Trump administration seeks to muzzle U.S. agency employeesWASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has moved since he took office last week to curb the flow of information from several government agencies involved in environmental issues, in actions that may have been designed to discourage dissenting views. Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have seen directives from the newly minted leadership seeking to limit how they communicate to the public, according to multiple sources. The moves have reinforced concerns that Trump, a climate change doubter, could seek to sideline scientific research showing that carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming, as well as the career staffers at the agencies that conduct much of this research. All of the agencies affected by the actions have some input on issues related to the environment and have been involved in various efforts related to climate change, including effects on natural resources and human health. On Tuesday, a source at the EPA said that staff had been told by members of the Trump administration not to speak to reporters or publish any press releases or blog posts on social media. EPA staff have also been asked not to publicize any talks, conferences, or webinars that had been planned for the next 60 days, the staffer said, asking not to be named. Asked if the EPA had been gagged, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday: “I don’t know ... we’re looking into it. ... I don’t think it’s a surprise we’re going to review the policies, but I don’t have any info at this time.” The agency also was asked by the White House on Monday to temporarily halt all contracts and grants pending a review, according to multiple sources. The EPA awards billions of dollars worth of grants and contracts every year to support programs around environmental testing, cleanups and research. “EPA staff have been reviewing grants and contracts information with the incoming transition team,” EPA spokeswoman Julia Valentine said in a statement. “The goal is to complete the grants and contracts review by the close of business on Friday, Jan. 27.” Environmental groups reacted with outrage. New York’s attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, said in reaction to the freeze that his office “will examine all legal options to ensure the EPA meets its obligations to keep our state’s air and water safe.” U.S. Department of Agriculture employees on Monday were also  informed in a memo seen by Reuters that all communications with the media should be approved by the administration, and social media posts should be reviewed by managers “to remove references to policy priorities and initiatives of the previous Administration.”   The department, meanwhile, disavowed another email sent on Monday to its scientific research unit ordering the suspension of releasing “any public-facing documents,” including news releases and photos, saying it was sent without permission and should not include a ban on publication of peer-reviewed scientific papers.  Officials at HHS also received a memo ordering them not to send “any correspondence” to other public officials.  Instead, they must refer any requests for information to senior leaders, who are not to do anything until they have received instructions from the White House staff on its policies, according to a source who read the memo.  Last week, staff at the Interior Department were told to stop posting on Twitter after an employee retweeted posts about the relatively low attendance at Trump’s inauguration, and about how the issues of climate change and civil rights had disappeared from the White House website. The department has since resumed tweeting - though some tweets have been deleted. On Tuesday, Badlands National Park, located in South Dakota and part of the Department of Interior, posted a series of Tweets about climate change: “Today, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. #climate,” one of the tweets read. By Tuesday afternoon, the tweets were gone. A National Park Service official said the tweets had been posted to the Badlands National Park account by a former employee who was not authorized to use it. “The park was not told to remove the tweets but chose to do so when they realized that their account had been compromised,” the official said. National Park Service social media managers are being encouraged to use Twitter to post public safety and park information but not content related to national policy issues, the official said. Trump has promised to promote oil drilling and mining by cutting regulation, including by targeting former President Barack Obama’s initiative to combat climate change. Trump also has suggested pulling the United States out of a global pact on climate change signed by nearly 200 countries last year.  Trump’s nominees to run the EPA, Interior and the Department of Agriculture - Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, respectively - are awaiting Senate confirmation.  Trump has drawn heavily from the energy industry lobby and pro-drilling think tanks to build a team charged with preparing the EPA for its new leadership, according to a list of the newly introduced 10-member team seen by Reuters on Monday. An EPA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. politicsNews
