Corbin Hiar

Washington, D.C., United States

Climate and Business Reporter at E&E News

Climate and business reporter at @politico's E&E News. Also a dad, cyclist, @penguild supporter, and lapsed Minnesotan (who's spending more time on 🦋)

Articles

White House looks to freeze more agency funds - and expand executive power

2 weeks ago | politico.com | Scott Waldman |Corbin Hiar

The architect of the freeze directive, OMB Director Russ Vought, has long lamented the limits placed on the president’s ability to direct federal spending. His latest gambit — first reported by E&E News — appears designed to test those boundaries. The agencies targeted by the newest freeze include the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation and the departments of Interior and Health and Human Services.
E&E News: Startup buries dead logs to trap carbon

3 weeks ago | subscriber.politicopro.com | Corbin Hiar
‘Supersonic’ Planes Have Been Banned for Decades, But Lawmakers Are Pushing to Allow Them

1 month ago | scientificamerican.com | Corbin Hiar

CLIMATEWIRE | Lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol are seeking to repeal a half-century-old regulation that prevents civilian aircraft from traveling faster than the speed of sound over the United States. The "Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act" could vastly increase the potential market — and emissions — of Boom Supersonic, a planemaking startup backed by United Airlines; Japan Airlines; and Sam Altman, the billionaire CEO of the artificial intelligence firm OpenAI.
E&E News: Trump targets carbon removal project in speaker’s district

1 month ago | subscriber.politicopro.com | Corbin Hiar
E&E News: 13 former NSF leaders to Congress: Reject Trump’s budget cuts

1 month ago | subscriber.politicopro.com | Corbin Hiar
E&E News: House Republican calls for national security probe of Brazilian meat giant

1 month ago | subscriber.politicopro.com | Corbin Hiar
Trump-appointed National Science Foundation leader resigns

2 months ago | yahoo.com | Corbin Hiar

National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan abruptly resigned Thursday afternoon, more than a year before the end of his term. "I believe that I have done all I can to advance the mission of the agency and feel that it is time for me to pass the baton to new leadership," Panchanathan said in an all-staff memo obtained by POLITICO's E&E News. Brian Stone, the director's chief of staff, will lead the agency on an interim basis.
Elon Musk bankrolled a $100M climate contest. Now critics say it's ‘tainted.’

2 months ago | politico.com | Corbin Hiar

In addition to running electric-vehicle-maker Tesla and the aerospace firm SpaceX, Musk is leading President Donald Trump’s effort to downsize the federal government. The Department of Government Efficiency has slashed climate funding for research, projects and agencies. “We live in very complicated times,” said Nikki Batchelor, who led the Musk-funded carbon removal competition at the XPrize Foundation.
Big Banks Quietly Prepare for Catastrophic Climate Change

2 months ago | scientificamerican.com | Corbin Hiar

CLIMATEWIRE | Top Wall Street institutions are preparing for a severe future of global warming that blows past the temperature limits agreed to by more than 190 nations a decade ago, industry documents show. The big banks' acknowledgment that the world is likely to fail at preventing warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels is spelled out in obscure reports for clients, investors and trade association members.
Trump Cuts Threaten Universities, Could Lead to “Lost Generation” of Scientists

Mar 26, 2025 | scientificamerican.com | Corbin Hiar |Chelsea Harvey

CLIMATEWIRE | Drastic cuts to federal science programs are draining millions of dollars in research funding from universities in Republican-dominated states, testing the support of conservative lawmakers for President Donald Trump's chaotic reshaping of the U.S. government.