In the wake of Steven Spielberg's two Jurassic Park blockbusters, Disney's animated PG-rated Dinosaur movie now goes into wide release. That total arguably approximates the number of anti-NRA Mother's Day protesters who marched on the Washington Mall. Commuter buses and heavy trucks belching clouds of carcinogenic pollutants are the latest target of the Environmental Protection Agency. Last year, the EPA announced tough new tailpipe and fuel standards for cars, SUVs, and light rigs to curb noxious emissions. The latest initiative to rid traffic-choked cities of vehicular smog and soot would set strict new standards for cleaner diesel engines and fuel.
Oil companies are opposed, but engine manufacturers and the trucking industry approve.
That's EPA's good news. Now the bad. In its zeal to tackle social problems, Congress sometimes passes laws and worries about their legality later. The justices could soon follow suit when the court decides if arson in a private home is a federal crime. Only cases involving interstate commerce, says the conservative majority, belong in federal court.