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Trump EPA chief vows he won’t take ‘morality lessons’ from Dem senator after heated clash
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Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., traded barbs with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in a fiery Senate hearing Wednesday over cost-benefit analysis of coal plants and whether President Trump’s EPA had done enough to weigh whether hospital bills and insurance claims should factor into the calculus.
The heated back-and-forth left Zeldin taking a thinly-veiled dig at Whitehouse long after the Democratic environmentalist had concluded his line of questioning.
«We just want to stick to the truth,» Zeldin said.
«We want to stick to the science. If you don’t agree with them, you don’t follow their logic, then they’ll want to vilify you … and I’m not going to take morality lessons from people who join all-White country clubs,» Zeldin added.
He was referring to reports of Whitehouse’s family membership at Bailey’s Beach Club, a beach club formerly known as Spouting Rock Beach Association.
EPA CHIEF TAKES ON MEXICAN ‘SEWAGE CRISIS’ FLOWING INTO US WATERS WHERE NAVY SEALS TRAIN
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin attends a meeting with President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 13, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«I think the people who are running the place are still working on that, and I’m sorry it hasn’t happened yet,» Whitehouse said in 2017, referring to allowing minority members. «It’s a long tradition in Rhode Island, and there are many of them. And we just need to work our way through the issues.»
The interaction comes as lawmakers weigh President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget request for the EPA, a framework that has alarmed Democrats for its proposed 50% reduction to agency funding.
Zeldin’s clash with Whitehouse also underscores sharp divisions between the administration and Democrats in Congress over what threat, if any, climate change poses and what resources the U.S. should devote to combating it.
Whitehouse, who panned the proposed budget, argued that Zeldin was ignoring secondary costs brought on by fossil fuels.
«One plant in Michigan has already cost Michiganders $600 million in excess health costs. That is money out of consumers’ pockets and into the pockets of your fossil fuel polluters, Trump’s big donors. Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?» Whitehouse asked Zeldin.
«We’re going to get to talk about math?» Zeldin replied. «Oh, this is great; I don’t even know where to start.»
«Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?» Whitehouse asked again. «Answer that question: Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?»
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS PRESENT DIFFERING OPINIONS OF TRUMP’S ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT APPOINTEES
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for EPA administrator, speaks during his Senate Environment and Public Works confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 16, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Zeldin began replying that the EPA did, in fact, track consumer costs of energy but was cut off.
«Where are you tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?» Whitehouse interjected.
Zeldin, setting aside the matter of tracking, turned to confront Whitehouse’s underlying argument about the cost-benefit of coal across the country.
«Are you kidding me? Coal plants even staying open – you think that the math is that it’s better for West Virginia if you close down their coal plants and put these people out of work and tell them to learn how to code?» Zeldin said.
«According to you, in your mind, that’s saving West Virginia? Is it saving them on energy access? Is it saving them on jobs?» Zeldin added.
Whitehouse, running out of his allotted time, closed his line of questioning by proposing that Trump’s administration stood to gain from energy-aligned donors.
NEW SEN. JIM JUSTICE ‘ABSOLUTELY’ SHOCKED BY DEMOCRATS’ RESPONSE TO ELON MUSK’S DOGE REVELATIONS
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., conducts the Senate Budget Committee hearing titled «The Default on America Act: Blackmail, Brinkmanship, and Billionaire Backroom Deals» in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on May 4, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
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«You’re raising costs on purpose because the money that you get when you raise costs from consumers goes to Trump’s big fossil fuel donors,» Whitehouse said.
The EPA was given roughly $8.82 billion in the 2026 fiscal year. For 2027, Trump has requested just $4.2B for 2027, a drop that would represent a 52% decrease year over year.
climate change environment, energy, climate, senate elections, environment
INTERNACIONAL
Inside Fauci’s private diary: What he wrote about Trump, TV personalities and celebrities
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Newly released diary entries by Dr. Anthony Fauci offer an unfiltered look at what the nation’s top infectious disease expert really thought of the politicians, television personalities and celebrities who filled his orbit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Released by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., the diaries chronicle Fauci’s day-to-day role during the COVID-19 pandemic through meetings, phone calls and personal observations. The release comes days before Fauci is scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed by Paul.
