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‘Trade Secrets’ Keep Journalists, Public in the Dark [1]

So-called confidential business information is a major obstacle to the dissemination of knowledge about environmental threats for the public, cautions WatchDog Opinion. Part of the problem is how federal agencies treat requests for confidentiality, and so is the way environmental laws handle the issue. A look at the worst offenders, and a call for journalists to break through the veil of secrecy.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Chemicals [3]
Economy & Business [4]
Environmental Politics [5]
Government [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [10]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility: 
Public [12]

Oysters, Boisterous or Scarce, Fuel Local Environment Stories [13]

The world may be your oyster, but if you’re an environmental journalist, the oyster may also be your story. The latest TipSheet points out (amid numerous tasty serving tips) that oysters say a great deal about the health of local waters … and of the humans who consume the mollusk. Get a dozen-plus oyster story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [14]
Topics on the Beat: 
Biodiversity [15]
Environmental Health [16]
Fish & Fisheries [17]
Food [18]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Natural Resources [19]
Pollution [20]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [11]
California [22]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [23]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [24]
Northwest (OR WA) [25]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Visibility: 
Public [12]

Fast Food Chains May Still Be Sourcing Beef Raised With Antibiotics: Report [27]

"McDonald’s, Subway and Taco Bell are failing to keep up with pledges to reduce the use of antibiotics in their beef supply, according to a group of food safety advocates."

Agriculture [28]
Chemicals [3]
Environmental Health [16]
Health [7]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [19]
Pollution [20]
Technology [29]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [11]
Source: The New Lede [30], 08/28/2026

MAHA Moms Take On Coal [31]

"The Make America Healthy Again movement has taken on many issues over the past few years: pesticides, processed foods, vaccines. Now it has another target, and it’s one that President Trump likes to promote: coal."

Activism [32]
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [33]
Environmental Health [16]
Food [18]
Health [7]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [34]
Pollution [20]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [11]
Source: New York Times [35], 08/27/2026

Rare South American Diseases Offer Clues on the Next Pandemic [36]

"Ebola virus, hantavirus and the pathogen that causes Covid-19 likely jumped from animals to humans. So do these viruses — and scientists say climate change is speeding their spread." "By the time colleagues called Dr. Matías Lahitte, an Argentine infectious disease specialist, it was too late."

Biodiversity [15]
Climate Change [37]
Disasters [38]
Environmental Health [16]
Environmental Politics [5]
Health [7]
People & Population [34]
Science [39]
Technology [29]
Wildlife [40]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [11]
International [41]
South America [42]
Source: New York Times [43], 08/24/2026

NIH Plan To Keep Peer-Review Scores For Grants Secret Draws Concern [44]

"The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) wants to change a key step in the review process determining which research it funds, raising concerns about transparency and political interference."

Chemicals [3]
Conflict/Corruption [45]
Environmental Health [16]
Environmental Justice [46]
Environmental Politics [5]
Environmental Studies [47]
Government [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Science [39]
Technology [29]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [11]
Source: Science [48], 08/24/2026

Trump Selects Dr. Heidi Overton, White House Aide, To Lead FDA [49]

"President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will nominate Heidi Overton, a top aide at the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, to serve as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration."

Consumer [33]
Environmental Health [16]
Environmental Politics [5]
Government [6]
Health [7]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [34]
Policy [10]
Science [39]
Technology [29]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [11]
Source: Washington Post [50], 08/21/2026

US To Send Hospital Ship To Peru As El Nino Threat Looms [51]

"The United States will send a military hospital ship to Peru’s Pacific coast next year to help Peru cope with the effects of the El Nino climate phenomenon as part of a broader collaboration with the South American country, U.S. Ambassador to Peru Bernie Navarro announced Wednesday."

Climate Change [37]
Environmental Health [16]
Fish & Fisheries [17]
Food [18]
Health [7]
People & Population [34]
Water & Oceans [21]
Public [12]
South America [42]
Source: AP [52], 08/20/2026

4 In 10 Americans Say Extreme Weather Damaged Their Towns In Past Year [53]

"Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say their communities were damaged by extreme weather events over the past year, according to a new survey released Tuesday."

Biodiversity [15]
Climate Change [37]
Disasters [38]
Environmental Health [16]
Environmental Justice [46]
Environmental Politics [5]
Food [18]
Government [6]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [54]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [34]
Water & Oceans [21]
Public [12]
National (U.S.) [11]
Source: The Hill [55], 08/20/2026

Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic? [56]

If you’ve been pondering what recent Cyclospora, Legionella and Ebola outbreaks tell us about the state of preparedness for future pandemics, Backgrounder has some sobering insights. A reminder of the uneven response to COVID-19 and a look forward at how current Trump administration policy has weakened public health structures and likely left us unready for what’s ahead. 

SEJ Publication Types: 
Backgrounders [57]
Topics on the Beat: 
Disasters [38]
Government [6]
Health [7]
People & Population [34]
Policy [10]
Science [39]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [11]
International [41]
Visibility: 
Public [12]

Pages

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog/trade-secrets-keep-journalists-public-dark [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/watchdog [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [11] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [12] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [13] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/oysters-boisterous-or-scarce-fuel-local-environment-stories [14] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/food [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [23] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [24] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast [25] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest [26] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [27] https://www.sej.org/headlines/fast-food-chains-may-still-be-sourcing-beef-raised-antibiotics-report [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [30] https://www.thenewlede.org/2026/08/major-fast-food-chains-may-still-be-sourcing-beef-raised-with-antibiotics-report-asserts/ [31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/maha-moms-take-coal [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [35] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/climate/climate-maha-moms-coal.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8lA.SM2z.cMc2MuMeGxpg&smid=url-share [36] https://www.sej.org/headlines/rare-south-american-diseases-offer-clues-next-pandemic [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife [41] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [42] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/south-america [43] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/world/americas/rare-south-american-diseases-climate-change-pandemics.html?unlocked_article_code=1.71A.NloW.uc-H_YZjaNbA&smid=url-share [44] https://www.sej.org/headlines/nih-plan-keep-peer-review-scores-grants-secret-draws-concern [45] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/conflictcorruption [46] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [48] https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-plan-keep-peer-review-scores-secret-sparks-uproar [49] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-selects-dr-heidi-overton-white-house-aide-lead-fda [50] https://wapo.st/3S2FfIh [51] https://www.sej.org/headlines/us-send-hospital-ship-peru-el-nino-threat-looms [52] https://apnews.com/article/peru-el-nino-us-ship-cooperation-4db0dc38e9b639c1166400f7d3ecada9 [53] https://www.sej.org/headlines/4-10-americans-say-extreme-weather-damaged-their-towns-past-year [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [55] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/6035505-gallup-poll-weather-damage/ [56] https://www.sej.org/publications/backgrounders/are-we-ready-next-pandemic [57] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/backgrounders [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=2 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=3 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=4 [61] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=5 [62] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=6 [63] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=7 [64] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=8 [65] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health?page=135