{"id":7074343,"date":"2026-10-03T13:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T13:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343"},"modified":"2026-10-03T13:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T13:08:17","slug":"trump-has-made-it-legal-to-destroy-endangered-species-habitats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343","title":{"rendered":"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div id=\"article-title-block_cb88ef8cd50129acc58a8164412375c2\" class=\"article-title \">\n<div class=\"article-title__container\">\n<div class=\"article-title__eyebrow\">\n                            <span class=\"article-title__labels\"><br \/>\n                                        <span class=\"article-title__label\"><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/subject\/activism\/\">Activism<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <\/span><br \/>\n                                    <span class=\"article-title__label-divider\"> \/ <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <span class=\"article-title__date\">September 30, 2026<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>By redefining the meaning of \u201charm\u201d in the Endangered Species Act, the administration is giving big corporations a gift they have long demanded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad-block ad siderail-ad float-r-w-3 break-r-4\">\n<p>                                    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"ad-policy\" target=\"_blank\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n                                    <\/aside>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"907\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-610980\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img-793x500.jpg 793w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n<p>In an attempt by the National Park Service to protect endangered desert tortoises, signs advise drivers to \u201cdrive like a tortoise\u201d in the Mojave National Preserve in California. Between 2001 and 2020, the number of Mojave desert tortoises fell by 54 percent. <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"credits\">(David McNew \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"is-style-dropcap\">When wildfires destroy homes in California, or climate change reduces waterfront properties in Florida to flotsam, or unscrupulous scammers using \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/15\/nyc-american-deed-theft-crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deed theft<\/a>\u201d\u2014a type of <a href=\"https:\/\/money.usnews.com\/loans\/mortgages\/articles\/deed-theft-is-surging-how-scammers-use-forgery-and-ai-to-steal-homes-in-broad-daylight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paperwork fraud<\/a>\u2014evict rightful owners from their New York City brownstones, most of us intuitively understand that the loss of those homes was harmful to the people who lived in there. Even putting aside capitalistic human concerns like lost equity, and even for families who weren\u2019t physically injured, we all recognize that displacement from the places we call home\u2014our <em>habitats<\/em>\u2014is pretty much the definition of \u201charm.\u201d But the Trump administration is trying to redefine \u201charm\u201d so that it excludes the destruction of homes. At least, when those homes belong to the country\u2019s most vulnerable species.<\/p>\n<p>In July, the Trump administration announced that it will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/press-release\/2026-07\/department-interior-restores-clear-esa-enforcement-rescinding-misguided-harm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scrap the long-standing meaning<\/a> of the word \u201charm\u201d as defined under the Endangered Species Act. Since 1975, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/cfr\/text\/50\/17.3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the law<\/a> has labeled \u201cmodification or degradation\u201d of endangered species\u2019 habitats as a form of \u201charm\u201d\u2014recognizing that encroachments on an animals\u2019 home can disrupt all sorts of life-sustaining behaviors, including \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/cfr\/text\/50\/17.3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">breeding, feeding or sheltering<\/a>.\u201d But under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2026\/07\/14\/2026-14195\/rescinding-the-definition-of-harm-under-the-endangered-species-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">administration\u2019s new rule<\/a> \u201charm\u201d occurs only when you directly kill endangered animals\u2014making it otherwise totally legal to destroy that animal\u2019s habitat, even if the long-term result is the species\u2019 extinction. Considering driving a steamroller right through the North Carolina forest dwellings of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/3747\/163509841#population\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the red wolf<\/a>\u2014nearly driven extinct in the 1980s, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/project\/red-wolf-recovery-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">with fewer than 40 living in the wild today<\/a>? As long as you don\u2019t actually steamroller a wolf to death, that\u2019s totally legal now! Fancy building your eighth vacation home amid the <a href=\"https:\/\/tpwd.texas.gov\/huntwild\/wild\/species\/whooper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Texas Gulf Wetlands<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/earthwatch.org\/expeditions\/endangered-whooping-cranes-texas-coast-briefing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">where the whooping crane<\/a>\u2014once <a href=\"https:\/\/wilderinstitute.org\/species\/whooping-crane\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reduced to just 21 birds<\/a>\u2014spends every winter it has left before climate change destroys us all? Go ahead and undertake construction during the summer. According to this administration, it doesn\u2019t count as \u201charmful\u201d if the crane flies home to nothing.