America's Climate Watchdog Goes Dark
What the elimination of the EPA's research arm means for you. Plus: Why your local bar might not survive Gen Z. Obama claps back. Crazy Train's final stop. And some News That Doesn't Suck from SF.
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Today we report on stories that deserve more attention than they're getting, the kind that shape policy and daily life but keep getting buried in the onslaught of noise and distraction.
First: the Environmental Protection Agency is eliminating its scientific research division — the office responsible for investigating everything from toxic chemicals to climate impacts. The move has drawn sharp criticism from scientists who warn it will cripple the agency's ability to protect public health. Fortunately, several organizations are mobilizing to fill critical research gaps.
Also the administration today offered us a glimpse of its new AI strategy, which promises to accelerate American innovation by removing regulatory constraints and — in official parlance — "ideological bias."
And in a shift that's reshaping social habits nationwide: young Americans are increasingly swapping traditional cocktails for something else entirely new. It's creating an interesting challenge for nightlife establishments.
Don’t worry. We’ll also catch you up on big political news – from the administration's war with Harvard, to the latest on tariffs deals, Obama’s clap back, and the obits of cultural bigs. And ok, we mention the latest Epstein news — because there's a lot — but put it way down at the end, ‘cause like you, we want to keep the noise to a minimum.
Are there other stories you think deserve more attention than they're getting? You can always let us know either in comments or at community@newsnotnosie.com.
Here Are Your Headlines:
Toxic Climate: The Environmental Protection Agency is eliminating its scientific research arm, the Office of Research and Development (ORD), after denying it was planning on doing so for months.
Context: Currently the ORD conducts the research that informs practically all of the EPA’s regulation and policy decisions. It investigates the potential dangers posed by toxic chemicals, pollution, wildfires, smog, and — crucially — climate change.
Examples: The ORD has historically been at the forefront of developing new methods for testing the risk of different chemical mixes. Its scientific models are used around the world to help battle problems like ozone depletion and air pollution. It also maintains widely used toxicology databases, which experts fear will no longer be updated. Eliminating all this will likely leave the US (and the world) less able to combat pollution, climate change, and other existential issues.
What This Means: Eliminating the ORD would “cripple EPA’s ability to do its own research,” one environmental policy expert warned NPR. And the president of the union representing thousands of EPA workers warned that “without it, we don’t have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment. Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.”
Who Benefits: The administration claims this will save $748.8 million. That’s far less than the US loses each year to the issues the EPA’s research arm investigates. For example, air pollution is thought to cost the US $790 billion per year. Freshwater pollution costs at least $4.3 billion a year, and millions of Americans are regularly exposed to chemicals and bacteria in contaminated water. The healthcare cost of inaction on climate change, meanwhile, is thought to be $820 billion a year in the US alone — though some scientists warn the ultimate cost could eventually be our extinction.
Corporate Wins: The EPA’s decision is being celebrated by chemical, mining, and farm industry players. They’ve been pushing the agency to reduce the power of its research arm for months, accusing it of “being unresponsive to … stakeholder recommendations” and arguing that its investigations into potentially toxic chemicals and pollutants “harm American competitiveness.” This is just one of over 400 attacks on science from the federal government over the last six months that are documented in a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists. “The reason” for these attacks, including those on the EPA’s research arm, one of the study’s lead authors explained, is because rigorous research leads to “stronger regulations, and that is not in the best interest of … those who have a financial stake in the EPA’s demise.”
How About the People: Hundreds of employees will likely be reassigned or laid off. The EPA plans to create a new “Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions,” presumably better aligned with what EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says is the agency’s “core mission of protecting human health and environment while powering the great American comeback.” AKA rules that don’t get in the way of profits. Historically, the EPA has focused on, you know, protecting the environment; under Trump and Zeldin, its focus has shifted to slashing regulations to promote economic growth. Here’s a fact you can use at the dinner table: research suggests that environmental regulations contribute to economic growth. Every dollar spent complying with air pollution regulations, for example, creates fifteen dollars in productivity and health care savings. However those dollars don’t factor into shareholder returns for big oil and chemical companies. Also, environmental regulations and research happen to protect us from toxic pollutants.
Silver Lining: Plenty of organizations remain committed to rigorous scientific research into pollution, climate change, and similar issues. For example, in May two major US scientific associations announced they would effectively continue publishing a major climate change assessment the Trump administration cancelled. You can find them here and here. Do you know of other organizations that are carrying on the important climate work the government is abandoning? Let us know in the comments or email us at community@newsnotnoise.com. Write CLIMATE in the subject line.
Free Reign: The Trump administration today announced an AI Action Plan that it says will “remove red tape and onerous regulation” to speed up the development of AI in the US. On the one hand, this is an important step to ensure that the US is able to compete effectively in the AI race (China is the number one competitor, promoting different standards and values than the US). Supporters of the Action Plan hope it will increase funding for research and development and help crucial industries utilize this new technology effectively. On the other hand, experts worry this plan gives private companies free reign (and federal resources) to expand their AI tools without necessary safeguards to protect the public.
