As government resistance intensifies over sharing public records — especially environmental documents — journalists need to hone their skills to get the information they need to do their jobs and serve their audiences. FOIA expert David Cuillier offers tips and tactics to help you use your reporting time and dollars most effectively and ensure your public records requests produce high-quality results.
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"Fat Bear Week, an online vote conducted via a single-elimination bracket, will take place from Sept. 23 to 30, the National Park Service announced Thursday."
"Leaving their farmhouse hideout at night, a band of wannabe saviors brimming with revolt made their way to a West Virginia hamlet one early October morning. But their plans soon went awry. Instead of seizing a federal weapons cache and inciting a massive resistance, the band wound up captured or killed by the U.S. government."
"The smoke from the wildfires that burned through Los Angeles in January smelled like plastic and was so thick that it hid the ocean. Firefighters who responded developed instant migraines, coughed up black goo and dropped to their knees, vomiting and dizzy."
"Federal scientists and engineers working to prevent deadly disasters and the spread of disease in miners could soon lose their jobs, even as President Donald Trump moves to supercharge U.S. production of coal and critical minerals."
"Rising power prices are becoming a political liability for Republicans as electricity costs outpace inflation."
"More than a quarter of U.S. homes — worth a combined $12.7 trillion — are exposed to “severe or extreme climate risk,” according to a new Realtor.com analysis. The report examined threats from wildfires, floods and wind damage — hazards that have been top of mind after a string of recent disasters."
"Known as the data center capital of the world, Virginia offers a crucial test case for electric utilities: Can they meet power demand from the explosion of AI while keeping bills affordable and slashing carbon emissions? Many experts fear that Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest utility, is failing that test."
"In March 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law meant to curb “frivolous lawsuits” that he said were raising insurance rates for consumers while enriching predatory lawyers and scaring off insurance carriers. But a new analysis suggests the law — which has served as a model for other states — may have benefited insurance companies more than it has protected consumers."
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