Anna Kramer
@annackramer.bsky.social
energy, environment, climate reporter for NOTUS email: annakramer@notus.com Signal: annakramer.54
NEW: The Senate plans to temporarily bar the Trump admin from formally politicizing federal grants. But for the last 18 months, the White House has been playing politics with federal money, without any codified rules. So what’s the point? 👇
Senate Spending Deal Pauses Trump’s Funding Power Grab. It Might Be Too Late.
The Trump administration has politicized federal grants without a formal rule.
notus.org
The ANC districts for the areas that represent West Potomac Park and the White House are both currently vacant — and no one is running to fill them for next year. A thankless job, but surprised that there isn't an enterprising GW student seizing the symbolic opportunity there.
NEW: The Trump administration plans to spend $1.6 billion through September 2027 in its partnerships with state and local police participating in immigration enforcement, a sum that far exceeds previous funding. notus.org/policy/trump-supercharge-local-police-immigration-enforcement
Trump to Supercharge Local Police Immigration Enforcement With $1.6 Billion
The funding planned for the 287(g) program far exceeds spending in the first Trump administration.
notus.org
NEWS: Trump admin is finally stepping in to the Colorado River water crisis. One unexpected twist: Arizona, Nevada, and California may be asked to double their water usage cuts in a very dry year. Arizona is already calling that "unacceptable."
Trump Plans to Impose Deep Cuts to Western States’ Water Usage
Arizona, Nevada and California are expected to be hit the hardest as Colorado River levels drop to historic lows.
notus.org
Exclusive: Katie Miller has called for Anthony Fauci to be jailed. But since-redacted excerpts from his diary suggest the two had a close relationship in 2020. www.notus.org/health-scien...
Redacted Fauci Diary Entries Depict Him Personally Helping Katie Miller
Katie Miller, who has since called for infectious disease doctor Anthony Fauci to be jailed, has said Fauci’s diary entries are self-aggrandizing.
notus.org
The United States is already maxing out wildfire fighting resources, earlier in the fire season than usual. One week ago, we hit level 5 out of 5 on the scale that shows preparedness risk. Now fire coordinators must triage which fires get less resources.
U.S. Firefighting Resources Are Already Maxed Out — And It’s Only July
National wildfire response coordinators are triaging across fires raging primarily in Oregon, Colorado and Washington.
notus.org
Freedom250 — the Trump-aligned group — just got another $13 million from the Interior Department. The total amount transferred from Interior to Freedom250 is now $81.5 million taxpayer dollars. We still don't know which 250th events have been paid for with that money.
Remember when Freedom250 spilled some diesel on the National Mall in May? It cost the National Park Service nearly $2 million to clean that up, according to the rushed, no-bid contract I just found.
NEWS: Trump is shrinking two national monuments in Utah by more than 90%. Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears are home to significant dinosaur fossils and sacred Native American sites. These are the largest cuts to public lands in US history.
Trump Cuts Two Utah National Monuments by More Than 90%
Trump is again cutting Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears, this time by nearly 3 million acres combined.
notus.org
I had a lot of fun asking fireworks salesmen to estimate what it's going to cost to try to break the world record on the National Mall this year. I had to go do that bc the Trump admin hasn't told anyone the price or if taxpayers are footing the bill.
We Still Don’t Know What the National Mall Fireworks Show Will Cost
Or who is footing the bill. But fireworks companies speculate that the record-breaking event is a “many multimillion-dollar production.”
notus.org
NEW: Trump took small town America’s 250th birthday money. Across Ohio, West Virginia, Alabama, Washington… “These are taxpayer dollars that are intended to go to local communities. They’re being held back and funneled to projects in Washington, D.C.”
DOGE Cut Off Small Town America’s 250th Birthday Money
Then Trump redirected the money for his own beautification projects.
notus.org
NEWS: Supreme Court ruled today to protect Monsanto from people claiming that Roundup gave them cancer. The court ruled decisively — a 7-2 decision with two liberals joining — that EPA's decision that glyphosate is safe overrides state laws.
The Supreme Court Deals MAHA a Loss on Pesticides
The court ruled that federal law protects Monsanto from lawsuits claiming Roundup caused their cancer.
notus.org
SCOOP: Trump admin is now actively considering a plan to fix the Reflecting Pool water pipes. AND the park service updated the reflecting pool water treatment contract to require it be kept in a “clean, clear, and aesthetically acceptable condition.”
The Trump Administration Is Considering Even More Reflecting Pool Upgrades
This time the government is stipulating: Future contractors have to keep the water “clear.”
notus.org
NOTUS investigation 🚨: 911 calls at ICE detention centers take rural first responders out of commission for hours. Emergency responders at 6 detention centers took between 58 mins to 2.5 hours to tend to 911 calls, according to records NOTUS obtained. More findings below 👇🏻
in my inbox: California plans to sue the Trump administration to stop them from paying $120 million to get Golden State Wind to abandon its offshore wind lease.
It looks like Trump took $350 million from money meant for the Secret Service in last year’s reconciliation bill and directed it to the ballroom project. This is now my 3rd time reporting on how the admin is using last year’s big cash injection to fund pet projects.
Senators Suspect Trump Shifted Secret Service Funds to Build His Ballroom
“It’s a big problem,” says Sen. Thom Tillis of the $352 million moved from personnel and training.
notus.org
The Pentagon has again delayed cleaning up “forever chemicals” at nearly 200 U.S. military locations, including at sites where the chemicals have contaminated local drinking water.
