President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the US Environmental Protection Agency was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, drawing cheers from the fossil fuel industry and sparking alarm among green groups.Lee Zeldin, a former US congressman from New York, has committed to Trump’s campaign pledges of boosting US energy dominance and rolling back environmental regulations enacted under former president Joe Biden.The 44-year-old’s nomination was confirmed by a 56-42 vote, with Democrats John Fetterman of Pennsylvania as well as Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona crossing the aisle to vote with their Republican colleagues. Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Jon Ossoff of Georgia did not vote. “Administrator Lee Zeldin has a proven track record of finding solutions to the nation’s most pressing energy challenges,” said American Petroleum Institute president and CEO Mike Sommers.”We look forward to working with him to advance American energy leadership, from developing smart, effective regulations to ensuring consumers — not the government — can choose the vehicles they drive.” Faced with hostile Democratic questioning during his confirmation hearing, Zeldin acknowledged human-caused climate change is real, in contrast with Trump, who has derided it as a hoax. But he repeatedly emphasized his commitment to “clean air” and “clean water,” echoing rhetoric commonly used by conservatives who champion fossil fuels while resisting efforts to combat the worsening climate crisis, which is disrupting ecosystems and intensifying extreme weather events.”With today’s vote, Senate Republicans have installed yet another Trump loyalist to advance his agenda of environmental destruction,” said Evergreen Action’s Executive Director Lena Moffitt.”Despite Lee Zeldin’s repeated assurances to ‘fully’ follow the law, his blind loyalty to President Trump in the face of illegal, destructive executive actions makes it clear that his EPA will put polluters over people.”Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, warned that Zeldin’s leadership should be scrutinized closely.”Let’s be clear-eyed that every other person Trump has already deployed to the EPA’s pesticide, water and air divisions has a long track record of putting industry profits and polluters above our health and the environment,” he said.Zeldin’s confirmation comes amid sweeping moves by Trump to reshape US environmental policy.On his very first day in office, Trump announced he was removing the United States from the Paris climate accord for a second time, declared a “national energy emergency” to expand drilling, and signed executive orders to slow the transition to electric vehicles and halt offshore windshore farms.

Donald Trump’s commerce secretary nominee told his US Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday he favors “across-the-board” tariffs targeting countries rather than products, while signaling a hawkish China stance.”We can use tariffs to create reciprocity, fairness and respect,” said Howard Lutnick, a close Trump ally and billionaire CEO of Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald.Lutnick’s appearance comes as Trump threatens sweeping duties on imports from allies and adversaries alike — with levies on major trading partners Canada and Mexico potentially to be unveiled this weekend.On Wednesday, Lutnick said the president’s February 1 deadline for 25 percent tariffs were aimed at getting both neighbors to do more on illegal migration and particularly the flow of deadly fentanyl.”This is a separate tariff to create action from Mexico and action from Canada,” he said, differentiating between uses of duties.”As far as I know they are acting swiftly, and if they execute it, there will be no tariff.”But Lutnick stressed that duties on China — and “adversaries” — should be higher than those on other countries.In announcing his nomination last year, Trump said Lutnick would lead the world’s biggest economy’s tariff and trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the US Trade Representative’s office.Asked about the impact of duties on prices, Lutnick conceded certain products’ costs may rise. He charged that “it is nonsense” however that they would cause widespread inflation.Lutnick vowed to work to understand the impact of retaliatory tariffs on US agriculture and manufacturing.- ‘Strong’ export curbs -Lutnick also signaled he would take a firm stance on export controls involving China, after the recent emergence of the DeepSeek chatbot and its lower cost breakthrough threatened US-based artificial intelligence leaders.”Let them compete, but stop using our tools to compete with us,” he said of rivalry with Beijing. “I’m going to be very strong on that.”If confirmed, Lutnick will helm a department overseeing export controls to competitors, aimed at ensuring the United States’ lead in sensitive technology with military uses.”Our export controls, not backed by tariffs, are like a whack-a-mole model,” he told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.”I do not believe that DeepSeek was done all above board,” he added, pledging rigorous enforcement of restrictions to help the United States stay ahead.On the CHIPS and Science Act, a major law passed during former president Joe Biden’s term aimed at strengthening the US semiconductor industry, Lutnick called investments towards it “an excellent downpayment.”But he added that “we need to review them and get it right.”Vice President JD Vance, in remarks introducing Lutnick to the panel, said the billionaire ally would help convince businesses that America is thriving, bringing US commerce “back on track.”The commerce secretary nominee was co-chair of Trump’s 2024 transition team, identifying new hires for the administration.In the past, he has criticized electric vehicles and blamed China for being the source of fentanyl into the United States.He has also lamented the loss of US manufacturing jobs and off-shoring to China.On Wednesday, he said: “Tariffs will encourage companies to come back and build in America.”The Commerce Department under Biden ramped up export controls on critical technologies like quantum computing and semiconductor manufacturing goods, taking aim at access by countries such as China.Trump’s administration could harden this stance.

A judge sentenced a powerful former US senator to 11 years in prison Wednesday, after he was convicted of corruption following the discovery of gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash at his home.Robert Menendez, a 71-year-old Democrat from New Jersey, was convicted of federal charges of extortion, obstruction of justice and accepting bribes to perform favors for businessmen with connections to Egypt and Qatar. He said he would appeal.”Somewhere along the way… you lost your way,” District Judge Sidney Stein said in announcing the sentence. “Working for the public good became working for your good.”Menendez, who had served as chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had vowed to appeal the verdict handed down in July 2024, and on Wednesday he asked for leniency from the judge ahead of his sentencing.”I am going to ask you for mercy — not for me, but for Anthony,” a crying Menendez said, referring to his son who has autism.Ahead of the sentencing, the court received letters from acquaintances of Menendez testifying to his character.”Bob inspired many people, including me, with hope that it is possible to change the world,” said one, from author Donald Scarinci.Menendez’s attorney Adam Fee said that “despite his decades of service, he is now known more widely as ‘gold bar Bob.'”The counts on which Menendez was convicted after less than three days of jury deliberations included conspiracy to commit bribery and acting as a foreign agent while a public official.- ‘Egregious abuse’ -Menendez said outside court following his conviction last year: “I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”On Wednesday he vowed to appeal and called his prosecution a “witch hunt.””President (Donald) Trump is right. This process is political and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores integrity to the system,” he said.He was not immediately taken into custody following the hearing.In a raid on Menendez’s New Jersey home, FBI agents were said to have found nearly $500,000 in cash hidden around the house, as well as gold bars worth around $150,000 and a luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible.His wife Nadine Menendez, to whom defense lawyers sought to shift the blame, was charged but faces trial separately as she receives treatment for breast cancer.Menendez was convicted alongside two of the businessmen he helped — Egyptian-American Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, a real estate developer. They were both sentenced to jail terms Wednesday.A third businessman, insurance broker Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to bribery charges in March and assisted investigators.Menendez is said to have interfered in the nomination of New Jersey’s prosecutor in a bid to ensure that proceedings were dropped against Daibes and Uribe.He is also accused of accepting bribes to use his power and influence to enrich his co-conspirators and benefit the government of Egypt, including by helping Hana protect his monopoly on US exports of halal food products to the country.Prosecutors had sought a jail term of 15 years while Menendez’s defense sought no more than eight years behind bars.Prosecutor Danielle Sassoon said in a statement “the sentences imposed today result from an egregious abuse of power at the highest levels.”