Public

Herman Cain, who recently threw his hat into the ring of GOP presidential contenders, likes to say that what he lacks in political experience he makes up for with his background in business. That may not be a plus. Cain's business "experience" includes a stint on the board of Aquila, which pushed its employees to invest their retirement savings in company stocks and then speculated wildly in energy markets, wiping out most of the company's value.

"A California judge has suspended the implementation of an emissions cap-and-trade scheme till air regulators can examine alternatives, dealing another setback to an ambitious program that could serve as a model for other states."

"The Texas House gave a final OK [May 17] to the 'pork chopper' bill and sent it off to the governor's office. The bill would allow licensed hunters to hire helicopters and contract with landowners to shoot feral hogs and coyotes on their property from the sky."

Climate scientists have never had stronger evidence that human emissions are causing global warming. Yet House Republicans are busy passing legislation to repeal the scientific findings and end the research programs that collect evidence on climate.

A Senate hearing tomorroow looks at a dispute over native claims and logging of old-growth timber in Alaska's Tongass National Forest.

"Since the first plea for help came over a Keys radio station, hundreds of volunteers have worked around the clock to save pilot whales that mysteriously stranded themselves in shallow waters."

"Mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants is declining nationally after years of increases, prompted by laws in Illinois and more than a dozen other states that for the first time limited emissions of the toxic metal."

"In a setback for the only model of nuclear reactor for which ground has been broken in the United States, government regulators have found additional problems with the design of its shield building, a crucial component, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on Friday."

"The operator of the nuclear power plant at the center of a radiation scare after being disabled by Japan's earthquake and tsunami confirmed Tuesday that there had been meltdowns of fuel rods at three of its reactors."