Susanne Rust
@susrust.bsky.social
Reporter, LA Times. Enviro/Sci/Health. I cover #H5N1 #BirdFlu and Plastic. And other stuff, too (Valley Fever, Octopus rights, wild pigs, and more). Located in SF Bay area.
Michael Abatti will plead not guilty as autopsy report is released and investigation details are presented to the media #navajocounty #imperialcounty w @phila_lex www.latimes.com/california/s...
Bitter divorce fight is investigated as motive in killing of Imperial Valley farmer's wife
The Navajo County Sheriff's office released details Monday on the arrest of powerful Imperial Valley farmer Michael Abatti on suspicion of murder.
www.latimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Michael Abatti will plead not guilty as autopsy report is released and investigation details are presented to the media #navajocounty #imperialcounty w @phila_lex www.latimes.com/california/s...
Reposted by Susanne Rust
Kerri Abatti was killed in her Arizona home after leaving her 31-year marriage to an influential farmer. She sought refuge in the mountain town where her ancestors settled in the 1880s. "She came back because this was the center of her universe." @susrust.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...
Slain wife of Imperial Valley farmer was adored in her hometown; a violinist, friend and beauty queen
Kerri Abatti was killed on Nov. 20 by gunshot. While the case is still under investigation, the people in Pinetop — her family's home — are reeling. She was the sixth generation of Mormon settlers. An...
www.latimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Kerri Abatti was killed in her Arizona home after leaving her 31-year marriage to an influential farmer. She sought refuge in the mountain town where her ancestors settled in the 1880s. "She came back because this was the center of her universe." @susrust.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...
Kerri Abatti, estranged wife of #ImperialCounty farming mogul, Mike Abatti, was shot and killed in her home in Pinetop, AZ on 11/20. Who was she? Why did she go to #Pinetop? photos:
@caitlin_oh www.latimes.com/california/s...
@caitlin_oh www.latimes.com/california/s...
Slain wife of Imperial Valley farmer was adored in her hometown; a violinist, friend and beauty queen
Kerri Abatti was killed on Nov. 20 by gunshot. While the case is still under investigation, the people in Pinetop — her family's home — are reeling. She was the sixth generation of Mormon settlers. An...
www.latimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Kerri Abatti, estranged wife of #ImperialCounty farming mogul, Mike Abatti, was shot and killed in her home in Pinetop, AZ on 11/20. Who was she? Why did she go to #Pinetop? photos:
@caitlin_oh www.latimes.com/california/s...
@caitlin_oh www.latimes.com/california/s...
How many pieces of #plastic does it take to kill a sea bird? Turtle? Marine Mammal? Sadly, not much. www.latimes.com/science/stor...
How little plastic does it take to kill marine animals? Scientists have answers
Ocean plastic kills sea creatures. For the first time, researchers set out to find out how much it takes. The answer: Surprisingly little.
www.latimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:11 PM
How many pieces of #plastic does it take to kill a sea bird? Turtle? Marine Mammal? Sadly, not much. www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Human #BirdFlu case in WA. #H5N5 not #H5N1. Patient is severely ill. Update coming.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Another person in U.S. is hospitalized with bird flu. Officials don't know how they got it
A person in Washington is presumed infected with bird flu virus. Health officials in the state do not know the source.
www.latimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Human #BirdFlu case in WA. #H5N5 not #H5N1. Patient is severely ill. Update coming.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Historic number of marine mammals died along CA coast this year. Anomaly? Or a sign that our oceans are changing too fast to support these guys? Hats off to the exhausted and traumatized volunteers working tirelessly since spring #marinemammalcenter #strandingnetwork www.latimes.com/environment/...
Marine mammals are dying in record numbers along the California coast
It's been a doozy of a year for marine mammals, who have been dying in record numbers along the California coast. Volunteer rescue crews are traumatized and fatigued, but refuse to give up.
www.latimes.com
October 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Historic number of marine mammals died along CA coast this year. Anomaly? Or a sign that our oceans are changing too fast to support these guys? Hats off to the exhausted and traumatized volunteers working tirelessly since spring #marinemammalcenter #strandingnetwork www.latimes.com/environment/...
The parasite that causes Chagas disease, which kills more people in Latin America than malaria, is here in the U.S. The disease's symptoms generally don't show up for decades: heart attack, stroke, death. Have we been ignoring a potential source of #CVD ? www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S.
Chagas disease is deadly, pervasive and more prevalent in the U.S. than you'd think. It's not just brought here by people from nations where the disease is endemic, but by bloodsucking kissing bugs na...
www.latimes.com
September 1, 2025 at 5:10 PM
The parasite that causes Chagas disease, which kills more people in Latin America than malaria, is here in the U.S. The disease's symptoms generally don't show up for decades: heart attack, stroke, death. Have we been ignoring a potential source of #CVD ? www.latimes.com/science/stor...
