"Trump Has Sabotaged America’s Coronavirus Response"
"In 2018, the Trump administration fired the government’s entire pandemic response chain of command, including the White House management infrastructure."
Source: Foreign Policy, 02/25/2020
Government
An A-to-Z Guide to Emerald Corridor Climate Impacts
In Part Two of our ongoing “Covering Your Climate: The Emerald Corridor” special report, we take a look at the impacts of climate change on the Pacific Northwest region — and how best to cover them. Our A-to-Z Guide explores 26 neglected angles and stories, plus resource links to get you started. And check out our inaugural backgrounder and watch in coming weeks for additional tipsheets and a toolbox.
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"Hundreds of Dams Lack Emergency Plans in NC, Rain-Soaked South"
"When recent heavy rains swelled a private Mississippi lake and began eroding its earthen dam, Yazoo County Emergency Management Director Jack Willingham was scrambling for a plan. He had no contact information for any of the homeowners who might need to evacuate, so he drove to the scene and began knocking on doors."
Source: AP, 02/21/2020
"National Parks: 'It Sure Appears To Be Hinky' — A Job Made For 1 Man?"
"The National Park Service today [Wednesday] defended its hiring of former acting Director P. Daniel Smith for a job in North Carolina that appeared to be posted just for him."
Source: Greenwire, 02/20/2020
"Toxic Superfund Cleanups Decline To More Than 30-Year Low
"The Trump administration completed the fewest cleanups of toxic Superfund sites last year than any administration since the program’s first years in the 1980s, figures released by the Environmental Protection Agency indicated Wednesday."
Source: AP, 02/20/2020
Weather Data Privatization Poses Conflicts in a Changing Meteorology Landscape
Weather reports are not just about donning galoshes. They can mean literal life or death for people and businesses, such as during a natural disaster. So, as the latest Issue Backgrounder details, the ongoing effort to privatize publicly funded weather data is a matter of real controversy. Find out what’s in the weather privatization forecast.
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Data Project Details Nation's Disintegrating Dams
Hundreds of U.S. dams are at risk, and the Associated Press undertook a massive two-year-long investigative reporting project to gather and sort data that would identify those presenting the greatest hazards. In this guest Reporter’s Toolbox, AP data journalist Michelle Minkoff details the news service’s painstaking process, its striking findings and the impact of its reporting. Plus, key lessons learned for other data news projects.
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Gunasekara, Who Pushed Trump To Exit Paris Pact, Named EPA Staff Chief
"Mandy Gunasekara, who pressed for President Trump to exit the Paris climate agreement as the Environmental Protection Agency’s top air-policy adviser, is poised to return to the agency as its next chief of staff, according to two individuals briefed on the matter."
Source: Washington Post, 02/17/2020
"Ex-Utility Exec, Hill Aide Tapped for EPA's No. 2 Job"
"President Trump plans to nominate a former utility executive and Hill aide to serve as EPA deputy administrator, the White House announced today."
Source: Greenwire, 02/14/2020
"EPA: Ex-PG&E Lawyer To Take Helm Of Region 9"
"John Busterud, once a top attorney for California utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric Co., will now lead EPA's Pacific Southwest branch."
Source: Greenwire, 02/12/2020
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