Prosecutors formally charged Mr. DiNardo, who knew the victims, with all four murders and Mr. Kratz with three of them, and both men face a host of related charges.

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On Thursday, a lawyer for Mr. DiNardo said his client confessed in an agreement that would spare him the death penalty.

Officials said the murders sprang from three separate deals to sell the victims between a few ounces and four pounds of marijuana last week. But they had no explanation for the larger question of why relatively small-time drug transactions would set off a killing spree.

“I’m not really sure if we could ever answer that question,” Matthew D. Weintraub, the Bucks County district attorney, said at a news conference.

The arrest of Mr. Kratz, who has a history of burglary, theft and related arrests, widened the scope of an already sprawling case, one that has transfixed the Philadelphia region, with frequent live TV updates and helicopters hovering over the farm in affluent Solebury Township while authorities dug with cadaver-sniffing dogs.

Mr. Weintraub said that excavations on the farm, which is owned by Mr. DiNardo’s parents, had yielded four bodies positively identified as the missing men: Jimi Taro Patrick, 19; Dean Finocchiaro, 19; Thomas Meo, 21; and Mark Sturgis, 22.

Mr. DiNardo has been described by prosecutors, his own lawyers and the police as mentally ill — last summer, he was sent involuntarily to a mental hospital — and another young man who socialized with him and two of the victims said Mr. DiNardo had talked about killing people and having people killed.

Mr. DiNardo lived 30 miles south of the farm with his parents in a four-bedroom stucco house with a pool in Bensalem. The close-in Philadelphia suburb is overlaid with strip malls, and where an American-born population mixes with immigrant strivers from Asia and the Middle East.

Mr. DiNardo’s grandfather, for whom he was named, acquired numerous properties in Philadelphia and in Bucks County, including storefronts and an apartment house. Before his death, he worked with his son, Antonio DiNardo, to build homes on Wayland Circle in Bensalem, a cul-de-sac where the family still lives. A neighbor said that, as a teenager, Cosmo DiNardo would volunteer to cut lawns and shovel snow. “Cosmo has been a baby to us,” said the neighbor, a physician who asked to be identified by only his first name, Abid, to protect his privacy.

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But Mr. DiNardo was no baby to Bensalem police, whose chief, Frederick Harran, said the department had 30 contacts with him since 2011.

Only one of those contacts had led to an arrest: In February, officers responding to reports of gunfire found Mr. DiNardo in a car with a 20-gauge shotgun. He had been prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior hospital commitment.

Mr. DiNardo graduated in 2015 from Holy Ghost Prep, a private Catholic high school in Bensalem, and attended Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa., for one semester. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mr. DiNardo was barred from returning to the school after making disturbing remarks.

The complaints filed against the two men stated that Mr. Kratz admitted he intended to rob some of the victims, and to being present for three of the killings — but not to taking part in any of them.

Mr. DiNardo told investigators that on July 5, he agreed to sell Mr. Patrick, who was a year behind him at Holy Ghost Prep, four pounds of marijuana for $8,000. Mr. Patrick, the only one of either the victims or the accused enrolled in college, had just finished his freshman year at Loyola University in Baltimore.

Mr. DiNardo drove his former schoolmate to the farm in Bucks County, not far from the art colony and quaint tourist destination of New Hope.

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There, the complaints said, Mr. Patrick admitted that he had only $800, and Mr. DiNardo offered to sell him a shotgun instead.

Instead of going through with the gun sale, Mr. DiNardo shot and killed Mr. Patrick with a .22-caliber rifle, the complaints said. He then drove a backhoe to the site, dug a hole and buried the body.

The location was so remote, the district attorney said, that if Mr. DiNardo had not told police exactly where the body was, “I don’t know if we would ever have found it.”

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On July 7, two days later, both suspects told investigators, they drove to Mr. Finocchiaro’s home in Middletown, ostensibly to sell him four ounces of marijuana, but decided on the way to rob him instead. Mr. DiNardo said he had taken a Smith Wesson .357 Magnum handgun that belonged to his mother.

Each suspect claimed that, after driving him to the Solebury site, the other one shot Mr. Finocchiaro in a barn.

Mr. DiNardo wrapped the body in a blue tarp and used the backhoe to put it into a metal tank he called “the pig roaster,” which Mr. Weintraub, the district attorney, described as “an old oil tank that had been converted into a cooker.”

