Farm Bill Launches Sweeping New Secrecy Initiative

May 21, 2008–New language added to the 2007/08 Farm Bill by conferees at the 11th hour could create a sweeping new secrecy mandate that would prohibit the Agriculture Department from disclosing almost any information about individual US farm operations.

White House Issues Policy Keeping Much Unclassified Info Secret

May 21, 2008–Inspection reports on badly maintained dams - or information on what homes would be swept away if they failed?

EPA SCIENTISTS COMPLAIN OF BEING GAGGED, POLITICAL PRESSURE TO ALTER SCIENCE

May 7, 2008– Hundreds of EPA scientists are complaining that they are being pressured by political appointees who run EPA to alter their scientific findings to support the administration's deregulatory agenda, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

IS USDA SWITCHING SECRECY STRATEGY FOR FEEDLOT PHONE BOOK?

May 7, 2008–House and Senate conferees have dropped from the 2007 Farm Bill language that would keep secret the names and addresses of feedlot operators. Faced with recent defeats in both Congress and the courts, the USDA and meat industry, both of whom seem determined to keep such information secret, may be shifting their strategy to trying to accomplish the same result by using Privacy Act regulations.

Earmarks 101: All Pork Is a Local Story

April 23, 2008–In every Congressional district - including yours - there are dozens of "pork barrel" politics stories.

League of Conservation Voters Releases Annual "Scorecard"

March 5, 2008–Scorecard reports environmental records of US Representatives and Senators

Access to congress: A Few Coverage Tips and Tricks

February 27, 2008–The U.S. Congress can be even more frustrating to cover than executive agencies.

EPA Greeenhouse Reporting Rules Goes Forward Despite White House

February 27, 2008–Congress mandated a mandatory "registry" of greenhouse gas emissions with $3.5 million tucked into the final fiscal 2008 omnibus appropriations bill it passed late in 2007.

NASA Holds Tele-Presser on Earth Science Program, Thursday, Jan. 24

January 23, 2008–NASA to hold media briefing Jan. 24 for planned Earth Science program activities.

NIEHS Follow-Up: Assurances of a Robust, Independent Journal?

December 12, 2007–Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), the embattled flagship journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has a new editor-in-chief - Hugh A. Tilson. But will he have the editorial independence NIEHS leaders have promised him?