National (U.S.)

Report Calls For Stricter Fertilizer Rules As Nitrate Pollution Grows

"Lax regulations and mismanaged applications in the US are to blame for the tons of nitrogen fertilizer that runs off into waterways each year and contributes to water and air pollution, cancer and environmental damage, according to a report released Monday."

Source: The New Lede, 06/02/2026

"Erin Brockovich Takes Aim At Data Center Secrecy"

"Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has a new mission: bringing more transparency to data center construction and the impact those data centers have on nearby communities. Brockovich — who was famously played by Julia Roberts in a film dramatizing her legal case against Pacific Gas & Electric — recently launched a website with a map of data centers across the United States."

Source: TechCrunch, 06/02/2026

Park Service Raised Alarms Over Trump Administration’s Tennis Center Plan

"National Park Service officials repeatedly raised legal and environmental concerns over the Trump administration’s plan to lease public parkland, including the site of a professional tennis tournament, to a private operator widely expected to be the tournament’s operator, according to records reviewed by The Washington Post."

Source: Washington Post, 06/02/2026

House Dems Seek GAO Probe On Trump’s Disaster Declarations After Denials

"A pair of House Democrats is asking a congressional watchdog to probe the Trump administration’s disaster declarations after high-profile denials of disaster aid requests."

Source: The Hill, 06/02/2026

Judge Stops The NSF From Removing NCAR From Wyoming Supercomputing Center

"A judge has temporarily stopped the National Science Foundation from removing the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder from its leadership of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center in Cheyenne."

Source: Boulder Daily Camera, 06/02/2026
June 25, 2026

Webinar — Reporting on Toxics & Health: Lessons from covering “forever chemicals”

June 25, 2026, 12:00 pm US Eastern Time. In this Collaborative for Health and Environment (CHE) webinar, award-winning chemical pollution reporters Sharon Lerner of ProPublica and Stéphane Horel of Le Monde will discuss the importance of accurate local reporting on toxic chemicals. Focusing on PFAS “forever chemicals” as an example, the speakers will explore the critical role of journalists in covering chemical health hazards, public decision-making, and industry strategies to influence both policy and science. 

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How Attribution Science Can Help Reporters on the Heat Beat

With 2026 shaping up to be an exceptional El Niño year, expect lots of record-breaking heat waves and other extreme weather. But climate change will also contribute. Explaining the role of both is essential to complete coverage. Journalist Ethan Brown shares tips and resources for using climate attribution science as a powerful reporting tool. Plus, five questions to ask while covering the next extreme climate event.

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Risk Data Is There Despite Efforts To Hide It

Hazmat risk data has long been subject to blackout efforts by industry. And now, Trump administration allies may change the rules to make existing information even harder to get. But Reporter’s Toolbox knows where journalists can still find the goods to support their reporting. Read on to learn about risks to the program in question — and Toolbox workarounds.

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July 22, 2026

DEADLINE: USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Data Fellowship

This program offers training on data acquisition, cleaning, analysis and visualization led by some of the most skilled data reporters and journalism practitioners in the nation. They teach journalists how to “bulletproof” their data, ensuring accuracy in reporting. New program components focus on how to use AI in data journalism. Following the training week, Senior Fellows mentor reporters as they pair original data analysis with compelling narratives on long neglected or underexplored issues. Apply by July 22. 

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"ESA Success Stories: Survival Of The Protected"

"In 1782, when the United States adopted the bald eagle as its national symbol, anecdotal accounts stated that the country may have had as many as 100,000 nesting eagles. By the mid-1900s, habitat destruction, illegal shooting, and DDT contamination had driven bald eagles near extinction."

Source: National Parks Traveler, 06/01/2026

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