Podcasts about environmental protection agency

On November 20th, 2025, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers proposed a rule to define what “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) means under the Clean Water Act. This is yet another effort to finally provide a durable WOTUS rule. Fortunately, the 2023 Supreme Court opinion in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency provided much-needed clarity for the agencies when determining what are regulable waters. Have the agencies developed a proposed rule that is consistent with Sackett? How have they defined key terms like “relatively permanent” and “continuous surface connection” and what wetlands would be regulated?The public comment period for this rule ended on January 5th, 2026, with a final rule likely to come out in the coming months. Please join our panel of experts as they detail what is in the rule, provide analysis and perspective on the rule, and explain what changes the agencies should make for any final rule.Featuring:Prof. Pat Parenteau, Professor of Law Emeritus, Vermont Law SchoolJohn Paul Woodley, Principal, Advantus Strategies, LLCDamien Schiff, Senior Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation(Moderator) Daren Bakst, Director of the Center for Energy and Environment and Senior Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute

A recent agreement between a gold mining company and the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation is being called “historic” by its chairman. The mining company president says the agreement follows the standards set by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and gives the tribe a share of the profits from the mine. The company and tribal officials are optimistic this will set a precedent for how mining companies partner with tribes. At the same time as the agreement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes to severely limit the power of tribes to interfere with construction of oil and natural gas pipelines and resource-guzzling data centers. GUESTS Chairman Brian Mason (Shoshone Paiute) Maranda Compton (Delaware Tribe of Indians), founder and president of Lepwe Kate Finn (Osage), founder and director of the Tallgrass Institute James Grijalva, professor of law at the University of North Dakota School of Law Melissa Kay, Tribal Water Institute fellow at the Native American Rights Fund Break 1 Music: Healing Song (song) Judy Trejo (artist) Circle Dance Songs of the Paiute and Shoshone (album) Break 2 Music: Elle Danse [Boogat Remix] (song) Mimi O'Bonsawin (artist)

(The Center Square) – With the U.S. Senate sending a roughly $180 billion funding package to the president's desk Thursday, Congress has now knocked out half of the annual appropriations bills funding federal agencies in fiscal year 2026. The three-bill minibus, which passed the House last week, grants full-year appropriations for the departments of Commerce; Justice; Energy; Interior; the Environmental Protection Agency, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the American republic hanging in the balance, Ralph calls on Democrats to pressure Republicans in the House and Senate to impeach Trump before the midterms or suffer the consequences. Then, we welcome Dino Grandoni, co-author of a Washington Post report on the surprising ways various species of animals and plants help advance our own health and longevity.Dino Grandoni is a reporter who covers life sciences for the Washington Post. He was part of a reporting team that was a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting for coverage of Hurricane Helene. He previously covered the Environmental Protection Agency and wrote a daily tipsheet on energy and environmental policy. He is co-author (with Hailey Haymond and Katty Huertas) of the feature “50 Species That Save Us.”The Democrats—while there are people like constitutional law expert Jamie Raskin (who has said a shadow hearing to publicly educate the American people on impeachment “is a good idea”) he's been muzzled by Hakeem Jeffries and Charlie Schumer, who basically don't want the Democrats to use the word impeachment. So who's using the word impeachment the most? Donald Trump—not only wants to impeach judges who decide against him, but he's talking about the Democrats impeaching him, and he uses the word all the time. So we have an upside-down situation here where the opposition party is not in the opposition on the most critical factor, which is that we have the most impeachable President in American history, getting worse by the day.Ralph NaderIf the founding fathers came back to life today, would any of them oppose the impeachment, conviction, and removal of office of Donald J. Trump, who talks about being a monarch? That's what they fought King George over. Of course, they would all support it.Ralph NaderWhat we have in these cards and in our stories at the Washington Post here are examples of the ways we know, the ways that scientists have uncovered how plants and animals help us. But we don't know what we don't know. There are likely numerous other ways that plants and animals are protecting human well-being that we don't know and we may very well never know if some of these species go extinct.Dino GrandoniI'm always eager to find these connections between human well-being and the well-being of nature and try to describe them in ways that are compelling to readers that get them to care about protecting nature. And also finding those instances (because I want to be objective here) of when human well-being and the well-being of nature might be in conflict, and that might involve some tough decisions that we as a society or policymakers have to make.Dino GrandoniNews 1/16/25* Our top two stories this week concern corporate wrongdoing. First, Business Insider reports that the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has released a new report which estimates Uber Eats and DoorDash, by altering their tipping processes in the city – moving tipping prompts to less prominent locations after checkout so upfront delivery costs would appear lower – have deprived gig delivery workers of $550 million since December 2023. As this piece notes, that was the month that New York City's minimum pay law for delivery workers took effect. As a result, “The average tip for delivery workers on the apps dropped 75%...from $3.66 to $0.93, one week after the apps made the changes…The figure has since declined to $0.76 per delivery.” This report presages a new city law that “requires the apps to offer customers the option to tip before or during checkout. Both Uber and DoorDash have sued the City over the law, which is set to take effect on January 26.” Whether the administration will stick to their guns on this issue, in the face of corporate pressure, will be a major early test for Mayor Zohran Mamdani.* Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports UnitedHealth Group “deployed aggressive tactics to collect payment-boosting diagnoses for its Medicare Advantage members.” As the Journal explains, “In Medicare Advantage, the federal government pays insurers a lump sum to oversee medical benefits for seniors and disabled people. The government pays extra for patients with certain costly medical conditions, a process called risk adjustment.” A new report from the Senate Judiciary Committee found that UnitedHealth had “turned risk adjustment into a business,” thereby exploiting Medicare Advantage and systematically and fraudulently overbilling the federal government. Due to its structure, advocates like Ralph Nader have long warned that Medicare Advantage is ripe for waste fraud and abuse, in addition to being an inferior program for seniors compared to traditional Medicare. This report supports the accuracy of these warnings. Yet, Dr. Mehmet Oz Trump's appointee to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is a longtime proselytizer for Medicare Advantage and this setback is unlikely to make him reverse course, no matter the cost to patients or taxpayers.* Yet, even as these instances of corporate criminal lawlessness pile up, the Trump administration is all but abolishing the police on the corporate crime beat. In a new report, Rick Claypool, corporate crime research director at Public Citizen, documents how the administration has “canceled or halted a total of 159 enforcement actions against 166 corporations.” This amounts to corporations avoiding payments totaling $3.1 billion in penalties for misconduct. This report further documents how these corporations have ingratiated themselves with Trump, via donations to his inauguration or ballroom project, or more typical revolving door or lobbying arrangements. As Claypool himself puts it, “The ‘law enforcement' claims the White House uses as a pretext for authoritarian anti-immigrant crackdowns, city occupations, and imperial resource seizures abroad lose all credibility when cast against the lawlessness Trump allows for the pursuit of corporate profits.”* In another instance of a Trump administration giveaway to corporations, the New York Times reports the Environmental Protection Agency will “Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution.” Under the new regulatory regime, the EPA will “estimate only the costs to businesses of complying with the rules.” The Times explains that different administrations have balanced these competing interests differently, always faced with the morbid dilemma of how much, in a dollar amount, to value human life; but “until now, no administration has counted it as zero.”* Moving to Congress, the big news from the Legislative Branch this week has to do with Bill and Hillary Clinton. NPR reports Congressman James Comer, Chair of the House Oversight Committee, issued subpoenas to the former president and former Secretary of State to testify in a committee hearing related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter published earlier this week, the Clintons formally rejected the subpoenas, calling them “legally invalid.” The Clintons' refusal to appear tees up an opportunity for Congress to exercise its contempt power and force the couple to testify. Democrats on the Oversight Committee, who agreed to issue the subpoenas as part of a larger list, have noted that “most of the other people have not been forced to testify,” indicating that this is a political stunt rather than an earnest effort. That said, there is little doubt that, at least, former President Clinton knows more about the Epstein affair than he has stated publicly thus far and there is a good chance Congress will vote through a contempt resolution and force him to testify.* In the Senate, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy and other liberal Senators are “urging their Democratic colleagues to pivot to economic populism by ‘confronting' corporate power and billionaires, warning that just talking about affordability alone won't move swing voters who backed President Trump in 2024,” per the Hill. Senators Adam Schiff of California and Tina Smith of Minnesota also signed this memo. The Senators cited a recent poll that found Americans “increasingly cannot afford basic goods such as medical care and groceries,” but they also warned that “Bland policy proposals — without a narrative explaining who is getting screwed and who is doing the screwing – will not work.” Hopefully this forceful urging by fellow Senators will move the needle within the Democratic caucus in the upper house. Nothing else seems to have driven the point home.* One candidate who seems to understand this message is Graham Platner of Maine. Platner, who is endorsed by Bernie Sanders, has a controversial past that includes a career in the Marines and a stint working for the private military contractor Blackwater. However, he is running as a staunch economic populist and New Deal style progressive Democrat – and the message appears to be working. According to Zeteo, a poll conducted in mid-December found Platner up by 15 points in the primary over his opponent, current Governor Janet Mills. More concerning is the fact that this same poll shows both Platner and Mills in a dead heat with incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, indicating this could be a brutal, protracted and expensive campaign.* On the other end of the spectrum, Axios reported this week that former Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who once led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and then served as President Biden's ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, has accepted a role as CEO and president of the Coalition for Prediction Markets. The coalition is essentially a trade association for betting websites; members include Kalshi, Crypto.com Robinhood and Coinbase, among others. The coalition will leverage Maloney's influence with Democrats, along with former Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry's influence across the aisle, to lobby for favorable regulation for their industry.* Turning to foreign affairs, prosecutors in South Korea have announced that they are seeking the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk-Yeol on “charges of masterminding an insurrection over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024,” per Reuters. In a stunning courtroom revelation, a prosecutor said during closing arguments that “investigators confirmed the existence of a scheme allegedly directed by Yoon and his former defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, dating back to October 2023 designed to keep Yoon in power.” The prosecutor added that “The defendant has not sincerely regretted the crime... or apologised properly to the people.” As this piece notes, South Korea has not carried out a death sentence in nearly three decades. Even still, it is remarkable to see how this case has unfolded compared to the reaction of the American judicial system to Donald Trump's attempted self-coup on January 6th, 2021.* Finally, turning to Latin America, many expected the fall of Nicolás Maduro to mean a redoubled energy crisis for the long-embargoed island nation of Cuba. Yet, the Financial Times reports that in fact, “Mexico overtook Venezuela to become Cuba's top oil supplier in 2025…helping the island weather a sharp drop in Venezuelan crude shipments.” CBS adds that “Despite President Trump's social media pronouncement…that ‘there will be no more oil or money going to Cuba — zero,' the current U.S. policy is to allow Mexico to continue to provide oil to the island, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.” For the time being, the administration seems open to maintaining this status quo – including maintaining cordial relations with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum – though this appears more strained than ever. Sheinbaum harshly criticized the kidnapping of Maduro, stating “unilateral action and invasion cannot be the basis for international relations in the 21st century,” while Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez has threatened that there could be “serious consequences for trade between our countries” if Sheinbaum “continues to undermine US policy by sending oil to the murderous dictatorship in Cuba.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Lee digs into the community resistance against ICE, the lies and propaganda against Iran, and the EPA's efforts to gut the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency. All that and more! My comedy news show Unredacted Tonight airs every Thursday at 7pm ET/ 4pm PT. My livestreams are on Mon and Fri at 3pm ET/ Noon PT and Wednesday at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. I am one of the most censored comedians in America. Thanks for the support!

The media is full of stories about the coastal land loss crisis in Louisiana, dire predictions of climate change and sea level rise, and polarizing accounts of controversial projects. What's less known is that Louisiana is really good at something. A world leader, in fact. When it comes to coastal restoration, some say Louisiana is number one. Because project by project, Louisiana is piecing this ragged shoreline back together.Over the next four episodes of Sea Change, we're going to feature Wetlands Radio. The series is a deep dive into Louisiana's coast - both how it came to be imperiled and also the incredible things a mighty group of people is doing to fight land loss.In part 2, we're going to talk about building land, a vital part of coastal restoration, and often a very controversial one. We get into the thorny politics of human-led land building projects, but first, we look at how the river builds land when left to its own devices. A process many are trying to imitate.EPISODE CREDITSThis episode was hosted by Executive Producer Carlyle Calhoun and Wetlands Radio producer Eve Abrams. Wetlands Radio is produced by Eve Abrams and funded by BTNEP, the Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program through the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program. To hear Wetlands Radio episodes in their entirety, visit btnep.org. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.  

