Bush Stepped In to Weaken Ozone Rules

Bush & Co. refused to open report mandated by Supreme Court

(NEWSER) - The White House didn’t like the findings in a Supreme Court-mandated report on pollutants from the EPA—so it simply refused to open the email, the New York Times reports. Instead, the administration has successfully pressured the agency into releasing a watered-down, recommendation-free report. Among the omitted sections: analysis showing that tougher automobile regulation could produce $500 billion to $2 trillion in economic benefits. More»

Staff unearths years of shelved proposals

(NEWSER) - More than a dozen environmental initiatives that stagnated under former President Bush are moving forward under Obama, the Washington Post reports. In most of those cases, the decisions were based on reports drafted over several years that, in the face of opposition, were placed on the back burner to await new bosses. “It is kind of how government works, at its best,” said an environmental advocate. More»

44 enjoys rare mix of crisis, popularity, and an office at its peak

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama enters office today with a realistic shot of becoming one of the most powerful presidents in history, writes Barton Gellman in the Washington Post. Historians and officials in the outgoing and incoming administrations agree the presidency is already at or near an apex of power, and Obama’s popularity, combined with the many crises he faces, could push his authority yet higher. More»

Bush administration pushes through midnight regulations

(NEWSER) - With the Bush White House pushing through a raft of last-minute rules, the nonprofit journalism group ProPublica offers a running list, with the status of each:

• Business-friendly safety regulations would loosen restrictions on exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace.
• Local police would get increased surveillance ability.
• Loaded guns would be allowed in some national parks.

Agency warns of effects from global warming

(NEWSER) - Climate change will bring longer, hotter, smoggier summers in the coming decades across the US, a new EPA reports says. Expect more wildfires and hurricanes, too, along with water problems in the West, the Washington Post reports. The federal report is noteworthy because it refutes the Bush administration's rosier outlook on global warming, the Post notes. More»