Lauren Woeher wonders if her 16-month-old daughter has been harmed by tap water contaminated with toxic industrial compounds used in products like nonstick cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and fast-food wrappers. Henry Betz, at 76, rattles around his house alone at night, thinking about the water his family unknowingly drank for years that was tainted by the same contaminants, and the pancreatic cancers that killed wife Betty Jean and two others in his household. Tim Hagey, manager of a local water utility, recalls how he used to assure people that the local public water was safe. That was before testing showed it had some of the highest levels of the toxic compounds of any public water system in the U.S. “You all made me out to be a liar,” Hagey, general water and sewer manager in the eastern Pennsylvania town of Warminster, told Environmental Protection Agency officials at a hearing last month. The meeting drew residents and officials from Horsham and other affected towns in eastern Pennsylvania, and officials from some of the other dozens of states dealing with the same contaminants. At “community engagement sessions” around the country this summer like the one in Horsham, residents and state, local and military officials are demanding that the EPA act quickly — and decisively — to clean up local water systems testing positive for dangerous levels of the chemicals, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The Trump administration called the contamination “a potential public relations nightmare” earlier this year after federal …
Місія МВФ прибуде до Києва у вересні – фонд
Місія Міжнародного валютного фонду працюватиме в Києві в період із 6 до 19 вересня, заявив постійний представник фонду в Україні Йоста Люнгман. «За зверненням української влади, місія МВФ відвідає Київ в період з 6 до 19 вересня 2018 року для обговорення останніх економічних подій і економічної політики», – наведені його слова в прес-релізі фонду. За словами Люнгмана, серед питань, про які йтиметься, буде також фінансова допомога від МВФ на підтримку політики, спрямованої на забезпечення макроекономічної стабільності в Україні і подальшого руху економіки країни в напрямку сталого й інклюзивного зростання. У червні прем’єр-міністр України Володимир Гройсман визнав, що підвищення цін на газ для населення залишається серед вимог Міжнародного валютного фонду, і додав, що уряд не має «простої відповіді» на це питання. Читайте також: Потрібна підтримка МВФ, бо Україна на межі глибокої економічної кризи – експерти У квітні Міжнародний валютний фонд заявив, що Україні потрібно деполітизувати процес формування цін на енергоресурси. У МВФ неодноразово заявляли, що Україні для отримання чергового траншу необхідно ухвалити закон про Антикорупційний суд і привести ціни на газ до рівня ринкових. У березні 2015 року між МВФ і Україною була затверджена чотирирічна програма розширеного фінансування на суму близько 17,5 мільярда доларів США. Наразі МВФ надав Україні за цією програмою близько 8 мільярдів 380 мільйонів доларів. Міністерство фінансів України очікувало на надходження нового траншу кредиту МВФ на початку 2018 року. У квітні в Нацбанку заявили, що очікують траншу від Міжнародного валютного фонду в третьому кварталі. …
Khamenei: Mismanagement More Harmful Than US Sanctions
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Monday government mismanagement has hurt Iran’s economy more than U.S. sanctions. U.S. President Donald Trump last week reimposed a set of sanctions that had been lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal Iran struck with world powers to limit the country’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from measures that had badly hurt its economy. Those sanctions target Iran’s automotive sector, its trade in gold and other precious metals, along with its currency, the Iranian rial, and other financial transactions. Trump has threatened another round of sanctions on November 5 against Iran’s energy-related transactions and business that foreign financial institutions conduct with the Central Bank of Iran. Khamenei said Monday with better management Iran can resist the U.S. sanctions and overcome them. Trump has been a frequent critic of the Iran nuclear deal and put the sanctions back in place after pulling the United States from the agreement. He says Iran must change the way it operates, including its activities in Syria and Yemen. Iran and the other signatories of the nuclear deal have said they intend to continue to abide by the agreement. …
Turkey Announces ‘Action Plan’ to Ease Market Concerns