<\/p>\n<p>This very on-brand callous indifference comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35014169\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">many scientists warn<\/a> that we are now entering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/resources\/explainers\/what-is-the-sixth-mass-extinction-and-what-can-we-do-about-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Sixth<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/stories\/2023\/09\/human-driven-mass-extinction-eliminating-entire-genera\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mass Extinction<\/a>, a period in which humans are \u201cwiping out vertebrate animal species hundreds of times faster than they would otherwise disappear,\u201d to quote a Stanford University report. In <a href=\"https:\/\/now.tufts.edu\/2019\/05\/21\/extinction-crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2019, the United Nations<\/a> released a study\u2014conducted over three years with contributions from 145 experts in 50 countries analyzing 15,000 scientific and government sources\u2014finding \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2019\/05\/nature-decline-unprecedented-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction<\/a>, many within decades, more than ever before in human history.\u201d That same year, <a href=\"https:\/\/conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/csp2.78\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Conservation Science and Practice<\/em><\/a> published a study finding that, for animals added to the endangered list between 1975 to 2017, more than 80 percent were threatened by habitat destruction\u2014while just 17 percent were endangered because of hunting and poaching. That simply corroborated long-standing recognition by scientific organizations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK232371\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">including the National Academies of Sciences<\/a>, Engineering, and Medicine, that habitat destruction is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/projects\/DELS-BLS-20-04\/publication\/26384\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">single greatest threat to<\/a> animal survival and continued biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe the most cynical aspect of the Trump administration\u2019s supposed case against the old definition of \u201charm\u201d\u2014captured in its press release about the change\u2014is its claim that it was \u201coutdated,\u201d resulted in \u201cfederal overreach,\u201d and insistence that this new rule \u201creturns the interpretation of the ESA back to its actual text and original intent.\u201d But, like, none of that is remotely true? The bipartisan Endangered Species Act, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/podcast\/episode\/how-changes-to-endangered-species-act-regulations-could-hurt-wildlife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">passed the Senate unanimously<\/a>, became law in 1973. Under the legislation, it is illegal to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/glossary\/take\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">take<\/a>\u201d any endangered species\u2014a term it statutorily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/definitions\/uscode.php?def_id=16-USC-3552391-1819788780&amp;term_occur=999&amp;term_src=title:16:chapter:35:section:1538\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">defines<\/a> as \u201charass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect.\u201d In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2026\/07\/14\/2026-14195\/rescinding-the-definition-of-harm-under-the-endangered-species-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1975, the Federal Wildlife Service<\/a> extended definition of \u201charm\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalaglawcenter.org\/services-rescind-esa-harm-definition-environmental-groups-file-suit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to include<\/a> habitats of endangered species; in 1981, that language was further refined\u2014with the act of refinement serving as ipso facto attention to both intent and effect\u2014to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecfr.gov\/current\/title-50\/chapter-I\/subchapter-B\/part-17\/subpart-A\/section-17.3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explicitly include<\/a> \u201csignificant habitat modification or degradation which actually kills or injures fish or wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including, breeding, spawning, rearing, migrating, feeding or sheltering.\u201d That definition of \u201charm\u201d\u2014and its protections over habitat\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1995\/06\/30\/us\/supreme-court-endangered-species-environmentalists-win-victory-but-action.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was upheld 6\u20133 by the Supreme Court in 1995<\/a> when the timber industry and other powerful business interests tried to change it. The late Justice Antonin Scalia, who would\u2019ve absolutely loved SCOTUS\u2019s current hyperpartisan conservative supermajority, wrote in his dissent that \u201charm\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/supct\/html\/94-859.ZO.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">should only cover<\/a> \u201caffirmative conduct intentionally directed against a particular animal or animals.\u201d (He was <a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/515\/687\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">joined by Thomas<\/a>.) The Trump administration writes in its new rule that \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2026\/07\/14\/2026-14195\/rescinding-the-definition-of-harm-under-the-endangered-species-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">we adopt Justice Scalia\u2019s rationale<\/a>\u201d\u2014resting its case on the losing dissent in a 30-year-old court case. Incredible.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, an administration that\u2019s anti-science, anti-environment, and ideologically committed to deregulation was going to dismantle the Endangered Species Act. But exactly who will benefit has never been more obvious. In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential elections, Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/09\/climate\/trump-oil-gas-mar-a-lago.