Trump administration thaws EPA grant freeze 

After initially clamping down on all communications, new personnel, and funding directed by the EPA, the new administration has lifted the freeze on grants and contracts. The move brought a degree of relief to state environmental agencies, which rely heavily on nearly $4 billion in federal funding annually to administer programs ranging from pollution monitoring to cleanups. The hiring freeze—as well as the restrictions on the EPA’s public communications—remain in place, however, and the Trump administration will continue mandating a political review of the agency’s scientific information.