Latest news with #Efron
Boston Globe
01-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
An offhand remark about gold bars, secretly recorded, upended his life
'It was a boring date,' Efron, 29, recalled. 'He just wanted to talk about work.' Brady took a particular interest in the fate of billions of dollars that Congress had ordered the EPA to spend on tackling climate change. Trump had promised on the campaign trail to repeal climate programs, so the Biden administration was 'trying to get the money out as fast as possible,' Efron told his date. Advertisement Efron, a passionate believer in the EPA's mission 'to protect human health and the environment,' came up with an analogy to describe what was happening: The agency was a cruise ship that had hit an iceberg. It needed to launch its lifeboats — climate and clean energy projects — right away. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It truly feels we're on the Titanic and we're throwing gold bars off the edge,' he told Brady. Brady left after about an hour, and Efron said he barely thought about the date again — until a video of him appeared on the website of Project Veritas, a right-wing group known for using covert recordings to embarrass political opponents. Brady, who had posed as a politically liberal commercial real estate agent and recent transplant to the capital, was actually a Project Veritas operative with a hidden camera. Advertisement The conversation — particularly the phrase 'gold bars' — has come to haunt Efron. Conservative media and Republicans immediately trumpeted those words as supposed evidence that the Biden administration had mishandled funds. Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, repeatedly cited the video as he worked to cancel $20 billion that the Biden administration had granted to finance projects like electric vehicle charging stations in low-income communities and installing geothermal systems to heat and cool subsidized housing. Zeldin has blasted out media releases with headlines like 'Administrator Zeldin Terminates Biden-Harris $20B 'Gold Bar' Grants' and 'EPA Formally Refers Financial Mismanagement of $20B 'Gold Bars' to Inspector General.' 'The entire scheme, in my opinion, is criminal,' Zeldin said on Fox News in February, adding, 'We found the gold bars. We want them back.' Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin at a meeting in the White House in Washington, on April 30. Zeldin posted the video of Efron to his official X account in February, just two weeks after he was confirmed to lead the EPA PETE MAROVICH/NYT It would not matter that a Justice Department investigation found no evidence of criminal conduct by Biden officials or grant recipients, and that a federal judge ruled that Zeldin's team failed to prove allegations of misconduct. The administration's own lawyers acknowledged internally that the claims are misguided. The unfortunate truth, for Efron, was that he had handed the EPA's critics a powerful political weapon, and he is still paying a personal price. Since the Project Veritas video aired — but especially since Zeldin posted it to his X account two days in a row in February, receiving almost 3 million views — he has been publicly shamed by Elon Musk, obscenely berated by anonymous callers and hauled into an interview with the FBI. All because of an online date. Advertisement On a recent Thursday, Efron described his ordeal over green tea at Three Fifty Bakery & Coffee Bar in Dupont Circle. It had been months since the video came out, yet he still seemed hurt and bewildered that he could have gotten into such a mess. 'I spend every day thinking about this,' he said, his voice shaking. 'I go to bed thinking about it. I wake up thinking about it.' He said that the excerpt Project Veritas posted made it seem as if he had some authority over the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the program that funded the clean energy projects. But he had nothing to do with grant-making decisions. His job simply involved tracking EPA-funded projects to make sure they conformed to wage requirements and other labor laws. Efron also said he was expressing what everyone in Washington knew: that Trump intended to kill climate programs and the Biden administration was trying to save them. 'It's been used to justify actions that I view as terrible, in terms of trying to cancel grants and claw back funding, and I want to set the record straight,' Efron said. 'I want people to understand what I meant. I'd like Lee Zeldin to understand what I meant.' Gold Bars and Lifeboats Efron was feeling depressed about the presidential election when Brady swiped right on his Tinder profile, and he was looking forward to meeting someone who shared his politics. His profile didn't identify him as an EPA employee. But it did say that he worked on climate policy, lived in Washington and recently earned a master's degree from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. In retrospect, Efron said, anyone could have learned the nature of his midlevel federal job with a simple Google search. But when he matched with Brady, the idea that he could be targeted never crossed his mind. Advertisement Their conversation went from Tinder to text, and they agreed to meet for a drink at Licht Cafe on Nov. 20. Earlier that evening, Efron had been out at a happy hour with colleagues where they talked about how proud they were of EPA's record on addressing climate change and how they worried the Trump administration would reverse any gains. The Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters in Washington. MORIAH RATNER/NYT That was when Efron first thought of the Titanic analogy. He told his colleagues that the funding for clean energy projects going to states, cities, tribes and nonprofit groups were like gold bars being tossed into lifeboats to protect some of the Biden administration's work. 'What I meant was, we were giving money to protect rural Washington from wildfire smoke, and fund a health clinic in Georgia and a community farm in Missouri and help tribal communities that are falling into the ocean in Alaska,' he said. 