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">feted 20 Big Oil leaders at his private<\/a> Mar-a-Lago golf club. He announced to the group\u2014which included <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/article\/2024\/jun\/03\/trump-big-oil-campaign-pitch-corruption\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CEOs from<\/a> Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and the American Petroleum Institute\u2014that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2024\/05\/09\/trump-oil-industry-campaign-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">if they collectively contributed $1 billion<\/a> to his campaign, he would overturn President Biden\u2019s environmental rules and, as president, keep new ones from being implemented. Oil and gas companies ultimately contributed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/01\/climate\/oil-gas-donations-trump.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimated $75 million<\/a> to Trump\u2019s reelection\u2014at least, on the books. But a study by the environmental group Climate Power found a collection of \u201cmine operators, shipbuilders, engineering firms, hedge funds and little-known oil producers\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/climatepower.us\/news\/new-report-oil-and-gas-industry-spent-450-million-to-influence-trump-and-the-119th-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">donated about half a billion<\/a> to Trump and Republicans \u201cthroughout the 2024 election cycle\u201d in the form of \u201cdirect donations, lobbying, and advertising.\u201d That\u2019s not counting dark money, which the Brennan Center reports hit \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/research-reports\/dark-money-hit-record-high-19-billion-2024-federal-races\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a record high<\/a>\u201d ahead of the 2024 general. (The outlet reports that money kept flowing even after Trump\u2019s win, with oil and gas titans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/analysis-opinion\/fossil-fuel-industry-donors-see-major-returns-trumps-policies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">giving nearly $12 million<\/a> to his inauguration fund and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/analysis-opinion\/unprecedented-big-money-surge-super-pac-tied-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$25 million to the MAGA<\/a>, Inc. super PAC.) The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/10\/climate\/endangered-species-act-harm.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Petroleum Institute and the National Mining Association<\/a> have showered praise on the Trump administration for its \u201charm\u201d rule change, after years spent lobbying for exactly that sort of deregulation.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a more specific example. In March, the Trump administration convened the Endangered Species Committee, an interagency cabinet committee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/endangered-species-committee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">established in 1978 under the Endangered Species Act<\/a>. It\u2019s not a standing panel, instead meeting only to consider requests for exemptions from the Endangered Species Act\u2014a condition so extraordinary that the panel had previously only met <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/articles\/11374-national-parks-conservation-association-national-wildlife-federation-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">three times in its existence, most recently in 1992<\/a>. Often called the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/16\/climate\/god-squad-whales-gulf-oil.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">God Squad<\/a>\u201d\u2014an unironic reference to its power to protect a species or doom it to extinction\u2014it is chaired by the secretary of the interior and comprises the heads of five other agencies, including the secretary of agriculture and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Under this administration, that membership essentially consists of <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/article\/2026\/03\/31\/endangered-species-protections-commitee-gulf-of-mexico-oil-gas-drilling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">six high-ranking Trump loyalists<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"current-issue-block_5606ca7f206599c26b66ff667401297f\" class=\"current-issue  float-l-w-2\">\n<h4 class=\"current-issue__title\">\n                    Current Issue<br \/>\n            <\/h4>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/issue\/october-2026-issue\/\" class=\"current-issue__cover\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/10-26-Cover_online-1.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of October 2026 Issue\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The God Squad\u2019s most recent meeting\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.selc.org\/press-release\/national-wildlife-federation-and-affiliates-national-parks-conservation-association-take-god-squad-to-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">held<\/a> \u201cwithout the legally required notice, review, or application process,\u201d as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/articles\/11374-national-parks-conservation-association-national-wildlife-federation-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several environmental groups<\/a> noted\u2014was convened by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanprogress.org\/article\/trumps-god-squad-is-killing-whales-under-the-guise-of-national-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth<\/a>. He would call the need for lifting endangered species protections \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/gulf-fossil-fuel-operations-granted-exemption-endangered-species\/story?id=131626190\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a matter of urgent national security<\/a>,\u201d citing litigation filed under the law. \u201cThese legal battles waste critical government resources,\u201d Hegseth claimed, \u201cand make it impossible for energy companies to plan and invest in new projects.\u201d It took just 15 minutes for the God Squad to sign off waiving the Endangered Species Act\u2019s prohibitions across the whole of the Gulf. That area is home to more than <a href=\"https:\/\/earth.org\/trump-administration-officials-waive-endangered-species-act-rules-for-gulf-drilling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">20 endangered and threatened species<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boem.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/oil-and-gas-energy-program\/GOMR\/NMFS-Protected-Species-In-GOM-Feb2012.