The entries feature everyone from President Donald Trump to Julia Roberts, Steph Curry, Larry Ellison and Hunter Biden, offering an unusually personal look at the people who crossed Fauci’s path during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early entries portray a warm working relationship between Fauci and Trump. Fauci wrote that Trump repeatedly directed questions to him during White House meetings, called him «the smartest person in the world,» told him, «We are counting on you,» and later appeared «enamored» with him as Fauci’s national profile grew.
FAUCI’S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED
President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci are seen during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing. Fauci’s newly released diary portrays an initially warm working relationship that later deteriorated as the pandemic unfolded. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Fauci’s relationship with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows deteriorated throughout the pandemic. Fauci wrote that Meadows threatened to keep him off television, repeatedly pushed him to soften his public messaging and, in one entry, recounted Meadows «screaming» over his public comments.
Fauci, however, repeatedly described then-White House communications director Alyssa Farah as an ally during internal battles over media appearances. In one May 2020 entry, he wrote that Farah admitted White House staff had been «holding me back,» said the situation had «gotten out of hand» and promised to begin clearing his television requests again.
Not everyone in the administration’s communications operation earned Fauci’s praise. In a July 2, 2020 entry, Fauci called then-HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo «a con man who is completely full of sh–,» writing that Caputo publicly claimed to support his television appearances while privately blocking them.
Television journalists also became recurring figures in Fauci’s diary. CNN anchor Jake Tapper appears repeatedly, with Fauci documenting phone calls, text exchanges and dinners at the Tappers’ Washington home.
LEGACY MEDIA IGNORES MASSIVE ANTHONY FAUCI DOCUMENT RELEASE ALLEGING HE MISLED CONGRESS ON COVID ORIGINS
CNN anchor Jake Tapper appears repeatedly in Dr. Anthony Fauci’s newly released COVID-19 diary, which documents phone calls, text exchanges and dinners at Tapper’s Washington home. (Bryan Bedder/Variety/Getty Images)
Fauci wrote that Tapper privately checked to make sure a CNN interview hadn’t caused problems with the White House. When The Atlantic’s Peter Nicholas suggested Fauci had been «humiliated» over a canceled Tapper interview, Fauci fired back in his diary: «F— you, Peter.»
After Fauci’s heated exchange with Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Fauci wrote that CNN’s Dana Bash texted him, telling him he was «a better man» and relaying that fellow CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer had joked no one would have blamed Fauci if he had told Jordan to «go f— yourself.»
The following day, Fauci wrote that Bash texted him again, this time pointing him to a Vanity Fair headline mocking Jordan’s performance at the hearing.
The diary also features colorful asides about billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whom Fauci described as «a bit of a loose cannon» while discussing White House efforts to use Oracle technology during the pandemic.
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Fauci served as chief medical adviser to President Donald Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic before later continuing in the role under President Joe Biden. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Beyond politicians and White House aides, Fauci’s diary reads at times like a Hollywood guest list. Actress Julia Roberts hosted Fauci on Instagram Live, sent him flowers and later presented him with an award, while Vogue editor Anna Wintour, comedian Trevor Noah, NBA star Steph Curry, actors Sean Penn and Matt Damon, and rapper Lil Wayne also make appearances as Fauci documented his growing celebrity during the pandemic.
