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EPA upholds Trump-era decision not to regulate drinking water contaminant

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EPA upholds Trump-era decision not to regulate drinking water contaminant

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Upholding a Trump-era environmental coverage, the Environmental Safety Company stated Thursday it is not going to regulate a ingesting water contaminant that has been linked to mind harm in infants.

The company stated the Trump administration’s choice in 2020 to not regulate perchlorate in ingesting water was made with the “finest accessible peer-reviewed science.” The chemical is utilized in rocket gas and fireworks.

On the time, Trump’s EPA stated perchlorate was not discovered extensively sufficient in ingesting water or “at ranges of public well being concern” to warrant federal regulation. The choice was one among many Trump-era rollbacks or eliminations of present or pending public well being and environmental protections. The Biden administration ordered a assessment of that call in the beginning of his time period.

President Trump offers a thumbs up whereas strolling throughout the tarmac as he boards Air Drive One at Morristown Municipal Airport, Sunday, June 14, 2020, in Morristown, N.J. 
(AP Picture/Alex Brandon)

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EPA Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox stated the company was “making use of the fitting instruments to help public well being protections.”

Environmental teams slammed the Biden administration’s choice.

“The Trump EPA gave perchlorate a cross; it was a nasty choice then, and it’s a nasty choice now,” stated Erik Olson of the Pure Assets Protection Council advocacy group. “Faucet water throughout America will stay contaminated by this poisonous chemical.”

Perchlorate from runoff contaminates the ingesting water of as many as 16 million People, the Obama administration stated in 2011 when it introduced the EPA would for the primary time set most limits for the chemical compound. It has been used within the U.S. for many years, notably by the navy and protection industries, and is often present in munitions, fireworks, matches and sign flares.

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In this March 28, 2005, photo, a sign posted outside a water well indicates perchlorate contamination at the site in Rialto, Calif. 

On this March 28, 2005, photograph, an indication posted outdoors a water nicely signifies perchlorate contamination on the website in Rialto, Calif. 
(AP Picture/Ric Francis, File)

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Publicity to the compound can harm the event of fetuses and youngsters and trigger measurable drops in IQ in newborns, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated in 2019, when it referred to as for stringent federal limits. It damages human improvement by disrupting the functioning of the thyroid gland.

In its 2020 assessment, the EPA stated state-level laws and cleanup actions at contaminated websites had lowered the well being dangers posed by the compound. Massachusetts and California, for instance, restrict perchlorate in ingesting water to 2 components per billion and 6 components per billion, respectively.

“However the issue is that, for the remainder of the nation, the states haven’t set requirements,” stated Olson of the Pure Assets Protection Council. He stated the compound is in “the highest tier of problematic chemical substances in our water.”

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Within the Southwest, perchlorate has been detected in groundwater that entered Lake Mead in Nevada. Manufacturing amenities in Henderson, Nevada, had been the supply of the chemical. The EPA stated cleanup actions at two industrial websites within the state between 2002 and 2006 resulted in decreased ranges of perchlorate in knowledge supplied since then by Nevada environmental and water businesses.

The EPA stated Thursday it was contemplating different steps moreover a federal ingesting water restrict, similar to setting requirements at open burning and detonation websites, the place extreme perchlorate contamination is generated from the burning of hazardous byproducts from weapons manufacturing and munitions. One such website is in Colfax, Louisiana, the place environmentalists have lengthy advocated for reform.

However environmental advocates stated such measures fall in need of what’s wanted.

“Merely put, poisonous chemical substances utilized in rocket gas don’t belong in our ingesting water,” stated John Rumpler, senior legal professional with Atmosphere America.

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Dem leader condemns Thanksgiving bomb threats against liberal lawmakers after Team Trump targeted

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Dem leader condemns Thanksgiving bomb threats against liberal lawmakers after Team Trump targeted

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned several threats, mostly focused on lawmakers from Connecticut, targeting members of his caucus, just days after numerous threats were made against President-elect Trump’s cabinet selections.

Jeffries, D-N.Y., confirmed in a statement Friday that several Democrats were targeted with threats ranging from pipe bombs in their mailboxes to “swatting” — or filing a false police report on another person’s behalf that often results in a SWAT team being dispatched.

All of the threatening messages were signed “MAGA,” Jeffries said, adding law enforcement found no ordnance at any of the targeted lawmakers’ homes.

“America is a democracy. Threats of violence against elected officials are unacceptable, unconscionable and have no place in a civilized society. All perpetrators of political violence directed at any party must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” he said.

TOP DEM: ‘UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION’ IS A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

“House Democrats will not be deterred or intimidated from serving the people by violent threats. We have been in close communication with the Sergeant at Arms office and it is imperative that Congress provide maximum protection for all Members and their families moving forward.”

After Jeffries spoke out, Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Democrat from neighboring Rhode Island, announced on Friday afternoon that his home had been targeted, as well. Magaziner said Providence police responded quickly and no one was harmed.

Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., had his home targeted by a bomb threat. A spokesperson said it appeared to be part of a “coordinated effort.”

Five other Democrats from the Constitution State received similar threats, including Reps. Joe Courtney, John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Jahana Hayes and James Himes.

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“There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility,” said Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee who replaced Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Prior to that spate of threats, Trump’s U.N. ambassador-designate Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said she was traveling home to her North Country district for Thanksgiving when she was informed of a threat against her home.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. — Trump’s initial choice for attorney general — also received a threat.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. — Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency — said his home was subjected to a “pro-Palestinian-themed” pipe bomb threat. Zeldin is Jewish.

