Environmental cuts hit poor communities

Published March 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM EDT

Lee Zeldin, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, says he's eliminating environmental justice jobs that were largely focused on addressing pollution in low-income and minority communities. Grist's Lylla Younes explains the impact of these cuts.

Then, more than 400 Fish and Wildlife Service workers — or about 5% of the agency's workforce — were let go last month. And more cuts to the agency could be on the horizon. Writer and photographer Mark Seth Lender shares concerns wildlife enthusiasts are feeling.

And, the number of monarch butterflies overwintering this year in Mexico has nearly doubled, according to the annual census data from the World Wildlife Fund. Biologist Emma Pelton talks about this encouraging sign for the monarch population, as it continues to rebound from dangerously low levels this century.

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