'Those were lifeboats.' Efron had a drink, but Brady did not consume any alcohol. After discussing climate change, Brady asked some questions about Vice President Kamala Harris, but Efron didn't have much to say. Brady abruptly declared he had to leave. Two weeks later, at 3:07 p.m. on Dec. 2, an email landed in Efron's inbox. 'Project Veritas intends to release a video that contains comments made by you to a Project Veritas journalist,' it read. 'Below are some of those quotes. We appreciate any consideration for comment by 8 p.m.' He knew about Project Veritas. He felt panic, then humiliation. The EPA press office received an identical email and request for comment. Within minutes, Efron received a call from his boss. He realized he had been set up. Advertisement His boss at the EPA was mostly concerned for Efron but sent the video to the agency's ethics department for review. It cleared Efron of any wrongdoing or violations. 'Instead, this situation appears to be an unfortunate reminder about the social media bubble we live in now,' Justina Fugh, director of EPA's ethics office, wrote in an email to Efron. 'Remember that my team and I are here to provide you with ethics advice when you need it. Until then, hang in there, Brent.' He tried to hang in there. He called some close friends and then his parents in Massachusetts to tell them what happened and get their support. He strengthened the privacy settings on his social media. But Musk posted the video on X to his 221 million followers, and the onslaught came. Strangers found his cell number, though he still doesn't know how. Their voicemail messages, teeming with obscenities, called him 'scumbag' and 'American traitor.' 'We want our stolen tax dollars back, you disgusting criminal,' someone on Instagram messaged him. 'By the way, Trump is your president again.' A month later, Efron left the EPA in January, hoping the worst was behind him. An Interview With the Feds 'Huge news! Our awesome team @EPA just located BILLIONS of dollars worth of 'gold bars' that the Biden Admin threw 'off the titanic.'' The post on Advertisement 🚨🚨🚨Huge news! Our awesome team Big update coming tomorrow… — Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) That brought a fresh torrent of abuse, Efron said. By that point, he had loosened the privacy settings on his LinkedIn account to look for a new job. People found him there — some not even bothering to hide their identities. Most of the attackers took aim at Efron's sexual identity. 'Any hope you had of infiltrating the government with your tyrannical and sick LGBTQ agenda is now FINISHED,' one person wrote. 'Time to ramp up that rainbow résumé.' Then came the knocks on his door. Efron was still in bed the morning of Feb. 21 when two people from the EPA's office of the inspector general asked if they could come in to ask some questions. 'I asked them, do I have to answer them?' Efron recalled. They said he did not and left their business cards. He spent the rest of the day finding a lawyer. Mark Zaid, who specializes in representing people who work in national security and is suing the founder of Project Veritas in connection with a different undercover video, is representing Efron pro bono. On Feb. 24, Efron came back from a run to find more business cards in his door. This time, an FBI agent had written, 'please give me a call I would like to speak to you,' on the back. A few days later, at Zaid's office, Efron sat for questioning. Two FBI agents were in the room. So was a prosecutor with the U.S. attorney's office. Two investigators from the EPA's inspector general's office were on speakerphone. 'On the one hand, I had nothing to hide, and I just told them the truth, but it was really scary,' he said. 'I mean, this whole thing was stemming from me saying something that's been taken of context and twisted,' he said. 'I also was scared of the exact same thing happening again.' Feigning Amazement The Project Veritas video of Efron fits a pattern. During the Biden administration, the outfit released a string of surreptitiously recorded videos of young, mostly male federal workers, breezily complaining about dysfunction in their departments or about policies with which they disagreed. Most appear to be filmed in bars or restaurants. In many of the videos, a male voice can be heard behind the hidden camera, alternately gushing ('Amazing!' fawned Brady when Efron said he worked on climate change) or asking probing questions. 'Mr. Efron openly described his experience 'throwing gold bars off the Titanic' at Biden's EPA to our journalist in his own words,' Project Veritas said in a written statement. 'If he disagrees with Project Veritas' reporting, he should reflect on his own statements, as we published his words as the story.' Zeldin's office, meanwhile, continues to maintain that Efron's 'gold bars' comment was an admission of government wrongdoing. 'This video started a public discourse about very real issues with the way the Biden administration lit tens of billions of tax dollars on fire,' his spokesperson, Molly Vaseliou, said in a statement. The administrator continues to maintain his zero tolerance policy for waste and abuse." Seeking a New Start Efron's D.C. apartment lease expired recently, and he is staying with friends until he figures out his next steps. He still has not found work and thinks employers fear they could become a target of the Trump administration if they hire him. Zaid said Efron has few concrete ways to hold Project Veritas accountable for the disruption in his life. In Washington, D.C., it is legal for a person to record their own conversation with someone else without consent. Efron has tentatively returned to dating apps. But background searches are now a must, and he tends to stick to meeting people with whom he has friends in common. He said he regrets his choice of words in the Project Veritas video but will not apologize for sharing his personal political opinions during what he thought was a private moment. 'I have so much regret that my words have been twisted to be used to go after all these programs as a sort of justification,' he said. 'I regret that I was not careful enough in vetting who I was talking to, and shouldn't have been talking about work. But I also think that what I said was something I should have been allowed to say.' This article originally appeared in .
