Latest news with #Ruthless
CNN
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CNN
Trump EPA proposes revoking pollution limits based in part on document authored by 5 climate contrarians
In one of its most significant reversals on climate policy to-date, the Trump administration on Tuesday proposed to repeal a 2009 scientific finding that human-caused climate change endangers human health and safety, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced. If successful, the repeal could strip away the federal government's most powerful way to control the country's planet-warming pollution and fight climate change. The repeal was based in part on a hastily produced report — authored by five researchers who have spent years sowing doubt in the scientific consensus around climate change — that questions the severity of the impacts of climate change. The 2009 scientific finding at the heart of this repeal has served as the basis of many of the Environmental Protection Agency's most significant regulations to protect human health and environment, and decrease climate pollution from cars, power plants and the oil and gas industry. Zeldin on Tuesday spoke proudly of his agency's move to repeal the endangerment finding as the 'largest deregulatory action in the history of America,' speaking on 'Ruthless,' a conservative podcast, and referred to climate change as dogma rather than science. 'This has been referred to as basically driving a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion,' Zeldin said. In addition to reversing the endangerment finding, the EPA's proposal also seeks to repeal rules that regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, since they stem from the finding. The Biden EPA sought to tighten those standards to prod the auto industry to make more fuel-efficient hybrids and electric vehicles. The text of the proposal said that while greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise in the atmosphere, it has been 'driven primarily by increased emissions from foreign sources,' and has happened 'without producing the degree of adverse impacts to public health and welfare in the United States that the EPA anticipated in the 2009 Endangerment Finding.' The US is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and historically has emitted more planet-warming pollution than any other country. Many rigorous scientific findings since 2009 have showed both climate pollution and its warming effects are not just harming public health but killing people outright. In the nearly 16 years since the EPA first issued the Supreme Court-ordered endangerment finding, the world has warmed an additional 0.45 degrees Celsius (or 0.81 degrees Fahrenheit) to 1.4 degrees Celsius, according to climate scientist Zeke Hausfather. Numerous international and US scientific findings have found 'increasingly incontrovertible evidence' that humans are causing this warming by burning oil, gas and coal. Even that fraction of a degree, when spread across the planet, has had an enormous impact on our weather, water and food systems. The world is at a dangerous threshold with individual years, including 2024, already exceeding the 1.5-degree guardrail laid out in the Paris Agreement — the point at which scientists believe the effects of climate change will likely be near impossible to reverse. Many climate scientists no longer believe the long-term target of 1.5-degrees is achievable, as fossil fuel pollution continues and the world heads closer to 3 degrees Celsius of warming during this century. Zeldin said during the podcast he believes the scientific finding that climate change threatens human health was a guise used to attack polluting industries, and that the human health finding was 'an oversimplified, I would say inaccurate, way to describe it.' The Trump administration commissioned the new report on climate change and climate science in conjunction with its proposed regulatory repeals, Energy Sec. Chris Wright announced during a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The document calls into question the seriousness of climate impacts and informed EPA's repeal of the endangerment finding, according to the proposal. Wright's Energy Department recently hired three prominent researchers who have questioned and even rejected the overwhelming scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, CNN previously reported — John Christy and Roy Spencer, both research scientists at the University of Alabama at Huntsville, and Steven E. Koonin of Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Christy, Spencer and Koonin are on the byline of the DOE report, along with Canadian economist Ross McKitrick and Georgia Tech professor emeritus Judith Curry — also considered to have opinions on climate change that contradict the scientific consensus. The group took around two months to complete the report. Wright said climate change 'is a real, physical phenomenon' that is 'worthy of study' and 'even some action.' 'But what we have done instead is nothing related to the actual science of climate change or pragmatic ways to make progress,' Wright said. 'The politics of climate change have shrunk your life possibilities, have put your business here at threat.' Hausfather told CNN he was 'surprised' this would be released as an official publication, and said it was notable the Trump administration had selected 'five authors who are well known to have fringe views of climate science' to author it. 'It reads like a blog post — a somewhat scattershot collection of oft-debunked skeptic claims, studies taken out of context, or cherry-picked examples that are not representative of broader climate science research findings,' he said. 'The fact that this has been released at the same time that the government has hidden the actual congressionally mandated national climate assessments that accurately reflect the science only further shows how much of a farce this is.' And Hausfather strongly pushed back the idea that the scientific record shows anything other than climate change presenting danger to humans. The findings of international climate scientists have been reaffirmed in the fourth and fifth US climate assessments, the former of which was released during the first Trump administration. 'Both the scientific certainty around climate change and evidence of the dangers it is causing have grown stronger since 2009,' he said in an email. 'There is no evidence that has emerged or been published in the scientific literature in the past 16 years that would in any way challenge the scientific basis of the 2009 endangerment finding.' Global warming is supercharging extreme weather events such as heavy precipitation, heat waves and wildfires. It is making these extremes more likely, intense and in some cases, longer-lasting. 'These changes in climate have moved out of the domain of pure science into the domain of everyday life,' said Phil Duffy, a climate scientist and former Biden official in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Duffy, who lives in California, said he can now only buy wildfire insurance through the state insurer of last resort — a reality for many Californians as wildfires are increasing in size amid hotter temperatures. 'The evidence (in 2009) was overwhelming, but it's even stronger now,' he said. This story has been updated with additional information. Rene Marsh contributed reporting.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Democrats facing backlash as Warren endorses Mamdani in NYC mayoral race
'Ruthless' podcast hosts John Ashbrook and Michael Duncan join 'America's Newsroom' to discuss Sen. Warren's support for Zohran Mamdani and the investigation into former President Joe Biden's cognitive decline.
