Plans to keep America’s national parks open amid the government shutdown face challenges as the National Park Service (NPS) furloughs more than 60 percent of its staff. The Trump administration announced its contingency plans for the parks Tuesday night, just hours before the federal government officially shut down. It determined that “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air...
Author: The Hill
Trump administration eyes looser environmental restrictions to boost coal
The Trump administration is eyeing looser restrictions on pollution and public lands as part of its effort to bolster the U.S. coal industry. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to delay by five years Biden-era standards that restrict power plants’ ability to release pollution into waterways. Read more in The Hill here.
Energy groups praise Trump moves on nuclear as New York climate event convenes
Energy groups are touting President Trump’s moves to embrace nuclear energy, pointing to New York as a prime example, as an annual Climate Week kicks off in New York City. Trump campaigned on a pledge to unleash American energy, and he has already signed multiple executive actions aimed at bolstering the nation’s nuclear power in...
Sweeping California climate bills heading to Newsom’s desk
California state lawmakers gave their stamp of approval over the weekend to a slate of sweeping energy and climate-related bills, which will now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) desk. The package’s six bills — some of which passed with bipartisan support in an extended session on Saturday — marked a last-minute victory for Newsom, who negotiated the...
Trump plan to move USDA spurs brain drain fears
A Trump administration plan to remove thousands of agriculture employees from Washington, D.C., is raising concerns among economists, who fear that such a move could erode expertise in a workforce reluctant to relocate. The plan — a cost-saving strategy that would consolidate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) operations and bring workers closer to their customers — would...
Energy secretary says he worries most about high electricity bills
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Tuesday that rising electricity prices are what he “worries about most” as Americans face high power bills. “It’s what I worry about most — seven days a week. We want to stop the rise in electricity for Americans and reshore jobs and opportunity here,” Wright said in an interview on the Fox Business...
Rapid wildfire burns historic gold mining town in California
A quick-moving wildfire burned homes in a California Gold Rush town settled around 1850 by Chinese miners who were driven out of a nearby camp and the blaze grew without containment on Wednesday. The fire rapidly expanded to 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) in size, forcing the evacuation Tuesday of the Chinese Camp Town and surrounding...
Trump, GOP face tough choices for second tax bill
President Trump and Republican lawmakers passed their major tax-and-spending cut bill earlier this summer, faster than almost anyone else in Washington, D.C., was expecting. Now, they’re planning their second act. The law extended Republicans’ 2017 tax rate reductions while making big cuts to health care and other social programs, adding $3.4 trillion to the national...
Google inks deals with TVA, Indiana Michigan Power on AI grid strain
Google announced Monday that it has struck agreements with two regional grid operators to reduce its data center demand at times when the grid is under more strain. The tech giant unveiled agreements with Indiana Michigan Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority to shift certain workloads to limit the stress on the grid in a process...
Scuba diving generates up to $20B annually, with conservation benefits: Study
The global scuba diving industry generates between $8.5 billion and $20.4 billion each year, while also providing widespread marine conservation benefits, a new study has found. The diving sector supports up to 124,000 jobs across 170 countries on an annual basis, contributing to both ocean ecology and local communities, according to the study, published Friday...









