Podcasts about environmental protection agency

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

AP correspondent Jennifer King reports on clashes on Capitol Hill between the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and Democratic senators.

On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it is rolling back part of a rule meant to limit the toxic 'forever chemicals' in your drinking water. WRAL's Liz McLaughlin explains the change.

Issue(s): Whether venue for challenges by small oil refineries seeking exemptions from the requirements of the Clean Air Act's Renewable Fuel Standard program lies exclusively in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit because the agency's denial actions are "nationally applicable" or, alternatively, are "based on a determination of nationwide scope or effect."  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Issue(s): (1) Whether a party may establish the redressability component of Article III standing by relying on the coercive and predictable effects of regulation on third parties.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Issue(s): Whether a final action by the Environmental Protection Agency taken pursuant to its Clean Air Act authority with respect to a single state or region may be challenged only in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit because the agency published the action in the same Federal Register notice as actions affecting other states or regions and claimed to use a consistent analysis for all states.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a rollback of Biden-era regulations on PFAS chemicals in drinking water systems. The EPA estimates more than 158 million Americans are exposed to these "forever chemicals" through water. John Yang discussed the move with Amudalat Ajasa of The Washington Post. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This week's podcast is packed with an incredible mix of stories from the intriguing, to the shocking, to the hilarious. So.. business as usual. First on the Ann and Phelim Scoop: Pope Is the new Pope the first Catholic Pope in over a decade? Or does his Progressivism drown out his faith. We bring you the good news and the bad news.And we reveal the World War II anniversary that Ireland would rather you didn't know about. Let's just say there is a long history in Ireland of not caring about Jewish sensitivities (to say the least).And speaking of hidden news, this week's entrants in our “Bury The Lead” are from publications on the west and east coast. And they are real bangers. The media will go to extraordinary lengths to hide the truth from you - particularly if it makes the Trump administration look good.And speaking of coverups we expose the lies, the new Artificial Intelligence technology will spin you about abortion. They are well schooled in censorship. And we reveal the lies about the abortion pill and the harm it does to thousands of women. We also follow how the Trump administration has been rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, and this week we focus on the Environmental Protection Agency which is in a hot seat that global warming zealots would be jealous of.And where are Ann's jet setting airpods after she lost them on the Mark Steyn Cruise? Watch our new favorite game as we use the Find My feature to see the Airpods fantastic journey. This week we have an interesting twist in the saga.Also we always love hearing from you guys and today we will be reading some of your comments on the show.Don't forget to subscribe and leave a comment wherever you get our content and please consider leaving a donation at unreportedstorysociety.com We are a 501(c)(3) so your donation will be tax deductible.

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Noel Byrne, Programme Manager with the Environmental Protection Agency, expresses concern after more than half of septic tanks failed inspection in 2024.

The Rod and Greg Show Daily Rundown – Tuesday, May 13, 20254:20 pm: E.J. Antoni, Research Fellow and Public Finance Economist with the Heritage Foundation joins the program for a conversation about how the Labor Department has all but admitted via new data that hundreds of thousands of jobs created under Joe Biden never existed.5:05 pm: Eric Boehm, a Reporter for Reason.com, joins the show to discuss his recent piece in which he outlines the reason that the Department of Government Efficiency failed to live up to its promise of making $2 trillion in cuts.6:05 pm: Senator Scott Sandall joins the program for a conversation about how the Environmental Protection Agency, now under new leadership under President Trump, is reconsidering strict air pollution standards that Utah is unlikely to meet.6:38 pm: Dr. Dana Cheng, Founder of the Epoch Times, joins Rod and Greg for a conversation about how the Chinese communist party has spent years planning for a trade war with the United States.

This morning’s EPA report revealed that 40% of inspections carried out by Kerry County Council on septic tanks failed last year. However, Kerry performed better than the national average – 56% failed to meet the required standard. Jerry spoke to Noel Byrne, programme manager with the Environmental Protection Agency.

42% of septic tanks in Clare failed inspections last year. A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows Clare County Council completed 95 inspections in 2024, meeting the minimum annual requirement for checks. It brings the number of failures recorded in the county in the past decade to 277, however 81% of these were remedied by the end of last year, ranking Clare as having a high fixing rate. EPA Senior Manager, Caroline Murphy has been telling Clare FM's Darragh O'Grady that they're looking to clamp down on the number of advisory notices open for more than two years.

