"Bill Would Boost Interior Funding, Spurn Reorganization"
"House Democrats this afternoon proposed to increase spending for the Interior Department while rejecting some of the administration's key plans."
Source: E&E News PM, 05/15/2019
Government
Politics Putting Down Stakes Over Oil, Gas Leasing on Federal Lands
The leasing of public lands to drill for oil and gas may seem a labyrinthine topic. But it could be time to get wonky and, ahem, drill down on it, as the politics of 2020 bring the controversial practice to the fore. The latest Backgrounder helps get you up to speed on the story.
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State of the Air Report Spotlights Persistent Pollution Problems
Happen to have any air breathers in your audience? Then the latest State of the Air Report will give you fodder to cover the persistent pollution problems that plague the skies. This week’s TipSheet has the backstory on the fight against air pollution and five smart ways to tell the story from a local-regional context.
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"Dems Blast Top Interior Lawyer Over Loyalty Comments"
"Democrats blasted Daniel Jorjani, the nominee to serve as the Interior Department’s top lawyer, during a confirmation hearing Thursday for his 2017 email telling agency colleagues that “our job is to protect the Secretary” from ethics probes and bad press."
Source: HuffPost, 05/03/2019
'Awkward' Hearing Will Vet DOI Lawyer And Official Slated To Probe Him
"A Senate panel will hold a confirmation hearing Thursday for two top posts at the Department of Interior: the agency's top lawyer and the inspector general who is likely to investigate him amid the legal and ethical issues facing Secretary David Bernhardt."
Source: The Hill, 05/02/2019
"Infrastructure Bringing Together Trump, Democratic Leaders"
"The last time President Donald Trump sat down with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, the president walked out in a huff and dismissed their government shutdown talks as a “total waste of time.”"
Source: AP, 04/30/2019
Protecting Journalists from Attack, Info Row at Interior, PIO Standards and More
Do we need a bill to criminalize attacks against those who report the news? Some Dems in Congress think so. And the Interior Department is at the center of a conflicts over freedom of information involving lobbying contacts with the newly confirmed secretary. The latest WatchDog has those developments, plus more.
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"Trump Agencies Work on Climate Change — Quietly — on Public Lands"
"Climate change programs in federal land management agencies are quietly carrying on, even amid Trump administration hostility to such action."
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 04/22/2019
"Interior IG Who Oversaw Zinke Investigations To Retire In May"
"The Interior Department’s top internal watchdog, who oversaw the multiple investigations that contributed to the resignation of former Secretary Ryan Zinke, will retire from the agency next month, even as her office opens an inquiry into newly confirmed Secretary David Bernhardt."
Source: Politico, 04/17/2019
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