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Fast Company
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fast Company
EPA seeks to repeal ‘holy grail' finding for climate regulation
IMPACT The 'endangerment finding' is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants, and more pollution sources. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin attends a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. [Photo: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File] BY Associated Press Listen to this Article More info 0:00 / 0:00 President Donald Trump 's administration on Tuesday proposed revoking a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule would rescind a 2009 declaration that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. The 'endangerment finding' is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposed rule change on a podcast ahead of an official announcement set for Tuesday in Indiana. Subscribe to the Daily Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters Repealing the endangerment finding 'will be the largest deregulatory action in the history of America,' Zeldin said on the Ruthless podcast. 'There are people who, in the name of climate change, are willing to bankrupt the country,' Zeldin said. 'They created this endangerment finding and then they are able to put all these regulations on vehicles, on airplanes, on stationary sources, to basically regulate out of existence, in many cases, a lot of segments of our economy. And it cost Americans a lot of money.' The EPA proposal must go though a lengthy review process, including public comment, before it is finalized, likely next year. Environmental groups are likely to challenge the rule change in court. Zeldin called for a rewrite of the endangerment finding in March as part of a series of environmental rollbacks announced at the same time in what he said was 'the greatest day of deregulation in American history.' A total of 31 key environmental rules on topics from clean air to clean water and climate change would be rolled back or repealed under Zeldin's plan. He singled out the endangerment finding as 'the Holy Grail of the climate change religion' and said he was thrilled to end it 'as the EPA does its part to usher in the Golden Age of American success.' Tailpipe emission limits also targeted The EPA also is expected to call for rescinding limits on tailpipe emissions that were designed to encourage automakers to build and sell more electric vehicles. The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Environmental groups said Zeldin's action denies reality as weather disasters exacerbated by climate change continue in the U.S. and around the world. 'As Americans reel from deadly floods and heat waves, the Trump administration is trying to argue that the emissions turbocharging these disasters are not a threat,' said Christy Goldfuss, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council. 'It boggles the mind and endangers the nation's safety and welfare.' Under Zeldin and Trump, 'the EPA wants to shirk its responsibility to protect us from climate pollution, but science and the law say otherwise,' she added. 'If EPA finalizes this illegal and cynical approach, we will see them in court.' advertisement Three former EPA leaders have also criticized Zeldin, saying his March announcement targeting the endangerment finding and other rules imperiled the lives of millions of Americans and abandoned the agency's dual mission to protect the environment and human health. 'If there's an endangerment finding to be found anywhere, it should be found on this administration because what they're doing is so contrary to what the Environmental Protection Agency is about,' Christine Todd Whitman, who led EPA under Republican President George W. Bush, said after Zeldin's plan was made public. The EPA proposal follows an executive order from Trump that directed the agency to submit a report 'on the legality and continuing applicability' of the endangerment finding. Conservatives and some congressional Republicans hailed the initial plan, calling it a way to undo economically damaging rules to regulate greenhouse gases. But environmental groups, legal experts and Democrats said any attempt to repeal or roll back the endangerment finding would be an uphill task with slim chance of success. The finding came two years after a 2007 Supreme Court ruling holding that the EPA has authority to regulate greenhouse gases as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Passing court muster could be an issue David Doniger, a climate expert at the NRDC, accused Trump's Republican administration of using potential repeal of the endangerment finding as a 'kill shot'' that would allow him to make all climate regulations invalid. If finalized, repeal of the endangerment finding would erase current limits on greenhouse gas pollution from cars, factories, power plants and other sources and could prevent future administrations from proposing rules to tackle climate change. 'The Endangerment Finding is the legal foundation that underpins vital protections for millions of people from the severe threats of climate change, and the Clean Car and Truck Standards are among the most important and effective protections to address the largest U.S. source of climate-causing pollution,' said Peter Zalzal, associate vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund. 'Attacking these safeguards is manifestly inconsistent with EPA's responsibility to protect Americans' health and well-being,' he said. 'It is callous, dangerous and a breach of our government's responsibility to protect the American people from this devastating pollution.' Conrad Schneider, a senior director at the Clean Air Task Force, said the Trump administration 'is using pollution regulations as a scapegoat in its flawed approach to energy affordability' and reliability. He and other advocates 'are dismayed that an administration that claims it cares about cleaner, healthier and safer air is seeking to dismantle the very protections that are required for those conditions,' Schneider said. —Matthew Daly, Associated Press The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today. Explore Topics Climate change Donald Trump EPA global warming greenhouse gas emissions pollution
