The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Wednesday it would boost enforcement of environmental laws in areas that face disproportionate impacts from pollution as part of several actions the Biden administration plans to take to advance equity.

The EPA also said it would look at the impacts of potential regulations on underserved, overburdened and tribal communities and consider options that most benefit them, as well as engaging with these communities.

Officials said they will further prioritize benefits to underserved communities in the grant process “to the extent allowed by law.”

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“Too many communities whose residents are predominantly of color, Indigenous, or low-income continue to suffer from disproportionately high pollution levels and the resulting adverse health and environmental impacts,” EPA Administrator Michael ReganMichael ReganOvernight Energy: Progressives fear infrastructure’s climate plans won’t survive Senate | EPA to propose vehicle emissions standards by July’s end | Poll shows growing partisan divide on climate change EPA to propose vehicle emissions standards to meet ‘the urgency of the climate crisis’ by July’s end EPA chief highlights water improvement provisions in infrastructure bill MORE said in a message to all agency staff, according to an EPA press release.

“We must do better. This will be one of my top priorities as Administrator, and I expect it to be one of yours as well,” he added. 

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The EPA said its actions were part of a response to a January executive order that directs agencies to “work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity.”

Studies have shown that that low-income communities and communities of color face greater pollution impacts. 

The Biden administration has taken other steps on environmental justice, including setting a goal of giving 40 percent of benefits of investments in areas like pollution cleanup and clean energy to disadvantaged communities and creating a new White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. 

First lady Jill BidenJill BidenOvernight Defense: Trump-era land mine policy unchanged amid review | Biden spending outline coming Friday | First lady sets priorities for relaunched military families initiative The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by ExxonMobil – Pence sets the stage for 2024 Jill Biden unveils next phase of military families program MORE on Wednesday laid out the next steps of the military families initiative she started during the Obama administration, previewing a major focus of her work in the White House over the next few years.

Biden said that through the initiative, called Joining Forces, the Biden administration will prioritize employment of military spouses, military child education and the health and well-being of those who have served in the U.S. military and their families.

“You may not wear a uniform, but you serve and you sacrifice for us all,” Biden told a virtual gathering of military family members, advocates and other stakeholders at the White House. “Military families are as critical to our national defense as a rudder is to a ship and we must always act to that truth.”

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Biden described plans for a whole-of-government effort to support military families, survivors and caregivers in various aspects of their lives. She described the initiative as one that has personal meaning for her, citing her father’s service in World War II and her late son Beau Biden’s service in the Delaware Army National Guard.

“Without a doubt, being part of this military community has shaped who I am but that’s not why we’re here today. We are here because of you,” the first lady said. “You are the rudder that steers our military and supporting your physical, social and emotional health is a national security imperative.”

Biden, along with then-first lady Michelle ObamaMichelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaOvernight Defense: Trump-era land mine policy unchanged amid review | Biden spending outline coming Friday | First lady sets priorities for relaunched military families initiative Jill Biden unveils next phase of military families program Amanda Gorman makes the cover of Vogue MORE, launched the initiative to support military and veteran families in 2011 and revived the initiative when she returned to the White House with President BidenJoe BidenManchin throws cold water on using budget reconciliation Moderate GOP senators and Biden clash at start of infrastructure debate Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ MORE in January.

Earlier this year, she named Rory Brosius, who served as deputy director of Joining Forces during the Obama administration, as the program’s new executive director.

The first lady has held virtual listening sessions with members of military families over the past few weeks, but Wednesday’s event represented the formal unveiling of the next phase of the program.

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Jill Biden said that the administration will work to ensure spouses of military members have access to employment opportunities and receive quality child care. Additionally, she said the initiative will be focused on partnering with educators to get military-connected children the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

Finally, she said officials will support the health and well-being of service members and their families by bolstering access to mental health resources and ensuring they can put food on the table.

Jill Biden said she has already received commitments from the Pentagon and the Labor and Education departments to support Joining Forces and that she expects “every agency to step up and be part of it.”

Following her remarks, she is slated to tour a Military OneSource call center in Arlington, Va., that provides 24/7 support for military members, families and survivors and is funded by the Defense Department.

