Trump takes aim at EPA staffing levels, popular programs
A detailed version of the administration's fiscal 2026 budget blueprint released late Friday would slice the ranks of 'full-time equivalent' EPA employees from 14,130 this year to 12,856 in 2026, a 9 percent drop. That would be the lowest total since 1985, according to official numbers posted online.
Helping to take up the slack, the proposal suggests, would be more reliance on artificial intelligence.
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'By leveraging AI to transition from paper-based and analog processes to digital ones, the Agency can speed up and automate administrative and operational tasks as well as improve data analysis and collection,' the request says.
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Indianapolis Star
23 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
Trump administration grants two Indiana plants ‘relief' from toxic pollution regulations
Last week the Trump administration eased pollution regulations for dozens of industrial sites across the country that spew toxic emissions — two of which operate inside Indiana. Across a series of four proclamations, the White House gave the roughly 90 facilities — chemical manufacturers, sterilization facilities, power plants — an additional two years to meet hazardous air pollution rules set by the EPA under the Biden administration. The new proclamations will allow certain facilities to keep operating under the EPA's old regulations until roughly 2028 and 2029, although individual deadlines vary. In Indiana, a chemical manufacturing plant in Mount Vernon, SABIC Innovative Plastics, and a medical equipment sterilization facility in Ellettsville, operated by Cook Medical, both received extensions. Some Hoosiers are concerned the move deprioritizes human health. The government claims "that meeting compliance is too burdensome/expensive to the business but not meeting the compliance levels can be very burdensome to the health of nearby communities," Gabriel Filippelli, a biochemist and urban health researcher at Indiana University, wrote to IndyStar in an email. "These standards have been developed for solid, scientific reasons, and this feels like rolling back protections for people to enhance profits for companies." The Clean Air Act allows pollution compliance extensions if the technology needed to meet standards isn't available and if the exemptions are in the national security interest of the United States. The White House is arguing both points. 'SABIC appreciates the Trump administration's decision to grant regulatory relief,' Jennifer Schumann, a spokeswoman for the Mount Vernon plant, wrote in a statement to IndyStar. There isn't an 'off the shelf solution' for compliance with the 2024 EPA regulations, she added — rather, the technology needs to be engineered and constructed. The American Chemistry Council, which represents manufacturers like SABIC, maintained the cost of meeting pollution regulations could exceed $50 billion, per a partially filled records request that the IndyStar obtained from the EPA. Advocates for environmental and public health say the exemptions are examples of the administration putting profit over human and environmental health. An EPA assessment for the plants in Mount Vernon and Ellettsville places both facilities on the high end of riskiness to human health, after considering the amount of chemicals released onsite, the degree of toxicity and the size of the exposed population. 'There were regulations put in place by experts based on what is good for human health,' said Heather Navarro, the director of the Midwest Climate Collaborative, a climate change response network which includes Indiana University and the City of Indianapolis. 'Now we're saying that what's more important is profit. And I think that's hugely problematic, and that should concern every American.' It isn't yet clear if or how the administration will address the potential public health impacts of two-year exemptions. And while it's hard to gauge exactly how two additional years of non-compliance will impact communities downwind of pollutants, the exemption "equals two years of potentially profound impacts on community health," according to Filippelli. One proclamation targeted exemptions at 39 medical equipment manufacturing facilities, which often use the gas ethylene oxide to sterilize their products. Ethylene oxide is highly effective, but it's also a carcinogen that can leak out of vents during the sterilization and aeration process, according to the EPA. In a 2024 report, the EPA wrote many medical sterilization facilities in the United States are located near residences, schools and communities with environmental justice concerns. They determined the use of ethylene oxide at several of the plants pose 'high lifetime cancer risks to surrounding communities.' 'It's a really useful compound in manufacturing everything from sterilizations to manufacturing things like antifreeze and polyester,' said Shannon Anderson, the directory of advocacy at Earth Charter Indiana. 'But it's also incredibly dangerous to human health. It's a carcinogen. It's responsible for all kinds of respiratory inflammation and chronic inflammation and it can damage your nervous system. And in certain quantities, it can be fatal.' The Cook Medical plant treats tens of thousands of pounds of ethylene oxide every year, but the facility's emissions and discharges of the toxic chemical have dropped drastically since 2019, according to EPA data. In 2023, the EPA reported 11 pounds of ethylene oxide at Cook Medical in Ellettsville were disposed of or released. Cook Medical declined to comment on why they applied for an exemption. A separate proclamation directed two-year exemptions at chemical manufacturers and refineries, like the SABIC plastic plant in Mount Vernon. The SABIC plant develops thermoplastics, and in 2023, it released several million pounds of chemicals on and offsite, according to the EPA. Schumann, SABIC's spokeswoman, told IndyStar in a statement the emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants impose 'substantial and costly additional burdens on chemical manufacturers already operating under stringent regulations,' and the company will continue to uphold the 'highest standards' in their environmental stewardship. But environmental advocates aren't convinced the burdens of monitoring and regulating air pollution can just dissipate with a presidential proclamation.