Japan Today
19-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
EPA eliminates research and development office, begins layoffs
FILE - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin attends a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) By MATTHEW DALY The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees. The agency's Office of Research and Development has long provided the scientific underpinnings for EPA's mission to protect the environment and human health. The EPA said in May it would shift its scientific expertise and research efforts to program offices that focus on major issues like air and water. The agency said Friday it is creating a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions that will allow it to focus on research and science 'more than ever before." Once fully implemented, the changes will save the EPA nearly $750 million, officials said. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement that the changes announced Friday would ensure the agency 'is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while Powering the Great American Comeback.'' The EPA also said it is beginning the process to eliminate thousands of jobs, following a Supreme Court ruling last week that cleared the way for President Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce, despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. Total staffing at EPA will go down to 12,448, a reduction of more than 3,700 employees, or nearly 23%, from staffing levels in January when Trump took office, the agency said. "This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars,' Zeldin said, using a government term for mass firings.' Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House Science Committee, called the elimination of the research office 'a travesty.'' 'The Trump administration is firing hardworking scientists while employing political appointees whose job it is to lie incessantly to Congress and to the American people,'' she said. 'The obliteration of ORD will have generational impacts on Americans' health and safety." The Office of Research and Development "is the heart and brain of the EPA,'' said Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees. 'Without it, we don't have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment,'' Chen said. 'Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.' The research office — EPA's main science arm — currently has 1,540 positions, excluding special government employees and public health officers, according to agency documents reviewed by Democratic staff on the House science panel earlier this year. As many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists could be laid off, the documents indicated. The research office has 10 facilities across the country, stretching from Florida and North Carolina to Oregon. An EPA spokeswoman said Friday that all laboratory functions currently conducted by the research office will continue. In addition to the reduction in force, or RIF, the agency also is offering the third round of deferred resignations for eligible employees, including research office staff, spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said. The application period is open until July 25. The EPA's announcement comes two weeks after the agency put on administrative leave 139 employees who signed a 'declaration of dissent' with agency policies under the Trump administration. The agency accused the employees of 'unlawfully undermining' Trump's agenda. In a letter made public June 30, the employees wrote that the EPA is no longer living up to its mission to protect human health and the environment. The letter represented rare public criticism from agency employees who knew they could face retaliation for speaking out. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Toronto Sun
29-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.'s MAHA report
Published May 29, 2025 • 2 minute read Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as Education Secretary Linda McMahon listens during a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / AP WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House will fix errors in a much-anticipated federal government report spearheaded by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which decried America's food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Kennedy's wide-ranging 'Make America Healthy Again' report, released last week, cited hundreds of studies, but a closer look by the news organization NOTUS found that some of those studies did not actually exist. Asked about the report's problems, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the report will be updated. 'I understand there was some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated.' Leavitt told reporters during her briefing. 'But it does not negate the substance of the report, which, as you know, is one of the most transformative health reports that has ever been released by the federal government. Kennedy has repeatedly said he would bring 'radical transparency' and 'gold-standard' science to the public health agencies. But the secretary refused to release details about who authored the 72-page report, which calls for increased scrutiny of the childhood vaccine schedule and describes the nation's children as overmedicated and undernourished. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Leavitt said that the White House has 'complete confidence' in Kennedy. HHS did not immediately have comment. NOTUS reported on Thursday morning that seven of the more than 500 studies cited in the report did not appear to have ever been published. An author of one study confirmed that while she conducted research on the topics of anxiety in children, she never authored the report listed. Some studies were also misinterpreted in the MAHA report. The problematic citations were on topics around children's screen time, medication use and anxiety. Kennedy's MAHA report had already been stoking concerns among Trump loyalists, including farmers who criticized how the report characterized the chemicals sprayed on U.S. crops. The report is supposed to be used to develop policy recommendations that will be released later this year. The White House has requested a $500 million boost in funding from Congress for Kennedy's MAHA initiative. Toronto & GTA Toronto Maple Leafs World Columnists Columnists