This week we talk about the NHTSA, CAFE standards, and energy efficiency.We also discuss incentive programs, waste heat, and the EPA.Recommended Book: Africa Is Not a Country by Dipo FaloyinTranscriptIn the United States, fuel-efficiency laws for vehicles sold on the US market are set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. They set the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE standards by which vehicle-makers have to abide, and that, in turn, establishes the minimum standards for companies like Ford or Toyota making vehicles for this market.That CAFE standard is paired with another guideline set by the Environmental Protection Agency that sets standards related to tailpipe emissions. The former says how many miles a vehicle should be able to travel on a gallon of fuel, while the latter says how much CO2, methane, and other pollutants can be legally emitted as that fuel is burnt and those miles are traversed.These two standards address different angles of this issue, but work together to, over time, reduce the amount of fuel consumed to do the same work, and pollution created as that work is accomplished; as a result, if you're traveling 50 miles today and driving a modern car in the US, you'll consume a lot less fuel than you would have traveling the same distance in a period-appropriate car twenty years ago.Back in the final year of the Biden administration, the president was criticized for not pushing for more stringent fuel-efficiency standards for US-sold and driven vehicles. The fuel economy requirements were increased by 2% per year for model years 2027 to 2031 for passenger cars, and the same 2% per year requirement will be applied to SUVs and other light trucks for model years 2029 to 2031.This is significantly lower than a previously proposed efficiency requirement, which would have seen new vehicles averaging about 43.5 mpg by model year 2032—an efficiency gain of 18%. And the explanation at the time was that Biden really wanted to incentivize carmakers to shift to EVs, and if they weren't spending their time and resources on fuel-efficiency tech deployment for their gas-guzzlers, which Biden hoped to start phasing out, they could spend more on refining their EV offerings, which were already falling far behind China's EV models.Biden wanted half of all new vehicles sold in the US by 2030 to be electric, so the theory was that fuel-efficiency standards were the previous war, and he wanted to fight the next one.Even those watered-down standards were estimated to keep almost 70 billion gallons of gasoline from being consumed through the year 2050, which in turn would reduce US driver emissions by more than 710 million metric tons of CO2 by that same year. They were also expected to save US drivers something like $600 in gas costs over the lifetime of each vehicle they own.Since current president Trump returned to office, however, all of these rules and standards have come into question. Just as when he was president the first time around, rolling back a bunch of Obama-era fuel-efficiency standards—which if implemented as planned would have ensured US-sold vehicles averaged 46.7 mpg by 2026, so better than we were expected to get by 2032 under Biden's revised minimum—just as he did back then, Trump is targeting these new, Biden standards, while also doing away with a lot of the incentives introduced by the Biden administration meant to make EVs cheaper and more appealing to consumers, and easier to make and sell for car companies.What I'd like to talk about today is another standard, this one far less politicized and widely popular within the US and beyond, that is also being targeted by the second Trump administration, and what might happen if it goes away.—In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency, under the endorsement of then-president George HW Bush, launched the Energy Star program: a voluntary labeling program that allowed manufacturers of various types of products to affix a little blue label that says Energy Star on their product, boxes, and/or advertising if their product met the efficiency standards set by this program.So it's a bit like if those aforementioned fuel-efficiency standards set for vehicles weren't required, and instead, if your car met the minimum standards, you could slap a little sticker on the car that said it was more energy efficient than cars without said sticker.A low bar to leap, and one that wasn't considered to be that big a deal, either in terms of being cumbersome for product-makers, or in terms of accomplishing much of anything.Energy Star standards were initially developed for the then-burgeoning field of personal computers and accessories, but in 1995 things really took off, when the program was expanded to include heating and cooling infrastructure, alongside other components for housing and other buildings.From there, new product categories were added on a semi-regular basis, and the government agency folks running the program continued to deploy more technical support and testing tools, making it easier and easier for companies wanting to adhere to these standards to do so, relatively easily and inexpensively.And to provide a sense of what was required to meet Energy Star standards in the days when they were really beginning to take off and become popular, in the early 2000s, refrigerators needed to be about 20% more efficient, in terms of electricity consumption, than the minimum legal standard for such things, while dishwashers needed to be 41% more efficient. Computers around that time, more specifically in 2008, were required to have an 85% efficiency at half load and something close to that at 20% and 100% power load—which basically means it they needed to use most of the energy they drew, and release less of it as waste-heat, which was a big issue for desktop computers at the time.Energy Star TVs had to use 30% less energy than average, with more modern versions of the standard requiring they draw 3 watts or less while in standby mode, and a slew of 90s and early 2000s-era technologies, like VCRs and cordless home phones were required to use something like 90% less electricity than the average at the time.This standard helped push the development of more energy efficient everything, as it was a selling point for companies making things for real estate developers, in particular. Energy-hogs like light fixtures, which cost a fortune to power if you're thinking in terms of skyscrapers or just building a bunch of houses, became far more energy efficient after the folks in charge of buying the lighting for these projects were able to eyeball options and use the Energy Star label as a shorthand indication that the cost of operation for those goods would be far less, over time, than their competition; it was kind of pointless to buy anything else in many cases, because why would you want to spend all that extra money over time buying less-efficient fluorescent lights for your office buildings, especially now that it was so easy to see, at a glance, which ones were best in this regard?And the same general consensus arrived on the consumer market not long after, as qualified lighting was something like 75% more efficient than non-qualified, legal-minimum-meeting lighting, and Energy Star verified homes were something like 20% cheaper to own.It was estimated that US homeowners living in Energy Star certified homes saved around $360 million on their energy bills in 2016, alone, and another estimate suggests that US citizens, overall, have saved about half a trillion dollars over the past 33 years as a result of the program and the efficiency standards it encourages.So this is a relatively lightweight program that's optional, and which basically just rewards companies willing to put more efficient products on the market. They can use the little label if they live up to these standards, and that tells customers that this stuff will use less energy than other, comparable products, which in turn saves those customers money over time, and puts less strain on the US electrical grid.This program, consequently, has been very popular, for customers, for the companies making these products—because by jumping through a few hoops, they can get some of their products certified, and that gives them a competitive advantage over companies that don't do the same, and especially over companies selling cheaper goods from overseas, which tend to be a lot less efficient because of that cheapness—and it's been popular for politicians across the political spectrum, because people who buy things and pay energy bills vote those politicians into office, and companies that make such goods hire lobbyists to influence their decisions.All of which brings us to today, mid-May of 2025, a point at which the second Trump administration seems to be considering possibly getting rid of the Energy Star certification program.Initial reports on the matter are seemingly well-sourced, but anonymous, as is the case with a lot of White House briefs right now, so some of this should be taken with a grain of salt, because of how it's being reported and because this administration has flip-flopped a whole lot already, and on things much bigger and more prominent than this, since returning to office, so this could just go away after being reported upon, even if they actually intended to do it before that pushback.But what seems to have happened is this:In January of 2025, after returning to the White House, Trump's administration put a big Trump supporter and Republican politician, Lee Zelden, in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency.Zelden publicly holds a lot of standard Republican talking points, including what's often called skepticism about climate science and vehement support of oil drilling, including fracking. He did say that climate change is a real issue that needs to be addressed during his EPA head confirmation hearing, however.Under Trump's second administration, many government agencies have been either completely done away with, or wiped out, in terms of funding and staff, so that they're basically just zombie agencies at this point, and the EPA is an agency that Trump has historically not been a big fan of, and which he seems to be trying to rewire toward deregulation: so regulations like fuel efficiency standards are not good according to some strains of usually more conservative politics, and for some business owners, because these are additional rules they have to legally abide by, which costs them money.And back in March of 2025 Zelden announced that the EPA would be pulling back on regulations related to power plants, would incentivize rather than disincentivize the production of oil and gas, would do away with a bunch of pollution-related standards, especially those related to coal power plants and how much pollution they can emit, and many other similar things, which—to shorthand all this—may be somewhat popular if you think climate change concerns are overblown and that it's more important to keep coal mines operational than to keep streams and rivers clean, but which will generally look really, really bad if you're any kind of environmentalist and/or are concerned about climate change.The government also recently cut the EPA's budget by 54.5%, dropping said budget back to where it was when Ronald Reagan was president. This cut, along with cuts to other agencies responsible for tracking dangerous weather, saving sea turtles, and keeping US National Parks clean and functional, will, according to the government, save US taxpayers $163 billion.According to reports from a recent all-hands meeting of the EPA's Office of Atmospheric Protection, Trump administration officials announced that that office would be dissolved, and that the Energy Star program would be eliminated.Now, there's a chance that this is just the result of the administration's at times seemingly blind cutting of budgets, backtracking only when there's sufficient pushback, and there's a chance this is a continuation of a political moment a few years back when the Biden administration was considering doing away with Energy Star certification for gas ranges, the idea being that if it uses gas instead of electricity, it's part of the problem, even if it's more efficient than other ranges.Republican politicians responded to lobbying efforts from the US gas industry and stirred that up into a big frenzy, to the point that people were vehemently defending their right to own a gas stove, which was never under threat, but that's how these sorts of astroturfed moral panics work, and it could be that they're looking to replicate some of that magic now, taking down a standard that they hope to frame as an example of liberal overreach, telling people that these things take away their right to choose what they want to buy, and how much energy or fuel to burn, even when that's not actually true.There's also a chance, as I mentioned earlier, though, that this is just a trial balloon, and that once they realize there's a decent amount of bipartisan support for this program, they'll step back from this cut, and maybe even claim it for themselves, using it as an example of American exceptionalism: look how great American-made goods are, we're more efficient than anybody else—not bad messaging at a time in which that kind of competitive language is popular with those in charge, though that competition might not be the real point of all this, at least for some of the people making some of these decisions, right now.Show Noteshttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/09/trump-budget-cuts-environmental-programs/83441472007/https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-biggest-deregulatory-action-us-historyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Zeldinhttps://web.archive.org/web/20201214180957/https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/energy_star_overview/about_energy_star_residential_sectorhttps://web.archive.org/web/20161202012204/https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_milestoneshttps://web.archive.org/web/20170622184250/http://www.dailytech.com/New+Energy+Star+50+Specs+for+Computers+Become+Effective+Today/article15559.htmhttps://insideclimatenews.org/news/08052025/energy-star-program-could-be-eliminated-by-trump-administration/https://cleantechnica.com/2025/05/10/energy-star-program-gets-the-kiss-of-death/https://www.theverge.com/news/664670/water-energy-efficiency-standards-trump-dishwasher-washing-machine-showerhead-toilethttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Starhttps://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/06/climate/energy-star-trumphttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/climate/epa-energy-star-eliminated.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/05/06/energy-star-program-epa-trump/https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/energy-starhttps://www.npr.org/2025/05/07/g-s1-64905/energy-star-program-cutshttps://apnews.com/article/trump-appliances-consumers-energy-efficiency-3b6100e001a2629dfea9be231f467841https://www.reuters.com/article/business/environment/trump-finalizes-rollback-of-obama-era-vehicle-fuel-efficiency-standards-idUSKBN21I25R/https://apnews.com/article/climate-trump-mpg-fuel-economy-standards-automakers-0ef9147a0c3874a50a194e439f604261https://apnews.com/article/vehicle-fuel-economy-requirement-nhtsa-epa-85e4c3b7bbba9a9a9b7e5b117fe099bdhttps://apnews.com/article/epa-electric-vehicles-emissions-limits-climate-biden-e6d581324af51294048df24269b5d20ahttps://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/corporate-average-fuel-economy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. 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

A waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency is good news for E15 fuel availability. Chad Smith has more what this means for consumers and farmers.

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Geoff Cooper is the CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association. He says he wants to see support for flex-fuel vehicles and a clear path forward on tax credits for Sustainable Aviation Fuel production. He says airplanes are running on SAF right now, and they want more of it. Cooper says renewable fuel has a champion in the Trump administration -- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has been a biofuel advocate, and President Trump himself has been a vocal proponent of ethanol. The goal for the RFA is to get the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation on board with advancing both Sustainable Aviation Fuel and flex-fuel vehicles. This Washington Watch news update is brought to you by the Wisconsin Soybean Association, dedicated to ensuring policies are in place for the future of soybean farmers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-west

City officials announce that Indianapolis infrastructure projects will receive more than 35 million dollars in federal funds. Indiana University joins two advocacy groups in suing the state over a new law that bans the use of student IDs for voting.  All 18 environmental justice employees at the Environmental Protection Agency's regional office receive layoff notices. The sudden decision to close Union School Corporation leaves families and officials blindsided. 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 Drew Daudelin, Zach Bundy and Abriana Herron, with support from News Director Sarah Neal-Estes.

"Make America Healthy Again," led by RFK Jr., has been creating some pushback to common pesticides and herbicides used by farmers. Lee Zeldin, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shares his stance on the issue. He says that EPA will "follow the science" to make its rulings on the use of chemicals. Zeldin compared it to the recent fluoride study that they conducted. This Washington Watch news update is brought to you by the Wisconsin Soybean Association, dedicated to ensuring policies are in place for the future of soybean farmers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House recently released its budget proposal for 2026, which calls for over $160 billion in cuts to the Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Education, FBI, and federal housing programs like Section 8. Normally, the budget isn't more than a simple suggestion to Congress. But Russell Vought, Trump's close advisor who also oversees the federal budget, may have other plans. What is the administration's endgame? Will Congress simply play along?After 15 years of steady decline, the U.S. saw a slight increase in the national birth rate last year. However, some demographers and public officials are still concerned about low fertility rates. It's a worldwide trend that many nations are working to solve. The problem has become a priority for the Trump administration. Can they offer enough incentives to turn things around?College students have increasingly relied on ChatGPT and other chatbots to help them with school assignments. Some say they want to do the work themselves, but mastering the technology is an easier way to ensure good grades. Is this a troubling trend for learning?