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Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., whom the president-elect tapped for Labor secretary, said her Oregon home was targeted, as was that of former San Diego Chargers cornerback Scott Turner, whom Trump named to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump nominees including Cantor-Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, America First Policy Institute President Brooke Rollins and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth also received threats.

In a statement, the FBI said it is aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners.”

“We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement,” it said.

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Fox News’ Kevin Ward contributed to this report.

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Capitol rioter's defamation suit against Fox News is dismissed

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Capitol rioter's defamation suit against Fox News is dismissed

A Delaware court judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News filed by a Jan. 6 rioter who said the network falsely identified him as an FBI informant.

U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Hall granted Fox News’ motion to dismiss the suit filed last year by Ray Epps.

Now based in Utah, Epps alleged his life was upended after former Fox host Tucker Carlson repeatedly described him as a federal agent who helped instigate the attack on the Capitol, which was an attempt to stop the certification of the election of Joe Biden.

Carlson described Epps as a principal in a false flag operation in which the government incited the Jan. 6 riot, an unfounded conspiracy theory. He made the false comments about Epps on his program over a period of nearly two years and in a series called “Patriot Purge” that streamed on Fox Nation in 2022.

In her remarks from the bench, Hall said Carlson did not act with malicious intent.

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Fox News welcomed the judge’s decision, which is the third consecutive defamation case to be decided in favor of the network after the record $787-million settlement it paid to Dominion Voting Systems in April 2024.

Dominion said its business was damaged by false claims Fox News presented regarding voting fraud in the 2020 election. Fox News chose to settle the case rather than have its executives and on-air talent take the witness stand in a trial.

A separate defamation suit filed by Nina Jankowicz, the former head of the federal Disinformation Governance Board, was dismissed in July. Another case brought by Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, was thrown out on Tuesday.

“Fox News is pleased with these back-to-back decisions from federal courts preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment,” the network said in a statement.

Epps was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge for his role in the riot.

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Former prime-time host Tucker Carlson is seen in the studio on the set of his show on Fox News in New York in 2018.

(Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

Epps testified under oath to the House committee investigating the attack that he had no involvement with the FBI, which has also stated publicly that he had no association with the bureau.

The lawsuit claimed Epps and his wife received threatening voice mails, emails and text messages because of Carlson‘s comments. Epps told the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes” that the lies ruined his Arizona-based business and led to death threats.

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Carlson’s prime-time program was pulled from the Fox News lineup on April 24, 2023, the day after Epps appeared on “60 Minutes.”

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Political betting markets still have plenty of action despite end of election season

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Political betting markets still have plenty of action despite end of election season

The end of the election season does not mean the end of political betting, with many platforms allowing users to place wagers on everything from the 2028 election to who will be confirmed to President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

“Some people will be amazed by this, but people are already betting on 2026 and 2028,” Maxim Lott, the founder of ElectionBettingOdds.com, told Fox News Digital. “There’s been about a quarter million dollars bet already.”

The comments come after the 2024 election produced plenty of betting action, with users across multiple platforms wagering over $2 billion on the outcome of the latest race. 

WHAT ARE ELECTION BETTING ODDS? EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY TRUMP IS CURRENT FAVORITE

President-elect Donald Trump, right, welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a Turning Point Action campaign rally at the Gas South Arena on Oct. 23, 2024 in Duluth, Georgia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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While mega sporting events, such as the Super Bowl and the recent Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight, gives gamblers plenty to wager on after the election, those looking for something political to bet on will still have plenty of options.

One of the most popular topics is who will be the nominees for both major parties in 2028, with ElectionBettingOdds.com showing California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Vice President-elect JD Vance being the current leaders for Democrats and Republicans, respectively.

Other names with a significant amount of attention for betters include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for the Democratic nomination, while Vance is trailed by names like entrepreneur and future head of the new Department of Government Efficiency Vivek Ramaswamy and Donald Trump Jr. on the Republican side.

“The big Democratic governors are favored to be the next nominee,” Lott said, noting that Vance currently holds a sizable lead over other options on the GOP side.

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

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Vance is also the current betting leader on who will win the 2028 presidential election, ElectionBettingOdds.com shows, followed by Newson and Shapiro as the next two likely options.

However, Lott warned it is still too early to tell what the future holds, noting that the markets will start to provide more clarity as more information becomes known over the next few years.

“As the future becomes clearer… as we get closer to 2026, 2028, these odds will change,” Lott said. “So if the Trump administration is doing really well, the economy is booming, inflation is not out of control, wars are ending, Vance’s odds will certainly go up.”

Bettors also are not limited to wagering on elections, with platforms such as Polymarket allowing users to place bets on Trump’s picks to serve in his Cabinet and whether they will be confirmed. Bettors can also place wagers on questions such as if they believe the war in Ukraine will end in Trump’s first 90 days or if there will be a cease-fire in Gaza in 2024.

Sen. JD Vance

Vice President-elect JD Vance. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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According to Lott, taking a look at the current betting odds for many scenarios can help inform you about what is going on in the world, even if you do not place bets yourself.

“People often ask… is there any value to this… it’s just gambling. It’s silly,” Lott said. “But actually it’s very useful… if you want to know what’s going to happen in 2028 or if the Trump administration is going to be a success, you could read 100 news articles on it. Some will misinform you. Or, you can just go to the prediction markets and see… is Vance a 20% chance of becoming the next Republican nominee or is he a 90% chance? That tells you a lot.”

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