The Pentagon Quietly Delayed PFAS Cleanup Across Nearly 200 Military Sites
The previously unreported delays push back efforts up to 20 years -- including at sites where the chemicals have contaminated local drinking water.
notus.org
SCOOP: The Defense Department is again quietly delaying forever chemical cleanup across nearly 200 sites. This time, delays average 10 years and stretch out to 20. DOD deleted the old timeline and replaced it with a new one without any public announcement.
The Pentagon Quietly Delayed PFAS Cleanup Across Nearly 200 Military Sites
The previously unreported delays push back efforts up to 20 years — including at sites where the chemicals have contaminated local drinking water.
notus.org
Jonas Murphy, the former lobbyist who pleaded guilty to embezzling — & paid back — $1M from a venture capital trade assn PAC, avoids prison. “The Court is of the opinion that incarceration would serve no justice at all,” Judge Emmet Sullivan said during sentencing. www.notus.org/courts/forme...
Former Lobbyist Who Embezzled from PAC Avoids Prison
Jonas Murphy pleaded guilty in December to embezzling more than $1 million from the National Venture Capital Association’s political committee.
notus.org
SCOOP: The Trump administration is using $26 million of your national park service visitor fees to help pay for the massive expansion in the DC park police force.
Trump Directed Millions in National Park Fees to Hire Park Police
The fees helped double the size of the U.S. Park Police force in the Washington area.
notus.org
NEW: House Ethics has always had more male members than female That has seemingly impacted the outcome of at least one sexual misconduct investigation: The one into Jim Costa Women wanted to make the case public, but men argued against it w/ @kadiagoba.bsky.social www.notus.org/congress/gen...
Women in Congress Say a Gender Gap Impedes Sexual Harassment Probes
Female House lawmakers tell NOTUS that investigations would benefit from more representation on the committee.
notus.org
SCOOP: House Ethics is investigating leaks around its 2023 investigation into Jim Costa The committee sent letters to former committee members asking if they disclosed any information reported by @notus.com in May about the Costa probe w/ @kadiagoba.bsky.social www.notus.org/congress/hou...
The Ethics Committee Is Probing Leaks About Its Jim Costa Investigation
The committee started sending letters to former commitee members inquiring if they leaked information that was previously reported by NOTUS.
notus.org
Last week, I broke that the Park Service spent $5 million gilding horse statues in DC. Yesterday, I reported that Trump’s Freedom 250 got $68 million so far from Interior, while America 250 has $100 million shortfall. 🚨What should be next? Send me your tips!! Signal is annakramer.54
NEWS: America’s 250th birthday is becoming a political, confusing quagmire. Trump has already given ~$80 million in taxpayer funds to the group he created, for events he supports. Meanwhile, Trump admin is withholding millions from the bipartisan 250 group.
America's Bipartisan Birthday Commission Is Losing to Trump
America 250 is facing a $100 million “shortfall.” The Trump-created group Freedom 250 has received $80 million in taxpayer dollars.
notus.org
SCOOP: The Trump administration is paying millions to quickly cover four enormous bronze horses with extra-thick 23.75 karat gold leaf. The money for the rush job is coming from National Park Service funds. In total, I found ~$100 mil spent on new DC beautification projects.
The Trump Administration Is Spending $5 Million to Coat Horse Statues in Gold
The Interior Department quickly gave nearly $100 million in contracts in a rush to beautify D.C.
notus.org
Today the Trump administration is loosening limits on “super-pollutants” because he wants to drive down grocery prices. One economics expert literally laughed when I asked if it would do anything at all, estimating maybe someone could save $2/year.
EPA Eases Limits on ‘Super Pollutants,’ Claiming It Will Lower Food Prices
Easing restrictions on the potent greenhouse gases will not actually lead to cost savings, experts and industry leaders say.
notus.org
NEWS: Nearly half of the people who once managed the country's nuclear waste cleanup have left in the last two years, driven out by Trump. Hanford lost more than 100 people. Savannah River lost just under 100. Vacancy rates for engineers are over 50%. www.notus.org/climate-envi...
The Trump Administration Pushed Out Nearly Half of Its Nuclear Waste Cleanup Team
Critical positions have vacancy rates of over 50%.
notus.org
NEWS: The EPA wants to remove the drinking water limits on four forever chemicals, including the notorious North Carolina Cape Fear River contaminant, GenX. They are officially proposing to kill the nationwide standards set under Biden and start over.
The EPA Wants To Rescind Four Forever Chemical Limits in Drinking Water
The Trump administration risks angering MAHA with its plan.
notus.org
22,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked from Joint Base Andrews into a Potomac tributary sometime this spring. We still don’t know when it happened, or the extent of the damage. Internal docs show that the base knew there were problems and didn’t report them.
Joint Base Andrews Was Leaking Jet Fuel. Maryland Didn't Know for Months.
The Maryland Air Force facility lost roughly 32,000 gallons of fuel between December and April.
notus.org
NEWS: The Trump administration is now "reviewing" whether the Rice's whale is actually endangered. There are only about ~50 of those whales left in the Gulf of Mexico. Last month, the "God Squad" gave the oil industry a pass on the law that requires them to protect those whales.