The Ag-Net News Hour Hosts, Lorrie Boyer and Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter,” discuss the upcoming Mother's Day weekend-highlighting the disparity in how fathers are celebrated on Father's Day in a fun conversation. The main topic shifted to tariffs and trade, focusing on the US-China negotiations in Geneva and the recent US-UK trade deal. The UK deal is seen as a positive step, with potential for more agreements. The conversation also touched on the impact of trade on agriculture, noting that agriculture is a small part of overall trade agreements. Additionally, the high cost of gas in California despite lower crude oil prices was attributed to high taxes and refinery losses. The segment concluded with a mention of sewage dumping from Tijuana into San Diego.   Nick and Lorrie then cover the impact of Mother's Day on rural communities and the interconnectedness of agriculture and sports. They then shifted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) budget cuts, which include a $300 million reduction in fiscal year 2026 and a staff reduction to 1980s levels. Key changes include dissolving the Office of Research and Development and the Office of Science and Technology, and creating a new Office of Applied Science. Critics argue these changes may politicize research. Positively, the EPA plans to add 130 positions to review over 500 new chemicals and 12,000 pesticides, benefiting farmers.   In the last segment, Nick and Lorrie broke the EPA's budget and staffing cuts, aiming to return staffing to 1980s levels, and their focus on cybersecurity, emergency responses, and water conservation. The conversation shifts to California's leading farm bankruptcies, with 216 Chapter 12 filings nationwide in 2024, 17 from California. Key issues include high input costs, labor regulations, and natural disasters. The American Farm Bureau Federation highlighted labor costs as a significant factor. The segment concluded with a note on the importance of water for farmers and a fun fact: farming accounts for about 1% of the U.S. GDP.

A family is suing Indianapolis Public Schools, alleging a first grader at George Washington Carver Montessori School 87 was seriously injured after repeated bullying. Nonprofits in Indianapolis can now apply for energy assistance from the Office of Sustainability. Lawmakers made several changes this session to how the state delivers services to deaf and hard-of-hearing children. President Donald Trump's proposed budget would cut more than half of the Environmental Protection Agency's funding – that could make it even harder to provide safe drinking water and sanitary sewers to Indiana's rural communities. 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 Drew Daudelin, Zach Bundy and Abriana Herron, with support from News Director Sarah Neal-Estes.

A new report has found the water quality at all of Clare's bathing water sites to be "excellent". The Environmental Protection Agency's Bathing Water Quality Report for 2024 has deemed 81% of bathing waters nationwide to be of "excellent quality" which is the highest rate since 2014 when the classification was introduced. All 14 of Clare's bathing waters have received the top grade which indicates an improvement on last year when the quality of the water at Cappagh Pier in Kilrush was only found to be "good". Programme Manager with the EPA's Office of Evidence and Assessment, Jenny Deakin, has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons "continued ongoing sustained investment" will allow this trend to continue

Sandymount beach in Dublin and Lady's Bay in Donegal are the beaches with the worst water quality in Ireland. That's according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency, which found the number of beaches with poor bathing water quality has decreased from five to two. Shane discusses the report findings with Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA's Office of Evidence and Assessment.

On May 5, 2025, the Environmental Protection Network (EPN) hosted a media briefing to discuss the recent proposed 55% budget cuts by the Trump administration to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the cuts and reorganization of the agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD), and the potential impact of these cuts on American communities. We hear from three speakers. Michelle Roos, EPN's Executive Director; Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of Research; and, Betsy Southerland, former Director of the Office of Science & Technology in EPA's Office of Water. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine

Mariana Simões, investigative journalist covering climate and the environment for City Limits, shares her reporting on how cuts to staff working on environmental justice issued within the Environmental Protection Agency are affecting community groups in New York City.

The Ag-Net News Hour Hosts, Lorrie Boyer and Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter,” discuss a recent federal court ruling in California that prohibits Border Patrol from conducting warrantless immigration stops, following an ACLU lawsuit over a Border Patrol sweep in Kern County. The ruling requires agents to have reasonable suspicion and probable cause. The hosts debate the implications, with one suggesting the judge's bias influenced the headlines. They also touched on the influence of social media, mentioning Nick's daughters, Lex and Tessa, who are social media influencers. The idea of having them discuss building an audience for agricultural businesses to use for education and ag promotion was proposed to enhance ag communication.   The Ag-Net News Hour hosts discuss the USA's new lawfare complaint portal for farmers and ranchers, highlighting the case of Charles and Heather Maude in South Dakota. The Maude's faced federal charges for putting up a fence on federal land, which was later dropped by the Trump administration. The portal aims to address politically motivated lawfare under the Biden administration. Additionally, Brooke Rollins announced a second round of $1.3 billion in payments for specialty crop producers through the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Program. The segment also touched on the quality of California strawberries and recognized Homegrown Organic Farms for their Whole Foods Market partnership.   In the last segment, Nick and Lorrie went over information regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's Final Insecticide Strategy (.pdf), which aims to protect over 900 endangered species while providing flexibility for pesticide users. The strategy, which follows an herbicide strategy already in regulation, received positive feedback from farming groups. The conversation also covered the Strengthening Local Processing Act (.pdf), which supports small meat and poultry processors by providing access to information, inspector-approved products, and training grants. Additionally, the segment highlights the challenges faced by small farmers, particularly in California.

Dr. Tara Shine is a climate change expert with over 20 years of experience in climate science, science communication, and policy. Her work has focused on shaping international and national policy to advance equity, gender equality, inclusion, and environmental protection.A seasoned scientific adviser, Tara has worked with a range of influential organisations, including the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, the OECD, The Elders, SIDA (Sweden's development agency), the World Bank, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Environmental Protection Agency.For a decade, Tara served as a climate negotiator at the United Nations and contributed as a reviewer to the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. She is a guest lecturer on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across Irish universities and sits on the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Environment and Development. She is also an alumna of Homeward Bound, the global leadership initiative for women in science.Tara holds a BSc in Environmental Science and a PhD in Geography from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. Her work in research, policy, and education has spanned countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*Texas farmers and ranchers are in Washington D.C. this week.  *Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin met with Texas farmers.  *Two U.S. cabinet secretaries visited a Central Texas farm.  *A good vaccination program is vital for a cattle operation.  *The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may get renewed soon.*Texas Congressman August Pfluger is asking the Department of the Interior to remove the dunes sagebrush lizard and the lesser prairie chicken from the threatened and endangered species list.*Rain has been falling on the Texas Southern Plains.   *There are several parasites and diseases that can harm sheep. 