India Today
02-08-2025
- Politics
- India Today
JD Vance says he's 'obsessed' with UFOs, vows to investigate Area 51 during break
US Vice President JD Vance recently shared his growing interest in unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) during an appearance on the Ruthless podcast. Speaking candidly, Vance admitted, 'I'm obsessed with the whole UFO thing. What's actually going on? What were those videos all about?' He noted that although he hasn't uncovered much yet, he intends to explore the matter further during the upcoming August congressional to Fox News, Vance even joked that he would take the podcast hosts to a secretive Area 51 base once he discovers the truth of the mysterious Vice President did not detail which videos interested him, but last year featured numerous headlines and viral videos involving peculiar aerial sightings. Last November, the House Oversight Committee held an influential hearing about UAPs. The hearing was intended to achieve transparency into the Pentagon's probe of inexplicable phenomena. One of the prominent testimonies came from Luis Elizondo, former head of the Defense Department's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). Elizondo asserted that the U.S. government possesses evidence of extraterrestrial life and accused a hidden group of officials of being a "cabal" of withholding this SIGHTINGS STIR PUBLIC CONCERN Adding to the mystery, SUV-sized drones were spotted flying over New Jersey in December, alarming residents. The Trump administration responded with a report released in January, confirming that some of these drones were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for research House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed public concerns, stating, 'After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized by the FAA for research and various other reasons.' - EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
JD Vance says he is ‘obsessed' with UFO, plans investigation into Area 51 during August recess
US Vice President JD Vance has revealed he is fascinated with unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and stated he plans to probe the matter during the upcoming congressional break. Speaking on the Ruthless podcast released on Friday, Vance confessed he is 'obsessed' with the 'whole UFO thing', reported Fox News. Vice President JD Vance says he is 'obsessed' with UFOs.(AP) Vance reveals UFOs have piqued his interest 'What is actually up? What were those videos about?' Vance was quoted as saying. He acknowledged that in spite of his curiosity, he has not gotten to the bottom of it yet and added that the August recess will give him time to 'dive into the whole UFO thing from last year'. While Vance's comments had a humorous vibe, including a joke about taking the podcast presenters to Area 51, the Vice President seemed genuinely enthusiastic. His comments come as consumers and interested public audiences shift interest into unexplained aerial phenomena (UAPs), especially following a year of drone sighting reports and congressional hearings about drone sightings. According to the Fox News report, Vance's remarks came after a wave of government scrutiny over UAPs. In November, the House Oversight Committee conducted hearings that included testimony from former Pentagon official Luis Elizondo, who claimed that the US government possesses evidence suggesting humans are 'not alone in the cosmos.' Also read: Trump mocks JD Vance with unflattering meme igniting speculations of their rift; 'Fat face treatment' Elizondo, who headed the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), accused a shadowy 'cabal' within the government of concealing the truth. During his testimony, he cautioned that excessive secrecy had led to grave misdeeds against loyal civil servants, military personnel, and the public. The New Jersey drone mystery The New York Post reported another notable incident in November 2024, when residents of New Jersey reported sightings of SUV-sized drones hovering over Picatinny Arsenal. The strange aircraft had sparked panic and speculation. However, the White House later clarified that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had authorised the drone flights for research and other purposes, according to Fox News. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt even stated that after the drones flying over New Jersey were authorised after research and study. However, it is unclear whether Vance was referring specifically to this incident during the podcast; however, it is one of the most talked-about aerial mysteries from last year. The NYP report added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, formerly a senator, claimed in 2023 that senior US officials had 'first-hand knowledge' of a secret Pentagon crash retrieval program. He spoke about it during an interview related to the documentary Age of Disclosure. FAQs Q: Is JD Vance serious about investigating UFOs? A: While his tone was partly humorous, Vance made it clear that he has a genuine interest in the topic and intends to explore it during the congressional recess. Q: What are UAPs? A: UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) is the modern term used by government and defence agencies to refer to sightings or encounters with aerial objects that lack clear explanations. Q: What was the New Jersey drone incident? A: In November 2024, residents spotted large drones over New Jersey. The FAA later confirmed they were authorised for research. Q: Will Vance visit Area 51? A: Vance joked about taking podcast hosts to Area 51 if he uncovers anything significant, but there are no confirmed plans.
