"Defense Bill Directs GAO To Probe Tick Conspiracy Promoted By RFK Jr."
"The House-passed National Defense Authorization Act would spur an investigation of whether the U.S. military bioengineered Lyme disease."
Source: E&E News, 12/18/2025
EJToday: Top Environmental Politics Headlines
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"U.S. Is Seeking Exemption From a European Climate Law, Officials Say"
"The Trump administration wants the European Union to exempt American oil and gas companies from a landmark law aimed at curbing emissions of methane, a powerful planet-warming gas."
Source: NYTimes, 12/17/2025"Disaster Survivors Denounce Proposed FEMA Downsizing"
"Flood, storm and fire survivors gathered in Washington, D.C., Monday to express their alarm over a leaked report from the FEMA Review Council that proposes halving the agency’s workforce and scaling back federal disaster assistance."
Source: Inside Climate News, 12/17/2025"States Sue Trump Administration Over Frozen EV Charger Funds"
"A coalition of states sued the Trump administration Tuesday for blocking the full release of $2.5 billion in federal funding for electric car infrastructure, alleging the decision to stop disbursing funds is unlawful."
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 12/17/2025"EU Scraps 2035 Ban On New Petrol And Diesel Cars To Boost Auto Industry"
"The EU on Tuesday walked back a 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars seen as a milestone in the fight against climate change, as the bloc pivots to bolstering its crisis-hit auto sector."
Source: France 24, 12/17/2025Navajo Said No To A Hydro Project. Trump DOE Doesn't Want It To Happen Again
"The U.S. Energy Secretary said allowing tribes to weigh in on energy projects on their land creates "unnecessary burdens to the development of critical infrastructure.""
Source: Grist, 12/17/2025"Where Global Emissions Stand, 10 Years After The Paris Climate Agreement"
"The watershed summit in 2015 was far from perfect, but its impact so far has been significant and measurable"
Source: Guardian, 12/17/2025"Trump Goes To War With States Over AI"
"The president’s order to limit states’ ability to regulate the spread of artificial intelligence is poised to set off political and legal fireworks that mirror his efforts to curb climate action."
Source: E&E News, 12/16/2025"Arizona City Rejects Data Center After AI Lobbying Push"
"Officials in this Phoenix suburb on Thursday rejected a proposed artificial intelligence data center despite pressure from a former U.S. senator and the tech industry — capping a fight over local control that has captured national attention."
Source: E&E News, 12/16/2025"How The US Freight Rail Industry Got Dirtier Than Coal Power Plants"
"U.S. railroads together produced about 485,000 tons of nitrogen oxide in 2024, compared to 452,000 tons emitted by U.S. coal-fired power plants, according to a Reuters calculation of reported annual fuel consumption multiplied by the EPA’s 2023 weighted-average emission rates."
Source: Reuters, 12/16/2025"Ford Will Take $19.5 Billion Hit as It Rolls Back E.V. Plans"
"Ford Motor said the costs came from its decision to make fewer electric vehicles than it had planned and more hybrids that use both gasoline engines and batteries."
"Ford Motor said Monday that it would scale back plans to produce electric vehicles and take a $19.5 billion hit to its profit to cover the costs of a major change in strategy.
Source: NYTimes, 12/16/2025"Indiana Says It’s Retiring Two Coal Plants, But Is It Making Other Plans?"
"The Trump administration’s determination to keep fossil-fueled power plants running beyond their scheduled closure dates is creating uncertainty about the fate of two Indiana coal facilities set to retire by the end of this year."
Source: Canary Media, 12/16/2025Trump EPA Adds Another Industry Lobbyist To Ranks Of Conflicted Regulators
"The nation’s main office for protecting Americans from harmful chemicals is welcoming its fourth prominent industry insider since President Trump took office, adding to an administration full of former lobbyists and corporate executives who are making environmental policy."
Source: The New Lede, 12/15/2025Climate Change, New Mining May Push Alaska’s Arctic Past The Brink
"Ice blocks drift past Tristen Pattee’s boat as he scans the banks of Northwest Alaska’s Kobuk River for caribou. His great uncle Ernest steadies a rifle on his lap. It’s the last day of September, and by every measure of history and memory, thousands should have crossed by now. But the tundra is empty, save for the mountains looming on the horizon — the Gates of the Arctic National Park."
Source: AP, 12/15/2025"Colorado River Water Is Too Cheap, Particularly for Agricultural Users"
"A new report from UCLA and the Natural Resources Defense Council found nearly a quarter of Colorado River water is basically provided for free by the federal government."
Source: Inside Climate News, 12/15/2025
