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"Several high-ranking Trump officials that make up the so-called “God Squad” voted on Tuesday to quash longstanding Endangered Species Act regulations in the Gulf of Mexico, exempting all oil and gas drilling. It’s an outcome environmentalists fear could spell doom for the critically endangered Rice’s whale, a species that only exists in the Gulf and has just 50 whales left in existence."
"The plaintiffs are asking for the entire Texas prison system to be air-conditioned by the end of 2029 in a trial that is expected to last two weeks."
"The Justice Department and the state of Vermont faced off in a federal courtroom on Monday over the state’s landmark 2024 “climate superfund” law, which will require fossil fuel companies to pay for the mounting costs of climate change." "The law would make fuel companies help pay for damages caused by climate change. The administration argues it’s unconstitutional."
"A federal judge has knocked down the core of President Trump's executive order barring federal funding for NPR and PBS, saying it violated the broadcasters' First Amendment rights on its face."
"Gov. Newsom’s administration has proposed ending a program that’s brought a gigawatt of grid relief online. Lawmakers want to know what will replace it."
"A planned 1.3-mile wall across Mount Cristo Rey has drawn opposition from environmentalists and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces"
"Thousands of dead fish are washing ashore and people are falling ill too, as officials investigate possible sources of contamination."
"The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has opened the door to punitive damages in a class-action lawsuit regarding contamination from “forever chemicals” called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on people’s private property."
"A long-term project to remove or modify dams may clear the way for endangered wild Atlantic salmon to swim freely up to the Sandy River. But it faces opposition from business and lawmakers."
"A new label promises single-use cups are recyclable. But that doesn't mean they actually get recycled."
"Interior Secretary Doug Burgum can convene the Endangered Species Committee, or “God Squad,” on March 31 to approve the Pentagon’s request to exempt all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations from the Endangered Species Act because of national security needs, a judge ruled Friday."
"A federal judge on Monday partially ruled that the first Trump administration erred when it weakened aspects of the Endangered Species Act.
The ruling (attached below) was heralded by environmental groups, saying it underscored that “federal agencies must use the best available science when assessing harm to species, they cannot ignore incremental harm to critical habitat, and the agencies must firmly commit to any measures relied upon to reduce harm to imperiled plants and animals.” (Emphasis added—ed.)
"Workers, lawmakers and environmental advocates gathered this week to speak out against a proposed federal rule that would roll back protections for people who live near hazardous facilities across the country."
"The president was non-committal when asked Sunday night about Casey Means’s nomination, which has stalled in the Senate."
"The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is failing to put warnings on pesticides linked to cancer — even when the agency itself determined a product’s ingredients are carcinogenic, according to two new analyses of federal data."
