SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn 
Iran Allows Oil Tankers Through Strait of Hormuz Amid U.S. Negotiations 
California Renames Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day Following Sexual Abuse Allegations 
Russia Accused of Helping Iran Target U.S. Forces, European Powers Tell G7 
Trump Seeks Quick End to U.S.-Iran Conflict Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions 
Ukraine-Russia War: Frontline Updates as Spring Offensive Looms 
Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Peace Talks Stall Amid Military Buildup 
China Opens Door to Stronger U.S. Trade Ties Amid Rising Tensions 
What does China’s host bid mean for the High Seas Treaty? 
Russia Strikes Kharkiv and Izmail as Cross-Border Drone War Escalates 
Russia-Iran Military Alliance Deepens With Drone Shipments Amid Middle East Tensions 
Jay Bhattacharya to Continue Leading CDC as White House Searches for Permanent Director 
US Military Eyes 10,000 Troop Surge to Middle East Amid Iran Nuclear Tensions 
FEMA Reinstates $1 Billion Disaster Prevention Grant Program After Court Order 
Iran Demands Lebanon Be Part of Any Ceasefire Deal With Israel and the U.S. 
God on their side: how the US, Israel and Iran are all using religion to garner support 
G7 Summit 2026: South Africa Excluded Amid U.S. Pressure, Kenya Invited Instead 
US President Joe Biden signed an executive order over the weekend targeting the country’s old-growth forests. The new order would protect the forests from wildfires in a move to tackle the growing problem of climate change.
Biden signed the order Friday - which is also Earth Day - last week, strengthening the protection of old-growth forests in the US in an effort to tackle the climate change problem that has caused wildfires and other environmental disasters. The order would also create the first inventory of old-growth forests in the country’s federal lands.
The order would also call for the expansion of reforestation efforts and establishing partnerships to grow forests outside the lands owned by the US government. The US leader also announced a plan to plant 1.2 billion trees nationwide, which he described as the beginning of “vital work of reforesting in America.”
“Our forests are our planet’s lungs. They literally are recycling and cycling CO2 out of the atmosphere; that’s what they do,” said Biden in his remarks during his visit to Seattle, Washington.
“It makes sense, and it also makes a big difference, including in our cities, and on our city streets,” said the US leader regarding the tree-planting plan.
The US has seen a rise in wildfires and other natural calamities such as hurricanes and heatwaves in the past year. Despite the plans, Biden has also faced criticism from climate activists for not taking a more aggressive approach to the climate crisis. Biden has included climate provisions in the social infrastructure bill that remains stalled in the Senate.
In other related news, Biden was among the world leaders to congratulate French President Emmanuel Macron, who was re-elected as France’s leader against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Many have described Macron’s victory as a win for the European Union and for the continent’s stability.
“France is our oldest ally and a key partner in addressing global challenges. I look forward to our continued close cooperation – including on supporting Ukraine, defending democracy, and countering climate change,” tweeted Biden.
Macron won against Le Pen by a big margin of 58.5 percent to Le Pen’s 41.4 percent.