UPI
5 hours ago
- UPI
France to recognize independent Palestinian state
France's President Emmanuel Macron, seen here in June, announced Thursday that Paris will recognize a Palestinian state. File Photo by Laurent Cipriani/EPA July 24 (UPI) -- President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will recognize the state of Palestine as part of Paris' "historical commitment to a just and durable peace in the Middle East." Macron said in a social media post that he plans to make a formal announcement in September at the United Nations in New York. "The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population," he wrote in a statement on X. "Peace is possible." Macron's announcement, though mostly symbolic, comes as the death toll in the latest chapter of war between Israel and Hamas continues to rise, and hunger among Gazans in some areas borders on starvation. Errant Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of civilians. Most recently, 67 Gazans were killed near a United Nations humanitarian aid truck convoy where they were lined up to receive supplies. A week prior, six children were among 10 people killed while waiting to retrieve water and other essential goods. Several nations have come out to recognize a Palestinian State amid the war, including Spain, Norway and Ireland, though France is the first Group of Seven nation to recognize a Palestinian state, a decision that will raise the ire of the Trump administration, which supports Israel and has worked to end the war in Gaza. "The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron's plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN General Assembly," State Secretary Marco Rubio said in a statement. "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted angrily to Macron's announcement and accused him of leading a "crusade against the Jewish state." Netanyahu said in a statement, "We strongly condemn Mr. Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre" of 2023, and claimed a Palestinian state could become "a launchpad to annihilate Israel." The move threatens to worsen an already fraying relationship between Israel and France, which has deteriorated amid the war. Hala Abou-Hassira, Palestine's ambassador to France, said they "welcome" Macron's announcement. "Tonight, we are experiencing a decisive moment, a turning point against indifference, a turning point against indifference, a turning point against annihilation of a people, our people, the Palestinian people," she said in a statement. Macron's announcement came on the same day that Israel and the United States recalled their hostage negotiators from Doha following Hamas' reaction to the latest proposal to return them. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not acting in good faith. It also comes on the heels of Israel's Knesset approving a non-binding resolution on Wednesday to annex the West Bank in a 71-13 vote. Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory and the establishment of settlements there are widely viewed as illegal under international law, and has drawn repeated criticism and condemnation of the United Nations and the wider international community. Previous U.S. administrations have viewed such actions as destabilizing the region and as threats to the establishment of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel, under Netanyahu, does not support a two-state solution, and the resolution passed Wednesday declared Israel sovereignty "is an inseparable part of the fulfillment of Zionism and the national vision of the Jewish people that has returned to its homeland," and that the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 "proved that the establishment of a Palestinian state poses an existential danger to Israel, its citizens and the entire region." The passing of the resolution drew the condemnation of several, mostly Middle Eastern countries. Israel and Hamas have at war of years, with the conflict exploding into all-out war with the Iran-backed militia's surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has devastated the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, killing nearly 60,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
George Santos bids dramatic farewell to supporters, critics before he begins 87-month prison sentence: ‘The curtain falls'
Former Rep. George Santos posted a theatrical farewell on social media Thursday night, just hours before he was to begin serving a federal prison sentence for fraud and identity theft. 'Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,' Santos wrote on X. 'From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days. To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press.' The former New York congressman is expected to report to federal custody Friday to begin serving an 87-month sentence, just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by US District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds. His guilty plea followed a sweeping investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims. 5 Former Rep. George Santos leaves Federal Court after his sentencing in Islip, NY on April 25, 2025. PETER FOLEY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 5 Santos blows a kiss to the cameras as he leaves a federal courthouse in Islip, NY on Oct. 27, 2023. REUTERS 'This prosecution speaks to the truth that my office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption,' said US Attorney John J. Durham, who called the sentence 'judgment day' for Santos and justice for his victims. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said Santos 'traded in his integrity for designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle.' Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos' family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts. Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed. From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days. To my supporters: You made this wild… — George Santos (@MrSantosNY) July 24, 2025 He also stole credit card information from donors, including 'victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline' and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars which he spent on 'designer clothing.' During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House. 5 Former Rep. George Santos arrives at federal court for his sentencing on April 25, 2025. AP 5 Former Rep. George Santos leaves federal court on Aug. 13, 2024. Bloomberg via Getty Images 5 Santos appears in a social media post in June 2025. George Santos/ X Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York's 3rd District for the GOP. His résumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People's House. Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts. His tweet concluded, 'I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit.' Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. The White House and Santos did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
