Warning Wire

Thousands of oil and gas wells have been abandoned across California, creating risks to the environment and the pocketbooks of taxpayers who could be stuck with huge cleanup bills. The bonds posted by the industry for well closures and cleanup are billions of dollars short of what will be needed.

The fast-spreading corona virus has killed at least 106 people in China. Cases of the respiratory infection have been reported in more than a dozen other countries, including the U.S., though no deaths have occurred outside China. The virus is believed to have come from a wholesale market where vendors sold live animals from stalls in close quarters with other wildlife.

Explosive internal emails released by Boeing have raised pressure on the embattled airplane manufacturer in the wake of two deadly crashes of its Max 737 jets. “This airplane is designed by clowns, who in turn are supervised by monkeys,” said one of the messages. “I’ll be shocked if the FAA passes this turd,” another email said. “Jesus, it’s doomed,” read another. Congress is investigating how a plane with serious safety flaws was allowed to go on the market.

The four largest American freight railroads have been accused of funding decades-long efforts to discredit climate science and oppose federal climate regulation. The reason? Coal makes up almost one third of American rail freight. Two of the railroads issued statements rejecting assertions that they fostered climate denial.

Life expectancy in the U.S. fell for the third year in a row, a new study shows, led by declines in the 25 to 64 year old age group. “It would be easier if we could blame this whole trend on one problem, like guns or obesity or the opioid epidemic, all of which distinguish the U.S. from the other countries,’’ the study’s lead author Steven H. Woolf said. “But we found increases in death rates across 35 causes of death.’’