Lee Zeldin in the news: EPA chief under GOP pressure amid budget fights and rollbacks on climate rules. New York Republican, ex-congressman, now EPA administrator since Jan 2025.
Gas prices across the United States have risen amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with California seeing the sharpest increases. National average hovers around $3.98, while California averages exceed $5.80, driven by refinery constraints, taxes, and environmental rules. Incidents of price manipulation and policy debates remain under scrutiny.
On April 2, 2026, President Donald Trump dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi after 14 months, citing frustrations over her handling of Jeffrey Epstein files and failed prosecutions of his political opponents. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, was named acting attorney general. Bondi will transition to a private sector role.
A UN expert reports Mexico is a pollution sink for the US, with over 1,000 contaminated sites, including waste imports and industrial pollution affecting communities' health. The government faces criticism for lax standards and unchecked environmental damage, especially in sacrifice zones.
Pollution from the Tijuana River is flowing into U.S. waters, contaminating Southern California beaches, with millions of gallons of sewage-tainted water daily. U.S. and Mexican officials have signed agreements to accelerate cleanup, while concerns extend to Gibraltar’s lack of wastewater treatment.
The Trump administration is moving to roll back 2024 and 2029-era coal wastewater limits and renew emergency orders keeping aging coal plants running to meet rising electricity demand driven by AI data centers. Michigan’s Campbell plant is at the center of a legal challenge as federal orders to keep plants open face scrutiny for signaling an energy emergency.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has moved to rescind the climate‑related disclosure rule, which had been paused amid litigation. The agency says the rule exceeds its statutory authority and imposes costs not justified by benefits, as environmental groups warn that investors will lose critical climate risk information.