Bob Murray — seen at the headquarters of Murray Energy in St. Clairsville, Ohio — pushed the Trump administration to roll back numerous coal regulations. But he says the industry needs even more help from the government.

The Trump administration has spent three years trying to help the coal industry by rolling back environmental regulations and pushing for subsidies for coal-fired power plants. Still, the long list of coal company bankruptcies has continued, and dozens more plants have announced their retirement since President Trump took office.

Now the list of bankruptcies includes a company headed by one of Trump’s most vocal supporters. Murray Energy Corp. filed for Chapter 11 on Tuesday morning.

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The company says it reached an agreement to restructure and continue operating. As part of that, Bob Murray — the chairman, president and CEO — will relinquish two of his roles. His nephew, Robert Moore, will become president and CEO while Murray will stay on as chairman.

“When you’re a private company and you’re in financial failure, the first person that loses everything is the owner. And that’s what will happen,” Murray tells NPR.

Murray has had a close relationship with the Trump administration. He donated $300,000 to Trump’s inauguration and has met with administration officials to advance the coal industry’s interests.

At Murray’s headquarters in St. Clairsville, Ohio, there’s a photo in the lobby of Murray with President Trump, who’s giving two thumbs-up. And in Murray’s big corner office there’s a replica of Air Force Two, signed on the wing by Vice President Pence.

A few months after Trump was sworn in, Murray met with Energy Secretary Rick Perry and delivered an “action plan” for helping coal. It included 16 proposals that became a “to-do list” for the Trump administration, including replacing former President Obama’s Clean Power Plan and withdrawing from the Paris Agreement.

But the Trump administration hasn’t been able to give Murray everything he wants. Earlier this year the Tennessee Valley Authority voted to close a large coal-fired power plant that bought coal from Murray, despite pressure from Trump to keep it open. And last year the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected a proposal to subsidize coal and nuclear plants that Murray supported.

Murray says he began working in coal mines as a teenager. He started his company in the 1980s and built it into the largest underground coal-mining company in the country. He did that mostly by buying other coal companies.

“The main reasons why Murray is in the financial position that it’s in is that it purchased a lot of assets over the last few years, which gave it a big debt position,” says Natalie Biggs, thermal coal research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. When coal prices declined this year, she says, that made it difficult for the company to cover its debts.

In bankruptcy, Murray says he will lose his ownership but hopes to continue operating so his 7,000 employees will keep their jobs.

“My goal is to keep the company together — keep it together for my employees,” Murray says.

He continues to push for subsidies for coal power plants, and without that he predicts dire consequences.

“We’re going to have a crisis of resiliency and reliability in the power grid. People are going to freeze in the dark,” he says.

“Frankly, this is just a scare tactic for those who want to try to take our country backwards into a 20th century energy economy,” says Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Beyond Coal campaign at the Sierra Club.

She says power grids are managed by knowledgeable engineers focused on keeping electricity flowing.

“Their job is to make sure that as that coal plant retires, that our lights will stay on and there won’t be any threat to the reliability of our electricity,” she says.

Hitt says the world must now transition to renewable energy that doesn’t contribute to climate change.

According to the Sierra Club, 298 coal-fired power plants have either shut down or have announced they will since 2010.

U.S. coal consumption has fallen to its lowest level in 40 years, a downward trend likely to continue as more utilities and states commit to energy with lower or no greenhouse gas emissions.

The House on Tuesday easily approved sanctions against Turkey over its offensive in northern Syria against Kurdish forces.

The measure passed 403-16, with 176 Republicans voting in support and just 15 opposing the bill.

The sanctions offer a rare bipartisan rebuke of President TrumpDonald John TrumpNumber of uninsured children rises for second year, tops 4 million Trump moment from White House Halloween trick-or-treat event goes viral White House official says transcript of Ukraine call omitted key phrases: report MORE‘s policies while underscoring the growing divide between Congress and a NATO ally. 

Trump had hoped the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on his watch would stem the flow of criticism about his Syria policy, but Congress remains deeply concerned about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s military offensive.

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“Rather than hold Turkey accountable for how they’ve conducted this bloody campaign, President Trump has given them a free pass,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot EngelEliot Lance EngelOvernight Defense: House approves Turkey sanctions in rebuke of Trump | Trump attacks on Army officer testifying spark backlash | Dems want answers from Esper over Ukraine aid House approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump House votes to recognize Armenian genocide MORE (D-N.Y.) said. “When the head of ISIS was finally killed, President Trump unfortunately thanked the Turks, thanked the Turkish government. That just doesn’t sit right with me.”

