For decades, Congress has refused to release taxpayer-funded reports by the Congressional Research Service. Fortunately, the Federation of American Scientists' Government Secrecy Project gets them and releases them. Here are some new explainers that may be of use to environmental journalists.

• "Insurance and Climate Change: Do Governments Have a Duty To Protect Property Owners?" [2] Congressional Research Service Legal Sidebar, October 16, 2014, by Robert Meltz.
• "Conflict Minerals and Resource Extraction: Dodd-Frank, SEC Regulations, and Legal Challenges," [3] Congressional Research Service (R43639), October 15, 2014, by Michael V. Seitzinger and Kathleen Ann Ruane.
• "Nuclear Energy Policy," [4] Congressional Research Service (RL33558), October 15, 2014, by Mark Holt.
• "EPA's Upcoming Ozone Standard: How Much Will Compliance Cost?" [5] CRS Insights (IN10165), October 15, 2014, by James E. McCarthy.
• "Beverage Industry Pledges to Reduce Americans' Drink Calories," [6] CRS Insights (IN 10162), October 6, 2014, by Agata Dabrowska.
• "Agriculture in the WTO Bali Ministerial Agreement," [7] Congressional Research Service (R43592), October 6, 2014, by Randy Schnepf.
• "Ozone Air Quality Standards: EPA’s 2015 Revision," [8] Congressional Research Service (R43092), October 3, 2014, by James E. McCarthy.