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Dr. Oz's Plan to Save 400 Ostriches Rejected by Farm Owners' Daughter
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Dr. Mehmet Oz' offer to provide sanctuary to 400 ostriches facing death in Canada due to bird flu has been rejected. Katie Pasitney, whose parents own Universal Ostrich Farm, said they are not interested in moving the flock, although she said her family is grateful for the support. "We want to keep this in Canada," she told CBC News. Why It Matters In January, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered the birds be killed after 69 of the same flock at Universal Ostrich Farm in the West Kootenays died from the highly infectious virus. The farm has been fighting the order in court. A judge dismissed a challenge this month that sought to stop the order. The U.S. is currently dealing with one of the largest outbreaks of avian flu in decades which sent egg prices soaring. The CFIA has said it believes some 14 million domestic birds in Canada have been hit by the disease. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, attends a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington.... Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, attends a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. More Jacquelyn Martin/AP What To Know Pasitney confirmed she spoke with Oz on Monday, echoing a New York Post report quoting him as saying he offered to relocate the nearly 400 ostriches to his ranch. "It's not like we're looking at transporting our ostriches anywhere, but I think what the message is (about) the growing support across the States," she said. "Even people like Dr. Oz want to be involved and (want to) see these animals live — even offering his 900-acre ranch in Florida." Pasitney added that New York billionaire businessman and radio host John Catsimatidis connected her with both Oz and Kennedy. "He's well connected and he's very passionate about this cause," she said. Kennedy wrote a public letter to CFIA president Paul MacKinnon last week, arguing that the birds should be spared, as there was "significant value" in studying their immune response to avian flu. However, on Monday, the agency stated in response to a question about Kennedy's letter that the "humane depopulation" of the flock would proceed. It added that dates and plans would not be shared publicly due to privacy protections for producers. Catsimatidis issued his own press release on Tuesday, calling on MacKinnon to stop the planned cull. "We're calling for a temporary halt and an independent review. Let the U.S. FDA and veterinary scientists evaluate these birds — don't destroy them before humane alternatives are considered," he said. "Dr. Oz is standing by to assist. We're not asking for miracles, just common sense and compassion." Protesters have also gathered at the farm to try to prevent the cull, while Universal Ostrich Farm filed an appeal on Monday in Vancouver, seeking a "stay of the execution and enforcement" of the culling order. The appeal argues that the Federal Court "made multiple reversible errors" when it upheld the agency's decision to cull the ostrich herd earlier this month. It claims the court "took an unduly narrow" view of the agency's mandate under the Health of Animals Act, wrongly concluded that expert reports were unnecessary, failed to fully consider the consequences of the cull decision, and did not properly determine if the agency's denial of further testing of the animals was reasonable. The appeal also alleges that the farm's lawyers in the Federal Court judicial review proceedings provided "ineffective assistance" that "amounted to incompetence, and resulted in a miscarriage of justice." It states that "prior counsel had a financial stake in the destruction of the appellant's ostriches, resulting in a blatant conflict of interest." Lee Turner, one of the farm's former lawyers, denied these allegations on Monday, stating he "certainly did not" have a conflict of interest and that his co-counsel, Michael Carter, did a "remarkable job with the short window of time that he had." What People Are Saying Dr. Oz, speaking to The Post, said: "It's not just about ostriches," Oz said. "It's about all the birds. I'd rather the scientists make the determination—not bureaucrats. We found out what happened during the COVID pandemic, when the bureaucrats made all the decisions." Catsimatidis told The Post on Monday: "I'm thrilled. Bring the ostriches to Dr. Oz in Florida where they will be safe. I agree with RFK and Dr. Oz that the ostriches aren't sick." Upholding the cull, Canadian Federal Court Justice Russel Zinn said, according to a May 13 CBC report: "Personal losses must be weighed against the broader public interest in protecting public health and maintaining trade stability. Avian influenza is a virus capable of causing serious harm to both animals and humans, with significant implications for Canada's poultry businesses and international trade status. To combat threats like this virus, Parliament has authorized the CFIA to act decisively, making swift decisions with far-reaching consequences, often under conditions of scientific uncertainty." What Happens Next The fate of the ostriches hangs in the balance.
