Judge delays coal-lease case with DOI poised to act

A federal district judge has granted a request by the Biden administration and plaintiffs to hold in abeyance a case over the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) coal lease program for six months, while the administration decides next steps -- a decision that is expected soon, according to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. The court’s decision to agree to a six-month delay is a departure for both the judge, Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana,...