Government

NASA Portal Can Lead Reporters to Universe of Data

For environmental journalists looking for data riches to help tell their stories — whether about urban heat islands, sea-surface temperatures or air pollution — NASA has the satellites whose sensors capture insights galore. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers an introduction to the U.S. space agency’s incredibly extensive data portal, and how to get started amid the wealth of information (caveat: before it’s gone).

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Trump Axes NOAA Tool To Help Communities Prepare For Future Rainfall

"The Commerce Department has indefinitely suspended work on a tool to help communities predict how rising global temperatures will alter the frequency of extreme rainfall, according to three current and former federal officials familiar with the decision, a move that experts said will make the country more vulnerable to storms supercharged by climate change."

Source: Washington Post, 07/17/2025

20 States Sue FEMA For Canceling Grant Program To Prevent Natural Disasters

"Twenty Democratic-led states filed suit Wednesday against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, challenging the elimination of a long-running grant program that helps communities guard against damage from natural disasters."

Source: AP, 07/17/2025

Chesapeake Bay Program Nixes Membership For Virginia Tribal Nations For Now

"Recognized for their environmental stewardship rooted in ancestral practices, seven tribes in Virginia are seeking full membership in the Chesapeake Bay Program alongside its existing signatory partners" 

Source: Inside Climate News, 07/15/2025

"Union Demands EPA Reinstate Workers, Charging Illegal Retaliation"

"A union for employees at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is demanding the agency reinstate workers who were placed on leave for signing a letter critical of the Trump administration’s environmental and personnel policies."

Source: The Hill, 07/14/2025

"FEMA Approved Camp Mystic Appeals To Exempt Buildings From Flood Zone"

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved appeals from Camp Mystic to exempt several structures from a flood zone designation over a decade before extreme flooding in Central Texas swamped the Christian girls camp and killed 27 campers and counselors, according to FEMA records."

Source: Washington Post, 07/14/2025

"Trump Is Gutting Weather Science and Reducing Disaster Response"

"In an effort to shrink the federal government, President Trump and congressional Republicans have taken steps that are diluting the country’s ability to anticipate, prepare for and respond to catastrophic flooding and other extreme weather events, disaster experts say."

Source: NYTimes, 07/14/2025

"FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show"

"Two days after catastrophic floods roared through Central Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not answer nearly two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance line, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times."

Source: NYTimes, 07/14/2025

"States, Enviro Groups Fight Trump Plan To Keep Dirty Power Plants Going"

"State regulators, consumer advocates, and environmental groups say the Department of Energy is acting illegally in forcing aging, costly power plants to stay open." 

Source: Canary Media, 07/11/2025

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