You can't sell or produce foie gras in Calfiornia. So what is the bird liver delicacy doing on store shelves? www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Foie gras still on some store shelves in California, despite state ban
California banned the sale of foie gras -- the French delicacy made from the livers of goose and duck. So why can it still be found on store shelves?
www.latimes.com
August 1, 2025 at 1:12 PM
You can't sell or produce foie gras in Calfiornia. So what is the bird liver delicacy doing on store shelves? www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Reposted by Susanne Rust
I talked to @susrust.bsky.social @latimes.com about the USDA compensation program for dairies with H5N1-infected herds.
There has never been enough of an investment in containment. Compensation without support to change practices will not end the outbreak of moo flu.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
There has never been enough of an investment in containment. Compensation without support to change practices will not end the outbreak of moo flu.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
California dairy farmers got millions to cover bird flu losses. Critics say that's part of the problem
Dairies say the USDA relief money helped them sustain operations as bird flu decimated milk production, but critics say the aid perpetuates industrial farming practices that make herds vulnerable to d...
www.latimes.com
July 28, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I talked to @susrust.bsky.social @latimes.com about the USDA compensation program for dairies with H5N1-infected herds.
There has never been enough of an investment in containment. Compensation without support to change practices will not end the outbreak of moo flu.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
There has never been enough of an investment in containment. Compensation without support to change practices will not end the outbreak of moo flu.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
It's not just the #H5N1 #birdflu cuts across the federal government, but the Trump admin's targeting of immigrants that could trigger a pandemic. They're our front-line livestock workers -- and when the birds start flying south in the fall... www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Immigration crackdown could stymie efforts to fight bird flu outbreak, experts fear
Farm workers facing possible arrest would likely resist getting tested for bird flu should there be a resurgence this fall, as many anticipate
www.latimes.com
July 18, 2025 at 6:21 PM
It's not just the #H5N1 #birdflu cuts across the federal government, but the Trump admin's targeting of immigrants that could trigger a pandemic. They're our front-line livestock workers -- and when the birds start flying south in the fall... www.latimes.com/science/stor...
#GroundSquirrelInvasion? At least 14 in my back yard. I’ve never seen it like this.
July 17, 2025 at 9:03 PM
#GroundSquirrelInvasion? At least 14 in my back yard. I’ve never seen it like this.
Dead gray whale washes up in Richmond. Marine Mammal Center says ship strike is probable cause. Gray whale numbers are on the decline -- never recovering from the steep drop off that started in 2019. abc7news.com/post/gray-wh...
Gray whale washes up in Richmond, the 17th spotted in the Bay Area this year
The gray whale was up against rocks along Point Isabel in Richmond.
abc7news.com
July 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Dead gray whale washes up in Richmond. Marine Mammal Center says ship strike is probable cause. Gray whale numbers are on the decline -- never recovering from the steep drop off that started in 2019. abc7news.com/post/gray-wh...
CalRecycle now has a portal for people to report illegal sales of expanded polystyrene food ware and packaging in stores and restaurants -- 6+months after the products were banned: calrecycle.ca.gov/packaging/pa...
Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act: EPS Food Service Ware Notification Portal
calrecycle.ca.gov
July 16, 2025 at 6:44 PM
CalRecycle now has a portal for people to report illegal sales of expanded polystyrene food ware and packaging in stores and restaurants -- 6+months after the products were banned: calrecycle.ca.gov/packaging/pa...
What happened in TX was tragic; it could happen here, too. @ianjames.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/...
Like Texas, California faces major dangers when extreme floods come
The flood disaster in Texas claimed dozens of lives. Extreme floods also bring dangers in parts of California, although experts say there are differences.
www.latimes.com
July 8, 2025 at 1:22 AM
What happened in TX was tragic; it could happen here, too. @ianjames.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/...
Make America Rake Again -- Trump and Newsom battle over wildfire funding @nohaggerty.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/...
Newsom calls on Trump to boost wildfire preparedness and 'make America rake again'
Gov. Newsom challenged the Trump administration to match the state's investments in wildfire preparedness. In response, the administration criticized Newsom's own funding cuts.
www.latimes.com
July 3, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Make America Rake Again -- Trump and Newsom battle over wildfire funding @nohaggerty.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/...
EPA Workers Face Retaliation Over Dissent Declaration
www.importantcontext.news/p/epa-worker...
www.importantcontext.news/p/epa-worker...
EPA Workers Face Retaliation Over Dissent Declaration
On Monday, hundreds of EPA workers published a Declaration of Dissent criticizing their leadership. Now, they’re getting placed on leave pending review.
www.importantcontext.news
July 3, 2025 at 6:32 PM
EPA Workers Face Retaliation Over Dissent Declaration
www.importantcontext.news/p/epa-worker...
www.importantcontext.news/p/epa-worker...
