Dan Walters
@profdanwalters.bsky.social
Law professor at Texas A&M University School of Law, specializing in administrative law. Views are mine alone. Dog pictured is Oliver Wendell Holmes Walters Jr. (RIP 2025)
https://law.tamu.edu/faculty-staff/find-people/faculty-profiles/daniel-e.-walters
https://law.tamu.edu/faculty-staff/find-people/faculty-profiles/daniel-e.-walters
Not once does this story mention that the Supreme Court in 2007 rebuked the argument that EPA lacks authority to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant. Let's not let SCOTUS off the hook here: it will need to decide whether to change course, because otherwise this is likely dead in the water.
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Not once does this story mention that the Supreme Court in 2007 rebuked the argument that EPA lacks authority to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant. Let's not let SCOTUS off the hook here: it will need to decide whether to change course, because otherwise this is likely dead in the water.
Reposted by Dan Walters
The new Washington Post should start a reader poll for what other ideological opinions they want the Trump administration to spoonfeed the Post’s editorial board.
Impossible for me to fathom how a publication like the @washingtonpost.com could survive the revelation that propagandists in the administration literally feed it the stories and opinions they want it to print--and the Post just does it.
This all makes sense now: the “EPA press team”—given credit for ‘working’ the despicable Washington Post editorial that reads like a Daily Caller right-wing fever dream—literally includes the Daily Caller’s former editor-in-chief. www.eenews.net/articles/epa...
February 12, 2026 at 2:31 PM
The new Washington Post should start a reader poll for what other ideological opinions they want the Trump administration to spoonfeed the Post’s editorial board.
Impossible for me to fathom how a publication like the @washingtonpost.com could survive the revelation that propagandists in the administration literally feed it the stories and opinions they want it to print--and the Post just does it.
This all makes sense now: the “EPA press team”—given credit for ‘working’ the despicable Washington Post editorial that reads like a Daily Caller right-wing fever dream—literally includes the Daily Caller’s former editor-in-chief. www.eenews.net/articles/epa...
February 12, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Impossible for me to fathom how a publication like the @washingtonpost.com could survive the revelation that propagandists in the administration literally feed it the stories and opinions they want it to print--and the Post just does it.
Correct:
Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team
Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.
www.climatecoloredgoggles.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Correct:
I see we're back to being concerned about clear legal authorization for major agency action. I wonder what could explain that.
In case anyone's wondering how Jeff Bezos feels about climate policy these days, the Washington Post editorial board just heartily endorsed Trump ripping up the EPA's "endangerment finding," which allows the federal government to regulate greenhouse gases as pollutants.
February 11, 2026 at 7:44 PM
I see we're back to being concerned about clear legal authorization for major agency action. I wonder what could explain that.
Reposted by Dan Walters
Taxpayers are going to keep the dirty, dying coal industry alive for a bit longer.
Trump to direct Pentagon to buy coal to revive industry, Bloomberg News says
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to direct the Pentagon to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain U.S. coal-fired power plants, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing a White H...
www.reuters.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Taxpayers are going to keep the dirty, dying coal industry alive for a bit longer.
Reposted by Dan Walters
These people are completely incompetent.
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — FAA says it has lifted temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, and all flights to resume.
February 11, 2026 at 2:17 PM
These people are completely incompetent.
I will say, it's also very possible that somebody in El Paso did something "woke" that pissed off Trump and this is the retaliation. This is just how our government works now.
Doing this for vague "special security reasons" is unprecedented since 2001, and should worry anyone focused on US, Western hemisphere, global security and migration issues
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
F.A.A. Halts All Flights at El Paso Airport for 10 Days
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:05 PM
I will say, it's also very possible that somebody in El Paso did something "woke" that pissed off Trump and this is the retaliation. This is just how our government works now.
Announced by social media post, no less.
The total lack of explanation or comprehension from all sources contacted I this article is really unsettling - nobody has any idea why a major city was just suddenly grounded - with lethal force authorized against any aircraft that didn’t get the memo.
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02...
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02...
Live Updates: F.A.A. Halts All Flights at El Paso Airport for 10 Days
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Announced by social media post, no less.
The common denominator: very, very stupid.
February 11, 2026 at 12:53 PM
The common denominator: very, very stupid.
Well this is weird. For whatever reason, I suspect this is not good.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
F.A.A. Halts All Flights at El Paso Airport for 10 Days
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:31 AM
Well this is weird. For whatever reason, I suspect this is not good.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
So what do we think: does Sage exist?
February 10, 2026 at 9:50 PM
So what do we think: does Sage exist?
