Pentagon withdraws 700 Marines from Los Angeles
The 700 Marines were deployed June 9 on the fourth day of protests in downtown LA over the administration's crackdown on immigration . Four thousand National Guard soldiers were also deployed.
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The Hill
10 minutes ago
- The Hill
With AI plan, Trump keeps chipping away at a foundational environmental law
When President Donald Trump rolled out a plan to boost artificial intelligence and data centers, a key goal was wiping away barriers to rapid growth. And that meant taking aim at the National Environmental Policy Act — a 55-year-old, bedrock law aimed at protecting the environment though a process that requires agencies to consider a project's possible impacts and allows the public to be heard before a project is approved. Data centers, demanding vast amounts of energy and water, have aroused strong opposition in some communities. The AI Action Plan Trump announced last week would seek to sweep aside NEPA, as it's commonly known, to streamline environmental reviews and permitting for data centers and related infrastructure. Republicans and business interests have long criticized NEPA for what they see as unreasonable slowing of development, and Trump's plan would give 'categorical exclusions' to data centers for 'maximum efficiency' in permitting. A spokeswoman for the White House Council on Environmental Quality said the administration is 'focused on driving meaningful NEPA reform to reduce the delays in federal permitting, unleashing the ability for America to strengthen its AI and manufacturing leadership.' Trump's administration has been weakening the law for months. 'It's par for the course for this administration. The attitude is to clear the way for projects that harm communities and the environment,' said Erin Doran, senior staff attorney at environmental nonprofit Food & Water Watch. Here's what to know about this key environmental law, and Trump's effort to weaken it: What is NEPA and why does it matter? NEPA is a foundational environmental law in the United States, 'essentially our Magna Carta for the environment,' said Wendy Park, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, another environmental group, referring to the 13th century English legal text that formed the basis for constitutions worldwide. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, NEPA requires federal agencies proposing actions such as building roads, bridges or energy projects to study how their project will affect the environment. Private companies are also frequently subject to NEPA standards when they apply for a permit from a federal agency. In recent years, the law has become increasingly important in requiring consideration of a project's possible contributions to climate change. 'That's a really important function because otherwise we're just operating with blinders just to get the project done, without considering whether there are alternative solutions that might accomplish the same objective, but in a more environmentally friendly way,' Park said. But business groups say NEPA routinely blocks important projects that often taken five years or more to complete. 'Our broken permitting system has long been a national embarrassment,' said Marty Durbin, president of the U.S. Chamber's Global Energy Institute. He called NEPA 'a blunt and haphazard tool' that too often is used to block investment and economic development. The White House proposal comes as Congress is working on a permitting reform plan that would overhaul NEPA, addressing long-standing concerns from both parties that development projects — including some for clean energy — take too long to be approved. What's happened to NEPA recently? NEPA's strength — and usefulness — can depend on how it's interpreted by different administrations. Trump, a Republican, sought to weaken NEPA in his first term by limiting when environmental reviews are required and limiting the time for evaluation and public comment. Former Democratic President Joe Biden restored more rigorous reviews. In his second term, Trump has again targeted the law. An executive order that touched on environmental statutes has many agencies scrapping the requirement for a draft environmental impact statement. And the CEQ in May withdrew Biden-era guidance that federal agencies should consider the effects of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions when conducting NEPA reviews. Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court in May narrowed the scope of environmental reviews required for major infrastructure projects. In a ruling involving a Utah railway expansion project aimed at quadrupling oil production, the court said NEPA wasn't designed 'for judges to hamstring new infrastructure and construction projects.' 'It's been a rough eight months for NEPA,' said Dinah Bear, a former general counsel at the Council on Environmental Quality under both Democratic and Republican presidents. John Ruple, a research professor of law at the University of Utah, said sidelining NEPA could actually slow things down. Federal agencies still have to comply with other environmental laws, like the Endangered Species Act or Clean Air Act. NEPA has an often overlooked benefit of forcing coordination with those other laws, he said. Some examples of cases where NEPA has played a role A botanist by training, Mary O'Brien was working with a small organization in Oregon in the 1980s to propose alternative techniques to successfully replant Douglas fir trees that had been clear-cut on federal lands. Aerially sprayed herbicides aimed at helping the conifers grow have not only been linked to health problems in humans but were also killing another species of tree, red alders, that were beneficial to the fir saplings, O'Brien said. The U.S. Forest Service had maintained that the herbicides' impact on humans and red alders wasn't a problem. But under NEPA, a court required the agency to redo their analysis and they ultimately had to write a new environmental impact statement. 'It's a fundamental concept: 'Don't just roar ahead.' Think about your options,' O'Brien said. O'Brien, who later worked at the Grand Canyon Trust, also co-chaired a working group that weighed in on a 2018 Forest Service proposal, finalized in 2016, for aspen restoration on Monroe Mountain in Utah. Hunters, landowners, loggers and ranchers all had different opinions on how the restoration should be handled. She said NEPA's requirement to get the public involved made for better research and a better plan. 