EPA employees accuse Trump administration of 'ignoring' science
The scathing letter, signed by more than 200 current and former officials and their supporters, accused EPA chief Lee Zeldin of enacting policies dangerous to both humans and the environment.
"The decisions of the current administration frequently contradict the peer-reviewed research and recommendations of Agency experts," said the letter.
"Make no mistake: your actions endanger public health and erode scientific progress -- not only in America -- but around the world."
Under Zeldin, the EPA has worked to deliver Trump's campaign promises of lifting environmental regulations, boosting fossil fuel production and cutting clean energy spending.
The letter identifies five main areas of concern, including the increasing politicization of the agency, the reversing of programs aimed at marginalized communities and the "dismantling" of the agency's Office of Research and Development.
It described the agency's communications under Zeldin as being used "to promote misinformation and overtly partisan rhetoric."
"This politicized messaging distracts from EPA's core responsibility: to protect human health and the environment through objective, science-based policy."
As an example, the letter cited official communications that likened "climate science to a religion."
Zeldin has repeatedly stated that he sees the EPA's role as supporting US economic growth, and under his guidance the agency has set in motion a full-scale reversal of several environmental standards and greenhouse gas regulations.
Unveiling a set of policy initiatives in March, Zeldin hailed the move as "the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen."
"We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the US and more," said the administrator of the federal agency charged with protecting the environment.
The letter came weeks after the publication of a similar text signed by dozens of employees of the National Institutes of Health over the Trump administration's "harmful" policies.
The EPA letter had more than 170 "anonymous signers," with the text stating the administration had promoted "a culture of fear" at the agency.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Trump administration accuses Harvard of anti-semitism, threatens more cuts
US President Donald Trump 's administration said on Monday that an investigation had concluded Harvard University violated federal civil rights law for failing to address harassment of Jewish and Israeli students, though critics and some faculty say such probes are a pretext to assert federal control over schools. The announcement could lay the groundwork for further action against the school, which has already seen billions of dollars in grant money frozen by the administration as part of a broader campaign against Harvard and other universities across the country. Universities have said Trump's actions threaten academic freedom and free speech, as well as critical scientific research. The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights accused Harvard of "deliberate indifference" toward discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students, according to a notice from the administration. The department outlined a series of harassment incidents and faulted Harvard's response for being "too little, too late." "Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources," lawyers for the administration wrote in a separate letter to Harvard President Alan Garber that was viewed by Reuters. The result of the probe was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. In a statement, Harvard said it had taken "substantive, proactive steps" to address antisemitism on campus, including updating its disciplinary processes and expanding training on antisemitism. "Harvard is far from indifferent on this issue and strongly disagrees with the government's findings," the school said. Monday's letter is the latest in a multi-pronged assault that Trump has waged against Harvard, the nation's oldest and wealthiest university, after it rejected sweeping demands to alter its operations. The administration has frozen some $2.5 billion in federal grant money to Harvard, moved to block it from enrolling international students and threatened to remove its tax-exempt status. Harvard has filed lawsuits challenging those moves. In addition to targeted funding freezes at specific schools, the administration's cutbacks at agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health have also resulted in terminated grants to research universities. The president has taken particular aim at Harvard and Columbia, two of the nation's most prominent universities. Earlier this year, the administration said it had terminated grants and contracts to Columbia University worth $400 million, accusing the school of not protecting students from antisemitic harassment during massive campus protests against the Israel-Gaza war, which included some Jewish organizers. Civil rights groups in response have said the contract cancellations lacked due process and were an unconstitutional punishment for protected speech. However, Columbia agreed to negotiate with the administration over demands that the school tighten its protest rules. The school's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, stepped down days later. 01:38 In May, the Trump administration concluded that Columbia had violated civil rights law by failing to address antisemitism, just as it did on Monday regarding Harvard. Earlier this month, Trump's Department of Education said Columbia had failed to meet accreditation standards by allegedly failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. Other schools have also become targets for the pressure campaign. On Friday, the president of the University of Virginia, James Ryan, resigned under pressure from the Trump administration over the school's diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Last week, the Trump administration announced it would investigate hiring practices at the massive University of California system - which enrolls nearly 300,000 students - to examine whether they run afoul of anti-discrimination law.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Asian stocks rise on trade deal hopes, Tokyo hit by tariff warning