The House brought the sanctions bill to the floor under suspension of the rules, meaning it needed at least two-thirds approval to pass.

Despite the bipartisan majority approving the bill in the House, the effort to slap new sanctions on Ankara appears stalled in the upper chamber after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOvernight Defense: House approves Turkey sanctions in rebuke of Trump | Trump attacks on Army officer testifying spark backlash | Dems want answers from Esper over Ukraine aid Mark Mellman: Three questions for Republicans Menendez seeks probe into if Pompeo violated Hatch Act MORE (R-Ky.) warned against rushing to sanction a NATO ally.

Lawmakers in both parties and chambers introduced multiple bills to sanction Turkey after Trump announced he would withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, paving the way for Ankara’s long-threatened invasion.

Trump himself placed sanctions on Turkey, though he lifted them after a five-day cease-fire brokered by Vice President Pence. Turkey agreed to the cease-fire in order to allow the Kurds to evacuate from a so-called safe zone.

Lawmakers slammed Trump for abandoning the Kurds, who were U.S. allies in the battle against ISIS and did the bulk of the most dangerous ground fighting. They have also worried the chaos from the offensive could lead to an ISIS resurgence, including allowing ISIS prisoners to escape from Kurdish-guarded detention facilities.

Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: House approves Turkey sanctions in rebuke of Trump | Trump attacks on Army officer testifying spark backlash | Dems want answers from Esper over Ukraine aid House approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump Democrats want answers from Pentagon chief on withheld Ukraine aid MORE and special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey have said more than 100 ISIS fighters have escaped since the start of Turkey’s offensive.

“Even with the death of al-Baghdadi, ISIS remains a serious and resurgent threat,” Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOvernight Defense: House approves Turkey sanctions in rebuke of Trump | Trump attacks on Army officer testifying spark backlash | Dems want answers from Esper over Ukraine aid Mark Mellman: Three questions for Republicans White House: Democrats’ resolution shows impeachment is ‘illegitimate sham’ MORE (D-Calif.) said. “The death of a top ISIS leader does not mean the death of ISIS. Scores of fighters remain under uncertain conditions in Syrian prisons and at risk of a jailbreak.”

In a previous rebuke to Trump, the House earlier this month overwhelmingly passed a resolution opposing his decision to withdraw U.S. troops.

Trump got a brief reprieve from Republican criticism of his Syria policy after the successful raid over the weekend in northwest Syria that led to the death of al-Baghdadi.

But many lawmakers kept up their criticism, saying the evacuation of the Kurds is tantamount to ethnic cleansing and that Trump appears to be operating on the fly instead of having a strategy by first withdrawing 50 troops and then withdrawing all troops and then deciding a few hundred will stay to guard oil fields.

“Over a time, we’ve seen a pattern emerge. The president of the United States stokes a crisis and then steps in with some sort of half-measure in a failed attempt to look like a great deal is happening,” Engel said. “You can’t be the arsonist and the fireman at the same time.” 

Engel added that Turkey’s offensive has been “ethnic cleansing at its worst.”

The lone Democratic “no” vote came from Rep. Ilhan OmarIlhan OmarNBA’s Enes Kanter calls out Ilhan Omar over Turkey sanctions vote House approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump Trump Jr. sending copies of ‘Triggered’ book to Romney, top Democrats MORE (D-Minn.), who penned a Washington Post op-ed earlier this month warning Turkey sanctions would be ineffective and could create humanitarian issues.

Rep. Michael McCaulMichael Thomas McCaulHouse approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump This week: House to vote on Turkey sanctions bill Overnight Defense: Top general briefs GOP senators on Syria plan | Senators ‘encouraged’ by briefing | Pence huddles with Republican allies on Syria | Trump nominee sidesteps questions on arms treaties MORE (Texas), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he “applaud[s]” Pence and Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: House approves Turkey sanctions in rebuke of Trump | Trump attacks on Army officer testifying spark backlash | Dems want answers from Esper over Ukraine aid Menendez seeks probe into if Pompeo violated Hatch Act House approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump MORE for negotiating the cease-fire, which he said “prevented a worst-case scenario from taking place,” and that he was “pleased the administration heard our call for a residual force in Syria.”

