Wednesday, July 30, 2025

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Apple Commits $500 Billion to U.S. Investment In Response to Pressure from Trump.

Apple announced on Monday its intention to invest $500 billion in the United States over the next five years, including plans to create 20,000 jobs and build artificial intelligence (AI) servers. The move is seen as a response to pressure from President Donald J. Trump and his plans to impose tariffs on foreign imports from countries with tariffs on American exports.

The company’s latest ventures include constructing a server factory in Houston by 2026 and establishing a manufacturing academy in Detroit. Existing data centers across several states—including Arizona, California, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington—will also receive investment for expansion.

This recent pledge builds upon Apple’s earlier U.S. expansion. In 2021, it committed to investing $430 billion domestically over five years. In 2018, Apple announced a $350 billion investment in the American economy, promising the creation of 20,000 jobs. Additionally, Apple confirmed that an Arizona facility owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has begun producing valuable semiconductor chips.

President Trump, who met with Apple CEO Tim Cook last week, suggested his tariff threats influenced the new plans. “APPLE HAS JUST ANNOUNCED A RECORD 500 BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” the America First leader wrote, adding: “THE REASON, FAITH IN WHAT WE ARE DOING, WITHOUT WHICH, THEY WOULD’NT BE INVESTING TEN CENTS. THANK YOU TIM COOK AND APPLE!!!”

Despite the planned domestic U.S. expansion, Apple’s core products, like the iPhone, will remain manufactured abroad.

Apple stated that its new hires will primarily focus on research, development, engineering, and AI. “We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement, adding: “And we’ll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation.”

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By Popular Demand.
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Trump Slaps 25% Tariff on India, Adds Penalty for Russia Trade.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on India starting August 1, alongside an unspecified penalty for trade and military equipment purchases from Russia.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the White House.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The new tariff rate was announced by President Trump in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country.” – President Trump

🎯IMPACT: The tariffs could affect U.S.-India trade relations and India’s economic ties with Russia.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on India starting August 1, 2025, during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the East Room of the White House. The tariff comes with an additional “penalty” in response to what Trump described as India’s unfair trade practices and its purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia. Notably, the 25 percent rate is slightly lower than the 26 percent tariff Trump had previously imposed on “Liberation Day.”

Trump explained his decision on Truth Social, stating, “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country.” He continued: “Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! “

“INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!” Trump concluded.

The news of the tariff on Indian goods comes as the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Wednesday that the American economy grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of three percent. This figure exceeded economists’ forecast of 2.4 percent. Additionally, the Commerce Department published data on Tuesday showing the trade gap in goods narrowed to $86.0 billion, down from $96.4 billion in May—suggesting that President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs are successfully rebalancing the economy in favor of American industry.

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BREAKING: Trump’s Tariff Economy Surges to 3% GDP Growth.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. economy grew at a 3% annual rate in the second quarter of 2025, bolstered by a sharp drop in imports following a tariff-related surge earlier in the year.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump’s administration, U.S. businesses and consumers, and the Federal Reserve.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Data reflects the second quarter of 2025, with the Commerce Department releasing its report on July 30.

🎯IMPACT: Higher consumer confidence, though establishment economists say growth will slow in the coming months.

IN FULL

The U.S. economy grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3% in the second quarter of 2025, according to the Commerce Department’s July 30 report. This figure exceeded economists’ forecast of 2.4%, as surveyed by Bloomberg.

The growth was largely attributed to a 30.3% drop in imports, reversing a 37.9% surge in the first quarter. The earlier spike was driven by businesses stockpiling foreign goods ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which led to a contraction in GDP during the first quarter.

Consumer spending and business investment also increased.

Establishment economists, however, project growth to slow further in the second half of the year, blaming Trump’s tariffs which fuelled the current surge and have already helped raise government revenue.

Despite this GDP performance, the Federal Reserve is expected to maintain its current interest rates, focusing instead on monitoring inflation and labor market trends. Futures markets anticipate a possible rate cut in mid-September.

