"Since Andrew Wheeler was sworn as EPA's second in command on April 20, the lobbying veteran has had at least three meetings with former clients that may have violated the Trump administration's ethics pledge and other promises he made to steer clear of potential conflicts of interest."
"Senior administration officials are clashing over President Trump’s plan to roll back a major environmental rule and let cars emit more tailpipe pollution, according to 11 people familiar with the confrontation, in a dispute over whether the proposal can withstand legal challenge."
"The Environmental Protection Agency reversed course late Thursday and announced it would enforce stricter pollution controls on freight trucks known as “gliders,” which emit dozens of times more soot and contaminants compared to those with new diesel engines."
"A fast-moving Southern California wildfire believed set by a serial arsonist forced more than 3,000 residents of mountain resort communities to flee their homes on Thursday as crews fought to save homes in the path of the flames."
"Using satellite images, researchers tracked the scars spreading across Appalachia. They found 3 times more land being stripped per ton of coal than in the 1980s."
"Ontario’s new Progressive Conservative government has tabled legislation to kill the province’s cap-and-trade program, which put a price on carbon emissions, but will pay virtually no compensation to the companies that purchased $2.9-billion in emission allowances under the plan."
"New natural gas pipelines may not be needed and may not justify damage to the environment, the attorneys general of seven states and the District of Columbia argue in comments filed Wednesday with federal regulators in charge of pipeline approvals."
"Thursday morning, hopeful applicants for a historic grizzly bear hunting license found out whether they were successful or not."
"A judge has ordered the U.S. government to ban imports of seafood caught by Mexican fisheries that use a net blamed for killing off the vaquita, the world’s smallest and most-endangered porpoise."
"An arid region 180 miles south of Tijuana is the crossroads where strawberries, economics, and groundwater meet. Baja usually gets less than three inches of rain annually, and there is a multi-year drought. But strawberries grown for export have become so valuable, farmers keep trying to grow more, and are allowed to use more groundwater than nature replenishes."
"Congressional work on finalizing fiscal 2019 spending bills is being delayed until September, even as the Senate remains on track to move its proposed funding for the Interior Department and EPA by the end of this week."
"Many of the permits were issued to those with ties to Republicans and a major trophy hunting group."
"The federal government has issued more than three dozen permits allowing hunters to import lion trophies from two African nations since 2016, according to copies of the applications obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
"Several oil companies have offered praise — but not an explicit endorsement — for the carbon tax bill introduced Monday by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.)."
"The oil and gas industry is looking for a mind reader. It thought that companies pursuing projects to help President Trump reach his "energy dominance" goal might get a free pass when it comes to his controversial steel tariffs. That might not be the case."
"Bipartisan House legislation introduced today with a goal of whittling down the Interior Department's massive deferred-maintenance backlog will remain separate from efforts to reauthorize the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund."
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