Asian and European markets were rattled by the Turkish lira’s record low of 7.24 to the dollar overnight. The markets began to recover Monday, however, when Turkey’s Central Bank said it was ready to take “all necessary measures” to help Turkish banks manage their liquidity. The bank’s announcement followed the finance minister’s disclosure that Turkey has prepared an “action plan” scheduled to roll out Monday that is intended to ease market concerns that led to the slump in the value of Turkish currency. The lira recovered to 6.61 to the dollar following the Central Bank’s announcement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, embroiled in a bitter dispute with the U.S., a NATO ally, contended Sunday the plunging value of his country’s lira currency amounted to a “political plot” against Turkey. Erdogan, speaking to political supporters in the Black Sea resort of Trabzon, said, “The aim of the operation is to make Turkey surrender in all areas, from finance to politics. We are once again facing a political, underhand plot. With God’s permission we will overcome this.” U.S. President Donald Trump has feuded with Erdogan over several issues, including the detention of an American pastor in Turkey, whom Turkey has held since 2016 and accused of espionage. Turkey last month released the evangelical preacher from a prison, but is still detaining him under house arrest pending his trial, despite the demands of the U.S. With the dispute intensifying, Trump on Friday doubled steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey, sending the beleaguered lira …
Російський рубль падає через санкції США
Курс рубля оновив черговий дворічний мінімум. На відкритті торгів Московської біржі в понеділок, 13 серпня, долар перевищив позначку в 68 рублів. Курс євро також виріс майже на рубль. Ключовим фактором падіння рубля лишаються санкції Сполучених Штатів. Російська валюта почала дешевшати після того, як ЗМІ опублікували проект нових обмежень, який підготували американські сенатори. Санкції можуть зачепити проведення доларових опреацій для державних банків, заборону на інвестиції в російський державний борг та обмеження на експорт технологій для нафтогазової промисловості. Читайте також: «Санкції США розгойдують Росію (світова преса)» Крім того, минулого тижня Держдепартамент США оголосив про нові санкії через отруєння колишнього офіцера ГРУ Сергія Скрипаля та його доньки Юлії в британському місті Солсбері. Вашингтон звинувачує в причетності до нападу Моску. Нові обмеження набудуть чинності 22 серпня. Зокрема вводиться заборона на експорт до Росії товарів, які використовуються в сфері національної безпеки. Раніше в МЗС Росії заявили, що готують «контрзаходи» у відповідь на санкційні обмеження США. …
Washington DC Reconsiders Cashless Approach
American businesses have long been preparing for a cashless economy as the use of credit and debit cards, instead of cash, become more widespread. But the move towards a cashless economy may have hit a snag in the nation’s capital. Some Washington DC council members say the cashless trend has gone too far. And if a new bill, introduced by DC Council member David Grosso, passes — some cashless businesses could end up paying big fines. Mariia Prus has the story narrated by Joy Wagner. …
Erdogan Claims Lira Plunge a ‘Political Plot’ Against Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, embroiled in a bitter dispute with the U.S., a NATO ally, contended Sunday the plunging value of his country’s lira currency amounted to a “political plot” against Turkey. Erdogan, speaking to political supporters in the Black Sea resort of Trabzon, said, “The aim of the operation is to make Turkey surrender in all areas, from finance to politics. We are once again facing a political, underhand plot. With God’s permission we will overcome this.” U.S. President Donald Trump has feuded with Erdogan over several issues, including the detention of an American pastor in Turkey, whom Turkey has held since 2016 and accused of espionage. Turkey last month released the evangelical preacher from a prison, but is still detaining him under house arrest pending his trial, despite the demands of the U.S. With the dispute intensifying, Trump on Friday doubled steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey, sending the beleaguered lira plunging 16 percent, part of a 40 percent plummet for the currency this year. In early Asian trading Monday, the lira fell to a record low of 7.06 against the dollar. “What is the reason for all this storm in a tea cup?” Erdogan said. “There is no economic reason for this … This is called carrying out an operation against Turkey.” Erdogan renewed his call for Turks to sell dollars and buy lira to boost the currency, while telling business owners to not stockpile the American currency. “I am specifically addressing our manufacturers: Do not …
UN Stepping Up Ebola Screening of Refugees Fleeing DR Congo
