Government

You may find a local wildlife story by keeping your eye on the US Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center which keeps constant surveillance on outbreaks of wildlife disease and posts the information online as it comes in.

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.

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.

A report prepared by the Congressional Research Service is likely to be one key focus of an upcoming Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

A de facto filibuster by several Republicans, plus quibbling by some Democrats, caused a long-awaited markup of bill S 448 to end with no action.

Use this roundup of sources to write a probing story about the ash, slag, and sludge from coal-burning electric utilities — which containins heavy metals that can pollute water, and even bury people's houses.