August 11, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
The Sierra Club fired Executive Director Ben Jealous after no-confidence votes, budget cuts, layoffs, and misconduct concerns. Union leaders welcomed his departure...
Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question
Summary
As President Donald Trump prepares to order the dismantling of the Department of Education, the financial arm of the agency – which makes loans directly to borrowers and manages trillions of dollars in student debt – faces an uncertain future, with steep staff cuts and lack of communication exacerbating the uncertainty, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former department employees.
The $1.64 trillion financial portfolio is managed separately from the department’s policy apparatus, the latter of which Trump has sought to wind down or reassign to other agencies. But Trump acknowledged Thursday that the massive loan balance was a complicating factor in his effort to shutter the agency.
August 11, 2025
Environmental
Environmental
U.S. clean hydrogen projects are collapsing amid shortened tax credit deadlines, rising energy costs, and policy shifts, leaving most proposals ineligible and investors...
August 5, 2025
Climate Justice
Climate Justice
A coalition of nonprofits, tribes, and local governments filed a class-action lawsuit against the EPA, demanding reinstatement of a $3bn climate justice grant program halted...
August 3, 2025
Climate
Climate
The Trump administration’s move to revoke the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases marks a major policy reversal, undermining decades of climate protections...
July 25, 2025
Climate
Climate
Ben Jealous was placed on leave by the Sierra Club amid widespread internal dissent over his leadership, with staff citing failed vision, contentious layoffs...
July 24, 2025
Climate Justice
Climate Justice
The UN's International Court of Justice declared climate change a human rights issue, advising that nations must act or risk reparations, influencing global litigation...
July 23, 2025
Education
Education
The Trump administration has targeted over 4,000 federal grants worth up to $8.2 billion for termination across 600+ U.S. colleges, disproportionately affecting public...
July 23, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
The USDA under the Trump administration has eliminated the term “socially disadvantaged” from its policies, ending race- and gender-based support programs for minority farmers...
July 17, 2025
Legal & Legislation
Legal & Legislation
President Trump's elimination of federal DEI programs has halted essential USDA funding to East Texas Black farmers, further endangering their livelihoods amid decades...
July 11, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Residents in the Shiloh Community have fought for years to remedy excessive storm water runoff caused by an elevated highway. Now they’re suing.
July 9, 2025
Climate
Climate
Amid devastating Texas floods, FEMA’s delayed response raises concerns as President Trump pushes to dismantle the agency, shifting disaster management costs...
July 2, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
The Supreme Court let stand a $14.25 million penalty against ExxonMobil for over 16,000 Clean Air Act violations at its Baytown plant...
July 1, 2025
Climate
Climate
Recent Supreme Court rulings have weakened federal agency powers and funding, enabling the Trump administration to bypass environmental oversight...
June 27, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Disputes over climate finance and fossil fuel phaseout stalled progress at the Bonn climate summit, threatening preparations for COP30 in Brazil.
June 25, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Texas A&M researchers determined that climate change raised wholesale electricity prices in Texas by 20% during the summers of 2023 and 2024...