In 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew California’s previously-granted waiver to implement its Advanced Clean Car Program. This program had been in effect since 2013 and required that car companies reduce carbon dioxide emissions and produce fleets that are at least 15% electric vehicles. The waiver was withdrawn due to a lack of “compelling and extraordinary conditions” and because California could not show a direct connection between greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.In 2022, however, the EPA reinstated the waiver. This prompted legal challenges from several states and fuel companies who argued that California did not meet the requirements to justify these state-specific standards. The D.C. Circuit dismissed most of their claims, finding that these parties did not prove that their injuries would be redressed by a decision in their favor. This case now asks whether a party may establish the redressability component of Article III standing by pointing to the coercive and predictable effects of regulation on third parties. Join this FedSoc Forum to hear more about the case, the argument, and its possible outcomes.Featuring:Mark Pinkert, Partner, Holtzman VogelModerator: Mohammad Jazil, Partner, Holtzman Vogel--To register, click the link above.

Missouri has begun testing drinking water systems for forever chemicals in accordance with new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency. As Harshawn Ratanpal reports, early results show the Maries County town of Vienna has four years to clean up its water supply.

Missouri has begun testing drinking water systems for forever chemicals in accordance with new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency. As Harshawn Ratanpal reports, early results show the Maries County town of Vienna has four years to clean up its water supply.

Within his first 100 days, President Donald Trump and his administration have made major changes when it comes to environmental and climate-related policy and action. What will come of the significant shake-up of the Environmental Protection Agency? Plus, previously off-limits fishing grounds are open for business, wildfires as an East Coast problem and the relevancy of Earth Day – it's our environmental news roundtable!

On today's Front Page: President Trump's frustrations with Russian President Vladimir Putin have boiled over after a missile and drone barrage on Ukraine, the Environmental Protection Agency is cracking down on river pollution from Mexico, and more.

A case in which the Court will decide whether a party may establish the redressability component of Article III standing by pointing to the coercive and predictable effects of regulation on third parties.

In this episode of Passing Judgment, Jessica talks with USA Today reporter Erin Mansfield about the Trump administration's efforts to overhaul and reduce the federal workforce. They discuss the administration's push for greater executive power, the agencies hit hardest by job cuts, and the impact on public services like education and food safety. Erin also explains the legal battles unfolding over these changes, including the significance of the landmark Supreme Court case Humphrey's Executor and the future independence of federal agencies. Here are three key takeaways you don't want to miss:The Federal Workforce Under the Trump Administration: Trump's administration is undertaking dramatic efforts to reshape--and notably reduce--the federal workforce, prompting widespread job insecurity, potential displacements, and structural overhauls throughout the government.Who is Affected by Federal Workforce Reductions: Erin outlines which agencies are most impacted. Socially-oriented agencies—like the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, USDA, and the Environmental Protection Agency—face the brunt of the cutbacks, while national security, law enforcement, and immigration agencies are largely exempt. She clarifies that massive cuts are not equally distributed across all departments. Real-Life Impacts of Workforce Reduction: Jessica and Erin discuss how these changes might touch everyday Americans. Reductions in the workforce could affect everything from food safety inspections and educational grant administration to public health services and climate research—potentially making certain public services less effective or slower.Follow Our Host and Guest: @LevinsonJessica@_erinmansfield

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has officially vetoed State Senate Bill 1164, a controversial piece of legislation that had sparked debate across party lines. In conjunction with the veto, Hobbs sent a formal letter to the state legislature outlining her reasons for rejecting the bill. In her statement, the governor emphasized concerns about the bill's potential impact on state resources and questioned whether it aligned with Arizona's long-term policy goals.Meanwhile, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin made headlines after a heated exchange with a reporter who claimed there is "zero evidence" of waste, fraud, and abuse within the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin pushed back firmly, citing internal audits and recent oversight reports that suggest otherwise.  Freedom Marketplace: https://freedommarketplace.net The Stack: https://www.toddhuffshow.com/stack-of-stuff Email: todd@toddhuffshow.comPhone: 317.210.2830Follow us on…Instagram: @toddhuffshowFacebook: The Todd Huff ShowTwitter: @toddhuffshowLinkedIn: The Todd Huff ShowTikTok: @toddhuffshowSupport Our Partners:https://www.toddhuffshow.com/partners Links:https://www.mypillow.com/todd Promo Code: TODDhttps://mystore.com/toddhttps://soltea.com - Promo Code TODD for $29.95 off your first orderEaston University - https://www.eastonuniversity.comkenaifish.com - Promo Code TODD to save 15%

Alfredo Fernández, J.D. is an attorney and Partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP. As a member of the firm's national Environmental Practice, Alfredo advises clients across industry types on environmental, health, and safety issues that arise in all areas of business operations. Risk management pertaining to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one area of focus. Alfredo also counsels private and public entities regarding abatement of hazardous materials and conditions. He received his J.D. from University of Connecticut School of Law and holds a B.S. degree from the University of Michigan. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Alfredo [28:37] about: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), coming into effect in January 2026, and the requirements it sets for PFAS in food contact materials Emerging state-level statutes related to PFAS that will affect the food and beverage industry How a patchwork of state-level PFAS regulations will complicate compliance for businesses that operate in multiple U.S. states The broader implications of PFAS contamination and regulations for businesses in the food and beverage sector Challenges industry may face related to PFAS compliance in light of the current unpredictability at EPA and differences in state regulations Actions that companies should be prioritizing to prepare for compliance with TSCA PFAS regulations by 2026 Ways in which legal, consulting, and operational teams can collaborate to help businesses meet upcoming and emerging regulatory demands regarding PFAS. News and Resources News HHS' Proposed FDA Reorganization Would Drastically Alter Structure of Agency, Eliminate Product-Specific Offices [5:30] As U.S. Pieces Together How HHS Cuts are Affecting Food Safety, Stakeholders Speak Out [8:02] Utah Bans Fluoridated Drinking Water [13:29]Study Shows Combining Antimicrobial Blue Light and Chemical Sanitizers Can Enhance Listeria Inactivation [23:22]Study Shows Chewing Gum Releases Thousands of Microplastics, Whether Gum is Synthetic or Natural [25:22] Resources Get 20% off your registration for the 2025 Food Safety Summit using code “FSMatters20” at checkout! Sponsored by: Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has officially vetoed State Senate Bill 1164, a controversial piece of legislation that had sparked debate across party lines. In conjunction with the veto, Hobbs sent a formal letter to the state legislature outlining her reasons for rejecting the bill. In her statement, the governor emphasized concerns about the bill's potential impact on state resources and questioned whether it aligned with Arizona's long-term policy goals.Meanwhile, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin made headlines after a heated exchange with a reporter who claimed there is "zero evidence" of waste, fraud, and abuse within the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin pushed back firmly, citing internal audits and recent oversight reports that suggest otherwise.  Freedom Marketplace: https://freedommarketplace.net The Stack: https://www.toddhuffshow.com/stack-of-stuff Email: todd@toddhuffshow.comPhone: 317.210.2830Follow us on…Instagram: @toddhuffshowFacebook: The Todd Huff ShowTwitter: @toddhuffshowLinkedIn: The Todd Huff ShowTikTok: @toddhuffshowSupport Our Partners:https://www.toddhuffshow.com/partners Links:https://www.mypillow.com/todd Promo Code: TODDhttps://mystore.com/toddhttps://soltea.com - Promo Code TODD for $29.95 off your first orderEaston University - https://www.eastonuniversity.comkenaifish.com - Promo Code TODD to save 15%