The diary closes with another unexpected cameo. At the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors, Fauci wrote that he hugged Hunter Biden, who joked the internet «would explode» if someone photographed them together because they were both «being attacked by the far right GOP.»
anthony fauci, white house, donald trump, politics, fox news media, coronavirus
INTERNACIONAL
El precio del petróleo se desplomó más de un 5% tras la pausa en los ataques entre Estados Unidos e Irán
Los precios internacionales del petróleo iniciaron la semana con un marcado descenso después de que los mercados reaccionaran a una disminución temporal de la tensión entre Estados Unidos e Irán. La ausencia de nuevos ataques estadounidenses durante dos noches consecutivas generó expectativas de que ambas partes puedan retomar las negociaciones, lo que redujo la preocupación por una interrupción prolongada del suministro de crudo desde Medio Oriente.
En las primeras operaciones de los mercados asiáticos, el barril de Brent, referencia para buena parte del comercio mundial de petróleo, perdió un 5,58% y se situó en 91,38 dólares. En paralelo, el West Texas Intermediate (WTI), utilizado como referencia en Estados Unidos, descendió un 5,46% hasta los 84,43 dólares. La corrección puso fin al fuerte impulso alcista registrado durante las semanas anteriores, cuando el conflicto elevó el temor a una crisis energética de mayor alcance.
El movimiento del mercado estuvo estrechamente vinculado a la evolución del escenario geopolítico. Durante las últimas dos noches no se registraron nuevos bombardeos estadounidenses sobre Irán, una interrupción que fue interpretada por los operadores financieros como una señal de que aún existe margen para una solución negociada.
El embajador de Estados Unidos ante las Naciones Unidas, Mike Waltz, confirmó esa posibilidad al afirmar que el presidente Donald Trump está dando “un poco de margen” a los contactos diplomáticos con Teherán. No obstante, dejó claro que Washington mantiene abiertas todas las opciones.
“El ejército estadounidense (…) tiene todo lo necesario para llevar a cabo esta campaña con la eficacia que se requiere”, declaró durante una entrevista con Fox News.
El portavoz del ejército iraní, Mohammad Akraminia, aseguró que las operaciones de represalia fueron suspendidas tras el cese de los ataques estadounidenses.
“Estos ataques continuaron hasta hace dos noches, pero durante las dos últimas noches los estadounidenses han cesado sus ataques”, afirmó, al tiempo que agregó que, debido a que la estrategia iraní había sido responder a las ofensivas estadounidenses, “también hemos suspendido nuestras operaciones de represalia”.
La evolución del conflicto tiene un impacto directo sobre el mercado energético porque gran parte de las exportaciones mundiales de hidrocarburos dependen del estrecho de Ormuz. Ese corredor marítimo conecta el Golfo Pérsico con el océano Índico y, en condiciones normales, permite el tránsito de aproximadamente una quinta parte del petróleo y del gas natural licuado que se consume diariamente en el mundo.
Las tensiones militares en esa zona habían disparado las primas de riesgo durante las últimas semanas debido al temor de interrupciones en el transporte marítimo. La posibilidad de una disminución de las hostilidades alimentó la expectativa de que la navegación pueda normalizarse progresivamente, reduciendo así la presión sobre la oferta global de petróleo.
Sin embargo, el mercado continúa atento a otros factores que podrían alterar el equilibrio del suministro. Entre ellos figura el bloqueo marítimo anunciado por los rebeldes hutíes de Yemen contra puertos de Arabia Saudita, una medida que añade incertidumbre sobre las rutas comerciales de la región y mantiene elevado el nivel de vigilancia entre los operadores.
La caída de este lunes contrasta con la fuerte escalada registrada durante julio. A medida que aumentaban los enfrentamientos entre Washington y Teherán, el petróleo acumuló importantes ganancias impulsado por el temor a una expansión del conflicto. Antes de esta nueva escalada, un entendimiento alcanzado entre ambos países el 17 de junio había favorecido un descenso de las cotizaciones, con el Brent negociándose apenas por encima de los 70 dólares.
