Anne Usher
@anneusher.bsky.social
Climate & sustainability analyst and former journalist. Now working to help protect the San Francisco Bay with BCDC. Comments are my own.
Reposted by Anne Usher
EPA finalizes its plan to limit which wetlands are protected by the Clean Water Act: www.latimes.com/environment/...
EPA acts to leave more wetlands out of the scope of Clean Water Act protections
The Environmental Protection Agency says it is redefining the scope of the nation’s bedrock clean water law to limit the amount of wetlands it covers
www.latimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:10 AM
EPA finalizes its plan to limit which wetlands are protected by the Clean Water Act: www.latimes.com/environment/...
Reposted by Anne Usher
More climate backsliding in New York, with Gov. Kathy Hochul pausing the state's first-in-the-nation ban on gas in most new buildings: www.canarymedia.com/articles/car... via @alisontakemura.bsky.social
New York pauses its landmark gas ban in new buildings
The state will delay enforcement until a legal dispute is settled, the latest in a string of moves from Gov. Hochul to “govern in reality” around energy.
www.canarymedia.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:16 AM
More climate backsliding in New York, with Gov. Kathy Hochul pausing the state's first-in-the-nation ban on gas in most new buildings: www.canarymedia.com/articles/car... via @alisontakemura.bsky.social
Reposted by Anne Usher
Dear American citizens, whatever you wish more German citizens would have done in 1933, do that now.
September 20, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Dear American citizens, whatever you wish more German citizens would have done in 1933, do that now.
Reposted by Anne Usher
The Trump administration moved on Wednesday to repeal a Biden-era rule that sought to protect millions of acres of public lands from the twin threats of climate change and industrial development.
Trump Moves to Scrap Biden Rule That Protected Public Lands
The proposal from the Bureau of Land Management would prioritize the use of public lands for oil and gas drilling, coal mining and other industrial activities.
nyti.ms
September 11, 2025 at 3:20 AM
The Trump administration moved on Wednesday to repeal a Biden-era rule that sought to protect millions of acres of public lands from the twin threats of climate change and industrial development.
Reposted by Anne Usher
Shyster Trump to cut $100 million, or 14% less, on the research arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
These cuts, which would hit basic science on the weather, oceans, and—especially—climate
People will pay the price
www.science.org/content/arti...
These cuts, which would hit basic science on the weather, oceans, and—especially—climate
People will pay the price
www.science.org/content/arti...
Trump administration pushes ahead with NOAA climate and weather cuts
Despite congressional resistance, agency aims to cut research spending now
www.science.org
August 27, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Shyster Trump to cut $100 million, or 14% less, on the research arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
These cuts, which would hit basic science on the weather, oceans, and—especially—climate
People will pay the price
www.science.org/content/arti...
These cuts, which would hit basic science on the weather, oceans, and—especially—climate
People will pay the price
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Anne Usher
Given KAG's filing outlining torture in El Salvador, *anyone* being removed to El Salvador should, under both domestic and international law, have an opportunity to file a claim showing that they have a credible fear of being tortured if removed to that country (in addition to other due process)
July 3, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Given KAG's filing outlining torture in El Salvador, *anyone* being removed to El Salvador should, under both domestic and international law, have an opportunity to file a claim showing that they have a credible fear of being tortured if removed to that country (in addition to other due process)
Reposted by Anne Usher
Reporters Without Borders says there have been 27 attacks on journalists in LA so far, 24 by LEO, 3 by others. That's a lot. If you haven't seen it, there's video of an officer appearing to target this Australian correspondent while she's on air. rsf.org/en/usa-rsf-c...
USA: RSF condemns wave of violence against journalists covering Los Angeles protests
At least 27 attacks on journalists covering protests in Los Angeles took place between June 6 and June 8. The assaults have been carried out by both law enforcement and protesters. Violence against jo...
rsf.org
June 10, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Reporters Without Borders says there have been 27 attacks on journalists in LA so far, 24 by LEO, 3 by others. That's a lot. If you haven't seen it, there's video of an officer appearing to target this Australian correspondent while she's on air. rsf.org/en/usa-rsf-c...
Reposted by Anne Usher
Trump officials argue that the administration is ensuring children are not abused or trafficked.
But current and former agency employees say the Office of Refugee Resettlement is drifting from its humanitarian mandate.
But current and former agency employees say the Office of Refugee Resettlement is drifting from its humanitarian mandate.
