Among the widespread federal firings that look like they’re putting the public increasingly at risk are those that strip away government oversight of dam safety. The latest TipSheet looks at what’s at stake and offers up a dozen story ideas, questions to ask and reporting resources to help environmental journalists spot the dam dangers nearest them.
"The Trump administration identified 16 sites for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers Thursday on land owned by the Department of Energy."
"Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, issued an urgent alert about dengue fever, a painful and sometimes deadly mosquito-borne illness common in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Some 3,500 travelers from the United States contracted dengue abroad in 2024, according to the CDC, an 84 percent increase over 2023."
"The agency head said a $20 billion Biden climate program was marred by fraud and abuse. A judge said on Wednesday the E.P.A. hasn’t provided evidence."
"Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said Monday that he is shutting down a museum in the EPA’s headquarters in an effort to cut costs."
With many states dominated by a few powerful industries — whether oil, mining or agriculture — the influence of campaign dollars can have an outsize effect on legislation, even to the point of corruption, notes the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. So while the U.S. Congress may be languishing, environmental journalists can dig up stories on lobbying at the state level using a powerful data source.
"Homeowners in Los Angeles have started the long process of rebuilding after the destructive wildfires in January. Some are constructing homes that are much less likely to burn when the next wildfire hits." "Still, thousands of other homeowners in the urban center of Altadena are about to rebuild without wildfire-resistant materials, because they live outside a state-designated wildfire zone."
"Michelle Moore was widely seen as the most progressive member of the body, which oversees the nation’s largest public power company."
"The planned 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles is a gut punch for most electric vehicle makers, whose supply chains are rooted in China." "At the same time as tariffs wound the overall EV market, they could provide a window of opportunity for automakers that already produce EVs and batteries domestically and could beat competitors on price. The most likely winner is Tesla, analysts said, though other automakers could also benefit."
Advertisement 