Aunque la pausa en las operaciones militares alivió momentáneamente la presión sobre los mercados energéticos, la evolución de las negociaciones entre Washington y Teherán seguirá siendo el principal factor para determinar el comportamiento del precio del petróleo en los próximos días.
Middle East
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Europe will one day thank Trump for ‘shaking’ it out of its ‘complacency’: UK defense chief
Trump says NATO allies had a ‘bad moment’ for not helping in potential Iran war
President Donald Trump, speaking at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, criticizes Spain, Italy and the UK for not offering immediate support to the U.S. in a potential conflict with Iran. Trump describes their response as a ‘bad moment’ but later emphasizes the ‘tremendous unification’ among NATO members, expressing mutual love and respect.
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The U.K.’s new defense secretary said Sunday that Europe will ultimately thank President Donald Trump for waking up the continent from its complacency and forcing NATO allies to take responsibility for their own security.
Speaking on Sky News, Wes Streeting also signaled a rebalancing of the U.K. government’s transatlantic stance under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham while stating that Britain continued to refuse to back U.S. offensive military action against Iran.
«The first thing you do is you don’t suck up, and… my impression is President Trump, his administration… that’s not what they’re looking for, actually,» Streeting told Sky News anchor Trevor Phillips, stating his perspective on Washington.
«He’s a straight talker. He says what he means and means what he says.»
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British Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting said that Europe will one day thank President Donald Trump for shaking Europe out of its strategic complacency and forcing NATO allies to shoulder more of their own defense. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
«I don’t know him, but I do trust the United States,» he added.
Streeting took charge of the U.K. Ministry of Defence on July 20, the same day Burnham became prime minister.
«I’ve not even been in the job a week. I’ve always been aware that the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. is unlike any in the world, and of course, that’s historic, it’s cultural, it’s political,» Streeting said. «It’s driven by self-interest as well as mutual shared interests.»
During his first week in office, Streeting also had a call with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to discuss maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and broader NATO commitments.
«But just in my first week as defense secretary, I have had a unique insight into just how close and integral that relationship is when it comes to defense and security,» Streeting explained.
UK DEFENSE SHORTFALLS HIGHLIGHTED AS BRITAIN AVOIDS IRAN OFFENSIVE ROLE AMID TRUMP CRITICISM
Streeting said he was «very keen and pleased» to meet with his American counterpart, War Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
«And it’s one of the reasons why I was very keen and pleased in the first week to meet with my U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, where I was clear that we’ve not supported offensive action in Iran, and we won’t support offensive action in Iran,» he continued. «But there are plenty of things that we can and should do together when it comes to securing the Strait of Hormuz, in making sure that Iran doesn’t develop nuclear weapons, in terms of investing in our capability and NATO’s capability.»
Trump has long criticized European NATO members for failing to spend enough on defense, arguing they should shoulder a greater share of the alliance’s security burden.
WHO IS ANDY BURNHAM? THE TRUMP CRITIC SET TO BECOME THE UK’S NEXT PRIME MINISTER
«And one of the things I’d say about President Trump specifically… we don’t always like what he says. We don’t always like his methods,» Streeting said. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)
At July’s NATO summit in Turkey, Trump pressed allies to follow through on their commitments to increase defense spending.
«And one of the things I’d say about President Trump specifically: we don’t always like what he says, we don’t always like his methods,» Streeting said. «But I genuinely think when this period of history is written, Europe will thank President Trump for shaking us out of our complacency and forcing us to stand on our own two feet and end the period of overreliance on the United States for defense because what he said about Europe isn’t unique to President Trump, the MAGA movement or the Republican Party.»
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«This has been a longstanding grain of U.S. frustration with Europe under Democratic and Republican presidents, and in the world we live in, it is right that we can act to secure ourselves,» he added.
Streeting also said the U.K. could «act with our allies here in Europe and, of course, work with the United States without being overly dependent to the extent that NATO and Europe has been.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for further comment.
united kingdom, andy burnham, donald trump, pentagon, iran
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