"Environment Takeaways From The Spending Deal"
"The Senate approved a three-bill spending package for fiscal 2026. Lawmakers also passed a stopgap for the rest of the government."
Source: E&E News, 11/12/2025
Health
Queer Ecology — A Powerful Lens for Reporting on Environmental Injustice
Queer ecology is an evolving field that challenges traditional assumptions in science and explores LGBTQ+ experiences in an ecological context. It’s easy to catch your audience’s attention with stories about transitioning clownfish or same-sex albatross parenting. But as contributor Isaias Hernandez explains, queer ecology also offers journalists an important perspective for covering a range of environmental issues, from climate risk to pollution exposure, and reimagining environmental narratives.
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Trump Country Coal Miners With Black Lung Say Government Is Suffocating Them
"Lisa Emery loves to talk about her “boys.” With each word, the respiratory therapist’s face softens and shines with pride. But keep her talking, and it doesn’t take long for that passion to switch to hurt. She knows the names, ages, families and the intimate stories of each one’s scarred lungs. She worries about a whole community of West Virginia coal miners — including a growing number in their 30s and 40s — who come to her for help while getting sicker and sicker from what used to be considered an old-timer’s disease: black lung."
Source: AP, 11/10/2025
Health Advocates Call For Federal “Reboot” On Ultra-Processed Foods
"A diverse group of food advocates, farmers, chefs and scientists is urging the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to define ultra-processed foods through a lens of public health, including what’s added or taken away from foods during processing, as well as any new risks introduced."
Source: The New Lede, 11/05/2025
Will Your Town Pass the Electric School Bus Acid Test?
A Biden-era plan to put billions into school buses, clean EV-style, could be in the rearview mirror under the Trump administration, reports the latest TipSheet. That’s despite the fume-free, greenhouse gas-scarce qualities that benefit the air and the climate, parents and kids. To get in the driver’s seat on this story, here are a half a dozen local story ideas, plus reporting resources.
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Drinking Water Database Opens Spigot on Local Stories
Drinking water may be ubiquitous in the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s always safe. To report the answer in your community, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox suggests exploring the Safe Drinking Water Information System, a federal government database mandated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Here’s how to use it to identify whether your local systems meet its standards.
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Targets on Their Backs … and Ours? Reporting on Immigrant Farmworkers
For years, state-sponsored programs have helped California farmworkers get much-needed access to clean water. But many immigrants now shun these services, afraid of exposure to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. As Circle of Blue intern Anahita Banerjee dug into this story, she discovered that their fear extended to speaking with journalists — and that ICE activities threatened her own safety.
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Toxic Fashion — A ‘Between the Lines’ Author Q&A
A simple query about harmful chemicals in airline attendant uniforms started sustainable fashion writer Alden Wicker down a reporting path that uncovered a long history of toxic fashion, took her to India and ultimately inspired her award-winning book, “To Dye For.” In this BookShelf interview, Wicker talks about the challenges, the surprises and the choices made in telling this little-known story.
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"A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone"
"Another round of terminations, combined with previous layoffs and departures, has reduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workforce by about 3,000 people since January."
Source: WIRED, 10/16/2025
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