But McCaul still supported the bill, which he co-authored with Engel, as helping to “strengthen the president’s hand in ensuring Turkey upholds its commitments.”

“Baghdadi still has thousands of followers committed to terrorism, and while their leader’s death is a huge blow, we must stay vigilant to keep them from reconstituting or carrying out attacks on the West and to our homeland,” McCaul said. “With that, we cannot allow Turkey’s invasion to hinder in any way our counter-ISIS campaign.”

Congress’s ire has also turned toward Turkey, which lawmakers have been increasingly frustrated with over what they describe as its turn away from NATO values.

“I co-sponsored this because I’m worried about the direction of President Erdoğan and the direction he’s taking the Republic of Turkey,” Rep. Adam KinzingerAdam Daniel KinzingerHouse approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Presented by Nareit — White House cheers Republicans for storming impeachment hearing GOP lawmaker condemns Trump over ‘human scum’ comment MORE (R-Ill.) said. “The leader of country with so much to offer the world should not be cozying up to the like of [Russian President] Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinHouse approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump Trump’s unimpeachable foreign policy Russia calls increased US military presence in Syrian oil fields ‘banditry’ MORE and [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad.”

Earlier this year, lawmakers pushed Trump to impose mandatory sanctions on Turkey for buying a Russian missile defense system. The administration has yet to levy those sanctions.

In addition to the sanctions bill, the House on Tuesday passed a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. The bill was fiercely opposed by Turkey, which denies the Ottoman Empire’s massacre of more than 1 million Armenians in 1915 was a genocide.

The votes fell on the same day as Turkey’s Republic Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

The sanctions bill, dubbed the Protect Against Conflict by Turkey Act, would impose financial and visa penalties on officials connected to Turkey’s offensive in Syria, including the defense minister, the chief of the general staff of the Turkish armed forces and the finance minister, as well as sanction the state-owned bank Halkbank.

The bill would also ban arms sales to Turkey and sanction foreigners providing arms to Turkish forces in Syria. It also seeks to force the administration to impose the previously mandated sanctions for Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

McCaul called the S-400 sanctions “very important.”

“How can you be a NATO ally and purchase Russian military equipment?” McCaul asked. “We let Turkey into NATO to protect them from the Soviet Union, and now our NATO ally is buying Russian equipment.”

In the Senate, Sens. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamTrump moment from White House Halloween trick-or-treat event goes viral House approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump AP: Saudi tycoon donated to Obama inauguration through a middleman MORE (R-S.C.) and Chris Van HollenChristopher (Chris) Van HollenHouse approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump Democrats renew push for contractor back pay from government shutdown This week: House to vote on Turkey sanctions bill MORE (D-Md.) and Sens. Jim RischJames (Jim) Elroy RischEx-Trump officials back Russia ambassador pick ahead of hearing House approves Turkey sanctions in rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump This week: House to vote on Turkey sanctions bill MORE (R-Idaho) and Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezTurkey sanctions face possible wall in GOP Senate Paul blocks Senate vote on House-passed Syria resolution House to vote on resolution condemning Trump’s Syria pullback MORE (D-N.J.) have introduced separate sanctions bills.

But last week, McConnell poured cold water on sanctions, questioning if they are the right response to a member of NATO.

“I caution us against developing a reflex to use sanctions as our tool of first, last, and only resort in implementing our foreign policy,” McConnell said at the time.

“Sanctions may play an important role in this process, and I am open to the Senate considering them. But we need to think extremely carefully before we employ the same tools against a democratic NATO ally that we would against the worst rogue states,” he added.

McConnell has introduced his own resolution urging Trump to halt the pullback of U.S. forces and warning that a “precipitous withdrawal” would “create vacuums.” It also urges Trump to rescind his invitation for the Turkish president to visit the White House next month and opposes Turkey’s military action. 

Acting Ambassador William Taylor dodged questions about his testimony in the impeachment inquiry against President TrumpDonald John TrumpNumber of uninsured children rises for second year, tops 4 million Trump moment from White House Halloween trick-or-treat event goes viral White House official says transcript of Ukraine call omitted key phrases: report MORE at an event Tuesday in Ukraine.

Taylor declined to answer questions about his testimony before Congress last week but was greeted by applause at the international economic conference for diplomats and business leaders in Mariupol, Ukraine, NBC News reported. 

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The diplomat instead praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“President Zelenskiy ran on two things: One was ending the war on Ukrainian terms. And the second was defeating corruption,” Taylor told NBC News. “He has done some very brave things on ending the war.”

