The Week of September 28, 2026
Politico. Inside the anti-climate campaign against researchers
A Politico investigation found more than 100 open records requests filed at 19 public universities over the past five years, targeting at least 30 climate researchers. The requests come from conservative organizations and seek emails, research drafts, correspondence with law firms and other documents. Legal experts call many of them "fishing expeditions." Reporters built the count from universities' online records portals and interviewed more than a dozen targeted academics.
PBS News (AP). Trump administration lowers fuel economy standards, critics say at a significant environmental cost
New fuel economy standards loosen requirements on automakers to limit pollution from gas-powered cars and light trucks, and they advance Trump's pledge to undo policies that encouraged electric vehicles. DOT projects that yearly oil consumption in 2050 will be about 1.3 billion barrels lower than in 2024. But when the 2024 standards took effect, NHTSA estimated they would avoid burning 14 billion gallons of gasoline by 2050, and environmental groups warn of higher CO2 output.
The Guardian. Decades of fossil fuel influence paved way for Trump's assault on university research, study says
A new study argues that the Trump administration's attacks on universities build on decades of work by libertarian donor networks, fossil fuel companies and conservative think tanks to reshape university governance, leaving climate and energy research especially exposed to corporate interests. The piece cites the 2025 research-funding freezes and investigations of 75 institutions, and it points universities to model gift-acceptance policies that make donor agreements public.
CBC News. Speed over species? What experts are saying about Ottawa's new major projects bill
Prime Minister Carney presents Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, as a way to speed up major projects in response to U.S. economic threats. Experts warn it could dismantle environmental safeguards and push endangered species such as caribou toward extinction. The omnibus bill has more than 300 clauses amending over a dozen federal laws, and one new power would let the minister exempt water bodies from oversight when proponents dump material into them.
Santa Barbara Independent. Alumni Gift, Vision Powers Plans for a Multifaceted Climate Solutions Hub at UC Santa Barbara
Alumna Linda Duttenhaver and her late father, Morton La Kretz, have given a major gift to UCSB for the La Kretz Environmental Crossroads, a hub for turning environmental research into practical policy. The site faces the Santa Barbara Channel, where the 1969 oil spill helped launch the environmental movement, and it is meant as a shared space for NGOs, government, nonprofits and the university.
The Guardian. New tool directly links carbon emissions to amount of environmental and economic damage caused
Scientists at the Australian National University and partner groups launched the Carbon Impacts Tracer, which converts fossil fuel emissions into estimated real-world harms across eight factors, including lost food production. It draws on peer-reviewed studies and gives ranges of uncertainty. Applied to the proposed HVO coal mine in New South Wales, the tool estimates the mine's roughly 809 million tonnes of CO2 would expose almost half a million people to unprecedented heat.
Science. White House move to seize control of NIH grant decisions upsets senators and scientists
A proposal would have handed final NIH grant decisions to a new board co-chaired by NIH director Bhattacharya and budget chief Vought, with unanimous approval required, and Bhattacharya reportedly pushed back and defended the agency's grantmaking process. After criticism from lawmakers in both parties, the White House backed off its plan to create the board by executive order, though it could revive the idea in another form.
Inside Higher Ed. Ahead of Fiscal Year End, NSF Over a Billion Behind, IES to Award Funds
NSF has made only 6,200 grants totaling $6.3 billion, compared with 8,600 and $8.1 billion at this point last year. AHRQ has awarded just 61 grants worth $27 million. A former National Science Board member says OMB is effectively running NSF, and a federal judge has ordered the Education Department to report by Sept. 28 on whether $180 million in IES research funds will be obligated before they expire.
NPR. These 6 charts show how NIH research funding has been reshaped under Trump
Six graphics trace how grant terminations and shifts in funding priorities have changed U.S. biomedical research, including a 29% drop, over $1 billion, in minority-health research funding from 2024 to 2025. The piece also notes that by July, three-quarters of the way through the fiscal year, NIH had obligated only about half its budget.
AIP. HHS Seeks Public Input on Wireless Technology Safety, Scientists Urge Caution
HHS published a request for information on Sept. 21 asking for evidence on health effects of radiofrequency radiation from phones, Wi-Fi, wearables, and 5G, with comments due Oct. 21. Epidemiologists including Brown's David Savitz and Penn's Kenneth Foster objected to gathering anecdotal reports alongside controlled studies, and noted that neither WHO nor the FCC has found an established causal link.
Inside Higher Ed. Higher Ed Groups Bash ED Proposal to Allow More Grant Terminations
The Education Department received more than 5,500 public comments on proposed rules that would expand the secretary's power to end grants. I only saw the headline and teaser, so check the article before writing the blurb.
Education Week. Trump's education funding maneuvers were illegal, judges rule
Two Sept. 17 rulings in Massachusetts federal court found that OMB lacked authority to impose policy conditions through apportionment footnotes, and that the Education Department unlawfully terminated 31 SEED and 72 Teacher Quality Partnership grants. These rulings bear directly on the OMB-control theme the blog has tracked since May.