Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 30 March 2017
Environmental groups file lawsuit over Trump climate actions

TAMMY WEBBER The Interior Department fired power plants. diately respond to an email and bring back coal jobs.
MATTHEW BROWN last year placed a morato- Environmentalists say lift- seeking comment on the Advocates said they also
Associated Press rium on new coal leases on ing the moratorium will lawsuit. The Department of will work to mobilize public
CHICAGO (AP) — Environ- federal lands to review the worsen climate change Justice declined comment. opposition to the executive
mental groups that vowed climate change impacts of and allow coal to be sold Environmental groups have order, saying they expect
to fight President Donald burning the fuel and wheth- for unfairly low prices. “It’s been preparing for months a backlash from Ameri-
Trump’s efforts to roll back er taxpayers were getting really just a hail Mary to a to fight the Trump admin- cans who worry about cli-
his predecessor’s plans a fair return. But Trump on dying industry,” said Jenny istration’s environmental mate change. “This is not
to curb global warming Tuesday signed a sweep- Harbine, an Earthjustice at- rollbacks, including by hir- what most people elected
made good on their prom- ing executive order that torney who filed the law- ing more lawyers and rais- Trump to do,” said Da-
ise Wednesday, teaming included lifting the mora- suit in U.S. District Court in ing money. Trump, who vid Goldston, director of
up with an American In- torium, and also initiated a Montana on behalf of the has called global warming government affairs at the
dian tribe to ask a federal review of former President Northern Cheyenne Tribe, a “hoax” invented by the Natural Resources Defense
court to block an order that Barack Obama’s signature Sierra Club, and Center Chinese, said during his Council. “Poll after poll
lifts restrictions on coal sales plan to restrict greenhouse for Biological Diversity. The campaign that he would shows that the public sup-
from federal lands. gas emissions from coal- White House did not imme- kill Obama’s climate plans ports climate action.”q
Senate intel leaders pledge Russia probe cooperation

DEB RIECHMANN and I work hand in hand So far, the committee has es could be interviewed. has volunteered to answer
Associated Press on this. ... We’re partners to requested 20 individuals to Burr declined to identify questions about arranging
WASHINGTON (AP) — see that this is completed be interviewed. Five have any of them, except for meetings with the Russian
Pledging cooperation, ambassador and other of-
the top Republican and ficials. On the House side,
Democrat on the Sen- Democrats have called
ate intelligence commit- for intelligence committee
tee said Wednesday they Chairman Devin Nunes to
would steer clear of poli- recuse himself because of
tics in their panel’s probe his previous ties with Don-
of Russian interference in ald Trump’s team before
last year’s election. They Trump took office. The in-
made a point of putting vestigation includes look-
themselves at arm’s length ing at contacts the Rus-
from the House investiga- sians may have had with
tion marked by partisan- Trump associates.
ship and disputes. Nunes, R-Calif., also met
Richard Burr of North Caro- with a secret source on the
lina, the GOP chairman White House grounds last
of the Senate committee, week to review classified
told reporters on Capitol material, which he says
Hill he would not even an- indicates that Trump as-
swer questions about the sociates’ communications
House probe. “We’re not were captured in “inciden-
asking the House to play tal” surveillance of foreign-
any role in our investiga- Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., right, and the commit- ers. Trump has used Nunes’
tion. We don’t plan to play tee’s Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. meet with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, revelations to defend his
any role in their investiga- Wednesday, March 29, 2017, to discuss the committee’s investigation of Russian interference in claim that former President
tion,” Burr said ahead of the 2016 election. Barack Obama tapped
his panel’s open hearing (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) phones at Trump Tower in
Thursday. New York, though Nunes
Standing alongside his and that we have a prod- been scheduled, and the Trump’s son-in-law, Jared and his committee’s top
committee’ ranking Dem- uct at the end of the day remaining 15 are likely to be Kushner. The White House Democrat, Adam Schiff of
ocrat, Sen. Mark Warner that we can, in bipartisan- scheduled within the next has said that Kushner, a California, say there is no
of Virginia, Burr said: “Mark ship, support.” 10 days. Additional witness- senior adviser to Trump, such evidence.q

US judge questions government on narrowing travel ban block

JENNIFER KELLEHER on whether to extend his General Douglas Chin told ings blocking only the part freeze was similarly moti-
Associated Press temporary order until Ha- the judge. of Trump’s executive order vated by religious bias.
HONOLULU (AP) — A fed- waii’s lawsuit works its way The government says the that suspends new visas for Watson noted that the
eral judge in Hawaii ques- through the courts. He said ban falls within the presi- people from six Muslim-ma- government said 20 refu-
tioned a government at- he would issue a written rul- dent’s power to protect jority countries. gees were resettled in Ha-
torney Wednesday who ing by day’s end. national security. Hawaii Watson said the govern- waii since 2010.
urged him to narrow his Hawaii says the policy dis- has only made generalized ment only argued for the “Is this a mathematical ex-
order blocking President criminates against Muslims concerns about its effect narrower interpretation af- ercise that 20 isn’t enough?
Donald Trump’s travel ban and hurts the state’s econ- on students and tourism, ter a federal judge in Mary- ... What do I make of that?”
after arguing that a freeze omy. The implied message Department of Justice at- land blocked the six-nation the judge asked Readler.
on the nation’s refugee in the revised ban is like a torney Chad Readler said travel ban but not the sus- The government attorney
program had no effect on “neon sign flashing ‘Muslim Wednesday. pension of the refugee pro- replied that 20 is simply a
the state. Ban, Muslim Ban’” that the Participating by telephone, gram. small number of refugees.
U.S. District Judge Derrick government didn’t bother Readler asked Watson to That judge said it wasn’t “In whose judgment?” Wat-
Watson heard arguments to turn off, state Attorney be guided by narrower rul- clear that the refugee son asked.q