Tuesday, June 24, 2025
All civic learning topics for this day
Today's Topics
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fast-Tracks Reactor Approval While Ignoring Waste Crisis
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved NuScale's larger 77-megawatt small modular reactor design on June 24, cutting future licensing time by up to 30 months. This decision comes as the Department of Energy wants to streamline safety review requirements, despite having no permanent solution for radioactive waste storage with Nevada's Yucca Mountain facility blocked since 2010.
FTC Forces Data Broker to Delete Years of Stalking Information on Americans
The Federal Trade Commission finalized an order permanently banning data broker Mobilewalla from selling precise GPS location data, requiring the company to delete all previously collected location information from sensitive sites including reproductive health clinics, places of worship, and domestic violence shelters. This follows similar FTC actions against other data brokers.
Agriculture Department Offers Bandaids for Climate Wounds It's Helping Create
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced $1 billion in drought relief for livestock producers hit by 2023-2024 droughts and wildfires, using remaining funds from the American Relief Act. However, the Trump administration simultaneously eliminated the USDA's climate adaptation programs and rolled back methane regulations for cattle operations, ensuring future droughts will be worse while offering emergency money for current damage.
Bipartisan Bill Gives Trump Administration Power to Censor LGBTQ Content Online
Senators Blackburn (R-TN) and Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act with support from 63 senators, giving the FTC power to force social media platforms to remove content deemed "harmful to minors." Critics worry that with Trump appointees controlling the FTC, this vague standard could be used to suppress LGBTQ content, sex education, and reproductive health information.