As journalists ramp up the cultivation of potential sources within government, WatchDog provides a guide to leaking and whistleblowing. What actions does the law cover? How are whistleblowers protected? What about reporter-source privilege and shield laws? Plus, is there a U.S. EPA policy on talking to media anyway?
With the White House trying to revive coal as a key component of the power grid, environmental reporters can find many stories in what's happening to individual plants in their area. The latest TipSheet walks you through locating local plants, digging deeper with databases and tracing regulation of non-CO2 pollutants.
"When Mike Cox quit, he did so with gusto. After 25 years, he retired last week from the Environmental Protection Agency with a tough message for the boss, Administrator Scott Pruitt."
"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is shutting down a program at its headquarters that helps states and localities adapt to the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels."
"Alaska’s two Republican senators have introduced a bill that would repeal Obama administration restrictions on off-shore drilling and allow for oil production in the Arctic Ocean."
"A bipartisan group of senators on Friday introduced a bill to permanently reauthorize the nation’s main conservation fund."
"The Trump administration has given its strongest indication to date it may not stand in the way of lawsuits aimed at undoing Obama-era environmental protections for smog-forming pollutants."
"The White House is taking steps that could open up new areas of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans to offshore oil and gas drilling, according to multiple individuals briefed on the proposal."
"President Trump appointed a new regulatory czar Friday. Neomi Rao, an associate law professor at George Mason University, was nominated to run the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)."
"The Trump administration has failed to fill crucial public health positions across the government, leaving the nation ill-prepared to face one of its greatest potential threats: a pandemic outbreak of a deadly infections disease, according to experts in health and national security."