Sydney Morning Herald
07-06-2025
- Climate
- Sydney Morning Herald
Snow, much-needed rain falls as wintry blast hits Victoria
Melbourne is on track for its coldest day of the year so far, while wet weather is bringing much-needed relief for the state's farmers. The wintry blast has also dumped snow across alpine regions of the state, with conditions due to continue into the official launch of the snow season on Monday. Senior meteorologist Michael Efron warned Melburnians to brace for more chilly conditions, with a top of 12 degrees forecast for Sunday after a chilly low of 8 degrees overnight. 'We are on track for our coldest day this year,' he said. Loading In the Alps, the mercury plummeted to -3.5 degrees at Mount Hotham while Falls Creek dropped to -3 degrees and Mount Baw Baw hit -2 degrees. The skies finally opened up on Friday, bringing desperately needed rain, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Efron said the wet conditions were forecast to continue on Sunday, with rainfall of between 10 and 25 millimetres expected through parts of the south and east of the state. For northern parts of the state, another 5 to 15 millimetres of rain was expected today, he said. 'We are seeing some of those drought-affected areas receive some really useful rainfall, but not all of them have seen that,' he explained.
The Age
07-06-2025
- Climate
- The Age
Snow, much-needed rain falls as wintry blast hits Victoria
Melbourne is on track for its coldest day of the year so far, while wet weather is bringing much-needed relief for the state's farmers. The wintry blast has also dumped snow across alpine regions of the state, with conditions due to continue into the official launch of the snow season on Monday. Senior meteorologist Michael Efron warned Melburnians to brace for more chilly conditions, with a top of 12 degrees forecast for Sunday after a chilly low of 8 degrees overnight. 'We are on track for our coldest day this year,' he said. Loading In the Alps, the mercury plummeted to -3.5 degrees at Mount Hotham while Falls Creek dropped to -3 degrees and Mount Baw Baw hit -2 degrees. The skies finally opened up on Friday, bringing desperately needed rain, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Efron said the wet conditions were forecast to continue on Sunday, with rainfall of between 10 and 25 millimetres expected through parts of the south and east of the state. For northern parts of the state, another 5 to 15 millimetres of rain was expected today, he said. 'We are seeing some of those drought-affected areas receive some really useful rainfall, but not all of them have seen that,' he explained.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dylan Efron Is Ready for Girlfriend Courtney and Boston Rob's Wife Amber Mariano to Become Friends
Is it time to turn this bromance into double dates? As Dylan Efron and Boston Rob's friendship continues to bring joy to Traitors fans, Efron revealed he hasn't met fellow Survivor icon Amber Mariano — but is ready to make it happen. 'At this point, Amber and my girlfriend, Courtney, need to get their own trip,' Efron, 33, said with a laugh while speaking to Us Weekly at Wasa's Camp Crunch on Governors Island in New York City. 'We need to get them together 'cause they're getting pretty jealous of each other.' As a Survivor fan, Efron was well aware of both Rob and Amber's love story and gameplay. He bonded with Rob in the castle on season 3 of The Traitors, and the twosome have been meeting up all over the country for events. 'It is pretty hilarious. My girlfriend was saying it the other day. She's just like, 'You have the weirdest life.' If you would've told me when I was watching Survivor, 'I'm gonna meet that guy and be friends,' she would've laughed,' Efron said. 'It's pretty cool.' Dylan Efron Has 'No Issue' Being Known as Zac Efron's Brother: We 'Confuse Ourselves' on Family Phone Calls Efron and Rob's latest outing? The premiere of the new Mission: Impossible movie earlier this month. "I think the best part of Boston Rob is he doesn't act his age. He can go with the flow. We were just at this Tom Cruise premiere and everyone's, like, under 30, but he's there with us hanging out. Everyone loves him. He can kind of be a chameleon and blend into whatever setting he is in," Efron said. "If you've watched Survivor, he really is exactly what you think. And I think a lot of people, when you watch 'em on TV and you meet 'em in real life, they're different. So when you meet someone that's exactly what you think they are, it's refreshing." While at that premiere, Dylan also had a chance to talk to Cruise, who he had met with brother Zac Efron a decade prior. "I was like, 'I met you with my brother, like, 12 years ago at a pretty small dinner.' And he was like, 'Oh, my God. I remember. It was at the Chateau Marmont!'" Dylan recalled. "He remembered my brother and that's how he probably put it together, but it was pretty cool. He's the best for a reason. I worked at Warner Bros. and I was so impressed because he would show up through post-production — no actors do that. No actor is coming in once the movie wraps to make sure the movie's good, and he did that every day. He really cares about it." Dylan