'I think it's one of the laws that's the most often used by the public without the public being aware,' said Stephen Schima, senior legislative counsel at environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice. 'NEPA has long been the one opportunity for communities and impacted stakeholders and local governments to weigh in.' Schima said rolling back the power of NEPA threatens the scientific integrity of examining projects' full impacts. 'Decisions are going to be less informed by scientific studies, and that is one of the major concerns here,' he said. Ruple said uncertainty from NEPA changes and competing opinions on how to comply with the law's requirements may invite even more litigation. 'And all of this will fall on the shoulder of agencies that are losing the staff needed to lead them through these changes,' he said. ___ Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @ ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
San Francisco Chronicle
10 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
With AI plan, Trump keeps chipping away at a foundational environmental law
When President Donald Trump rolled out a plan to boost artificial intelligence and data centers, a key goal was wiping away barriers to rapid growth. And that meant taking aim at the National Environmental Policy Act — a 55-year-old, bedrock law aimed at protecting the environment though a process that requires agencies to consider a project's possible impacts and allows the public to be heard before a project is approved. Data centers, demanding vast amounts of energy and water, have aroused strong opposition in some communities. The AI Action Plan Trump announced last week would seek to sweep aside NEPA, as it's commonly known, to streamline environmental reviews and permitting for data centers and related infrastructure. Republicans and business interests have long criticized NEPA for what they see as unreasonable slowing of development, and Trump's plan would give 'categorical exclusions' to data centers for 'maximum efficiency' in permitting. A spokeswoman for the White House Council on Environmental Quality said the administration is 'focused on driving meaningful NEPA reform to reduce the delays in federal permitting, unleashing the ability for America to strengthen its AI and manufacturing leadership." Trump's administration has been weakening the law for months. 'It's par for the course for this administration. The attitude is to clear the way for projects that harm communities and the environment,' said Erin Doran, senior staff attorney at environmental nonprofit Food & Water Watch. Here's what to know about this key environmental law, and Trump's effort to weaken it: What is NEPA and why does it matter? NEPA is a foundational environmental law in the United States, 'essentially our Magna Carta for the environment,' said Wendy Park, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, another environmental group, referring to the 13th century English legal text that formed the basis for constitutions worldwide. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, NEPA requires federal agencies proposing actions such as building roads, bridges or energy projects to study how their project will affect the environment. Private companies are also frequently subject to NEPA standards when they apply for a permit from a federal agency. In recent years, the law has become increasingly important in requiring consideration of a project's possible contributions to climate change. 'That's a really important function because otherwise we're just operating with blinders just to get the project done, without considering whether there are alternative solutions that might accomplish the same objective, but in a more environmentally friendly way," Park said. But business groups say NEPA routinely blocks important projects that often taken five years or more to complete. 'Our broken permitting system has long been a national embarrassment,'' said Marty Durbin, president of the U.S. Chamber's Global Energy Institute. He called NEPA 'a blunt and haphazard tool' that too often is used to block investment and economic development. The White House proposal comes as Congress is working on a permitting reform plan that would overhaul NEPA, addressing long-standing concerns from both parties that development projects -- including some for clean energy -- take too long to be approved. What's happened to NEPA recently? NEPA's strength — and usefulness — can depend on how it's interpreted by different administrations. Trump, a Republican, sought to weaken NEPA in his first term by limiting when environmental reviews are required and limiting the time for evaluation and public comment. Former Democratic President Joe Biden restored more rigorous reviews. In his second term, Trump has again targeted the law. An executive order that touched on environmental statutes has many agencies scrapping the requirement for a draft environmental impact statement. And the CEQ in May withdrew Biden-era guidance that federal agencies should consider the effects of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions when conducting NEPA reviews. Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court in May narrowed the scope of environmental reviews required for major infrastructure projects. In a ruling involving a Utah railway expansion project aimed at quadrupling oil production, the court said NEPA wasn't designed 'for judges to hamstring new infrastructure and construction projects.' "It's been a rough eight months for NEPA,' said Dinah Bear, a former general counsel at the Council on Environmental Quality under both Democratic and Republican presidents. John Ruple, a research professor of law at the University of Utah, said sidelining NEPA could actually slow things down. Federal agencies still have to comply with other environmental laws, like the Endangered Species Act or Clean Air Act. NEPA has an often overlooked benefit of forcing coordination with those other laws, he said. Some examples of cases where NEPA has played a role A botanist by training, Mary O'Brien was working with a small organization in Oregon in the 1980s to propose alternative techniques to successfully replant Douglas fir trees that had been clear-cut on federal lands. Aerially sprayed herbicides aimed at helping the conifers grow have not only been linked to health problems in humans but were also killing another species of tree, red alders, that were beneficial to the fir saplings, O'Brien said. The U.S. Forest Service had maintained that the herbicides' impact on humans and red alders wasn't a problem. But under NEPA, a court required the agency to redo their analysis and they ultimately had to write a new environmental impact statement. 