May 7, 2026 · policy_change
EPA scientific output collapse confirmed at 82 percent below pre-reorganization levels
By May 2026, the elimination of EPA's Office of Research and Development had produced a documented 82 percent reduction in the agency's scientific publication rate compared to pre-2025 levels. Peer-reviewed papers, toxicity assessments, Integrated Science Assessments supporting air quality standards, and chemical risk assessments were all on pace to fall below the minimum levels needed to support legally defensible rulemaking. Legal scholars warned that courts applying the Administrative Procedure Act require a robust scientific record to uphold agency rules, and that the depleted ORD successor office could not produce that record.
Apr 29, 2026 · legislation
Senate blocks CRA resolution to restore Colorado regional haze plan, 46-52
The Senate voted 46-52 on April 29, 2026, to block a Congressional Review Act resolution that would have overturned the EPA's rejection of Colorado's Regional Haze Plan — a Biden-era rule requiring upwind states including Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to reduce pollution fouling visibility at Colorado's national parks. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper forced the vote under the CRA's expedited procedures. The party-line vote left Colorado's parks exposed to continued haze from out-of-state industrial sources.
Apr 2, 2026 · government_formation
Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general and installs Todd Blanche as acting AG
President Trump fired Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General on April 2, 2026, citing frustration with her handling of Jeffrey Epstein case files and her failure to execute his policy agenda. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — Trump's personal defense attorney in the 2024 New York hush money trial — was immediately elevated to Acting Attorney General. Trump indicated Lee Zeldin, then EPA Administrator, was under consideration as permanent replacement.
Mar 19, 2026 · court_ruling
24 states sue EPA over repeal of greenhouse gas endangerment finding
A coalition of 24 states, 10 cities, and 5 counties filed suit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on March 19, 2026, challenging the Trump EPA's rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding. The 2009 finding — which declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health — was the legal foundation for all EPA climate regulations under the Clean Air Act. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Trump framed the repeal as the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York co-led the suit.
Mar 13, 2026 · executive_order
Trump signs executive orders directing EPA and Army Corps to revise wetland permitting
President Trump signed two executive orders on March 13, 2026, directing federal agencies to remove regulatory barriers to housing construction. One order instructed the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to revise Clean Water Act Section 404 wetland permits and stormwater rules to reduce housing development costs. A second order directed HUD, Commerce, and Transportation agencies to eliminate burdensome residential zoning and building code requirements. Trump framed the orders as emergency measures to address the housing affordability crisis ahead of the 2026 midterms.
