Senate scraps Biden's mining bans, unlocking potential ops

0:00It's April 17th. This is U.S. News Today, powered by AI, your country, in real time. I'm Cory with the story. Senate just squeezed through a 50-49 vote to scrap Biden-era mining bans near Minnesota's boundary waters canoe area wilderness, pushing. The bill straight to President Trump's desk for a signature. House already green-lit it, so expect Trump to sign soon, unlocking potential mining ops that Biden shut down back in 2023 to protect the area's pristine lakes and forests. Republicans called it federal overreach, killing domestic resources, using the Congressional Review Act to flip the script even though the rules. Dropped outside the usual window, they argued the timing still fits. Two GOP Senators, Tom Tillis from North Carolina and Susan Collins from Maine, broke ranks to vote no, with Democrats, while Josh Hawley from Missouri, skipped the vote altogether. Meanwhile, Trump's EPA is easing up on coal ash rules too, cutting back groundwater

1:02checks and cleanup mandates at old plants aiming to boost energy. Production, but sparking fears, from critics over toxic leaks into rivers and water supplies.