☕ Is Clean Air in danger?

Happy Thursday.

In some breaking news this morning, it appears Russia will reject the US ceasefire proposal, already accepted by Ukraine. There will be more to come on this story throughout the day - for now, we have a rundown on what has happened over the past 24 hours in the region.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Canada has placed new tariffs on $20 billion of US imports, retaliating against President Donald Trump’s blanket 25% steel and aluminum tariff. The new tariffs mostly center on metal products, but also impacts computers, tools and sporting goods. The US stock market has reacted poorly to the tariffs this week with sharp drops, however lower-than-expected inflation figures released yesterday saw the market rebound slightly despite Canada’s retaliation.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a rare visit to Russia's Kursk region, a portion of which has been under Ukrainian control since August last year. Following the visit, Russia announced it had recaptured the town of Sudzha, a key part of the Kursk region. The President’s visit comes as Russian forces make significant gains in recapturing the territory, and Russia considers a 30-day-ceasefire deal agreed to by Ukraine. Putin praised his soldiers' gains so far and urged them to push the Ukrainians out in the shortest time possible. Previously, Ukrainian officials have suggested the return of the Kursk region could be used as a negotiating chip with Russia in upcoming peace deal talks.

• Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory between the US and Europe, has elected a center-right Trump critic as their Prime Minister, a rebuke by voters of President Trump’s push for the territory to become part of the US. In his acceptance speech, new PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Greenland is ‘not for sale’. Nielsen’s party fell just short of forming a majority and will enter into negotiations to form a coalition with other parties. The party with the second largest vote share was Naleraq, which was seen as more sympathetic to Trump’s plan to annex Greenland.

• Immigration detention centres are at capacity with 47,600 detainees, according to officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The majority of those detained have committed or been charged with a criminal offence, whilst some are solely charged with immigration related infringements. The head of ICE said the numbers of detainees would only increase as part of the Trump administration’s pledge against illegal immigration. He called for increased funding to the department, as well as support from Defense and the Bureau of Prisons, manage additional detainees.

I’ve got 1 minute

Nearly half of the Department of Education’s employees have been fired, after 1,300 employees were placed on administrative leave. It comes on top of the 700 already terminated via probationary contract cancellations, or voluntary resignation programs. In total, it means that its workforce has been reduced by nearly 50%.

Some Department of Education offices across the country have also been closed.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the cuts will allow her to send more money to state education departments, and improve the efficiency of the “bloated” department.

The move forms part of a broader plan by President Trump to eliminate the department, which he has called “inefficient” and allegedly "indoctrinates young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material".

What does the Department of Education do?

The Department of Education does not have control over the design or implementation of school curriculums - this power lies with the states.

Instead, the Department administers key funds and payments related to education, including student loans. It provides about 10% of funding for public schools, and runs programs which support low-income students, such as the Pell Grants which assist poor students pay for university.

The Department also oversees the enforcement of anti-discrimination rules across the school system.

What effects will the cuts have?

Department officials say it’s too early to see which parts of its operations will be most impacted by the reduced headcount.

Regardless, students are unlikely to see any immediate changes in their curriculum, or the number of teachers in the classroom.

Department officials said they will continue to deliver key functions. However, an email to the remaining staff noted the way they work will have to change, emphasizing that what is “prioritize[d], and in turn, not prioritize[d], will be critical.”

Advocates also fear that staff cuts will reduce the department's ability to advocate for students living with a disability.

Will President Trump eliminate the agency altogether?

The Department of Education can only be eliminated by an act of Congress, as it is a cabinet department.

Whilst President Trump and his Republican allies have expressed desire for the full elimination of the Department, other conservatives have suggested the Treasury department should absorb its responsibilities.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chief Lee Zeldin has announced he will consider sweeping cuts to Biden-era programs, including key initiatives in the fight against climate change and pollution. Zeldin called yesterday “the greatest day of deregulation the [US] has ever seen.”

Among the 31 actions unveiled is a possible rewrite of the EPA’s 2009 finding that planet-warming greenhouse gases endanger public health — the legal foundation of most modern environmental rules.

The announcement mirrors directions from President Trump made via executive order on day one of his presidency. Let’s explain.

First, some context

Between 2020-24, President Biden made climate action central to his agenda, pledging to end US carbon emissions by 2050 and acknowledging America’s role as the second-largest current (and top historic) emitter.

Trump and his political allies successfully argued to voters that Biden’s policies hurt US economic growth. EPA chief Lee Zeldin said yesterday’s moves will return money to families, give states more control, and boost domestic energy production.

What are the big changes?

Among the biggest changes planned are reversals of President Biden’s emissions limits on vehicles and power plants.

Zeldin said he will consider reversing car emissions standards, which were expected to cut greenhouse gases by seven billion tons. Both he and Trump have slammed the Biden era emissions standards as an electric vehicle "mandate."

He will also review coal plant rules that require any plant that plans on staying open past 2039 to implement a 90% ‘cut or capture’ of emissions by 2032 - a policy aimed at preventing 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon by 2047.

Biden’s curbs on toxic pollutants emitted by power plants like mercury, designed to protect public health, are also under review as part of broader EPA cuts.

The Clean Air Act

In 2009, the EPA found greenhouse gases pose a major risk to public health, a decision that became the foundation of Biden and Obama environmental policies under the Clean Air Act.

Trump and the EPA chief want to rewrite this finding, calling climate policy a threat to US economic growth.

Critics have warned that courts won’t back a reversal, arguing the science behind the original ruling is too strong.

Reactions

Critics of the action have said it is a step backwards in the fight against climate change. Democrat Frank Pallone told AP the actions will have “will have swift and catastrophic ramifications for the environment and health of all Americans.’'

Zeldin insisted the action would have the opposite effect, saying the move "[wasn't] about abandoning environmental protection — [but] achieving it through innovation and not strangulation.”