Northeast-Midwest Institute

After previously issuing a TRO in the case, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston has now ordered a preliminary injunction, blocking the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the shutdown. These include employees at the Department of the Interior, mapped below.

Great Lakes Task Force members Rep. Tom Barrett and Rep. Hillary Scholten sent a letter to the OMB Director regarding icebreaker acquisition from Finland.

Read the letter here: buff.ly/6wM0z55

A coalition of organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court against the EPA, arguing the agency acted unlawfully when it ended $7 billion in grants intended for low- and moderate-income households. For more coverage, see NEMWI’s EPA Tracker here: buff.ly/ldme5S3

The Cleveland Water Alliance hosted a webinar titled “Innovations in Nutrient Mitigation” as part of their series, “The State of HABs Mitigation.” Watch the full webinar here:

The Northeast-Midwest Institute hosted the fifth session of its Great Lakes Primer and Orientation Program on the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) last Thursday. If you missed the briefing, see a recording here:

New Weekly Update from NEMWI Email from Northeast-Midwest Institute A new GLTF member, RIF updates, and more   NEMWI Weekly Update  October 20th, 2025   NEMWI To Host Event on Great Lakes Marine Sanctuaries The Northeast-Midwes

A federal court has stopped the Interior Department from laying off over 2,000 employees, including 108 from the USGS Great Lakes Science Center, 79% of the Center’s staff. More here:

Please welcome Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) to the Great Lakes Task Force!

NEMWI and the @marinesanctuary will host a briefing on Great Lakes marine sanctuaries on November 6, from 4-5 pm in Rayburn 2168. RSVP to Diane Dotson at ddotson@marinesanctuary.org.

U.S. Senators Todd Young, Chris Coons, John Cornyn, and John Hickenlooper have reintroduced the Securing Trade and Resources for Advanced Technology, Economic Growth, and International Commerce Minerals Act. Read more on NEMWI’s Critical Minerals Legislation Tracker here: buff.ly/IVEnsW3

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy announced that Muskegon Lake has been officially removed from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern, marking the restoration of one of the region's most historically degraded waterways.

Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts - Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative THE NEED Development, pollution, and other human activities have led to a loss of Great Lakes habitat, especially along the coasts. Habitat is crucial for a resilient community and local economy.…

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative hosted an introductory webinar last Wednesday on the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Learn more about the program here:

The UCLA School of Law's Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment hosted a webinar on September 29th titled "Up in the Air: Climate Policy Without the Endangerment Finding." Watch the full webinar here: buff.ly/M8CIZXY

An Office of Management and Budget draft memo argued that furloughed federal workers are not guaranteed back pay after the shutdown ends. Senate Majority Leader John Thune pushed back, saying that back pay is, “what the law stipulates,” and called the threat a “non-issue.”

The government shutdown continues as neither Senate bill of the two introduced has garnered the 60 votes needed to override a filibuster. Many federal jobs, both essential and non-essential, remain uncertain. Most observers expect the shutdown to last at least another week.

NEMWI will host a virtual Great Lakes Primer on SRFs tomorrow from 1 to 2 pm with speakers from the GLC and state agencies. RSVP here:

The Northeast-Midwest Institute updated its Manufacturing Tracker with the SPEED Act, a bipartisan permitting reform bill. Read more here:

NEMWI will host a virtual Great Lakes Primer for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds on October 9, from 1 to 2 pm with speakers from the Great Lakes Commission and state SRF agencies. RSVP here: buff.ly/XJaHYjP

NEMWI and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation will host a Great Lakes marine sanctuaries briefing on Oct 21, from 3–4 pm in Rayburn 2168.

RSVP to Diane Dotson at ddotson@marinesanctuary.org.

New Weekly Update from NEMWI Email from Northeast-Midwest Institute Upcoming events, government funding updates, and updated manufacturing tracker   NEMWI Weekly Update  September 29th, 2025   NEMWI To Host Briefing on State Re

Congress is heading toward a government shutdown tonight as funding talks stall. An OMB memo threatened possible permanent layoffs at federal agencies if no deal is reached. Read more here:

Roxie Gosfield, '27, is a junior at Dartmouth College majoring in government with a modified focus in economics. She is from New York City and is excited to how a bill becomes a law. She researches changes to federal manufacturing policy.

Rachael Stein, M.Env ‘26, is a master’s student at the University of Colorado Boulder, pursuing a Master of the Environment with a specialization in water policy. She is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rachael is working on tracking EPA actions and researching Great Lakes mapping.

The EPA’s designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances has received backing from the Trump administration. The Justice Department announced it would uphold the Biden-era rule, despite efforts from the administration to scale back regulations elsewhere. Read more here:

Logan Rau, ‘25, is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She is from Bay City, Michigan, and works as an Environmental Policy Intern focused on economic development in Great Lakes shipping.

NEMWI has updated its Great Lakes Tracker with recent Congressional action. Two bipartisan bills were introduced in the Senate to reauthorize the USGS Great Lakes Science Center and establish the Great Lakes Mass Marking program. Read more here:

Jayden Lawrence, ‘27, attends North Central College and is pursuing a degree in Journalism and Media Communications. He is from Antioch, California, and enjoys researching Great Lakes news and policy decisions. He works as a Communications and Development Intern and researches non-profit funding.

The Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission co-hosted a live sea lamprey encounter on Capitol Hill last week. Nearly 80 people attended from 25 Congressional offices and committees. Read more about the event here: buff.ly/9K3q4XG

Christina Mina, ‘27, is a junior at the University of Texas at Dallas majoring in public policy. She is from Keller, Texas, and is excited to gain a better understanding of the policymaking process. She is an Environmental Policy Intern working on the Great Lakes Tracker.

Northeast-Midwest Insititute » Appropriations for Key Regional Programs After the markup and release of appropriations bills from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the Northeast-Midwest Institute prepares fact sheets highlighting their impacts on key…

The House Commerce, Justice, and Science bill was advanced in a committee vote last week. This bill would reduce NOAA’s funding to $5.8 billion, an increase over the $4.5 billion President Budget request.

For more details, see NEMWI’s reports here:

Christina Uytingco, ‘25, is graduating in December from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a bachelor’s degree in Earth Science, Environmental Science, and Spanish. She is from Ann Arbor and is currently working on monitoring aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes.

The Northeast-Midwest Institute is pleased to announce its cohort of interns for the Fall, from various areas and schools across the United States. Throughout the next few days, we'll be highlighting each intern on our social media pages. Please join us in welcoming our incredible team!