Both suspects said Mr. DiNardo had arranged another meeting that night to sell marijuana to Mr. Meo, who showed up with his friend, Mr. Sturgis. The young men were childhood friends who worked for a construction company owned by Mr. Sturgis’s father. They drove with Mr. DiNardo in his silver 2016 Ford pickup truck to the farm, where Mr. Kratz was waiting.

“When they turn their backs on me, I shot Tom in the back” with the Smith Wesson, the complaints quoted Mr. DiNardo as saying. Both suspects recalled Mr. Meo falling to the ground, screaming, while Mr. Sturgis ran and Mr. DiNardo shooting him as he fled.

The complaints said that Mr. DiNardo ran out of ammunition and, to make sure Mr. Meo was dead, he drove over him with the backhoe.

Mr. DiNardo used the backhoe to put both bodies into the same tank that held Mr. Finocchiaro’s body, poured gasoline on them, and lit it.

“There was an attempt to burn the bodies, to deface them, to obliterate them, but I don’t believe it was successful,” Mr. Weintraub said.

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Both suspects said that they returned to the farm the next day, according to the complaints. Mr. DiNardo used the backhoe to dig a hole and then put the three partly burned bodies into it. That day, Mr. DiNardo gave two guns, the Smith Wesson and an Intratec 9-millimeter pistol, to Mr. Kratz, who later told investigators where to find them.

It was that same day that investigators began to focus on the farm, after detecting a signal there from Mr. Finocchiaro’s cellphone.

Before this arrest, Mr. Kratz, who lives in Ambler, in neighboring Montgomery County, faced criminal charges three times in eight months. Two of those cases, both in Philadelphia, are still pending: He was arrested in June 2016, and again this past February, and each time he was charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, and related charges.

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The revised GOP ObamaCare replacement bill is testing the promises that centrist Republicans have made during the legislative debate.

Several moderate Republican senators previously raised alarm with an amendment from Sen. Ted CruzTed CruzNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Insurers warn Cruz provision will ‘skyrocket’ premiums for sick people Pence pitches governors on ObamaCare repeal bill MORE (R-Texas) that they worried would undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions. They also expressed opposition to the deep Medicaid cuts in the bill.

Now, the Cruz amendment has been included in the bill and the Medicaid cuts remain, putting centrists on the spot. 

So far, Sen. Susan CollinsSusan CollinsNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Pence pitches governors on ObamaCare repeal bill GOP budget would cause irreparable damage – but there is a way out MORE (R-Maine) is the only moderate to oppose the measure, with the others saying they are undecided and still reviewing it.

Whether leaders can flip these moderate Republican senators will decide whether the bill lives or dies. Collins and conservative Sen. Rand PaulRand PaulNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Pence pitches governors on ObamaCare repeal bill Kasich opposes revised Senate ObamaCare repeal bill MORE (R-Ky.) have already announced their opposition, so one more “no” vote would sink the bill.   

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has been one of the most vocal Republicans on the issue of protecting people with pre-existing conditions, touting the “Jimmy Kimmel test,” that no one should be denied care.

He praised the previous version of the bill, which did not include the Cruz amendment, as being “very cognizant of pre-existing conditions.” 

Cassidy says he is still reviewing and making up his mind about the revised bill.

The Cruz provision would allow insurers to sell plans that do not meet ObamaCare’s requirements, including the ban on discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. Conservatives argue this would allow younger and healthier people to buy cheaper plans.

Moderates and many health experts, though, warn that only sick people would remain in the more generous ObamaCare plans, leading to price spikes for people with pre-existing conditions. That dynamic could make coverage prohibitively expensive for some.

Sen. Chuck GrassleyChuck GrassleyNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Co-founder of firm behind Trump-Russia dossier won’t testify before Senate Overnight Cybersecurity: Trump dodges on Putin hacking denial | Senate panel wants Trump Jr. to testify | House approves cyber amendments to defense bill MORE (R-Iowa) warned earlier this month that the Cruz amendment could be “subterfuge to get around pre-existing conditions [protections],” according to Iowa Public Radio.

Now that the amendment has been included, Grassley’s office says he is studying the bill and awaiting an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office that is scheduled for release on Monday.

The revised bill does include $70 billion aimed at helping bring down costs for people with pre-existing conditions remaining in the ObamaCare plans.

But the inclusion of the amendment appears to break from the previous GOP line that protections for people with pre-existing conditions were not being touched.

“We’re not going to do anything to change the current law when it comes to pre-existing conditions, I know which is a big concern with the House bill,” Sen. John CornynJohn CornynNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise GOP budget would cause irreparable damage – but there is a way out The Hill’s 12:30 Report MORE (R-Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said last month.