The first lady has in her first two months in office demonstrated plans to take a leading public role in the White House, drawing a contrast with her predecessor, Melania TrumpMelania TrumpTwitter will not allow Trump account archive on platform Jill Biden unveils next phase of military families program The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Derek Chauvin trial continues MORE, who took less of a public role alongside former President TrumpDonald TrumpGaetz trip to Bahamas part of federal sex trafficking investigation: report Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ Biden to announce executive action on ghost guns, red flag laws MORE.

In recent weeks, Jill Biden was a key advocate for President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill as it made its way through Congress, visiting schools across the country as they grappled with how to physically reopen in order to highlight the funding in the bill supporting schools.

While Joining Forces is a major focus of the new first lady’s portfolio, she is also using her time to raise awareness about cancer and focus on education opportunities, both of which were priorities for her as second lady in the Obama administration. She continues to teach at Northern Virginia Community College, work that her aides are keeping separate from her public White House work.

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Start-up airline Avelo Airlines on Thursday announced plans for its first flights.

“America’s first new mainline airline in nearly 15 years — Avelo Airlines — premiered today at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) with travel-inspiring routes and bag-packing low fares,” the company announced.

The new airline will conduct its first flight on April 28 and will travel to 11 different destinations on the West Coast.

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All its flights will be between Hollywood Burbank Airport and the 11 destinations as the company works to expand its fleet of three Boeing 737 planes.

All flights will be nonstop and one-way tickets for all destinations are starting as low as $19.

“Avelo has a simple purpose — to inspire travel,” Avelo founder, chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said. “People are ready to reconnect with family and friends and explore new places. Avelo is a different and better kind of airline, built from scratch to offer an affordable, convenient and caring travel experience.”

Another new airline, Breeze Airways, is looking to take off in the near future, as well, but has not released plans for when the first flight will be, The Associated Press reported.

The company will be flying in the southeast.

Both airlines are looking to be cheaper options to destinations that bigger airlines do not go to.

The companies have been planning their launch since before the coronavirus pandemic, but are finally taking off as polls show Americans are ready and eager to get back on vacation.

Airlines are seeing the highest number of passengers in recent weeks that they’ve seen since the pandemic began.

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General Motors said Thursday that it will halt production or extend a pause at several plants in North America due to a chip shortage.

The automaker said because of a shortage of semiconductor chips, three plants would be idled or have output reduced for one to two weeks.

David Barnas, a spokesperson for GM, confirmed to The Hill that the new closures will affect factories in Tennessee, Michigan and Mexico.

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“We continue to work closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impact on GM,” Barnas said in a email.

“Our intent is to make up as much production lost at these plants as possible.”

The automaker said it will also extend the closure of a facility in Ontario and another in Kansas City, Kan., through May 10. Both facilities have been closed since February.

However, GM will reopen another plan in Wentzville, Mo., in the next few days after halting production late last month.

The automaker had announced in March that they were extending downtime at its San Luis Potosi, Mexico plant through the end of the month, but recently resumed production.

GM has experienced multiple closures of plants in 2021, with the company announcing in February that North American plants would take downtime due to the semiconductor shortage.

The chip shortage has forced global automakers to cut production for months, and executives say the shortage could last for several more months. 

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The White House on Friday said it planned to send additional staff to help with vaccinations in hard-hit states, but rebuffed calls to send more doses of the vaccine.

“We will be offering to states with significant increases in cases a set of additional tools to help them to stem the spread,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff ZientsJeff ZientsWhy some Republicans think vaccine passports will backfire on Democrats Arkansas ends mask mandate, but expands vaccine eligibility to all adults Overnight Health Care: More Johnson & Johnson doses coming next week | This is where schools are back in session | WHO asks rich countries to donate 10M vaccine doses MORE said Friday.

That includes additional federal personnel to help with vaccinations, as well as more testing capacity and more therapeutics to treat people with the virus.

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But the offer will not include more doses of the vaccine itself, something that officials in Michigan, in particular have been calling for.

Gov. Gretchen WhitmerGretchen WhitmerBipartisan lawmakers urge Biden to send more vaccines to Michigan amid spike Biden rescinds Trump-approved Medicaid work requirements in Michigan, Wisconsin Five states account for nearly 44 percent of new US COVID-19 cases MORE (D) called on President BidenJoe BidenAnne Frank’s stepsister: Trump ‘obviously admired Hitler’ Biden-GOP infrastructure talks off to rocky start We must stop cutting China slack on climate MORE to send more doses given the worrying spike in cases in the state, as have several prominent health experts and members of the state’s congressional delegation.

