Summertime and the livin' is smoggy. American air may be clearer now than when the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, but pollutants still abound. Heat and sunlight stoke chemical reactions that exacerbate health hazards. And worsening wildfires mix in harmful smoke. The latest TipSheet has more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.
The U.S. freight system delivers significant environmental impacts nationwide, especially in states that host major rail-and-road hubs and seaports. Meanwhile, new federal laws and policies are making it harder to curtail pollution generated by freight trucks, trains and warehouses. Journalist John Lippert looks at how the public, private and nonprofit sectors are rising to this challenge.
Emailed documents and an anonymous memo set two Tampa Bay Times reporters to investigate government development plans for sensitive state lands. Max Chesnes and Emily L. Mahoney followed the fast-moving story for more than a year, approaching it as a drumbeat of scoops. Ultimately, the government reversed course. Read about this award-winning series in the latest Inside Story Q&A.
"Ten U.S. states have legalized systems that can be plugged into standard wall outlets. The technology typically does not require permits or electricians."
"Solar panels produced 51% of California’s electricity in May, the first time the clean energy source surpassed the halfway mark for an entire month. The data counts both large-scale installations and the state’s bounty of rooftop arrays."
"A small nonprofit with an innovative approach to predator-livestock conflicts is trying to ease Colorado ranchers’ concerns about wolves."
"Progress Village was established decades ago to provide affordable housing for Black residents near Tampa. The phosphogypsum stack, containing the toxic waste of fertilizer production, is right next door."
"Democrats are reacting to the Justice Department’s move to drop its Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case against Olympian David Hearn, saying the move validated their longstanding criticism that the administration is weaponizing the Justice Department."
"Nationwide actions seek to counter view that talking about climate crisis distracts from affordability messaging"
"The scope of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems has grown to include at least seven states and may be far wider, officials and experts warned, as the authorities raced to safeguard the nation’s water supply against an assault that increasingly appeared to be the work of Iran."
