US farm agency restores some climate-related webpages after farmer lawsuit
The Trump administration has frozen and canceled some funding to farmers for climate-friendly agriculture, arguing the work does not align with administration priorities. Agriculture accounts for about 11% of U.S. emissions.
A USDA official directed staff on January 30 to take down any webpages focused on climate change, which resulted in the removal of material on some loan and funding opportunities, information about investments through the Inflation Reduction Act, and policy documents, according to the lawsuit filed on February 24 by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Environmental Working Group.
The USDA said in a court filing on Monday that it would restore the removed pages and complete the restoration process in approximately two weeks.
The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Tuesday, some pages detailing IRA-funded clean energy projects in rural America had been restored, said Nydia Gutierrez, a spokesperson for Earthjustice, which represented the plaintiffs.
"Farmers depend on USDA's websites to protect their farms from droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather. We stand ready to ensure that USDA follows through on its promise to restore these crucial resources," Jeffrey Stein, associate attorney with Earthjustice, said in a statement.
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The Guardian
11 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tuesday briefing: What last night's meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Europe means for the war in Ukraine
Good morning. Last night, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House flanked by a dream team of hastily assembled European heavyweights. Their aim: to coax Donald Trump out of pro-Russian positions he adopted after his Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin last Friday. The meeting was a sign of both panic and resolve from Europe. The fact Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and more cleared their diaries at such short notice to fly to Washington is an indication of how alarmed they are by Trump's desire to move straight to a peace deal without a ceasefire – and his insistence that Zelenskyy give up Ukrainian territory. Progress was made on US security guarantees, and Trump and Zelenskyy have said they will both be holding face-to-face talks with Putin – although the Russian and Ukrainian leaders still appear worlds apart in their demands. Macron said he had 'serious doubts' about Putin's desire for peace. For this morning's newsletters, I had a chat with our senior international correspondent Luke Harding about the key points agreed in Washington last night, what it means for international diplomacy, and what is next for Ukraine. That's after the headlines. Tax | Rachel Reeves is considering replacing stamp duty with a new property tax that would apply to the sale of homes worth more than £500,000, the Guardian has been told. UK news | Exposure to pornography has increased since the introduction of UK rules to protect the public online, with children as young as six seeing it by accident, research by the children's commissioner for England has found. Conservatives | Leaked WhatsApp messages show Conservative MPs are worried that their party's 'piss-poor' messaging over asylum-seeker hotels is making the party look silly. It follows the release of an advert by Conservative campaign headquarters last week, making claims that have since been challenged as exaggerations, such as that asylum seekers receive free driving lessons and free PlayStation consoles. Bolivia | Bolivia's presidential election will go to a runoff, with two rightwing candidates seemingly the top runners. It's an unprecedented scenario after nearly two decades of leftist rule by the Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas). Environment | Relentless heat and disastrous wildfires continue to ravage southern Europe, with one-quarter of weather stations in Spain recording 40C temperatures and above, the latest in a series of disasters exacerbated by climate breakdown amid a continental rollback of green policies. The aim of this rare and sweeping show of diplomatic force was to safeguard Ukraine, and Europe more broadly, from any widening aggression from Moscow. It was probably also a reminder to Trump of Europe's combined importance as an economic giant compared with Russia's much smaller economy. The European delegation included leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato. By arriving as a group they avoided another debacle like Zelenskyy's February visit to the Oval Office, where Trump and JD Vance chastised him as not showing enough gratitude for American military aid. Here is video of that meeting in case you'd like to remind yourself of the horrific blow-up that Trump thought was 'great television'. 'The meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump was significantly better than their pretty awful encounter in February of this year,' says Luke Harding. 'I think Zelenskyy was well prepared this time: he expressed gratitude to Trump on many occasions, handed a letter from his wife to Melania the first lady.' There was a fair amount of 'sucking up to Donald Trump', says Luke, and of European leaders not trying to offend him. Key European demands are that all decisions must be made with Ukraine present, and that a ceasefire is a pre-condition before further peace talks. They were looking to understand what security guarantees the US is willing to offer in the event of a settlement. Overall, the atmosphere was good, says Luke. 