In an effort to help boost the fortunes of the oil and gas industry, the Trump administration in August rolled back an Obama-era rule on methane emissions, spurring mixed reactions from within the industry as well as strong opposition from environmentalists. The administration’s rule would remove the requirement for oil and gas companies to install technology to monitor and limit methane leaks from new wells, storage facilities and pipelines. Methane is one of the main components of natural gas, and it is also a potent greenhouse gas that plays a major role in global warming when released during natural gas…

Amid the dismissal of several inspectors general (IGs) by President Donald Trump this past spring, lawmakers of both parties introduced legislation to protect the independence of these agency watchdogs. Congress initially passed legislation in 1978 to establish oversight within federal agencies via the independent inspectors general positions. The law, which was updated in 2008, requires the president to notify Congress at least 30 days prior to removing an IG from office and to provide a reason for the removal. In just a few weeks in spring 2020, President Trump removed two IGs and replaced three acting IGs. In May, he…