Clean Wisconsin has been keeping track of the many attacks on bedrock environmental safeguards being carried out by the Trump Administration. Dozens of rules and regulations that protect our air, water, land, endangered species and more are being targeted. With so much happening in such a short time, how do you know what's important, what's just a lot of bluster, and what's even legal?  Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Brett Korte, Clean Wisconsin attorney Resources for You: Running list of attacks on environmental safeguards 1/20 Freeze All In-Progress Standards  EO - Freezes in-progress climate, clean air, clean water (including proposed limits on PFAS in industrial wastewater) and consumer protections. 1/20 Energy Emergency Declaration EO - Authorizes federal government to expedite permitting and approval of fossil fuel, infrastructure, and mining projects and circumvent Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act requirements. 1/20 Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement EO - Reverses the US' international commitment to tackling climate change and reducing pollution. 1/20 Revokes Biden Climate Crisis and Environmental Justice Executive Actions EO -  Reverses U.S. commitment to fight climate change and its impacts, and protect overburdened communities. 1/20 Attacks on Clean Car Standards EO -  to stop clean car standards that required automakers to reduce tailpipe pollution from vehicles beginning in 2027. 1/20 Resumes LNG Permitting EO - Expedites Liquid Natural Gas export terminal approval over analysis finding exports raise energy costs for consumers. Attacks Climate and Clean Energy Investments from IRA and BIL EO - Freezes unspent funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and directs agencies to reassess. 1/20 Attacks NEPA Protections EO - Rescinds order requiring White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to assess environmental and community impacts and allow community input into federal infrastructure projects. 1/21 Expands Offshore Oil Drilling EO - Reopens U.S. coastlines to offshore drilling. 1/21 Terminate American Climate Corps EO - Ends all programs of the American Climate Corps, which created thousands of jobs combatting climate change and protecting and restoring public lands. 1/21 Freezes New Wind Energy Leases EO - Withdraws wind energy leasing from U.S. waters and federal lands. 1/21 Open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other Alaska Lands for Drilling EO - Reopens sensitive federal lands and waters in Alaska to drilling. 1/28 EPA's Science Advisory Panel Members Fired Memorandum - Acting EPA administrator James Payne dismisses members of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and Science Advisory Board, which provides independent expertise to the agency on air quality standards and sources of air pollution. 1/28 EPA Suspends Solar For All Grants Memorandum - The EPA halted $7 billion in contractually obligated grants for Solar For All, an Inflation Reduction Act program that delivers clean energy and lower prices to vulnerable communities 1/31 Trump administration scrubs "climate change" from federal websites Memorandum - Mentions of climate change have been removed from federal websites such the Department of Agriculture, which includes the Forest Service and climate-smart agriculture programs, and the EPA. 2/3 Trump requires removal 10 existing rules for every new rule EO - The order requires that when an agency finalizes a new regulation or guidance they identify 10 existing rules to be cut. 2/3 Interior secretary weakens public lands protections in favor of fossil fuel development Sec Order - After Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order, Interior Secretary Burgum ordered the reinstatement of fossil fuel leases, opened more land for drilling, and issued orders weakening protections of public lands, national monuments and endangered species, and overturned advanced clean energy and climate mitigation strategies. 2/5 Energy secretary announces review of appliance efficiency standards Sec Order - Energy Secretary Wright ordered a review of appliance standards following Trump's Day One order attacking rules improving the efficiency of household appliances such as toilets, showerheads, and lightbulbs as part of a secretarial order intended to increase the extraction and use of fossil fuels. 2/5 Army Corps of Engineers halts approval of renewables Guidance via DOD - The Army Corps of Engineers singled out 168 projects – those that focused on renewable energy projects – out of about 11,000 pending permits for projects on private land. Though the hold was lifted, it was not immediately clear if permitting had resumed. 2/6 Transportation Department orders freeze of EV charging infrastructure program Memorandum - A Transportation Department memo ordered the suspension of $5 billion in federal funding, authorized by Congress under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, for states to build electric vehicle chargers. 2/11 SEC starts process to kill climate disclosure rule Memorandum - The acting chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission paused the government's legal defense of a rule requiring companies to identify the impact of their business on climate in regulatory findings. The rule was challenged in court by 19 Republican state attorneys general and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright's Liberty Energy, among others. 2/14 EPA fires hundreds of staff Memorandum - The Trump administration's relentless assault on science and career expertise at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continued today with the firing of almost 400 staff who had ‘probationary' status. 2/14 DOE issues the first LNG export authorization under new Trump administration DOE Secretary Wright issued an export authorization for the Commonwealth LNG project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, despite a 2024 DOE report finding that unfettered LNG exports increase energy bills and climate pollution. 2/18 Trump issues order stripping independent agencies of independence EO - Trump signed an executive order stripping independent regulatory agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of their independence, moving them to submit proposed rules and final regulations for review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and granting the attorney general exclusive authority over legal interpretations of rules. The order is likely to be challenged as Congress created these agencies specifically to be insulated from White House interference. 2/19 Zeldin recommends striking endangerment finding Memorandum - After Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has told the White House he would recommend rescinding the bedrock justification defining six climate pollutants – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride – as air pollution to be regulated by the Clean Air Act. 2/19 Trump administration moves to rescind all CEQ regulatory authority Rulemaking - The Trump administration has moved to rescind the Council on Environmental Quality's role in crafting and implementing environmental regulations, revoking all CEQ orders since 1977 that shape how federal agencies comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the government to consider and disclose environmental impacts of its actions. 2/19 Trump directs agencies to make deregulation recommendations to DOGE EO - Trump issues executive order directing agencies to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to make recommendations that will accelerate Trump's efforts to dismantle regulations across the federal government as part of his 10 out, 1 in policy. Among the protections likely to be in DOGE's crosshairs are those that keep polluters from ignoring environmental laws and protect clean air and water. 2/19 FEMA staff advised to scrub "changing climate" and other climate terms from documents Memorandum - A Federal Emergency Management Agency memo listed 10 climate-related words and phrases, including "changing climate," “climate resilience,” and “net zero," to be removed from FEMA documents. The memo comes after USDA workers were ordered to scrub mentions of climate change from websites. 2/21 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Director Placed on Administrative Leave Guidance - According to media reports, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin has put the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) director on administrative leave. The GGRF is a $27 billion federal financing program that addresses the climate crisis and is injecting billions of dollars in local economic development projects to lower energy prices and reduce pollution especially in the rural, urban, and Indigenous communities most impacted by climate change and frequently left behind by mainstream finance. 2/27 Hundreds fired as layoffs begin at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Guidance - On Thursday, February 27, about 800 employees at NOAA, the agency responsible for the nation's bedrock weather, climate, fisheries, and marine research, were fired in the latest round of Trump administration-led layoffs. The layoffs could jeopardize NOAA's ability to provide life-saving severe weather forecasts, long-term climate monitoring, deep-sea research and fisheries management, and other essential research and policy. 3/10 Energy secretary says climate change a worthwhile tradeoff for growth Announcement - Speaking at the CERAWeek conference, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Trump administration sees climate change as “a side effect of building the modern world,” and pledged to “end the Biden administration's irrational, quasi-religious policies on climate change." 3/10 Zeldin, Musk Cut $1.7B in Environmental Justice Grants Guidance - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the cancellation of 400 environmental justice-related grants, in violation of a court order barring the Trump administration from freezing "equity-based" grants and contracts. 3/11 EPA eliminates environmental justice offices, staff Memorandum - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin ordered the closure of environmental justice offices at the agency's headquarters and at all 10 regional offices and eliminate all related staff positions "immediately." The reversal comes just days after the EPA reinstated environmental justice and civil rights employees put on leave in early February. 3/12 EPA Announcement to Revise "Waters of the United States" Rule Announcement - The EPA will redefine waters of the US, or WOTUS, to comply with the US Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Sackett v. EPA, which lifted Clean Water Act jurisdiction on many wetlands, Administrator Lee Zeldin said 3/14 Zeldin releases 31-rollback ‘hit list' Memorandum (announced, not in effect as of 4/10) - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to dismantle federal air quality and carbon pollution regulations, identifying 31 actions ranging from from soot standards and power plant pollution rules to the endangerment finding – the scientific and legal underpinning of the Clean Air Act. 3/14 EPA halts enforcement of pollution rules at energy facilities Memorandum - According to a leaked memo, the EPA's compliance office has halted enforcement of pollution regulations on energy facilities and barred consideration of environmental justice concerns. The memo states: "Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production (from exploration to distribution) or power generation absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health or an express statutory or regulatory requirement to the contrary.” 3/14 Trump revokes order encouraging renewables EO - Trump signed an executive order rescinding a Biden-era proclamation encouraging the development of renewable energy. Biden's order under the Defense Production Act permitted the Department of Energy to direct funds to scale up domestic production of solar and other renewable technologies. 3/17 EPA plans to eliminate science staff Memorandum - Leaked documents describe plans to lay off as many as 1,155 scientists from labs across the country. These chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists are among the experts who monitor air and water quality, cleanup of toxic waste, and more. 3/16 EPA invites waivers on mercury pollution and other hazardous pollutants Memorandum - The EPA invited coal- and oil-fired power plants to apply for exemptions to limits on mercury and other toxic pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Mercury is an extremely dangerous pollutant that causes brain damage to babies and fetuses; in addition to mercury, pollution from power plants includes hazardous chemicals that can lead to cancer, or damage to the lungs, kidneys, nervous system and cardiovascular system. 4/3 Trump administration adds "deregulation suggestion" website A new page on regulations.gov allows members of the public to submit "deregulation" ideas. The move is the latest in the Trump administration's efforts to slash public health, safety, and climate safeguards, and comes soon after the administration offered companies the opportunity to send the EPA an email if they wished to be exempted from Clean Air Act protections. 4/8 Series of four EOs to boost coal  EO - Under the four orders, Trump uses his emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants set for retirement to keep producing electricity to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. Trump also directed federal agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining and prioritize coal leasing on U.S. lands. In a related action, Trump also signed a proclamation offering coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene. 4/9 Executive Order Attacking State Climate Laws EO - Directs the U.S. Attorney General to sue or block state climate policies deemed "burdensome" to fossil fuel interests — including laws addressing climate change, ESG investing, carbon taxes, and environmental justice. 4/9 New expiration dates on existing energy rules EO - The order directs ten agencies and subagencies to assign one-year expiration dates to existing energy regulations. If they are not extended, they will expire no later than September 30, 2026, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. The order also said any new regulations should include a five-year expiration, unless they are deregulatory. That means any future regulations would only last for five years unless they are extended. 4/17 Narrow Endangered Species Act to allow for habitat destruction The Trump administration is proposing to significantly limit the Endangered Species Act's power to preserve crucial habitats by changing the definition of one word: harm. The Endangered Species Act prohibits actions that “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect” endangered plants and animals. The word “harm” has long been interpreted to mean not just the direct killing of a species, but also severe harm to their environment  

