Trump’s gang of climate deniers has grown into an army

By Emily Atkin 30 October 2017 (New Republic) – It became clear early in Donald Trump’s presidency that many of his top officials shared a common trait: They were climate deniers. Though “climate denial starts at the top,” the New York Times’ Coral Davenport wrote in March, it was trickling down into a variety of […]

FEMA had a plan for responding to a hurricane in Puerto Rico but doesn’t want you to see it

By Justin Elliott and Decca Muldowney 26 October 2017 (ProPublica) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency, citing unspecified “potentially sensitive information,” is declining to release a document it drafted several years ago that details how it would respond to a major hurricane in Puerto Rico. The plan, known as a hurricane annex, runs more than […]

In Trump Era, rising seas still a concern for Defense Department

By Dave Mayfield 29 October 2017 WILLIAMSBURG (The Virginian-Pilot) – Climate scientists in the federal government have been on the defensive since President Donald Trump took office in January. But military leaders will continue to address the risks that climate change poses to bases and national security, a senior Pentagon official said at conference Friday […]

Softwood trees in Canada’s Maritime provinces declining due to global warming – “By the end of the century, those species that industry relies on heavily won’t be performing as well as they are today”

By Michael Tutton 27 October 2017 HALIFAX (The Canadian Press) – A new federal study says climate change in the Maritimes may lead to a gradual reduction in the growth of softwood trees, which are crucial to the region’s pulp industry. Using computer models, the Natural Resources Canada study marks the first regionwide assessment of […]

Charges against Paul Manafort throw light on America’s secret financial havens

By Casey Michel 31 October 2017 (The Washington Post) – Off all the information contained in yesterday’s bombshell indictment of Paul Manafort, one significant fact has gone unremarked. According to the indictment, Manafort was linked to nearly a dozen limited liability companies (LLCs) that helped to funnel cash from accounts in places like Cyprus and […]

White House downplays U.S. climate report, repeats long-debunked arguments

4 November 2017 (BBC News) – The White House has sought to downplay a major climate change report, which was compiled by 13 US federal agencies.The study is at odds with assertions from President Donald Trump and several members of his administration.It says it is “extremely likely” human activity is the “dominant cause” of global […]

Citing the Bible, EPA changes rules for science advisers – “Frankly, this directive is nuts”

By Zahra Hirji 31 October 2017 (BuzzFeed News) – The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Tuesday afternoon sweeping changes to who can advise the agency on its research and regulatory priorities, opening the door to more industry participation.Effective immediately, scientists who receive EPA funding cannot serve on the agency’s three major advisory groups. Some Republican […]

Awaiting Trump’s coal comeback, miners reject retraining – “I have a lot of faith in President Trump”

By Valerie Volcovici 1 November 2017 WAYNESBURG, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – When Mike Sylvester entered a career training center earlier this year in southwestern Pennsylvania, he found more than one hundred federally funded courses covering everything from computer programming to nursing.He settled instead on something familiar: a coal mining course.”I think there is a coal comeback,” […]

San Diego-area surfers and beachgoers sickened after Tijuana sewage spill, officials say – “Right now, we don’t seem to have any help in our U.S. government in combating these sewage flows and protecting public health”

By Joshua Emerson Smith 1 November 2017 (Los Angeles Times) – Officials in Imperial Beach said Wednesday that sewage flowing up the coast from Tijuana fouled miles of shoreline over the weekend, severely sickening surfers and other beachgoers.Mayor Serge Dedina, who also fell ill, said he received no advance notice from officials in Mexico about […]

California asks U.S. government for $7.4 billion for wildfire rebuilding

SAN FRANCISCO, 3 November 2017 (Associated Press) – California Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers asked the U.S. government Friday for $7.4 billion to help rebuild after a cluster of fires tore through the heart of wine country, killing more than 40 people and leaving thousands without housing.In a letter to the White House, Brown joined […]

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