
Setbacks in the Fight Against Climate Change
Re 'E.P.A. to Retract Bedrock Finding on Climate Crisis' (front page, July 30):
The Environmental Protection Agency has decided to dispense with the scientific finding that recognizes climate change as a danger to humans, despite a consensus to the contrary among scientists around the world, thus revoking the E.P.A.'s ability to regulate climate change.
When a democratically elected government lies to its citizens on a matter of life and death, what legitimacy does that government have?
I ask Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A. administrator, and Republicans in Congress: Which is more important, protecting the citizens of the U.S. from the life-threatening effects of climate change, or pleasing President Trump?
David BaldwinPetaluma, Calif.
To the Editor:
Re 'NASA Website Will Not Provide Previous National Climate Reports' (news article, nytimes.com, July 14):
It's a grim irony that as responders searched for and recovered bodies from climate-intensified flooding in Texas, the Trump administration was burying the nation's premier climate assessment.
President Trump's relentless gutting of climate and weather science means that more Americans will get hurt and die while the fossil fuel polluters driving the climate crisis reap the benefits. For 25 years, the National Climate Assessments have mapped out vital information about how climate change is affecting the nation and our neighborhoods, now and into the future.
They're critical guides to helping governments plan and prepare. They serve as warnings of what awaits if we don't quickly move from climate-heating fossil fuels to affordable, clean energy.
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New York Post
17 minutes ago
- New York Post
Dem senator agrees with GOP that Trump's making progress on trade war
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman admitted that his party had gotten it wrong about President Donald Trump's tariffs, saying that, so far, the U.S. trade war is 'going well.' Asked by Fox News Digital whether he thought the Trump administration was winning the trade war, Fetterman responded, 'Absolutely.' Advertisement 'I'm a huge fan of Bill Maher, and I mean, I think he's really one of the oracles for my party, and he acknowledged it, it's like, hey, he thought that the tariffs were going to tank the economy, and then he acknowledged that it didn't,' said Fetterman. 'So, for me,' he went on, 'it seems like the E.U. thing has been going well, and I guess we'll see how it happens with China.' This comes as Trump is increasing the tariff on Canada from 25% to 35% beginning on Friday, after the U.S. neighbor to the north failed to help curb the imports of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. The White House noted that Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to increase the tariff in an effort to hold Canada accountable for its role in the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. Advertisement 3 Sen. John Fetterman admitted Democrats are wrong about President Trump's tariffs, claiming that the trade war is 'going well.' AP Additionally, Trump signed another executive order on Thursday to modify the reciprocal tariff rates for some countries to further address the United States' trade deficits. The action reflects Trump's efforts to protect the U.S. from foreign threats to national security and the economy by securing 'fair, balanced and reciprocal trade relationships,' the White House said. Earlier this year, Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on all countries as well as higher tariffs for countries the U.S. has large trade deficits with. Advertisement The tariffs became effective on April 9. Since then, Trump and his team have since made several trade deals with several countries. The U.S. struck a deal with the European Union in which the EU agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and make new investments of $600 billion by 2028. The EU also agreed to accept a 15% tariff rate. Advertisement The U.S. also made a deal with Japan, which agreed to invest $550 billion in the U.S. to rebuild and expand core American industries. 3 President Trump has raised the tariff rate on Canada from 25% to 25%. / MEGA Japan also agreed to further its own market to U.S. exports, and like the EU, Japan agreed to a baseline 15% tariff rate. However, many Democrats are digging in their heels against Trump's tariffs strategy, saying the negative effects are still on the horizon. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., forecast that, despite the increased revenue, 'within a few weeks or months, you'll start seeing significant increases in most things you buy. And also, you will see disruption in terms of a lot of our industries, because they're not able to access product or supply.' 'When you have across-the-board tariffs, it does operate like a national sales tax, and I think people are going to be more and more hurt,' predicted Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. 'This is the president who said he was going to come in and reduce prices. Prices are going to rise, and they're going to rise more over time,' said Van Hollen. Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that 'Donald Trump may beat his chest and say, 'Man, I made him take a 15% tariff or 25% tariff,' but also understand that every one of those trading partners is now looking hard all around the rest of the world to find other customers, because Donald Trump is signaling loud and clear that the United States under Donald Trump is not a reliable trading partner. And that's not good for any of us.' Advertisement Warren also claimed that Trump's tariffs are the reason the Federal Reserve has not lowered U.S. interest rates. 3 Fetterman still remains isolated from his party, taking Trump's side in the trade war, as many Democrats argue that negative effects are still on the horizon. AP 'Jerome Powell said last month that he would have lowered interest rates back in February if it hadn't been for the chaos that Donald Trump was creating over trade. And the consequence has been that American families have, for six months now, been paying more on credit cards, more on car loans, more home mortgages, all because Donald Trump has created chaos,' she said. Meanwhile, Republicans whom Fox News Digital spoke with urged the president to double down on his tariff strategy. Advertisement 'I think it's exactly the right approach. It's what I have been urging the president to do, and I think the successes he's winning are big wins for America,' said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. In response to Democrats still predicting economic fallout because of the tariffs, Cruz sarcastically remarked, 'I'm shocked, shocked that Democrats are rooting for the economy to do badly under President Trump.' 'It'd be nice if some Democrats would put their partisan hatred for Trump aside and actually start working together for American workers and American jobs. Unfortunately, I don't see a whole lot of Democrats interested in doing that right now,' said Cruz. Advertisement Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., while agreeing that the tariffs have been successful, voiced that he hopes the goal is to ultimately achieve reciprocal zero percent tariffs between the U.S. and its trade partners. 'Clearly, the president got a good deal from one perspective. The Europeans just caved, they did. Fifteen percent tariffs on them, zero on us, commitment to invest in our country. But the part of the deal I like the most, the E.U. and the president agreed that a whole bunch of goods would be tariff-free. That is, no American tariffs and no E.U. tariffs. It's called reciprocity, and ideal reciprocity is zero on both sides,' he explained. 'That's what I would like us to achieve in all the trade deals,' Kennedy explained. 'Let the free enterprise system work. May the best product at the best price win. That, to me, would be the perfect situation.' Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.