This week on Face the Nation, the Trump's administration's showdown with the courts over deportations, and a closer look at Trump's agenda on education, environmental policy and more. In a rare overnight ruling, Supreme Court justices blocked the Trump administration's plans to deport a group of Venezuelans held at a detention facility in Texas. Trump also deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia -- a Maryland resident who officials admit was expelled by mistake. Senator Chris Van Hollen is just back from visiting Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, we ask him what's next. Then, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is violating its own "Easter truce." And as President Trump signals the U.S. may walk away from its push for peace negotiations, we check in with Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, who's just back from a trip to Ukraine's front line. Plus, we talk with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey about her state's fight with Washington over higher education and more. And Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee joins us with an update on the economy. Finally, ahead of Earth Day, we hear from the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since its creation under President Richard Nixon in 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has worked to reduce pollution and toxic exposures to ensure that Americans have clean air, clean water and clean soil. The EPA has also sought to reduce emissions to address climate change. Now that the Trump administration is in power, the EPA is being threatened with a 65% reduction in their budget.  In addition to EPA cuts, the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is making cuts left and right in an effort to trim $1 trillion from the federal budget. The combination of DOGE and Trump's executive orders — plus the threatened cuts to the EPA and the federal spending freezes — have put thousands of jobs, and clean energy and climate related projects, in limbo. This could have a devastating impact on the national public health and safety standards we now take for granted, and will undermine our ability to address the climate crisis. How far do these cuts go? What is real and what is bluster? What would a country with a severely limited EPA look like?  Guests: Gina McCarthy, Former Administrator, EPA Umair Irfan, Reporter, Vox This episode also includes a news feature reported by April Ehrlich of Oregon Public Broadcasting. Next week, Climate One is hosting a series of live conversations as part of SF Climate Week 2025! Tickets for all four of our events, featuring leaders such as Jenny Odell, San José Mayor Matt Mahan, Rep. Jared Huffman, Abby Reyes, Margaret Gordon and two of this year's Goldman Prize winners are on sale now through the official SF Climate Week event calendar. Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since its creation under President Richard Nixon in 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has worked to reduce pollution and toxic exposures to ensure that Americans have clean air, clean water and clean soil. The EPA has also sought to reduce emissions to address climate change. Now that the Trump administration is in power, the EPA is being threatened with a 65% reduction in their budget.  In addition to EPA cuts, the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is making cuts left and right in an effort to trim $1 trillion from the federal budget. The combination of DOGE and Trump's executive orders — plus the threatened cuts to the EPA and the federal spending freezes — have put thousands of jobs, and clean energy and climate related projects, in limbo. This could have a devastating impact on the national public health and safety standards we now take for granted, and will undermine our ability to address the climate crisis. How far do these cuts go? What is real and what is bluster? What would a country with a severely limited EPA look like?  Guests: Gina McCarthy, Former Administrator, EPA Umair Irfan, Reporter, Vox  This episode also includes a news feature reported by April Ehrlich of Oregon Public Broadcasting. Next week, Climate One is hosting a series of live conversations as part of SF Climate Week 2025! Tickets for all four of our events, featuring leaders such as Jenny Odell, San José Mayor Matt Mahan, Rep. Jared Huffman, Abby Reyes, Margaret Gordon and two of this year's Goldman Prize winners are on sale now through the official SF Climate Week event calendar. Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megyn Kelly begins the show by discussing how the Supreme Court is handing Trump some important wins on deportations, what the media is missing from their reporting of the story, what this means for future deportation cases, and more. Then the hosts of the RealClearPolitics podcast Tom Bevan and Carl Cannon join to discuss how the media is spinning deportations as a problem for Trump, what the polls actually show, Kristi Noem cosplaying as an ICE agent in full hair and makeup, her recent history of negative PR, why she's doing great work as DHS Secretary but needs to stop the social media photo-ops, controversies surrounding Trump's tariffs, why Kevin O'Leary is cheering the tariffs against China, how someone is finally fighting against China's mistreatment of America, and more. Then Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, joins to discuss how New York is going purple now and in play for Republicans, Andrew Cuomo potentially returning to power as mayor of NYC, why deregulation and helping the coal industry are top priorities for him and the Trump administration, the negative impact of windmills, all the waste and fraud being uncovered inside the EPA, a CNN climate reporter who doesn't understand climate policy, what he's learned since taking over the agency, and more. Bevan & Cannon- https://www.realclearpolitics.com/Zeldin- https://x.com/epaleezeldinGrand Canyon University: https://GCU.eduFYSI: https://FYSI.com/Megyn or call 800-877-4000Firecracker Farm: Visit https://firecracker.FARM & enter code MK at checkout for a special discount!Byrna: Go to https://Byrna.com/MEGYN to save 10%Follow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKellyTwitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShowInstagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShowFacebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow Find out more information at: https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow

