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Since its inception in 1965, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has enforced antidiscrimination laws and acted as the first line of defense for Americans who experience workplace discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Even while facing a shrinking budget and staffing constraints, the agency has managed to secure significant payouts for workers who have been the target of discrimination. In 2024, the EEOC recovered nearly $700 million for about 21,000 workers, a sum far beyond its $455 million budget. The past year also saw an uptick in the number of discrimination charges fielded by the EEOC, an increase of about 9% from the year prior to over 88,500 charges. Over the past few months, however, President Trump has taken multiple steps to undermine the authority and independence of the EEOC. Presidents typically allow commissioners of federal agencies to serve out their terms, regardless of their political affiliation. But just days into his presidency, Trump fired two EEOC commissionersJocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrows, who was chair of the agency under President Bidenbefore their term limits were up. In doing so, he eliminated the Democratic majority and left the agency without a three-person quorum. (Samuels has filed a lawsuit contesting her termination.) Without a quorum, the EEOC cannot vote to issue new regulations or guidance or revise existing regulations or guidance. The agency also cannot pursue certain types of litigation or systemic cases of discrimination. A new acting chair Andrea Lucas, the new acting chair of the EEOC and a conservative voice known for her criticisms of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the workplace, has furthered the president’s anti-DEI agenda since being instated. Former EEOC officials like Jenny Yang, a partner at workers rights law firm Outten & Golden and onetime EEOC chair, have been alarmed by Trump’s influence over the agency’s priorities. It’s really an unprecedented and quite radical shift from pursuing the historic mission of the EEOCwhich was to advance equal opportunity for everyone and to ensure employers prevent and remedy discriminationto one that is really turning our civil rights laws on their head and targeting employers for taking efforts to prevent discrimination, Yang says. [The EEOC is] seeming to suggest that its mission is actually only focused on some workers that have the kinds of claims that this administration thinks are worthy. (The EEOC did not respond to a request for comment for this story.) As she stepped into the role of acting chair in January, Lucas suggested that the EEOC had not thoroughly investigated certain types of discrimination. I look forward to restoring evenhanded enforcement of employment civil rights laws for all Americans, she said in a statement. In recent years, this agency has remained silent in the face of multiple forms of widespread, overt discrimination. Lucas went on to note that her priorities would be in line with Trumps executive orders and would include rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination and defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights, including womens rights to singlesex spaces at work. Alleged overreach Lucas has executed on those priorities in the months since, issuing a document on DEI-related discrimination that defines what constitutes an unlawful DEI initiative and addressing questions like whether a DEI training could create a hostile work environment. In a particularly controversial move, Lucas sent letters to 20 law firms in March asking for details on their DEI-related employment practices, specifically flagging diversity fellowships and employee resource groups in some cases. Yang and other former EEOC officials have described this move as a clear overreach and beyond the scope of a commissioners authority, even outlining their concerns in a letter addressed to Lucas. (A group of law students has also brought a lawsuit against the EEOC over its inquiries to law firms.) It was really just stunning and frightening to see such a blatant disregard of Title VII statutory language because the commission only has authority as enumerated by Congress, Yang says. The commission’s authority stems from opening an investigation of a charge. But there’s no authority to ask employers for sensitive information not through the charge process. Part of the reason for that, she points out, is a confidentiality provision that ensures privacy as the EEOC collects information related to the charge. While the EEOC may have lacked the authority to send those letters, four law firms have already reached settlement agreements with the agency in response to the inquiries, even promising to drop the term DEI and committing to merit-based employment practices. It seems like these letters were really an attempt to intimidate the firms into voluntarily dropping any efforts that they might have been engaged in to advance equal opportunity in the workplace, says Katie Sandson, the senior counsel for education and workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center. Shifting agency priorities Beyond explicitly targeting DEI programs, multiple reports indicate that the EEOC has already started deprioritizing charges related to gender identity. EEOC employees have reportedly been instructed to classify charges of gender identity discrimination as low priority, a category typically intended for charges that lack merit. The agency is also reportedly dismissing lawsuits that involve discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming workers, citing Trumps executive order that recognizes only two biological sexes. Other reports have found that EEOC judges are being asked to stop hearing cases that involve allegations of discrimination over gender identity. A number of EEOC employees have reportedly left the agency since Lucas took over, according to The New York