we got ahold of a batch of new ethics docs for Karen Budd-Falen, the high-ranking Trump Interior official who is facing a growing ethics scandal
a lot in this story, but two stand outs
- the docs do not include an updated ethics recusal
- clients redacted
www.publicdomain.media/p/new-ethics...
I can't get over this number: in 2007, there were 360,000 newspaper jobs. Now, there are 80,000. "My local paper sucked!" Sure. What sucks even more? The void. "I get all my news from the Guardian!" No, the Guardian doesn't report on your town council, your school board, local cops.
President Trump said repealing climate standards for cars and the so-called endangerment finding would save Americans $1.3 trillion. EPA chief Zeldin repeated the stat.
But that's not actually what EPA's own math says. My story @bloomberg.com, with a gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
history has a funny way of repeating itself
www.publicdomain.media/p/republican...
Self-promotion: Sign up for my reporting and commentary, and please support if you can: climatecoloredgoggles.com
@chrisdangelo.bsky.social and I first reported in 2020 that Trump hired him to a top role at the Interior Department. I can confirm he was not very bright. www.huffpost.com/entry/interi...
NEW: Hunting influencer Ryan Lampers, who faces multiple poaching-related charges in Idaho, was also cited in Montana last year for failing to submit a black bear hide and skull for inspection.
A warden seized the animal. Lampers paid $155 for the offense.
www.publicdomain.media/p/ryan-lampe...
Spoiler alert: The Republican Study Committee is just making shit up
House Republicans say they want to sell off "underutilized" federal buildings, claiming it would generate $115 billion in federal revenue.
I went down a rabbit hole here...and their math isn't mathing.
www.publicdomain.media/p/gop-budget...
how members of the newly formed bipartisan House Public Lands Caucus voted on yesterday’s resolution to lift the 20-year ban on mining near the Boundary Waters...
11 Republicans: Yay
11 Democrats: Nay
open.substack.com/pub/chrisdan...
Why does Steve Pearce own up to $2 million in gold bars and coins? www.publicdomain.media/p/trump-blm-... via @chrisdangelo.bsky.social
PERC, the Montana-based property rights and "free market environmentalism" nonprofit w/ a history of advocating for privatizing America’s federal lands and rolling back environmental laws, will be the primary beneficiary of the 2026 "conservation-focused" Wildlands event
one important point on the Karen Budd-Falen/Thacker Pass scandal...
it's not just that her family struck a lucrative deal to sell water to the mine
the relationship is ongoing...the mine is relying on the Budd-Falen ranch to monitor for drawdown impacts
www.publicdomain.media/p/karen-budd...
thank you @maddow.bsky.social for highlighting our reporting on this!
readers: subscribe to Public Domain and support our work at publicdomain.media
our little"blog" (as Trump's Interior loves to call us) — a “blog” that recently blew the door open on Interior official Karen Budd-Falen’s financial ties to a massive lithium mine on federal land in Nevada — has sued the Trump Interior Dept …
…again
www.publicdomain.media/p/public-dom...
link to our report from last month below
if you’re able, consider a paid subscription so we can keep doing this important work
www.publicdomain.media/p/karen-budd...
audio of Maddow’s show below…first segment highlights our “explosive reporting” (her words) on Trump Interior official's financial ties to massive lithium mine
“If there’s a public corruption child’s picture book, this is the kind of story that would be pictured."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIW...
my colleague @jamesctobias.bsky.social and I first reported this in our newsletter Public Domain three weeks ago
link here: www.publicdomain.media/p/karen-budd...
Public Domain, an environmental news outlet, earlier reported some of the details of Mr. Falen’s financial relationship with Thacker Pass
www.publicdomain.media/p/karen-budd...
Top Trump Official Has Financial Ties To Controversial
#Nevada #Lithium Mine
@jamesctobias.bsky.social and @chrisdangelo.bsky.social
report for Public Domain
#news #environment
EJ Today Headlines: sej.org/headlines/list
www.publicdomain.media/p/karen-budd...
Top Interior Department official Karen Budd-Falen has financial ties to the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada, of which the American people are now partial owners thanks to the Trump administration: www.publicdomain.media/p/karen-budd... via @jamesctobias.bsky.social @chrisdangelo.bsky.social
NEW: House Dems request Interior IG investigate BOEM acting director Matt Giacona for potential ethics violations, citing Public Domain’s exposé in June that detailed his work on policy matters that were previously the focus of his oil lobbying career.
www.publicdomain.media/p/lawmakers-...
Wildfires aren’t just getting bigger. They’re getting massively more expensive.
A new study shows the most destructive fires are happening more often, fueled by climate change, urban sprawl, and decades of fire suppression.
@umairfan.bsky.social for @vox.com: www.vox.com/climate/4635...
House Dems are demanding DOI turn over DOGE operative Hassen's financial/ethics docs
Docs that Public Domain obtained raise Qs about whether or when Hassen divested of energy-related holdings
Hassen was replaced in his role while we were reporting this story
www.publicdomain.media/p/tyler-hass...
scoop from @jamesctobias.bsky.social: Internal docs obtained by Public Domain show that the federal government did not conduct an ESA or NEPA review for the Florida migrant detention facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz”
www.publicdomain.media/p/scoop-alli...
The Trump administration said it will go hunting for cases of wind energy companies unintentionally killing migratory birds — something it has long argued is not a violation of federal law.
www.publicdomain.media/p/trump-admi...
NEW: Republican-backed wolf-culling campaigns may wind up triggering federal protections again.
www.publicdomain.media/p/gray-wolf-...
excited for this one! tune in at 10 am!
"Not one acre" became a rallying cry against Utah Sen. Mike Lee's attempt to sell off millions of acres of public land for housing development.
The Trump admin has a similar proposal, with ~400k on the chopping block.
Will 'not one acre' carry over?
www.publicdomain.media/p/trump-team...
“We’re like blasting our nose off our face" Maine and the OBBA from @chrisdangelo.bsky.social themainemonitor.bluelena.io/index.php?ac...
