Author: Steven Mufson
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Federal court blocks Trump EPA on air pollution
An appeals court Monday struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s two-year suspension of new emission standards on oil and gas wells, a decision that could set back the Trump administration’s broad legal strategy for rolling back Obama-era rules. In a 2-to-1 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit concluded that the…
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Rick Perry just denied that humans are the main cause of climate change
Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Monday denied that man-made carbon dioxide emissions are the primary cause of climate change. Asked in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” whether he believed that carbon dioxide was “the primary control knob for the temperature of the Earth and for climate,” Perry said that “No, most likely the primary control knob…
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U.S. states, major companies break with Trump’s decision to exit the climate deal
Thirty states and scores of companies said Thursday that they would press ahead with their climate policies and pursue lower greenhouse gas emissions, breaking sharply with President Trump’s decision to exit the historic Paris climate accord. In a pointed rebuttal to Trump’s announcement in the rose garden of the White House, New York’s governor unveiled…
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Westinghouse files for bankruptcy, in a blow to nuclear power industry
WASHINGTON – Westinghouse, one of the most storied names in the nuclear energy business, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the future of the nuclear power industry and leaving question marks about the future of four reactors currently under construction in the United States. The filing also brings to an end the…
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Trump federal budget 2018: Massive cuts to the arts, science and the poor
President Trump on Thursday will unveil a budget plan that calls for a sharp increase in military spending and stark cuts across much of the rest of the government including the elimination of dozens of long-standing federal programs that assist the poor, fund scientific research and aid America’s allies abroad. Trump’s first budget proposal, which…
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The White House was on the same page as ExxonMobil Monday – literally
The White House and ExxonMobil were in sync Monday. Some might even call it mind-meld. In a press release, ExxonMobil highlighted the oil giant’s plan to spend $20 billion over 10 years, build 11 chemical and natural gas projects and create 45,000 jobs. Within the same hour, the White House put out its own statement…
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Trump wants to cut two regulations on businesses for every new one imposed
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed an order Monday aimed at cutting regulations on businesses, saying that agencies should eliminate two regulations for every new one. The White House later released the text of the order, which added that the cost of any new regulation should be offset by eliminating regulations with the same costs…
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Infrastructure wish lists are broadening
Gone are the days when federal infrastructure spending was measured in highways, bridges and ports. As President-elect Donald Trump considers a massive new spending plan on public works, policy experts, lawmakers and companies are racing to make the case that infrastructure could include projects such as fast Internet networks, electric-vehicle charging stations, power transmission lines…
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Foreign leaders balk at bailouts
WASHINGTON – As the world watched Congress struggle Wednesday with a plan to bail out the U.S. financial system, foreign leaders balked at similar fixes for their own economies, a few even dismissing the credit meltdown as an American problem. Some foreign investors who had previously provided crucial injections of capital remained on the sidelines.Senior…