i. Constitution We Believe 1. We believe the First Amendment's Establishment Clause was intended to prevent a federal government-sponsored or preferred religion, not to separate God from our government or to remove religion from public life; therefore, we affirm our right under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to exercise our freedom of speech including religious speech. 2. We believe the Second Amendment is an individual right of the citizens of the United States to keep and bear arms; therefore, we oppose any attempts, whether by law or regulation at any level of government, to restrict any citizen's right to keep and bear arms (open or concealed), to restrict access to ammunition, or to record the purchase thereof. 3. We believe the United States Constitution directs the judiciary to interpret law, not make law or create law through judicial activism. 4. We believe in the concept that Congress shall make no law that applies to citizens of the United States that does not apply to the Senators and Representatives. 5. We believe in the concept of nullification as a legitimate tool for adjudicating disputes between the states and the federal government when the federal government enacts a law clearly not in pursuance of the constitution and powers delegated in Art. I, Sec. 8. 6. We believe in the Tenth Amendment that provides "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people," and we oppose any attempt by the federal government to intrude on state's rights. 7. We believe the Constitution provides for a clear and distinct separation of powers among the three branches of government. Any governmental action that tends to promote or allow one branch of government to practice the power or powers of the other branches of government is a violation of the limits placed on government by the people. 8. We believe in the duty and obligation of the federal government and the State of Oklahoma to adhere to and respect treaties between the federal government and the Indian tribes. We Support 1. We support the display of Judeo-Christian religious symbols, including the Ten Commandments in public places. 2. We support legislation that will protect gun and ammunition manufacturers or resellers from lawsuits attempting to hold the manufacturers or resellers liable for misuse of guns. 3. We support requiring that candidates for president present public proof of qualification in accordance with the Constitution at the time of filing, through the election board of each state. 4. We support a US Constitutional Amendment requiring a balanced budget. 18 5. We support a US Constitutional Amendment instituting term limits for all elected members of Congress. 6. We support a U.S. Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. 7. We support a requirement that each piece of legislation only address one issue. 8. We support the review and minimization of the Endangered Species Act. 9. We support the abolishment, or reduction and restructuring, of the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, IRS, CIA, ATF, FBI, FEMA, NSA, DHS, CDC, and the Department of Labor and their powers and responsibilities distributed to state authority. 10. We support the protection of public and private sector whistleblowers who have firsthand information. 11. We support union's refunding dues used for partisan political activity. 12. We support the right of private associations to admit or deny membership based on what each association's conscience dictates. 13. We support an English Language Act, which would make English our official language in the United States. 14. We support the idea that when U.S. Conference Committees meet, they should consider only those terms submitted from the House and Senate, with no additional expenditures and items added. 15. We support the preservation of the National Day of Prayer. 16. We support legislation to limit the power of federal regulatory agencies. 17. We support the identification of persons as citizens or non-citizens in the census. We Oppose 1. We oppose any federal taxation on firearms, ammunition, or accessories and/or confiscation of firearms, ammunition, or accessories. 2. We oppose universal background checks and red flag laws for firearm purchases. 3. We oppose any legislation that would require the use of trigger or other locking devices on firearms. 4. We oppose any so-called "assault" weapons ban and any effort to register or restrict firearms, ammunition, or magazines. 5. We oppose legislation that would require gun owners to purchase insurance policies covering the misuse of their firearms. 6. We oppose the Patriot Act and the NDAA' s Sections 1021 and 1022, which allow American citizens, 19 except for enemy combatants, to be held indefinitely without due process, and call for its repeal. 7. We oppose court decisions based on any foreign law, such as Sharia Law, U.N. regulations and other international organizations, instead of U.S. law and Constitutional doctrine. 8. We oppose the creation of a new federal internal security force. 9. We oppose federal wage caps. 10. We oppose Statehood for the District of Columbia and allowing its representative a vote in Congress. 11. We oppose the appointment and funding of presidential "czars." 12. We oppose any attempts by the Federal Government to reinstitute the "Fairness Doctrine" or institute "Net Neutrality." 13. We oppose the construct of "Free Speech or Safe Zones." 14. We oppose national injunctions by federal district courts. 15. We oppose the use and sharing of data from Automated License Plate Readers as an infringement on our 4th amendment protected rights. ii. Criminal Justice We Believe 1. The rights of victims and their families must be protected in criminal proceedings, with notice and opportunity to attend all proceedings related to the crime(s) against them. 2. Restitution by the convicted criminal should be ordered to be made to the victim (or his estate) to compensate for losses and damages incurred as a result of the crime(s) committed. 3. The death penalty must be retained as an available punishment in appropriate cases. 4. Inmates who abuse the legal system by filing repeated frivolous claims should receive appropriate punishments for their misconduct. 5. Decisions on prison reform should be made by the Legislature after consultation with district attorneys, prison officials, and other interested parties, with the view towards stopping criminal behavior early, rather than adopting permissive treatment of low-level crimes which may deceive or encourage a young adult to continue on the wrong path under the mistaken assumption that there will be no consequences for criminal behavior. Consideration of incentives for first-time or youthful offenders who refrain from further misconduct may be a useful option to be considered in designing such reforms. 6. We believe in due process and that no one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property by the government or its agents without either being found guilty by a jury or pleading guilty of a crime. We therefore oppose the practice of civil asset forfeiture. 20 We Support 1. We support the repeal of The Oklahoma Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion Program as it is unconstitutional at the state and federal level. We Oppose 1. We oppose the monitoring, surveillance and tracking of United States citizens without a lawfully obtained warrant. iii. Federal & State Elections Preamble: The foundation of our representative-republic is honest elections. The Oklahoma Republican Party is committed to preserving every legally eligible Oklahoman's right to vote. We support only day of in-person voting as written in the Constitutions with limited exceptions to protect voting rights for the elderly, the disabled, military members, and all other eligible voters. We urge all elected officials around our state to take all necessary steps to ensure that voters may cast their ballots in a timely and secure manner. Security and transparency shall take precedence over convenience to ensure honest and fair, local, state, and federal elections. We Believe 1. We believe in fair and honest election procedures. 2. We believe equal suffrage for all United States citizens of voting age. 3. We believe in the constitutional authority of state legislatures to regulate voting. We Support 1. We support a bit-by-bit forensic audit of all electronic devices, including but not limited to servers, ballot machines, and paper ballots throughout the state immediately before and after each election. 2. We support vigorous enforcement of all our election laws as written and oppose any laws, lawsuits, and judicial decisions that make voter fraud difficult to deter, detect, or prosecute. 3. We support full enforcement of all voter ID laws currently enacted. 4. We support felony status for willful violations of the election code and increasing penalty for voter fraud from a misdemeanor back to a felony. 5. We support consolidating elections to primary, runoff, special, and general election. 6. We support sequentially numbered and signed ballots to deter counterfeiting. 7. We support expanding the Attorney General's staff for investigating election crimes and restoring the ability of the Attorney General to prosecute any election crimes. 8. We support the ability for civil lawsuits to be filed for election fraud or officials' failure to follow the Oklahoma Election Code. 21 9. We support allowing trained poll watchers from anywhere in Oklahoma with local party or candidate approval. 10. We support creating processes that will allow rapid adjudication of election law violations. 11. We support requiring voters to re-register if they have not voted in a five-year period. 12. We support requiring proof of residency, citizenship, and voter registration via photo ID for each voter. 13. We support retaining the 25-day registration deadline. 14. We support requiring a list of certified deaths be provided to the Secretary of State for the names of deceased voters to be removed from the list of registered voters, with checks every third year of the voter rolls to ensure all currently registered voters are eligible. 15. We support giving the Secretary of State enforcement authority to ensure county registrar compliance with Secretary of State directives. 16. We support protecting the integrity of the Republican Primary Election by requiring a closed primary system in Oklahoma. 17. We support drawing districts based on eligible voters, not pure population. Districts should be geographically compact when possible 18. We support hand counting of ballots. 19. We support recalls, audits, recounts, and irregularity and fraud investigations requested within 45 days of an election. 20. We support verification of United States citizenship for voting or registering to vote. 21. We support elections run by United States citizens. 22. We support counts to be posted on Precinct doors. We Oppose 1. We oppose internet voting, the use of tabulation machines and electronic voting machines of any kind for public office and any ballot measure. 2. We oppose all motor voter laws, automatic voter registration (AVR), and all forms of electronic databases, such as ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center) and all third-party registration vendors. 3. We oppose all federal legislation, including but not limited to the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, which nullifies the 10th Amendment of the Bill of Rights. 22 4. We oppose unlawful voting, illegal assistance, or ineligible people voting in our national, state, and local elections. 5. We oppose ranked choice voting. 6. We oppose any identification of citizens by race, origin, creed, sexuality, or lifestyle choices and oppose the use of any such identification for the purposes of creating voting districts. We urge that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 be repealed. 7. We oppose any redistricting map that is unfair to conservative candidates in the Primary or the General Election. 8. We oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and any other scheme to abolish or distort the procedures of the Electoral College. 9. We oppose after-hours voting C. Natural Resources We Believe 1. We believe dependence on foreign energy sources is a national security issue. 2. We believe governments should ease restrictions in the search for energy and other natural resources. 3. We believe the federal agricultural appropriations should accurately show the percentage of money set aside for non-agricultural programs such as school lunch programs and food stamps. 4. We believe the responsible use of natural resources is essential for the benefit of future generations. We Support 1. We support the creation and enactment of a national energy policy to reduce dependence on foreign sources. 2. We support the private expansion of oil and gas exploration and refining capacity. 3. We support the exportation of U.S. petroleum products. 4. We support labeling of all food and fiber with country-of-origin labeling. Further, only products born, raised, slaughtered, and processed or sprouted, harvested, grown, and processed in this country should receive a U.S. label. 5. We support energy policy based on private development, efficient use and expansion of current resources such as fossil fuels, clean coal, and nuclear energy; and exploration and efficient use of other resources such as biofuels, wind, solar and water energy. 6. We support ending all federal and state subsidies, including tax credits, for industrial renewable 23 energy, including but not limited to, wind and solar. 7. We support the rights of individuals and businesses to refuse the installation of smart meters without penalties. 8. We support the right of states to provide water for present and future use within their borders by state residents before they can be designated for use to other states. 9. We support environmental recommendations that are based on sound science, that respect and protect the rights of property owners, and that do not impose unreasonable burdens on Oklahoma citizens or businesses. 10. We support more use of coal and natural gas to be used in the production of electricity. 11. We support the use of modular nuclear, or small natural gas fired generation facilities to be built close to high demand facilities to greatly reduce the need for long and expensive transmission lines. 12. We support mandatory country-of-origin labeling of meat products and that a country-of-origin label that states in any way that it is a product of the USA must be of the following requirements: Born, raised, harvested, packaged & processed in the USA. 13. We support The Packers and Stockyards Act and the enforcement of anti-trust laws. 14. We support private property rights and call for appropriate legislation to prohibit the use of eminent domain by private companies. 15. We stand with Oklahoma and her property owners against the Green Agenda. We Oppose 1. We oppose government curbs, moratoriums, punitive taxes and fees on our domestic oil and gas industry. 2. We oppose states selling water rights to out-of-state buyers. 3. We oppose the use of eminent domain for any water sale. 4. We oppose human rights for animals. 5. We oppose livestock taxation. 6. We oppose legislation that restricts or regulates family farms or farmers' markets. 7. We oppose restrictive regulation of carbon and particulate matter emissions in agriculture. 8. We oppose the "Cap and Trade" system for carbon dioxide. 9. We oppose the UN's Agenda 21, aka UN 2030, as a coordinated effort to relinquish the sovereignty of the United States to foreign powers. 24 10. We oppose the purchase or ownership of land by a foreign government or entity. 11. We oppose the production, selling, and labeling of a product that is an alternative protein source claiming to be meat, otherwise known as or referred to as fake meat, and labeling such product as meat, beef, burger, steak, or any other name given to an actual meat protein source derived from the production and slaughter of livestock. 12. We oppose current regulations that allow foreign beef to enter the U.S. and be packaged, repackaged, or commingled with domestic product and then labeled a product of the USA. 13. We oppose the theory that cow flatulence, belching, or any process of enteric fermentation that is said to emit methane or a greenhouse gas that some link to the theory of global warming is some sort of detriment threat to the environment. 14. We oppose any form of carbon tracking solutions imposed on farmers and ranchers that will ultimately lead to more costly and burdensome regulations. 15. We oppose NACs (natural asset companies) or similar companies derived by investors, the SEC, or any other entity that wishes to monetize, trade natural outputs, or otherwise maximize ecological performance in such a way that any company can control the management of public or private lands quantifying outputs of natural resources such as air and water. 16. We oppose any effort of the federal government to have any role in animal care or husbandry. 17. We oppose mandates or restrictions on the use of antibiotics for farm or veterinary use. 18. We oppose mandatory Electronic Identification device (EID) tags on livestock, birds, and animals. D. National Issues i. Defense We Believe 1. We believe that a strong national defense should be fully funded, provide sufficient compensation, educational opportunities, quality training, and the best equipment for our armed forces. 2. We believe any educational institution that inhibits the normal operations of ROTC or military recruiters should be ineligible for government funding. 3. We believe foreign enemies who have committed or planned acts of aggression against the U.S. are unlawful enemy combatants and are not entitled to citizenship rights under the U.S. Constitution. We believe they should be held in detention facilities such as Guantanamo Bay, not the U.S. Prisons Systems, and their cases adjudicated by military tribunals, not by U.S. Criminal Courts. 4. We believe Congress and the President should refrain from weakening the military through changes to the Uniform Coe of Military Justice. The military should be allowed to maintain its high level of honesty, integrity, morality, and operational capabilities. 25 5. We believe in the complete accounting of all MIAs and POWs that were engaged in military actions by the United States. We Support 1. We support maintaining a strong national defense and advocate "peace through strength", with a combat ready and capable force. 2. We support the right of the military's internal determination of who is qualified to perform the various roles and functions of each branch of the uniformed armed services. 3. We support veterans' and survivors' benefits, and to receive top quality health care. We support the reform of the Veteran's Administration and the use of private facilities when appropriate. 4. We support helping our veterans to succeed in their return to civilian life in medical care, mental health care, education, housing, and employment assistance. 5. We support the freedom of military chaplains to provide religious services including freedom of worship according to their faith. 6. We support and encourage continued public and privately funded exploration of space. 7. We support returning to "Don't Ask Don't Tell" for the military of the United States. We Oppose 1. We oppose re-instituting the draft except in time of war as declared by Congress. 2. We oppose drafting females into U.S. military service. 3. We oppose the military use of U.S. troops under foreign command except joint operations. 4. We oppose the erosion of our military's readiness through "gender norming" for training and promotion. 5. We oppose the further reduction of benefits and entitlements to service members, former service members, and their families. 6. We oppose halting military pay during US government shutdowns. ii. Foreign Relations We Support 1. We support economic stability be it in the U.S. or Internationally 2. We support the dollar as the principal currency of the world. 3. We support equal access of U.S. products to global markets and the elimination of trade barriers. 26 4. We support withdrawing from treaties and agreements, such as the Kyoto Treaty, and the Paris Climate Accord, that hamper the U.S. economy and compromises freedoms We Oppose 1. We oppose the Chinese Communist Party and any other governments that are manipulators of the U.S. dollar and exchange rates at the expense of U.S. National Security as well as economic stability. 2. We oppose paying into UN programs that are against American principles and freedoms. 3. We oppose any doctrines that infringe upon U.S. Sovereignty and the Sovereignty of U.S. allies such as Israel, the Ukraine, and Taiwan. 4. We oppose terrorism and any nations that sponsor terroristic organizations and groups that are anti-U.S. such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. 5. We oppose the sale of technology by U.S. Corporations to terrorist and enemy nations. 6. We oppose the transfer of U.S. taxpayer wealth to any foreign governments under the umbrella of foreign, humanitarian aid, scientific research, and military assistance for non-U.S. interests. 7. We oppose the principles of the World Economic Forum to devalue the U.S. dollar and do not accept them as a body of global governance. 8. We oppose the creation of the Transatlantic Common Market 9. We oppose any United Nations Programs that seek a "world order" over the Earth's population and U.N. policies that are forced over the world's nations. 10. We oppose the World Health Organization's policies over U.S. citizens and setting precedent for the U.S. medical community. 11. We oppose foreign control over any ports or bases within the jurisdiction of the United States. 12. We oppose any actions taken by previous administrations that relinquish U.S. sovereignty and control over U.S. data and private communications. iii. Immigration We Support 1. We support limited legal immigration and embrace legal immigrants who choose to assimilate to our American culture, language, and values. 2. We support securing our borders against illegal immigrants and potential enemies of the United States including building a wall or barrier on our southern border. 3. We support legal requirements for citizenship, excluding provisions for birthright citizenship to children of illegal residents. 27 4. We support a strictly regulated and enforced guest worker program. Legal guest workers should assume social costs, such as education and health care for themselves and their dependents. 5. We support the method for determining the number of immigrants and temporary visa holders allowed in the United States should be revised to prevent an adverse effect on our national security, wages, housing, environment, medical care, or schools. 6. We support that the U.S. government should vigorously enforce and demand that all local law enforcement agencies uphold and enforce all federal laws concerning illegal immigration. We particularly support the work of the men and women of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and US Border Patrol and Protection. 7. We support the elimination of sanctuary cities for illegal aliens and the defunding of any government entity which declares itself a sanctuary city. 8. We support strong enforcement of state and federal laws dealing with illegal aliens. 9. We support substantial state fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. 10. We support issuing driver's license only to citizens and others who reside here legally, and not to illegal aliens. We Oppose 1. We oppose illegal aliens being given the same privileges as U.S. citizens or legal aliens, including entitlements such as Social Security, health care (excepting trauma care), education, and earned income tax credits. State government social programs should be available only to citizens and legal residents of the United States. 2. We oppose any form of blanket amnesty. 3. We oppose legal immigrants overstaying their visas. 4. We oppose a "path to citizenship" that would grant citizenship to illegal aliens faster than to immigrants who have come to the United States through legal means. E. State Issues i. State Legislature We Believe 1. We believe all bills should be limited to one issue. 2. We believe that it is the responsibility of individual legislators to read and to be knowledgeable of all pieces of legislation prior to voting. 3. We believe that all state-tribal compacts and agreements should require the approval of both houses of the legislature in addition to the ten-member Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations. 28 4. We believe Oklahoma shall participate only in programs or plans that protect private property rights and encourage citizens to develop their property in a manner that does not harm others. 5. We believe Oklahoma should not participate in any global ID initiatives and should prohibit the introduction of a radio frequency identification device (RFID) in any state-issued identification card. 6. We believe the Oklahoma Lottery should be repealed. 7. We believe a fee shall be defined as funds collected for voluntary use of government service, be used exclusively for that service, and not to exceed the cost of that service. We Support 1. We support any legislation that protects our rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. 2. We support an explanation of the specific Oklahoma and U.S. Constitutional authority when filing a bill. 3. We support full funding of all state retirement systems. 4. We support legislation rescinding Oklahoma's previous calls for a U.S. Constitutional Convention. 5. We support the state and any county, municipality, city, town, school or any other political subdivision to display, in its public buildings and on its grounds, replicas of United States historical documents including, but not limited to, the Ten Commandments, Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, Oklahoma Constitution and other historically significant documents in the form of statues, monuments, memorials, tablets or any other display that respects the dignity and solemnity of such documents. Such documents shall be displayed in a manner consistent with the context of other documents contained in such display. 6. We support full protection of U.S. Second Amendment rights in Oklahoma by amending the Oklahoma Constitution to mirror the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. 7. We support maintaining the Constitutional Carry law in Oklahoma statute. 8. We support the ability of state law enforcement to restore the peace and protect Oklahoma citizens through the arrest and prosecution of any persons/agents attempting to inflict unconstitutional laws/mandates on its citizens. 9. We support the fundamental right to own and to enjoy our private property and we oppose restrictions or losses of that right. 10. We support fair, just, and timely compensation for property owners when governmental regulations limit property use. 11. We support driver's license photos of a lower resolution that is perfectly adequate for visual identification, but not for biometric tracking. 12. We support the repeal of mandatory fingerprinting or other traceable biometric information, and 29 we oppose the maintenance of a biometric database, in connection with an application for a driver's license or government ID. 13. We support lawsuit reform including but not limited to "loser pays". 14. We support amending the current Right to Farm law to explicitly allow for expansion, production, technological changes, and measures to protect these activities. 15. We support the Unmanned Surveillance Act which prohibits the use of a drone when no warrant has been issued. 16. We support a state constitutional amendment requiring judges to inform jurors of their duty to judge the law (nullification); and prohibiting judges and district attorneys from infringing on the rights of the defense to inform the jury of this duty. 17. We support amending the Oklahoma Constitution to remove the unelected Judicial Nominating Commission and adopt the federal model authorizing the Governor to appoint Oklahoma appellate judges with confirmation by the Oklahoma State Senate. 18. We support the oversight and regulation of the medical marijuana industry for medical purposes only. 19. We support the state and its citizens maintaining control of all transportation instead of selling or leasing control of that right to foreign entities, corporations, private/public partnerships, or other states. 20. We support efficient and necessary spending on our state, county, and local roads and bridges because they are essential for economic growth and development. 21. We support a moratorium on creation of additional turnpikes in Oklahoma until existing turnpikes in Oklahoma have generated enough toll revenue based upon an independent audit to repay their original costs, are conveyed to state ownership, and converted to toll-free roads. 22. We support the elimination of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and all tolls. We Oppose 1. We oppose the final passage of any legislation before the full text has been read. 2. We oppose the concept of claiming property as "blighted" as a reason for taking land. 3. We oppose allowing state agencies to hire lobbyists to lobby other state agencies or the legislature. 4. We oppose animal ID programs by the government, leaving it up to the free market. 5. We oppose the expansion of gambling in any form in Oklahoma. 30 ii. State Agencies, State, County, and Local Government We Believe 1. We believe in transparent and honest government in the Oklahoma Legislature, all legislative committees, and in state and county agencies. 2. We believe all state agencies should be made accountable for maintenance of their records and accurate enforcement of rules, policies, and regulations. 3. We believe all government officials, including judges, who act in violation of the U.S. or Oklahoma Constitution should be impeached and removed from office in a timely manner. 4. We believe the Attorney General should be removed from the District Attorney's Council so that locally elected officials have the proper degree of autonomy. 5. We believe that no governmental agency or private business should require from any citizen any information that is not essential to the direct performance of the agency's/ business's operation or mandate. We Support 1. We support reducing the size of state government to allow citizens to do those things that people can do best for themselves. 2. We support legislative efforts to repeal outdated and irrelevant statutes in keeping with the philosophy of smaller government and support the elimination or consolidation of redundant authorities, boards, commissions, and agencies. 3. We support providing an enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance with the Open Meetings and Records Act and with audit findings. 4. We support external annual performance and financial audits. The auditor shall not be selected by the audited agencies. 5. We support public disclosure of all financial records of public institutions including trusts, authorities, libraries, community foundations, all state retirement funds, and teacher retirement funds. 6. We support the Whistleblower Act which protects all public employees, including higher education employees. 7. We support all elected and appointed officials to aggressively uncover, remedy, and prosecute all waste, fraud, and abuse in government including the elimination of all unnecessary state agencies. 8. We support the repeal of Title 11, Section 22-104.1 of the OK Statutes, which enables a municipal corporation to engage in any business it is authorized to license. 9. We support mandatory random drug testing for all employees of the State of Oklahoma and recipients of public assistance with sanctions for positive test results. 31 10. We support and call on the Attorney General to vigorously enforce Article XXII, Section 1 of the Oklahoma Constitution which prohibits foreign governments from owning businesses or real estate in Oklahoma. 11. We support that the state of Oklahoma shall not exercise any eminent domain action until at least 90% of affected property holders/interests has been acquired without the threat of eminent domain. 12. We support enforcement of state and federal Anti-Trust laws regulating the mergers of domestic and foreign corporations that create monopolies resulting in a loss of competition, and detrimental to Oklahoma entities. We Oppose 1. We oppose any exemptions to the current Open Meetings and Open Records Act. 2. We oppose unfunded mandates by the State Legislature and state agencies. 3. We oppose the declaration of a United Nations Day in Oklahoma. 4. We oppose legislative actions that would alter current county government structures (i.e. Home Rule). 5. We oppose self-serving legislation and conflict of interest legislation. 32   2025 Oklahoma Republican Party Platform Committee Casey Wooley, Chair Lori Gracey , Vice-Chair Patricia Pope – Blaine Bryan Morris – Canadian Rachel Ruiz – Canadian John Spencer – Canadian LeRoss Apple – Cimarron Bruce Fleming – Cleveland Sherrie Hamilton – Haskell Gary Voelkers – Kay Julie Collier – McClain Leslie Mahan – Oklahoma Ruth Foote – Oklahoma Mark Harris – Oklahoma Robert Scott – Okmulgee Jason Shilling – Payne Mishela DeBoer – Rogers Patricia Lyle – Rogers John Doak – Tulsa April Dawn Brown – Garvin Amanda Bergerson – Logan Michelle Wax – Carter Jana Belcher – Grady

