Uranium mining halted, and more

Uranium mining halted

The Obama administration declared nearly 1 million acres of Arizona land near the Grand Canyon off-limits to new uranium mining claims. The move is a victory for environmental groups, which claim that mining could contaminate the Colorado River and streams that flow into the canyon. The mining ban does not apply to claims that already have been approved.

Safety data blocked

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The U.S. in 2003 blocked publication of data documenting the danger of texting while driving, The New York Times reported. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withheld data that showed that driving while texting or talking on a mobile phone was as risky as driving while intoxicated. Jeffrey Runge, then head of NHTSA, said he’d decided against publishing the data to avoid angering members of Congress who believed that publicizing the information amounted to improper lobbying.