Separately, moderates had also objected to the Medicaid cuts in the initial Senate bill. The language ended funds for ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion in 2024 and imposed a lower cap on Medicaid spending starting in 2025.

Those cuts remain in the newer version of the bill, though the new measure does add $45 billion in additional funding for opioid abuse treatment.

Moderates such as Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Moore CapitoNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Centrist Republicans push back on GOP healthcare bill  Five takeaways from the GOP’s healthcare reboot MORE (R-W.Va.) had previously said that opioid funding was not enough to win their support for the bill and that they needed Medicaid changes as well. 

“More opioid funding would be very good and very beneficial, but the core for me is the Medicaid provision,” Capito said last month. 

Capito says she is reviewing the latest bill and waiting for the CBO analysis.

Other senators have taken even stronger positions in defense of ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion.

« You have to protect Medicaid expansion states. That’s what I want, » Sen. Dean HellerDean HellerNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Pence pitches governors on ObamaCare repeal bill Trump touts GOP healthcare bill in weekly address MORE (R-Nev.) said at a press conference last month announcing his opposition to the original bill in strong terms.

Sen. Lisa MurkowskiLisa MurkowskiNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Centrist Republicans push back on GOP healthcare bill  Five takeaways from the GOP’s healthcare reboot MORE (R-Alaska), who is also still reviewing the bill, likewise said last month that, “my position on Medicaid expansion and my support for it hasn’t changed.”

Some of the moderates have suggested their concerns with the Cruz amendment have been eased by the fact that the language does not repeal ObamaCare’s requirement that there be a single “risk pool,” helping prevent the market from splitting in two — one for healthy people in cheaper plans, and one for sick people in expensive plans.

“There are some other issues but there is an attempt at a single risk pool,” Cassidy said of the Cruz amendment on Thursday. 

However, experts dispute that there would, in practice, be a single market if the amendment became law. 

Sabrina Corlette, a professor at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, said the requirement for a single risk pool is an “illusory requirement,” and that in effect, sick people would be in a separate pool and “have to pay a heck of a lot more.”

Joe Antos, a healthcare expert at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, agreed that the market would in effect be split into healthy and sick pools under the amendment, and argued that there is not enough money in the bill to make coverage affordable for people left in the sick pool, where the plans still comply with the ObamaCare regulations.

“You have to pour a lot more money into the compliant plans to make this work,” Antos said.

It is possible that more moderates will announce their opposition after reviewing the bill, though they will be under intense pressure from leaders to support it.

“It’s 172 pages, guys,” Heller told reporters on the way to his car on Thursday. “So I’ve got a weekend of reading.”

Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are turning to content marketing to draw in potential customers, without directly selling or advertising to them.

This marketing method involves text articles, videos or social media posts about a business’s product or service that aren’t explicitly promotional. It’s about stimulating interest around a relevant subject, rather than posting about a promotion or product launch.

Here, SME owners and experts share their tips on how to master your next piece of content marketing.

It’s all about value

A common mistake that many businesses make when it comes to content marketing is not adding any value to their product or service, thinks Janet Murray, the founder of online business PR community, Soulful PR.

“Effective content marketing should be about answering customer questions more generally about the area in which you operate,”
she explains. This not only gives you an opportunity to help customers, but also talk about what you sell at the same time.

“For example, if you offer accountancy services, you might create a blog post about how to find a great accountant – or if you make laundry bags, you might one that compares the costs and features of different bags, including those of competitors.”

It’s an approach that worked well for online photo printing company, PhotoBox, which created a guide to hanging canvas prints, which
it also sells, says the firm’s search engine optimisation (SEO) executive, Matt Johnson. “We broke it down into simple steps and even created a video, which is the most digestible and shareable type of content for this kind of topic. We received more than 12,000 views in just under a month,” he says.

As a result of the content, sales increased by 50pc in three weeks.

Remain relevant

For content that will be better read and shared, stay on top of what’s taking place in the news and on social media, advises Laure Moye, owner of boutique cake and chocolate business, Pudding Fairy.

“If a relevant topic comes up in the news, I use it to create a new, fresh and current piece of content that can be distributed quickly.”

She suggests taking 15 minutes each morning to research the top trends of the day. “I set up Google Alerts (a service that sends a list of daily articles to the user that match certain search terms) for keywords such as ‘wedding trends’ and ‘cake trends’ – and chefs whom I admire.

