EPA Announces New Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter
Video Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories - Duration: 01:30s - Published
EPA Announces New Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter
EPA Announces New Air Quality Standards , for Particulate Matter.
On February 7, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced a new rule aimed at significantly
reducing levels of particulate matter (PM) in the air.
.
ABC reports that the EPA updated the national
air-quality standards, citing the known
negative health impacts of exposure to PM.
ABC reports that the EPA's previous annual standard
was set at 12 micrograms of PM per cubic meter of air,
while the latest update lowers that to 9 micrograms. .
The EPA's 24-hour standard, which accounts
for short-term spikes in pollution,
will remain at 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
.
Responses to the new rules have
been mixed, with environmental and
health groups praising the decision.
.
Today's action is a critical step
forward that will better protect
workers, families and communities
from the dangerous and costly
impacts of fine particle pollution, Michael Regan, EPA Administrator, via ABC.
The science is clear, soot pollution
is one of the most dangerous forms
of air pollution and it's linked to a range
of serious and potentially deadly illnesses,
including asthma and heart attacks, Michael Regan, EPA Administrator, via ABC.
On the other hand, industry groups have reportedly
signaled that it will hamper manufacturing
and eliminate jobs in the United States.
Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the
American Lung Association, called the EPA's decision
"a step forward for public health," but still not enough.
It is disappointing that EPA did
not follow the strong science-based
recommendations of the Clean Air
Scientific Advisory Committee and
the health community to also revise
the 24-hour standard to more
fully protect public health, Harold Wimmer, president and CEO
of the American Lung Association, via ABC
US Water System May Be , Vulnerable to Cyberattack, by China, Russia and Iran.
CNBC reports that the United States
water system has been the target of a series
of cyberattacks over the past few years. .
In response, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has been forced to issue an alert warning
that 70% of water systems do not comply
with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
According to the EPA, some have āalarming
cybersecurity vulnerabilities,ā including
unchanged default passwords and former
employees who retain access to vital systems.
In February, the FBI issued a warning to
Congress that Chinese hackers have embedded
themselves into the U.S. cyber infrastructure. .
Those hackers have targeted water treatment
plants, the electrical grid, transportation
systems and other vital infrastructure.
Those hackers have targeted water treatment
plants, the electrical grid, transportation
systems and other vital infrastructure.
Water is among
the least mature
in terms of security, Adam Isles, head of cybersecurity
practice for Chertoff Group, via CNBC.
Stuart Madnick, an MIT professor of engineering
systems and co-founder of Cybersecurity at
MIT Sloan, warns that an attack that shuts off
water to the population is the main concern.
We have demonstrated in our
lab how operations, such as
a water plant, could be shut
down not just for hours or
days, but for weeks, Adam Isles, head of cybersecurity
practice for Chertoff Group, via CNBC.
Recently, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sent a letter
to governors stressing the urgency of the threat. .
Recently, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sent a letter
to governors stressing the urgency of the threat. .
CNBC reports that budgets, outdated
infrastructure and an overall reluctance to take
action may prevent necessary fixes from
being made before a serious attack.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
EPA's New Limits on PFAS , in Drinking Water Could Be , Upended by the Supreme Court.
'Newsweek' reports that the United States Supreme Court
is scheduled to hear a case against new water rules put
in place by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
'Newsweek' reports that the United States Supreme Court
is scheduled to hear a case against new water rules put
in place by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In April, new national limits were placed on per-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the nation's
drinking water, otherwise known as PFAS. .
Also known as "forever chemicals,"
PFAS have been linked to a number of
health concerns, including cancer.
According to the EPA, of the 66,000 public drinking water
systems impacted by the new limits, an estimated 6% to
10% will need to make updates to meet the new standards.
According to San Francisco, the EPA's new
"narrative" regulations fail to meet the Clean Water
Act's requirement to lay out clear restrictions.
The lawsuit headed to the Supreme Court accuses the EPA of setting vague rules without quantifiable standards.
Rather than specify pollutant limits
that tell the permitholder how much
they need to control their discharges
as required by the CWA, these
prohibitions effectively tell
permitholders nothing more than
not to cause 'too much' pollution, Lawyers representing San Francisco, via 'Newsweek'.
These generic water quality terms
expose San Francisco and numerous
permitholders nationwide to
enforcement actions while failing
to tell them how much they need
to limit or treat their discharges
to comply with the Act, Lawyers representing San Francisco, via 'Newsweek'.
We simply want to know in advance
what requirements apply to us, and
we want the EPA to fulfil its duty
under the Clean Water Act to
determine those requirements. , Lawyers representing San Francisco, via 'Newsweek'.
'Newsweek' points out that the Supreme Court has sided against
the EPA in the past, most recently in 2022 when it ruled
6-3 against the Biden administration's climate agenda. .
'Newsweek' points out that the Supreme Court has sided against
the EPA in the past, most recently in 2022 when it ruled
6-3 against the Biden administration's climate agenda.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
EPA Issues , National Drinking Water Warning.
On May 20, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a countrywide alert urging water utilities to take immediate action to safeguard drinking water from cyberattacks. .
On May 20, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a countrywide alert urging water utilities to take immediate action to safeguard drinking water from cyberattacks. .
The agency said that recent inspections indicate that 70% of water systems in America don't comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act, 'Newsweek' reports. .
Some water utility systems have "critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities, such as default passwords that have not been updated and single logins that can easily be compromised.".
Cyberattacks have the potential to disrupt water treatment and storage, damage equipment.
and change chemical levels to dangerous amounts.