The U.N. refugee agency reports it is stepping up efforts to reduce the risk of the spread of the deadly Ebola virus as refugees flee DR Congo. Latest estimates put the number of confirmed and probable cases of Ebola in eastern DRC at 49, including 38 deaths. The U.N. refugee agency is working closely with DRC authorities and other agencies on actions to contain Ebola on the national and regional level. But, its main focus is to monitor possible Ebola infections among refugees fleeing across the border, mainly to Uganda, from conflict ridden North Kivu and Ituri. UNHCR spokesman, William Spindler says the number of newly arriving refugees into Uganda from these two Ebola affected provinces increased during July from 170 a day to 250 a day. He says the majority currently is crossing at the Kisoro border point. “So UNHCR is working with WHO, UNICEF and other partners and with the Ministry of Health of Uganda to intensify screening for Ebola at all border entry points. And, additional health workers have been deployed in the border districts to improve response capacity,” he said. Spindler notes the World Health Organization is not recommending any restriction on the movement of people. Therefore, he says UNHCR is urging countries neighboring DRC to allow refugees in need of protection to enter their territory and to include them into preparedness and response plans and activities. The UNHCR says refugees are at the same risk of contracting and transmitting the Ebola virus disease as local …
NASA Sends Parker Solar Probe to ‘Go Touch the Sun’
A NASA spacecraft rocketed toward the sun Sunday on an unprecedented quest to get closer to our star than anything ever sent before. The Parker Solar Probe will fly straight through the wispy edges of the corona, or outer solar atmosphere, that was visible during last August’s total solar eclipse. It eventually will get within 3.8 million (6 million kilometers) of the sun’s surface, staying comfortably cool despite the extreme heat and radiation, and allowing scientists to vicariously explore the sun in a way never before possible. No wonder scientists consider it the coolest, hottest mission under the sun, and what better day to launch to the sun than Sunday as NASA noted. “Fly baby girl, fly!!” project scientist Nicola Fox of Johns Hopkins University tweeted just before liftoff. She urged it to “go touch the sun!” Protected by a revolutionary new carbon heat shield and other high-tech wonders, the spacecraft will zip past Venus in October. That will set up the first solar encounter in November. Altogether, the Parker probe will make 24 close approaches to the sun on the seven-year, $1.5 billion undertaking. Parker watches namesake go For the second straight day, thousands of spectators jammed the launch site in the middle of the night as well as surrounding towns, including 91-year-old astrophysicist Eugene Parker for whom the spacecraft is named. He proposed the existence of solar wind, a steady, supersonic stream of particles blasting off the sun, 60 years ago. “All I can say is, ‘Wow, here …
Eco-Friendly Soccer Club Aims to Inspire Others to Make Meaningful Choices
Talk about going green. One British soccer team has made it its goal to become the first professional sports team in the world to be certified carbon neutral. It’s an official designation recently awarded to the team by the Secretary in charge of Climate Change at the United Nations. But that’s not all. The team may also be the world’s first 100 percent vegan football club. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo has more. …
Abundance of Seahorses in Northeastern Greece Thrills Divers, Scientists
There’s an abundance of seahorses in a remote gulf off the coast of northeastern Greece … and scientists are not exactly sure why. Although seahorses exist in Greece’s seas, scientists say it’s unusual to find a stable and continued presence for a protected species ravaged by overfishing throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Local divers are enthralled by the elegant creatures and are going to great lengths to document their presence and advocate for their protection. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
Iran: French Firm Out of South Pars Gas Project, China’s Is In
Iran’s official IRNA news agency is reporting that China’s state-owned petroleum corporation has taken a majority share of the country’s South Pars gas project after French oil and gas company Total announced it would pull out because renewed U.S. economic sanctions against Iran. The Saturday report quotes Mohammad Mostafavi, an official in Iran’s state oil company, as saying CNPC now owns 80 percent of the shares in the $5 billion project, having bought shares from Total. CNPC originally had about 30 percent of shares in the project. The renewal of U.S. sanctions took effect on Tuesday. …
Confusion Reigns in Italy Over Child Vaccination Mandate
Italians are divided between those who think parents should have the right to decide whether to vaccinate their children and those who feel immunization programs must be decided by the government, which they believe has better access to information. Vaccine regulations differ widely across Europe, and the current situation in Italy is in limbo. Italians enrolling their children in state-run nursery schools currently are uncertain if they need to provide evidence their children have had 10 vaccinations required by a law that came into effect in March. A week ago, the upper house of parliament voted through an amendment to remove that obligation. But to become law, it must also be approved by the lower house. Parents have been told that for the time being they can simply provide a self-signed declaration that their children have been vaccinated. Many remain unclear whether their children will be allowed to go to school if they fail to provide a declaration or other evidence of the vaccinations. A surge of more than 5,000 measles cases last year – the second largest outbreak in Europe – led the government run then by the Democratic Party to pass a bill requiring mandatory vaccinations. However, in the run-up to general elections this year, the 5-Star Movement led by Luigi Di Maio and the League led by Matteo Salvini said they would do away with the law. Now in power, they appear to be keeping their promise Speaking at a recent political rally near Florence, Salvini admitted …
