A federal judge in Louisiana doubled down on his previous ruling on the Biden administration’s pause on oil and gas leasing late last week, effectively ordering the administration to resume leasing. Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee, issued the ruling just a day after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled his earlier injunction against the administration’s leasing pause lacked specificity. The lawsuit against Biden’s executive order was brought by 13 states, headed by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Some legal observers say the administration was unlikely to reinstate the pause on leasing anyway because of leasing requirements in the Inflation Reduction Act. (E&E News, Reuters, Politico Pro $, Courthouse News, The Hill, Truthout)