And read @sammyroth.bsky.social 's latest on the Trump bill. It's a disaster for the planet. www.latimes.com/environment/...
Commentary: Republican budget bill would slaughter America's cleanest, cheapest energy
It's hard to find reasons for optimism. But we're not doomed.
www.latimes.com
July 3, 2025 at 6:28 PM
And read @sammyroth.bsky.social 's latest on the Trump bill. It's a disaster for the planet. www.latimes.com/environment/...
This story by @corinnepurtill.bsky.social makes me want to simultaneously cry and scream www.latimes.com/science/stor...
'Chaotic and deeply frightening': Once a global gold standard, U.S. government health guidance is falling apart
Government-provided health information now comes with disclaimers that the government can't be trusted.
www.latimes.com
July 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
This story by @corinnepurtill.bsky.social makes me want to simultaneously cry and scream www.latimes.com/science/stor...
Asbestos-laden fire debris hauled by fed contractors to non-hazardous waste landfills. What could be the problem?? @tonybrisco
www.latimes.com/environment/...
www.latimes.com/environment/...
Federal contractors improperly dumped wildfire-related asbestos waste at L.A. area landfills
Cleanup crews contracted by the Army Corp of Engineers dumped asbestos-tainted wildfire debris in landfills that they shouldn't have, according to government records.
www.latimes.com
July 3, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Asbestos-laden fire debris hauled by fed contractors to non-hazardous waste landfills. What could be the problem?? @tonybrisco
www.latimes.com/environment/...
www.latimes.com/environment/...
Reposted by Susanne Rust
#NewMexico with #measles outbreak in a prison
“measles outbreak at a correctional facility in Deming, after five detainees tested positive
“Health officials are sending personal protective equipment, test kits, and measles vaccine to the prison, which houses 400 inmates and employs 100 staff”
“measles outbreak at a correctional facility in Deming, after five detainees tested positive
“Health officials are sending personal protective equipment, test kits, and measles vaccine to the prison, which houses 400 inmates and employs 100 staff”
Measles outbreak strikes New Mexico jail as US total climbs
www.cidrap.umn.edu
June 28, 2025 at 2:52 PM
#NewMexico with #measles outbreak in a prison
“measles outbreak at a correctional facility in Deming, after five detainees tested positive
“Health officials are sending personal protective equipment, test kits, and measles vaccine to the prison, which houses 400 inmates and employs 100 staff”
“measles outbreak at a correctional facility in Deming, after five detainees tested positive
“Health officials are sending personal protective equipment, test kits, and measles vaccine to the prison, which houses 400 inmates and employs 100 staff”
Reposted by Susanne Rust
Wow! The pediatric death toll for the 2024-25 flu season keeps climbing. #CDC was informed of +3 deaths last week; they occurred between early Feb & mid April.
The total is now 253 pediatric deaths (& more reports could still come). 90% of these kids weren't vaxed.
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
The total is now 253 pediatric deaths (& more reports could still come). 90% of these kids weren't vaxed.
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
June 27, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Wow! The pediatric death toll for the 2024-25 flu season keeps climbing. #CDC was informed of +3 deaths last week; they occurred between early Feb & mid April.
The total is now 253 pediatric deaths (& more reports could still come). 90% of these kids weren't vaxed.
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
The total is now 253 pediatric deaths (& more reports could still come). 90% of these kids weren't vaxed.
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
Strange thing about this story: Newsom's comms team's response to my questions about his ever-present-plastic-water-bottle was to: 1) not answer any q's; but 2) instead threaten to send my editor a video of me near a plastic water bottle. www.latimes.com/environment/...
Newsom's podcast sidekick: a single-use plastic water bottle
Newsom has called for a future free of plastic waste, yet a single-use plastic bottle is usually by his side during his podcasts.
www.latimes.com
June 21, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Strange thing about this story: Newsom's comms team's response to my questions about his ever-present-plastic-water-bottle was to: 1) not answer any q's; but 2) instead threaten to send my editor a video of me near a plastic water bottle. www.latimes.com/environment/...
Another example of a well-intentioned CA law causing environmental damage: Compost law feeding into rampant dumping in SoCal's desert Antelope Valley. #SB1383 #CalRecycle @latimes www.latimes.com/environment/...
Why L.A.’s food and yard waste is being dumped in the Antelope Valley
A state law that mandated diversion of organic waste from landfills is being blamed for exacerbating illegal dumping in remote desert areas.
www.latimes.com
June 11, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Another example of a well-intentioned CA law causing environmental damage: Compost law feeding into rampant dumping in SoCal's desert Antelope Valley. #SB1383 #CalRecycle @latimes www.latimes.com/environment/...