Park Service head retires; successor quickly named
by Roll Call | August 7, 2020
“The acting head of the National Park Service abruptly announced his retirement on Friday, vacating a role that a Senate-confirmed nominee has not held during the entire Trump administration. David Vela, a 30-year career NPS official who assumed the role of acting director of the ...
After a year on job, public lands chief overdue for confirmation hearing, Democrats say
by Roll Call | August 6, 2020
“More than a year into the job that is officially still temporary, William Perry Pendley, the acting head of the Bureau of Land Management, is doing things that may be permanent, and Senate Democrats are seeking a chance to hold him to account. At Interior, heads of the BLM and the ...
Invisible to most Americans, Park Police now in the spotlight
by Roll Call | June 19, 2020
“More than two weeks after the U.S. Park Police and other federal law officers forcefully cleared Lafayette Square of protestors, allowing President Donald Trump to pose for pictures with a Bible in hand, the department is under scrutiny from Congress and the public over its tactics ...
Playing Politics With Science Spawns New Threat to Endangered Whales
by Roll Call | March 5, 2020
“Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned that blasting air guns in an area where a rare whale migrates and gives birth could push it closer to extinction. But those findings conflicted with the Trump administration’s push for drilling in the ...
EPA Finalizes Clean Water Rollback Amid Science Challenges
by Roll Call | January 23, 2020
“The Trump administration on Thursday finalized a rule that significantly reduces the federal government’s role in regulating waterways, fulfilling a campaign promise to farmers and energy interests and handing a win to conservatives who have pushed for changes to the Clean Water ...