Times, in part due to concerns that the agency has been politiized; some employees, like administrative judge Karen Ortiz, have publicly pushed back on the new directives and refused to stop evaluating cases. A new executive order handed down by Trump just last week could put more pressure on the EEOC to dismiss certain cases outright, Yang says. The order challenges the theory of disparate impact liability, which refers to when someone is treated differently on the basis of protected characteristics like race and genderthe concept behind countless discrimination cases. Trump instructed the EEOC to take appropriate action on all investigations or suits that involve a theory of disparate impact. It could be a criminal background screen, pay equity issue, or hiring discrimination, Yang says. It’s likely, based on that executive order, that all of those pending charges are just going to be dismissed rather than investigated, and that will have a significant impact on many workers. A changing footprint Workers who turn to the EEOC could also face more hurdles if the agency shuts down eight field offices that have been marked for lease termination by the Department of Government Efficiencya concern that Democrats in Congress have also raised in a letter to Lucas. Field offices play a really important role in the EEOC, Sandson says. For many workers, theyre the first point of contact with the EEOC in their own communities, and it’s where they go when they want to pursue an action. They investigate these cases, they do intakes, they do outreach and education events. Closing those offices would just be another action that would really undermine the EEOCs ability to serve workers across the country. The EEOC is often the sole option for workers who face discrimination on the job, particularly those in low-wage jobs who cant afford to hire a lawyer on a contingency basis. But that could change if the agency is now deprioritizing certain types of employment discrimination. “Many workers will have no recourse,” Yang says. “The private bar can step in, in some cases, but there are many other workers who won’t be able to vindicate their rights. Laws require enforcement to have meaning, and this is just a giant step backwards for equal opportunity. I worry that many workers won’t know where to go.”
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E-Commerce
A decade ago, Scott Osborn would have eagerly told prospective vineyard owners looking to join the wine industry to jump into it. Now, his message is different. Youre crazy, said Osborn, who owns Fox Run Vineyards, a sprawling 50-acre (20-hectare) farm on Seneca Lake, the largest of New Yorks Finger Lakes. Its becoming riskier to grow grapes in the states prominent winemaking region. Harvests like Osborns are increasingly endangered by unpredictable weather from climate change. Attitudes on wine are shifting. Political tensions, such as tariffs amid President Donald Trumps trade wars and the administrations rollback of environmental policies, are also looming problems. Despite the challenges, however, many winegrowers are embracing sustainable practices, wanting to be part of the solution to global warming while hoping they can adapt to changing times. ___ EDITORS NOTE: This story is a collaboration between Rochester Institute of Technology and The Associated Press. ___ The Finger Lakes, which span a large area of western New York, have water that can sparkle and give off a sapphire hue on sunny days. More than 130 wineries dot the shorelines and offer some of Americas most famous white wines. At Fox Run, visitors step inside to sip wines and bring a bottleor twohome. Many are longtime customers, like Michele Magda and her husband, who have frequently made the trip from Pennsylvania. This is like a little escape, a little getaway, she said. Traditionally, the plants buds break out in spring, emerging with colorful grapes that range from the cabernet francs deep blues to the soft greens of the regions most popular grape, riesling. However, a warming world is making that happen earlier, adding to uncertainty and potential risks for farmers. If a frost comes after the buds have broken, growers can lose much of the harvest. Year-round rain and warmer night temperatures differentiate the Finger Lakes from its West Coast competitors, said Paul Brock, a viticulture and wine technology professor at Finger Lakes Community College. Learning to adapt to those fluctuations has given local winemakers a competitive advantage, he said. Globally, vineyards are grappling with the impacts of increasingly unpredictable weather. In France, record rainfall and harsh weather have spelled trouble for winegrowers trying their best to adapt. Along the West Coast, destructive wildfires are worsening wine quality. Winegrowers as part of the solution Many winegrowers say they are working to make their operations more sustainable, wanting to help solve climate change caused by the burning of fuels like gasoline, coal, and natural gas. Farms can become certified under initiatives such as the New York Sustainable Winegrowing program. Fox Run and more than 50 others are certified, which requires that growers improve practices like bettering soil health and protecting water quality of nearby lakes. Beyond the rustic metal gate featuring the titular foxes, some of Osborns sustainability initiatives come into view. Hundreds of solar panels powering 90% of the farms electricity are the most obvious feature. Other initiatives are more subtle, like underground webs of fungi used to insulate crops from drought and disease. We all have to do something, Osborn said. One winegrower’s sustainability push For Suzanne Hunt and her familys seventh-generation vineyard, doing something about climate change means devoting much of their efforts to sustainability. Hunt Country Vineyards, along Keuka Lake, took on initiatives like using underground geothermal pipelines for heating and cooling, along with composting. Despite the forward-looking