The Dictatorship
Trump administration loosens restrictions on pollutant
WASHINGTON (AP) — Near the end of his first term, President Donald Trump signed into law a bill that aimed to reduce harmful, planet-warming pollutants emitted by refrigerators and air conditioners. The bipartisan measure brought environmentalists and major business groups into rare alignment on the contentious issue of climate change and won praise across the political spectrum.
Five years later, the second Trump administration is reversing course, as it moves to loosen a federal rule — based on the 2020 law — that requires grocery stores, air-conditioning companies and others to reduce powerful greenhouse gases used in cooling equipment.
The shift in approach has upended a broad bipartisan consensus on the need to quickly phase out domestic use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, that are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide and are considered a major driver of global warming.
The proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency highlights the second Trump administration’s drive to roll back regulations perceived as climate-friendly, even at the cost of causing disarray for the very business interests it is claiming to protect. The plan is among a series of sweeping environmental rollbacks that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has said will put a “dagger through the heart of climate change religion.”
The HFC proposal will help “make American refrigerants affordable, safe and reliable again,” Zeldin said in a statement.
But environmentalists say the plan will exacerbate climate pollution while disrupting a years-long industry transition to new coolants as an alternative to HFCs.
With HFCs one of the main drivers of extreme heat and pollution, any delay in their phaseout “is going to be have negative outcomes and significant ones,” said Kiff Gallagher, executive director of the Global Heat Reduction Initiative, an international effort to reduce trapped heat that is warming the planet.
Industry groups supported the phaseout
The 2020 law signed by Trump, known as the American Innovation and Manufacturing Actphased out HFCs as part of an international agreement on ozone pollution. The law accelerated an industry shift to alternative refrigerants that use less harmful chemicals and are widely available.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chemistry Council, the top lobbying group for the chemical industry, were among numerous business groups that supported the law and an international deal on pollutants, known as the Kigali Amendmentas wins for jobs and the environment. U.S. companies such as Chemours and Honeywell developed and produce the alternative refrigerants sold in the U.S. and around the world.
The 2020 law led to a 2023 rule, now being relaxed, which imposed steep restrictions starting next year on HFCs. Zeldin said the Biden-era rule did not give companies enough time to comply and the rapid switch to other refrigerants had caused shortages and price hikes. Some in the industry dispute this.
In September, the EPA announced it is relaxing standards for cold storage warehouses and other cooling equipment and delaying other aspects of the HFC rule until 2032.
EPA now says the rule is bad for business
On a visit this summer to a refrigeration facility in swing-state Georgia alongside Vice President JD Vance, Zeldin said the administration was responding to grocery stores and refrigeration companies that have complained about the federal rule.
“We at the Trump administration are heeding the call of Alta Refrigeration,’’ Zeldin said at an Aug. 21 appearance at the company in Peachtree City, Georgia, outside Atlanta.
Zeldin said the so-called Technology Transitions Rule, finalized under former President Joe Biden, has been restricting access to refrigerants Americans need to cool their homes and businesses, while costs are going up and supply is going down. “It was costing more to be able to fix that system,” Zeldin said.
Alta Refrigeration, along with grocery stores, the semiconductor industry and residents across America, were dissatisfied with the rule, he said, vowing to “fix this mistake.”
The Food Industry Association, which represents grocery stores and suppliers, applauded the EPA plan, saying the current rule “imposed significant and unrealistic compliance timelines.” Zeldin’s proposal “achieves the intended environmental benefits without placing unnecessary and costly burdens on the food industry,” said Leslie Sarasin, the group’s president and CEO.
Jorge Alvarez, co-founder of iGas USA, a Florida air conditioning company whose products include HFCs, said the Biden rule was “shoved down our throats” and threatened to create havoc. The delay “gives industry a chance to create new refrigerants, and we will,” he said.
The rule’s rollback sparks confusion over Trump’s strategy
But the change in tack comes after industry players had already made adjustments to ensure they could meet the goals set in motion by the 2020 law.
