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SPJ, SEJ Seek Meet with White House Spox on Minders, Permissions [1]

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and SEJ sent a letter to Josh Earnest (pictured), White House Press Secretary, May 29, 2015, asking for a meeting to discuss restrictions that infringe on journalists' abilities to report on the federal government. The letter follows up on earlier pleas from some 38 journalism groups to the White House for more openness.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Government [3]
Journalism & Media [4]
Visibility: 
Public [5]

"Obama To Fill Chief Safety Regulator Roles for Railroads, Pipelines" [6]

"President Obama has chosen officials to fill the long-vacant roles leading federal agencies that oversee the safety of railroads and pipelines and of hazardous materials."

Environmental Politics [7]
Government [3]
Public [5]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: The Hill [9], 06/01/2015

"Interior Secretary: Hill Funding Divide Could Threaten National Parks" [10]

"A government fund that has helped preserve some of the nation’s most iconic parks — from Gettysburg’s battlefields to the Everglades and the Appalachian Trail — could disappear as early as fall because of a congressional dispute over how the program’s revenue should be spent, U.S. officials warn."

Environmental Politics [7]
Government [3]
Natural Resources [11]
Public [5]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Wash Post [12], 05/25/2015

"US House Republicans Vote To Restrict Research Funding" [13]

"US House Republicans voted to place limits on funding for scientific research, including climate change studies, as they passed legislation that more narrowly defines their priorities."

Climate Change [14]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [3]
Science [15]
Public [5]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: AFP [16], 05/21/2015

House Insists Congressional Research Service Reports Be Secret [17]

It's not a mistake. Congress really doesn't want you to read those excellent explainers on public issues produced by experts at the Congressional Research Service (CRS). We know this because a House Appropriations subcommittee specifically restated that CRS was not to publish its reports.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Government [3]
Visibility: 
Public [5]

Obama Calls for Greater Infrastructure Spending in Wake of Amtrak Crash [18]

"President Barack Obama on Thursday called for greater federal spending on infrastructure in the wake of the deadly Amtrak crash that killed eight people."

Disasters [19]
Government [3]
Transportation [20]
Public [5]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: CNN [21], 05/15/2015

"President Obama’s Pipeline Safety Agency Waits for a Leader" [22]

"The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has been without a permanent boss for 214 days."

Disasters [19]
Energy & Fuel [23]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [3]
Public [5]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Politico [24], 05/08/2015

Despite FOIA, EPA Press Policy Remains a Puzzle Palace [25]

In response to the WatchDog's request for the U.S. EPA's press policy, EPA seems to be saying that it doesn't have one. Or that paradoxically EPA staff can talk to reporters but are forbidden to talk to reporters. Or that EPA does not respond to requests for information. Even though the WatchDog finally got a partial response to its June 10, 2014, FOIA request for EPA policies on news media access to EPA employees on April 29, 2015, nothing was revealed. Puzzled? So are we.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [3]
Journalism & Media [4]
Visibility: 
Public [5]

Fla. Legislature Has Its Own Ideas for Voter-Approved Conservation Fund [26]

"Facing a thicket of candidates and ballot measures in the November election, Florida voters sent one resounding message to elected officials: More must be done to protect the state’s natural habitats — including the long-suffering Everglades."

Environmental Politics [7]
Government [3]
Public [5]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [27]
Source: NY Times [28], 04/28/2015

"Committee Passes $35B Funding Bill for Energy, Water Development" [29]

"House appropriators on Wednesday advanced a $35.4 billion bill that would fund energy and water development for fiscal year 2016." Democrats failed to remove GOP policy riders.

Energy & Fuel [23]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [3]
Water & Oceans [30]
Public [5]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: The Hill [31], 04/23/2015

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=188

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/spj-sej-seek-meet-white-house-spox-minders-permissions [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/watchdog-tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [5] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [6] https://www.sej.org/headlines/obama-fill-chief-safety-regulator-roles-railroads-pipelines [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [8] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [9] http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/243471-obama-to-fill-chief-safety-regulator-roles-for-railroads-pipelines [10] https://www.sej.org/headlines/interior-secretary-hill-funding-divide-could-threaten-national-parks [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [12] http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/threat-to-nations-parks-seen-as-congress-stalls-on-renewing-fund/2015/05/23/3ede32c4-015e-11e5-8b6c-0dcce21e223d_story.html [13] https://www.sej.org/headlines/us-house-republicans-vote-restrict-research-funding [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [16] http://news.yahoo.com/us-house-republicans-vote-restrict-research-funding-033216262.html [17] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/house-insists-congressional-research-service-reports-be-secret [18] https://www.sej.org/headlines/obama-calls-greater-infrastructure-spending-wake-amtrak-crash [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/transportation [21] http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/14/politics/amtrak-crash-funding-debate/ [22] https://www.sej.org/headlines/president-obama%E2%80%99s-pipeline-safety-agency-waits-leader [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [24] http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/pipeline-and-hazardous-materials-safety-administration-leader-117661.html [25] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/despite-foia-epa-press-policy-remains-puzzle-palace [26] https://www.sej.org/headlines/fla-legislature-has-its-own-ideas-voter-approved-conservation-fund [27] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [28] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/us/florida-legislature-has-its-own-ideas-for-voter-approved-conservation-fund.html?ref=energy-environment [29] https://www.sej.org/headlines/committee-passes-35b-funding-bill-energy-water-development [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [31] http://thehill.com/policy/finance/239708-energy-water-development-35b-funding-bill-passes-full-committee [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=187 [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=184 [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=185 [35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=186 [36] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=189 [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=190 [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=191 [39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=192 [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=277