“For example, an alert once brought up a report on the cost of weddings, so I used that idea for a blog post about how much a cake might cost.”

To attract attention to these posts, use trending hashtags on Twitter and Instagram when posting your content,
so that as many people as possible see your article or video, she adds.

Focus on results

SMEs must keep track of how many products or services were sold as a result of their content marketing, explains Tim Gibbon, founder and editor of news information directory, the Social Media Portal.

Record the metrics that demonstrate how audiences reacted to an article, video or series, he says. “The very nature of the activity
or campaign needs to be defined beforehand to assign the right key performance indicators (KPIs) and in turn calculate the return on investment.”

Importantly, measure campaigns in ways that relate to the type of content. For example, video content should be measured by at least view counts, social media shares and comments.

Mr Gibbon adds that, ideally, businesses should be looking at the traffic driven back to a defined destination, such as a product purchase or information page.

He suggests using web analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to record the data.

However, warns Mr Gibbon, SMEs should remember that while results are the goal, they shouldn’t be at the expense of content that won’t resonate with your target audience. If a story doesn’t have a meaning or purpose, people won’t read it, which doesn’t help them or you.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GRX Marketing and Creative Pharmacist announce they have formed an
exclusive partnership. The partnership aims to bring a new video
marketing service for independent pharmacy owners to utilize on their
digital media platforms. GRX Marketing is a leading provider of
customized marketing solutions to independents, and Creative Pharmacist
are pioneers in the industry in providing clinical pharmacy solutions
for this market.

Video has gained popularity in marketing to consumers, and become a
viable way for businesses not only to sell, but educate consumers as
well. According to Animoto, 95% of viewers retain a message they watch
compared to only 10% seeing it in text.

Through this partnership, independent pharmacy owners can receive
high-quality, educational videos, created by the Creative Pharmacist
team, to market their services via social media, on their website, or
through email campaigns. « In today’s landscape, utilizing video
marketing within the pharmacy’s social media and web campaigns is
vital, » said David Pope, PharmD, CDE, Chief of Innovation at Creative
Pharmacist. « The combination of our technology and targeted videos with
the expertise of the team at GRX Marketing will be a powerful resource
for pharmacies looking to take the next step in their marketing efforts. »

GRX Marketing will execute the marketing of the videos, on the various
platforms on the owner’s behalf, allowing them to easily promote their
services without the burden of writing, creating and marketing the
videos. ‘We are thrilled with to team up with Creative Pharmacist, as we
are always looking for new, initiative ways for our clients to promote
their services, and this partnership provides that unique opportunity,”
states Nicolle McClure, President of GRX Marketing.

GRX Marketing, part of GRX Holdings, LLC is in West Des Moines, IA. The
company is also the single overall owner of 20 independent pharmacy
locations in the central Iowa area. For more information about GRX
Marketing, visit www.pharmacymarketing.com.

Creative Pharmacist was co-founded by a community pharmacist and a
technology expert in 2008, Creative Pharmacist, developer of the STRAND®
clinical platform, is the U.S. market leader in helping pharmacists
launch clinical services within their community. They support community
pharmacists across the country in engaging patients with chronic
disease, such as diabetes, through STRAND®, a wide-reaching
intervention, documentation, and education platform capable of
developing the new Pharmacist eCare plan. Their mission is to transform
the community pharmacy marketplace by inspiring and empowering
pharmacists to engage clinical pharmacy practice to improve both the
health of their business and the health of their patients. For more
information, please visit: www.creativepharmacist.com.

The most recent changes to the GOP’s healthcare plan did little to appease healthcare groups that have opposed the bill from the beginning. 

The legislation adds more money to address the opioid epidemic, aims to help insurers with expensive patients and includes an amendment from Sen. Ted CruzTed CruzHealth groups: Revised GOP health bill not an improvement Poll: Americans rank national security higher than ObamaCare heading into midterms Centrist Republicans push back on GOP healthcare bill  MORE (R-Texas) that allows insurers to sell plans that don’t comply with ObamaCare regulations, as long as they also sell plans that do. 

It also keeps ObamaCare taxes on high earners. 

But many of the issues in the bill that could affect the most vulnerable remain unaddressed, the groups say.

The bill keeps billions of dollars of cuts to Medicaid and rolls back ObamaCare’s expansion of it by 2024. 

“The revised bill does not address the key concerns of physicians and patients regarding proposed Medicaid cuts and inadequate subsidies that will result in millions of Americans losing health insurance coverage, » American Medical Association President David O. Barbe said in a statement Friday. 

