Publication Items

Investigative Reporters and Editors brings news of a special Gulf Oil Spill Report put out by the Federal Procurement Data System which lists all federal contracts that the General Services Administration (GSA) knows about.

There will be scores of angles to cover as the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster continues to unfold. One of the books compiled by the Association of American University Presses may provide you insight on an oil-related issue, in fields such as economics, politics, international relations, sociology, environment, and technology.

In an attempt to lessen damage from the grasshoppers, USDA has allocated $11 million, primarily to treat ~4 million acres with pesticides. Stories could cover causes of the population surge, possible effects on crops and other vegetation, effectiveness and adverse effects of the pesticides, and long-term preventive measures.

As drought blankets much of the western U.S. and Canada, so do grasshoppers, Mormon crickets, and other associated bugs. The cyclical insect infestations, which are occurring in pockets in every state west of the Mississippi and in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, range from light to very severe.