** Senior Interior official broke ethics rules a 2nd time
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Monday, June 1, 2020
Douglas W. Domenech, Assistant Interior Secretary, violated federal laws | U ([link removed]) nited States Department of the Interior ([link removed])

The Interior Department Inspector General found that Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Doug Domenech violated multiple ethics rules ([link removed]) by successfully helping a close family member secure employment ([link removed]) at the Environmental Protection Agency. The Inspector General found Domenech also violated ethics laws by using government resources to promote another family member’s private business ([link removed]) .

This is the second time in six months ([link removed]) that the Inspector General found Domenech has violated ethics rules. Shortly after joining the Interior Department, Domenech met multiple times with his former employer, the Koch-backed Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF). In the meetings, TPPF, Domenech, and senior Interior officials discussed lawsuits the organization had filed against the Interior Department over an endangered species listing and a private property dispute near the Red River. Shortly after the meetings, the Interior Department settled the Red River lawsuit, which TPPF celebrated ([link removed]) as a “major win for private property rights.”

Similarly, in emails following the meetings, Domenech told TPPF’s top lawyer ([link removed]) to “keep fighting” with litigation to remove the Bone Cave harvestman, a spider found in Texas, from the Endangered Species List. In October 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would review ([link removed]) whether to delist the Bone Cave harvestman after finding such an action may be warranted.
Quick hits


** Communities across the nation say the Great American Outdoors Act would have lasting, positive economic and health impacts
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Opinion: ([link removed]) Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed]) | Public News Service ([link removed]) | SeattlePI ([link removed]) | Knox News ([link removed])


** Colorado climate scientist's controversial dismissal inflames fracking debate
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Inside Climate News ([link removed])


** Opinion: The top U.S. coronavirus hot spots are all Indian lands
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New York Times ([link removed])


** BLM cancels environmental analysis of Powder River Basin coal mine expansion
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S&P Global ([link removed])


** Oil, gas drilling in national forests may expand under proposed rule
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Bloomberg ([link removed])


** Senior Interior official broke ethics rules a 2nd time
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New York Times ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | Politico ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Trump administration aims to buy uranium for reserve 'as soon as possible'
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The Hill ([link removed])


** Oil and gas rig count in freefall for the ninth straight week, budgets slashed
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Oil Price ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Rigzone ([link removed])
Quote of the day
Firing Mr. Domenech is the only serious course of action at this point – another round of ethics training is clearly just a waste of time, since it hasn’t sunk in by now.”
—Raúl Grijalva,
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman
A ([link removed]) ssociated Press ([link removed])
Picture this


** @U ([link removed]) SFWSRefuges ([link removed])
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Some 30 African American scientists, birders & others will host #BlackBirdersWeek ([link removed]) starting Sunday. The goal: to encourage birding among more people of color. Follow the hashtag &@BlackAFinSTEM ([link removed]) here and on Instagram. /Lamar Gore, USFWS

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