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Zients argued the vaccine is still needed everywhere in the country.

“There are tens of millions of people across the country in each and every state and county who have not yet been vaccinated and the fair and equitable way to distribute the vaccine is based on the adult population by state, tribe and territory,” he said.

“That’s how it’s been done and we will continue to do so,” he added. “The virus is unpredictable. We don’t know where the next increase in cases could occur.”

President Biden called for over $1.3 billion in cybersecurity funds as part of his proposed budget request sent to Congress on Friday, along with major investments in emerging technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence. 

The budget proposal was submitted in the wake of two of the largest cyber espionage attacks in U.S. history, including what has become known as the SolarWinds hack, which likely involved Russian hackers compromising at least nine federal agencies and 100 private sector groups. 

In an effort to combat these rising threats, Biden requested a budget increase of $110 million for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with $20 million to establish a “cyber response and recovery fund” at the Department of Homeland Security.

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CISA is one of the key federal groups leading the response to both the SolarWinds hack and recently uncovered vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Exchange Server, which allowed at least one state-sponsored Chinese hacking group to access thousands of businesses.

CISA was previously given $650 million in the recently approved COVID-19 relief bill, an amount that CISA leadership described as a “down payment” to meet its needs. 

“This funding would allow CISA to enhance its cybersecurity tools, hire highly qualified experts, and obtain support services to protect and defend Federal information technology systems” Biden’s budget proposal, submitted to Congress by the Office of Management and Budget, reads. 

Additionally, the budget proposal recommends $500 million for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) at the General Services Administration in order to strengthen federal cybersecurity and replace aging systems, and allocates $750 million for reserve funds to strengthen agency information security.

The funds would be in addition to $1 billion recently allocated to the TMF program by the COVID-19 relief package. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the significant cyber incident impacting agencies through products such as SolarWinds, continue to highlight the urgent need to modernize Federal technology, with particular emphasis on mission essential systems and citizen-facing digital services,” the proposal reads. 

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Biden also proposed extensive investments in emerging technologies, including through proposing the establishment of a Directorate for technology, innovation, and partnerships at the National Science Foundation. The organization would prioritize research and developments in fields including quantum computing, robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and cybersecurity. 

Biden last week called for the establishment of the technology-focused directorate by including a proposed $50 billion to fund the organization in his proposed infrastructure package.

The Commerce Department’s research and development around emerging technologies was also prioritized in the budget proposal. 

The budget proposes increasing the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Science and Technology’s (NIST) annual appropriations by $128 million to further drive research and innovation around emerging technologies. 

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Additionally, it would give the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) $39 million to help spur development and deployment of broadband and 5G wireless technologies.

The funding proposal comes amid growing bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for investment in cybersecurity and emerging technologies, particularly in the face of threats from Russian and China.

The Biden administration has teased several measures it intends to take in responding to recent cyber espionage incidents, including an upcoming executive order meant to strengthen federal cybersecurity. A more specific response to Russia for its alleged involvement in the SolarWinds attack will also be announced in “weeks, not months” to come, according to White House officials.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday urged the European Union to take an independent stance toward Beijing following a tense back-and-forth over a new round of sanctions levied by Europe in coordination with other allies.

“At present, China-EU relations are facing new development opportunities, but also different challenges,” Xi said, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency. “China’s development is an opportunity for the EU. We hope the EU can make the right judgment independently and achieve strategic autonomy in the real sense.” 

Xi maintained that China is seeking a positive business relationship with the EU and could find common goals in the fight against climate change and other “global governance issues.” 

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“Noting that China-EU relations are facing new opportunities as well as various challenges, Xi said that the key is to keep to the general direction and keynote of China-EU relations from a strategic perspective, respect each other and remove distractions,” the Chinese mission to the EU tweeted. 

The mission added that China is ready to work with European partners “to ensure the success of a series of important political agendas through consultation, expand practical cooperation, strengthen communication on climate change and other global governance issues, and jointly practice multilateralism…”

The call between Xi and Merkel, who leads the EU’s biggest economy, comes after a tense back-and-forth between China and Europe. 