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Trump Is Prosecuting a Record Number of Illegal Immigrants.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration set a new monthly record for criminal prosecutions of illegal aliens in June, prosecuting over 3,000 for illegal reentry.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and illegal immigrants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: June 2025, with notable increases in prosecutions in New Mexico and other states across the U.S.

💬KEY QUOTE: “They’re a great way to get a conviction, a great way to get a criminal off the street, and a great way to remove them from the country in an expeditious way.” – Jonathan Fahey, former Acting Director of ICE during the first Trump administration

🎯IMPACT: Illegal alien encounters have plummeted over 90 percent in certain months, with tens of thousands voluntarily leaving the U.S.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges against over 3,000 illegal immigrants in June, setting a new monthly record for prosecutions against aliens unlawfully present in the United States. The ramp-up in prosecutions stems from a multi-agency effort to identify illegal immigrants who have returned to the U.S. after being previously deported, allowing the DOJ to charge the individuals with felony illegal reentry.

In addition, federal prosecutors charged another 3,200 illegal immigrants with simple illegal entry—though that total is not a record for the DOJ. Nevertheless, the simple illegal entry charge comprised over 50 percent of U.S. Border Patrol arrests in June, setting a separate record. Notably, at the peak of the border crisis under former President Joe Biden, the arrest rate never exceeded one percent.

 The DOJ asserted that it is “using all available investigative and prosecutorial tools” in the effort to fight the “invasion of illegal immigration.” Trump White House officials say the move to bring criminal charges against illegal immigrants is just a component of its “whole government” approach to addressing the illegal immigration crisis.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fahey, who also served as the Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the first Trump administration, notes that cases involving felony illegal reentry have a very high conviction rate. According to Fahey, prosecutors simply have to show that an illegal immigrant with a prior deportation subsequently reentered the country illegally.

“They’re a great way to get a conviction, a great way to get a criminal off the street, and a great way to remove them from the country in an expeditious way,” Fahey explained.

New Mexico, in particular, has seen a marked increase in felony illegal reentry cases. Filing data shows prosecutors brought 245 cases in May, with 277 filed in June. Under the former Biden government, not even 100 cases were filed in the final few months of 2024.

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Investigation Finds More Inconsistencies in Epstein Jail Footage.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A CBS News analysis of video footage related to Jeffrey Epstein’s death raises questions about the thoroughness and accuracy of the government’s investigation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, U.S. Bureau of Prisons staff, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and forensic video experts.

📍WHEN & WHERE: August 2019, Metropolitan Correctional Center, Manhattan, New York; investigation conducted in July 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “To say that there’s no way that someone could get to that—the stair up to his room—without being seen is false.” – Jim Stafford, forensic video expert.

🎯IMPACT: The inconsistencies in the video evidence and government reports fuel ongoing skepticism about the official narrative of Epstein’s death.

IN FULL

In August 2019, convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. At the time, then-Attorney General Bill Barr stated that surveillance video confirmed no one had entered the area leading to Epstein’s cell, reinforcing the medical examiner’s ruling of suicide. However, a recent investigation into the surveillance footage, released in recent weeks, has raised new concerns about its clarity and integrity.

CBS News analyzed an 11-hour video released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that was purported to show the corridor near Epstein’s cell—with more immediately relevant footage being unavailable, supposedly due to technical issues. According to forensic video analysts consulted by the news organization, the footage fails to capture the cell block’s entrance clearly. The staircase leading up to Epstein’s cell is largely hidden from view, making it impossible to determine whether someone could have entered or exited unnoticed. Video forensics expert Jim Stafford commented, “To say that there’s no way that someone could get to that, the stairs up to his room, without being seen, is false.”

