The first full draft of the assessment, on the state of Americaโs land, water and wildlife, was weeks from completion. The project leader called the study โtoo important to die.โ
ยฉ Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Most of the 12 chapters in the report were written by teams of a dozen or so specialists.
As Trump pledges regulatory rollbacks, environmental groups say the administrationโs aggressive cost-cutting tactics could make it easier for them to win some long-term battles.
ยฉ Mark Abramson for The New York Times
Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A. administrator, right, visiting fire-ravaged Altadena, Calif., earlier this month.
A spokeswoman for Lee Zeldin, the new head of the agency, said the goal was to create an โeffective and efficientโ federal work force.
ยฉ Eric Lee/The New York Times
The Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington. Union leaders called the move a clear attempt to gut an agency that President Trump dislikes.
Replicating the abilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationโs fleet of weather satellites would take time and a lot of moneyโand expose private companies to a large amount of risk.
Torrential rain is expected this week in Los Angeles, which risks producing flash flooding and landslides in areas stripped of vegetation by the recent wildfires.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) could have pre-deployed ten engines to the Pacific Palisades ahead of the deadly Palisades Fire on January 7, but chose not to, according to former fire chiefs quoted by theย Los Angeles Times.