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The EU last month sanctioned four officials in Xinjiang over China’s human rights violations in the region against  Uighur Muslims, a minority group in the country. Those penalties were mirrored in similar actions from the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

Beijing fired back by slapping its own sanctions on members of the European Parliament. 

Xinhua’s readout of the call between Xi and Merkel made no mention of the recent sanctions.

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Rep. Yvette ClarkeYvette Diane ClarkeHillicon Valley: Twitter will not allow Trump account archive on platform | Commerce Dept. still weighing approach to Huawei, TikTok | Dating apps work to reinvent amid COVID-19 pandemic Key House leader to press for inclusion of cybersecurity in infrastructure bill Biden risks first major fight with progressives MORE (D-N.Y.), the chair of a key cyber House panel, said Wednesday that she would push for inclusion of language on securing critical systems as part of negotiations around President’s Biden’s infrastructure proposal.

“I believe the administration’s infrastructure package, the American Jobs Plan, is an opportunity to ensure that security is integrated, or baked into, critical infrastructure projects at the beginning, and not tacked on at the end or patched up along the way,” Clarke, the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity subcommittee, said during a virtual event hosted by the Cybersecurity Coalition.

The proposed $2.25 trillion infrastructure package, rolled out last week, did not include any language specifically around securing the electric grid or other critical infrastructure against increasing cyber threats, raising concerns among some experts. 

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Clarke, who told The Hill earlier this year that bolstering critical systems in any infrastructure package would be a priority for her, said Wednesday that she was “committed to working with stakeholders to find opportunities to ensure that critical infrastructure is resilient to the cyber threats we face.”

State and local governments have seen critical systems increasingly disrupted by cyberattacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, and often do not have the resources necessary to fully confront the threats. 

Clarke said she planned to reintroduce bipartisan legislation passed by the House during the last Congress that would provide $500 million in grant funds to state and local government to help defend against malicious hackers. The bill did not get a vote in the Senate. 

“Improving the baseline of our cybersecurity posture across infrastructure sectors is crucial to ensuring the continuity of operations, of effective industry, and the freeing of cyber talent to defend against more sophisticated threats,” Clarke said Wednesday. “Toward that end, in the coming weeks, I will introduce the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act.”

While the White House may not have included specific cybersecurity measures in the infrastructure proposal, there is a separate effort ongoing by the Biden administration to secure critical systems. 

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A spokesperson for the National Security Council told The Hill last week that the administration “is committed to safeguarding the cybersecurity of U.S. critical infrastructure from persistent and sophisticated threats” and has “launched a 100 Day Control Systems cybersecurity initiative, working closely with the private sector that manages much of this critical infrastructure like those for electricity and water, to improve cybersecurity.”

Jeff Greene, the director of the National Cybersecurity Centre for Excellence at the Commerce Department who was recently detailed to the National Security Council, said during the same event Wednesday that more was to come on protecting critical infrastructure. 

“We are working on a plan for cybersecurity in the critical infrastructure sector that is, pieces of it are hopefully going to be rolled out relatively soon,” Greene said. “Just because you aren’t seeing that necessarily mentioned in Column A doesn’t mean we aren’t working on it pretty aggressively in Column B.”

“Again, it’s not fully out there yet, but we are actively working on that issue with the program that we hope to roll out pretty soon to try to hit the things we can think can make the biggest impact the quickest,” he added.

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Maria ButinaMaria ButinaNew podcast to examine case of convicted Russian agent Maria Butina Treasury adviser pleads guilty to making unauthorized disclosures in case involving Manafort Recently jailed Maria Butina rewarded with new show on Russia Today MORE, who was convicted of being an unregistered Russian agent in the U.S., reportedly visited Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in jail on Thursday.

Butina visited the jail with Kremlin-funded RT television network to report on the condition of Navalny and the prison after Navalny said he was being sleep deprived and denied medical attention, Navalny’s team said in a post on his Twitter account.

Navalny’s account called Butina a “wretched propagandist” and said she “screamed” about how good the prison was during the visit. The opposition leader’s team claimed she also only interviewed “activists” who preached “how good everything is” in the prison, according to Navalny’s Twitter.

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Navalny’s team said he lectured Butina when she visited the prison for her work at the Kremlin-funded outlet.