In many cases, systems are not doing what
they are supposed to be doing, which is to
have completed a risk assessment of their
vulnerabilities that includes cybersecurity
and to make sure that plan is available
and informing the way they do business. , EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, via press release.
According to the EPA's warning,
countries like China, Russia and Iran.
have "disrupted some water systems with cyberattacks and may have embedded the capability to disable them in the future.".
Drinking water and wastewater systems
are an attractive target for cyberattacks
because they are a lifeline critical
infrastructure sector but often lack
the resources and technical capacity to
adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices, Michael S. Regan, EPA administrator, and White House National Security
Adviser Jake Sullivan, via March 18 letter to all 50 U.S. governors.
The EPA is offering to train water utilities
at no cost to correct some of the issues, .
but other issues are more complex and costly,
which many utilities companies aren't equipped for. .
Certainly, cybersecurity is part of that,
but that's never been their primary expertise.
So, now you're asking a water utility to
develop this whole new sort of department, Amy Hardberger, water expert at Texas Tech University, to AP
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
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Mortgage Rates Continue , to Fall, Raising Hopes of the , Fed Cutting Rates.
ABC reports that borrowing costs for
home loans continued to ease this week,
with the average rate on a 30-year mortgage
falling to its lowest level since April.
According to mortgage buyer
Freddie Mac, the rate fell from
6.95% to 6.87% last week. .
That figure is still significantly higher than
what the rate was during the same time last year,
which was at an average of 6.67%. .
15-year fixed-rate mortgages
also eased, falling from
6.17% last week to 6.13%. .
During the same time last year,
the average rate was at 6.03%.
Those higher rates can add hundreds of dollars
to monthly costs for borrowers, which limits the
purchasing options of potential homebuyers.
Mortgage rates fell for
the third straight week
following signs of cooling
inflation and market
expectations of a
future Fed rate cut, Sam Khater, Freddie Macās chief economist, via ABC.
ABC reports that rates are influenced by a number
of factors, including the Federal Reserve's interest
rate policy and the 10-year Treasury yield.
ABC reports that rates are influenced by a number
of factors, including the Federal Reserve's interest
rate policy and the 10-year Treasury yield.
Due to yields also beginning to ease, the Federal
Reserve could start to drop its main interest rate
after hiking it up to the highest level in over 20 years.
Last week, Fed officials suggested that they would make
just one cut to their benchmark interest rate in 2024,
down from previous projections of three cuts for the year.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Surge of New Applications for , Unemployment Benefits , May Signal Cooling Job Market.
Last week, the number of people in the
United States filing for unemployment benefits
reached the highest level in ten months last week. .
ABC reports that the news comes as a potential
sign that the U.S. labor market may be slowing
under the burden of high interest rates. .
The week ending June 8 saw
applications for jobless benefits
rise by 13,000 to reach 242,000. .
According to Labor Department
data, that is up from 229,000 new
applications the week before.
The number also represents the highest
number of new applications since August
of 2023, while also being significantly higher
than the 225,000 new claims forecast.
ABC reports that weekly unemployment claims have
lingered at historically low levels since millions of
jobs disappeared with the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABC reports that weekly unemployment claims have
lingered at historically low levels since millions of
jobs disappeared with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since March of 2022, the Federal Reserve has raised
benchmark rates 11 times in an attempt to reign in
inflation which has risen to a four-decade high.
While the latest data suggests that consumer
inflation cooled in May, the Federal Reserve
has decided to leave rates at a 23-year high.
According to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, officials
are waiting for more evidence that prices
are reaching their target of two percent.
ABC reports that a total of 1.82 million
Americans were collecting unemployment
benefits in the week ending June 1. .
ABC reports that a total of 1.82 million
Americans were collecting unemployment
benefits in the week ending June 1.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
T-Mobile Announces Deal , to Acquire Most of , U.S. Cellular .
T-Mobile Announces Deal , to Acquire Most of , U.S. Cellular .
On May 28, T-Mobile announced that
it will acquire most of competitor
U.S. Cellular in a massive $4.4 billion deal.
ABC reports that the deal would give T-Mobile,
already one of the largest wireless providers in
the United States, an additional 4 million customers.
ABC reports that the deal would give T-Mobile,
already one of the largest wireless providers in
the United States, an additional 4 million customers.
The deal will also see T-Mobile acquire
hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores
and a wider presence in rural areas.
The deal will also see T-Mobile acquire
hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores
and a wider presence in rural areas.
The acquisition will also expand T-Mobile's
spectrum rights, a federal license permitting
the transmission of mobile signals.
According to T-Mobile, the deal
is expected to close sometime
in the middle of 2025.
As customers from both
companies will get more
coverage and more capacity
from our combined footprint,
our competitors will be forced
to keep up -- and even more
consumers will benefit, Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile, via ABC.
As customers from both
companies will get more
coverage and more capacity
from our combined footprint,
our competitors will be forced
to keep up -- and even more
consumers will benefit, Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile, via ABC.
T-Mobile added that U.S. Cellular
will retain control of a portion of the
company's spectrum rights and cellular towers. .
According to T-Mobile, the deal will provide
customers with more competitive options to the
two largest U.S. wireless carriers: Verizon and AT&T.
According to T-Mobile, the deal will provide
customers with more competitive options to the
two largest U.S. wireless carriers: Verizon and AT&T.
By tapping into the additional
capacity and coverage created
through the combined spectrum
and wireless assets, T-Mobile
will spur competition, T-Mobile statement, via ABC.
The news comes after a series of
acquisitions for T-Mobile aimed at
accelerating the wireless provider's growth
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
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