At the helm of a company called Clean Green Fuel, Rodney Hailey claims to make biodiesel from recycled restaurant grease and takes part in an Environmental Protection Agency program meant to boost the production of renewable fuel and cut the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil. And it pays well. He uses private planes for vacations and buys more than a dozen luxury cars. The problem: Hailey's producing zero biofuel and is merely generating fake information and passing it off to unsuspecting buyers. (Original television broadcast: 1-29-15) Want to binge watch your Greed? The latest episodes at: https://www.cnbc.com/american-greed/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Let's start with the Bad News?The ICE game3 UnitedHealth Group Minnetonka41 Target Minneapolis105 U.S. Bancorp; IR site not working: Minneapolis108 Best Buy Richfield115 CHS Inver Grove Heights174 3M Maplewood216 General Mills Golden Valley230 Ameriprise Financial MinneapolisAnthony Saglimbene, Chief Market Strategist, Ameriprise Financial: Is Corporate America Up For Its First Big Test Of 2026? 1/12/2026“geopolitical and Washington headlines have increased risk, from developments in Venezuela to broader policy noise, including the pending International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) decision which didn't occur last week, affordability proposals in Washington, and unexpected policies and executive orders that could impact housing and defense companies”233 C.H. Robinson Eden Prairie262 Land O'Lakes Arden Hills274 Ecolab St. Paul319 Xcel Energy Minneapolis352 Hormel Foods Austin388 Thrivent Financial MinneapolisThe Good GameThe oil CEO who stood up to Trump is a follower of the disciplined ‘Exxon way' with a history of blunt statementsBig Oil executives met at the White House to discuss investing billions to revive Venezuela's oil industry.Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods pushed back, calling Venezuela “uninvestable” without long-term reforms.President Trump reacted angrily, calling Exxon “too cute” and signaling he may exclude the company from Venezuela.Woods declined to appease Trump at the expense of Exxon shareholders.Analysts said Exxon stock would likely have fallen if it committed billions to Venezuela's uneconomic, high-risk environment.Veteran analyst Jim Wicklund said Woods was the only executive willing to speak plainly.Industry has little urgency to return to Venezuela, and no deal can offset the extreme political risk.Even sweeter terms wouldn't change the math: political risk outweighs potential rewards by “a factor of 10.”Microsoft Pledges to Pay More for Electricity, Drawing Praise From Trump A senior Microsoft executive on Tuesday addressed the impact data centers have on the electrical costs for home consumers, an increasingly touchy subject that became a political hot button in November's elections.In a blog post ahead of a speech on artificial intelligence, Brad Smith, Microsoft's president, reiterated that Microsoft wants to pay for the electricity its data center use and avoid affecting everyday customers. “We'll ask utilities and public commissions to set our rates high enough to cover the electricity costs for our data centers,” Mr. Smith wrote.US Judge Allows Orsted to Resume $5 Billion Rhode Island Offshore Wind Project Halted by TrumpRevolution Wind is a $5 billion development co-owned by Orsted that aims to deliver renewable power to Rhode Island and Connecticut. It is the first of five offshore wind projects paused by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in late December over what officials described as radar interference risks identified by the Department of Defense.Trump tries to reduce CEO pay and halt billions in stock buybacks at defense contractorsThe executive order is creating a “new, government-mandated form of ESG,” referring to the environmental, social, and governance framework that grew prominent in recent years and prodded CEOs to focus on their companies' broader stakeholder impact and not just shareholders.Ironically, the prioritization of ESG was derided as “woke” by critics and the administration has been generally hostile toward ESG. The defense contractor order is conceptually similar in that it prods companies to prioritize a customer over maximizing value for shareholders.President Donald Trump signed an executive order zeroing in on pay packages for executives at large defense contractors deemed to have underperformed on existing government contracts while chasing newer, bigger deals, according to the White House. At the same time, the order claims, these companies have bought back billions in stock, enriching both shareholders and executives.“Effective immediately, they are not permitted in any way, shape, or form to pay dividends or buy back stock, until such time as they are able to produce a superior product, on time and on budget,” the order, titled “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting,” states.The order further directs the Secretary of War to identify contractors that have underperformed the terms of their deals with the government and hatch a plan to resolve delays and production issues. If the resolution plan is insufficient, according to the secretary, future contracts will include provisions banning stock buybacks and dividends and will prohibit tying pay to “short-term financial metrics” such as free cash flow or earnings per share.Trump elaborated in a post on his messaging platform Truth Social last week, railing against pay packages in the defense industry, claiming they are “exorbitant and unjustifiable” given the delays in delivering military equipment. Until those issues are remediated, “no Executive should be allowed to make in excess of $5 Million Dollars which, as high as it sounds, is a mere fraction of what they are making now,” the president wrote.US oil lobby group backs repeal of climate rule for vehicles, not power plantsThe American Petroleum Institute supports the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to repeal the foundation of greenhouse gas regulations for vehicles but not for power plants and other stationary industrial facilities."We would not support repealing the endangerment finding for stationary sources," API President Mike Sommers told reporters, adding that the trade group believes it has "the greatest standing" from a regulatory perspective and it is clear the EPA has authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from those sources.Judge: Trump violated Fifth Amendment by ending energy grants in only blue statesCourt Rules Trump DOE Violated the Constitution When It Cancelled Clean Energy Funding in Specific StatesAdministration Action Violated Constitutional Guarantee to Equal Protection Under the LawNorway Pushes Electric Vehicles to Nearly All New Car Sales in 2025Electric vehicles accounted for 95.9 percent of all new car registrations in Norway in 2025, rising to almost 98 percent in December, placing the country far ahead of global peers.A mix of targeted tax relief for low cost electric vehicles and rising charges on petrol and diesel cars has reshaped consumer demand and manufacturer strategy.Norway's approach contrasts with the wider European Union, where weaker demand has prompted a rollback of the planned 2035 ban on internal combustion engine vehicles.Meet autistic Barbie: the newest Mattel doll launched in line intended to celebrate diversityMattel said it developed the autistic doll over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and better media representation of people with autismThe eyes of the new Barbie shift slightly to the side to represent how some people with autism sometimes avoid direct eye contact, he said. The doll also was given articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming, hand flapping and other gestures that some autistic people use to process sensory information or to express excitement, according to Mattel.The development team debated whether to dress the doll in a tight or a loose-fitting outfit, Pervez said. Some autistic people wear loose clothes because they are sensitive to the feel of fabric seams, while others wear figure-hugging garments to give them a sense of where their bodies are, he said. The team ended up choosing an A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowy skirt that provides less fabric-to-skin contact.The doll also wears flat shoes to promote stability and ease of movement, according to Mattel.Each doll comes with a pink finger clip fidget spinner, noise-canceling headphones and a pink tablet modeled after the devices some autistic people who struggle to speak use to communicate.Elon Musk's X Under UK Investigation Over Grok's Sexualized A.I. ImagesA British regulator said it had started a formal investigation into Mr. Musk's chatbot over the spread of illegal images.Malaysia and Indonesia block Musk's Grok over sexually explicit deepfakes Meta removes nearly 550,000 social media accounts under Australian age ban This new crash test dummy could keep women safer in car accidentsWhile regulators have been testing crash impacts for decades, there's a dearth of data on women, who face a higher risk of death in auto accidents. In November, regulators unveiled THOR-05F — short for “Test device for Human Occupant Restraint, 5th-percentile Female” — the first crash test dummy specifically based on a woman's body.Elon Musk's Lawsuit Accusing ChatGPT-Maker OpenAI Of Betraying Its Nonprofit Mission Can Go To Trial, Judge Rules‍ ‍Trump calls for 1-year 10% cap on credit card interest ratesThis is a mistake President': Bill Ackman responds to Trump's call for a one-year 10% cap on credit card interestActivist investors set record number of campaigns in 2025Last year's number of attacks marked a nearly 5% increase over 2024 and eclipsed the previous record of 249 made in 2018, the data showed.