'It's a fundamental concept: 'Don't just roar ahead.' Think about your options,' O'Brien said. O'Brien, who later worked at the Grand Canyon Trust, also co-chaired a working group that weighed in on a 2018 Forest Service proposal, finalized in 2016, for aspen restoration on Monroe Mountain in Utah. Hunters, landowners, loggers and ranchers all had different opinions on how the restoration should be handled. She said NEPA's requirement to get the public involved made for better research and a better plan. 'I think it's one of the laws that's the most often used by the public without the public being aware,' said Stephen Schima, senior legislative counsel at environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice. 'NEPA has long been the one opportunity for communities and impacted stakeholders and local governments to weigh in.' Schima said rolling back the power of NEPA threatens the scientific integrity of examining projects' full impacts. 'Decisions are going to be less informed by scientific studies, and that is one of the major concerns here,'' he said. Ruple said uncertainty from NEPA changes and competing opinions on how to comply with the law's requirements may invite even more litigation. "And all of this will fall on the shoulder of agencies that are losing the staff needed to lead them through these changes," he said. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
10 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Latest: Trump inaugurates his family's newest luxury golf course in Scotland
U.S. President Donald Trump is playing 18 holes on his new golf course in Scotland before returning to Washington, capping a five-day visit that included hosting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and mixing critical discussions on the deepening food crisis in Gaza, Russia's war in Ukraine and tariff rates with boasts about the property's opulence. As for famine in Gaza, Trump said Israel 'has a lot of responsibility' for what's happening and says he'd tell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants 'them to make sure they get the food.' On Russia, he threatened what he called 'severe tariffs' if there's no peace deal with Ukraine and wants to see progress in 10-12 days. And the EU trade deal staves off for now the far higher import taxes that might have shocked economies around the globe. Israel rejects claims of 'starvation policies' Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday said claims that his government is deliberately subjecting Palestinians in Gaza to starvation is a 'distorted campaign of international pressure.' 'This pressure is directly sabotaging the chances for a ceasefire and hostage deal, it is only pushing towards military escalation by hardening Hamas's stance,' he said. The U.S. and Israel have both recalled their negotiating teams over the past week as negotiations seem to have stalled. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack that sparked the war, and abducted another 251. They are still holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Health Ministry says The ministry of the Hamas-run government also said Tuesday that another 145,870 people have been wounded since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. It did not say how many were civilians or militants, but has said women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel's offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and caused to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of a 'worst-case scenario of famine.' Israel's continued air strikes killed at least 77 Palestinians in the past day, according to local hospitals. Most Americans now disapprove of Israel's military action in Gaza, Gallup poll shows Support for Israel's military action in Gaza has declined substantially among U.S. adults. Only a third now approve, according to a new Gallup poll — down sharply from the beginning of the war with Hamas when about half of Americans approved. Republicans remain largely supportive, but the poll shows about half of U.S. adults now have an unfavorable view of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, his most negative rating since he was first included in Gallup polling in 1997. The poll was conducted from July 7-21, while reports of starvation in Gaza led to international criticism of Israel's decision to restrict food aid but before President Donald Trump expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation. Democrats press Trump officials for 'large-scale' effort on Gaza starvation Senate Democrats are imploring the Trump administration to address the suffering and starvation in Gaza. More than three dozen senators signed a letter Tuesday urging the resumption of ceasefire talks and sharply criticizing an Israeli-backed American organization created to distribute food. Their letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation created with backing from the Trump administration has 'failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization's sites.' Trump on Monday expressed concern about the worsening humanitarian situation and broke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that people are not starving in the Gaza Strip. But it is unclear how Trump will proceed. EU-US tariff deal unsettles champagne producer A French champagne maker warned Tuesday that a newly announced 15% U.S.-EU tariff on wine and spirits could disrupt exports and unsettle importers. 'This implementation of the 15% tariff is obviously problematic for me,' said Antoine Chevalier, owner of the Antoine Chevalier Champagne house. 