trump administration seeks muzzle agency reuters president donald trump administration moved since took office last week curb flow information several government agencies involved environmental issues actions may designed discourage dissenting views employees environmental protection agency interior department department agriculture department health human services hhs seen directives newly minted leadership seeking limit communicate public according multiple sources the moves reinforced concerns trump climate change doubted could seek sideline scientific research showing carbon dioxide emissions burning fossil fuels contributes global warming well career staffers agencies conduct much research all agencies affected actions input issues related environment involved various efforts related climate change including effects natural resources human health on tuesday source epa said staff told members trump administration speak reporters publish press releases blog posts social media epa staff also asked publicize talks conferences seminars planned next days staffer said asking named asked epa tagged white house press secretary sean spider said tuesday i know looking i think surprise going review policies i info the agency also asked white house monday temporarily halt contracts grants pending review according multiple sources the epa awards billions dollars worth grants contracts every year support programs around environmental testing cleanup research epa staff reviewing grants contracts information incoming transition team epa spokeswoman julia valentine said statement the goal complete grants contracts review close business friday environmental groups reacted outrage new york attorney general eric schneiderman said reaction freeze office examine legal options ensure epa meets obligations keep state air water department agriculture employees monday also informed memo seen reuters communications media approved administration social media posts reviewed managers remove references policy priorities initiatives previous the department meanwhile disallowed another email sent monday scientific research unit ordering suspension releasing documents including news releases photos saying sent without permission include ban publication scientific papers officials hhs also received memo ordering send correspondence public officials instead must refer requests information senior leaders anything received instructions white house staff policies according source read memo last week staff interior department told stop posting twitter employee retreated posts relatively low attendance trump inauguration issues climate change civil rights disappeared white house website the department since resumed meeting though tweets deleted on tuesday ballads national park located south dakota part department interior posted series tweets climate change today amount carbon dioxide atmosphere higher time last years climate one tweets read by tuesday afternoon tweets gone a national park service official said tweets posted ballads national park account former employee authorized use the park told remove tweets chose realized account compromised official said national park service social media managers encouraged use twitter post public safety park information content related national policy issues official said trump promised promote oil drilling mining cutting regulation including targeting former president barack obama initiative combat climate change trump also suggested pulling united states global pact climate change signed nearly countries last year trump nominees run epa interior department agriculture oklahoma attorney general scott print representative ryan zine montana former georgia governor sony purdue respectively awaiting senate confirmation trump drawn heavily energy industry lobby think tanks build team charged preparing epa new leadership according list newly introduced team seen reuters monday an epa spokesman immediately respond request comment politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Trump administration seeks to muzzle U.S. agency employeesWASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has moved since he took office last week to curb the flow of information from several government agencies involved in environmental issues, in actions that may have been designed to discourage dissenting views. Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have seen directives from the newly minted leadership seeking to limit how they communicate to the public, according to multiple sources. The moves have reinforced concerns that Trump, a climate change doubter, could seek to sideline scientific research showing that carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming, as well as the career staffers at the agencies that conduct much of this research. All of the agencies affected by the actions have some input on issues related to the environment and have been involved in various efforts related to climate change, including effects on natural resources and human health. On Tuesday, a source at the EPA said that staff had been told by members of the Trump administration not to speak to reporters or publish any press releases or blog posts on social media. EPA staff have also been asked not to publicize any talks, conferences, or webinars that had been planned for the next 60 days, the staffer said, asking not to be named. Asked if the EPA had been gagged, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday: “I don’t know ... we’re looking into it. ... I don’t think it’s a surprise we’re going to review the policies, but I don’t have any info at this time.” The agency also was asked by the White House on Monday to temporarily halt all contracts and grants pending a review, according to multiple sources. The EPA awards billions of dollars worth of grants and contracts every year to support programs around environmental testing, cleanups and research. “EPA staff have been reviewing grants and contracts information with the incoming transition team,” EPA spokeswoman Julia Valentine said in a statement. “The goal is to complete the grants and contracts review by the close of business on Friday, Jan. 27.” Environmental groups reacted with outrage. New York’s attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, said in reaction to the freeze that his office “will examine all legal options to ensure the EPA meets its obligations to keep our state’s air and water safe.” U.S. Department of Agriculture employees on Monday were also  informed in a memo seen by Reuters that all communications with the media should be approved by the administration, and social media posts should be reviewed by managers “to remove references to policy priorities and initiatives of the previous Administration.”   The department, meanwhile, disavowed another email sent on Monday to its scientific research unit ordering the suspension of releasing “any public-facing documents,” including news releases and photos, saying it was sent without permission and should not include a ban on publication of peer-reviewed scientific papers.  