Butina was rewarded with a job at the Russian broadcasting network, formerly called Russia Today, after she was released from jail in the U.S. under the charge of conspiracy.

The convicted Russian agent released a book called “Prison Diary” last year in which she criticized conditions during her time in U.S. prison, The Washington Post noted.

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Navalny has reportedly lost 18 pounds since being in prison and has announced a hunger strike since he says the prison is refusing to allow him to see a medical professional to address back and leg pain.

Prison officials claim they have not denied him medical attention or deprived Navalny of sleep, but Navalny’s team has not heard back from the prison about allowing a doctor of their choice to evaluate his condition.

Navalny is serving a 2 ½ year prison sentence for violating his parole when he went to Germany to get medical treatment after a poisoning attack that Navalny says was led by the Russian government.

IT IS WEDNESDAY, MY DUDES. Welcome to Overnight Energy, your source for the day’s energy and environment news.

Today the EPA pledges a new focus on environmental justice, Republicans want answers on the firing of Trump-appointed environmental advisers and the Biden administration says an amended climate change lawsuit from children should be tossed a second time.

Please send tips and comments to Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com . Follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin . Reach Zack Budryk at zbudryk@thehill.com or follow him on Twitter: @BudrykZack . Signup for our newsletter and others HERE. 

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THE NEEDS OF THE  MANY: EPA to step up enforcement in overburdened areas

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Wednesday it would boost enforcement of environmental laws in areas that face disproportionate impacts from pollution as part of several actions the Biden administration plans to take to advance equity.

The EPA also said it would look at the impacts of potential regulations on underserved, overburdened and tribal communities and consider options that most benefit them, as well as engaging with these communities.

Officials said they will further prioritize benefits to underserved communities in the grant process “to the extent allowed by law.”

“Too many communities whose residents are predominantly of color, Indigenous, or low-income continue to suffer from disproportionately high pollution levels and the resulting adverse health and environmental impacts,” EPA Administrator Michael ReganMichael ReganOvernight Energy: EPA pledges new focus on environmental justice | Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers | Biden administration asks court to toss kids’ climate lawsuit Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers EPA to step up enforcement in overburdened areas MORE said in a message to all agency staff, according to an EPA press release.

“We must do better. This will be one of my top priorities as Administrator, and I expect it to be one of yours as well,” he added.

What prompted the move?: The EPA said its actions were part of a response to a January executive order that directs agencies to “work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity.”

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Studies have shown that that low-income communities and communities of color face greater pollution impacts.

Read more about the announcement here.

 

WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT: Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers

Two Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee said Wednesday that they are looking into the Biden administration’s decision to reconstitute two key Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advisory groups, dismissing 40 appointees of former President TrumpDonald TrumpGaetz trip to Bahamas part of federal sex trafficking investigation: report Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ Biden to announce executive action on ghost guns, red flag laws MORE.

In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, Reps. James ComerJames (Jamie) R. ComerOvernight Energy: EPA pledges new focus on environmental justice | Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers | Biden administration asks court to toss kids’ climate lawsuit Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers Parler says it alerted FBI to threats before Capitol riot MORE (Ky.) and Ralph NormanRalph Warren NormanOvernight Energy: EPA pledges new focus on environmental justice | Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers | Biden administration asks court to toss kids’ climate lawsuit Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers Republican rips GOP lawmakers for voting by proxy from CPAC MORE (S.C.) criticized the move as an apparent “political purge.”

“We are conducting oversight of your decision to abruptly fire all Trump administration appointed members of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and Science Advisory Board (SAB),” Comer and Norman wrote.

“The midterm firing of science advisory board members within the first months of a new Administration demonstrates a deeply troubling partisan political agenda,” they added. 

CASAC advises the agency on technical aspects of its air quality standards, and SAB reviews scientific information used by the agency in rulemaking.

What answers are Republicans seeking?: In their letter, the lawmakers asked for documents related to the decision, including any communications with the White House on it. 

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“As such, we request documents and information about the decision to fire these officials, including the process used for this unprecedented decision,” they added.

Read more about the letter here.

 

ARE YOU KIDDING?: Biden administration asks court to toss kids’ climate lawsuit

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The Biden administration on Tuesday called on a U.S. district court to reject a second attempt by a group of children to sue the U.S. government over climate change.

