Joanna

Lemont residents allege Citgo facility is harming air quality Lemont residents rally against alleged air quality issues from a Citgo facility based on Environmental Protection Agency reports.

The complaints are a part of an decades-long dispute between the Environmental Protection Agency and Citgo facility near Lemont over alleged violations to the Clean Air Act, including a $2 million civil penalty in 2016, and a more than $700,000 fine for alleged Clean Air Act violations in 2013.

Major climate pollution removal project in Johnson’s district could be on Trump’s chopping block | CNN The Trump administration is eyeing cutting funds for two major climate pollution projects in Texas and Louisiana, including one in House Speaker Mike Johnson’s district.

The Trump administration is eyeing cutting funds for two major climate pollution projects in Texas and Louisiana, including one in House Speaker Mike Johnson’s district, according to a list of potential cuts obtained by CNN.

Air traffic control facilities across the United States are reportedly experiencing staff shortages amid Trump’s government shutdown.

These shortages are taking place in Nashville, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Washington, and more.

Spot gold prices climbed above $4,000 an ounce for the first time, as concerns over the US economy and a government shutdown added fresh momentum to a scorching rally bloom.bg/4n4Zy1a

📷: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”: Climate Change is Already Forcing People From Their Homes The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.

The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”

The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.

(Published April 2024)

President Donald Trump promises clean water. His proposed budget guts needed protections. Illinois’ share of clean water grants to states would dip to $11 million next year, compared with $105.5 million this year.

Congress created what are known as state revolving funds to carry out the goals of the Clean Water Act, one of the bedrock environmental laws approved by bipartisan majorities during the early 1970s.

Trump wants to all but eliminate the programs, despite promising clean water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump is cutting more than $2.4 billion in grants aimed at aiding disadvantaged communities, despite a court order to resume funding. www.dailyclimate.org/trump-admini...

RFK Jr.'s HHS Orders Lab Studying Deadly Infectious Diseases to Stop Research NIAID's Integrated Research Facility is one of the few federal facilities charged with studying Ebola. Tuesday afternoon, all of its work was put on indefinite pause by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s departm...

RFK Jr. ordered the NIH’s Integrated Research Facility in Frederick to stop all research on serious infectious diseases yesterday at 5:00 PM.

They study pathogens like Ebola there. You may be familiar with it from The Hot Zone.

www.wired.com/story/hhs-ni...

We tried mass tariffs in 1828, and it crashed the economy. We tried again in 1930, and it crashed the economy.

Third time’s the charm, I guess.

This flu virus is spreading and scientists say it has pandemic potential Since 1959 the avian flu virus H5N1 has been popping up around the globe. Now scientists believe it could spark the next pandemic.

An important long read. Key elements of highly pathogenic H5N1 incl: 1. It’s already a major ‘pandemic’ of birds with big impact, (2) it’s adapting to mammals, (3) it’s not yet in Oz, (4) we need robust pandemic preparedness, including clean indoor air strategies. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03...

Reminder: the First Amendment protects everyone who resides in our country. It doesn't matter if you have a green card or a visa or if you're undocumented. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that any person residing in the United States, regardless of status, is entitled to 1A protections.

A headline over a photo of the Environmental Protection Agency building reads: "The EPA's New Mission Doesn't Appear to Include Protecting the Environment." Photo by Stefani Reynolds/The New York Times.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said his agency’s mission was to make buying cars, heating homes and running businesses cheaper — not to protect the environment. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/c...

Kafka books read like this

U.S. Embassies Halt Air Quality Monitoring Abroad Since 2008, embassies and other diplomatic posts had been publishing data about local air quality. In many countries, it was the only reliable source of such information.

The Trump administration effectively shut down a global air quality monitoring program and U.S. embassies will no longer publish data on local pollution levels. In many places, it was the only reliable source of such information.

This is the second environmental case that has split the court 5–4 with all four women dissenting. We saw the same lineup last term in Ohio v. EPA. In both, Barrett sounds frustrated by the majority's contortion of a statute to hobble the EPA and help polluters. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23p...

Japan Struggles to Contain Biggest Wildfire in Half a Century Japanese firefighters are struggling to contain a week-long wildfire on the country’s northeastern coast that has spread to become the worst the country has seen in half a century.

