On Thursday morningK the Environmental Protection Agency sent out a press release containing praise for President Donald Trump's executive order that rolls back Obama-era climate change rules.
But the agency's press office made an obvious mistake in the first paragraph, which included harshly critical comments attributed to West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican coal booster and prominent Trump supporter.
The quote, falsely attributed to Capito, actually belonged to Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, a Democrat.
SEE ALSO: Enjoy NOAA's vital satellite imagery, while you still canYet Carper's statement was far closer to the truth of what the Trump administration did when it ordered the EPA to begin the process of dismantling key greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs and other policies aimed at reducing harmful pollution.
The release quoted Capito as saying: "President Trump has chosen to recklessly bury his head in the sand. Walking away from the Clean Power Plan and other climate initiatives... is not just irresponsible -- it is irrational."
Doesn't exactly sound like praise, does it?
The statement went on to say that Trump's executive order goes against the "clear science" on climate change.
In reality, Trump, along with EPA chief Scott Pruitt, denies the mainstream science on climate change, and has called the exhaustively documented phenomenon a "hoax."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The EPA press office then corrected the statement, noting that it got the two senators' statements mixed up, as one does when their views and party are diametrically opposed to one another.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The mistake was especially strange because Capito had been singled out for praise during the signing ceremony at the EPA on Tuesday, which brought coal miners to the agency that wrote the climate policies Trump is trying to erase.
Capito's actual statement is far more supportive: "If fully implemented, the Clean Power Plan would have completely decimated West Virginia's vital coal industry while having no meaningful climate impact," she said.
The EPA press shop apologized for the mixup. "We apologize for the error and are making sure that our process is improved as we build out our team," the statement said.
The Trump administration has proposed gutting the EPA's budget while eviscerating its ability to regulate carbon dioxide and methane emissions that are causing global warming. Huge cuts would hit the agency's science programs in particular.
Given the hostility to Pruitt within the agency, it's possible (though not likely) that the press release on Thursday was not a mixup, but rather an act of civil disobedience.
If so, more power to the bureaucrat who pulled it off.
This fat bear's before and after photos are stunning
More UFOs Than Ever Before by Rich Cohen
Reimagining Masculinity by Ocean Vuong
Redux: Even Forests Engage in a Form of Family Planning by The Paris Review
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 23
How to Imitate George Saunders by Benjamin Nugent
The Evil Stepmother by Sabrina Orah Mark
Staff Picks: Diamonds, Dionysus, and Drowning by The Paris Review
The Story Behind the Home of Forgotten Video Games
Goatherd, Storyteller, Master by Brian Ransom
The State of 5G: When It's Coming, How Fast It Will Be & The Sci
The Evil Stepmother by Sabrina Orah Mark
The Myth of the Artistic Genius by Cody Delistraty
We Lived Here by Jill Talbot
A worthless juicer and a Gipper-branded server
TV specs explained: A simplified TV buying guide
Staff Picks: Royals, Rothkos, and Realizations by The Paris Review
The Silence of Witches by Sabrina Orah Mark
Best Amazon deal: Get a $5 Amazon credit when you spend $30 on home essentials
Staring at a Digital Black Hole by Amir Ahmadi Arian
'Harry Potter' first edition worth £40,000 among super rare books stolen from warehouseThese Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dolls are the stuff of nightmaresGoogle's 'speed update' will prioritize speed on mobile searches'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' mobile game enrolls you in a virtual wizarding schoolHODL becomes a rallying cry in the midst of cryptocurrency crashStudio Ghibli's legacy continues with 'Mary and the Witch's Flower'Tim Cook says users will be able to turn off iPhone slowdown 'feature'StubHub adds augmented reality to its app in time for the Super Bowl'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' mobile game enrolls you in a virtual wizarding schoolMicrosoft announces release date for 'Age of Empires: Definitive Edition'Facebook updates News Feed ranking 'trusted sources' to stop fake news'Get Out' director Jordan Peele says he's done with the acting gameJustin Baldoni's new web series wants to help men growApple is opening another campus, but won't say where yetQuit everything, 'Chicken nugget tasteDeadpool wished Betty White a happy birthdayAly Raisman: The more we talk about sexual assault and 'uncomfortable issues,' the betterBMW says it will produce an allAly Raisman: The more we talk about sexual assault and 'uncomfortable issues,' the betterCybersecurity report reveals malicious Dark Caracal phishing campaign Uber adds 3 new features to ease your holiday travel Bluesky reacts to Matt Gaetz withdrawal as Trump's attorney general nominee When do Black Friday sales start? Early holiday deals are already here. 'Alien: Romulus's biggest cameo is its greatest error Trump divides the adult content industry. He also might ban it. OpenAI accidentally deleted potential evidence in New York Times copyright lawsuit case Windmill Air sitewide sale [November 2024]: Get 20% off everything Best Black Friday Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition deal: Save $45 Wordle today: The answer and hints for November 20 'Scattered Spider' scammers charged in sophisticated, million Best Black Friday headphones deal: Save $100 on the Beats Solo 4 Shop early Black Friday deals on Kindles Wordle today: The answer and hints for November 21 Best Black Friday Samsung OLED TV deal: Get the 65 Best Black Friday PS5 deal: Save $75 on PS5 console How to use AirPods Pro as hearing aids Today's Hurdle hints and answers for November 21 Best Amazon Black Friday deal: The Google Nest Doorbell is 46% off during the Black Friday sale NYT Connections hints and answers for November 20: Tips to solve 'Connections' #528. France vs. Argentina 2024 livestream: Watch Autumn Internationals for free