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">from sea turtles to coral<\/a> to dolphins. At last tally, there were literally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/climate\/484406\/god-squad-gulf-mexico-rices-whales-endangered-species\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">just 51 Rice\u2019s whales<\/a>\u2014also dubbed America\u2019s whale, because <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.nwf.org\/2026\/08\/americas-whale-the-endangered-rices-whale-can-no-longer-call-its-gulf-home-safe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">it\u2019s the only whale species<\/a> only found in US water bodies\u2014still swimming in the Gulf. But America needs more gas because of its endless wars, so good luck, whales!<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps there\u2019s nothing here explicitly tying the ESA rollback to the AI data center boom, but with more than <a href=\"https:\/\/cleanview.co\/data-centers\/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1,600 planned for the next year<\/a>\u2014many in rural areas that likely border the habitats of threatened species\u2014it seems like a valid cause for concern. In August, the Trump EPA announced plans to scrap a federal rule requiring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/25\/climate\/epa-data-centers-public-comment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">public announcements<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/the-epas-response-to-ai-data-center-backlash-keep-building-but-keep-it-hush-hush-2000803052\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data centers before<\/a> construction can begin. That came just weeks after the agency exempted power plants that mostly serve data centers from pollution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/05\/climate\/data-centers-pollution-trump-ai-energy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">limits under<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/2225156\/trump-administration-is-exempting-data-centers-from-pollution-laws-intended-to-prevent-acid-rain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clean Air Act<\/a>, specifically those <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/environment-and-energy\/trump-move-to-weaken-air-rules-limits-tool-to-fight-data-centers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to prevent acid rain<\/a>. Those actions are among at least 30 others identified in a report this month by the Environmental Protection Network, a nonprofit representing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/10\/climate\/ai-data-centers-air-pollution-health.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than 800 former EPA employees<\/a>. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/safernotsicker.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hidden-Health-Costs-of-AI-Data-Centers.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Hidden Health Costs of AI Data Centers<\/a>\u201d ticks off a series of Trump administration policies \u201csince January 2025 that could increase pollution-related health risks, weaken protections that would otherwise reduce those risks, or shift more costs onto families and communities.\u201d And while those policies are not evidence of a quid pro quo with Big Tech over data centers, they certainly do fit with a pattern of putting profits over every form of life.<\/p>\n<p>All of this comes on the heels of the administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics\/trump-is-lifting-restrictions-on-hunting-in-national-parks-and-other-areas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lifting restrictions on hunting and fishing in National Parks<\/a>. It has also chosen to throw out protections on more than 86 million acres of public land, which is over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanprogress.org\/article\/unprotecting-american-lands-how-trump-is-dismantling-americas-bipartisan-conservation-legacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">70 Grand Canyons or 38 Yellowstone National Parks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And, in keeping with its topsy-turvy redefinition of how the ESA defines \u201charm,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sierraclub.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-09\/fws-internal-memo-on-scope-of-esa-s-22take-22-prohibition.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an internal Fish and Wildlife Service memo<\/a> dated September 14 and obtained <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/16\/climate\/endangered-species-act-change.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">by <em>The New York Times<\/em><\/a> states that the unintentional killings of endangered animals is no longer illegal. Per the new directive, companies and individuals will only be held liable for an endangered animal\u2019s death under the ESA if they intended to kill it\u2014but not if the death occurred by accident. If a corporation\u2019s seagoing vessel mows down a pod of endangered whales, killing mothers and their calves, it\u2019s really no big deal because\u2014as the new policy states\u2014\u201cthe vessel\u2019s course was not set against the whale.\u201d Similarly, if \u201cthe bats roosting in\u201d a tree all die when that tree is felled by a logging entity, it\u2019s only illegal if the logging company declares it felled the tree \u201cfor the purpose of killing or capturing them.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"cta-block_e73ce4bd44e70cebb62d4449f1ec5602\" class=\"cta float-l-w-3\">\n<p>Corporations, which are famously as honest as the current administration, definitely won\u2019t use the rule change to do whatever they want in the pursuit of profits and at the cost of everything else, including a planet where that money might actually be worth something.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/climate\/496053\/trump-endangered-species-act-harm-rule\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Environmental groups have already filed<\/a> numerous lawsuits to stop the administration from redefining \u201charm,\u201d but there\u2019s little reason for confidence should they reach the Supreme Court, which in 2024 overturned the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/2024\/06\/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chevron doctrine<\/a>, a legal rule that protected against this kind of arbitrary redefining of statutory language by nonexpert actors. In the meantime, the administration isn\u2019t waiting for courts to rule on its actions. It\u2019s putting its policy changes and legislative rewrites into effect now, chipping away at long-standing protections, and doing all kinds of real-world damage before anyone stops them.