Is Trump taking orders from a coal tycoon?
According to documents released by the U.S. Department of Energy, big-time GOP donor and coal tycoon Robert E. Murray made some pretty specific requests of the Trump administration last year. And it certainly looks like Trump followed through on them. A handful of pro-industry actions closely mirror executive orders that were drafted by Murray and company—including one suggestion to impose a state of emergency avoid the closure of ailing coal and nuclear plants and another to suspend a rule that requires power plants to limit their toxic metal runoff into waterways. In some cases, the administration's rollbacks took place just weeks after Murray’s communications with federal officials.