By MATTHEW DALY and MATTHEW BROWN

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have added a provision to their sweeping tax cut package that would authorize the sale of thousands of acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, prompting outrage from Democrats and environmental groups who called the plan a betrayal that could lead to increased drilling, mining and logging in the West.

Related Articles

Federal judge orders Trump administration to unblock pandemic relief money for schools

America’s legal system is confusing. Here are some of the common terms used in the Trump lawsuits

Lawmakers seek to rein in citizen ballot initiatives with new requirements for petitions

Biden calls Trump’s pressure on Ukraine ‘modern-day appeasement’ in 1st post-presidential interview

Trump administration abruptly removes the vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board

Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee adopted the land sales proposal early Wednesday morning. The initial draft had not included it amid bipartisan opposition.

The land sale provision put forward by Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada and Celeste Maloy of Utah would sell thousands of acres of public lands in the two states, and calls for some of the parcels to be considered for affordable housing projects. Rep. Joe Neguse , D-Colo., called the plan “deeply irresponsible.”

“Public lands shouldn’t have a price tag on them. But (President) Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are working like mad to hand over our public lands to billionaires and corporate polluters to drill, mine and log with the bare minimum oversight or accountability,” said Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program. The lands potentially for sale “belong to all Americans. They shouldn’t be given away to pad corporate bottom lines,” Manuel said.

The sales were approved as the Natural Resources committee voted 26-17 to advance legislation that would allow increased leasing of public lands for drilling, mining and logging while clearing the path for more development by speeding up government approvals. Royalty rates paid by companies to extract oil, gas and coal would be cut, reversing former Democratic President Joe Biden’s attempts to curb fossil fuels to help address climate change.

The measure is part of Trump’s big bill of tax breaks, spending cuts and beefed-up funding to halt migrants. House Speaker Mike Johnson has set a goal of passing the package out of his chamber by Memorial Day. All told, 11 different House committees are crafting portions of the bill.

Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican and former Interior secretary in the first Trump administration, had said before the vote that he was drawing a “red line” on public land sales.

“It’s a no now. It will be a no later. It will be a no forever,” said Zinke, whose state includes large parcels of federally owned lands.

Zinke and Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., are set to lead a new bipartisan Public Lands Caucus intended to protect and expand access to America’s public lands. The caucus was set to launch on Wednesday, hours after the resources panel vote.

Oil and gas royalty rates would drop from 16.7% on public lands and 18.75% offshore to a uniform 12.5% under the committee-passed bill, which still faces a vote in the full House and Senate once it is incorporated into the final legislative package. Royalties for coal would drop from 12.5% to 7%.

The measure calls for four oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge over the next decade. It also seeks to boost the ailing coal industry with a mandate to make available for leasing 6,250 square miles of public lands — an area greater in size than Connecticut.

Republican supporters say the lost revenue would be offset by increased development. It’s uncertain if companies would have an appetite for leases given the industry’s precipitous decline in recent years as utilities switched to cleaner burning fuels and renewable energy.

Drew McConville, a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress, denounced the committee vote.

“The Trump tax bill was already a massive and historic sellout of U.S. lands and waters to corporate interests. This dark-of-night maneuver shows how shamelessly focused congressional Republicans are on sacrificing public benefits to pay for Trump’s reckless tax cuts. If this bill passes, the losses to America’s great outdoor legacy will be felt for generations,” McConville said in a statement.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner in March proposed using “underutilized” federal land for affordable housing. Turner said some 7 million homes are needed. Officials under Biden also sought to use public lands for affordable housing, although on a smaller scale.

The agencies have not yet released more details of the proposal.

Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A hearing Wednesday before Nevada’s high court could provide the first public window into a secretive legal dispute over who will control Rupert Murdoch’s powerful media empire after he dies.

