All Knowledge & Insights By Date

On May 27, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on “Restoring Gold Standard Science.” 90 Fed. Reg. 22601. The EO states that the Trump Administration “is committed to restoring a gold standard for science to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that Federal decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available.” The EO restores the scientific integrity policies of the first Trump...

In response to President Trump’s February 13, 2025, Executive Order (EO) 14212, “Establishing The President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission,” the White House issued part of what is being called “The MAHA Report” (with MAHA an acronym for Make America Healthy Again), entitled “Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment” (the Assessment) on May 22, 2025. Section One of the Assessment, “The Shift to Ultra-Processed Foods,” includes the Commission’s thoughts on the...

On April 28, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlined upcoming agency action to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). According to EPA’s much anticipated announcement, “[i]n line with Administrator Zeldin’s Powering the Great American Comeback initiative, EPA’s work in this space will advance Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American, and Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership.” ...

President Donald Trump’s initial 100 days in office during his second term have marked a significant shift in the United States’ approach to chemical regulation, emphasizing deregulation and industry facilitation over more traditional environmental and public health safeguards. President Trump’s actions, inactions, and policy choices during his first 100 days seem to have come at a cost, as polls show his approval rating has decreased to 39 percent, an 80-year low for a...

On April 23, 2025, comments by Lynn L. Bergeson and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. were featured in Chemical Watch’s article regarding an extension of the Trump administration hiring freeze. Lynn Bergeson, principal with law firm Bergeson & Campbell, said the impacts of the hiring freeze on the EPA’s chemicals programme are “all bad”.  “EPA needs all the help it can get, and competent staff are needed, urgently,” she said.  Her...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long navigated the complex intersection of science, law, policy, and public trust. Under the Trump Administration, EPA faces renewed scrutiny. The Administration seeks regulatory rollbacks and is pursuing a broader deregulatory strategy that many believe risks sacrificing hard won environmental protections in the name of economic growth. While early promises to reduce bureaucratic red tape struck a chord with a number in industry, implementation...

There are a variety of accounts on the progress and success of the first days of the Trump Administration. Some put special significance on a new administration’s first 100 days, but is this the first 100 days or four years + 100 days? In particular, appearing April 21, 2025, in The Washington Post, there is a report tracing what has happened to the “Five Things” mandate coming from Elon Musk and the DOGE (Department of...

Congress has approximately one month to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to undo qualifying Biden Administration-issued regulations. According to an updated analysis by Bloomberg Government, the estimated period to expedite repeal of Biden Administration rules ends May 8, 2025. This gives Congress approximately four weeks to act on the dozens of pending CRA bills. President Trump’s focus on overturning Biden Administration regulations through the CRA has taken a back seat of late to...

Recent press reports tell of rumors of impactful (some fear catastrophic) budget cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Politically, priority on reducing EPA’s climate programs, along with budget and personnel cuts, are not surprising given the election results. Recent rumors include chatter that the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) might be eliminated and/or its staff redistributed, with a specific target on the back of ORD’s Integrated Risk Information System...

Current news on the government efficiency and reform front concerns the near-miss of a government shutdown last week (the budget would have lapsed at midnight on March 14, 2025). One reason some cited against allowing a shutdown to occur is how it might encourage or otherwise aid in attempts to eliminate positions if they were deemed “essential” or not. As one who has gone through the “who is essential” exercise in a senior management position...