France Fumes at Proposed Post-Brexit EU Sea Trade Links
France deems unacceptable a European Commission proposal to exclude French ports from a rerouting of a strategic trade corridor between Ireland and mainland Europe after Brexit, the government said. At the moment much of Ireland’s trade with the continent goes via Britain in trucks. However, with less than eight months to go until Britain leaves the European Union, there is still little clarity on its future trade relations with the bloc and on the nature of the Irish Republic’s border with the British province of Northern Ireland. The new route put forward by the commission would connect Ireland by sea with Dutch and Belgian ports, including Zeebrugge and Rotterdam. French ports such as Calais and Dunkirk would be bypassed. “France and Ireland maintain important trade channels, both overland via Britain and via direct maritime routes. The geographical proximity between Ireland and France creates an obvious connection to the single market,” French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote to the EU’s transport commissioner in a letter dated August 10. “Surprisingly, the commission proposal in no way takes this into account. This proposal therefore is not acceptable to France.” At stake are jobs, millions of dollars’ worth of port revenues and possibly EU infrastructure funding. Borne said that French ports had the necessary resources to ensure they could handle the likely increase in trade flows, hinting at concerns about congestion in ports such as Calais, France’s busiest passenger port. …
Cars Powered by New Fuel Type Tested in Australia
Australian scientists have test driven two cars powered by a carbon-free fuel derived from ammonia. A team from the Australian government’s research agency, the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization), says the pioneering technology will allow highly flammable hydrogen to be safely transported in the form of ammonia and used as a widely available fuel. Researchers have found a way to use a thin membrane to turn Australian-made hydrogen into ammonia. This could be shipped safely to markets in Asia, as well as parts of Europe. At its destination, the liquid ammonia would then be converted back into hydrogen, and used to power cars and buses, as well as for electricity generation and industrial processes. David Harris, CSIRO research director says “the special thing about the technology that we have is that it allows you to produce very pure hydrogen directly with a membrane system from ammonia.” The technology has the support of Japanese car maker Toyota and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company. ‘Watershed moment’ Scientists say hydrogen, a highly-flammable gas that can be volatile and hard to transport safely, creates a low emission fuel for cars. The Australian team describes the membrane technology that separates hydrogen from other gases as a “watershed moment for energy.” Claire Johnson, the chief executive of Hydrogen Mobility Australia, an industry association, says the pioneering research could forever change the transport sector. “We see that as a really exciting opportunity to decarbonize the transport sector, but also position Australia as one of …
Economy Doing Well, But Not All Americans See It That Way
By most indicators, the U.S. economy is doing well. An achievement that President Donald Trump has boasted about on many occasions. But whether Americans see it that way, may depend on which side of the political aisle they’re on. This report by White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara explores partisanship and the American economy. …
Turkish Lira Plummets; Erdogan Pledges Economic War
The White House issued a proclamation Friday evening officially announcing the doubling of steel tariffs on Turkey, slated to go into effect Monday. Earlier Friday, the Turkish lira suffered its worst one-day loss in a decade after President Donald Trump announced the United States would hike metals tariffs, prompting investor confidence to slump. Trump announced the doubling of aluminum and steel tariffs in a tweet Friday morning, citing bilateral strains. Ties between the countries have been strained, as Washington is urging Ankara to release Andrew Brunson. The American pastor is currently held under house arrest on terrorism charges. The White House dismisses the charges as baseless and accused Ankara of hostage taking. Turkey wants Brunson to stand trial. The Brunson dispute triggered