The Ukrainian president also declined to answer questions from NBC News about the controversy surrounding his call with President Trump from July. 

“I can give you many comments about the USA,” Zelensky told NBC News. “Great country, great people, but I don’t know what’s going on in the USA. I’m so sorry. I’m the president of Ukraine.”

Taylor testified in front of the House committees leading the impeachment inquiry last week, providing testimony that Democrats said gave the clearest evidence that the president withheld military aid from Ukraine to get the country to investigate former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenWhite House official says transcript of Ukraine call omitted key phrases: report Biden uses National Cat Day to fundraise for putting a ‘pet back in White House’ Sondland emerges as key target after Vindman testimony MORE and his son Hunter.

A whistleblower report detailing a call between Trump and Zelensky sparked Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOvernight Defense: House approves Turkey sanctions in rebuke of Trump | Trump attacks on Army officer testifying spark backlash | Dems want answers from Esper over Ukraine aid Mark Mellman: Three questions for Republicans White House: Democrats’ resolution shows impeachment is ‘illegitimate sham’ MORE (D-Calif.) to launch the impeachment inquiry after reporting Trump asked the Ukrainian leader to look into Biden and his son. 

Most of the hearings, including Taylor’s testimony, have taken place behind closed doors, in front of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform committees. Republicans have condemned the proceedings for being private and staged a protest during one of the hearings last week. 

House Democrats said Monday they plan to open the inquiry to a vote Thursday.

More than 20 Democratic senators called on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to investigate a loan servicer’s handling of a loan forgiveness program for public service workers.

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is one of several institutions tasked with handling the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which, according to recent reports, has denied 99 percent of applicants.

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“For several years now, government watchdogs have repeatedly found that PHEAA’s missteps, errors, and mismanagement of the PSLF program caused public service workers to be denied the loan forgiveness that they had earned,” the 23 senators wrote.

In a 2017 report by the CFPB’s student loan ombudsman, the office said PHEAA’s “flawed payment processing” and paperwork errors had contributed to loan forgiveness denials, while a 2018 Government Accountability Office report blamed PHEAA’s failure to “properly account for qualifying payments and reliance on inaccurate information.”

Sens. Bernie SandersBernie SandersWarren says college athletes should be able to unionize after NCAA move Andrew Yang launches six-figure digital ad buy in early voting states Overnight Health Care: Judge temporarily blocks Alabama near-total abortion ban | Sanders dismisses calls for ‘Medicare for All’ funding plan | Dems urge Trump not to back down on vaping flavor ban MORE (I-Vt.), Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenWarren says college athletes should be able to unionize after NCAA move Andrew Yang launches six-figure digital ad buy in early voting states Overnight Health Care: Judge temporarily blocks Alabama near-total abortion ban | Sanders dismisses calls for ‘Medicare for All’ funding plan | Dems urge Trump not to back down on vaping flavor ban MORE (D-Mass.), Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharSteyer has spent seven times more than Trump on campaign ads 23 senators call for investigation into troubled student loan forgiveness program Sanders takes lead in new poll of New Hampshire MORE (D-Minn.) and Sherrod BrownSherrod Campbell Brown23 senators call for investigation into troubled student loan forgiveness program GM reaches deal with union to end strike Booker: ‘Democrats don’t need more candidates to enter’ MORE (D-Ohio) were among the most notable lawmakers to sign the letter to CFPB Director Kathleen Kraninger. 

“Tens of thousands of dedicated public service workers and their families are paying the price for PHEAA’s incompetence and the CFPB’s failure to act,” the letter states. “These women and men have served their communities for years, and relied on the government’s promise of loan forgiveness to make important life decisions about where to work, when to start a family, and when to buy their first home. They deserve better.”

British Parliament voted Tuesday to hold a general election on Dec. 12, the latest curveball in the U.K.’s tumultuous bid to leave the European Union. 

The vote overwhelmingly passed with a count of 438-20, The New York Times reports.

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In exchange for the vote, Prime Minister Boris Johnson dropped his stance on the country leaving the EU Thursday.

On Monday, the EU granted the U.K. a three-month extension to finalize a Brexit deal, the third extension the bloc has given the country this year. 

Johnson’s goal with the election is to regain a ruling majority in Parliament so that he can pass his latest Brexit deal, which was voted down last week. 

