The Pentagon has redirected nearly $70 million from existing Air Force environmental remediation efforts toward reducing groundwater contamination caused by the military's use of two flame-resistant chemicals now linked to cancer, a top Senate Democrat revealed today.

EPA leaders are pushing to reform by the end of the year agency guidelines for determining whether environmental contaminants can cause cancer or other ailments, a move Trump administration critics fear is part of a broader effort to weaken the basis for regulating pollutants. Experts worry the changes could take years to reverse, leaving millions of Americans at greater risk from unhealthy levels of pollution in the meantime.

The Trump administration is ending funding for a network of research centers focused on environmental threats to kids, imperiling several long-running studies of pollutants' effects on child development. The move comes despite EPA officials' repeatedly expressing public support for children's health, and critics say it is part of a broader effort to downplay science that could lead to stricter regulations on polluting industries.

Three key Democratic senators this afternoon urged EPA's internal watchdog to investigate potential ethics violations by Tate Bennett, the agency's head of public engagement.

Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley is reintroducing legislation that would force the federally administered retirement savings plan to offer a fossil fuel-free retirement investment option for U.S. government workers.