LESS-THAN-HALF DOME: A large section of Half Dome in Yosemite Valley has fallen off, rendering a popular climbing route impassable. Parts of Pitches 11 and 12 of the Regular Northwest Face route have completely disappeared, so climbers are out of luck until someone discovers a new variation or adds fixed protection.

WOLF CUBS: Wildlife officials announced on July 7 that Oregon wolf OR-7 has fathered a second litter of pups just north of the California border. OR-7 made headlines when he crossed into California from Oregon in 2011, becoming the first wild wolf in the state since the 1920s.

A DAM SHAME: Drought is forcing the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates numerous dams and reservoirs across the Western United States, to completely redesign its infrastructure. Originally built in the early 1900s, the old design is no longer effective in the face of climate change and increasing demand for water.

TEXAS SUES EPA:Texas is suing the Environmental Protection Agency for the 21st time since Obama took office in 2009. Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit over the EPA’s rejection of sections of a Texas clean air program, a move that comes less than two weeks after the state’s lawsuit against the EPA’s “Waters of the U.S.” rule.

CLEANER SHIPS: Pollution levels near one of the world's largest ports fell sharply this week in the wake of new regulations requiring that ships switch to cleaner fuel. Concentrations of sulfur dioxide near the Kwai Chung container port in Hong Kong are nearly three times lower than last year’s now that all ocean-bound vessels must use 0.5 percent sulfur marine fuel when docking in the port.