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Trump tells Justice Dept. to seek release of Epstein grand jury testimony; NV education advocates blast freeze on federal funds; and VA leaders push EV adoption as economic, national security imperative.

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An asylum case sparks alarm, protests invoke the late John Lewis, Trump continues to face backlash over the Epstein files and the Senate moves forward with cuts to foreign aid.

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The Trump administration's axe to clean energy funding could hit rural mom-and-pop businesses hard, cuts also jeopardize Alaska's efforts to boost its power grid using wind and solar, and a small Kansas school district engages new students with a focus on ag.

Pollution in PA worsens amid ongoing clean-vehicle policy debate

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Wednesday, May 7, 2025   

Air pollution in Pennsylvania is getting worse, according to a new report citing transportation emissions as the primary culprit.

The American Lung Association's 2025 "State of the Air" report ranks Pittsburgh, Weirton, West Virginia, and Steubenville, Ohio, 12th worst in the nation for year-round particle pollution. Cars and light trucks are a major source of air pollution in Pennsylvania.

Laura Kate Bender, assistant vice president of nationwide healthy air for the American Lung Association, explained the dangers and said Pennsylvania is a challenging place to live with asthma.

"If you are a person with asthma -- a kid, a senior, someone who works or plays outdoors -- or if you have lung disease, it could put you at greater risk," Bender pointed out. "Anyone's health can be harmed from breathing unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution."

While most people like the concept of cleaner vehicles, some, including the American Petroleum Institute, argued strict mandates limit consumer choice and strain the power grid. They emphasized the need for fossil fuel-powered vehicles in sectors such as long-haul trucking, where EV options are limited.

The U.S. House recently voted to block California from setting stricter vehicle pollution rules than the federal government. The state wanted to ban new gas-powered car sales by 2035. Bender noted in this year's report, nearly half the U.S. population experienced unhealthy levels of pollution, an increase from last year.

"This year's report is the first one that covers the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke," Bender emphasized. "Those unhealthy levels really show up in this year's results. We also saw warmer temperatures, heat waves that drove unhealthy levels of ozone pollution."

U.S. Department of Energy data showed all electric vehicles and some hybrids typically produce lower emissions than conventional vehicles, and in some cases no tailpipe emissions. But some of the government subsidies Americans have used to purchase EVs and hybrids are not popular with some groups, including the Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute.


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The U.S. Department of Education has frozen grants that support summer learning, teacher professional development, after-school programs, English-language classes, support for children of migrants, school-based mental health and adult education. (Syda Productions/Adobe Stock)

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Public education advocates are sounding alarms about the upcoming school year because the federal government is holding up about $60 million in funds …


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A cleaner environment through less waste is the goal of a new state organization, the Indiana Composting Council. The council will enlist …


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April's Clean Water Lobby Day was held by Oregon Rural Action and the Stand Up to Factory Farms Coalition in Salem. (Oregon Rural Action)

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