May 4, 2017

Trump WH warms to public debate over climate science

Amy Harder, author of Generate

Evan Vucci / AP

The Trump administration has reportedly expressed interest in a proposal for a public forum on climate change science that a former top official in President Obama's administration has suggested.

  • The details: Steven Koonin, who served as the Energy Department's under secretary for science during two years of Obama's first term, suggests a format from the national-security realm where experts take turns critiquing each other's work on climate science in a competitive and public way.
  • For the record: "I can tell you that's found some resonance within the administration," Koonin tells Axios. "I'm just going to say people seem to be interested."
  • The other side: Environmental groups are not on board, not surprisingly. Kelly Levin, a senior associate at the World Resources Institute, said such a format is an unnecessary distraction because the "validity of climate science has been confirmed and reconfirmed countless times."

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Secret Service blocks off area surrounding White House after protests

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Why it matters: Protesters near the White House were aggressively dispersed with tear gas and shields last night, before President Trump walked across Lafayette Park to St. John's Church. This decision will presumably force any protests to take place farther from the White House.

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

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By the numbers: According to a report from the Economic Policy Institute, titled "Racism and economic inequality have predisposed black workers to be most hurt by coronavirus pandemic," more than 1 in 6 black workers lost their jobs between February and April.

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