Related Articles

Wall Street wavers as China shores up its economy ahead of trade talks with the US

Disney parks thrive in second quarter and it adds 1.4 million new streaming subscribers

Federal Reserve faces tough balancing act between fighting inflation and spurring economic growth

WeightWatchers files for bankruptcy protection to eliminate debt burden

What customers can expect as Rite Aid closes or sells all its drugstores

The case has been unfolding behind closed doors in state court in Reno, with most documents under seal. But reporting by The New York Times, which said it obtained some of the documents, revealed Murdoch’s efforts to keep just one of his sons, Lachlan, in charge and ensure that Fox News maintains its conservative editorial slant.

Media outlets including the Times and The Associated Press are now asking the Nevada Supreme Court to unseal the case and make future hearings public. The court is scheduled to hear arguments in the afternoon in Carson City, the capital.

Murdoch’s media empire, which also includes The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, spans continents and helped to shape modern American politics. Lachlan Murdoch has been the head of Fox News and News Corp. since his father stepped down in 2023.

The issue at the center of the case is Rupert Murdoch’s family trust, which after his death would divide control of the company equally among four of his children — Lachlan, Prudence, Elisabeth and James.

Irrevocable trusts are typically used to limit estate taxes, among other reasons, and can’t be changed without permission from the beneficiaries or via a court order.

Rupert Murdoch has attempted to alter the trust, however, and Prudence, Elisabeth and James have united to try to stop that. James and Elisabeth are both known to have less conservative political views than their father or brother, potentially complicating the media mogul’s desire to keep Fox News’s political tone.

The dispute has had many twists and turns, including a probate commissioner ruling against Rupert Murdoch in December.

In a 96-page opinion, the commissioner characterized the plan to change the trust as a “carefully crafted charade” to “permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch’s executive roles” inside the empire “regardless of the impacts such control would have over the companies or the beneficiaries” of the family trust, according to the Times.

Adam Streisand, a lawyer for Rupert Murdoch, told the newspaper at the time that they were disappointed with the ruling and intended to appeal. Another evidentiary hearing is scheduled for this month.

By JESSICA DAMIANO, Associated Press

Mother’s Day is coming, and the flower and candy ads are everywhere. There’s nothing wrong with either, of course, but both are fleeting.

Related Articles

Spicy beef tostadas reinvigorate the Taco Tuesday tradition

Minnesota libraries fear fallout of Trump administration’s cuts

As temps climb in May, some local splash pads will open early (but not in St. Paul)

Family friendly Minnesota State Fair Grandstand show to pay tribute to Taylor Swift

‘The Four Seasons’ review: Tina Fey is no Alan Alda, but at least there’s the Vivaldi

Instead of gifting your mom a bouquet of roses this year, why not give her a plant that will provide blossoms — and joy — for years to come?

And if you really want to be her favorite, offer to plant it for her, too (a box of that fleeting candy wouldn’t hurt, either.)

Here are eight newly developed rose varieties introduced to the market for the first time this spring, and the brands that grow them for our gardens:

Loves Me, Loves Me Not (Star Roses)

This hybrid tea rose puts forth large, 5-inch blooms with up to 250 deep-pink petals apiece. Highly fragrant with a scent reminiscent of lilacs, pineapples and gardenias, the upright, shrubby plant grows to 5 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide in zones 5-11.

Winning Streak (Star Roses)

This image shows Winning Streak, a new compact floribunda rose introduced by Star Roses and Plants for 2025. (Star Roses and Plants via AP)

Yellow-striped, cherry-red and fuchsia petals are strikingly set against dark green leaves on this rounded, bushy and compact floribunda. Expect it to grow 2 feet tall and wide in zones 6-11.

True Devotion (True Bloom Roses)

This image shows True Devotion, a new climbing hybrid tea rose available in spring 2025 from True Bloom Roses. (Altman Plants via AP)

Grow this disease-resistant climbing hybrid tea rose against a wall or up an arbor or trellis. Each of its 3 ½-inch, strongly scented flowers is packed with more than 50 light pink petals set against light green foliage. Reaches 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide in zones 5-10.