<\/p>\n<p>The ESA has, historically, been one of our nation\u2019s most effective laws. A <a href=\"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/6803.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2019 study<\/a> by the Centers for Biological Diversity found that it \u201chas prevented the extinction of roughly 291 species since passage in 1973, and has to date saved more than 99 percent of species under its protection.\u201d So many animals we regard as quintessential symbols of America\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/animals-saved-endangered-species-act-passed-eagle-grizzly-wolf-alligator-2023-11#whooping-crane-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the bald eagle, grizzly bears<\/a>, humpback whales, California condor\u2014all of these have been brought back from the edge of extinction thanks to the protections provided by the ESA. And more specifically, the protections the law provides to the habitats of those animals, which are necessary to their survival. It was always obvious that an administration that cares nothing for the air its people breathe or the food its people eat would show the same disregard for the animals that hold our ecosystems together. The bald eagle came back once. Whether our other most imperiled species ever will depends on our paying attention.<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-end-\" class=\"article-end \">\n<div class=\"article-end__authors\">\n<div class=\"article-end__author\">\n<h5 class=\"article-end__author-name\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/kali-holloway\/\">Kali Holloway<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/h5>\n<div class=\"article-end__author-bio\">\n<p>Kali Holloway is a columnist for <em>The Nation <\/em>and the former\u00a0director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/independentmediainstitute.org\/make-it-right-project-announcement\/\">Make It Right Project<\/a>, a national campaign to take down Confederate monuments and tell the truth about history. Her writing has appeared in <em>Salon<\/em>, <em>The Guardian<\/em>, <em>The Daily Beast<\/em>, <em>Time<\/em>, <em>AlterNet<\/em>, <em>Truthdig<\/em>, <em>The Huffington Post<\/em>, <em>The National Memo<\/em>, <em>Jezebel<\/em>, <em>Raw Story<\/em>, and numerous other outlets.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_incontent_2 --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<!-- Tag ID: thenation_registration_billboard --><\/p>\n<section class=\"collections collections--col-0\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h2 class=\"collections__title\">More from <span class=\"not-italic\">The Nation<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"collection__row\">\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/cornell-aoc-students-billionaires-ithaca-sexual-assault\/\" aria-label=\"Cornell Students Challenge University Power at a \u201cStudents vs. Billionaires\u201d Town Hall\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/aoc-students_against_billionaires.jpg\" alt=\"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke to 1,200 people at the \u201cStudents vs. Billionaires\u201d town hall.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke to Ithaca students about tuition hikes, sexual violence, free speech, and university governance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/studentnation\/\" class=\"collections__label\">StudentNation<\/a><br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"collections__divider\"><br \/>\n                            \/<br \/>\n                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                        <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/jeannine-chiang\/\">Jeannine Chiang<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/beatley-latin-america-feminist-resistance\/\" aria-label=\"Journalist Meaghan Beatley on Latin America\u2019s Feminist Resistance\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sex_and_Dissent-Author_Photo.jpg\" alt=\"Journalist Meaghan Beatley on Latin America\u2019s Feminist Resistance\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>A conversation with the author of <em>Sex and Dissent<\/em> about what American feminists can learn from the Green Wave movement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/q-a\/\" class=\"collections__label\">Q&amp;A<\/a><br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"collections__divider\"><br \/>\n                            \/<br \/>\n                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                        <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/nicole-froio\/\">Nicole Froio<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/cornell-rape-case-chi-phi-fraternity-accountability\/\" aria-label=\"As Cornell\u2019s Rape Case Draws National Attention, Students Want Accountability\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Cornell-Eric-Cheyfitz.jpg\" alt=\"People walk through the Cornell University campus.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>A new lawsuit alleging that a former student was drugged and gang-raped by Chi Phi fraternity members is sparking outrage in the Cornell community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/studentnation\/\" class=\"collections__label\">StudentNation<\/a><br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"collections__divider\"><br \/>\n                            \/<br \/>\n                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                        <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/jeannine-chiang\/\">Jeannine Chiang<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/ireland-gaza-gavin-bazunu-bolton-wanderers\/\" aria-label=\"Irish Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu\u2019s Refusal to Play Against Israel Puts Him on the Right Side of History\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gavin-bazunu-getty.jpg\" alt=\"Gavin Bazunu during the Sky Bet Championship 2026\u201327 match between Norwich City and Bolton Wanderers on September 20, 2026, in Norwich, England.