Trump approves Keystone pipeline

The Trump administration gave the Keystone XL pipeline its key federal permit Friday, clearing a major hurdle for the project that former President Barack Obama rejected in 2015. The State Department announced Friday morning that its under secretary for political affairs, Tom Shannon, issued the permit, two months after President Trump signed an executive order to revive the project after Obama’s rejection. “In making his determination that issuance of this permit would serve the national interest, the under secretary considered a range of factors, including but not limited to foreign policy; energy security; environmental, cultural, and economic impacts; and compliance with applicable law and policy,” State said. The decision closes a significant chapter in the long-running saga over the controversial oil pipeline, which has been a flashpoint in the debate surrounding climate change and dependence on foreign oil. It fulfills a major campaign promise of President Trump and a top priority that congressional Republicans and the oil industry have had for years...more