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Farm Bill Launches Sweeping New Secrecy Initiative [1]

New language added to the 2007/08 Farm Bill by conferees at the 11th hour could create a sweeping new secrecy mandate that would prohibit the Agriculture Department from disclosing almost any information about individual US farm operations.
SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Agriculture [3]
Government [4]
Policy [5]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

Midnight Regs: Many Environmental Items on Final Bush Agenda (Part 1) [8]

As the Bush administration closes out its terms in office, a number of rules, policies, orders, and other actions related to the environment are expected by Jan. 19, 2009.
SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [9]
Topics on the Beat: 
Laws & Regulations [10]
Government [4]
Environmental Politics [11]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

Is EPA's Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Program Working? [12]

EPA and states may be cutting companies slack if they "audit" their own violations. Here's a database that will help you audit whether local polluters are abusing the program.
SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [9]
Topics on the Beat: 
Laws & Regulations [10]
Government [4]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

Judge Rules City Can't Keep Ties With Utility Secret [13]

Great Falls, Montana, wouldn't let its citizens know details of its contracts with a utility. But a judge stopped that.
SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Government [4]
Region: 
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [14]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

TOOLBOX: Reginfo.gov Offers Beat Reporters a Powerful Mischief Detector [15]

Reginfo.gov helps reporters track regulatory mischief — and deregulatory mischief too — government-wide.
SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Laws & Regulations [10]
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [16]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

USDA Raises Barriers to Disclosure of Predator Control Info [17]

The Department of Agriculture has stopped reporting publicly how many animals it kills for farmers and ranchers in its predator control program.
SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Agriculture [3]
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [16]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

EPA, Union Ink Pact To Restore Closed Libraries — Even Chemical Risk Info [18]

EPA and an employees union have signed an agreement on procedures for reopening agency libraries closed by the Bush administration.
SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Government [4]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

Midnight Regs: Many Environmental Items on Final Bush Agenda [19]

The rush to deregulate whatever can be deregulated before President Bush leaves the White House is on. Part 2.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [9]
Topics on the Beat: 
Laws & Regulations [10]
Government [4]
Environmental Politics [11]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

Press Releases Could Get Security Stamp From White House [20]

Here's an embargo that a federal employee could face charges for breaking.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Government [4]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

House Passes Bill To Open Up Federal Advisory Committees [21]

The House passed a bill that would do more to ensure open records and meetings of federal advisory committees.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Laws & Regulations [10]
Government [4]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/farm-bill-launches-sweeping-new-secrecy-initiative [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/watchdog-tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [6] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [7] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [8] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/midnight-regs-many-environmental-items-final-bush-agenda-part-1 [9] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [12] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/is-epas-get-out-jail-free-program-working [13] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/judge-rules-city-cant-keep-ties-with-utility-secret [14] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mountain-west [15] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/toolbox-reginfogov-offers-beat-reporters-a-powerful-mischief-detector [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [17] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/usda-raises-barriers-to-disclosure-of-predator-control-info [18] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/epa-union-ink-pact-to-restore-closed-libraries-%E2%80%94-even-chemical-risk-i [19] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/midnight-regs-many-environmental-items-final-bush-agenda [20] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/press-releases-could-get-security-stamp-from-white-house [21] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/house-passes-bill-to-open-up-federal-advisory-committees [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=292 [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=286 [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=287 [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=288 [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=289 [27] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=290 [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=291 [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=294