Trump’s Endangered Species Act Rollback Lowers Habitat Protections

The Trump administration finalized a rollback redefining 'harm' under the Endangered Species Act, deleting the prohibition on habitat destruction unless intentional. The rule would regulate only direct physical harm, letting developers modify or destroy habitat for endangered or threatened species without federal permits, a shift critics say weakens protections and invites lawsuits; the Fish and Wildlife Service says it reduces regulatory burden.