President Trump has a new vision for the Environmental Protection Agency that significantly rolls back environmental regulations. Kate Linebaugh speaks to the man overseeing that vision— Administrator Lee Zeldin, about his plans and new approach to environmental governance.  Further Listening: - The Fight Over Fluoride  - Hot, Dry and Booming: A Texas Climate Case Study  - Why Microsoft Wants Three Mile Island's Nuclear Power  Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Power Hour is a weekly podcast that discusses the most interesting energy and environmental policy issues of the day with top national experts.  Jack invites Power Hour veteran Daren Bakst, Director, Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Energy Institute, to discuss CEI's new book Modernizing the EPA: A Blueprint for Congress.   Jack and […]

Congressional hearings focus on national security group text, debate over the use of SNAP benefits for soda and candy, and major deregulatory actions taken at the Environmental Protection Agency. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.Balance of Nature: Go to https://balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for 35% off your first order as a preferred customer PLUS get a free bottle of Fiber and Spice.Fast Growing Trees: Get 15% off your first purchase when using the code WIRE at checkout or by visiting https://fastgrowingtrees.com/wireBeam: Head to https://shopbeam.com/WIRE and use code WIRE at checkout for up to 40% off.

President Trump's appointee at the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, is making a lot of changes at the EPA. Including cutting 31 environmental rules regarding climate change pollution, electric vehicles, and power plants. Environmentalists say this is a gutting of regulation. GOP lawmakers deem the EPA a job killer that does nothing but burden businesses with regulations. In the eyes of the American public, the environment ranks low on the list of priorities the government should address.But flash back to the late 1960s, and it's a very different story. The environment was a bipartisan issue, and a Republican president created the EPA in 1970 in response to public pressure. So how did we get here? How did the environment go from universal concern to political battleground — with the EPA caught in the crossfire? In a piece we first aired in 2017, Brooke considered the tumultuous history of the EPA, its evolving relationship with the public, and its uncertain future. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.