Court: Chaco Canyon area drilling permits violated federal law

Court: Chaco Canyon area drilling permits violated federal law

OIL & GAS: A federal appeals court finds the federal Bureau of Land Management violated environmental law by failing to account for the cumulative impacts of approving nearly 200 drilling permits near Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. (Associated Press) ALSO:• Climate advocates urge the Biden administration to base federal methane emissions rules for oil and gas facilities on New Mexico’s regulations, which in essence are routine tire flaring and venting. (Albuquerque Journal)• Permian Basin oil production reached a record 5.6 million barrels per day in January. (Axios)• Oregon regulators say Amazon’s plan to power up to seven data centers with natural gas fuel cells would reduce its use of hydropower and increase the company’s carbon footprint.…

Playbook PM: A busy day for legal news in Trump world

Playbook PM: A busy day for legal news in Trump world

Judge Aileen Cannon’s new timeline for the classified documents case is a blow to Donald Trump, whose legal team requested the court push the trial until after the 2024 presidential election. | Carmen Mandato/Getty Images MARK YOUR CALENDARS — Federal judge AILEEN CANNON has set the court date for former President DONALD TRUMP’s trial for allegedly mishandling classified documents: May 20, 2024 in Fort Pierce, Fla. More from Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney The case was initially scheduled for mid-August of this year. Cannon noted in her filing that she wanted the trial date moved because “the interests of justice served by this continuance outweigh the best interests of the public and Defendants in a speedy trial.”…

Michael Cohen settles lawsuit against Trump’s company over legal bills

Michael Cohen settles lawsuit against Trump’s company over legal bills

Donald Trump’s company and his former longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, have settled a lawsuit over Cohen’s claims that he was unfairly stuck with big legal bills after getting entangled in investigations into the former president. Lawyers for the two sides disclosed the settlement during a video conference with the judge on Friday, three days before Cohen’s 2019 lawsuit was slated to go to trial in a state court in New York City. Details of the agreement were not made public. Cohen said on Friday that the matter “has been resolved in a satisfactory manner to all parties.” His lawyer, Lauren Handelsman, said the terms were confidential.…

Government Mandate to Block All News in Canada?: Why Australia’s News Law Architect Recommendation Demonstrates that Canada Has Been Getting Awful Advice on Bill C-18

Government Mandate to Block All News in Canada?: Why Australia’s News Law Architect Recommendation Demonstrates that Canada Has Been Getting Awful Advice on Bill C-18

The implications of the legislative disaster that is Bill C-18 continues to unfold as Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez is now essentially doing exactly what he said he would not do, namely negotiating with the big tech platforms over government mandated payments for news links. Rodriguez had long claimed that the bill was designed to keep the government out of the issue and to leave it to the platforms and media companies to craft agreements. Yet with the departmental update this week, it is clear that the government is now discussing a minimum spend for inclusion in the regulations, effectively putting itself at the very head of the negotiating table.…

Family of murdered Alberta toddler, mother urges federal politicians to pass Noah’s Law

Family of murdered Alberta toddler, mother urges federal politicians to pass Noah’s Law

A private member’s bill that proposes changes to the Criminal Code of Canada and the Sex Offender Information Registration Act has been introduced in Parliament and has the family of two Alberta murder victims calling for lawmakers to support it. “Noah’s Law,” formally known as Bill C-336, was introduced in both the House of Commons and the Senate this week as a joint bill by Conservative MP Gerald Soroka and Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu. The bill is named after 16-month-old Noah McConnell, who was murdered in Hinton, Alta., in September 2021. The boy’s mother, 24-year-old Mchale Busch was sexually assaulted and also killed inside their apartment building.…

Quebec wants better garlic harvesting laws

Quebec wants better garlic harvesting laws

As wild garlic prepares to emerge from the ground, the Quebec government is reminding those who might be tempted to harvest it that this vulnerable plant is strongly regulated by law to ensure its preservation. Intensive harvesting and the destruction of its habitat, particularly by agricultural activities and urban development, have greatly affected the plant’s survival, which is why the sale and harvesting of wild garlic for commercial purposes have been prohibited since 1995. Harvesting for personal use is also restricted to a maximum of 200 grams, 50 bulbs or 50 plants per person, per year, in addition to being prohibited in protected natural environments, the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) said in a press releases.…