However, the vote comes as a huge risk to Johnson. If Johnson’s Conservative Party fails to gain a ruling majority in the election, Britain could find itself stuck in a vicious loop of indecisiveness. 

If the minority Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, is able to turn the tide and obtain a ruling majority, then Johnson would be ousted from 10 Downing Street and another national referendum on whether or not the country should leave the E.U. could be invoked.

For the election to be finalized, a vote must get through the House of Lords, which could delay the election.

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CALIFORNIA VS. TRUMP FIGHT COMES TO CAPITOL HILL…

Jerry Brown: ‘Impeachment is important, but the climate is even more important’: Jerry Brown, the former Democratic governor of California, didn’t mince words Tuesday when he criticized the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back the state’s tailpipe emission standards.

Speaking in front of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment, Brown argued recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that would remove California’s right from setting heightened vehicle emissions standards are equal to climate denial.

“Despite what deniers are saying, the seas are rising, ice caps melting, diseases spreading and fires burning,” said Brown, who specifically referred to three of California’s ongoing wildfires.

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“This is not just another legislative game here. This is life-and-death stuff. And climate change is related to the fires in California. California is burning while the deniers make a joke out of the standards that could protect us all.”

The setting: Brown addressed the committee a month after the Trump administration announced it would be revoking California’s Clean Air Act waiver that allowed the state to establish its own air pollution standards. The administration argues the waiver hindered the federal government from establishing unified air pollution standards, a key issue for the auto industry. 

The administration is expected to announce soon that it’s rolling back Obama-era standards for tailpipe emissions, something California is adamantly against.

Democratic lawmakers on the committee called the two-part emissions rule irresponsible.

“These rollbacks for fuel efficiency requirements are quite simply brazen and irresponsible,” subcommittee Chairman Harley RoudaHarley Edwin RoudaOvernight Energy: Jerry Brown testifies on emissions fight | Brown presses climate action: ‘Impeachment is important, but the climate is even more important’ | Dems look to protect Grand Canyon from drilling Jerry Brown: ‘Impeachment is important, but the climate is even more important’ Republicans move to end car emissions hearing early due to impeachment proceedings MORE (D-Calif.) said. “The Trump administration is gambling with people’s lives here.”

Brown in particular pointed fingers at a number of automakers, who on Monday sided with the Trump administration in a lawsuit California brought against the EPA.

“In the lawsuit you have [General Motors] against us, but we have 22 states on our side,” Brown said of the states that signed with California on the September suit challenging the Trump rule. 

“Our standards that you don’t like, Republicans, it covers 42 percent of America. We’ve seen this move before.”

Read more on the hearing here.

 

A minor hiccup before it all began: Republicans and Democrats clashed earlier during the Oversight and Reform subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, after GOP lawmakers argued the proceeding conflicted with ongoing impeachment depositions and moved to dismiss.

“We have to be in a deposition on this unfair, partisan impeachment process you are running,” Rep. Paul GosarPaul Anthony GosarOvernight Energy: Jerry Brown testifies on emissions fight | Brown presses climate action: ‘Impeachment is important, but the climate is even more important’ | Dems look to protect Grand Canyon from drilling Republicans move to end car emissions hearing early due to impeachment proceedings Overnight Energy: House moves to block Trump drilling | House GOP rolls out proposal to counter offshore drilling ban | calls mount for NOAA probe MORE (R-Ariz.) said.

In his opening statement, ranking member James ComerJames (Jamie) R. ComerRepublicans move to end car emissions hearing early due to impeachment proceedings Several GOP House members call to continue to withhold international conservation grants until oversight measures implemented From state agriculture departments to Congress: Our farmers need the USMCA MORE (R-Ky.) criticized Democrats for scheduling hearings during the ongoing impeachment proceedings.

“The majority is creating a difficult scheduling conflict for members of this subcommittee. On one hand, we have today’s hearing, on the other we have a deposition related to the majority’s impeachment of the president,” he said.

“I believe the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry needs our members’ attention, and I hope going forward we can agree to avoid this type of scheduling conflict.” 

The call to adjourn was the second time Republicans had used such a tactic to end a hearing due to low attendance. Republicans in February successfully prematurely concluded a Natural Resources Committee hearing on climate change after only two Democrats were in attendance. Democratic lawmakers at the time called the move a stunt.

