Nobody has ever explained why Congress refuses to release the tax-funded explainers produced by the Congressional Research Service. They are a gold standard for journalists needing quick background. The WatchDog can only speculate that Congress members may be embarrassed by their need for public policy crib sheets.

Here are some recent CRS reports relevant to environmental journalists, helpfully released by the Federation of American Scientists, which did not reveal who leaked them.

• "Secret Sessions of the House and Senate: Authority, Confidentiality, and Frequency," [2] Congressional Research Service (R42106), December 30, 2014, by Christopher M. Davis.
• "Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview," [3] Congressional Research Service (R43836), December 22, 2014, by Peter Folger and Mary Tiemann.
• "CRS Insights: Latin America and Climate Change," [4] Congressional Research Service (IN10195)," December 11, 2014, by June S. Beittel.
• "Analysis of H.R. 5781, California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014," [5] Congressional Research Service (R43820), December 11, 2014, by Betsy A. Cody, Pervaze A. Sheikh, and Charles V. Stern.
• "Federal Lands and Natural Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 113th Congress," [6] Congressional Research Service (R43429), December 8, 2014, by Katie Hoover.
• "Nuclear Energy Cooperation with Foreign Countries: Issues for Congress," [7] Congressional Research Service (R41910), December 8, 2014, by Paul K. Kerr, Mary Beth D. Nikitin, and Mark Holt.
• "Federal Inspectors General: History, Characteristics, and Recent Congressional Actions," [8] Congressional Research Service (R43814), December 8, 2014, by Wendy Ginsberg and Michael Greene.
• "Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Ebola in the United States: Frequently Asked Questions," [9] Congressional Research Service (R43809), December 5, 2014, by Sarah A. Lister.