“Changing the schedule now would disrupt planning and inject uncertainty across the market,” said Samantha Slater, a senior vice president at the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, which represents more than 330 HVAC manufacturers and commercial refrigeration companies.
Manufacturers have already retooled product lines and certified models based on the current timeline, she said, noting that nearly 90% of residential and light commercial air conditioning systems use substitute refrigerants.
A delay would give an advantage to foreign-based competitors that did not invest in alternative refrigerants and risks “higher costs for U.S. consumers,” Slater said.
Chemours, the Delaware-based chemical giant that is a leading producer of alternative refrigerants, said in a statement that it has “consistently supported an orderly phasedown schedule of HFCs as outlined in the AIM Act.’’
Delays to the transition “risk undermining and stranding U.S. manufacturing and innovation investments, while also increasing uncertainty and supply chain inefficiencies, ultimately driving up consumer costs,’’ said Joe Martinko, president of Chemours’ Thermal & Specialized Solutions business.
Even with the holdup, “the transition to low-global warming potential refrigerants is well underway,’’ he said.
A temporary shortage this summer of cylinders used by HVAC contractors — which Zeldin and others have cited as a reason to delay the EPA rule — has been resolved, Martinko and other industry representatives said.
David Doniger, a senior strategist at the environmental nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, said the current rule ensures an efficient, affordable phasedown of harmful HFCs, while offering industry regulatory uniformity and a way to remain globally competitive.
He said the federal rule averts a previous patchwork of state laws and regulations. States such as California, Washington and New York have similar requirements to the Biden rule and may end up in conflict with the Trump standard.
“Weakening the rule will confuse the market,’’ he said.
The Dictatorship
French company Capgemini to sell subsidiary working with ICE
PARIS (AP) — French company Capgemini announced Sunday it is selling off its subsidiary that provides technology services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during global scrutiny of ICE agents’ tactics in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
France’s government had pressured the company to be more transparent about its dealings with ICE, whose actions in Minneapolis in recent weeks have raised concern in France and other countries. The government’s campaign against immigrants in Minnesota’s capital has led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal immigration officers.
Capgemini said in a statement Sunday that it will immediately start the process of selling off its subsidiary Capgemini Government Solutions. It said the rules for working with U.S. federal government agencies ″did now allow the group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of the operations of this subsidiary to ensure alignment with the group’s objectives.″
It didn’t give further explanation for the decision, but noted that the subsidiary represents only 0.4% of the company’s estimated 2025 revenue.
Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said he was only recently made aware of the subsidiary’s contract with ICE. In a LinkedIn post, he said, “The nature and scope of this work has raised questions compared to what we typically do as a business and technology firm.’’
The company selloff announcement came after French Finance Minister Roland Lescure, speaking to parliament last week, urged Capgemini ″to shed light, in an extremely transparent manner, on its activities … and to question the nature of these activities.″ Lescure’s office did not comment on the company’s decision.
Non-governmental organization Multinationals Observatory reported that Capgemini Government Solutions provided ICE technical tools to locate targets for the immigration crackdown. CapgemiSni did not immediately respond to a query about the tools.
Capgemini is a consulting and technology company that employs more than 340,000 people in more than 50 countries.
The Dictatorship
‘Melania’ opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary
NEW YORK (AP) — Promoted by President Donald Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” debuted with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The release of “Melania” was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the rights, plus some $35 million to market it, making it the most expensive documentary ever. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the film about the first lady debuted in 1,778 theaters in the midst of Trump’s turbulent second term.
While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, “Melania” was a success by documentary standards. It’s the best opening weekend for a documentary, outside of concert films, in 14 years. Going into the weekend, estimates ranged from $3 million to $5 million.
But there was little to compare “Melania” to, given that presidential families typically eschew in-office memoir or documentary releases to avoid the appearance of capitalizing on the White House. The film chronicles Melania Trump over 20 days last January, leading up to Trump’s second inauguration.