The House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment hearing to discuss the Trump administration’s changes to federal car emissions standards occurred simultaneously with an impeachment deposition of White House official Alexander Vindman. Not all House lawmakers are eligible to sit in the secure room where the impeachment depositions are taking place. 

At the time of Gosar’s request for a roll call vote, only four Democrats were attending the hearing. Democrats delayed the vote by nearly 25 minutes. 

Read more on the move here.

 

Happy Tuesday! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news. 

Please send tips and comments to Miranda Green, mgreen@thehill.com and Rebecca Beitsch, rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @mirandacgreen, @rebeccabeitsch and @thehill.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to our newsletter.

 

DON’T MINE THE GAP: Democrats are preparing to counter any White House efforts to allow mining near the Grand Canyon, with Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) leading the charge to pass legislation aimed at warding off what he called “an imminent threat” to the country’s most iconic national park.

House passage of Grijalva’s bill, slated for a Wednesday floor vote, sets a permanent moratorium on new mining claims on approximately 1 million acres north and south of Grand Canyon National Park, essentially creating a safety zone around the park. The Natural Resources Committee chairman said the measure also reflects the reality of climate change.

“Fundamentally … this is what we need to be doing to deal with climate change in our public lands — to begin to reduce the extraction and promote the conservation side of it,” Grijalva said.

The legislation, Grijalva said, is designed to guard against forthcoming recommendations from a White House Uranium Mining Group, consisting largely of industry leaders. As early as next month, the group could recommend mining uranium near the Grand Canyon.

Grijalva said he previously thought a two-decade moratorium on mining near the national park, implemented in 2012, would be enough to ward off efforts to extract uranium and other minerals in nearby federal land. But now he isn’t taking any risks.

“Before the working group, the motivation for this was: We’ve wanted to do this for a long time, even during [the Obama administration]. But then the motivation became: They’re going to lift the moratorium,” Grijalva said during a sitdown interview with The Hill on Oct. 18.

“We’ve always felt that we could wait these people out and then get back to it when we had an administration to work with. But then it was verified for us when we saw the working group. And then I said, ‘Yeah, it’s pretty real.'”

Read more here.

 

ON TAP TOMORROW: 

The House will vote tomorrow on passage of the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act and Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2019, both major land protection bills.

The House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will hold a hearing looking into efforts by the oil industry to suppress evidence of links to climate change.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will look into the proposed controversial Pebble Mine project and the potential impacts.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change will hold a hearing on “building a 100 percent clean economy.”

The Senate Energy and Public Works committee will consider the nomination of Sean O’Donnell to be the new EPA inspector general.

The Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power will hold a hearing on innovation in water security.

 

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY: 

Getty fire investigation focuses on power lines near where destructive blaze began, The Los Angeles Times reports

Natural-gas producers promise restraint, The Wall Street Journal reports

Oil extends losses on expected inventory rise, CNBC reports

 

ICYMI: Stories from Tuesday…

-Democrats push to end confidentiality for oil companies that don’t add ethanol

-Jerry Brown: ‘Impeachment is important, but the climate is even more important’

-Ted Danson urges lawmakers to take action against single-use plastics

-Trump donor’s coal company files for bankruptcy

-Republicans move to end car emissions hearing early due to impeachment proceedings

-Democrats aim to protect Grand Canyon from ‘imminent’ drilling threat

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The Ligue 1 champions may be forced to wait patiently to sew up a deal for the talented defender

Thilo Kehrer’s anticipated move to Paris Saint-Germain remains subject to the agreement of personal terms, according to Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel.

The 21-year-old defender has been poised for a switch to the Ligue 1 champions since Schalke accepted a reported €37 million (£33m/$42m) offer.

PSG coach Thomas Tuchel stated earlier this week that he was unclear as to the stage of negotiations, which appear to still be in their infancy.

Kehrer, who made 28 Bundesliga appearances last season, had agreed a new contract with Schalke prior to PSG’s approach.

“Kehrer’s transfer to PSG is not yet complete,” Heidel told reporters on Wednesday.

“The contracts are still to be signed and he still needs to sort his personal terms.”

Schalke head coach Domenico Tedesco is confident his team can cope with the loss of Kehrer should the deal proceed as expected.

“We have a very good squad, a good mix,” he said.

“Even without Thilo, we have a total of five options for [the back three], so if we play a back four we only need two centre-backs.”

Heidel revealed the club are currently in talks with a left-sided player, although the potential new signing is not expected to be rumoured target Danny Rose.

