"The pandemic has meant very few diplomatic trips in the early days of the Biden administration. But this week brought an exception, as White House climate envoy John F. Kerry hopped a commercial flight to meet masked face to masked face with allies in London, Brussels and Paris."
"Community and environmental groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Kern County’s adoption of an ordinance that would allow tens of thousands of new oil wells over the next 15 years."
"U.S. House Republicans are weighing whether to join Democrats in getting back into “earmarks” - the practice of loading spending bills with legislators’ pet projects - and a decision is expected this week, two sources familiar with the process said."
"Senators are offering early optimism that they can find common ground and pass an infrastructure package later this year."
"The Senate voted Thursday to move forward with confirming Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) to lead the Interior Department, bringing President Joe Biden’s historic nominee one step closer to becoming the nation’s first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history."
"The Arizona Legislature has taken up a range of water-related measures this year, but some bills that would strengthen the state’s water rules to protect declining groundwater and desert streams have run into opposition and have failed to move forward."
"Gov. Kevin Stitt’s commission to sort out Oklahoma’s future is stacked with oil and gas insiders — and has no Indigenous voices."
"Rep. Katie Porter spent the last two years drawing out some of the most revealing, and damning, admissions from executives of major banks and pharmaceutical companies. She could now be poised to do the same with leaders of the oil and gas industry."
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) did not provide an opinion on the majority of consultation requests reviewed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), despite a requirement in the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), according to a report released Wednesday by the GAO."
"The Senate confirmed Michael Regan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, putting the North Carolina regulator in charge of restoring the climate and water pollution regulations that the Trump administration had weakened."
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