'Zelenskyy was even funny on occasions. When Brian Glenn – the reporter who mocked him for not wearing a suit in February – asked a question, Zelenskyy pointed out that Glenn was still wearing the same suit and Zelenskyy had changed his. So overall, the atmosphere was OK.' Did they get through to Trump? Rather than concessions from Ukraine, the summit focused on arranging security guarantees in the event of a peace deal. Trump said the guarantees 'would be provided by the various European countries [in] coordination with the United States of America'. The Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, described the development as 'a breakthrough'. Membership of Nato is not on the table, but the US and European leaders are discussing 'Article 5 kind of security guarantees for Ukraine', Rutte said. 'What is important is that Trump said the US would play a role in providing security to Ukraine in the event of a settlement. You might consider that to be progress, but we don't know what it means,' says Luke. 'As ever with Trump there is a huge gap between what he says and what he does. 'I suspect at the end of the day the White House will not want to do very much, but at least this was something tangible. The Kremlin appears to be quite annoyed – that is modest progress for Ukraine, depending on what the US is prepared to commit.' Trump is still saying there is no need for a ceasefire – because he says he has stopped a number of wars without one. There appears to have been less movement on this issue. 'The European position was that a ceasefire must come before any trilateral talks – that is common sense when Ukrainians are being killed every day,' says Luke. How did the meetings go for Zelenskyy? Like Europe, Zelenskyy wants a ceasefire before any peace deal and is unwilling to make any territorial concessions. Kyiv wants Nato-like security guarantees sufficient to deter Russia from attacking again. As a reminder, Russia took Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 and launched a full invasion in 2022, attacking four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. Ahead of the meeting, Trump had pushed Ukraine to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining Nato – both key demands made by Putin. But Zelenskyy stressed he had been able to present a clearer picture of the battle lines to Trump, whom he met in a one-on-one in the Oval Office. 'This was the best of our meetings,' Zelenskyy said, according to a statement put out by his office. 'I was able to show many things, even on the map, to all American colleagues regarding the situation on the battlefield.' Luke says: 'On the substantive issue – which is how to get a peace deal – he correctly and deftly dodged a question on whether Ukraine was ready to swap land in return for peace.' This is Trump's preferred peace plan after his meeting with Putin in Alaska over the weekend. Speaking to reporters after the Washington talks, Zelenskyy said 'we had a truly warm, good and substantial conversation'. The next steps in the negotiations turn back to Putin, and the Ukrainian president said he was ready for what would be their first face-to-face since Moscow's invasion nearly three and a half years ago. 'I confirmed – and all European leaders supported me – that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin.' What did Trump get out of the meeting? Trump previously bragged on numerous occasions that he could settle Russia's war in Ukraine in a day, but on Monday he said repeatedly that it was far more complicated than he ever thought it would be. Trump previously favoured Kyiv's proposal for an immediate ceasefire to conduct deeper peace talks. However, he reversed course after the summit and indicated support for Russia's approach of negotiating a comprehensive deal while fighting continues (for a reminder of how bad things are on the ground in Ukraine, take a look at yesterday's newsletter). After the Washington talks, Trump said on social media that he called Putin and began the arrangements for a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, at a location to be determined. 'This was a very good, early step for a war that has been going on for almost four years,' Trump said. Ukraine's president said he was ready to meet with Russia in 'any format' and that territorial issues were 'something we will leave between me and Putin'. What next for the war in Ukraine and peace negotiations? Much remains unresolved, including red lines that are incompatible – like whether Ukraine will cede any land to Russia, the future of Ukraine's army, and whether the country will ultimately have lasting and meaningful security guarantees. 'I think where it will go from here,' says Luke, 'is that when a deal fails to come together and Zelenskyy fails to give away his land, Trump will start blaming Zelenskyy again, saying he's the problem. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'Ultimately as things stand, there isn't really a meaningful way forward to a peace agreement. I mean Putin's demands are as maximalist as ever – he wants Ukraine to give up a large chunk in the east of the country, in the Donbas region.' Although this seems to be Trump's preferred route to ending the conflict, it is unlikely to work for Zelenskyy – were he to make this huge concession, Luke says, he would be swept away by popular protest. 'I think it's entirely possible that in the next month or so, the Americans will comprehensively exit from supporting Ukraine. Already they've stopped delivering weapons. I can see a pull-out from Trump,' says Luke. 