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Second federal judge orders temporary reinstatement of thousands of probationary employees fired by the Trump administration; U.S., Canada political tension could affect Maine summer tourism; Report: Incarceration rates rise in MS, U.S. despite efforts at reform; MI study: HBCU students show better mental health, despite challenges.

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Trump administration faces legal battles on birthright citizenship; the arrest of a Palestinian activist sparks protests over free speech. Conservationists voice concerns about federal job cuts impacting public lands, and Ohio invests in child wellness initiatives.

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Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Trump administration sued over offshore drilling policy

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Monday, February 24, 2025   

A coalition has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after it revoked protections for 625 million acres of federal waters, including parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

The lawsuit argued revoking the protections is illegal under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and poses a serious threat to coastal communities, marine ecosystems and industries like fishing and tourism. While Mississippi has long been a hub for offshore oil and gas operations, environmental advocates warned expanding drilling into previously protected areas could have severe ecological and economic consequences.

Christian Wagley, coastal organizer for the advocacy coalition Healthy Gulf, said transitioning away from fossil fuels is an ongoing battle for the future of coastal environments and economies.

"Transitions are sticky and they are messy, and this action by President Biden that we're working to uphold is part of that long transition away from the 'dirty' energy and to the clean energy," Wagley explained. "We want to maintain that and hold that line."

In President Joe Biden's final days in office, he opted to withdraw vast areas of the Outer Continental Shelf from oil and gas leasing and drilling. It includes parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and eastern Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration has renamed the Gulf of America. President Donald Trump argued expanding fossil fuel production is critical to meeting energy demand and maintaining U.S. leadership in global energy markets.

Environmental groups contend the move is illegal.

Devorah Ancel, Environmental Law Program senior attorney for the Sierra Club, said it also violates the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

"The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act does only explicitly allows presidents to withdraw those areas from protection," Ancel pointed out. "But not to revoke those previous withdrawals."

Ancel also contended President Trump has violated the U.S. Constitution's property clause, which gives Congress the exclusive authority to regulate federal lands and waters. She noted the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill as a stark example of the dangers posed by offshore drilling.


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