Japanese firefighters are struggling to contain a week-long wildfire on the country’s northeastern coast that has spread to become the worst the country has seen in half a century

Scientists react to NOAA firings: ‘It’s just utter cluelessness, malevolence’ A former climate scientist called layoffs ‘malevolence’ and ‘utter cluelessness’

Scientists react to ‘stupid’ NOAA firings with more on the way: ‘It’s just utter cluelessness. It’s malevolence’

NIH funding freeze stalls applications on $1.5 billion in medical research funds The National Institutes of Health had to stop considering new grant applications, delaying funding for research into diseases ranging from heart disease and cancer to Alzheimer's and allergies.

Trump and Musk are cutting off cancer research.

⛔️NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ALLOWED—RFK Jr. announced plans to strip public participation from business that HHS conducts, despite pledge of “radical transparency” at HHS. The statement said HHS would rescind its longtime practice of giving members of the public a chance to comment on the agency’s plans.

Trump berates Zelensky, the leader of a democratic country courageously fighting Russian imperialism, while he allies himself with Putin, a dictator who started the bloodiest European war in 80 years.

Sorry, President Trump. We believe in democracy, not authoritarianism.

Musk claims USAID’s Ebola prevention efforts have restarted. Officials disagree ‘There was a waiver for Ebola, but USAID funds have never been back online,’ a current official said

Musk claims USAID’s Ebola prevention efforts have restarted after DOGE cuts. Officials disagree

U.S. Terminates Funding for Polio, H.I.V., Malaria and Nutrition Programs Around the World Here are some of the 5,800 contracts the Trump administration formally canceled this week in a wave of terse emails.

The Trump administration terminates funding for polio, HIV, malaria and nutrition programs around the world.

“People will die,” said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi of the African Population and Health Research Center, “but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut.”

Oh hey, lookie here RFK Jr—the “CDC estimates that influenza #vaccination prevented 📌9.8 million influenza-related illnesses, 📌4.8 million medical visits, 📌120,000 influenza-related hospitalizations, & 📌7,900 influenza-related deaths” in 2023-2024.

➡️Maybe don’t block flu vaccine production? 🙏

Medicaid provides 40% of the funding for community health centers.

Medicaid supports 2 out of 3 people in nursing homes.

Medicaid provides health care to 41 million children.

Trump and his Republican friends want to enact massive cuts to the program.

We won't let them.

Jane Fonda: Have any of you watched a documentary of one of the great social movements like apartheid, or our civil rights movement, or Stonewall and asked yourself, would you have been brave enough to walk the bridge? We don’t have to wonder anymore because we are in our documentary moment.

🎥: 1/2

Germany’s likely new chancellor Friedrich Merz: Look at what Musk has done recently in terms of interventions in the German elections. That is an unprecedented event. The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic, drastic and ultimately brazen than the interventions we had from Moscow...

Trump’s Layoffs Hit 14 Workers in CDC Immunization Division The Trump administration’s mass layoffs of health workers hit a key vaccine unit of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Trump administration’s mass layoffs of health workers hit a key vaccine unit of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to people familiar with the matter.

US deregulation drive ‘dangerous,’ French central bank chief warns The push by the Trump administration creates a “big risk” for financial stability, Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau tells Alternatives Économiques magazine.

The Trump administration's push for financial and environmental deregulation is "dangerous," the head of France's central bank Francois Villeroy de Galhau said.

How conspiracy theories about Politico led Trump to cancel subscriptions Less than 24 hours after misleading claims started circulating that tied Politico to USAID, the White House vowed to end subscriptions for the insider news outlet's services and others.

Less than 24 hours after misleading claims started circulating that tied Politico to USAID, the White House vowed to end subscriptions for the insider news outlet's services and others.

Trump, Musk move to oust EPA staff in the Great Lakes region, including dozens responsible for protecting drinking water for 30 million in U.S. and Canada The Trump administration is moving to fire or force out more than 20% of the agency’s Chicago staff.

The Trump administration is moving to fire or force out more than 20% of the Environmental Protection Agency's Chicago staff, including officials who enforce clean air and water laws and others dedicated to helping poor communities disproportionately harmed by pollution in the Midwest.