The Herald Scotland
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Sydney Sweeney drama: JD Vance addresses American Eagle ad controversy
"My political advice to the Democrats is continue to (call) everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi," Vance joked during an episode of the conservative "Ruthless" podcast on Friday, Aug. 1. "That appears to be their actual strategy." The Nazi party used the pseudoscience of eugenics, which promotes some genetic features as better than others, to justify the killing of Jews and countless other minority groups during the Holocaust. Sydney Sweeney dishes on the best jeans, her favorite rom-com and what's on her playlist American Eagle's campaign, which has spawned a fierce cultural debate, used wordplay to describe Sweeney, 27, as having "good genes," a wordplay to promote the brand's denim jeans. Critics have said the ad blitz amounts to a glorification of whiteness and a dog whistle for racist ideologies. But her supporters have said the ad is meant to be a light-hearted wordplay, defending the "Euphoria" actress and the brand. Sweeney previously told USA TODAY that denim was a staple of her wardrobe, but left out AE in her list of favored brands at the time. "I'm very much a white, plain T-shirt kind of girl. I jump around from a bunch of different brands and that kind of depends on what vibe I want to go for," she said. "I have my Levi's white T-shirts and my Cotton On white T-shirts that are just paired with casual jeans. Jean wise: I mean, I love Levi's, Frame, Agolde." Sydney Sweeney controversy, explained In one of several videos for AE, Sweeney, clad in a denim-on-denim outfit, says: "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color." "My jeans are blue," she says as the camera pans across her blue denim and her blue eyes. Soon after the campaign dropped, people began to sound the alarm on what they saw as a dangerous message about the beauty ideal, race and "good" versus "bad" genes. Vance, though, chalked the whole ordeal up to an overreaction from the "left" and a doubling down on a strategy that he thinks lost the Democrats the 2024 presidential election. Dunkin' ad about 'genetics' draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney drama "I actually thought that one of the lessons (Democrats) might take is 'we're going to be less crazy.' And the lesson they have apparently taken is 'we're going to attack people as Nazis for thinking Sydney Sweeney is beautiful,'" he said on the podcast. "Great strategy, guys. That's how you're going to win the midterm, especially young American men." The ad's critics, however, argued that a campaign selling jeans to women should not have been shot so clearly from the male gaze. Some consumers were quick to point out what they saw as the regressive nature of the material: A buxom blonde woman drawing attention to her body and employing a sensual tone, they argued, calling back to a stereotypical symbol of a bygone era. "Wasn't she the one who said she didn't want to be seen as an object?" one commenter asked on Sweeney's Instagram page, while another chided: "We can leave Nazi Germany back where it got conquered ty next!!!" Sweeney has not yet spoken out about the controversy, though several prominent members of the GOP have chimed in on her behalf. Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, for instance, took to X on July 29 to blast the left for criticizing the ad. "Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well...." he wrote. White House's communications director Steven Cheung, a longtime adviser for President Donald Trump, also maligned the criticism, calling it "cancel culture run amok." "This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024," he wrote on X July 29, adding that people are "tired" of this way of thinking. But, when a second ad campaign, this time from Dunkin', dropped featuring the same "genetic" themes, many critics felt vindicated, arguing that it signaled a greater cultural shift toward genetic hierarchy and racism.
