President Donald Trump
At the NATO Summit in Brussels last Wednesday, President Trump charged that Germany was captive to Russia because of its dependence on Russian natural gas, and a new, controversial pipeline from Russia to Germany will exacerbate its dependency.
The Washington Post
Climate change denier Scott Pruitt, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, submitted his resignation on Thursday, to take effect July 6. On Monday, EPA Deputy Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler becomes the acting administrator.
The New York Times
Border controversies now have a northern front, too.
The Detroit Free Press
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy introduces the possibility that a future court will overturn the doctrine of disparate impact central to fair housing practices and policies.
CityLab
President Donald Trump rescinded environmental protections put in place by former President Barack Obama after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
AP via Detroit Free Press
A new study shows that these groups exist in around 10 percent of counties, and those counties are scattered across all 50 states.
CityLab
Trump's animus towards using federal funds to replace a century-old, hurricane-damaged rail tunnel under the Hudson River is so strong that he warned Congress he will veto a spending bill they must pass by March 23 to keep the government operating.
The Hill
According to new research, the tragic impact of Hurricane Maria lingered for months after the storm hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, and at far greater magnitude than the federal government has acknowledged.
Chicago Tribune
President Trump is going out of his way to ensure that the Hudson River Tunnel and other projects in the Amtrak Gateway Program don't receive federal funding in the next omnibus spending bill Congress must approve by March 23 to avoid a shutdown.
The Washington Post
In the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Florida, the debate has been wide-ranging, from gun safety to arming teachers. All agree students must be safe, so why not look at architecture? The NRA has some tips.
The Architects Newspaper
During a closed-door meeting Wednesday with Democratic and Republican lawmakers, President Trump endorsed hiking the gas tax by 25-cents per gallon to help pay for the $200 billion investment and restore solvency to the Highway Trust Fund.
Politico
The first protectionist policies implemented by the Trump Administration, a key part of the president's campaign platform, will affect the renewable energy industry.
New York Times
After announcing the coast of almost all states would be open for oil and gas production, the Secretary of the Interior changed his mind on one after meeting with Trump’s favored candidate for Senate.
The New Yorker
News of the GOP's rejection of a gas tax increase comes from reports on two recent private meetings between Republican leaders and the Trump Administration.
The Washington Post
When President Trump tweeted that the East Coast needed global warming due to the freezing cold, experts responded by explaining the difference between weather and climate. But climate change may indeed be a cause of the bomb cyclone.
The New York Times - Climate
New details are emerging regarding the Trump Administration's intentions for the long-promised wall between the United States and Mexico.
The Daily Caller
The current U.S. record is 10 million barrels per day set in 1970. Last year averaged 9.2 million b/d. Experts believe that record will be reached this spring, if it hasn't already. Can Trump claim credit for the surging production?
NPR
A tax break designed to protect land has become just another massive tax loophole. It looks like conservation easements are here to stay.
ProPublica
A funding agreement between New York, New Jersey, and the U.S. DOT for one of the most important rail projects in the nation is in danger of collapsing because of the way the two states are financing their share of the $12.9 billion cost.
Crain's New York Business
The controversy regarding the federal protection of public lands in the American west is heading into new territory as President Trump tests the limits of presidential powers.
The Washington Post