New York Post
17 minutes ago
- New York Post
Stephen A. Smith hits back at Michelle Obama, ‘still … salty' at her Trump vote comments
Stephen A. Smith has hit back at Michelle Obama. The former First Lady took a jab at Smith's employer, ESPN, name-dropping the longtime host and saying the network's shows were like watching reality television, namely 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.' Advertisement 'It's all a sociological study. They think that sports is better reality TV, I'm like, 'It's the same thing.' If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it's like watching the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta,' you know?' Obama said on her brother Craig's 'IMO' podcast. 'It's the same drama, and they're yelling at each other, and they don't get along, you know? I mean, Stephen A. Smith, he's just like every other. . . . 'So, that's why I'm like, 'what's the difference?' It's just, you know, it's just sociological drama,' added Obama. 'I mean, the fact that people over seasons of working still can't get along. They still have the same arguments, you know, and it's not just women. But this happens in sports, too. I find it fascinating.' Those comments found their way to Smith himself, and he used them as an opportunity not necessarily to respond back, but voice his opinion on one of her strategies while campaigning for Kamala Harris last year. 3 Michelle Obama on her podcast 'IMO' talking about how ESPN is reality tv. Michelle Obama / YouTube Advertisement 'When you were campaigning on behalf of the former Vice President Kamala Harris … you said a vote for [President Donald] Trump was a vote against you and a vote against y'all as women. I want to say for the record – I took major offense to that.' Smith admitted. 'I think to this day is the only thing that I didn't like that you said, I didn't appreciate it. Because there's so many things that go into deciding where your vote is going to go. For some people, it's all about the economy. For others, it's all about national security. 'For some people, it is immigration. For some people, it's safety in the streets of America. Long before they think about pro-choice or pro-life.' 3 Stephen A. Smith looks on before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers during Game Three of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 11, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images Advertisement Smith reiterated that he voted for Harris and 'wouldn't vote for Trump,' but 'wasn't excited' how casting his vote for the former vice president 'particularly after I heard about some of the shenanigans that the Democratic Party was engaging in leading up to the election. 'But I'm talking specifically to you, Madam First Lady. You are not just beloved, you are revered. You are sensational in so many ways. I've been on the record on this show and many others stating had you run for president, you would have beat Trump. I still believe that … I believe if your husband elected to come back, he would beat Trump. That's my personal belief . . .' Smith continued. Smith then got into Obama's comments about ESPN, saying he disagreed with those as well. 3 A logo sign at the entrance to the ESPN headquarters on November 03, 2024 in Bristol, Connecticut. Getty Images Advertisement 'So this doesn't have anything to do with what you were talking about, how sports and reality TV mirror one another, even though we would beg to differ. Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff. 'We're at sports, that's live entertainment, and you're actually competing against one another is big time. No, reality TV is not like that. You're so wrong about that, about that assertion, but that's neither here nor there. . . . 'You will never hear me utter a negative word about you, but I respectfully disagreed and still remain pretty salty about what you said about us,' Smith said, adding that he felt Obama 'sort of blackmail[ed] us emotionally into trying to compel us to vote one way or another.' Perhaps we may get another episode of this apparent Obama-Smith beef.