The video itself has also raised questions due to its format and creation date. Experts noted that rather than being raw footage directly from the surveillance system, as the government has claimed, the video appears to be an edited screen recording. Metadata shows that the file was created in May 2023, nearly four years after Epstein’s death, and that it was exported using Adobe Premiere Pro. Analysts also flagged a missing minute in the footage and a change in the aspect ratio, suggesting it was likely edited or reprocessed.

Further complicating the picture is a DOJ inspector general’s report, which accepted staff accounts that no one accessed Epstein’s cell without being observed. CBS News found that the footage showed multiple individuals moving through areas where correctional officers were not present, calling into question the DOJ‘s assertion. One disputed moment involved what officials claimed was a staff member carrying linens up the stairs—experts noted the image more closely resembled someone in an orange prison jumpsuit.

The FBI and DOJ continue to maintain that Epstein’s death was a suicide.

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Ghislaine Maxwell Issues Conditions to Congress for Testimony.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Sex trafficker and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell has demanded concessions in exchange for cooperating with a congressional subpoena issued by House Oversight Chairman James Comer.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ghislaine Maxwell, her attorney David Oscar Markus, House Oversight Chairman James Comer, and the House Oversight Committee.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The subpoena was issued last week; Maxwell is currently serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tallahassee, Florida.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[I]f Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing—and eager—to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.,” said Markus.

🎯IMPACT: The Oversight Committee plans to respond to Maxwell’s attorney soon.

IN FULL

Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein to sex traffic underage girls, has demanded immunity or other concessions in exchange for cooperating with a subpoena issued by House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY). The subpoena seeks her deposition at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tallahassee, Florida, on August 11.

In a letter sent on July 29, Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, indicated that Maxwell’s “initial reaction” was to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights and decline to testify. However, he outlined “conditions” under which she might cooperate, including receiving questions in advance, scheduling the deposition after the Supreme Court decides on her petition to overturn her conviction, or granting her clemency.

Markus also warned that questioning Maxwell in prison without immunity would create “real security risks” and undermine the integrity of the process. He added, “Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing—and eager—to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.”

A spokesman for the Oversight Committee has stated that it “will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony” but will respond to Maxwell’s attorney soon. The demands follow meetings between Maxwell and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Maxwell reportedly named around a hundred people linked to Epstein and his activities, but so far, none of the names have been publicly released.

With the Trump administration under pressure for a recent memo stating that no Epstein “client list” exists—despite Attorney General Pam Bondi saying in February that it was “on [her] desk”—Maxwell and her lawyers are suspected to be behind recent efforts to tie President Donald J. Trump to the deceased pedophile, with Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, speculating that she may hope to “blackmail her way into a pardon.”

Additionally, the House Oversight panel recently voted to subpoena files related to Jeffrey Epstein and testimony from prominent figures, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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King Charles ‘Very Concerned’ Trump Will Criticize Mass Migration During State Visit: Report.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Europe’s handling of immigration on a visit to Scotland, calling it a “horrible invasion.” King Charles III is reportedly wary that the President could make similar comments when he hosts him for a state visit in September.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, King Charles, Nigel Farage, and unnamed royal sources.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump made the remarks on Friday during a visit to Scotland, ahead of a planned state visit to the United Kingdom in September.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You better get your act together or you’re not going to have Europe anymore.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Concerns have been raised by royal sources about potential political remarks during a state banquet.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump’s criticism of Europe’s lax immigration policies during his recent visit to Scotland is reportedly sparking concerns about his upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom in September, where he is expected to attend a banquet at Windsor Castle. The source, a civil servant described as close to the Royal Family, stated that “[King] Charles has spent his entire life promoting tolerance and compassion.”

“He will be appalled by what Trump said on Friday, which seems to be entirely driven by his domestic agenda, and will be very concerned about the possibility of a repeat of Trump’s outburst in September,” the royal source claimed in a recent media interview.

“If Trump starts sounding off about the evils of immigration to the cameras while the King is standing next to him, the King would find that hard to take,” said a source described as a “friend of the King.”

