theatlantic.com: China's Response to the Tianjin Explosions

deputy

a person appointed or authorized to act as a substitute for another or others. Until Sunday, no officials above ___ mayor-level showed up once at news conferences.

scant

barely sufficient in amount or quantity; not abundant; almost inadequate: to do ___ justice. During the first dozens of hours after the blasts, there was ___ information offered by Tianjin authorities.

candid

frank; outspoken; open and sincere: a ___ critic. The People's Daily criticized "the way public concerns have been addressed in the press conference held for the Tianjin blasts: things wouldn't have been that hard to explain if officials could speak less jargon, more down-to-earth language and address them in a more ___ way."

dissent

to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often followed by from): Two of the justices ___ed from the majority decision. Public ___ in China is rare, and the government quickly clamped down on Chinese websites for "spreading rumors" about the blasts.