"In October 2017, President Donald Trump’s critics were celebrating. They’d won their latest fight against the new administration’s industry-friendly environmental agenda, and were confident in racking up more victories. ...Fast forward to 2021, and the story of the Trump team’s legal scorecard is more complicated, showing a mixed record of success, failure, and unresolved cases."
"In the closing months of the Trump administration, energy companies stockpiled enough drilling permits for western public lands to keep pumping oil for years and undercut President-elect Joe Biden’s plans to curb new drilling because of climate change, according to public records and industry analysts."
"The warming climate is intensifying drought, contributing to fires and drying out the river's headwaters, sending consequences cascading downstream."
"Linda Zall is disclosing how she toiled anonymously within the intelligence agency to help scientists intensify their studies of a changing planet."
"Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to loosen mining regulations and green light new mineral projects before leaving office this month, with successor Joe Biden unable to reverse some of the changes."
"In its annual Energy and Carbon Summary, the oil company offers a bizarre account of how it’s going to help address climate change while increasing production."
"The US was battered by a record number of weather and climate-driven disasters in 2020 as extensive wildfires scorched the west, hurricanes in quick succession pummeled the east and extreme heat swept across the heart of the country, a new federal government report has shown."
The Espionage Act case against controversial figure Julian Assange is a wedge that could later be used to restrict press freedoms for journalists and so should be dropped by the incoming Biden administration, argues the new WatchDog opinion column. That, plus why the “murder the media” message signals the need for a law to make it a crime to assault journalists.
A Philadelphia Inquirer investigation into environmental harm suffered by the city’s children, minorities and poor dived into the “decaying infrastructure” of the city schools. The result? Findings of dangerous levels of lead, mold and asbestos, followed by an influx of funding to fix the problems and awards from journalism colleagues. For Inside Story, a Q&A with a reporter for the "Toxic City: Sick Schools" exposé.
A pandemic and a weakened public health framework underscore how essential is the public health reporting function of environmental journalism. The latest TipSheet entry in our ongoing special report, “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment,” explores what’s ahead and asks are health agencies too hollowed out to serve? Plus, story ideas and extensive reporting resources.
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