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The West Yorkshire side have now won four out of four with their new manager, a feat no other boss at the club had accomplished

Marcelo Bielsa may have a few problems still with his press conferences in England’s Championship, but he has had no trouble whatsoever in getting his ideas across to Leeds United’s in-form players. 

The Argentine was one of the more eye-catching managerial appointments over the summer, as he pitched up at Elland Road following an abortive spell in France with Lille last season. 

And while the jury was out on Bielsa before the Championship kicked off, his Leeds team have been a revelation in these opening weeks with a dynamic, attacking football that has proved almost irresistible. 

Having started the campaign with a brilliant 3-1 win over promotion candidates Stoke City, the Yorkshire side followed that feat up by destroying Frank Lampard’s Derby County 4-1 at Pride Park. 

A third Championship victory followed in due course on Saturday, with Rotherham dispatched 2-0 in a match dominated from start to finish by Leeds. 

That leaves the Whites three from three in the Championship so far – and a further win over Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup means Bielsa has made an historic start to life at Elland Road. 

Never before had a new Leeds manager won his first four competitive matches at the helm, and expectations are now sky-high around the club after netting 11 goals and conceding just three in those opening tests. 

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Can El Loco sustain this brilliant start and guide Leeds back to the Premier League after 14 years in the wilderness?

Jurgen Klopp has personally sanctioned the sale of the Estonian as he looks to trim his squad before the end of the month

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Liverpool have agreed to sell defender Ragnar Klavan to Cagliari in a £2 million ($2.5m) deal.

The Estonia international will travel to Italy on Friday to complete a medical and finalise personal terms as he ends his two-year stay at Anfield.

Goal revealed earlier this week that the Reds would consider offers for the 32-year-old, and Cagliari have seen off interest from Germany to land the experienced centre-back.

Jurgen Klopp has personally sanctioned the sale, with Klavan in the final year of his contract and keen to play regular first-team football. He turns 33 in October, and Klopp is keen to be fair to the player, who has been a consummate professional during his time at the club. 

With Joel Matip fit again after a thigh problem, and Dejan Lovren expected back at the end of the month, Klopp feels his options at centre-back are sufficient, especially with Nathaniel Clyne’s return enabling Joe Gomez to move inside from right-back.

Gomez started for Liverpool against West Ham last weekend, and is seen as a centre-half, long term. That has been a key factor in the decision to allow Klavan to leave.

Klavan joined the Reds for £4m ($5m) from Augsburg in 2016 and went on to make 53 appearances, scoring twice.

His sale is likely to the be the first of a number in the next fortnight, with Simon Mignolet, Lazar Markovic, Pedro Chirivella, Marko Grujic and Divock Origi all facing uncertain futures. Exits for all, either on loan or permanently, could be sanctioned.

A home burns at a vineyard during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, Calif., on Thursday.

Updated at 10:28 p.m. ET

Northern California is grappling with a new threat: the Kincade Fire. It has already burned through more than 16,000 acres in Sonoma County.

The blaze began Wednesday night.

Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. has told regulators that part of a transmission tower broke near the Kincaid fire at about the time the blaze started. The utility had shut down power to its distribution lines in the area because of fire danger if those lines were knocked down. PG&E says weather predictions didn’t reach the level that would have triggered a shutdown of the transmission lines.

The town of Geyserville has been evacuated as the fire moves west.

“That fire got extremely big really quickly, and was very visible from a significant part of Sonoma County,” said Paul Lowenthal, assistant fire marshal in Santa Rosa, as KQED’s Raquel Maria Dillon reports. “Departments like Santa Rosa were flooded with 911 calls even though the fire was nowhere near the city limits.”

In Los Angeles County, the Tick Fire near Agua Dulce has burned 5,000 acres, moving quickly and threatening homes.

Cal Fire issued its highest alert, a Red Flag Warning, for most of northern California and parts of southern California until late Thursday or early Friday, due to high winds and dry conditions.

PG&E, the electric company, shut off power in a number of locations in the state; the outage affected about 28,000 customers in Sonoma County.

The fire could imperil a number of wineries, including the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, which tweeted on Wednesday that it was closed: “The winery is not currently in danger, but we’re without power and Geyserville is under evacuation orders.”

Strong winds are forecast to die down in the coming hours, but may pick up again this weekend.

The utility is struggling through a bankruptcy reorganization as it faces billions in liability for back to back, historically deadly fire seasons including the Camp Fire, the state’s deadliest blaze.

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