The original lawsuit, filed in 2015 by 21 children and their allies, sought to force the government to phase out fossil fuel emissions. In 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue.

The 21 plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States filed a request in March to file a narrower, amended complaint. In its Tuesday filing, the government argued the proposed new filing would still lack standing under the 2020 ruling.

What does the government say is the issue?: “[T]he proposed amendment would be futile in this case because Plaintiffs’ new requests for declaratory relief are not materially different from their old ones,” it states. The filing notes that both the dismissed complaint and the proposed amendment cite the Declaratory Judgment Act and request that the court rule the government has violated the plaintiffs’ rights to due process.

“Because the Ninth Circuit has already determined that Plaintiffs’ request for declaratory judgment ‘is not substantially likely to mitigate the plaintiffs’ asserted concrete injuries,’ and thus fails the first prong of the redressability test … Plaintiffs’ proposal to assert a substantially identical request for relief must be denied as futile,” the filing states.

Read more about the filing here.

 

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MAKING THE PITCH: Biden invokes Flint water crisis in infrastructure pitch

President BidenJoe BidenManchin throws cold water on using budget reconciliation Moderate GOP senators and Biden clash at start of infrastructure debate Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ MORE invoked the lead exposure disaster in Flint, Mich., in a Wednesday speech pitching his infrastructure plan, saying there are “hundreds” of similar crises waiting to happen across the country.

“Everybody remembers what happened in Flint, there’s hundreds of Flints all across America,” he said when discussing the part of his plan that aims to eliminate all of the country’s lead pipe and service lines in drinking water systems. 

Biden’s remarks come as Democrats and Republicans feud over the size and scope of the infrastructure package, with some GOP lawmakers arguing that the $2.25 trillion proposal goes beyond infrastructure in the strictest sense. 

“How many of you know when you send your child to school, the fountain they’re drinking out of is not fed by a lead pipe?” Biden asked. “How many of you know the school your child is in still has asbestos in the walls and lacks the ventilation? Is that not infrastructure?”

What’s the backstory?: In 2014, the Michigan city began to get its water from the Flint River, but the water was corrosive, causing lead from pipes to get leached into the drinking water.

Lead exposure can damage children’s brains and nervous systems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are an estimated 6 million to 10 million lead service lines in the country.

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Read more about the president’s pitch here.

 

WHEELERS UP: Wheeler, Bernhardt join Pence advocacy group

Trump administration Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Trump EPA administrator Andrew WheelerAndrew WheelerOvernight Energy: EPA pledges new focus on environmental justice | Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers | Biden administration asks court to toss kids’ climate lawsuit Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by ExxonMobil – Pence sets the stage for 2024 MORE have joined the advisory board of a new political advocacy organization spearheaded by former Vice President Mike PenceMichael (Mike) Richard PenceOvernight Energy: EPA pledges new focus on environmental justice | Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers | Biden administration asks court to toss kids’ climate lawsuit Pence autobiography coming from Simon & Schuster Pence launches conservative political group MORE. 

Pence said that the group, called Advancing American Freedom, will aim to defend conservative values and oppose the Biden administration.

Read more about the group here.

WHAT WE’RE READING:

JPMorgan secretly emailed the Trump administration about bailing out the oil industry, Mother Jones reports

Marine species increasingly can’t live at equator due to global heating, The Guardian reports

Brazil’s Bolsonaro says he could change Petrobras fuel pricing policy, Reuters reports

In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, proposed utility sale rekindles energy debate, Energy News Network reports

 

ICYMI: Stories from Wednesday…

CO2, methane emissions surged in 2020 despite pandemic: NOAA

EPA and union reach tentative agreement to restore 2007 contract protections

Biden invokes Flint water crisis in infrastructure pitch

Indian prime minister assures Kerry country committed to Paris climate pledges

Republicans probe EPA firing of Trump-appointed science advisers

Saks Fifth Avenue phasing out animal fur

Biden nominates Interior deputy as department’s top lawyer

Biden administration asks court to toss kids’ climate lawsuit

EPA to step up enforcement in overburdened areas

 

FROM THE HILL’S OPINION PAGES: Loose-fit infrastructure can better account for climate change

 

In animal news… Sticking your neck out