In other news, the federal government is bringing back the death penalty for the first time in 16 years under Attorney General William Barr.
Meanwhile, Nissan has announced plans to cut 12,500 jobs as global growth slows and Trump's trade war weakens demand particularly in China. That follows Ford cutting 12,000 jobs and General Motors cutting 14,000 jobs.
Finally, automakers have reached an agreement with California on fuel efficiency standards while Trump's EPA toils away.
WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - Four major automakers said on Thursday they have reached an agreement with California on fuel efficiency rules, bypassing a Trump administration effort to strip the state of the right to fight climate change by setting its own standards. [...]
Environmental groups had mixed reactions to the California compromise, which is voluntary for the automakers and not legally binding. The plan is more stringent than Trump’s proposal but looser than the Obama-era rule. California, the most populous U.S. state, accounts for about 12% of U.S. vehicle sales, and if the administration recognizes the deal it would allow automakers to operate under one set of rules.
The automakers “didn’t want to face the expense, distraction and the bad publicity that comes from being part of a big rollback on clean cars,” Mary Nichols, who chairs the California Air Resources Board, told Reuters on Wednesday.
Trump and his EPA would tell you their new standards are better for business, but actual businesses apparently didn't agree.