Candy Cream (Altman Plants)

This image shows Candy Cream, a new groundcover rose available in spring 2025 from Altman Plants. (Altman Plants via AP)

Pink-and-white striped, self-cleaning, double-blossomed roses will bloom all season long on this compact groundcover rose. Suited for smaller spaces (even containers) and offering excellent disease resistance, the vigorous bloomer grows to 2 feet tall and wide in zones 5-10.

Flavorette Pear’d (Proven Winners Color Choice)

This image shows Flavorette Pear’d, a new, edible rose from Proven Winners® ColorChoice. (Proven Winners ColorChoice via AP)

This fragrant, edible rose is as much a culinary herb as it is a garden specimen. Its pear-flavored, pale pink, semi-double petaled blossoms are held upright on sturdy, disease-resistant plants that reach 3-4 feet tall and wide in zones 4-8.

Oso Easy En Fuego (Proven Winners Color Choice)

This image shows Oso Easy En Fuego, a new, heat-tolerant rose from Proven Winners ColorChoice. (Proven Winners ColorChoice via AP)

Large, eye-catching roses emerge yellow and red, then open to reveal a burst of electric orange. Glossy green leaves create a lovely backdrop on the disease-resistant, heat-tolerant plant that blooms from summer to frost. Expect it to grow to 3-4 feet tall and 3 feet wide in zones 4-9.

Campfire Floribunda Rose (Jackson & Perkins)

This image shows Campfire Floribunda Rose, a new introduction from Jackson & Perkins for 2025. (Jackson & Perkins via AP)

Part of the Canadian Artist Series, this cold-hardy floribunda provides a multicolor display. Red and yellow buds open into deep, rose-edged, golden yellow flowers that mature to pink and ultimately cream. The low-maintenance, 6-foot-tall by 3-foot-wide plant is suitable for beds, borders and containers in zones 3 to 9.

Lemon Burst Floribunda Rose (Jackson & Perkins)

This image shows Lemon Burst Floribunda Rose, a new introduction from Jackson & Perkins for 2025. (Jackson & Perkins via AP)

Cupped, ruffled, yellow roses with up to 100 petals each exude a light, fruity fragrance and provide long-lasting color to beds, borders and containers. Set against glossy green foliage, its old-fashioned, 3-inch flowers rise from bushy, upright plants with a slightly spreading habit. The disease-resistant plants grow to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide in zones 5-9.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

City Limits’ climate reporter Mariana Simões spoke with WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show to discuss her recent reporting on the Trump administration’s decision to layoff staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and what it means for local communities.

Lisa Garcia, a former EPA administrator, at an Earth Day Rally at City Hall last month. She recently spoke to City Limits about the impact the agency layoffs will have on New York City communities dealing with environmental issues. (Photo by Adi Talwar)

Last month, the day before Earth Day, the Trump administration told more than 450 staffers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that they were being let go or reassigned—part of the White House’s plan to do away with “environmental justice” and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” efforts at the federal agency.

But what is environmental justice exactly, and what does the elimination of those positions mean for New York City communities dealing with air pollution or contaminated land?

That was the subject of a segment on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show Wednesday, featuring City Limits’ climate reporter Mariana Simões, who joined the public radio host to discuss her recent reporting on EPA cuts and their local impact. They also took questions and heard feedback from callers who shared their thoughts on what environmental justice means to them.

“I grew up in the Bronx, and I remember when I was a kid, I would see hazardous waste trucks driving through my community, and I would always say to myself, ‘I don’t see these in Manhattan. I don’t see these in the suburbs,’” one caller said. “I think another way to think about environmental justice is simply racial justice.”

You can read Simões reporting on what’s happening at the EPA here, and can listen to the full WNYC segment below.

The post LISTEN: How Trump’s Environmental Justice Layoffs Will Impact New York appeared first on City Limits.