We take you to a Montana town where coal is still expanding.

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** THE WEEKLY REVEAL
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Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024

Hello! In this issue:
* Why coal is still king in Montana – and who’s trying to change that.
* Reveal host Al Letson brings us to a changed Florida, digging into new policies affecting Black Floridians and other people of color.


** THIS WEEK’S PODCAST
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** The Battle for Clean Energy in Coal Country
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The coal-fired power plant in Colstrip, Montana, is the largest emitter of greenhouse gas in the state. Credit: Stephen Smith for Reveal

Montana has a long history of making money by extracting and exporting its natural resources, namely coal. State politicians and Montana’s largest electricity utility company seem set on keeping it that way.

In an episode first aired in June, Reveal’s Jonathan Jones travels to Colstrip, Montana, home to one of the largest coal seams in the country – and one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the West. Even though the plant is the single biggest emitter of greenhouse gas in the state, Montana’s largest power company, NorthWestern Energy, has expanded its stake in the plant.

Jones speaks with Colstrip’s mayor about the importance of coal mining to the local community and to locals who’ve been working for generations to protect the water and land from coal development. Then, he follows the money to the state’s capital, where lawmakers have passed some of the most extreme laws to keep the state from addressing climate change – but not without resistance from young Montanans.
Listen to the episode ([link removed])
🎧 Other places to listen: Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) , Spotify ([link removed]) , Google Podcasts ([link removed]) or wherever you get your podcasts.


** One Number to Know
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1,400

Last school year in Florida, there were more than 1,400 instances of books being banned across the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s not banning books, and technically that’s true. But in practice, he signed the vague legislation that has created widespread fear. One high school teacher who teaches AP history told Reveal that the cumulative effect of these laws is “taking away knowledge, taking away resources from our kids, and not allowing them to think.”
Listen: Black in the Sunshine State ([link removed])


** In Case You Missed It
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🎧 Sunblocked: Resistance to Solar in Farm Country ([link removed])

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🎧 The Double Life of a Civil Rights Icon ([link removed])

This issue of The Weekly Reveal was written by Kate Howard and edited by Nikki Frick. If you enjoyed this issue, forward it to a friend ([link removed]) . Have some thoughts? Drop us a line (mailto:[email protected]) with feedback or ideas!

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