He noted that while more money to address the opioid epidemic is a « positive step, » those suffering from substance abuse disorders « have other healthcare needs that are not likely to be addressed if they lose coverage through a rollback of the Medicaid expansion. » 

American Hospital Association President Rick Pollack said the bill would mean « real consequences for real people. » 

« Among them people with chronic conditions such as cancer, individuals with disabilities who need long-term services and support, and the elderly. »

« Instead of merely tweaking a proposal that would harm our most vulnerable, we again call on the Senate to advance a solution aimed at protecting coverage for all Americans who currently have it. Instead of merely putting forth an update, we again call on the Senate to put forth an upgrade, » he said. 

Darrel Kirch, president of the Association of American Medical Colleges, said the bill falls « woefully short » in providing comprehensive, affordable coverage to Americans. 

Kirch also warned that the Cruz amendment would hurt people with preexisting conditions. 

« Allowing insurers to sell plans without meaningful coverage will hurt those with preexisting conditions and further destabilize insurance markets, » he said. 

Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, also said the Cruz amendment would make healthcare coverage « worse » for those with pre-existing conditions, like cancer.

“This bill would leave patients and those with pre-existing conditions paying more for less coverage and would substantially erode the progress our nation has been trying to make in providing affordable, adequate and meaningful coverage to all Americans, » he said. 

“Allowing insurance companies to sell bare-bones, tax-credit eligible, catastrophic plans would create a segmented insurance market and essentially return cancer patients, survivors and anyone with a serious illness to an underfunded high-risk pool where a patients’ out-of-pocket costs could be unaffordable and coverage potentially inadequate. »

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GRX Marketing and Creative Pharmacist announce they have formed an
exclusive partnership. The partnership aims to bring a new video
marketing service for independent pharmacy owners to utilize on their
digital media platforms. GRX Marketing is a leading provider of
customized marketing solutions to independents, and Creative Pharmacist
are pioneers in the industry in providing clinical pharmacy solutions
for this market.

Video has gained popularity in marketing to consumers, and become a
viable way for businesses not only to sell, but educate consumers as
well. According to Animoto, 95% of viewers retain a message they watch
compared to only 10% seeing it in text.

Through this partnership, independent pharmacy owners can receive
high-quality, educational videos, created by the Creative Pharmacist
team, to market their services via social media, on their website, or
through email campaigns. « In today’s landscape, utilizing video
marketing within the pharmacy’s social media and web campaigns is
vital, » said David Pope, PharmD, CDE, Chief of Innovation at Creative
Pharmacist. « The combination of our technology and targeted videos with
the expertise of the team at GRX Marketing will be a powerful resource
for pharmacies looking to take the next step in their marketing efforts. »

GRX Marketing will execute the marketing of the videos, on the various
platforms on the owner’s behalf, allowing them to easily promote their
services without the burden of writing, creating and marketing the
videos. ‘We are thrilled with to team up with Creative Pharmacist, as we
are always looking for new, initiative ways for our clients to promote
their services, and this partnership provides that unique opportunity,”
states Nicolle McClure, President of GRX Marketing.

GRX Marketing, part of GRX Holdings, LLC is in West Des Moines, IA. The
company is also the single overall owner of 20 independent pharmacy
locations in the central Iowa area. For more information about GRX
Marketing, visit www.pharmacymarketing.com.

Creative Pharmacist was co-founded by a community pharmacist and a
technology expert in 2008, Creative Pharmacist, developer of the STRAND®
clinical platform, is the U.S. market leader in helping pharmacists
launch clinical services within their community. They support community
pharmacists across the country in engaging patients with chronic
disease, such as diabetes, through STRAND®, a wide-reaching
intervention, documentation, and education platform capable of
developing the new Pharmacist eCare plan. Their mission is to transform
the community pharmacy marketplace by inspiring and empowering
pharmacists to engage clinical pharmacy practice to improve both the
health of their business and the health of their patients. For more
information, please visit: www.creativepharmacist.com.

‘AU REVOIR’ TO A CLIMATE BREAKTHROUGH: President Trump and France President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Paris climate deal during a bilateral meeting in the French capital Thursday, but did not move any closer to a consensus on the issue.

Macron has been among the most vocal critics of Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the climate accord, and pledged to press Trump on the issue during their meeting in Paris this week.

But, Macron reported during a joint press conference on Thursday, « there is nothing new and unprecedented » on the issue.

