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Appeals Court Refuses to Allow US to Limit Oil Drilling Auction
A federal court upheld a ruling forcing the Biden administration to expand its sale of offshore drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico, while giving the government more time to hold it. The decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans late Monday was a blow to environmental groups who’d sought to reinstate auction limits they argued are essential to protect the endangered Rice’s whale. The three-judge panel ordered the auction take place no later than Nov. 8 but otherwise left in place a lower court order forcing the Interior Department to sell more territory for potential oil development. Under ... (full story)