Back-from-break headlines cover winter weather conditions, rockstars and leadership at STN EXPO East, updates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and what impact recent developments in Venezuela could have on the school bus industry. Keynote speaker and best-selling author Jim Knight, who rubbed shoulders with musicians and celebrities during his tenure with Hard Rock International, discusses building a student transportation brand and improving workplace culture. He will present a keynote and Transportation Director training at STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina this March. Read all our latest news. Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

A new study from Oregon Health & Science University found that air pollution can impact adolescent brain development. The analysis indicated that exposure to common air pollutants is associated with accelerated cortical thinning in areas of the brain responsible for language, mood regulation and socioemotional processing. Researchers observed changes even in children who were exposed to pollution at levels the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe.    Calvin Jara is an otolaryngology resident at OHSU and the study’s lead author. He joins us with more details about how these changes could affect children’s physical and emotional health.

After following up a lead from a birdwatcher, Rachel Carson drew a web of connections that led to one of the most influential books of the 20th century. Silent Spring (1962) investigated the synthetic pesticides that proliferated after the Second World War, which were assiduously defended by overconfident policymakers, industrial chemists and agribusiness. The book quickly became a bestseller and kickstarted the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. In the first episode of Nature in Crisis, Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith discuss one of the truly great success stories in science writing. Carson was a masterful stylist and gifted scientist who could make abstruse developments in organic chemistry compelling, accessible and alarmingly intimate. Meehan and Peter show how Carson wrote at the edge of science, anticipating the study of epigenetics and endocrine disruption. They illustrate why, though some of her proposed solutions fell short, Silent Spring remains ‘both an exhilarating and melancholy pleasure'. Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen in full, and to all our other Close Readings series, sign up: Directly in Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/applecrna⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ture In other podcast apps: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/closereadingsna⁠⁠⁠ture Get the book: https://lrb.me/carsoncr Further reading from the LRB: Meehan Crist on Silent Spring https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n11/meehan-crist/a-strange-blight Stephen Mills on Rachel Carson https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v20/n08/stephen-mills/chaffinches-with-their-beaks-pushed-into-the-soil-woodpigeons-with-a-froth-of-spittle-at-their-open-mouths Edmund Gordon on the insect crisis: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n09/edmund-gordon/bye-bye-firefly Anthony Giddens on chemical contamination: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v18/n17/anthony-giddens/why-sounding-the-alarm-on-chemical-contamination-is-not-necessarily-alarmist

A couch, a non-alcoholic hazy IPA, and a confession: leaving the monastery wasn't just about tacos and rules—it was about hugging family again and answering a call to serve a world on edge. What followed is a surprising arc from Spirit Rock to healthcare to a teacher training program that's now helping seed mindfulness across the Environmental Protection Agency and beyond.We walk through the real reasons mindfulness belongs inside complex institutions: not as a perk, but as a skills-based response to stress, climate anxiety, and high-stakes decision-making. You'll hear how EPA leaders enrolled in our certification, why they're inviting more colleagues, and what a mindful federal initiative could look like across agencies like the Forest Service, Housing, and even the military. The science is clear—reduced stress and anxiety, better communication, stronger resilience—and the stories show how a short practice can change a meeting, a policy conversation, or a homecoming after work.This is a grounded look at scaling compassion without losing integrity. We talk about attention as a shared resource, how training trainers multiplies impact, and why adopting mindfulness at work naturally shifts habits at home: how we speak, what we buy and eat, and how we show up for people we love. If you care about mental health, leadership, and a more humane approach to public service, you'll find both practical tools and a dose of hope.If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review with one way you'll plant a mindful seed this week. Your practice can be the spark that lights the next room.Support the showAdd your 5‑star review — this really helps others find us. Certify To Teach Mindfulness: Certify.MindfulnessExercises.com Email: Sean@MindfulnessExercises.comAbout the Podcast Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life. Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — this podcast explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work. Each episode offers a mix of: Practical mindfulness and meditation teachings Conversations with respected teachers, clinicians, authors, and researchers Real-world insights for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and caregivers Gentle reflections for anyone navigating stress, anxiety, burnout, grief, or change Rather than chasing peak experiences or spiritual bypassing, this podcast emphasizes embodied practice, ethical teaching, and mindfulness that meets people where they are—messy, human, and alive. If you're interested in: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life Trauma-sensitive and co...

Farmers need rules that clearly define federal jurisdiction of the Waters of the United States, or WOTUS. The American Farm Bureau submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. NAFB News ServiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's greed… and then there's the nauseating greed of profiteering corporations that make a killing – literally – by knowingly contaminating people's water, air, land, and families.Such rank, moral corruption is hard to fathom... but it's not hard to find. For one breathtaking example, consider Freeport-McMoRan.This global mining behemoth is one of America's most aggressive spoliers of land, air, water, and health – including from its sprawling copper smelter near Phoenix, Arizona. This operation is a major spreader of lead pollution, a neurotoxin that's particularly harmful to children, causing pain, seizures, and learning disabilities.But wait, where's our Environmental Protection Agency? Good question. In fact, until last year, EPA was requiring Freeport to install technology to cut those poisonous emissions. The giant squealed like a stuck pig, though, crying that the $60 million cost for the lifesaving equipment was too “burdensome” – even though that wouldn't even be a drop in Freeport's $2-billion-a-year bucket of profits.Sure enough, in October, Trump's new EPA honcho rushed to provide pollution protection. Not for the children, but for the polluter! Indeed, Trump's corporate-coddling agency “super-streamlined” the regulatory process by essentially eliminating it – no public hearing required, no presentation of facts, to chance for victims to object. All Freeport had to do was send an email requesting regulatory relief, and – BAM! – Trump promptly exempted its Arizona smelter from having to clean up its act.Not only is this “free pass to pollute” a blunt proclamation of corporate rule, it also expresses Trump's deep contempt for working-class people. Imagine if that smelter was in Florida, poisoning the elites in his Mar-a-Lago resort. Then, he'd jump on it like a gator on a poodle.Do something!The Environmental Defense Fund was one of the primary organizations working on the Freeport-McMoRan issue; they've launched a Trump EPA Pollution Pass map that shows you all the places that have applied for presidental exemptions from pollution laws. Support their work by getting involved at edf.org.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Judith Enck is a former regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, appointed by President Barack Obama, and the founder of Beyond Plastics, an organization dedicated to eradicating plastic pollution worldwide. She joins Mongabay's podcast to discuss how governments can implement policies to turn off the tap on plastic pollution, which harms human health and devastates our ecological systems — solutions she outlines in her new book with co-author Adam Mahoney, The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late. "We now have all of this evidence. We have no choice but to act. Because who's going to stand by and let us turn the ocean into a watery landfill? Who's going to stand by and read health study after health study about microplastics in our brains and breast milk and testicles? Not taking action is not an option," she says. Image credit: Judith Enck holding a copy of The Problem with Plastic. Image by Jerrick Mitra ——- Timecodes (00:00) The Problem with plastic (02:55) Unpacking the plastic recycling myth (08:31) Health impacts of plastic pollution (12:43) Government and policy solutions (31:43) Individual actions (37:22) Plastic pollution and wildlife impacts (45:52) Plastics and climate change

Kamille learned at a young age that not many businesses were interested in hiring a visually impaired employee. Oh yes, she presented very well on the phone with prospective employers, but when they saw her in person, the rejection came fast.  She didn't even get a chance to prove them wrong.Again, Jackie her mom, didn't treat her blind daughter any differently than her other children. She had to learn the ways of the world at a very young age. Kamille would be the stronger for it. Kamille shared that her mother "NEVER let me use the word "can't," and that she taught her daughter "to advocate for herself."Kamille Richardson was born blind but never lacked a vision for a bright future. An author, motivational speaker, and founder of iSee Technologies, Inc., she has overcome various obstacles to build a life and career she loves. Not only is she an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, but she's constantly breaking corporate norms, shattering expectations, and reminding companies that diversity fuels business growth.Here's how Richardson fought against the odds to build her own company—and create more space for inclusion in some of the world's top companies.Raised to Believe in HerselfFrom a young age, Richardson knew she was different—but was raised not to see her disability as a weakness. “My mother never let me use the word ‘can't,'” Richardson recalls. Because her mother taught her to advocate for herself, growing up blind never deterred her dreams.“I was allowed to dream big,” she shares. “I always knew, even when I was younger, that I was going to overcome barriers in the best way I knew how. It wasn't always easy, of course, but I was determined.”Showing Up AuthenticallyWhen Richardson started applying for jobs, she received numerous interview invitations. However, a pattern quickly emerged.“They would see me, and they'd see that white cane in my hand—and the temperature would drop about 20 degrees,” she shares.*She looked great on paper, but once employers realized she was blind, their perception shifted.“Suddenly that warm greeting I got earlier became a cold conversation, and it always ended with the ‘Don't call us, we'll call you,'” she says. “The calls and emails never came.”Tired of rejection, she decided to say yes to herself. “I knew I had the power to hire me,” Richardson explains.*Her determination only grew as she stepped into the business world as a blind, Black entrepreneurial woman.*At first, she believed that fitting into corporate norms was the only way to succeed. “I thought I had to be very corporate, buttoned-up, and wear my power suit,” she admits. “But that's not me. When I tried to show up like that—stiff and stuffy—I wasn't comfortable in my own skin, and the doors still weren't opening.”Only when Richardson embraced her true self did things change.“I showed up with my big curly hair, my big earrings, and my colorful outfits—that's when people started seeing my personality first,” she shares.Building Her Own EmpireA self-described tech-savvy individual, Richardson adapted quickly to e-readers when the iPhone first launched them. Soon after, she founded iSee Technologies with the goal of helping her visually impaired and blind peers regain independence—particularly through employment.But her clients often faced the same rejections she once did.“I said to myself, ‘I need to evolve iSee Technologies to become part of the solution,'” Richardson says. “I decided to use my voice and my platform to go in and teach companies how to be more inclusive in their hiring and workplace culture—so when they see disability, they don't immediately reject it.”Today, iSee Technologies is a thriving business that offers people development consulting, accessibility services, and workforce wellness training to companies and government agencies. Their client list includes The Walt Disney Company, BASF, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Kraft, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Inclusion Is Good for BusinessHiring people from diverse backgrounds and abilities enhances innovation and team performance.“The biggest misconception is that accommodations for people with disabilities are expensive,” Richardson explains. “But 59% of accommodations cost nothing at all—and the other 41% cost less than $500.”Many businesses fail to see the value of disabled employees simply because they don't understand it.“We are some of the most creative and innovative team members you'll ever have,” she says. “We live in a world not designed for us, so we have to be the ultimate problem solvers.”-One of iSee Technologies' corporate clients saw this potential and hired Richardson to conduct training to empower their teams to create more accessible environments. As a result, employees felt more validated and respected—and more committed to their work.“And of course, when you have more engaged employees, that's definitely going to help your bottom line.”  7) Social Media Links/Website:FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kamille.richardson.9INSTAGRAM: @kamillealia,https://www.instagram.com/kamillealia/LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/livewithvision/TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@lakilaj?lang=en  OTHER: http://www.kamillerichardson.com/WEBSITE: https://www.iseetechinc.com/WEBSITE: https://kamillerichardson.com/ "Should Have Listened To My Mother" is an ongoing conversation about mothers/female role models and the roles they play in our lives. Jackie's guests are open and honest and answer the question, are you who you are today because of, or in spite of, your mother and so much more. You'll be amazed at what the responses are.Gina Kunadian wrote this 5 Star review on Apple Podcast:SHLTMM TESTIMONIAL GINA KUNADIAN JUNE 18, 2024“A Heartfelt and Insightful Exploration of Maternal Love”Jackie Tantillo's “Should Have Listened To My Mother” Podcast is a treasure and it's clear why it's a 2023 People's Choice Podcast Award Nominee. This show delves into the profound impact mother and maternal role models have on our lives through personal stories and reflections.Each episode offers a chance to learn how different individuals have been shaped by their mothers' actions and words. Jackie skillfully guides these conversations, revealing why guests with similar backgrounds have forged different paths.This podcast is a collection of timeless stories that highlight the powerful role of maternal figures in our society. Whether your mother influenced you positively or you thrived despite challenges, this show resonates deeply.I highly recommend “Should Have Listened To My Mother” Podcast for its insightful, heartfelt and enriching content.Gina Kunadian"Should Have Listened To My Mother" would not be possible without the generosity, sincerity and insight from my guests. In 2018/2019, in getting ready to launch my podcast, so many were willing to give their time and share their personal stories of their relationship with their mother, for better or worse and what they learned from that maternal relationship. Some of my guests include Nationally and Internationally recognized authors, Journalists, Columbia University Professors, Health Practitioners, Scientists, Artists, Attorneys, Baritone Singer, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Activists, Freighter Sea Captain, Film Production Manager, Professor of Writing Montclair State University, Attorney and family advocate @CUNY Law; NYC First Responder/NYC Firefighter, Child and Adult Special Needs Activist, Property Manager, Chefs, Self Help Advocates, therapists and so many more talented and insightful women and men.Jackie has worked in the broadcasting industry for over four decades. She has interviewed many fascinating people including musicians, celebrities, authors, activists, entrepreneurs, politicians and more.A big thank you goes to Ricky Soto, NYC based Graphic Designer, who created the logo for "Should Have Listened To My Mother".Check out the SHLTMM Podcast website for more background information:https://shltmm.simplecast.com/ and https://www.jackietantillo.com/Or more demos of what's to come at https://soundcloud.com/jackie-tantilloLink to website and show notes: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/Or Find SHLTMM Website here: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/Listen wherever you find podcasts: https://www.facebook.com/ShouldHaveListenedToMyMotherhttps://www.facebook.com/jackietantilloInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/shouldhavelistenedtomymother/https://www.instagram.com/jackietantillo7/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-tantillo/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@ShouldHaveListenedToMyMother