« Something could happen with respect to the Paris accord. We’ll see what happens, » Trump said, though he often uses a similar answer when he doesn’t want to commit to a particular policy position.

« But we’ll talk about that in the coming period of time. If it happens, that will be wonderful. If it doesn’t that’s ok, too. »

Macron said he would « leave the United States to work on its road map » when it comes to energy and environment policies.

But he said the stark disagreement on climate change wouldn’t affect work between the U.S. and France on issues like terrorism and the Middle East.

« Here we know what our disagreements are — we have expressed them on a number of occasions — but I think it is important that we can continue to talk about it, » Macron said of the Paris deal.

« Should it have an impact on discussions we’re having on all the other topics? Absolutely not. »

Read more here.

Trump revives 2016 energy fight:  On his way to Paris on Wednesday, Trump used an Air Force One discussion with reporters to launch another attack on his 2016 foe Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonTrump Jr. pitch was part of broad Russian effort Lynch distances herself from Russian lawyer after Trump attack Overnight Cybersecurity: Trump dodges on Putin hacking denial | Senate panel wants Trump Jr. to testify | House approves cyber amendments to defense bill MORE‘s energy agenda.

The president said the country’s oil and natural gas surge is a geopolitical advantage over Russia, and he claimed « your energy prices right now would be double » if Clinton had won last November’s election instead of him.

« I’m a tremendous fracker, coal, natural gas, alternate energy, wind — everything, right? » Trump said, according to a transcript of the interaction released Thursday. « But I’m going to produce much, much more energy than anyone else who was ever running for office. Ever. »

Trump also said he was « not joking » about his plan, floated last month, to put solar panels on a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

« There is a chance that we can do a solar wall, » Trump said. « We have major companies looking at that. »

Read more about the solar wall here, and the Clinton answer here.

EPA METHANE RULE BACK ON ICE: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can once again pause the Obama administration’s methane rule, if only briefly.

The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Thursday ordered that its decision last week rejecting the EPA’s delay of the regulation could itself be delayed for 14 days while the Trump administration considers whether to appeal the ruling.

The court wrote in a brief order that putting the rule on hold « for longer would hand the agency, in all practical effect, the very delay in implementation this panel determined to be » illegal.

The same court had ruled July 3 that the EPA overstepped its authority under the Clean Air Act when it put a 90-day pause on the Obama administration’s rule limiting methane emissions from oil and gas drilling operations.

The judges said their ruling would take effect immediately, meaning the EPA had to start enforcing the regulation.

Justice Department attorneys asked this week for the court to hold off on enforcing its ruling for 52 days, which they said is standard in D.C. Circuit Court cases.

The Thursday order means the EPA can once again stop enforcing the methane rule. But without further court action, the agency would have to start enforcing it.

Read more here.

ZINKE LETS TWO MONUMENTS STAY: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wants President Trump to keep two national monument designations without any changes.

While Zinke’s recommendation doesn’t necessarily mean Trump won’t try to change the protections, the conclusions for Idaho’s Craters of the Moon and Washington’s Hanford Reach mean they are likely safe.

The Thursday announcement came amid a wide-ranging review by Zinke of more than two-dozen national monuments designated over the last two decades. Trump may try to eliminate some of the monuments, though conservationists say he does not have the authority to do that.

« When the President and I began the monument review process we absolutely realized that not all monuments are the same and that not all monuments would require modifications, » Zinke said in a statement.

Read more here.

ON TAP FRIDAY:

The House Natural Resources Committee’s federal land subpanel will hold a hearing on four proposed bills in its jurisdiction.

AROUND THE WEB:

Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, signaled support for the controversial Atlantic Coast pipeline, Southside Daily reports.

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) testified Thursday in dire tones at a state Senate hearing, urging lawmakers to vote for a bill to extend a cap-and-trade program, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune examines one Democrat’s effort to balance climate change and his district’s mining industry. (A story on which we have many thoughts.)

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out Thursday’s stories …

-House defeats amendment to strip climate study from defense bill

-Trump: Not joking about solar wall

-Trump: Russia knows ‘I’m going to produce much more energy’ than Clinton would have

-Court lets EPA put drilling pollution rule on hold

-Trump, Macron fail to break deadlock on Paris climate deal

-2 national monuments safe from Trump administration’s review

-Trump admin approves oil company’s Arctic drilling plan

-Trump set for climate confrontation in Paris

Please send tips and comments to Timothy Cama, tcama@thehill.com and Devin Henry dhenry@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Timothy_Cama, @dhenry, @thehill