'What I find so strange is the way Trump defends Putin, wants to include him, talks about calling him imminently, says he had a great meeting in Alaska. It seems ultimately that is where his sympathies lie – with Russia.' The New York Times describes 64-year-old Betsy Lerner as a TikTok star, for the following she's amassed since she started reading out diary entries that she wrote in her twenties. In a new start after 60, Lerner explains she doesn't see herself that way. But a generation of 20-year-olds who find solace in her entries today may disagree. Poppy Noor, deputy editor, newsletters This is the remarkable (and shocking) story of Windrush victim George Lee who has come back to the UK after 28 years of exile in Poland. 'I'm past the stage where I can feel angry,' he says. His observations of how life has changed in London during that period are depressing – notably people looking more stressed with 'tiredness etched on their faces'. Phoebe Nesrine Malik's tender piece about the dogged reporting of journalists in Gaza sheds a light on a potential reason so many have been killed: their commitment, professionalism and talent causes a real legitimacy problem for the Israeli government. 'What the Israeli government is trying to do with these killings is not just stop the stream of damning reports and footage, but annihilate the very image of Palestinians that these media professionals convey,' she says. Poppy A fascinating piece by John Harris on the future of outdoor work in the age of extreme heat, with alarming stories of people being forced to work in inhumane conditions. Particularly timely given the relentless heat currently barrelling its ways across Europe. Phoebe Perhaps we'd all like to be green-fingered influencers, working leisurely through our homegrown vegetables at the dinner table. But Nicola Slawson's piece on giving up her allotment after realising that's just not who she is will speak to the many of us who aren't. Poppy Football | Lukas Nmecha's 84th-minute penalty gave Leeds a 1-0 win over Everton on their return to the Premier League. Tennis | Carlos Alcaraz has won the Cincinnati Open for the first time in his career after his great rival, world No 1, Jannik Sinner was forced to retire from their highly anticipated final with illness while trailing 0-5 in the opening set. Tennis | Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu will face each other in the first round of the revamped US Open mixed doubles. 'Trump: no need for ceasefire to secure Ukraine peace deal' is the Guardian's takeaway from events in Washington. The Telegraph announces 'US military to protect Ukraine' while the Express has 'Trump: US will ensure any deal works' and the Times reports 'Trump offers 'very good' Kyiv security guarantee'. The Daily Mail assesses the meeting: 'It was electric with jeopardy, a chess match with live grenades' while the Mirror pessimises that it was a 'Stalemate' with Trump's peacemaking efforts unlikely to work. 'Trump's White House welcome: we can still do a deal with Putin' says the i paper. Give us your topline, Financial Times: 'Trump floats prospect of US security guarantee in bid to end Ukraine war'. Main story in the Metro is 'UK's 5,000 fake online pharmacies'. How far-right rhetoric on migration went mainstream Academic and author Dr Maya Goodfellow discusses how UK politicians have adopted far-right language on asylum and immigration. A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad A new report shows just how impactful a raft of groundbreaking welfare policies by former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador have been. Obrador's policies, which included a tripling of the minimum wage, and a system of cash transfers for vulnerable groups, made a measurable impact on the lives of millions of everyday Mexicans, according to a dispatch by reporter Oscar Lopez. When Obrador took office in 2018, there were nearly 52 million people living below the poverty line. Six years later, that number had dropped by 13.4 million, an unparalleled reduction of nearly 26%. There has never been a single six-year term in which poverty has been reduced or decreased so significantly,' said Viri Ríos, a public policy expert and director of Mexico Decoded. 'This is a watershed moment for the Mexican economy.' Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
MAGA political guru bashes Trump for Ukraine peace talks while ignoring war 'right here in this country'
One of President Donald Trump 's fiercest supporters has slammed his decision to host peace talks with Ukraine rather than focus on crises closer to home. Steve Bannon, who served in Trump's first administration, said Trump's focus on the Russia and Ukraine war was to the detriment of Americans in crime ravaged communities. Bannon singled out Washington D.C., which has become the center of controvers y this month amid fears it is gripped by rampant crime. 'The war we got to win is right here in this country, and it's in Washington D.C.,' Bannon said. 'It's going to be in New York City. It's in Chicago, and most importantly, right now, with Gavin Newsom and all his big talk, it's in Los Angeles, California. That's the war that we got to be focused on.' Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House on Monday - his first visit to Washington since their infamous fallout in February - to discuss the terms of a potential peace deal with Russia. Zelensky was joined by a handful of European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - who had feared he was walking into a trap days after Trump met with Putin in Alaska. Bannon criticized Trump for later opting to accept meetings with the European leaders, despite their decision to show up in the United States without official invitation. The meeting focused on 'security guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. 'Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.' But Bannon told listeners on his The War Room podcast that Trump's words on peace in Russia and Ukraine were irrelevant to him. 