Abandoned uranium mine waste has been a big deal for decades, but almost no one had an inkling about what we should do to solve the problem. The scale of the challenge is huge, with various estimates ranging between 1 and 8 billion tons of uranium mining waste rock spread over more than 10,000 sites, nearly all of which are in western states and Native American sovereign nations. The Navajo Nation is the jurisdiction with the biggest burden – a substantial portion of the waste is on Navajo lands and spread over 500 or more sites. Some have dismissed or minimized the problem by pointing to the relatively low material concentrations and the low radiation doses emitted. But low concentrations multiplied by tens of millions of tons and thousands of sites calculates to distressingly large numbers. It’s also important to remember that the contaminating minerals of concern are heavy metals that might be lightly radioactive, but they also have a level of chemical toxicity that also causes negative health impacts on humans and animals. Though billions of dollars have been allocated for cleaning up the waste piles, there hasn’t been much progress because the available solution set has been limited to on-site burial in engineered landfills or moving the material “somewhere else.” The landfill option doesn’t remove the potential threat to groundwater and the barriers are designed to last about 100 years. The vast majority of the contaminating minerals will still be there after the designed barriers have deteriorated. There has been little or no success in finding suitable or agreeable places to take the waste and even if there were, the mass of material means that most of the available clean up funds would be consumed in transportation. Not surprisingly, there has not been a shortage of large established contracting companies willing to be paid tens of millions of dollars to study the issue and move some dirt around. Enter John Lee and Greyson Buckingham, a pair of innovative entrepreneurs. They recognized the scale of the problem and the importance of effective solutions. They developed a patented technology called High Pressure Slurry Ablation that separates the contaminating minerals – mostly uranium and radium 226 – from sand and rock and concentrates those minerals into about 20% of the mass of the input stream. The clean fraction can meet stringent NRC unrestricted release criteria while the fraction containing the minerals will have a high enough concentration to turn a pile of contaminated material into valuable ore. John Lee, with deep experience and education in mining and materials processing, developed the initial idea for HPSA. Greyson Buckingham added his legal training, business acumen and political experience. They formed a company called Disa Technologies in 2018 and patiently began the process of refining their ideas into useful and reliable machinery. Additionally, they entered into a plodding process of obtaining permission to deploy their problem-solving technology in an environmentally beneficial and cost effective manner. Starting with a state regulatory engagement in 2018, Disa Technologies was recently – September 30, 2025 – awarded a service provider’s license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That license comes with a significant, but reasonably achievable condition to demonstrate HPSA on a commercial scale before entering into wide deployment of multiple units. Though it took about half a decade of staff engagement and Commission decision-making to determine the proper licensing framework, the NRC was able to review Disa’s service provider license application in six months (March–September 2025). During the regulatory engagement process, Disa Technologies developed strong alliances with political representatives from affected states, with leaders among the Native American nations and with communities that have been seeking solutions to the waste issue for decades. They also produced solid scientific evidence of the efficacy of their inventions and demonstrated it to the satisfaction of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The saga is fascinating. For Atomic Show #339, I spoke with Greyson Buckingham about his company, its technology, the importance of cleaning up abandoned uranium mine (AUM) waste, the utility of HPSA in processing other critical mineral ores, the sometimes frustrating interactions with the NRC during period from 2020-2024 and the refreshingly competent and mission-oriented NRC that has been evolving during the past year. Neither I nor Nucleation Capital, the sponsor of the Atomic Show and Atomic Insights, have any financial interest in Disa as of January 5, 2025, the date that this post and the associated audio recording are released.

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new Waters of the U.S. Rule to give U.S. agriculture more clarity on what constitutes an actual water of the U.S. NAFB News ServiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louisiana is a world leader in coastal restoration. Many would even say number one. The media is full of stories about the coastal land loss crisis in Louisiana, the dire predictions of climate change and sea level rise, and polarizing accounts of controversial projects, but what is also true is that Louisiana is making tremendous strides piecing this ragged shoreline back together little by little. Over the next four episodes of Sea Change, we're going to feature Wetlands Radio. The series is a deep dive into Louisiana's coast - both how it came to be imperiled and also, the incredible things a mighty group of people are doing to fight land loss.In part one, how did we get here? From deep geology, to efforts to control the Mississippi River, to the boom days of oil and gas, we discover the backstory that led to the start of coastal restoration.EPISODE CREDITSThis episode was hosted by Executive Producer Carlyle Calhoun and Wetlands Radio producer Eve Abrams. Wetlands Radio is produced by Eve Abrams and funded by BTNEP, the Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program through the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program. To hear Wetlands Radio episodes in their entirety, visit btnep.org. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. 

After more than 50 years as one of the country's landmark environmental laws, the Endangered Species Act has gone from one of the most popular measures before Congress to one fueling demands that it be revised, if not discarded. The National Parks Traveler is reviewing the Endangered Species Act's work and its record, spotlighting individual species that it's protected, those that it failed, and those that it recovered. The monthslong series comes as ESA champions worry that the push to weaken the law could consign countless animals and plants to the growing list of flora and fauna that, like the Passenger pigeon, are now found only in books and online. The National Park System seems to be the perfect background to explore these questions, as its lands are supposedly the best preserved on the federal landscape. I recently interviewed two wildlife advocates — Jake Li, a vice president with Defenders of Wildlife who spent time working in the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before joining the advocacy group, and Stephanie Adams, director of wildlife at the National Parks Conservation Association. Though the interviews were done separately, the questions were largely the same. What follows is a merging of those two conversations.

Indiana lawmakers voted 19 to 31 against the congressional redistricting called for by President Donald Trump in his attempt to help Republicans win the 2026 midterm elections. President Donald Trump is lashing out at Indiana's top state senator after legislation to redraw congressional districts failed Thursday in the General Assembly. House Republicans and the Trump administration have proposed significant cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency next fiscal year. Indiana's infant mortality rate was at a historic low last year according to the Indiana Department of Health. Severe winter weather is headed to central Indiana. The Allen County Public Library is hosting the monks of the Labrang Tashi Kyil monastery in India this week as part of the monks' tour for world peace. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to get comprehensive analysis and local news daily. Subscribe to WFYI News Now wherever you get your podcasts. WFYI News Now is produced by Zach Bundy, with support from News Director Sarah Neal-Estes.

The cranberries we typically eat are native to North America, though they are also grown in other places. How did they become a standard part of the holiday table? Research: Albanese, Ellen. “A brief history of the cranberry—Cape Cod’s most important fruit.” Cape Cod Life. 2016 Annual. https://capecodlife.com/a-brief-history-of-the-cranberry-cape-cods-most-important-fruit/ Banks, Sir Joseph, and Sir Joseph D. Hooker, ed. “Journal of the Right Hon., Sir Joseph Banks, BART., K.B., P.R.S., During Captain Cook’s First Voyage in M.S. Endeavour in 1768-71 To Terra Del Fuego [sic], Otahite, new Zealand, Australia, the Dutch East indies, Etc.” ” London. Macmillan and Co., LTD. 1896. https://library.dbca.wa.gov.au/FullTextFiles/926449.pdf Berman-Vaporis, Irene, et al. “The U.S. cranberry harvest explained in four charts.” National Geographic. Nov. 27, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/united-states-cranberry-harvest-explained-charts?loggedin=true&rnd=1764767841856 Blakemore, Erin. “A Brief History of Cranberries.” Smithsonian. Nov. 25, 2015. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brief-history-cranberries-180957399/ Borunda, Alejandro. “Climate change is coming for New England's cranberries.” National geographic. Nov. 25, 2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/climate-change-affecting-massachusetts-cranberries Chen, Angus. “We Tried A Futuristic Cranberry. It Was Fresh And Naturally Sweet.” NPR. Nov. 24, 2015. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/11/24/457247226/cranberry-you-could-eat-without-sugar “DDT - A Brief History and Status.” Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status Eastwood, B. “Complete Manual for the Cultivation of the Cranberry: With a Description of the Best Varieties.” A.O. Moore. 1859. https://archive.org/details/completemanualf00eastgoog/page/n4/mode/2up Henshaw, Tom. “Cranberry Industry Seen Hurt for Years by Weed Killer Scare.” Courir-Post. Nov. 26, 1959. https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/180597557/?match=1&terms=Marcus%20Urann “Historical Timeline of Cranberries.” Massachusetts Cranberries. https://www.cranberries.org/history Josselyn, John. “New-England's rarities discovered in birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, and plants of that country.” Boston. William Veazie. 1865. https://archive.org/details/newenglandsrarit00joss/page/n7/mode/2up “Marcus Urann Scholarship.” Bank of America. https://www.gnbvt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Marcus-Urann-Scholarship-.pdf “M. Urann Rites Are Tomorrow.” The Standard-Times. April 5, 1963. https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1260416770/?match=1&terms=Marcus%20Urann “Our History.” CoBank. https://www.cobank.com/corporate/history Readal, Maryann. “Cranberry – Herb for the Holidays.” The HerbSociety of America Blog. Nov. 7, 2022. https://herbsocietyblog.wordpress.com/tag/elizabeth-lee-ocean-spray/ Smith, K. Annabelle. “How Marcus Urann’s idea revolutionized the cranberry industry.” Smithsonian. Nov. 27, 2013. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/this-man-made-the-first-canned-cranberry-sauce-180947862/ Tennenbaum, David, and Lee Sensenbrenner. “Sprouting a new future for Wisconsin’s red and white.” University of Madison-Wisconsin News. Oct. 29, 2015. https://news.wisc.edu/sprouting-a-new-future-for-wisconsins-red-and-white/ Theobald, Mary Miley. “Bogged Down in Cranberries.” Colonial Williamsburg. https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/journal/Holiday06/cran.cfm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent months, the threats facing nonprofit organizations have continued to develop at a furious pace. In the face of challenges like funding reductions and congressional investigations, nonprofits are taking the time to shore up their defenses and prepare for what's to come. On this episode, we'll discuss several recent events that have the sector talking so that your nonprofit can take the steps necessary to ensure your continued ability to boldly advocate on behalf of your communities.   Attorneys for this episode ·      Brittany Hacker Leonard ·      Tim Mooney ·      Natalie Ossenfort   Shownotes ·      In recent months: o   Federal Executive Orders & Memos: §  March 7: EO entitled "Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness", which makes employees of organizations with a "substantial illegal purpose" ineligible for public service loan forgiveness benefits. ·      "Targets orgs supporting terrorism and aiding an dabetting illegal immigration" §  August 28: EO entitled "Use of Appropriated Funds for Illegal Lobbying and Partisan Political Activity by Federal Grantees", where the President directs the Attorney General to investigate whether federal grant funds are being used to support lobbying initiatives. §  September 25: National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7)+ Sept 22 EO designating Antifa as domestic terrorist org: designating domestic groups as terrorist orgs. o   Congressional Oversight (Letters and Hearings): §  October 6: Ways and Means Committee Letter to IRS requesting investigation of specific nonprofits and revocation of their tax-exempt status §  October 28: Letter sent to three 501(c)(3) foundations regarding their compliance with nonprofit tax law §  November 5: Letter sent to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding its funding of "far-left" organizations via the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund §  Check out the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law's congressional investigations tracker for additional examples. o   State-Level Actions: §  Texas: November 18 Executive Order designating certain organizations "foreign terrorist organizations", barring them from purchasing property in the state.   ·      Stay alert: o   Be on the lookout for new state laws related to foreign contributions to ballot measures. At least 19 states have enacted bans on contributions from foreign nationals to ballot question efforts, nine during the 2025 legislative session alone. o   Expect a possible uptick in I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) Enforcement. Employers are required to timely and properly complete and retain Form I-9 for each employee they hire.   ·      What you can do: o   Don't fall for the sternly worded "Letters to Santa" by Members of Congress. o   Conduct a compliance self-assessment with AFJ Bolder Advocacy's "Advocacy Check-Up" tool. o   Take advantage of the Nonprofit Legal Defense Network (created in partnership with We The Action). o   Brush up on federal and state election season advocacy rules in advance of the 2026 Midterms, and adopt an election season advocacy policy for signature by staff, board members, and volunteers. o   Lobby against legislation that would create new barriers to your nonprofit's advocacy. Just remember to stay within your public charity lobbying limits. o   Go on the offense. o   Reach out to AFJ's Bolder Advocacy team for free technical assistance. Resources ·      Break in Case of Panic! hub ·      Preparing for Politically Motivated Attacks on-demand webinar ·      How Nonprofits Can Fight Back Against Trump's Harmful Executive Orders blog ·      Advocacy Check-Up: compliance self-assessment tool for 501(c)(3) public charities ·      Nonprofit Legal Defense Network  

“Plastic is everywhere — wrapped around our food, stitched into our clothes, even coursing through our veins.”That's how Judith Enck begins her new book, "The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and our Planet Before It's Too Late," co-authored with Adam Mohoney. A former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, Enck warns that plastics are a toxic industry that are poisoning people and the environment. Plastic production has gone from two million tons per year in 1950, to 450 million tons per year today. The plastics industry has spent millions selling the material as safe and sustainable, but only 6% of plastic is recycled. Plastic recycling is a “false solution,” Enck said. “Plastic recycling has never worked. Never will work.” The plastics industry has “spent millions of dollars advertising, telling us, 'don't worry about all the plastic you're generating,' just toss it in your recycling bin. That is deceptive, and it is so deceptive that the Attorney General of California Rob Bonta sued the nation's largest maker of plastic, the little mom and pop company known as Exxon Mobil, for deceptive claims around plastics recycling and chemical recycling.”Plastic never breaks down. It breaks up into smaller microplastics, circulating in the environment for centuries, said Enck. “16,000 different chemicals are used to make plastic, and the chemicals will sometimes hitchhike on the microplastics. So we're having the physical presence of microplastics in our bodies, but also the presence of chemicals that are used to make plastic, including PFAS chemicals, lead, mercury, formaldehyde.” Microplastics have been found in lungs, testicles, blood, breast milk and semen. They are associated with a rise in reproductive cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, among other ailments.The plastics industry has deployed an army of lobbyists to beat back attempts to limit the use of plastics. As an example, Enck cites New York's effort this year to consider “a comprehensive packaging reduction bill that will reduce all single use packaging by 30% over 12 years.”“This was the most lobbied bill in the 2026 legislative session in nearby Albany,” said Enck, noting that “there were 106 registered lobbyists against this bill, and 24 in support. I have never seen so many special interest lobbyists wandering the halls of the State Capitol in Albany, including the final night of the legislative session, where they killed the bill on the assembly floor after it passed in the State Senate.”That experience has led Enck to conclude that "reducing plastic in our bodies, in our environment, in Lake Champlain, in the ocean, is more of a political science issue than a science issue. We have enough science to act.”Judith Enck was appointed EPA regional administrator by President Obama and she has served as deputy secretary for the environment in New York. She is now a professor at Bennington College and the founder and president of Beyond Plastics, a group that works to eliminate plastic pollution.Enck insisted that in addition to political action, individuals can take steps to minimize their exposure to plastic. “I suggest that people start with their kitchen, because that's where most of the plastic is, and that's where the greatest risk is in terms of exposure in your food. Do not put plastic in your microwave. Get rid of black plastic utensils in your kitchen drawers, because black plastic is made from recycled electronic waste. Get rid of your plastic cutting board. Replace it with either wood or steel. Do a little audit of what's your heaviest use of plastic. For instance, if you drink a lot of juice, instead of buying it in plastic jugs, buy frozen concentrate and make it in a glass pitcher. There are steps like that we can take.”

