Vue lecture

Noem’s Spending Rule Causes Delays at Homeland Security Dept.

The secretary’s requirement that she personally approve any expense over $100,000 has created a backlog of “mission critical” contracts, records show.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

If a key contract is not renewed soon, T.S.A. agents could be forced to manually inspect passports and driver’s licenses, leading to long waits at airports nationwide, documents show.
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How Trump Is Transforming the U.S. Government’s Environmental Role

The E.P.A. said this week it would revoke its own ability to fight climate change. It’s the latest move in an extraordinary pivot away from science-based protections.

© Ellis R. Bosworth/Associated Press

A smoggy street in Los Angeles in 1954.
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