The Women in Archaeology co-hosts, Chelsi, Emily, and Kirsten, discuss the impact the second Trump presidency is having on the field of arch
New episode! The Women in Archaeology co-hosts, Chelsi, Emily, and Kirsten, discuss the impact the second Trump presidency is having on the field of archaeology and heritage across the United States. From the impending impacts of “The One Big Beautiful Bill”, DOGE effects, and others, archaeologists have been hit like other scientists impacted by the presidency. Listen and explore these greater issues from an archaeologist’s perspective.
PUBLIC COMMENT: DOE guts environmental review procedures to fast track permits; comments due Aug. 4, 2025
On 30 June 2025, both the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) announced revi
This is what the "unleashing American energy dominance" executive order crap means: gutting environmental review under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). The changes mean fewer projects will need environmental reviews and regulators will have less time to identify potentially significant environmental consequences of major infrastructure projects. It also guts the public comment process, throttling accountability and the public's right to comment.
The proposed changes at DOE include reducing the maximum time for completion of an environmental assessment through an environmental impact statement from three years to two. DOE employees also are directed to maximize use of "categorical exclusions", broadening their ability to exempt activities from environmental assessments or an environmental impact statement if the agency deems the activity as not harmful to the environment. (source)
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Summary paraphrased from the National Law Review article above:
On 30 June 2025, US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) announced revisions to their respective NEPA procedures. Both agencies updated their regulations to remove references to recently rescinded White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA implementing regulations. DOE in particular makes significant changes in its interim final rule that dramatically streamline and reshape its NEPA implementation regulations.
The Supreme Court’s 29 May 2025 decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County signaled that NEPA reviews should be narrower in scope, more concise, and take less time. DOE issued notice of an interim final rule to revise 10 CFR part 1021, removing whole swaths of DOE’s NEPA regulations to simplify the regulations and leave only the provisions related to DOE’s existing categorical exclusions and related requirements, as well as a provision for emergency circumstances. The interim final rule is effective immediately and comments are due within 30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register.
DOE's interim final rule places most of the NEPA procedures in sub-regulatory guidance, which means they are now nonbinding on the agency and DOE retains discretion to adopt different approaches on a “case-by-case basis.” DOE implicitly acknowledged that these actions preclude the requirement for notice and comment that would normally kick in when an agency proposes new or modified regulations.
Notably, DOE’s new NEPA guidance appears to be a paradigm shift for NEPA reviews, where the agency’s first step now is to look for an applicable categorical exclusion from NEPA altogether, and if one does not already exist, the agency is to consider whether to establish a new exclusion. A categorical exclusion (CE) is a class of actions that a Federal agency has determined do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and for which neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is normally required. DOE’s guidance also emphasizes that no statutory requirement exists to post draft environmental impact statements for public comment.
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The public comment period on the DOE's proposed rule ends on August 4, 2025. Comments can be submitted here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOE-HQ-2025-0026-0001
I'm working on a template and talking points for writing a comment and will share here!
Wyoming Valley Mall is a Crown American mall out in Wilkes-Barre. The interior isn't anything too special in my opinion, but that Sears exterior is great! The Bon-Ton was renovated shortly before they went out of business, but originally it was a Pomeroy's department store. Last pic is a closed Orange Julius, one of my faves.
Little thing I made for the anniversary of my cat's death. Every year I wanted to make something for her, but I could never think of anything, I had this dream some days ago and I decided that was it. I learned the lesson long ago, and I'm glad I could combine it in a comic.
I drew many cats, hehe, drawing them my whole life with her being my favorite model has brought me to this moment and I think that's great.
The ID is in ALT but I'll put it below a cut here + a bonus image of the last page in which my cat is not transparent, since I remembered how much I liked her pelt while painting it.
[ID:
Two drawings made with watercolor texture. The first one shows a white cat nursing five kittens that were just born, they're all close to her belly: two white ones, a black and white one, a completely black one and a tortoiseshell with white paws and nose. Text above reads: "I dreamt that you were born again. You and your whole litter".
The second drawing shows two hands holding the tortoiseshell kitten, which is asleep. Text above says "I was very happy because I'd be able to look out for you like I couldn't when I was six years old".
Two drawings with a harsher texture. First one shows the palm of a hand, empty, with a grey cloud as background. The text above this reads: "I realized when I woke up".
The drawing below shows a person sitting down in their bed, their hair messy, looking down at the plushes in the bed: a white cat holding a red heart, a black-footed ferret, a plant cell and a tortoiseshell cat with white nose and paws. The text says: "That kitten wasn't you".
The first drawings casts a plush cat, tortoiseshell with white paws, belly and nose, she has green eyes and a name plate with the shape of a heart that reads "Manchitas", she also has her toy tag behind her hind leg. The text reads: In esence, it was you, Nepabla, but that was not your pelt, but Manchitas'".
The drawing below is a table with some keys, headphones and the photo of a cat lying down in the grass, her pelt is black, grey and brown and she has white legs and muzzle.
Text above this says: "That was dissapointing, it's been a while since I last dreamt of you, even though I remember you everyday".
The drawing above shows two cats, one black with green eyes, looking up at the viewer, and a slender, tortoiseshell-and-white one also with green eyes, this one is looking at something in front of her. The text says "I don't believe dreams have a meaning, but if I had to interpret this one,"
The drawing below shows the same person from before, walking in the street and running into a white cat with long fur, which looks a little dirty and is rising their tail. The person stops to pet them, smiling. Text above continues "I'd say I do have the opprtunity to take better care of all the cats I haven't owned yet, although they're not you".
A single drawing that shows the legs of the person, in which a ghostly cat is rubbing herself against. This cat, Nepabla, is the one from the photo: a black, grey and brownish one with white legs, belly and muzzle. She lifts her front legs as she rubs herself in my legs and her tail is up. There's text above and below that reads "And you will be with me even though I can't pet you anymore. I miss you".
End ID.]
I really liked her pelt, her name is an acronym for Black with White Paws in Spanish because that's what my father said she looked like when she was born, but as she grew her pelt showed itself and we relized whe was not entirely black lol. I also really loved how not all of her legs were equally white, me and my brother would say she had a shoe, a long sock and two boots.
[ID: the same drawing from the last panel, except the cat is not transparent. End ID]