During his trip to Scotland last week, President Trump blasted European leaders for failing to stop a “horrible invasion” of illegal immigrants, arguing that the influx of foreign nationals is “killing Europe.” The America First leader issued a stern warning, saying, “You better get your act together or you’re not going to have Europe anymore.”

Immigration has been a contentious issue in the United Kingdom, with record numbers of small boats carrying illegal immigrants across the English Channel this year. Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has warned that the country is nearing “civil disobedience on a vast scale” over the crisis.

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UK PM Defends Crackdown on Internet Freedoms.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The United Kingdom implemented the Online Safety Act (OSA) last week, granting extensive censorship powers to the unelected regulator Ofcom and targeting online speech deemed “harmful.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ofcom, Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, and social media companies operating in Britain.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The legislation came into effect on Friday across the United Kingdom.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The OSA plunges this country into a borderline dystopian state.” – Zia Yusuf, Reform Party

🎯IMPACT: The act imposes significant fines on companies failing to comply, restricts free speech, and could set a dangerous precedent for online censorship.

IN FULL

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended the censorious Online Safety Act and insisted Britain “had free speech for a very, very long time” and will continue to do so. Critics argue the legislation marks the end of that tradition, which is already ineffective due to laws allowing people to be prosecuted for “grossly offensive” communications and other forms of expression by enabling widespread censorship under the guise of “online safety.”

The Online Safety Act, passed by the formerly governing Conservative (Tory) Party government but only effective from Friday, grants the unelected regulator Ofcom the power to enforce a “duty of care” on websites. Under this framework, social media companies must remove content Ofcom deems harmful or face fines of up to $24 million or 10 percent of global revenue, whichever is higher.

Ofcom’s definition of “harmful content” is broad, encompassing criticisms of government policies, including immigration and COVID-19 measures—not just sexually explicit content, as its defenders imply. Zia Yusuf, of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, described the act as plunging Britain into a “borderline dystopian state.” Farage himself has pledged to repeal the legislation if Reform takes over the government.

Social media platforms are now required to verify users’ ages and adjust algorithms to block inappropriate content for children. Critics argue this effectively censors conservative viewpoints and dissenting opinions, as the rules apply extraterritorially, potentially impacting American users. Notably, it has already restricted not only minors’ access to pornography, but also parliamentary debates on Muslim grooming gangs.

Some British Internet users have tried to bypass the legislation using Virtual Private Networks (VPN), which allow users to get around geographic-based restrictions online. Figures from within Stamrer’s Labour Party are mulling banning the use of VPNs in response.

The Trump administration has been urged to act against this legislation, with concerns that the Starmer government could collaborate with U.S. Democrats to bypass First Amendment protections for social media users.

Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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UK Grooming Gangs Scandal Widens: Police Officers Accused of Joining Abuse.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Five women, previously exploited by grooming gangs in Rotherham, England, allege they were also abused by police officers.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The allegations involve former officers of South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and victims of Muslim rape gangs.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The alleged incidents occurred in Rotherham between the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There has been no accountability in the town—and without accountability, there will continue to be a distrust of South Yorkshire Police.” – Amy Clowrey, Switalskis Solicitors

🎯IMPACT: A new investigation led by SYP’s major crime unit is underway, with oversight from the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).

IN FULL

In Rotherham, England, five women who were victims of Muslim grooming gangs as children have come forward with allegations of abuse by police officers as well. One woman recounts being raped by a South Yorkshire Police officer in a marked vehicle, under the threat of being handed back to her abusers if she resisted.

The Jay Report of 2014 previously identified that over 1,400 mostly white girls were abused by gangs comprised mostly of Pakistani-heritage Muslim men in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. The new investigation by SYP’s major crime unit seeks to address the involvement of police officers in these heinous acts. However, Professor Alexis Jay, who led the initial inquiry, expressed her shock at SYP’s self-investigation, and suggested that an independent body should handle it.

