Bears, particularly the plentiful black bears that are the source of much human-bear conflict, can serve as a opening to larger environmental stories, such as habitat destruction and the challenges of the “wildland-urban interface.” This week’s TipSheet has some of the good news/bad news on bears, with story ideas and resources for your reporting.
"The Agriculture Department has canceled a contract that would have awarded federal bailout money to a Chinese-owned pork producer after the company asked for the contract to be terminated amid a political backlash."
"Trey Glenn, the administrator of EPA's Southeast branch who has been indicted on ethics charges, has stepped down."
"Over 110 Democratic lawmakers filed court documents on Monday to join environmentalists' lawsuits opposing President Trump's rollback of the Obama administration's expansion of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah."
"In a Democratic clash on Capitol Hill, progressives are pushing an ambitious plan to wean the U.S. off fossil fuels, boost renewables and build a 'smart' grid. Meet the "Green New Deal."
"President Trump's EPA isn't just rolling back regulations, it's failing to enforce the rules that remain on the books, according to a new report from a group formed to track the administration."
"The Bureau of Land Management is moving forward with plans to work around a federal court order and offer tens of thousands of acres of greater sage grouse habitat in planned oil and gas lease sales early next year."
"For at least two decades, the New York City Housing Authority routinely disputed tests that revealed lead in its apartments. Private landlords almost never do this."
"Data just doesn't add up behind industry conclusions on chlorpyrifos— a controversial insecticide linked to brain impacts for children."
"Researchers who examined Dow Chemical Company-sponsored animal tests performed two decades ago on the insecticide chlorpyrifos found inaccuracies in what the company reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency compared to what the data showed.
And, according to internal EPA communication, agency scientists also had issues with the study interpretations, yet the agency approved the compound for continued use anyway.
"The Republican-controlled House passed a bill Friday to drop legal protections for gray wolves across the lower 48 states, reopening a lengthy battle over the predator species."
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