Coral Davenport

The agency’s inspector general assailed the official for refusing to cooperate, calling his actions a “flagrant problem.”

Since his arrival at the Interior Department, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has shown a willingness to press ethics lawyers for decisions that help his agenda.

A senior Interior Department official broke ethics rules when he met with his former employer to discuss Interior business, the inspector general said.

The Trump administration finalized plans to open land once in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to mining and oil and gas exploration.

An expanding coalition of Native Americans, liberal activists and Democrats in Congress are demanding an American Indian Interior secretary, and they want Deb Haaland.

More automakers drop their support of Trump-era fuel economy standards. - The New York Times

President Biden’s choice for interior secretary faces her confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Democrats see her as embodying the hopes of the new administration; Republicans object to her activism.

Virtual Climate Summit Plagued by Tech Problems - The New York Times

The administration will scrap summertime restrictions on gas blended with ethanol, which is made from corn.

The fossil fuel industry says higher rates will harm the economy. The administration says they will pay for the environmental costs of drilling and mining.