The dollar also extended losses as investors grow increasingly confident the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at least twice this year, with keen interest in US jobs data due this week. Investors are also keeping an eye on the progress of the US president's signature multi-trillion-dollar tax-cutting bill, which is being debated in the Senate. While few agreements have been reached as the White House's July 9 deadline approaches, equity markets are enjoying a healthy run-up on expectations that breakthroughs will be made or the timeline will be pushed back. Comments from Trump and some of his top officials suggesting there could be some wiggle room have added to the positive mood, with National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett telling CNBC a "double digit" number of pacts, including frameworks, were near. News that Canada had rescinded a tax affecting US tech firms, which had prompted Trump to halt trade talks, and restarted negotiations fuelled optimism that other governments would make deals. All three main indexes on Wall Street rose again Monday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each pushing to another record high, providing a springboard for Asia. Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul and Taipei led healthy gains across the region. However, Tokyo, which has enjoyed a strong run in recent weeks, sank one percent after Trump threatened to impose a fresh levy on Japan over a row about the country accepting US rice exports. "I have great respect for Japan, they won't take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "In other words, we'll just be sending them a letter, and we love having them as a Trading Partner for many years to come," he added. Japan has seen rice prices double over the past year owing to supply issues caused by various factors, piling pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of key elections this month. Trump's outburst over the grain came after he had hit out at what he considered an unfair balance in the trade in cars between the two countries, and floated the idea of keeping 25 percent tariffs on autos in place. "Trump has been shaking things up by expressing dissatisfaction with issues such as automobiles and rice, signaling a stall in trade negotiations with Japan," Hideyuki Ishiguro, at Nomura Asset Management, said. "If the negotiations with Japan were to be unilaterally terminated or break down, it could undermine the assumptions behind investing in Japanese stocks." The Nikkei was also hit by a stronger yen as expectations for a series of Fed rate cuts weigh on the dollar. The greenback has been hammered by speculation Trump will install someone willing to reduce rates quickly when central bank boss Jerome Powell leaves his post next year. The prospect of lower borrowing costs has pushed the Dollar Index, which compares the greenback to a basket of major currencies, to its lowest level since February 2022. While most observers see the Fed moving in September or October, non-farm payrolls figures due Friday will be keenly watched, with a soft reading likely to boost the chances of an earlier cut. Gold prices rose more than one percent to sit above $3,300 as lower rates makes the commodity more attractive to investors. Senators continue to debate Trump's so-called "Big Beautiful Bill", with its passage on a knife's edge owing to wavering Republicans amid warnings it will add more than $3 trillion to deficits. The president has called for lawmakers to get the mega-bill, which extends tax cuts and slashes spending on key entitlements, to his desk by July 4. Key figures at around 0230 GMT Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.0 percent at 40,081.61 (break) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,450.64 Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: Closed for holiday Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1795 from $1.1785 on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3740 from $1.3732 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 143.63 yen from 143.98 yen Euro/pound: UP at 85.83 pence from 85.82 pence © 2025 AFP
LeMonde
3 hours ago
- LeMonde
Lightning war in Iran reveals 'Trump doctrine'
Donald Trump views the United States's brief war against Iran as an enchanted interlude. The American president refuses to hear any nuance or pessimistic reflection. Simply put, the mission was accomplished, the bomber pilots are to be celebrated, and critical media coverage swiftly condemned. The June 21 bombings of three nuclear sites were quickly followed by a telegraphed and harmless response from Tehran, and then a ceasefire. But concerning the future, uncertainty reigns. Trump spoke of an imminent bilateral meeting with Iran, about which nothing is known; he is betting on the survival instinct of the theocratic regime, hoping that, under military and diplomatic pressure, Iran will give up all uranium enrichment in exchange for a unique opportunity for economic development and a tightly regulated civilian nuclear program. "They're exhausted," the president said on June 27. "The last thing they're thinking about right now is nuclear. You know what they're thinking about? They're thinking about tomorrow, trying to live in such a mess." Ever since his first term, Trump has consistently maintained a sincere yet self-interested commitment to a reconfigured Middle East. His vision turns its back on religious and political quarrels and on endless wars, instead flourishing through trade, energy exploitation and real estate projects. This approach requires closing the bloodstained chapter of the cycles of violence following October 7 in the region, starting with Gaza. And while this approach pays little heed to history or the suffering of peoples, it at least demands a minimal consideration of the Palestinian question. It then requires a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. This is the keystone of everything, according to the US president, and in particular of his much-desired Nobel Peace Prize.