The U.S. is facing a surge in advanced threats from nation-state actors like China and Russia, who are increasingly probing critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. David Travers, director of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Water Emergency Response and Cybersecurity, noted how escalating risks to the nation's water sector has shifted over his 30-year career, how adversaries are leveraging emerging technologies like AI to improve attacks and how the agency is adapting. He also detailed how partnerships with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI are improving incident reporting, plans for a new $9 million water system resilience grant and the top cybersecurity initiatives shaping 2026.

Producing and manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries uses a lot of energy, leading many to be skeptical about the environmental benefits of switching to electric. But a new study says that after two years of use, EVs emit fewer carbon dioxide emissions than vehicles fueled by petrol. The findings are key, as transportation accounts for a significant portion of U.S. emissions. While EVs run on electricity, which cuts out polluting exhaust emissions, traditional internal combustion engine vehicles run on petrol. Petrol is a fossil fuel that, when burned, drives climate change by emitting greenhouse gases that trap the Earth's heat. Researchers from Northern Arizona University and Duke University used a model to evaluate criteria air pollutants, which are monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency due to the harm they cause, and emissions across four potential scenarios for EV market share in the U.S., given how the energy system across the nation might develop over time. The least ambitious scenario for EV adoption assumed the share of EV sales reaches 31% in 2050, and the most ambitious assumed EVs reach 75% by 2050. EVs accounted for about 8% of new vehicle sales in 2024. They found that during an EV's first two years of operation, it produces 30% higher carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline vehicles. The higher initial emissions stem from the energy-intensive production and manufacturing processes that go into mining lithium for EV batteries, according to the research. Previous studies have also shown that battery production is a dirty process and harmful to the environment and communities, leading many to be skeptical about the benefits of switching to electric. But the new analysis says that after the second year, EVs lead to fewer cumulative CO2 emissions compared to gasoline vehicles. Part of that is due to a drop in emissions from driving more EVs. But with higher rates of adoption, the study also said there would be a need for more electricity production, which would potentially boost the use of more energy sources typically associated with lower emissions, such as solar and wind power. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

In 1975 workers at Life Science Products, a small makeshift pesticide factory in Hopewell, Virginia, became ill after exposure to Kepone, the brand name for the pesticide chlordecone. They made the poison under contract for a much larger Hopewell company, Allied Chemical. Life Science workers had been breathing in the dust for more than a year. Ingestion of the chemical made their bodies seize and shake. News of ill workers eventually led to the discovery of widespread environmental contamination of the nearby James River and the landscape of the small, working-class city. Not only had Life Science dumped the chemical, but so had Allied when the company manufactured it in the 1960s and early 1970s. The resulting toxic impact was not only on the city of Hopewell but also on the faraway fields where Kepone was used as an insecticide.Aspects of this environmental tragedy are all too common: corporate avarice, ignorance, and regulatory failure combined with race and geography to determine toxicity and shape the response. But the Kepone story also contains some surprising medical, legal, and political moments amid the disaster. With Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy (U Georgia Press, 2023) Gregory S. Wilson explores the conditions that put the Kepone factory and the workers there in the first place and the effects of the poison on the people and natural world long after 1975. Although the manufacture and use of Kepone is now banned by the Environmental Protection Agency, organochlorines have long half-lives, and these toxic compounds and their residues still remain in the environment. Matthew Powell is a doctoral student studying history at the University of Georgia. He focuses on the intersection of environmental and labor history, looking at how workers understand the natural world around them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In 1975 workers at Life Science Products, a small makeshift pesticide factory in Hopewell, Virginia, became ill after exposure to Kepone, the brand name for the pesticide chlordecone. They made the poison under contract for a much larger Hopewell company, Allied Chemical. Life Science workers had been breathing in the dust for more than a year. Ingestion of the chemical made their bodies seize and shake. News of ill workers eventually led to the discovery of widespread environmental contamination of the nearby James River and the landscape of the small, working-class city. Not only had Life Science dumped the chemical, but so had Allied when the company manufactured it in the 1960s and early 1970s. The resulting toxic impact was not only on the city of Hopewell but also on the faraway fields where Kepone was used as an insecticide.Aspects of this environmental tragedy are all too common: corporate avarice, ignorance, and regulatory failure combined with race and geography to determine toxicity and shape the response. But the Kepone story also contains some surprising medical, legal, and political moments amid the disaster. With Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy (U Georgia Press, 2023) Gregory S. Wilson explores the conditions that put the Kepone factory and the workers there in the first place and the effects of the poison on the people and natural world long after 1975. Although the manufacture and use of Kepone is now banned by the Environmental Protection Agency, organochlorines have long half-lives, and these toxic compounds and their residues still remain in the environment. Matthew Powell is a doctoral student studying history at the University of Georgia. He focuses on the intersection of environmental and labor history, looking at how workers understand the natural world around them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

In 1975 workers at Life Science Products, a small makeshift pesticide factory in Hopewell, Virginia, became ill after exposure to Kepone, the brand name for the pesticide chlordecone. They made the poison under contract for a much larger Hopewell company, Allied Chemical. Life Science workers had been breathing in the dust for more than a year. Ingestion of the chemical made their bodies seize and shake. News of ill workers eventually led to the discovery of widespread environmental contamination of the nearby James River and the landscape of the small, working-class city. Not only had Life Science dumped the chemical, but so had Allied when the company manufactured it in the 1960s and early 1970s. The resulting toxic impact was not only on the city of Hopewell but also on the faraway fields where Kepone was used as an insecticide.Aspects of this environmental tragedy are all too common: corporate avarice, ignorance, and regulatory failure combined with race and geography to determine toxicity and shape the response. But the Kepone story also contains some surprising medical, legal, and political moments amid the disaster. With Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy (U Georgia Press, 2023) Gregory S. Wilson explores the conditions that put the Kepone factory and the workers there in the first place and the effects of the poison on the people and natural world long after 1975. Although the manufacture and use of Kepone is now banned by the Environmental Protection Agency, organochlorines have long half-lives, and these toxic compounds and their residues still remain in the environment. Matthew Powell is a doctoral student studying history at the University of Georgia. He focuses on the intersection of environmental and labor history, looking at how workers understand the natural world around them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-south