Yomiuri Shimbun
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
COVID Vaccines Are No Longer Recommended for Healthy Children and Pregnant Women, Kennedy Says
The Associated Press Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon attend a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts. In a 58-second video posted on the social media site X, Kennedy said he removed COVID-19 shots from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for those groups. No one from the CDC was in the video, and CDC officials referred questions about the announcement to Kennedy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. No other details were released, and HHS officials did not immediately respond to questions about how the decision was made. Some doctors and public health leaders called the move concerning and confusing. 'There's no new data or information, just them flying by the seat of their pants,' said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. U.S. health officials, following recommendations by infectious disease experts, have been urging annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older. The idea of changing the recommendations is not completely out of the blue. As the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, experts have increasingly discussed the possibility of focusing vaccination efforts on people 65 and older — who are among those most as risk for death and hospitalization. A CDC advisory panel is set to meet in June to make recommendations about the fall shots. Among its options are suggesting shots for high-risk groups but still giving lower-risk people the choice to get vaccinated. But Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine advocate before becoming health secretary, decided not to wait for the scientific panel's review. He said that annual COVID-19 booster shots have been recommended for kids 'despite the lack of any clinical data' to support that decision. Some physicians and public health leaders expressed concern that HHS officials disregarded a scientific review process that has been in place for decades, in which experts — in public meetings — review current medical evidence and hash out the pros and cons of policy changes. 'It's a dangerous precedent. If you can start doing that with this vaccine, you can start doing that with any vaccine you want — including mumps-measles-rubella,' said Osterholm, referring to another vaccine that Kennedy has voiced doubts about. He and others said the announcement raises an array of questions, including whether health insurance companies will keep covering COVID-19 vaccinations and how hard it will be now for people who want the shots to get them. 'The reason we give vaccines to healthy people is to keep them safe,' said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. More than 1.2 million people have died in the U.S. from COVID-19, most of them elderly. But children haven't been spared: The coronavirus has been the underlying cause in more than 1,300 childhood deaths since the pandemic began, according to CDC data. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, head of the National Institutes of Health, appeared in the video with Kennedy. Earlier this year, during the nomination process, Kennedy gave assurances to wavering Republicans that he would not alter the federal vaccine schedule. But since then, Kennedy and other Trump administration appointees have made big changes to the system for approval and use of vaccines. They added restrictions to a recent vaccine approval. Last week, the FDA announced routine COVID-19 vaccine approvals will be limited to seniors and younger people with underlying medical risks, pending new research for healthy adults and children. Among the confusion created by Tuesday's announcement, experts said, was the implication that the coronavirus isn't dangerous to pregnant women. During the height of the pandemic, deaths of women during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth soared to their highest level in 50 years. Indeed, pregnancy was on the list of health conditions that would qualify someone for a COVID-19 vaccination under FDA's new guidance 'framework' announced last week. Vaccination has been recommended for pregnant women, in part, because it's a way to pass immunity to newborns who are too young for vaccines and are vulnerable to infections. 'To say that they are not at any risk is simply incorrect,' said Dr. Sean O'Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Steven Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said: 'The science has not changed. It is very clear that COVID infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families.'