An Agency Tasked With Protecting Immigrant Children Is Becoming an Enforcement Arm, Current and Former Staffers Say
The Office of Refugee Resettlement’s welfare mission appears to be undergoing a stark transformation as President Donald Trump seeks to ramp up deportation numbers, current and former officials told…
www.propublica.org
May 23, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Trump officials argue that the administration is ensuring children are not abused or trafficked.
But current and former agency employees say the Office of Refugee Resettlement is drifting from its humanitarian mandate.
But current and former agency employees say the Office of Refugee Resettlement is drifting from its humanitarian mandate.
Reposted by Anne Usher
Food for millions wasted, children left to go hungry, and America’s reputation permanently damaged.
Exclusive: US aid cuts leave food for millions mouldering in storage
These food rations could feed over a million people for three months, or the entire population of Gaza for a month and a half, according to a Reuters analysis.
www.reuters.com
May 20, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Food for millions wasted, children left to go hungry, and America’s reputation permanently damaged.
Reposted by Anne Usher
WELKER: Your secretary of state says everyone who's here, citizens and non-citizens, deserve due process. Do you agree?
TRUMP: I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.
WELKER: Don't you need to uphold the Constitution?
TRUMP: I don't know
TRUMP: I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.
WELKER: Don't you need to uphold the Constitution?
TRUMP: I don't know
May 4, 2025 at 1:58 PM
WELKER: Your secretary of state says everyone who's here, citizens and non-citizens, deserve due process. Do you agree?
TRUMP: I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.
WELKER: Don't you need to uphold the Constitution?
TRUMP: I don't know
TRUMP: I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.
WELKER: Don't you need to uphold the Constitution?
TRUMP: I don't know
Reposted by Anne Usher
Trump just dropped Trump 2028 hats—while still in his second term. Not subtle. Not a joke. He’s already talking about “methods” to get a third. The merch is the message: this is no longer about 2024. It’s about power without limits.
April 25, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Trump just dropped Trump 2028 hats—while still in his second term. Not subtle. Not a joke. He’s already talking about “methods” to get a third. The merch is the message: this is no longer about 2024. It’s about power without limits.
Reposted by Anne Usher
Japanese netizens are shocked by a tweet from the US Embassy declaring that Japanese people applying for non-immigrant visas must provide information on all social media accounts they have used in the last 5 years [or their visas could be rejected].
Some are comparing it to China & North Korea.
Some are comparing it to China & North Korea.
April 23, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Japanese netizens are shocked by a tweet from the US Embassy declaring that Japanese people applying for non-immigrant visas must provide information on all social media accounts they have used in the last 5 years [or their visas could be rejected].
Some are comparing it to China & North Korea.
Some are comparing it to China & North Korea.
Reposted by Anne Usher
I’m losing my mind here. USTR made a list of “Unfair trade practices” they’re retaliating against, complaint number 5 is that the EU cares too much about stopping illegal deforestation, complaint number 7 is that the South Americans are doing too much illegal deforestation
April 7, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I’m losing my mind here. USTR made a list of “Unfair trade practices” they’re retaliating against, complaint number 5 is that the EU cares too much about stopping illegal deforestation, complaint number 7 is that the South Americans are doing too much illegal deforestation
Reposted by Anne Usher
Hands off our social security
Hands off our schools
Hands off our Nat'l parks
Hands off our veterans
Hands off our cancer research
Hands off our farms
Hands off our firefighters
Hands off our due process
Hands off our librarians
Hands off our democracy
Hands off our kids
HandsOff2025.com
Hands off our schools
Hands off our Nat'l parks
Hands off our veterans
Hands off our cancer research
Hands off our farms
Hands off our firefighters
Hands off our due process
Hands off our librarians
Hands off our democracy
Hands off our kids
HandsOff2025.com
Hands Off!
Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the stre...
HandsOff2025.com
April 5, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Hands off our social security
Hands off our schools
Hands off our Nat'l parks
Hands off our veterans
Hands off our cancer research
Hands off our farms
Hands off our firefighters
Hands off our due process
Hands off our librarians
Hands off our democracy
Hands off our kids
HandsOff2025.com
Hands off our schools
Hands off our Nat'l parks
Hands off our veterans
Hands off our cancer research
Hands off our farms
Hands off our firefighters
Hands off our due process
Hands off our librarians
Hands off our democracy
Hands off our kids
HandsOff2025.com
Reposted by Anne Usher
The Trump administration plans to drop a federal lawsuit against a chemical manufacturer that released high levels of a carcinogen from its Louisiana plant.
March 4, 2025 at 2:11 AM
The Trump administration plans to drop a federal lawsuit against a chemical manufacturer that released high levels of a carcinogen from its Louisiana plant.