'It affects the final price of Champagne. It impacts my importers, who will obviously have to pay more, and that creates uncertainty about future sales. For now, we find this rate extremely high.' Chevalier said the U.S. accounts for 25% of his business and that many orders have been paused. He called the measure 'a burden' and added: 'Yes, I would have liked for there to be better, or at least fairer, negotiations.' Champagne is protected under French AOC rules, meaning it must be produced in the Champagne region. That makes producers more vulnerable to tariffs than other sectors. Chevalier said he doesn't believe Americans or Donald Trump 'really want to deprive themselves of our French gastronomy products.' If needed, he said, he would pivot to markets in Europe, Japan or South Korea. Trump tees off on the first hole 'He likes the course, ladies and gentlemen,' Eric Trump said after his father teed off. Trump is playing with Eric Trump and former champion golfers Rich Beam and Paul McGinley. Trump was asked by a member of the media about the next steps for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a question that elicited groans from some in the crowd. Trump said, 'We're going to try and get things straightened out for the world.' Trump cuts the ribbon on his new course Wielding a pair of golden scissors and flanked by his two oldest sons, Trump has cut the red ribbon at his newest golf course at its official opening. Trump disagrees with Israeli leader's claim that there's 'no starvation in Gaza' The president, when asked Monday if he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks about hunger in Gaza, said, 'I don't know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry.' Netanyahu on Sunday said, 'There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza.' Starmer, standing next to Trump, said, 'We've got to get that ceasefire,' in Gaza and called it 'a desperate situation.' Trump will play 18 holes before leaving Scotland Trump says ahead of the ribbon-cutting that he will play a round of golf 'quickly' at his new course before heading back to D.C. Trump says he has 'fires' to put out all over the world, talking about various wars that are still raging. He also noted the recent trade deal he had signed with the European Union. Eric Trump praises the new course Eric Trump is kicking off the ribbon-cutting by talking about how 'remarkable' he thinks the course is. 'I think he's going to be incredibly proud of this amazing masterpiece,' Eric Trump said. Trump's newest golf course is a 'passion project,' son Eric says Eric Trump says the newest golf course started as a passion project for President Donald Trump. He says his father had one goal, which was to 'build the greatest 18 holes anywhere in the world.' He says Trump put 'every ounce of his heart and his soul and his effort' in finding the land and building the course. And, Eric Trump noted, his father went on to do 'larger things, and that's saved the free world.' A fact sheet provided to the media says Eric Trump designed the course. US-EU trade deal wards off further escalation but will raise costs for companies and consumers President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have announced a sweeping trade deal that imposes 15% tariffs on most European goods, warding off Trump's threat of a 30% rate if no deal had been reached by Aug. 1. The tariffs, or import taxes, paid when Americans buy European products could raise prices for U.S. consumers and dent profits for European companies and their partners who bring goods into the country. ▶ Read more about the trade deal between the United States and the European Union. Trump is seeking quick Murdoch deposition in Wall Street Journal lawsuit over Epstein story Trump is asking a federal court in Florida to force Rupert Murdoch to give a deposition for the president's lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal within 15 days, citing the media mogul's age and physical condition. Trump sued the Journal, owned by Murdoch, in U.S. District Court in southern Florida on July 18 for its story reporting on the Republican president's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and alleged child sex trafficker who died in a New York jail in 2019 before trial. The president's motion to the court on Monday noted Murdoch is 94 years old, is believed to have suffered several health scares in recent years and is presumed to live in New York. Trump says he ended friendship with Epstein because he 'stole people that worked for me' Trump said Monday that he ended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and threw the now-disgraced financier out of his private club in Florida after Epstein betrayed him more than once by hiring people who had worked for him. 'He hired help and I said, 'Don't ever do that again,'' Trump said at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland. 'He stole people that worked for me. I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.' Trump did not say what his employees did or where they worked, and the White House declined further comment. But the White House had previously offered a different explanation for the falling-out. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said in a statement last week: 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep.' Trump says he's only going to give Russia 10 to 12 more days to reach peace Two weeks ago, the president said he would give Russia and Ukraine just 50 days to make a deal to end the war. Now Trump said he's going to reduce that time to a 'lesser number.' 'I think I already know the answer, what's going to happen,' he said, expressing skepticism that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to reach an agreement. Trump repeated his criticism of Putin for talking about ending the war, only to continue bombarding Ukraine. 'And I say, that's not the way to do it,' Trump said. He added that 'I'm disappointed in President Putin.' Scotland's first minister joins those watching Trump Among the people in attendance are Scotland's first minister, former members of Scotland's national soccer team and several of Trump's grandchildren. The White House said Trump met with First Minister John Swinney earlier in the day. About 50 people have filled the sand trap by the tee box to watch Trump, who is wearing a black windbreaker, matching pants and a white cap as he takes practice swings ahead of the ribbon-cutting for his newest golf course. Some are dressed for golf, complete with spiked cleats. A similar group of about 50 is watching from the other side in the tall grass growing on sand dunes flanking the first hole. That's in addition to 200 media and VIPs in the grandstands.
