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Officials in Houston are just beginning to grapple with the health and environmental risks that lurk in the waters dumped by Hurricane Harvey, a stew of toxic chemicals, sewage, debris and waste that still floods much of the city. Flooded sewers are stoking fears of cholera, typhoid and other infectious diseases. Runoff from the city’s sprawling petroleum and chemicals complex contains any number of hazardous compounds.

With drinking water cut off, its river still rising, and most routes in and out of the city flooded, Beaumont suffered the worst of Texas’ hardships on Thursday, and they showed no sign of abating. Flooding shut down the pumping plants that supply water to Beaumont in the morning, prompting a hospital to transport its patients out of the city, and trucks carrying bottled water struggled to reach the largely isolated city. The Neches River surged far beyond its banks, into streets, houses and businesses in the city of almost 120,000 people 70 miles east-northeast of Houston, reaching six feet a

HOUSTON — A series of explosions at a flood-damaged chemical plant outside Houston on Thursday drew sharp focus on hazards to public health and safety from the city’s vast petrochemical complex as the region begins a painstaking recovery from Hurricane Harvey. The blasts at the plant, owned by the French chemical company Arkema, came after its main electrical system and backups failed, cutting off refrigeration systems that kept volatile chemicals stable.

President

Sen. Mayo Clinic in Phoenix for an aggressive form of brain cancer. "Senator McCain will return to the U.S.

In an address kicking off his administration's push to overhaul the U.S. tax system, President Donald Trump outlined a broad set of proposals Wednesday, including lower rates and a reworking of the tax code, and placed pressure on Congress to deliver on the pledges to help the Republican party overcome a series of legislative setbacks early in his presidency. "I don't want to be disappointed by Congress," said Trump in Springfield, Missouri as he lamented the GOP's failure on health care reform earlier this summer. "I think Congress is going to make a comeback.

On his first visit to Texas after it was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, Vice President Mike Pence hugged survivors, prayed with them, even pitched in to help haul away debris from a damaged home. "I think the scope is truly breathtaking," Pence told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl in an interview in Rockport, Texas. "We're gonna be here today, tomorrow, until it's done.

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Most popular on BostonGlobe.com Based on what you've read recently, you might be interested in theses stories WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered three Russian diplomatic facilities in the U.S. closed following the expulsion of American diplomats from Russia, the State Department said Thursday. Last month, Russia demanded that the U.S. diplomatic presence there be reduced by hundreds of people.

Most popular on BostonGlobe.com Based on what you've read recently, you might be interested in theses stories Trump’s willingness to spread unverified claims and engage in personal attacks has riled many, but a more covert habit threatens to push the White House into legal trouble.  The Trump administration has ordered three Russian diplomatic facilities in the US closed following the expulsion of American diplomats from Russia.  The president is also soliciting reporters for suggestions on which organizations are the most effective, Sarah Sanders said.