• More than 1,000 EPA staff members received an email that said they could be terminated. Those staffers are working on Biden-era projects.
• The email was reportedly sent during President Donald Trump’s second week back in office.
• The American Federation of Government Employees president said “American people will really suffer” if the cuts happen.

Hundreds of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jobs are reportedly on the chopping block, as the Trump administration warned employees working on Biden-era initiatives they could be fired at any time. The EPA sent a just-revealed email last week to more than 1,000 staff members who were hired within the past year on probationary status to work on climate change, reducing air pollution, and enforcing environmental laws.

According to The New York Times, the email states, “As a probationary-trial period employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you.” 

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The Times reported some of those affected include experienced federal workers who had taken up new assignments within the agency.

Is the EPA commenting on the potential cuts?

An EPA spokesperson declined to answer questions from the Times about the email, but did say Lee Zeldin, the agency’s new administrator, has a goal to “create a more effective and efficient federal government that serves all Americans.”

What will happen if EPA jobs get cut?

Meanwhile, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, Nicole Cantello, told the Hill she’s concerned for the EPA’s future and she fears newer workers who have less than a year of federal service could be in jeopardy of losing their jobs as well, which could lead to losing one-tenth of its personnel.

“These people work on things like getting the lead out of pipes or enforcing environmental laws like the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act,” Cantello said. “They work on things like Brownfields, which turn contaminated land into usable land. They work on Superfund sites, which cleans up toxic pollution.”

“American people will really suffer if we don’t keep these people on the clock,” Cantello added. 

According to the EPA’s website, the agency currently has around 15,000 employees. 

• Petgas, a Mexican startup, is working to reduce plastic pollution by converting this waste into fuel.
• The company can process 1.5 tons of plastic weekly, producing 365 gallons of fuel, which is currently donated to local fire departments and food delivery services.
• Petgas ultimately aims to contribute to a circular economy by turning ocean plastic into a valuable resource instead of waste.

The Gulf of Mexico has one of the highest concentrations of plastic pollution in the world, a problem that one Mexican startup, Petgas, is working to address. Based in Boca del Río, Mexico, the company is converting plastic waste into fuel.

How much fuel can Petgas produce from plastic?

Petgas has developed technology capable of transforming 1.5 tons of plastic, approximately the weight of an average hippopotamus, into 365 gallons of fuel each week. This output is enough to power a car for around 9,125 miles. That is equivalent to crossing the United States at its farthest points three times.

How does converting plastic to fuel work?

The company uses a process called pyrolysis, in which propane heats plastic in an oxygen-free environment, triggering a chemical reaction that produces gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other fuels. While burning these fuels generates carbon dioxide emissions, the company states their reduced sulfur content results in 50% fewer greenhouse gases being released compared to traditional fuels.

To source plastic for the process, Petgas organizes collection drives to remove waste from nearby beaches and encourages community members to drop off plastic waste at designated collection points.

What happens next?

Currently, all fuel produced by the company is donated to the local fire department and food delivery services. However, Petgas envisions its methods one day contributing to a circular economy, where rather than discarding plastic waste into the world’s oceans, it is instead repurposed as a valuable energy resource.

“The future is being able to really take production to a scale that has impact,” Carlos Parraguirre Díaz, chief technology officer at Petgas, said.

• New tariffs could end decades-old rule allowing some companies to benefit from not paying taxes on imports. Officials said it undercuts American businesses and gives foreign competitors a boost in securing more customers.
• “De minimis” exemption allows goods worth less than $800 to enter U.S. without charge.
• U.S. Customs reported a 600% increase over 10 years in shipments that qualify under the rule.

President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on the U.S.’s largest trading partners are closing a long-standing exemption that has helped online retailers keep prices low for years. While this change is set to level the playing field for American businesses, it also means shoppers could see higher prices.

Executive Order puts tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China

An executive order issued on Saturday imposes a 25% tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico, while China faces a 10% tariff. The move aims to close what’s known as the “de minimis” exemption, a provision dating back to the 1930s. The exemption allows goods worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free, benefiting companies that ships small packages.

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Trump’s decision to end the provision is expected to have significant effects on the e-commerce landscape. By targeting Chinese companies like Temu and Shein, which have benefited from the loophole to offer products at low prices, the U.S. government is pushing for a more competitive environment for American retailers.

Explosive growth in ‘de minimis’ shipments

Experts said the “de minimis” exemption is attributed to the rise of budget Chinese retailers. According to Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, it’s not just Chinese companies benefiting from this trade loophole.

“U.S. logistics companies are also making money from these packages as are warehousing facilities in Mexico and Canada,” Lovely said. “So business had been built around these small packages.”

In response, companies like Amazon have also joined the competition, launching third-party apps like Haul, which allow customers to shop for cheap products directly from China.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows a large increase in the use of the “de minimis” exemption. From 2015 to 2024, the number of qualifying shipments grew tenfold, from 139 million packages to 1.36 billion. Customs officials said the influx of foreign-made goods makes it more difficult to screen what’s inside, impacting national security.

Efforts to reform ‘de minimis’

The Biden administration also took steps to address the issue, proposing a rule to prevent Chinese goods subject to tariffs from benefiting from the exemption.

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While Trump’s tariffs were initially set to apply to China, Canada and Mexico, a deal was reached with Mexico to pause the tariffs for one month. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Monday, Feb. 3, she had agreed to increase security at the northern border and work with the U.S. National Guard to combat drug trafficking, part of the negotiations aimed at preventing the tariff increase.

• President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reached a deal to pause tariffs on goods from Mexico. The delay will last a month while the two sides negotiate.

• The agreement was reached Monday, Feb. 3, ahead of tariffs that were set to take effect Tuesday, Feb. 4.

• The status of Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada is still being discussed.

President Donald Trump announced a month-long pause for tariffs on Mexico. The decision came following agreements on trade and security between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.