actions, climate change is one of the factors forcing the family to make tough decisions about their future. Devastating frosts in recent years have caused catastrophic crop loss. Theyve also had to reconcile with changing consumer attitudes, as U.S. consumption of wine fell over the past few years, according to the wine industry advocacy group Wine Institute. By this years end, the vineyard will stop producing wine and instead will hold community workshops and sell certain grape varieties. The farm and the vineyard, you know, its part of me, Hunt said, adding that she wanted to be able to spend all of her time helping other farms and businesses implement sustainable practices. Ill let the people whose dream and life is to make wine do that part, and Ill happily support them. Tariffs and U.S. policy changes loom Vinny Aliperti, owner of Billsboro Winery along Seneca Lake, is working to improve the wine industrys environmental footprint. In the past year, hes helped establish communal wine bottle dumpsters that divert the glass from entering landfills and reuse it for construction materials. But Aliperti said hed like to see more nearby wineries and vineyards in sustainability efforts. The wine industrys longevity depends on it, especially under a presidential administration that doesnt seem to have sustainability at top of mind, he said. I think were all a bit scared, frankly, a bit, I mean, depressed, he said. I dont see very good things coming out of the next four years in terms of the environment. Osborn is bracing for sweeping cuts to federal environmental policies that previously made it easier to fund sustainability initiatives. Tax credits for Osborns solar panels made up about half of over $400,000 in upfront costs, in addition to some state and federal grants. Osborn wants to increase his solar production, but he said he wont have enough money without those programs. Fox Run could also lose thousands of dollars from retaliatory tariffs and boycotts of American wine from his Canadian customers. In March, Canada introduced 25% tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goodsincluding wine. Osborn fears he cant compete with larger wine-growing states like California, which may flood the American market to make up for lost customers abroad. Smaller vineyards in the Finger Lakes might not survive thes economic pressures, he said. Back at Fox Run’s barrel room, Aric Bryant, a decade-long patron, says all the challenges make him even more supportive of New York wines. I have this, like, fierce loyalty, he said. “I go to restaurants around here, and if they dont have Finger Lakes wines on their menu, Im, like, What are you even doing serving wine? ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. ___ This story was first published on April 23, 2025. It was updated on April 28, 2025, to add context about the decision to close Hunt Country Vineyards by the end of the year. Natasha Kaiser of Rochester Institute of Technology and Makiya Seminera of The Associated Press
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E-Commerce
Influencers get a lot of stick these days. The latest thing theyre being blamed for: shark attacks. Scientists have noted a recent rise in shark attacks, and according to new research published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science, of the 74 recorded bites in the seas around French Polynesia, 5% were assessed as acts of self-defense. Professor Eric Clua of PSL University in France, who led the research, holds social media responsible. I dont encourage, as many influencers do on social networks, [people] to cling to a sharks dorsal fin or stroke it, under the pretext of proving that they are harmless, Clua told The Times. The sharks here feel like family, one such influencer with 111,000 followers wrote in the caption of an Instagram post. In one picture, she is seen grabbing the nose of a shark; in another, she reaches out and gently pushes its nose as it swims toward her. Dont get it twisted, the sharks dont give a f*** about me, she adds in the caption. Which absolutely makes me a crazy shark lady. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Cunningham | Sharks & Freediving (@taylork.sea) While they might feel like family, that doesnt mean the sharks consent to being used as props in a social media posta lesson some people have unfortunately learned the hard way. Earlier this year, a tourist vacationing in the Caribbean was allegedly trying to take a photo of a bull shark swimming in shallow waters when it bit off both her hands. Although sharks are not naturally inclined to bite humans, they are wild predators that will act in self-defense. Researchers examined a global database known as the Shark Attack Files and found more than 300 incidents fitting the same defensive pattern, dating back to the 1800s. Most of these bites involved small and medium-size sharks, including gray reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and nurse sharks. When it comes to great whites, which are more dangerous, humans are generally wise enough to steer clear. People know the difference between a [Yorkshire terrier] and a pit bull, whereas they dont know the difference between a blacktip reef shark and a bull shark, which are their marine equivalents, Clua said. They are responsible for fewer than 10 human deaths a year worldwide. Whereas dogs are responsible for more than 10,000 deaths and are perceived positively by the public. Even using the term shark attack is misleading, researchers argue, as it creates the perception of sharks as aggressors and undermines conservation efforts that rely on public support. Around 100 million sharks are killed annually (about 274,000 per day), targeted for their fins, meat, and as bycatch. As it stands, they have more reason to be scared of you than you have of them. So, if you find yourself swimming alongside a shark, the scientific advice is simple: Look, don’t touch.
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