EJToday: Top Environmental Politics Headlines

"U.S. Tells International Energy Agency to Drop Its Focus on Climate Change" [9]

"The Trump administration this week threatened to pull the United States out of the world’s leading energy agency unless it abandoned its focus on tackling climate change."

Climate Change [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
International [14]
Source: NYTimes [15], 02/20/2026
- Read more about "U.S. Tells International Energy Agency to Drop Its Focus on Climate Change" [9]
"Border Wall Closes in on Big Bend" [16]

"Residents and elected officials are speaking out against a proposed border barrier through Texas’ biggest state park and one of the jewels of the national park system."

Biodiversity [17]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Natural Resources [19]
People & Population [20]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [22]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Mexico [23]
Source: Inside Climate News [24], 02/20/2026
- Read more about "Border Wall Closes in on Big Bend" [16]
Trump Climate Rollback Likely To Hit Poor, Minority Areas Hardest: Experts [25]

"In a stretch of Louisiana with about 170 fossil fuel and petrochemical plants, premature death is a fact of life for people living nearby. The air is so polluted and the cancer rates so high it is known as Cancer Alley."

Climate Change [10]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
People & Population [20]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: AP [27], 02/20/2026
- Read more about Trump Climate Rollback Likely To Hit Poor, Minority Areas Hardest: Experts [25]
NIH’s Bhattacharya Will Also Run CDC While Trump Seeks Permanent Director [28]

"National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will also temporarily become acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an administration official said Wednesday."

Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [29]
Health [30]
Laws & Regulations [18]
People & Population [20]
Pollution [31]
Science [32]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: AP [33], 02/19/2026
- Read more about NIH’s Bhattacharya Will Also Run CDC While Trump Seeks Permanent Director [28]
"Trump Taps Ex-RFK Jr. Aide To Lead National Science Foundation" [34]

"President Donald Trump plans to nominate a former senior aide to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as director of the National Science Foundation."

Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [29]
Science [32]
Technology [35]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: E&E News [36], 02/19/2026
- Read more about "Trump Taps Ex-RFK Jr. Aide To Lead National Science Foundation" [34]
"Environmental Protest Group Says FBI Is Investigating It For Terrorism" [37]

"Environmental group Extinction Rebellion said on Wednesday it was under federal US investigation and that some of its members had been visited by FBI agents, including from the agency’s taskforce on extremism, in the last year."

Activism [38]
Environmental Justice [39]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: Reuters [40], 02/19/2026
- Read more about "Environmental Protest Group Says FBI Is Investigating It For Terrorism" [37]
"How The NRC Lost Its Independence" [41]

"One year ago, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was an independent agency, setting safety standards without White House interference. Those days are over."

Energy & Fuel [42]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [43]
Technology [35]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: E&E News [44], 02/19/2026
- Read more about "How The NRC Lost Its Independence" [41]
"FDA Reverses Course And Will Review Moderna’s mRNA-Based Flu Shot" [45]

"The Food and Drug Administration has reversed course and agreed to review Moderna’s application for the first mRNA-based flu vaccine under a revised approach, company and federal officials said Wednesday."

Consumer [46]
Disasters [47]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [11]
Health [30]
People & Population [20]
Science [32]
Technology [35]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: Washington Post [48], 02/19/2026
- Read more about "FDA Reverses Course And Will Review Moderna’s mRNA-Based Flu Shot" [45]
"Groups Sue Over Trump Effort To ‘Erase’ History, Science In National Parks" [49]

"A coalition of scientific, preservation and historical groups on Tuesday sued the Trump administration, arguing that the removal of information about civil rights, climate change and other topics at multiple national parks amounts to illegal censorship."

Climate Change [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Environmental Studies [50]
Government [29]
Journalism & Media [51]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Natural Resources [19]
People & Population [20]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [52]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: Washington Post [53], 02/18/2026
- Read more about "Groups Sue Over Trump Effort To ‘Erase’ History, Science In National Parks" [49]
"Bayer Proposes $7.25 Billion Class Action Settlement In Roundup Litigation" [54]

"In a bold bid to put costly US Roundup litigation behind it, Bayer on Tuesday announced a $7.25 billion proposed class action settlement for users of its glyphosate-based weed killing products who have cancer now or develop cancer in the next several years, with average awards ranging from $10,000 to $165,000."

Agriculture [55]
Chemicals [56]
Consumer [46]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
People & Population [20]
Pollution [31]
Science [32]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: The New Lede [57], 02/18/2026
- Read more about "Bayer Proposes $7.25 Billion Class Action Settlement In Roundup Litigation" [54]
Overshadowed by PFAS, PCBs Remain A Toxic Threat To Chesapeake Waters [58]

"Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, haven’t been produced since 1979, after studies found that exposure to them could cause a variety of harmful health effects, including cancer. But they were so widely used before then and so long-lasting that they still impair water quality in much of the tidal Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries."

Agriculture [55]
Chemicals [56]
Consumer [46]
Environmental Justice [39]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Pollution [31]
Water & Oceans [21]
Public [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [59]
Source: Bay Journal [60], 02/18/2026
- Read more about Overshadowed by PFAS, PCBs Remain A Toxic Threat To Chesapeake Waters [58]
"States Push Climate Superfund Bills Despite Trump’s Opposition" [61]

"The legislation would make oil and gas firms pay for climate damages from burning their products. Trump has referred to such laws as 'extortion.'"

Climate Change [10]
Economy & Business [62]
Energy & Fuel [42]
Environmental Justice [39]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Pollution [31]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: Canary Media [63], 02/18/2026
- Read more about "States Push Climate Superfund Bills Despite Trump’s Opposition" [61]
Senate Dems Say Trump EPA Curries Corporate Favor By Weakening Air Rules [64]

"Ozone and particulate matter air pollutants cause over 100,000 premature deaths per year and affect the health of millions of Americans. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said last month that his agency would stop considering those costs when drafting new regulations."

Air [65]
Consumer [46]
Economy & Business [62]
Energy & Fuel [42]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Justice [39]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Pollution [31]
Public [12]
Source: Inside Climate News [66], 02/18/2026
- Read more about Senate Dems Say Trump EPA Curries Corporate Favor By Weakening Air Rules [64]
"House Agriculture Panel Releases Farm Bill Text And Sets Markup" [67]

"Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee on Friday released text for the farm bill and announced they will mark up the bill on Feb. 23 — with the framework drawing immediate criticism from the top Democrat on the panel who accused Republicans of filling the package with poison pills."

Agriculture [55]
Environmental Politics [11]
Forests [68]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: The Hill [69], 02/18/2026
- Read more about "House Agriculture Panel Releases Farm Bill Text And Sets Markup" [67]
Dem Senators Launch Inquiry Into EPA’s Repeal Of Endangerment Finding [70]

"More than three dozen Democratic senators have begun an independent inquiry into the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following a huge change in how the agency measures the health benefits of reducing air pollution that is widely seen as a major setback to US efforts to combat the climate crisis."

Climate Change [10]
Energy & Fuel [42]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Science [32]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: Guardian [71], 02/17/2026
- Read more about Dem Senators Launch Inquiry Into EPA’s Repeal Of Endangerment Finding [70]

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