WatchDog TipSheet

Great Lakes Study Suppressed

For more than seven months, the nation's top public health agency has blocked the publication of an exhaustive federal study of environmental hazards in the eight Great Lakes states.

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WatchDog TipSheet

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Pollution

Water & Oceans

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Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI)

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Access to Congress: A Few Coverage Tips and Tricks

The U.S. Congress can be even more frustrating to cover than executive agencies.

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FERC Slightly Eases Some Secrecy Requirements

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has slightly relaxed some requirements for secrecy on decisions it makes on "critical energy infrastructure."

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CRS PUBLISHES BACKGROUNDER ON JOURNALISTS' PRIVILEGE

The Oct. 18, 2007 issue of Congressional Research Service has published a useful backgrounder on the current lack of a "shield law" protecting reporters from legal penalties, including jail, when they refuse prosecutors' requests to disclose the identities of confidential sources.

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Artist Sues Local Cops Over Right To Photograph Power Lines

Shirley E. Scheier, a University of Washington fine-arts professor, was handcuffed, frisked, and detained for 44 minutes when she took some art photos of powerlines against the sky in Snohomish County, Washington.

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SEJ, OTHER J-GROUPS ASK SENATE TO DROP ANIMAL SECRECY

Even as major companies recalled their shipments of hamburgers made with possibly tainted meat, beef and pork lobbyists worked hard to keep U.S meat eaters from finding out what was going on. They lobbied to amend the Farm Bill to include secrecy language that would make make it illegal for anyone to publicly disclose such information. SEJ and other journalism organization are urging senators to remove that language from the bill.

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National Response Center Changes Leak Report Policy

The National Response Center has changed its policy on releasing chemical accident reports, making it much harder for journalists to gather crucial information about hazardous materials spills on deadline.

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