confirmed on Thursday, after the Senate failed to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to pass the DHS appropriations bill and lawmakers left Washington for a long weekend without resolving the impasse.

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© Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters

© Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters

© Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters

The program was meant to help hospitals provide for poor patients by offering drug savings. But critics say a Texas company has turned it into a big business, driving up costs for patients and insurers.

© Desiree Rios for The New York Times

A crackdown on problems with fairness and safety is achieving results, including a big drop in the number of sick patients being passed over for transplants.

© Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, backed Nate Morris, a Republican businessman, in the primary race to succeed Senator Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

A video from Ken Paxton, a Republican primary challenger to Senator John Cornyn of Texas, depicted A.I.-generated imagery of the senator twirling with Jasmine Crockett, a Democratic Senate candidate.

© Desiree Rios for The New York Times

Despite many proposals, there is little consensus among governors, lawmakers and tech executives about exactly how much the companies behind data centers should pay for electricity.

© Scott Ball for The New York Times

The top executive of the crypto exchange Coinbase scuttled a planned Senate committee vote on a major cryptocurrency bill after voicing his concerns, a sign of the company’s clout.

© Karsten Moran for The New York Times

That number could increase significantly as more consumers are faced with higher bills brought on by expiring premium subsidies.

© Eva Marie Uzcategui for The New York Times

After the White House called for billions of dollars in funding reductions, senators and representatives said they wanted to safeguard and even boost funds for basic research.

© Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times

Democrats demanded information from seven top U.S. oil companies about any meetings with the Trump administration regarding plans to control Venezuela’s oil industry.

© Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times

The comment from Brendan Carr, a Republican, raised concerns from lawmakers about how President Trump might use the agency.

© Eric Lee for The New York Times

Three Democrats are seeking information from tech firms about the growing energy use of data centers and the utility bills of individuals and other businesses.

© Nathan Howard for The New York Times