National (U.S.)

As newly minted GOP governors vow to reject billions stimulus money going to their states for high-speed rail, the incoming chair of the House Transportation Committee envisions redirecting the money to the Eastern rail corridor that brings tourists to his state.

"The Environmental Protection Agency denied on Thursday a petition by several environmental groups to ban lead in fishing tackle, two months after rejecting the groups' attempt to ban it in hunting ammunition."

"Environmental groups and industry seem headed for another battle over regulation of greenhouse gases, as President Barack Obama said he will look for ways to control global warming pollution other than Congress placing a ceiling on it."

"Energy Northwest's nuclear power plant near Richland, Wash., has been rated as one of two nuclear plants in the nation that are in greatest need of operational and human performance improvement."

"Solyndra, a Silicon Valley solar-panel maker that won half a billion dollars in federal aid to build a state-of-the-art robotic factory, plans to announce on Wednesday that it will shut down an older plant and lay off workers."

"It's worth a lot to the oil and coal lobbies to get the Congress they want and the investment seems to be paying off."

"The Republican takeover of the U.S. House makes Rep. Mike Simpson chairman of Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies and the second-ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development."

"In the wake of Election Day, prepare for a new round of politicized skirmishes in the never-ending climate wars, with the battleground shifting once again to Capitol Hill hearing rooms."

"The coal industry, facing a host of new health and safety regulations, is spending millions of dollars in lobbying and campaign donations this year to influence the makeup of the next Congress in hopes of derailing what one industry official called an Obama administration 'regulatory jihad.'"