What’s Objective: The plan argues AI must be free of “ideological bias.” That’s a worthwhile and complicated goal. Leaders on the right consistently accuse AI models of being biased because, well, the models fact-check politician’s claims and often that means correcting Trump and his allies. (In one study, five separate AI models consistently discredited claims made by Trump.) But the models can also reflect other biases, for example Grok’s recent antisemitic episodes, where the chatbot began praising Hitler. They are imperfect at best and reflect the inherent biases of the material they’re trained on. This is one of many reasons it’s important to have rigorous human oversight of AI systems performing critical roles. Trump’s new Action Plan calls for the removal of DEI, climate change, and misinformation from guidelines for AI development.
Build, Baby: The plan also promotes the construction of AI infrastructure, including power generation and data centers. It suggests various policy changes to make these easier to build. One of the problems: This could drain resources like water from communities in the vicinity. Some AI firms are trying to find less damaging ways to feed the technology’s relentless consumption of energy.
Arms Race: “We believe we’re in an AI race,” argued White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks. “We want the United States to win that race.” The Action Plan calls on the government to prioritize exporting American AI tools abroad.
Government By AI: The Action Plan also promotes widespread AI use within the federal government. In fact, it requires federal agencies to ensure employees have access to AI tools. A new AI procurement toolbox would help agencies adopt and customize such tools. This is a complicated transition we’ll continue to cover.
Last Call: Young Americans are increasingly ditching alcohol. Since 2000, young people have been drinking less and less; by 2023, 62% of people aged 18 to 34 said they drank at all, 10% lower than in 2003. That doesn’t mean the youth are staying sober, though. Many are replacing alcohol with marijuana and mushrooms, as well as other drugs like Kava and Kratom, which often come in the form of infused drinks. “You’re seeing a real shift in alcohol consumption,” the owner of one venue in Manhattan recently told the New York Times. “In turn, you’re seeing a real shift in the sustainability of nightlife in its current format.” Bar owners are feeling the squeeze because while customers can easily switch from alcohol to cannabis and other similar drinks, many bar owners can’t. Whether it’s legal or feasible to sell these alternative beverages is complicated and depends on your state and locality. Another complicating factor: the surge of GLP-1 drugs means many adults are cutting way back on their drinking. Are you seeing these changes among your friends?
Case Closed: 30-year-old Bryan Kohberger today pleaded guilty to the murders of four college students in Idaho. After maintaining his innocence for more than two years, Kohberger finally admitted to the crime to avoid the death penalty, and was sentenced to life without parole. Family and friends of the murder victims spoke in court today. Read some of their statements here. Read the details of the crime here.
Orange v Crimson: The State Department today announced an investigation into Harvard’s compliance with a key government program allowing foreign students to participate in US exchange programs. In May, the administration terminated Harvard’s exchange certification, but a federal judge struck that down. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the investigation would confirm if Harvard was “conducting [its] programs in a manner that does not undermine the foreign policy objective or compromise the national security interests of the United States.” Harvard slammed the move as “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights.”
Major Deal: Trump announced a trade deal with Japan. It’s the largest deal yet; Japan is America’s fifth-largest trading partner and the world’s fifth-largest economy. It could offer a blueprint for other nations still working to reach an agreement with the US.
What’s in the Deal: Full details are pending. Japan will pay a 15% tariff on US goods. (It would have faced a 25% tariff without a deal.) Japanese cars will be tariffed at 15%, less than the 25% slapped on other imported vehicles. Trump claimed “Japan will invest, at my direction, $550 Billion Dollars into the United States, which will receive 90% of the Profits.” It’s unclear what, exactly, this means, or where that figure came from. This picture shows an information card on Trump’s desk, which has “$400 Billion” written on it; the figure is crossed out in black marker and replaced with $500 Billion, which you’ll note is still lower than the figure Trump ended up touting.
Ganbatte (“Do Your Best”): Japanese negotiators had to struggle through eight rounds of negotiations to reach this deal, all while staring down the barrel of an August 1 deadline and facing political turmoil back home. Read more here.
Time Running Out: The EU is hoping for a similar 15% tariff deal. But if they don’t reach a deal before the August 1 deadline, European officials have warned the bloc is prepared to launch two countermeasures — one imposing tariffs on over $100 billion of US goods, and another targeting US digital and financial services. Maybe buy your favorite Eurozone products now?
Clap Back: Former President Barack Obama’s office issued a rare statement rebuking Trump’s baseless claim that Obama conspired against him in the 2016 election. “Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one,” the statement read. “The bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.” It’s truly remarkable for a former president to do this, and this is a measure of how unprecedented Trump’s attacks are. DNI Tulsi Gabbard today released more documents that she claims implicate Obama in this supposed conspiracy — but even Fox News warns she is pushing these “false narratives” to “divert attention from other problems.”
Merde: France’s President Emmanual Macron today sued US far-right provocateur Candace Owens for defamation. The suit accuses Owens of spreading conspiracy theories about Macron and his wife, Brigette. Owens has claimed Macron is a CIA operative and that Brigette was secretly born a man.
Hide and Seek: I know the Epstein story feels noisy to many of you and that’s why we are putting it low in the newsletter. But it’s an issue that’s important to Trump’s base and uniting Americans. House Speaker Mike Johnson called an early summer recess to try to avoid a House vote on releasing the Epstein files. He complained about “endless efforts to politicize the Epstein investigation” and insisted Republicans “have been intellectually consistent the entire time.” The GOP apparently hopes the controversy will die down over the monthlong break.
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