Efron and Courtney King Relationship Timeline: From High School to the 'Next Chapter' While Dylan had been working behind the scenes on films and with Zac on Netflix's Down to Earth With Zac Efron, he's become a star in front of the camera thanks to winning season 3 of The Traitors. For his next venture, Dylan is very open to the reality TV possibilities. "I'm down. I just want something that's a good experience. That's why I've traveled as much as I have. I've always prioritized making experiences that I can look back on the rest of my life and a lot of these shows — like Special Forces, for example. I'm not in the military. I'm never gonna know what it's like. But if you do that for two weeks, it's gonna change your life. I am interested in other shows, just whatever it is, I want to learn a new skill and have a blast," he said. When the idea of Dancing With the Stars came up, Dylan hinted it could be a possibility, saying, "I don't dance, so it would be one where I'm learning a new skill!" In case you missed it, Dylan also made headlines last month for saving two women from drowning on the beach in Miami with Traitors costar Sam Asghari. Dylan Efron Recalls Saving 2 Women From Drowning in Miami: I 'Just Sprinted Out There' "It was pretty weird because when it ended, it was one of those things that no one was recording, no one knew it happened. So I didn't think anything was gonna come of it and I didn't expect anything of it. It was just like, I'm a decent swimmer and I saw people out there, so I helped. ... Everyone's like, 'What can't he do?' And I'm like, 'Guys, it wasn't that glamorous. people needed help. I swam,'" he told Us, adding that the beachgoers had "no idea" who Dylan or Asghari were."One woman was very shell-shocked, and I just stayed with her until she caught her breath." Dylan is now used to having more eyes on him, which has also helped him find perfect opportunities for brand partnerships — like with Wasa. 'In the past, I couldn't be as selective, and now I get to be selective with who I'm working with. You can tell when it's organic — this is everything I love so it makes it much easier to speak on it,' he said, referring to the camp-style retreat, which included a Chopped-style challenge with Wasa Crispbreads (a snack that he eats often in his daily life). "We had 10 people on our team with a list of ingredients," he explained. "Our first one was Wasa Crisp Creation Cinnamon, and we put cream cheese, strawberries, blueberries and coconut shreds on it. Second one was savory, so we did Wasa Crisp Creations Sesame & Sea Salt with cottage cheese, cucumber, bagel seasoning and dill, like, our take on a New York bagel." Dylan also recorded an ASMR playlist for the brand. "I'm into it now. I wasn't sure — it was my first time doing ASMR, but it turned out so good with the cracks and the crackles of the cracker,' he said. 'Once it was all put together, it was pretty incredible." Fans can listen to Dylan's ad here and buy their own Wasa Crispbreads for their snacking needs now.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Traitors' star Dylan Efron saves two women from drowning in Miami ocean: ‘People screaming in the water'
Dylan Efron recently saved two young women from drowning in Florida's Atlantic Ocean. The 'Traitors' star recounted the heroic tale on Thursday's episode of 'Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast,' sharing that it was his first time visiting South Beach in Miami. Efron, 33, was with his friend Brennon and his 'Traitors' co-star Sam Asghari. 'I just walk up the shore for the first time ever, and I'm looking out, and there's people screaming in the water,' Efron recalled, adding that he didn't initially think it could be a shark because 'the currents were ripping.' 'I just saw five girls, like, their hands were up, screaming. There's people on the shore with their hands up,' he continued. 'So I just looked around, and there's no lifeguards around. … Me and Brennon just look at each other, and we just sprinted out there.' The 'Down to Earth with Zac Efron' producer noted that there were two women in the water who were closer to shore who 'already had a guy helping them in,' while the other three were 'out further.' 'So I swam one in, swam back for another girl,' he explained. 'The last girl I swam in, I was just trying to calm her down. Just saying, 'Breathe. Breathe.' And she's just wrapped me in the biggest hug, like, doesn't wanna let go. So we hugged for like a full minute, just hugging this girl on the shore. I'm like, 'You're safe. You're good.'' According to Zac Efron's younger brother, the girl 'never said [another] word' to him, and they both 'just walked away.' He described the experience as 'random' and 'really real.' When asked whether he hesitated to enter the ocean given the powerful rip current, Dylan replied, 'I'm in the water a lot, so I just felt comfortable.' However, he did point out that he and Brennon 'ended up, like, a football field length away' from where they first entered the water. 'The current was strong,' he reiterated. 'The girls probably just got a little too far and got scared.' After that, Dylan said officials directed everyone in the ocean to come back to land.