In 1975 workers at Life Science Products, a small makeshift pesticide factory in Hopewell, Virginia, became ill after exposure to Kepone, the brand name for the pesticide chlordecone. They made the poison under contract for a much larger Hopewell company, Allied Chemical. Life Science workers had been breathing in the dust for more than a year. Ingestion of the chemical made their bodies seize and shake. News of ill workers eventually led to the discovery of widespread environmental contamination of the nearby James River and the landscape of the small, working-class city. Not only had Life Science dumped the chemical, but so had Allied when the company manufactured it in the 1960s and early 1970s. The resulting toxic impact was not only on the city of Hopewell but also on the faraway fields where Kepone was used as an insecticide.Aspects of this environmental tragedy are all too common: corporate avarice, ignorance, and regulatory failure combined with race and geography to determine toxicity and shape the response. But the Kepone story also contains some surprising medical, legal, and political moments amid the disaster. With Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy (U Georgia Press, 2023) Gregory S. Wilson explores the conditions that put the Kepone factory and the workers there in the first place and the effects of the poison on the people and natural world long after 1975. Although the manufacture and use of Kepone is now banned by the Environmental Protection Agency, organochlorines have long half-lives, and these toxic compounds and their residues still remain in the environment. Matthew Powell is a doctoral student studying history at the University of Georgia. He focuses on the intersection of environmental and labor history, looking at how workers understand the natural world around them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ralph welcomes Judith Enck (founder and president of Beyond Plastics, whose goal is to eliminate plastic pollution everywhere) to discuss her new book “The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late.” Then, Ralph reflects on the 60th anniversary of “Unsafe at Any Speed.”Judith Enck is the founder and president of Beyond Plastics, whose goal is to eliminate plastic pollution everywhere. In 2009, she was appointed by President Obama to serve as regional administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and served as deputy secretary for the environment in the New York Governor's Office. She is currently a professor at Bennington College, where she teaches classes on plastic pollution. She is co-author (with Adam Mahoney) of The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late.I support recycling…But the sad reality is that plastic recycling has been an abysmal failure. Always has, always will be…You cannot really accomplish high levels of recycling with plastics because you would literally have to do hundreds, if not thousands of different sorting. The people who know this the most are the plastic manufacturers. Yet they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars confusing and deceiving the public into thinking: “Don't worry about all your plastic, just toss it in your recycling bin,” knowing that most plastic never gets recycled.Judith EnckA lot of people feel overwhelmed and that it's hopeless and what can one person do? And that fails to acknowledge that the reason we're not making more progress on climate change is because of the political power of fossil fuel companies. On the plastics issue, we're taking on fossil fuel, chemical, and consumer brand companies and plastics companies. So it's a lot. It's amazing we get anything done. But people around the country are coming together and they're getting victories.Judith EnckI do think if you start paying attention to plastic in your own life, you see that there are alternatives. And then you climb the civic ladder. So you try to reduce plastic in your own home. Then you look at your kid's school. Then you look at your faith community. Then before you know it, you're at your city council asking what can the city do to reduce plastics. You're going to get a couple victories there. And then you find the statewide environmental groups that are working on this. This is for the long haul.Judith EnckThe important thing about [Unsafe at Any Speed] now is: sure, it saved millions of lives and the laws are still on the books, and even Donald Trump can't tear seatbelts and airbags out of our cars. But if we tried to do this again today, it wouldn't happen. And that's because the concentration of corporate power over Congress and the media is so much more intense now. And it's also because the decline of civic institutions and democratic institutions has been very pronounced over the last few decades. And that is sobering us up.Ralph NaderNews 12/5/251. Our top stories this week are on Venezuela. First, the BBCis out with a report on the American military build-up around the Latin American nation, which includes “air and naval forces…a nuclear-powered submarine and spy planes...a range of aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, and amphibious assault ships capable of landing thousands of troops.” So far, the Trump administration has sent mixed messages on whether they plan to launch a full-scale invasion of the Bolivarian Republic, but Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro shows no signs of stepping down without a fight, having declared a “massive mobilisation” of 200,000 military personnel throughout the country. Most ominously, on November 29th, President Trump declared Venezuela's sovereign airspace closed, per the Wall Street Journal.2. However, American bellicosity towards Venezuela is unpopular at home. A CBS poll found that only 30% of Americans would favor the U.S. taking military action in Venezuela, compared to a whopping 70% opposed. Another question in this same poll found that only 13% of Americans consider Venezuela a “major threat” with 48% considering the country a “minor threat” and 39% report they don't think Venezuela is a threat at all. Unfortunately, the lack of popular support for war is unlikely to constrain the Trump administration much, but it is a notable difference from the lead-up to the Iraq War, when 70% of Americans favored an invasion. The American people want peace, even if the government does not. 3. Another key detail from the CBS poll is that “Three in four Americans…say Trump would need congressional approvalbefore taking military action in Venezuela, including just over half of Republicans.” In light of this fact, it is significant that a bipartisan group in Congress is pushing a War Powers resolution to “block strikes on Venezuela,” per the Intercept. This new push in the House is sponsored by stalwart progressive Congressman Jim McGovern and co-sponsored by dissident Republican Thomas Massie along with other progressives like Reps. Ro Khanna, Lloyd Doggett, and Joaquin Castro, among others. As the Intercept piece notes, this resolution must be acted on in the House within 15 days, but by then the administration may have already acted, pre-empting the resolution. A similar resolution has also been introduced in the Senate, primarily backed by Senators Tim Kaine and Rand Paul, with backing from other Senate Democrats, per the Hill.4. Of course, American aggression towards Venezuela is reverberating out into the international community in myriad ways. Generally speaking, while United Nations officials decry the actions, America's European allies have kept quiet – with many speculating that these countries would prefer Maduro's ouster in order to get ready access to Venezuelan oil and decrease their dependence on Russia. China however, has issued a stiff condemnation of American actions. The Iranian Students News Agencyquotes Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's statement at a Beijing press conference, which where in he stated, “China opposes any action that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter or infringes upon the sovereignty and security of other countries…[and] opposes foreign forces interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs under any pretext.” He added, “We urge all parties to keep the Latin American and Caribbean region a peaceful zone and not allow the situation to escalate further.” However, beyond these condemnations, it remains unclear what, if anything, China will do to check American aggression.5. Despite all of this however, House Democratic leadership is typically feckless. In a corollary to the increasing likelihood of strikes against Venezuela directly, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stepped up the campaign of striking boats off the country's coast. Recently, the Washington Post revealed that after a strike in September which left survivors clinging to life, Hegseth ordered a second strike, directing Admiral Frank Bradley to “kill everybody.” This revelation led to calls for House Democrats to pursue impeachment against Hegseth on charges that he violated the laws of war. However, Axiosreports House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will not pursue a Hegseth impeachment. While true that such a push would likely be DOA, it sends a dark signal that the administration can do something like this and face virtually zero official condemnation. 6. Nevertheless, Republicans have taken such unpopular actions that it seems Democrats will retake the House, perhaps by a wide margin, in the 2026 midterms – or perhaps before. So far, 31 House Republicans have announced they will not seek re-election, with some retiring and others running for other offices. Still others however are signaling that they will resign their offices before the midterms, shaving the slim House GOP majority ever slimmer. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced she will retire in January 2026. Now, Congresswoman Nancy Mace is reportedly considering resigning early as well, though she has denied such rumors, per KOMO News. Either way, Democrats should be taking this moment to prepare an agenda for if and when they retake control of the chamber. 7. Turning to consumer protection news, Jalopnik reports Senate Republicans are seeking to rollback decades of automobile safety regulations. In a recent hearing held by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation ostensibly to put the CEOs of the Big Three American car manufacturers, as well as Tesla, on the record as to why cars have become so expensive, Republicans on the committee used the opportunity to blame safety regulations. Jalopnik notes that Republican Senators specifically targeted “automated emergency braking, the requirements for which will not come into effect until 2029 and have no bearing on current car prices…[and] back-seat alarms to remind you if you've left a child or pet back there. According to Kids and Car Safety, since 1990 at least 1,165 children have sweltered to death in hot cars, and another 7,500 survived with varying degrees of injury.” The cost of these sensors will amount to about $50 per vehicle. In short, while there are many reasons cars have become considerably more expensive in recent years – including everything from tariffs to data centers buying up all electronic parts – blaming safety regulations is a tired canard. 8. Meanwhile, RFK Jr. is moving to kill a proposed Food and Drug Administration rule to test for asbestos in talc-based cosmetics, the Guardian reports. As this report notes, cosmetics companies have known about potential asbestos contamination of talc since the 1950s, but that fact, like so many other corporate secrets, was suppressed, only coming to light in the 1970s. Asbestos is a highly carcinogenic substance. It has been banned in over 50 countries and “No…level of exposure is considered safe.” However, attempts to ban the substance in the U.S. have been stymied by industry, beginning with the overturning of the EPA's 1989 ban.9. In more legal news, Reuters reports the British government has announced plans to “remove the historic right to trial by jury,” for defendants in criminal cases carrying potential sentences of under three years in jail. The government argues that this will help alleviate the tremendous backlog of cases before the British courts, despite the fact that the right to a jury trial in Britain dates back to the Magna Carta itself. Barbara Mills, chair of the Bar Council, which represents trial lawyers in the U.K., decried this move, stating ”there is no evidence that [the] removal [of jury trials] would reduce the backlog, nor has it been set out how an alternative system would be resourced…We urge the government to reconsider pursuing radical changes under the mistaken belief that radical equals effective.” 10. Finally, in local news, Washington D.C. Councilmember and Democratic Socialist Janeese Lewis George has officially launched her campaign to be the next mayor of the District of Columbia. Lewis George is the first serious candidate to announce a campaign to succeed unpopular three-term Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is retiring this cycle. Like Zohran Mamdani, Lewis George is prioritizing affordability in the increasingly expensive District as well as an emphasis on fixing city services like traffic safety improvement. According to the Washington Post, “Within hours of launching her campaign Monday morning, Lewis George's campaign said it had received enough money from enough D.C. residents to qualify [for the District's matching fund program], which provides public financing for campaigns that agree not to accept large-dollar donations and corporate contributions.” Within hours, “they had netted more than $110,000 in individual donations from 1,500 D.C. residents,” which after being combined with the matching funds, will total over $750,000.” However, many expect her main challenger to be Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, an ally of corporate interests and developers in the District, who will likely be bankrolled by those same interests. Whatever the future holds, this will surely be the most competitive citywide race the District has seen in decades. This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Become a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show! It's fun. All the cool kids are doing it! ------------- When talking about climate change, it's easy to get caught up in the scientific terms. Carbon emissions, parts per million, global average temperature, etc. But I always want to make sure I'm framing this conversation in the human impacts that result from the crisis. That's why I wanted to have Sharon Lerner back on the show this week. Sharon Lerner is a journalist and author at ProPublica, where she cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency. Her recent piece is "Trump's Anti-Green Agenda Could Lead to 1.3 Million More Climate Deaths. The Poorest Countries Will Be Impacted Most." Lerner and experts conducted an analysis of how the Trump Administration's expansion of fossil fules and rolback of clean enegy and other climate initiatives would impact people around the globe. In this conversation, she explains how that modeling was conducted, what areas of the Global South will be impacted the most, and the questions on impacts that remain unanswered. Lerner also discusses the differences in covering this Trump Administration versus the president's first term and we explore some of the more popular talking points being used against climate action.  Read "Trump's Anti-Green Agenda Could Lead to 1.3 Million More Climate Deaths. The Poorest Countries Will Be Impacted Most"  Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to our newsletter/podcast, The Climate Weekly, to help support this show. Your contributions will make the continuation of this show possible.  Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Tons of plastic continue to pile up in landfills and find their way in our oceans, and it only gets worse every single year. Judith Enck, founder and president of Beyond Plastics, is leading the charge against plastic pollution for decades. She joins Corinna Bellizzi to share what must be done to accelerate and improve efforts in reducing plastic use, particularly recycling and reusing methods. Judith also explains why most plastics continue not to get recycled, the best way to reduce unnecessary food packaging, and why corporations are the biggest culprit behind the worsening state of plastic pollution. COMPLETE BLOG & TRANSCRIPT: https://caremorebebetter.com/solving-the-problem-of-plastic-pollution-with-judith-enck/ About Guest: Judith Enck is the founder and president of Beyond Plastics, whose goal is eliminating plastic pollution everywhere. She was appointed by President Obama to serve as regional administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2009 and served as deputy secretary for the environment in the New York Governor's Office. She is the co-author, with Adam Mahoney, of "The Problem With Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late" (The New Press). She is currently a professor at Bennington College and lives in upstate New York. Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-enck-26a769200 Guest Website: https://www.beyondplastics.org/ Guest Social: https://www.instagram.com/beyondplastics https://www.facebook.com/beyondplasticsaction https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHsOC-rBE1GTpmZg4sUD96g https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondplasticsaction Additional Resources Mentioned: Book - The Problem with Plastic: https://amzn.to/4p6RcXX Show Notes:  02:40 - What Inspired Judith To Fight Plastic Pollution  06:19 - Why Most Plastics Do Not Get Recycled  14:00 - How To Boost Recycling And Get Rid Of Unnecessary Packaging  22:51 - How To Do Your Part In Reducing Plastic Pollution  28:30 - Why Chemical Recycling Is The Last Thing We Need  33:03 - How Women Are Leading The Charge Against Plastic Pollution  38:41 - There Is No Such Thing As Biodegradable Plastic   48:28 - We Need To Work To Retain Hope  51:20 - How To Work And Collaborate With Beyond Plastics Community  53:14 - What Can Replace Polyester In Our Clothes  58:10 - Get In Touch With Judith Enck And Beyond Plastics 01:00:13 - Episode Wrap-up And Closing Words BUILD A GREENER FUTURE with CARE MORE BE BETTER Together, we planted 36,044 trees in 2025 through our partnership with ForestPlanet. We screamed past our goal of planting 20,000 trees thanks to subscribers like you! NEW CAUSE PARTNER FOR 2025-2026 SELECTED! If you value open dialogue, sustainability, and social equity, I invite you to support our new cause partner — Prescott College. To learn more about this effort and to support the show, visit: https://caremorebebetter.com/support/ Follow us on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-better Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We continue our float down the Ohio River this week on Sustainability Now!, as your host, Justin Mog, paddles along with three guests who are all actively involved in advocating for the passage of the Ohio River Restoration Program Act (H.R. 5966): Forest Clevenger, Executive Director of The Ohio River Way (https://ohioriverway.org); Michael Washburn, Executive Director of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance (https://kwalliance.org); and David Wicks, Board Chair of River City Paddle Sports (https://rivercitypaddlesports.org) The Ohio River Basin, spanning 55 congressional districts across 15 states, is the nation's largest body of water to receive no dedicated federal funding. In mid-November, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) led introduction of the Ohio River Restoration Program Act with Reps. Erin Houchin (IN-09), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mike Rulli (OH-06), and Mark Messmer (IN-08) to fund the economic and environmental restoration of the Ohio River. The bipartisan coalition of Members represents districts throughout the Ohio River Basin, which serves as a source of drinking water for more than 25 million Americans, and its ecosystem is vital to local economies and industries, generating more than 500,000 jobs and $21 billion in wages. Nationwide, more than a third of the United States' waterborne commerce travels through the Ohio River – $43 billion in commodities annually – yet the Ohio River is still the nation's largest body of water without any dedicated federal funding. The bill would dedicate up to $350 million in federal investments to the large-scale restoration of the Ohio River Basin, using initiatives similar to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which resulted in more than $3 in return on every federal dollar invested in the program. The Ohio River Restoration Program Act would create a federal office within the Environmental Protection Agency to guide a restoration plan in coordination with states, local governments, interstate compact agencies, tribal nations, and non-governmental organizations that includes: • habitat restoration, farm conservation, and invasive species control and management; • pollution prevention and clean water protection; • robust monitoring, data collection, and evaluation; • local workforce development and training for jobs in water protection and restoration; • input from the local public to hold elected officials accountable and ensure that residents have a seat at the table in restoration decisions; • guaranteed clean, safe, and affordable water for local homeowners regardless of economic status; and • investments in local communities at particular risk of extreme storms, flooding, and pollution. Learn more: Ohio River Basin Restoration & Protection Report: A Case Statement for the Need for Federal Investments in the Basin: https://www.ohioriverbasinalliance.org/restoration-plan Kentucky-Ohio River Regional Recreation Authority (KORRRA): https://www.ohioriverway.org/news/passage-of-korra National Wildlife Federation – Ohio River Restoration: https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Waters/Ohio-River Ohio River Basin Alliance – Restoration Planning: https://www.ohioriverbasinalliance.org/restoration-plan Ohio River Way Challenge: https://www.ohioriverway.org/ohio-river-way-challenge As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

November 30 2025 8AM: After multiple wins in races across the country earlier this month, the party is hoping to ride that momentum to another victory in a surprisingly close race between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps. Ameshia Cross and Adrienne Elrod join The Weekend, as well as Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, join "The Weekend" to discuss what this race signals ahead of the midterms. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam also joins The Weekend to discuss job loss to A.I. in the workforce.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnowTikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new proposed Waters of the U.S. Rule, and the reaction from U.S. agriculture groups is mostly positive. NAFB News ServiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than 50 years, the Environmental Species Act has regulated the way that farmers can use certain crop tools, like pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. But American farmers are experiencing the most significant change in ESA policy yet, as the judicial system compels the Environmental Protection Agency to adapt its policies and comply more precisely with the law as it's written. So in this episode, we're learning about how NCGA remains active in the public input process for this policy change, ensuring that growers do not lose access to the tools that help them feed and fuel the world. We'll speak with Dr. Becky Langer, NCGA's Director of Inputs and Innovation, about how the process is playing out, how NCGA has partnered with the EPA, and what the impact will be when it's all said and done.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers released a new rule Monday on the Waters of the U.S. or WOTUS, law. Courtney Briggs, Senior Director of Government Affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation, outlines some of the highlights. NAFB News ServiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's Climate Check adds to a string of stories we never thought we'd see in this nation again. The Clean Water Act of 1972 is landmark legislation that helped un-do generations of pollution. Now, the Trump administration wants to restrict how the Environmental Protection Agency can limit pollution dumped into wetlands. It's a victory for industry and developers — and a real threat to everyone who believes in clean drinking water. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Get more from Pat and UpNorthNews on their website and follow them on X, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast lineup. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and YouTube. Guests: Melissa Baldauff, Earl Ingram

When David Hahn was 16, he started working on something that caught the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the FBI. Ken Silverstein's book is The Radioactive Boy Scout. Say hello on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts. Criminal Plus is now on Patreon! Sign up to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, access to chat rooms about our episodes, special merch deals, and more. We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop. Episode transcripts are posted on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Day in Legal History: Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990On November 12, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 into law, enacting one of the most ambitious environmental regulatory packages in U.S. history. The amendments addressed a broad range of air quality concerns, including acid rain, smog in urban areas, and emissions of hazardous air pollutants. At the time, the legislation was notable for its bipartisan support and its embrace of both traditional regulation and market-based solutions. Among its most innovative features was the introduction of a cap-and-trade program to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, the primary cause of acid rain. This program placed a national cap on emissions and allowed utilities to buy and sell allowances, incentivizing the adoption of cleaner technologies and practices.The legislation also directed the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate 189 toxic air pollutants, a massive expansion from the original eight. It required cleaner gasoline in high-pollution areas and set deadlines for phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals. States were mandated to submit detailed plans for meeting federal air quality standards, significantly increasing local accountability. The law established a new operating permit system for major sources of air pollution, centralizing compliance efforts. It also increased civil and criminal penalties for violators and expanded the public's right to sue polluters and the government for non-enforcement.The amendments reflected growing public concern about environmental degradation and represented a turning point in how the federal government approached pollution control. By pairing stricter standards with economic incentives, the 1990 law helped redefine regulatory strategy in environmental law.The U.S. Supreme Court extended a temporary pause on a lower court order that would have required the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown. The administration is currently withholding approximately $4 billion from the program, which supports 42 million low-income Americans. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who initially granted the pause, stated she would have denied the request to extend it further. The pause is now set to expire Thursday, though an end to the shutdown could render the legal fight moot. Meanwhile, the Senate has approved a bipartisan bill to end the shutdown, which has become the longest in U.S. history. The lapse in SNAP funding marks the first such disruption in the program's six-decade existence, prompting recipients to rely on food pantries and cut back on essential expenses like medications.US Supreme Court extends pause on order requiring Trump to fully fund food aid | ReutersThree former senior enforcement officials from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have launched a new legal initiative aimed at holding corporations accountable in the absence of federal action. The project, backed by the advocacy group Protect Borrowers, will focus on bringing strategic lawsuits against companies accused of exploiting consumers, workers, and small businesses. The team—Eric Halperin, Cara Petersen, and Tara Mikkilineni—previously held top roles at the CFPB before it was effectively sidelined by the Trump administration.The CFPB's enforcement and supervision functions were largely dismantled this year, leaving a vacuum in consumer protection at the federal level. In response, consumer advocates and state officials have begun stepping in to fill the enforcement gap. Halperin emphasized that rising corporate profits alongside deepening financial stress for ordinary Americans is no coincidence, pointing to a lack of oversight that enables corporate misconduct to go unchecked.Former top enforcers at US watchdog join project to bring pro-consumer lawsuits | ReutersThe NCAA has agreed to a $303 million settlement to resolve claims from over 7,700 current and former Division I coaches who say they were illegally denied pay under a now-repealed policy that barred compensation for so-called “volunteer” coaches in all sports except baseball. Filed in federal court in Sacramento, the proposed class action settlement still requires approval from U.S. District Judge William Shubb. If approved, no coach will receive less than $5,000, with average payouts expected to be around $39,260 before fees, and some six-figure awards anticipated.The plaintiffs argued the NCAA and its member schools violated antitrust laws by maintaining the compensation ban, a rule repealed in 2023. The NCAA denies wrongdoing but said the deal provides “certainty and clarity.” The lawyers representing the coaches plan to seek up to 30% of the settlement—around $90.9 million—in legal fees. This case follows a $49 million NCAA settlement with baseball coaches over similar claims and comes amid broader legal pressure on the NCAA, including a pending $2.8 billion settlement allowing schools to pay student-athletes directly.NCAA agrees to $303 million settlement with unpaid college coaches | ReutersMy column for Bloomberg this week looks at Mexico's latest attempt to crack down on value-added tax (VAT) invoice fraud—and why it misses the mark. The new measure shifts enforcement burdens onto digital platforms like Amazon and eBay, criminalizing them for fraud they are neither equipped nor authorized to detect. Instead of building a real-time fiscal invoicing system that validates transactions as they occur, the government is digitizing enforcement without changing the underlying system that enables fraud in the first place.False VAT invoice fraud in Mexico typically involves shell companies, or factureras, issuing legally compliant but entirely fictitious receipts that allow taxpayers to inflate deductions or claim improper refunds. The fraud takes root not in shady ads or informal platforms, but in a tax infrastructure that fails to verify the legitimacy of transactions in real time. Despite having a digital identity framework and certified validators in place, more than 8,000 shell entities have used these tools to issue fake invoices that are indistinguishable from valid ones.The government's move to deputize digital platforms sidesteps the real problem: the lack of a transactional choke point where the buyer, seller, and tax authority all converge—namely, the point of sale. Countries like Brazil and Italy have shown that embedding validation at checkout prevents fraud from scaling. Until Mexico adopts this kind of infrastructure, enforcement efforts will continue to target the periphery while the core system remains vulnerable.Mexico Effort to Curtail VAT Fraud Needs Real-Time Verification This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

