COVID-19 is an unpleasant reminder that when a public health emergency hits, it pays for journalists — including environment reporters — to be prepared. The latest TipSheet offers advice on handling the unknown and gathering an emergency “go bag,” as well as tracking story ideas and numerous federal, state/local and media resources.
"The administration failed to follow key practices to show the reason for reforming a workplace and why employees were asked to relocate"
"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has lost more than half of its Washington-based employees who were slated to move out West as the agency pushes ahead with a controversial plan to relocate staff."
"The group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed a complaint today over what they charge is the administration's intent to fire federal career staff who are disloyal to President Trump.
The complaint, filed with the Office of Special Counsel, claims top White House press aide Hogan Gidley's recent comments in a Fox News interview could violate the Hatch Act or 'merit system principles' that have long governed public personnel practices.
"Confusion and delays appear to persist in testing Americans for coronavirus even after an outcry from state and local health authorities that the United States was behind in determining the extent of the outbreak."
"When Anthony Fauci, clad in a white lab coat, invited an “NBC Nightly News” correspondent into his offices this week and described the coronavirus as an “outbreak” that was reaching “likely pandemic proportions,” the immunologist was acting as he long has during public health crises: delivering a fact-based warning to the public."
"Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, admitted Wednesday that a vaccine for the coronavirus might not be affordable for all Americans."
"A second person has died in Washington state and five more people have tested positive with the novel coronavirus, health officials said Sunday."
Newsroom resources may be tighter than ever, but accountability journalism just got a big boost. A guest Reporter’s Toolbox outlines a massive new database of databases collected by the Investigative Reporting Workshop. See how it can be used for your environmental reporting (such as to look up contributions by actor/activist Mark Ruffalo, pictured). Plus, pitch your own ideas for additional datasets.
"Federal health employees interacted with Americans quarantined for possible exposure to the coronavirus without proper medical training or protective gear, then scattered into the general population, according to a government whistle-blower who lawmakers say faced retaliation for reporting concerns."
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