National (U.S.)

"Aircraft Drinking Water Rule Requires Testing Every 5 Years"

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today published a final rule to ensure that safe and reliable drinking water is provided to aircraft passengers and crew. The rule requires airlines to have their water systems inspected at least once every five years, report the test results to the EPA and fix any 'significant deficiencies.'"

Water & Oceans

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: ENS, 10/08/2009

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"No Contractor Left Behind Part II: KBR’s Negligence"

Engineering and construction firm KBR has profited from the war in Iraq, thanks to secret-no-bid contracts coordinated by the office of then VP Cheney, who had previously headed KBR's parent company. Evidence shows that US soldiers were exposed to carcinogen sodium dichromate as part of KBR's activities in Iraqi oil fields.

Military

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: DC Bureau, 10/08/2009

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"Green Shoots Rise From Brownfields"

"Uncle Sam looks to eliminate the biggest hurdle to expanding renewable energy – the need for suitable sites to place commercial-scale wind and solar farms – by reusing hundreds of old mines, landfills and industrial sites."

Economy & Business

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: Daily Climate, 10/08/2009

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"Dow Unveils Solar Shingles"

"Dow Chemical has unveiled a residential roof shingle in the form of a solar panel designed to be integrated into asphalt-tiled roofs."

Technology

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: NYTimes, 10/08/2009

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Salazar Presents Ambitious Plan to Manage Wild Horses"

"The government plans to aggressively sterilize wild horses and transplant thousands to new public preserves in the Midwest and East as a solution to the nearly 40-year-old problem of how to manage the exploding numbers of wild horses in the West, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday."

Biodiversity

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: Wash Post, 10/08/2009

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Do E-Journalists Have a "Document Cloud" in Their Future?

An online compendium of key source documents behind all the big stories seems on its way for future reference from ProPublica, thanks to a Knight News Challenge $719,500 grant.

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FOIA Not Fixed Yet: Senate Panel

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) says Congress has to do more to fix the Freedom of Information Act — especially stemming the hundreds of special exemptions created by Congress itself.

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Sen. Schumer Pushes Back Against WH Effort To Weaken Shield Law

A federal law protecting reporters who maintain the confidentiality of their sources is currently stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee as Obama breaks campaign promise.

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Supreme Court Hears Animal Video Case

Some justices skeptically questioned a 10-year-old law, intended to outlaw "crush videos," making it a criminal offense to possess or publish many depictions of cruelty to animals.

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EPA Plans To Restudy Atrazine Risks in Drinking Water

"The Environmental Protection Agency plans to conduct a new study about the potential health risks of atrazine, a widely used weedkiller that recent research suggests may be more dangerous to humans than previously thought."

Chemicals

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: NYTimes, 10/07/2009