There will never not be an existential threat to Texas's fragile self-conception.
It will surprise y’all to hear that there are no “Muslims taking over the state” and there is no “sharia law” in Texas that threatens anyone.
This is genuinely disgusting.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
This is genuinely disgusting.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
February 10, 2026 at 1:53 PM
There will never not be an existential threat to Texas's fragile self-conception.
"The agency claims that in the past it had offered only point estimates—that is, single numbers—for the monetized value of reduced ozone and particulate matter, obscuring uncertainty around the agency’s estimates. . . . But zero, alas, is a point estimate, too."
www.theregreview.org/2026/02/09/c...
www.theregreview.org/2026/02/09/c...
The Opposite of Smart Regulation | The Regulatory Review
The federal government is moving backwards in its regulatory analysis and decision-making.
www.theregreview.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:01 PM
"The agency claims that in the past it had offered only point estimates—that is, single numbers—for the monetized value of reduced ozone and particulate matter, obscuring uncertainty around the agency’s estimates. . . . But zero, alas, is a point estimate, too."
www.theregreview.org/2026/02/09/c...
www.theregreview.org/2026/02/09/c...
"The nearby Ambassador Bridge, one of the busiest border crossings on the continent, has been privately owned for decades by a Detroit trucking industry billionaire and his family, the Morouns."
The what?
The what?
A billionaire family that owns a bridge crossing between Michigan and Canada has wanted Trump to stop a new bridge — and Trump is now threatening to block its opening (with authority he doesn’t have). www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/u...
Trump Threatens to Block Opening of New Bridge to Canada
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:44 PM
"The nearby Ambassador Bridge, one of the busiest border crossings on the continent, has been privately owned for decades by a Detroit trucking industry billionaire and his family, the Morouns."
The what?
The what?
Have at it, it's great imagery!
February 10, 2026 at 1:39 AM
Have at it, it's great imagery!
Looks great! And you're also in prime position to write a follow-on article on primordial administrative law.
February 10, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Looks great! And you're also in prime position to write a follow-on article on primordial administrative law.
Ring getting us to help train their facial recognition algorithm (that they'll probably use to help ICE) by claiming to help find lost puppies is some sick, cynical stuff.
February 9, 2026 at 2:12 AM
Ring getting us to help train their facial recognition algorithm (that they'll probably use to help ICE) by claiming to help find lost puppies is some sick, cynical stuff.
This is amazing.
February 9, 2026 at 1:43 AM
This is amazing.
Reposted by Dan Walters
So, first of all, of course it was Trump.
But even if they were telling the truth, "We give staffers who post videos of the Obamas as apes access to the agenda-setting, decree-sending, market-moving account of the president of the United States" is not the exculpatory statement they think it is.
But even if they were telling the truth, "We give staffers who post videos of the Obamas as apes access to the agenda-setting, decree-sending, market-moving account of the president of the United States" is not the exculpatory statement they think it is.
February 6, 2026 at 5:36 PM
So, first of all, of course it was Trump.
But even if they were telling the truth, "We give staffers who post videos of the Obamas as apes access to the agenda-setting, decree-sending, market-moving account of the president of the United States" is not the exculpatory statement they think it is.
But even if they were telling the truth, "We give staffers who post videos of the Obamas as apes access to the agenda-setting, decree-sending, market-moving account of the president of the United States" is not the exculpatory statement they think it is.
"The current reality is that the federal government is no longer a reliable source of widespread data collection."
Which is really convenient when you want to just make stuff up that helps you politically.
Which is really convenient when you want to just make stuff up that helps you politically.
February 5, 2026 at 7:11 PM
"The current reality is that the federal government is no longer a reliable source of widespread data collection."
Which is really convenient when you want to just make stuff up that helps you politically.
Which is really convenient when you want to just make stuff up that helps you politically.
Someone needs to challenge this rule on arbitrariness grounds just for the principle that political science matters.
February 5, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Someone needs to challenge this rule on arbitrariness grounds just for the principle that political science matters.
Relatedly, what in the world is this theory that the patronage system got away from the president, necessitating reforms to help the president reassert control? I've never seen this revisionist history before.
February 5, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Relatedly, what in the world is this theory that the patronage system got away from the president, necessitating reforms to help the president reassert control? I've never seen this revisionist history before.
What that means is that if the courts find that OPM misinterpreted the civil service laws, there might still be a defense from the administration that this is an inherent Article II power with essentially no limits that we know of.
February 5, 2026 at 6:24 PM
What that means is that if the courts find that OPM misinterpreted the civil service laws, there might still be a defense from the administration that this is an inherent Article II power with essentially no limits that we know of.