A top Bush campaign contributor could benefit from an EPA decision to weaken a Clinton-era proposal to restrict handling of certain hazardous wastes. The rule, originally proposed under Clinton, would have enforced stringent handling restrictions on factory shop towels contaminated with solvents that can harm the health of workers. However, during the Bush administration, industry advocates were allowed to view an advanced copy of the regulation and propose changes, which were then adopted by the EPA, according to the Washington Post.

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that it will allow up to 720 snowmobiles per day in Yellowstone, beginning this coming winter, while it works on a final rule on that matter. Despite a January federal court ruling rebuking the administration's efforts to reinstate the use of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park, NPS announced August 19 a plan that would allow snowmobile access to Yellowstone for up to three years while it drafts a new rule setting standards for snowmobile use.

The absence of new legislative authority has not deterred the Bush administration from using its executive powers to widely implement its Faith-Based Initiative throughout the federal government. That is the finding of a new report by the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy documents. Among the report's findings:

• President Bush has aggressively advanced his Faith-Based Initiative through executive orders, rule changes, and managerial realignment in federal agencies.

City of Fort Smith officials are seeking to change Arkansas' state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) after they were caught violating the law by having secret discussions about a real estate purchase. The city administrator privately polled Fort Smith's Board of Directors via telephone to get approval to bid on real estate being publicly auctioned. City officials contend that if the matter had been discussed publicly, the city would have paid more as knowledge of their top price would have driven up bids. Therefore, the secrecy served the taxpayers' interest.