President Donald Trump’s numerous libel suits against news media may be more of a nuisance than a real weapon — albeit one that comes with significant legal bills and other, less tangible costs. But the new WatchDog Opinion column raises a rising press freedom vulnerability that Trump seems happy to exploit: leveraging the increasing media ownership by billionaires and large corporations.
"Bristol Water said it wants to improve diverse wildlife at Blagdon Lake, a 440-acre reservoir and trout fishery in the Mendip Hills, Somerset. A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the work includes restoring thinning hedgerows by laying trimmed base stems horizontally."
"Bills in four states require state environmental regulations to show “direct causal link” to “manifest bodily harm,” not just increased risk of disease. Scientists say that’s all but impossible."
"When scientists recently analyzed hundreds of studies of ecosystems, they were surprised to see a marked slowing in the rate of species turnover. If new species don’t replace old ones, they say, ecosystems may have less flexibility to respond to habitat loss and climate change."
"A new report finds that of 154 specific claims about how AI will benefit the climate, just a quarter cited academic research. A third included no evidence at all."
"The EPA lost more than 4,000 employees in the first year of Trump’s second term, bringing its staffing down to a total of 12,849—a level not seen since the Reagan administration. That represents a reduction of 24 percent, more than double the rate of losses across the entire federal workforce."
"Citing national security, an unusual executive order gave protection to the herbicide Roundup. It also protected the U.S.’s only supply of a controversial, highly flammable munition."
"Cutting air pollution should form part of government strategies to reduce cancer rates, the European Code Against Cancer has recommended."
"A host of agency appointees will be free to reconnect with past industry clients on upcoming consequential regulatory matters."
"In Texas, environmental activists and experts raise the alarm about the impact on the state’s petrochemical industry."