Officials at HHS also received a memo ordering them not to send “any correspondence” to other public officials.  Instead, they must refer any requests for information to senior leaders, who are not to do anything until they have received instructions from the White House staff on its policies, according to a source who read the memo.  Last week, staff at the Interior Department were told to stop posting on Twitter after an employee retweeted posts about the relatively low attendance at Trump’s inauguration, and about how the issues of climate change and civil rights had disappeared from the White House website. The department has since resumed tweeting - though some tweets have been deleted. On Tuesday, Badlands National Park, located in South Dakota and part of the Department of Interior, posted a series of Tweets about climate change: “Today, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. #climate,” one of the tweets read. By Tuesday afternoon, the tweets were gone. A National Park Service official said the tweets had been posted to the Badlands National Park account by a former employee who was not authorized to use it. “The park was not told to remove the tweets but chose to do so when they realized that their account had been compromised,” the official said. National Park Service social media managers are being encouraged to use Twitter to post public safety and park information but not content related to national policy issues, the official said. Trump has promised to promote oil drilling and mining by cutting regulation, including by targeting former President Barack Obama’s initiative to combat climate change. Trump also has suggested pulling the United States out of a global pact on climate change signed by nearly 200 countries last year.  Trump’s nominees to run the EPA, Interior and the Department of Agriculture - Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, respectively - are awaiting Senate confirmation.  Trump has drawn heavily from the energy industry lobby and pro-drilling think tanks to build a team charged with preparing the EPA for its new leadership, according to a list of the newly introduced 10-member team seen by Reuters on Monday. An EPA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: trump administration seeks muzzle agency reuters president donald trump administration moved since took office last week curb flow information several government agencies involved environmental issues actions may designed discourage dissenting views employees environmental protection agency interior department department agriculture department health human services hhs seen directives newly minted leadership seeking limit communicate public according multiple sources the moves reinforced concerns trump climate change doubted could seek sideline scientific research showing carbon dioxide emissions burning fossil fuels contributes global warming well career staffers agencies conduct much research all agencies affected actions input issues related environment involved various efforts related climate change including effects natural resources human health on tuesday source epa said staff told members trump administration speak reporters publish press releases blog posts social media epa staff also asked publicize talks conferences seminars planned next days staffer said asking named asked epa tagged white house press secretary sean spider said tuesday i know looking i think surprise going review policies i info the agency also asked white house monday temporarily halt contracts grants pending review according multiple sources the epa awards billions dollars worth grants contracts every year support programs around environmental testing cleanup research epa staff reviewing grants contracts information incoming transition team epa spokeswoman julia valentine said statement the goal complete grants contracts review close business friday environmental groups reacted outrage new york attorney general eric schneiderman said reaction freeze office examine legal options ensure epa meets obligations keep state air water department agriculture employees monday also informed memo seen reuters communications media approved administration social media posts reviewed managers remove references policy priorities initiatives previous the department meanwhile disallowed another email sent monday scientific research unit ordering suspension releasing documents including news releases photos saying sent without permission include ban publication scientific papers officials hhs also received memo ordering send correspondence public officials instead must refer requests information senior leaders anything received instructions white house staff policies according source read memo last week staff interior department told stop posting twitter employee retreated posts relatively low attendance trump inauguration issues climate change civil rights disappeared white house website the department since resumed meeting though tweets deleted on tuesday ballads national park located south dakota part department interior posted series tweets climate change today amount carbon dioxide atmosphere higher time last years climate one tweets read by tuesday afternoon tweets gone a national park service official said tweets posted ballads national park account former employee authorized use the park told remove tweets chose realized account compromised official said national park service social media managers encouraged use twitter post public safety park information content related national policy issues official said trump promised promote oil drilling mining cutting regulation including targeting former president barack obama initiative combat climate change trump also suggested pulling united states global pact climate change signed nearly countries last year trump nominees run epa interior department agriculture oklahoma attorney general scott print representative ryan zine montana former georgia governor sony purdue respectively awaiting senate confirmation trump drawn heavily energy industry lobby think tanks build team charged preparing epa new leadership according list newly introduced team seen reuters monday an epa spokesman immediately respond request comment politicsnews