the collapse in the Turkish currency as investors feared U.S. financial sanctions. All week the lira has been under pressure, which accelerated with the failure of diplomatic talks in Washington this week. ‘Just the stick’ U.S. patience with Turkey is seen to have ended, experts say. “Most of the actors in the Washington scene think that carrots just don’t work with Turkey, just the stick,” said political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners. Friday saw the lira falling more than 15 percent, bringing the decline to more than 40 percent since the beginning of the year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed supporters in the provincial city of Bayburt. “We will not lose the economic war,” Erdogan said Friday. “Turkey will fight economic hitmen just as it …
Russia Not Expected to Stand Up for Tanking Ruble Amid Sanctions
A threat of more U.S. sanctions has sent the ruble tumbling to its weakest since mid-2016 but authorities are not expected to leap to the currency’s defense after weathering a similar storm in April, analysts said. The ruble crashed to 67.67 versus the dollar on Friday, losing more than 6 percent of its value in just one week, as the United States said it would impose fresh sanctions against Moscow. The ruble’s slide was akin to its drop in April when, also battered by sanctions from Washington, it lost 12 percent in just a few days. Lack of action The lack of action by authorities back then is convincing market players now that they will not intervene this time either. “When we think about what has happened in April, when sanctions were introduced and we saw a similar reaction in the ruble … this is not a move in the ruble that would make policy makers extremely worried,” said Tilmann Kolb, an emerging market analyst at UBS Global Wealth Management in Zurich. Liza Ermolenko, an economist at Barclays in London, said that given the central bank refrained from intervening in the market in April, it is clear that a more sudden and deeper drop in the ruble would be required to make it step in now. The authorities have made few public comments on the latest falls, which started on Wednesday, when the U.S. State Department announced a new round of sanctions that pushed the ruble to two-year lows and …
Після вихідних долар зросте на 13 копійок – НБУ
Курс долара у понеділок, 13 серпня, складе 27 гривень 24 копійки, свідчать дані на сайті Національного банку України. На 10 серпня НБУ встановлював курс 27 гривень 11 копійок за долар. За день до цього його вартість становила 26 гривень 96 копійок – саме тоді долар вперше з 2 серпня знизився в ціні нижче позначки 27 гривень. Читайте також – Очікування траншу МВФ: чому падає гривня і міжнародні резерви Водночас офіційний курс євро на 13 серпня встановлений на рівні 31 гривні 21 копійки – це на 22 копійки менше, ніж 10 серпня. …
US Consumer Prices Rise Modestly in July
Consumer prices in the U.S. rose a modest 2.9 percent in July from a year ago, as inflation rose gradually but slowly. Friday’s Labor Department report showed the Consumer Price Index, a broad measure of Americans’ living expenses, increased two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month. Core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy prices, rose at the same pace. WATCH: Economy Doing Well, But Not All Americans See It That Way The main driver of inflation in July was higher housing costs. Food expenses increased slightly, while energy, medical care and clothing prices fell modestly. The data showed that prices were rising a little faster than wages, leaving the buying power of paychecks one-tenth of a percentage point lower today than a year ago, despite an otherwise healthy economy. Inflation increases and wage declines in the past 12 months can be blamed on higher oil, gasoline and transportation costs, which had remained at relatively low levels for the previous six years. Keeping inflation in check is the job of the Federal Reserve, the central bank system of the U.S. It tries to do that by raising interest rates, which makes it more expensive to borrow money and tends to cool economic activity. Lower levels of commerce tend to reduce the pressure to raise prices and wages that fuel inflation. The Fed already has raised interest rates twice this year, and many economists expect two more interest rate hikes this year. Higher borrowing costs, however, would make …
Trump Doubles Tariffs on Turkish Steel, Aluminum Imports
