Today, the Badlands National Park twitter account starting posting facts about climate change -- only for those tweets to be swiftly deleted, while others from the day remain. Its part of a disturbing trend that began with Donald Trump almost exclusively appointing climate deniers to his administration and continued when all references to climate change (& LGBT protections, protections for the disabled, and civil rights) were deleted from the White House website and a gag order was imposed on the EPA and other agencies this week.
Today, President Trump issued a freeze on all new grants and contracts awarded to states through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This decision will cut off financial support for states wanting to clean up air and water pollution. Jobs in the west could also take a hit as grants and contracts given to communities for clean up efforts create thousands of remediation jobs in the region.
Today, the House voted to pass an extreme anti-abortion bill that, among other things, aims to make abortion more expensive and make the antiquated Hyde Amendment permanent, which would prevent insurance companies from providing abortion coverage for women that are on Medicaid, in the military, work for the federal government, that live in Washington, DC, in federal prison, and covered by the Indian Health Service. The bill will now head to the Senate for a vote.
The Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) has forbidden Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company (Consol) from mining within 100 feet of Kent Run inside Ryerson Station State Park while it hears an ongoing appeal of the company’s controversial permit to expand its Bailey Mine.
Today, President Donald Trump will scrap key aspects of former-President Obama’s climate leadership, as he reportedly plans to sign Executive Orders to move the the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline forward.
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri issued a decision holding Ameren Missouri liable for violations of the Clean Air Act at its Rush Island coal plant in Jefferson County, Missouri.
Today, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 11 to 10 to confirm Rex Tillerson, former ExxonMobil CEO, as Secretary of State.
Today, as one of his first executive orders, President Trump reinstated the Global Gag Rule. This executive order bars U.S. aid to groups that provide or promote abortions procedures overseas.
Today, as one of his first executive orders as President, Donald Trump formally withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Today, hundreds of Sierra Club members and supporters took to the streets for Women’s Marches across the country.