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Bazunu\u2019s decision raises the perennial question: Why is a country that is currently committing a genocide allowed to compete in the first place?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/jules-boykoff\/\">Jules Boykoff<\/a><span> and <\/span><a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/dave-zirin\/\">Dave Zirin<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/the-promises-and-compromises-of-the-university-of-california\/\" aria-label=\"The Promises and Compromises of the University of California\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UCI.jpg\" alt=\"Crews clean up the area of a pro-Palestinian encampment at UC Irvine in Irvine, California, on Thursday, May 16, 2024.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<p class=\"dek\">\nI grew up in a neighborhood manufactured by the University of California, Irvine. It felt like a utopia for academics\u2014until the university forsook its mission of serving the publi&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/sara-krolewski\/\">Sara Krolewski<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_btf_medrec --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpContentAuthor\" value=\"Kali Holloway\"\/><br \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpTags\" value=\"activism,energy,environment,environmental-activism,environmental-issues,executive-branch,government,oil-and-gas,politics,republicans,society,sustainability,registration-wall\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"fea2148905ae79d6c7846331-text\/javascript\">\n\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('init', '233793277040432');\n\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t\t\t\t<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Activism \/ September 30, 2026 By redefining the meaning of \u201charm\u201d in the Endangered Species Act, the administration is giving big corporations a gift they have long demanded. Ad Policy In an attempt by the National Park Service to protect endangered desert tortoises, signs advise drivers to \u201cdrive like a tortoise\u201d in the Mojave National [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7074345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12022],"tags":[40045,7027,59613,6036,13203,1175],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7074343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activist","tag-destroy","tag-endangered","tag-habitats","tag-legal","tag-species","tag-trump"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Activism \/ September 30, 2026 By redefining the meaning of \u201charm\u201d in the Endangered Species Act, the administration is giving big corporations a gift they have long demanded. Ad Policy In an attempt by the National Park Service to protect endangered desert tortoises, signs advise drivers to \u201cdrive like a tortoise\u201d in the Mojave National [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-03T13:08:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371\"},\"headline\":\"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-03T13:08:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343\"},\"wordCount\":2257,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Destroy\",\"Endangered\",\"habitats\",\"Legal\",\"Species\",\"Trump\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Activist\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343\",\"name\":\"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats - Som2ny Network\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-03T13:08:17+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":907},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?bp_activities=1\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"description\":\"Daily Deals\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":86,\"caption\":\"Som2ny Network\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats - Som2ny Network","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats - Som2ny Network","og_description":"Activism \/ September 30, 2026 By redefining the meaning of \u201charm\u201d in the Endangered Species Act, the administration is giving big corporations a gift they have long demanded. Ad Policy In an attempt by the National Park Service to protect endangered desert tortoises, signs advise drivers to \u201cdrive like a tortoise\u201d in the Mojave National [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343","og_site_name":"Som2ny Network","article_published_time":"2026-10-03T13:08:17+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371"},"headline":"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats","datePublished":"2026-10-03T13:08:17+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343"},"wordCount":2257,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg","keywords":["Destroy","Endangered","habitats","Legal","Species","Trump"],"articleSection":["Activist"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343","name":"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats - Som2ny Network","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-03T13:08:17+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mojave-desert-sign-gt-img.jpg","width":1440,"height":907},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074343#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?bp_activities=1"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Trump Has Made it Legal to Destroy Endangered Species\u2019 Habitats"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/","name":"Som2ny Network","description":"Daily Deals","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization","name":"Som2ny Network","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","width":300,"height":86,"caption":"Som2ny Network"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/fivemor.com"],"url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7074343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7074343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7074343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7074345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7074343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7074343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7074343"},{"taxonomy":"dealstore","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdealstore&post=7074343"},{"taxonomy":"offerexpiration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fofferexpiration&post=7074343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}