My guest today is Britney Van Citters, Political and Organizing Director at the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.Britney joins to discuss how the Environmental Protection Agency is being refashioned into the Environmental Destruction Agency, OLCV's legislative Scorecard, and what we can do to push Oregon legislators to meet this moment of overlapping crises with real action.My email is coastrangeradio@gmail.com, I would love to hear what you think of the show!Show Notes:https://www.olcvscorecard.org/2025/www.olcv.org/https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-biggest-deregulatory-action-us-historyhttps://www.npr.org/2025/07/29/nx-s1-5463771/epa-greenhouse-gas-regulations-cars-pollutionhttps://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/09/29/oregon-senate-votes-on-4-3-billion-transportation-package/https://www.instagram.com/coastrangeradio/

In this newscast: Alaska might soon regulate its own hazardous waste if authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Haines and Skagway are among the communities across Alaska are doing what they can to support the more than one thousand people displaced by Typhoon Halong; The largest community in the North Slope Borough has a new grocery store; College Gate Elementary School now have 70 new students who evacuated from Western Alaska communities after ex-typhoon Halong last month.

Trump, Xi agree to trade deal, but the US-led confrontation with China continues / Trump transforms Environmental Protection Agency into direct instrument of big business / Trump's US Labor Department whitewashes UAW election fraud that installed Shawn Fain

Share your Field Stories!Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Dr. Na'Taki Osborne Jelks, assistant professor of environmental and health sciences at Spelman College and Co-Founder of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance about Community Science, Climate Justice, and Mentorship. Read her full bio below.Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes: 1:36 - The Positives about Fall7:59 - Interview with Dr. Jelks starts17:40 - West Atlanta Watershed Alliance 29:56 - Challenges of Funding39:35 - Field Notes with Dr. Jelks!Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Dr. Na'Taki Osborne Jelks https://www.linkedin.com/in/na-taki-osborne-jelks-ph-d-mph-571225/Guest Bio: Dr. Na'Taki Osborne Jelks is an assistant professor of environmental and health sciences at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and Co-Founder of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, a community-based, environmental justice organization. Jelks investigates urban environmental health disparities; the impact of climate change on marginalized communities; the role that place, race, and social factors play in influencing health; and urban greening and resilience practices and their impact on health. She also develops, implements, and evaluates community-based initiatives that set conditions to enable low-income and communities of color to empower themselves to reduce exposure to environmental health hazards. Jelks' scholarship centers participatory approaches that engage environmentally overburdened communities in monitoring local environmental conditions, generating actionable data for community change, and developing effective community-based interventions that revitalize toxic, degraded spaces into healthy places. She is currently leading UrbanHeatATL, a research initiative in which local students and community members are mapping urban heat islands in Atlanta with community science. Her research has been supported by public and private entities such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Rockefeller, Robert Wood Johnson, JPB, and National Science Foundations.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

In the 1990s, BP executive John Browne bets the oil company's future on high-risk, high-reward drilling projects. But BP's thirst for profit comes at a price. As safety violations and fatalities mount, Jeanne Pascal, a lawyer at the Environmental Protection Agency, fights to hold BP accountable.Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-scandal/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week's Open Mic guest is Patrick Ewan, Chairman of the Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology and General Manager, Helena Products Group. This group of industry representatives continues to work for innovative products to balance the objectives of productivity growth and crop protection for the environment and consumers. Ewan shares how industry is working with the Environmental Protection Agency on regulatory reform as well as approval for new chemistries. He laments the economic challenges producers are facing and calls on leaders in Washington to respond with favorable legislation and regulations to help weather the cyclical downturn facing many crop producers. 

Ralph welcomes Timothy Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to speak about how federal workers across all government agencies are being unfairly denigrated and summarily fired by the Trump Administration to clear the way for corporate corruption. Plus, we are joined by Toby Heaps, Editor-in-Chief of “Corporate Knights” magazine to talk about the benefits of the cooperative business model over the corporate shareholder model.Timothy Whitehouse is executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Prior to joining PEER, he was a senior attorney at the Environmental Protection Agency and was head of the Law and Policy Program at the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation in Montreal.The time to stigmatize federal workers is over. It's time to start rallying for unions for federal workers and what they do, and to support the idea that government plays an important role and that government (the civil service) must be as non-political as possible. Our country will be much better for it.Timothy WhitehouseThat's a good way to describe it: supersonic. We knew things were going to be really bad, but they are much worse than bad because there's no check and no balance on this President's madness. And some of the people and institutions we had hoped would stand up a little bit are collapsing one by one.Timothy WhitehouseOur foreign enemies could not have devised a better way to grind our system to a halt, and that's what's happening.Timothy WhitehouseToby Heaps is the CEO and co-founder of Corporate Knights, and Editor-in-Chief of Corporate Knights magazine. He spearheaded the first global ranking of the world's 100 most sustainable corporations in 2005, and in 2007 coined the term “clean capitalism.” Toby has been published in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Globe and Mail, and is a regular guest speaker on CBC.I think in the co-op movement, the biggest bugaboo holding it back (in North America, that is) is people's perception that it's not a significant force. And it is already a significant force. In many cases, we're not familiar that the company might be a co-op (such as Associated Press or Ocean Spray) but in the United States alone, the turnover of co-op enterprises sales in 2023 was $324 billion US. And so, it's a significant part of the economy already.Toby HeapsI can't underline enough that if you care about a sustainable economy that works for people and planet, that the operating model is not just the clean economy (the environmentally friendly economy), it's the cooperatively-run economy.Toby HeapsThe principal obstacle to co-ops is the inadequate engagement of consumers to know about the huge benefits— to control the local economy from multinational corporations (absentee), who are pulling strings in ways that are very damaging, and basically to assume the purchasing power of the consumer.Ralph NaderNews 9/12/2025* Several major stories surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case have emerged in the past week. First, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released a note written by President Trump to Epstein included in the latter's “birthday book” from 2003. In this note, Trump refers to Epstein as his “pal” and writes “May every day be another wonderful secret," according to Reuters. Trump has denied that this letter even existed, going so far as to sue the Wall Street Journal for defamation over their reporting in July. Trump continues to deny that he wrote the letter, though his signature is a perfect match, and he has sought to tamp down the matter, calling it a “dead issue,” per NBC.* In Congress, Republican allies of Donald Trump are seeking to quash the Epstein issue as well. On Tuesday, Republicans on the House Rules Committee “shot down a bid to put the Epstein Files Transparency Act—which would compel the Justice Department to release all unclassified records related to Jeffrey Epstein—to a floor vote,” in an 8–4 party-line vote, the New Republic reports. However, despite this setback, dissident Republican Thomas Massie continues to press the issue. Speaking about the birthday note, Massie said “It's…indicative of the things that might come out if we were to release all of the files…embarrassing, but not indictable. And I don't think avoiding embarrassment is a reason to avoid justice,” per CNN. Massie added in an interview on ABC that "I think it's going to be embarrassing to some of the billionaires, some of the donors who are politically connected to [Trump's] campaign. There are probably intelligence ties to our CIA and maybe to other foreign intelligence." Democrat Ro Khanna insisted in this same interview that he and his allies, including Massie, will be able to pull together a House majority of 218 members to force a vote on releasing the files.* Our final Epstein story for the week concerns James O'Keefe. Former leader of Project Veritas, O'Keefe continues to carry out far-right hidden-camera sting operations. In a rare move targeting conservatives, O'Keefe engineered a date between Joseph Schnitt, a deputy chief of staff at the Office of Enforcement Operations at DOJ, and an operative in his employ wherein Schnitt admitted that the Trump administration will “redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, [and] leave all the liberal, Democratic people.” In this video, Schnitt also implies that Epstein's lieutenant, Ghislaine Maxwell was relocated to a lower security prison to “keep her mouth shut,” as part of a deal with the government. This according to the Hill. One should certainly take revelations from O'Keefe with a heavy dose of salt, but these troubling comments should also raise suspicions about the government's possible plans to manipulate information related to this case for political ends.* Aside from the Epstein affair, the Trump administration continues to issue destructive policy directives in all directions. AP reports the federal Department of Transportation has scrapped a Biden-era rule that required airlines to “compensate stranded passengers with cash, lodging and meals for flight cancellations or changes caused by a carrier.” This rule, which sought “compensation starting at $200…[and] as high as $775…for delays of nine hours or more,” was consistent with European aviation consumer protections. Unsurprisingly, airlines – represented by lobbyists in the employ of the industry trade group Airlines for America – bitterly resisted the rule and celebrated the administration's abandonment of this basic consumer protection. The Biden Transportation Department had also been weighing rules that would have required airlines to provide, “free rebooking on the next available flight, including flights on rival airlines, as well as meals and lodging when passengers are stranded overnight.”* At the same time, the Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission is abandoning its rules banning noncompete clauses for employees. An eye-popping 1 in 5 workers are bound by noncompetes, approximately 30 million Americans, and experts estimated that banning such clauses could boost wages to the tune of nearly $300 billion per year and help create 8,500 new businesses, per NPR. The FTC voted 3-1 to vacate its defense of the rule, with Chair Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak, both Republicans, issuing a joint statement. Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, the lone remaining Democrat on the commission after Trump purged the FTC earlier this year, voted no.* Turning to foreign affairs, the Guardian reports two ships in the Gaza aid flotilla have been struck by drone attacks while docked in Tunisia. The first struck the Family Boat, which carries activist Greta Thunberg, though she was not on board at the time. The second struck the Alma, a ship bearing British flags while docked in the port of Sidi Bou Said. In a video, one can see, “a luminous object hitting the boat and fire erupting on board.” Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, is quoted saying, ‘‘Authoritative sources suggest the attack involved an incendiary grenade, wrapped in plastic materials soaked in fuel, which may have ignited before even hitting the vessel.” These attacks come amidst a renewed Israeli bombing campaign against its neighbors, including bombing the Qatari capital of Doha and the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Trump says he is “very unhappy” about the strikes; Israel's ambassador to the United States however says the world will “get over it.” This from Al Jazeera.* Meanwhile, Drop Site is out with yet another bombshell report, this time on Israel's propaganda push to cover up the scale of the hunger crisis in Gaza. According to this report, the Netanyahu government signed a previously unreported $45 million deal with Google to push false propaganda through the massive platform. One video, viewed more than 6 million times, asserts “There is food in Gaza. Any other claim is a lie.” Israel also reportedly paid $3 million for an ad campaign on X, formerly Twitter, and another $2 million on a French platform called Outbrain. This report also cites other examples of Israeli propaganda campaigns in recent years, including against UNRWA and regarding the illegal strikes in Iran.* In more positive news, the pro-Palestine campaign in Hollywood continues to grow. This week, Variety reports a group of over 3,900 filmmakers, actors and other industry professionals signed a new pledge to boycott working with “Israeli film institutions and companies that are ‘implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.'” This group includes many household names, such as Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Jonathan Glazer, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Emma Stone, Boots Riley, Ayo Edebiri, and many, many more. The list continues to grow as this pledge circulates. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this campaign is led by Film Workers for Palestine, which explicitly modeled their strategy after Filmmakers United Against Apartheid. That group, founded by eminent filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, demanded that the film industry refuse distribution in apartheid South Africa.* Beyond Israel/Palestine, events are rocking Nepal, the small Himalayan nation that lies between India and China. The BBC reports “Fierce protests against corruption and nepotism spiralled into arson and violence on Tuesday. The prime minister resigned as politicians' homes were vandalised, government buildings torched and parliament set ablaze. Twenty-nine people have died since Monday.” The "Gen Z" youth groups leading the protests have distanced themselves from these acts of destruction, claiming their movement was "hijacked" by "opportunists". Nepal's military has been deployed in the capital of Kathmandu in an attempt to restore order and enforce a curfew. The government of Nepal, led by now-ousted Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, sought to cultivate a closer relationship with China to offset Nepal's historical dependence on India. For the time being, China seems to be taking a wait and see approach to the situation in Nepal, with foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian calling for all parties to “properly handle domestic issues and restore social order and national stability as soon as possible,” per the South China Morning Post.* Finally, Democracy Now! reports that in an apparent fit of retaliation, the Trump administration is now threatening to redeport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the American green card holder recently returned from his wrongful deportation to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison. This time, instead of sending him to El Salvador, the government plans to send Garcia to the tiny African kingdom of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland. Garcia had previously expressed fear of being deported to Uganda. This move would surely be punitive, capricious and just plain bizarre, but that is hardly a deviation from the course of the Trump administration. We express solidarity with Garcia, who stands practically alone against the juggernaut of the United States' deportation apparatus.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

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