U.S. President Donald Trump further escalated tensions with Turkey Friday by announcing a sharp increase in tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in an early morning post on Twitter. In announcing 20 percent tariffs on aluminum and 50 percent tariffs on steel, Trump said “the Turkish Lira, slides rapidly downward against our very strong Dollar!” Trump’s announcement came two days after a Turkish diplomatic delegation visited Washington in a bid to to ease tensions between the two countries. Analysts have warned that rising U.S.-Turkish tensions are threatening a financial crisis in Turkey. On Monday, the Turkish lira suffered its most significant drop in a decade following reports the Trump administration was considering ending Turkey’s duty-free access to the U.S. market. Trump’s Friday tweet caused a further drop in the Turkish currency. U.S.-Turkish tensions began to escalate last week, with Trump targeting two Turkish ministers with sanctions over the detention of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson. Brunson is currently under house arrest in Turkey while standing trial on terrorism charges. The White House dismisses the charges as baseless and accused Ankara of hostage taking. Saying Friday Turkey faced “an economic war,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged citizens to support the lira by exchanging foreign money for the local currency. “If you have dollars, euros or gold under your pillow, go to banks to exchange them for Turkish lira,” he said on national television. “It is a national fight.” Erdogan called on Turks to not be concerned about exchange rate movements, mockingly …
Ціни на продукти в Україні знижуються – Держстат
Ціни на продукти харчування в Україні продовжують тенденцію до зниження, заявляють у Кабінеті міністрів із посиланням на дані Державної служби статистики. За даними, наведеними 9 серпня, в липні порівняно з червнем ціни на продовольство знизилися на 1,9%. Найбільше (12,4 – 7,6%) подешевшали сезонні продукти – овочі, фрукти й яйця. Також знизилися ціни на молоко, молочні продукти, сало і свинину. При цьому, за повідомленням, на 0,7 – 1,9% так само сезонно подорожчали вироби із зернових, в тому числі хліб і макаронні вироби, та деякі крупи. У цілому споживчі ціни в липні, за даними Держстату, знизилися на 0,7%. Порівняно з липнем 2017 року ріст цін склав 8,9%. У Національному банку України прогнозували, що у 2018 році інфляція складе понад 8%. …
Brazil Surpasses 2020 Target to Cut Deforestation Emissions
Brazil cut its greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in 2017 to levels below its internationally agreed 2020 climate change targets, the country’s Environment Ministry said Thursday. Brazil reduced its emission from deforestation in the Amazon rainforest by 610 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), compared to its 2020 target of 564 million tons. In the Cerrado savanna, emissions were reduced 170 million tons of carbon dioxide versus a target of 104 million tons. The Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, and the Cerrado, South America’s biggest savanna, soak up vast amounts of carbon dioxide, and their preservation is seen as vital to the fight against climate change. But destruction of the forest releases large quantities of CO2, one of the main greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Large-scale Amazon deforestation has made Brazil one of the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters, because of fires and the spread of agriculture and cattle ranching. The 2020 emission goals were set out in the 2009 Copenhagen Accord to combat climate change. Under the more ambitious Paris Agreement in 2015 on climate change, Brazil has set goals for further steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions for 2025 and 2030. “The policy message is that we can and should remain in the Paris Agreement (because) it is possible to effectively implement the commitments that have been made,” said Thiago Mendes, secretary of climate change in the Environment Ministry. …
Wildlife Official Who Stirred Fears on Species Law Will Leave Post
The head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is stepping down after a 14-month tenure in which the agency proposed broad changes to rules governing protections for thousands of species and pushed for more hunting and fishing on federal lands, officials said Thursday. Greg Sheehan will leave the agency next week to return to his family and home in Utah, spokesman Gavin Shire said. He has led the wildlife service since last June as the senior political official appointed under President Donald Trump in a newly created deputy director position. Under his tenure, the wildlife service moved recently to end a long-standing practice that automatically gave the same protections to threatened species as it gives more critically endangered species. The proposal also limits habitat safeguards meant to shield recovering species from harm and would require consideration of the economic impacts of protecting a species. That’s alarmed wildlife advocates who fear a weakening of the Endangered Species Act, which has been used to save species as diverse as the bald eagle and the American alligator. The proposed changes were cheered by Republican lawmakers and others who say the endangered species law has been abused to block economic development and needs reform. A request to interview Sheehan was declined. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke had sought to make Sheehan acting director of the 9,000-employee wildlife service, which would have given him certain legal authorities. However, Sheehan was barred from that role because he did not have the science degree required for the …