Marc Beckman, left, shake hands with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer as they arrive for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Marc Beckman, left, shake hands with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer as they arrive for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
On Thursday, Trump hosted a premiere of the film at the Kennedy Centerwith attendees including Cabinet members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters.”
The No. 1 movie of the weekend was Sam Raimi’s “Send Help,” a critically acclaimed survival thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The Walt Disney Co. release debuted with $20 million. The film, with a $40 million budget, was an in-between kind of release for Raimi, whose hits have typically ranged from low-budget cult (“Army of Darkness”) to big-budget blockbuster (2002’s “Spider-Man”).
The microbudget sci-fi horror film “Iron Lung,” directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, came in second with $17.9 million, far exceeding expectations. The Jason Statham action thriller “Shelter” debuted with $5.5 million.
But most of the curiosity was on how “Melania” would perform. A week earlier, the White House hosted a black-tie preview attended by Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, Apple chief executive Tim Cook and former boxer Mike Tyson.

The audience waits in a movie theater for the start of the screening of a documentary about Melania Trump in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
The audience waits in a movie theater for the start of the screening of a documentary about Melania Trump in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
The film arrived in a week dominated by coverage of federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
“Melania” didn’t screen in advance for critics, but reviews that rolled out Friday, once the film was in theaters, weren’t good. Xan Brooks of The Guardian compared the film to a “medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne.” Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a “cheese ball informercial of staggering inertia.” Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “To say that ‘Melania’ is a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.”
But among those who bought tickets over the weekend, the response was far more positive. “Melania” landed an “A” CinemaScore. Audiences were overwhelmingly 55 and older (72% of ticket buyers), female (72%) and white (75%). As expected, the movie played best in the South, with top states including Florida and Texas.
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe called it “an excellent opening for a political documentary.”
“For any other film, with $75 million in costs and limited foreign potential, it would be a problem,” said Gross. “But this is a political investment, not a for-profit movie venture, and if it helps Amazon with a regulatory, taxation, tariff or other government issue, then it will pay back. $75 million is insignificant to Amazon.”
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“Melania” is Ratner’s first film since he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. Multiple women, including the actor Olivia Munn, accused Ratner of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations. Last fall, after Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures said it would distribute his “Rush Hour 4.”
“Melania,” which will stream on Prime Video following its theatrical run, was released globally. Shortly before its debut, South African distributor Filmfinity said it would no longer release it. The company said it changed course “based on recent developments.”
International ticket sales for “Melania” were expected to be minuscule.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Send Help,” $20 million.
2. “Iron Lung,” $17.9 million.
3. “Melania,” $7 million.
4. “Zootopia 2,” $5.8 million.
5. “Shelter,” $5.5 million.
6. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $5.5 million.
7. “Mercy,” $4.7 million.
8. “The Housemaid,” $3.5 million.
9. “Marty Supreme,” $2.9 million.
10. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” $1.5 million.
The Dictatorship
‘ICE out’: Bad Bunny uses Grammy speech to speak out
As awards season progresses, celebrities continue to speak out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — especially in Minneapolis. Though some stars have opted for a slight nod of resistance with pins that say “ICE out,” others have been more vocal in their stances.
Upon accepting the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album on Sunday night, Bad Bunny got straight to the point.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” the Puerto Rican performer said as soon as he approached the podium with award in hand.
After a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd, he continued.
“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
This is not the first time the artist has spoken out against the Trump administration’s rhetoric against immigrants in the United States. Last year, he announced he would no longer tour in the U.S., which drew criticism from some right-wing commentators.
Despite that pushback, Bad Bunny scored the headlining spot at this year’s Super Bowl and said he decided to “do just one date in the United States.”
The album Bad Bunny accepted the award for, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” also won Album of the Year, becoming the first primarily Spanish-language album to win the distinction in the ceremony’s 68-year history.
Kathleen Creedon is a platforms editor for MS NOW. She previously worked as a web producer for Vanity Fair.
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