'I want to give a security guarantee to the citizens of the United States on these invaders right now,' he said. 'That's the security guarantee I want. This entire war is so that Ukraine could be a Western country.' Bannon has called on Trump to refocus his attention on expanding his power over local police forces across the United States. Trump federalized the police force in Washington to prevent further 'bloodshed' and has sent hundreds of troops from the National Guard in to clean up crime. 'D.C. has been under siege from thugs and killers, but now, D.C. is back under Federal Control where it belongs. The White House is in charge,' Trump said last week. 'The Military and our Great Police will liberate this City, scrape away the filth, and make it safe, clean, habitable and beautiful once more!' But Trump's focus was drawn back to the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Friday after he held talks with Putin. Trump was unable to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire but said it was an otherwise extremely productive meeting and that he is confident of securing a peace deal. Speaking to Zelensky in the White House on Monday, Trump suggested the trilateral meeting with Putin within the next two weeks in an effort to secure a peace deal. 'We had very good conversation and it really was the best one - maybe the best one will be in the future. But it was really good,' the Ukrainian leader said.
The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Four key takeaways from Trump's White House summit on Ukraine
Donald Trump has hosted leaders from across Europe as part of a flurry of diplomacy to find a path to peace in Ukraine. Coming just days after a disappointing summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the pressure was on to make headway in a years-long conflict that the US president once said he could solve in 24 hours. Below are some key points arising from the US president's range of bilateral and multilateral talks with the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato. A bilateral meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin is something the Russian president has always resisted, urging for a list of preconditions to be met first, but the possibility may now be nearer than ever. Donald Trump said after the White House talks: 'I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.' According to German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Putin told Trump in a call during Monday's White House meeting that he was ready to meet Zelenskyy 'within the next two weeks'. For his part, Zelenskyy reiterated on Monday that he was ready for talks with Putin. Both Merz and the Finnish president, Alexander Stubbs, offered some pointed language on the topic, saying in separate press conferences that it remained to be seen if the Russian president had the 'courage' to go ahead with the meeting. Stubbs said: 'Putin is rarely to be trusted.' So far, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has said only that Putin was open to the 'idea' of such direct talks. Although Trump poured cold water on the importance of a ceasefire, he did offer hope on US involvement in helping guarantee Ukraine's future security. After welcoming Zelenskyy to the White House, he said: 'When it comes to security, there's going to be a lot of help', even if European countries need to be 'a first line of defence'. Later, Trump said in a post that these guarantees would be 'coordinated' with the US. On Monday morning, Zelenskyy described security guarantees as 'a key issue, a starting point towards ending the war' and appreciated Trump's indication that the US was ready to be part of that guarantee. Zelenskyy said those guarantees would be 'formalised in some way in the next week or 10 days', which can prove to be a long time when it comes to diplomacy involving Trump's White House. The US president's desire for a Nobel peace prize is well known – who can forget the 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity' established as part of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan this month – and it seemed clearly in his mind during his Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy. The 'peacemaker-in-chief' said he had ended six wars since he became president, with his administration claiming to have helped settle the conflicts between Israel and Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Cambodia and Thailand, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia. But, as Andrew Roth explains, it is a claim that stretches the realities on the ground. Trump's approach to foreign crises is peppered with efforts to find a way to establish economic opportunity for US industry, and Ukraine may be no different if a deal is finalised. Zelenskyy has, after all, previously had to negotiate the US president's desire for Ukraine's critical minerals as part of his rivalry with China. On Monday, Zelenskyy indicated the price of obtaining security guarantees from the US included a pledge to buy $90bn of US weapons, primarily aircraft and air defence systems. He added that the US would also buy into Ukraine's drone program, an area in which it has made significant strides since Russia's full-scale invasion began. Earlier, the Financial Times reported that the drone deal was worth $50bn.