The Hill
17 minutes ago
- The Hill
Florida GOP, DeSantis may follow Texas's lead
Florida Republicans are increasingly pushing to redraw the state's congressional lines following a similar move by the Texas GOP. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday he is 'very seriously' looking at asking the state Legislature to redraw the state's congressional map, arguing the 2020 census is flawed. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) came out in favor of redistricting in a post on social platform X, writing that 'Texas can do it, the Free State of Florida can do it 10X better.' Florida Republicans say they were already headed in this direction following a state Supreme Court decision that upheld a congressional map supported by DeSantis and state Republicans. But the plan is gaining even more traction in the wake of Texas Republicans' unveiling of a new congressional map. 'It's picking up steam,' Florida GOP Chair Evan Power told The Hill. 'We were probably heading there with the court decision, but Texas made it top news.' Florida has seen an uptick in population growth following the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The state has also become solidly Republican over the past decade, with Republicans growing their representation in Congress and once-Democratic strongholds like Miami-Dade and Osceola counties flipping from blue to red. A number of Democratic-held congressional seats could be impacted if redistricting were to take place, including those held in south Florida by Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel. Rep. Kathy Castor (D) in the Tampa area and Rep. Darren Soto (D) outside of Orlando have also been floated as possible targets. Florida Republicans already hold a 20 to 8 advantage over Democrats in the congressional delegation. Republicans were boosted last month when the state's Supreme Court ruled to uphold a congressional map that blocked a challenge to the elimination of a majority-Black congressional district in the north of the state that previously was represented by former Rep. Al Lawson (D). The area that comprised the former congressional district is now divided among three Republican lawmakers. But DeSantis is not stopping there. The governor has argued that Florida got a 'raw deal' in the 2020 census when the state only gained one congressional seat. The governor said last month he had relayed his concerns to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after he was sworn in earlier this year and that the Trump administration could be pursuing redoing the census. Additionally, the governor said he believes Florida's Fair District amendments, which a majority of voters approved of in 2010, could conflict with the U.S. Constitution. The amendments say that districts cannot be drawn in a way that hinders minorities voting for their choice of elected representatives. 'There's a lot of people who believe that the Fair District Amendments is unconstitutional, because what it does is, it mandates having race predominate,' DeSantis said this week. 'Whereas, neutrality should really be the constitutional standard.' Patronis also said in his X post that he believes the Fair District Amendments are unconstitutional 'because it violates freedom of speech AND elections are a states rights issue.' 'Time to add more conservatives to Congress, so we can better deliver on President Trump's agenda, finally win the war against woke, cut government waste, and create an economy that moves our country into a new age of prosperity,' Patronis said. Republicans argue that DeSantis and the state's Republicans could be setting an example for other red states to follow. 'DeSantis here sees an opportunity to be a trailblazer for the Republican Party in this sense in that he could be setting up a pilot program that Texas and some of the other states can actually follow,' a Florida Republican strategist said. 'Let's not disillusion ourselves, if he pulls this off, he will be a fan favorite of one person who sits at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,' the strategist added, referring to Trump. So far, Republicans in the Florida state Legislature have remained publicly quiet about the prospect of pursuing redistricting. This year's state legislative session was extended from 60 days to 105 days and saw tensions emerge between DeSantis and members of his own party. State Rep. Alex Andrade, a vocal Republican critic of DeSantis, said he has not spoken to his colleagues about redistricting. The state lawmaker noted he would support the effort only if the census was redone. 'I get the partisan argument,' Andrade told The Hill. 'I understand we could make hay right now and benefit Republicans but at some point do I care more about my party or the Constitution?' 'If the census were redone, I'd jump all over it,' he said. Florida Democrats warn that a move by DeSantis and the state's Republicans would set a negative precedent. 'It would mean that the governor and the state legislative branch would completely capitulate under Donald Trump,' state House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D) said. 'It's not supposed to be that the president gets to act like a king and say 'do this on my behalf.'' In a Facebook video posted by Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Soto accused Republicans of wanting to cheat in the election. 'They want to pick their voters rather than voters picking their representatives,' he said. 'You'll see us do whatever we can in the courts to make sure that the Fair Districts Amendments are enforced.' Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Madison Andrus dismissed the effort from Florida Republicans as 'a bold-faced attempt to save their flailing midterm performance by rigging the game.' The effort comes as the nationwide redistricting war heats up and both parties seek to gain seats ahead of next year's midterm elections. In addition to Republicans in Texas and potentially Florida taking a look at redistricting, Democrats in states like California and New Jersey are also exploring their options. 'There's an opportunity and if it better reflects the makeup of a state whether that's Texas or Florida, or to Gavin Newsom's point even California, then you should do it,' a national Republican strategist said. 'These redistricting efforts, if they comply with the law and meet all of the various federal thresholds to get mapped through, if you do that and do it quickly, you're going to increase the likelihood that the president and Republicans in Washington and going to be able to keep pushing things forward,' the strategist continued.