Reposted by Anne Usher
SCOOP: On his second day as HHS secretary, RFK Jr., the onetime environmentalist, killed climate change programs at NIH that research and prepare for the health effects of extreme weather and a warming planet. This is not going to make Americans healthy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
RFK Jr., one-time environmentalist, kills NIH climate change programs
He pulled HHS support from projects that aim to protect Americans' health.
www.motherjones.com
February 19, 2025 at 10:49 PM
SCOOP: On his second day as HHS secretary, RFK Jr., the onetime environmentalist, killed climate change programs at NIH that research and prepare for the health effects of extreme weather and a warming planet. This is not going to make Americans healthy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Anne Usher
Conflict of interest? The State Department’s procurement forecast lists Tesla as the recipient of the largest expected contract, with Marco Rubio’s department planning to purchase $400 million worth of “Armored Tesla” vehicles.
February 13, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Conflict of interest? The State Department’s procurement forecast lists Tesla as the recipient of the largest expected contract, with Marco Rubio’s department planning to purchase $400 million worth of “Armored Tesla” vehicles.
Reposted by Anne Usher
JUST IN: USAID employees say the administration is not complying with Judge NICHOLS' order to prevent the immediate dismantling of the agency.
They say employees he ordered reinstated have not been and other actions cut against his order.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
They say employees he ordered reinstated have not been and other actions cut against his order.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 10, 2025 at 8:25 PM
JUST IN: USAID employees say the administration is not complying with Judge NICHOLS' order to prevent the immediate dismantling of the agency.
They say employees he ordered reinstated have not been and other actions cut against his order.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
They say employees he ordered reinstated have not been and other actions cut against his order.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Anne Usher
A worker at an intelligence agency says unidentified outside staffers arrived to sweep the office of anything they felt was related to DEI.
That included a plaque, confiscated from a supervisor’s desk, that read, “Be kind to everyone.”
That included a plaque, confiscated from a supervisor’s desk, that read, “Be kind to everyone.”
Elon Musk's midnight takeover
The world's richest man and his allies are “avoiding office hours at all costs” as they take a wrecking ball to the US government.
www.motherjones.com
February 5, 2025 at 3:27 AM
A worker at an intelligence agency says unidentified outside staffers arrived to sweep the office of anything they felt was related to DEI.
That included a plaque, confiscated from a supervisor’s desk, that read, “Be kind to everyone.”
That included a plaque, confiscated from a supervisor’s desk, that read, “Be kind to everyone.”
Reposted by Anne Usher
Elon staffers are using private emails, violating federal law.
February 5, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Elon staffers are using private emails, violating federal law.
Reposted by Anne Usher
“I never would have imagined it was this high. I certainly don’t feel comfortable with this much plastic in my brain, and I don’t need to wait around 30 more years to find out what happens if the concentrations quadruple” says Prof Matthew Campen, senior author of the study 👇
Levels of #microplastics in human brains may be rapidly rising, study suggests
- Tiny plastic pollution also found in livers and kidneys, but the potentially worrying health impacts remain unknown
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Tiny plastic pollution also found in livers and kidneys, but the potentially worrying health impacts remain unknown
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Levels of microplastics in human brains may be rapidly rising, study suggests
Research looking at tissue from postmortems between 1997 and 2024 finds upward trend in contamination
www.theguardian.com
February 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
“I never would have imagined it was this high. I certainly don’t feel comfortable with this much plastic in my brain, and I don’t need to wait around 30 more years to find out what happens if the concentrations quadruple” says Prof Matthew Campen, senior author of the study 👇
Reposted by Anne Usher
The new acting Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy — State’s top public diplomacy official:
1) not only denies the Uyghur genocide but appears to applaud it
2) says the US should sell out Taiwan to China for concessions in Antarctica (???)
1) not only denies the Uyghur genocide but appears to applaud it
2) says the US should sell out Taiwan to China for concessions in Antarctica (???)
February 3, 2025 at 2:23 AM
The new acting Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy — State’s top public diplomacy official:
1) not only denies the Uyghur genocide but appears to applaud it
2) says the US should sell out Taiwan to China for concessions in Antarctica (???)
1) not only denies the Uyghur genocide but appears to applaud it
2) says the US should sell out Taiwan to China for concessions in Antarctica (???)
Reposted by Anne Usher
Acting EPA Administrator James Payne has dismissed all members of two of the agency’s most influential science advisory panels, allowing the Trump administration to reshape them.
January 29, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Acting EPA Administrator James Payne has dismissed all members of two of the agency’s most influential science advisory panels, allowing the Trump administration to reshape them.