The BBC reports it has seen testimony from 30 women, with allegations of police officers’ misconduct during the same period they were targeted by grooming gangs. These accounts have been collected by Switalskis Solicitors, who are also pursuing a civil claim against the police force. “There has been no accountability in the town—and without accountability, there will continue to be a distrust of South Yorkshire Police,” Amy Clowrey of the Switalskis Solicitors stated.

“I’m sure that the full truth in terms of the level of corruption and the extent of it in Rotherham has yet to come out,” said another member of the law firm.

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UK Threatens to Recognize Palestinian State Unless Israel Meets Aid Demands.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September if Israel does not take steps to alleviate the crisis in Gaza.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald J. Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and other members of the British cabinet.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Starmer’s announcement followed an emergency virtual Cabinet meeting over the weekend and discussions with international leaders.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering now in Gaza because of a catastrophic failure of aid. We see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end.” – Keir Starmer

🎯IMPACT: Starmer’s decision puts pressure on Israel to act and has sparked debate within the British Cabinet and internationally.

IN FULL

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that his government will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Britain’s recognition is being positioned as conditional, hinging on actions including ending “starvation tactics,” agreement to a ceasefire, and a commitment to a comprehensive peace process.

“The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering now in Gaza because of a catastrophic failure of aid,” Starmer said. “We see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end.”

The issue of recognizing Palestinian statehood has sparked debate within Starmer’s Cabinet. Senior Labour figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, back the recognition, while others, such as Chancellor Rachel Reeves, have expressed concern, warning that the move could potentially “reward Hamas.”

In recent days, Starmer met with President Donald J. Trump in Scotland to discuss the crisis. Trump has said he and Starmer “never discussed” the issue, but that his position is that recognizing Palestinian statehood is indeed “rewarding Hamas,” and he is “not about to do that.”

However, the America First leader has been at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks, disagreeing with him, for instance, that children in Gaza are not starving, and—like Starmer—pressuring for more food aid. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday, the President noted that First Lady Melania Trump has been gripped by the “terrible” images from Gaza, explaining, “She sees the same pictures that you see. And that we all see… [T]hose are kids that are starving. They are starving.”

European leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are also signaling support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street.

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Trump EPA Prepares to ‘Drive a Dagger Into the Heart of the Climate Change Religion.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a proposal to rescind the legal basis for federal regulation of gas-powered vehicle emissions and electric vehicle (EV) mandates established during the Obama administration.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, former EPA Chief of Staff Mandy Gunasekara, and legal experts including Steve Milloy and Michael Buschbacher.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This will basically drive a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion.” – Lee Zeldin

🎯IMPACT: If finalized, the proposal could dismantle the regulatory framework for federal climate policies, reshaping the U.S. energy and environmental landscape.

IN FULL

The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding issued under the Obama administration. This finding declared greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane, as threats to public health, enabling sweeping federal climate regulations.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposal on Tuesday morning, stating, “This will basically drive a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion.” The 2009 finding has been the foundation for numerous regulations, including those targeting vehicle emissions, coal-fired power plants, and methane emissions from oil and gas operations.

The Biden government had relied on the same finding to enforce electric vehicle (EV) mandates and other climate policies. Former EPA chief of staff Mandy Gunasekara noted, “It is the activating document to the entirety of our substantive greenhouse gas regulations.” Steve Milloy, a senior legal fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, added, “If they get rid of the endangerment finding, then the rationale for all federal action on climate kind of goes away.”

The proposal, if finalized, would empower the EPA to reverse regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions, potentially reducing regulatory burdens on industries reliant on fossil fuels. However, legal experts, including Michael Buschbacher, caution that the proposal may face significant legal challenges. “Unless this is done really, really well, this has the potential of being a kind of regulatory Vietnam,” he said.

Notably, Zeldin and Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright both contend that the EPA can rescind the Obama-era greenhouse gas finding under the legal framework created by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo ruling, which dramatically altered the legal principle of Chevron deference.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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