Barbara Boxer News

Reporting from Washington -- President Obama's landmark energy and global warming bill squeaked through the House only after the White House made dozens of concessions to coal, manufacturing and other interests.

A tough fight last week resulted in passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of climate change legislation, and an even tougher battle is expected in the Senate.

The Environmental Protection Agency gave California permission Tuesday to pursue more stringent air pollution rules than required by the federal government - clearing the way to implement a state pollution law requiring new cars to increase their fuel economy to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 - which is what President Obama would like to see happen.

Two local coal ash storage sites are among 44 such sites targeted for inspection after federal officials identified the ponds as potential threats to nearby residents.

California is not the only state facing a fiscal crisis at this time. Budget talks have completely broken off in Illinois, Pennsylvania is at an impasse and may not be able to pay its workers, and temporary budgets have been approved in Ohio and Connecticut.

The Environmental Protection Agency took a major step toward tougher reductions in greenhouse gas emission from cars and trucks Tuesday by giving California the green light to impose new requirements that could become the national model for combatting tailpipe pollution linked to global warming.

The expected court ruling, affirming that Franken defeated Republian Norm Coleman , was handed down Tuesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has disclosed the locations of 44 'high hazard' coal-ash piles in ten states, including seven in Kentucky and one in Indiana, after previously saying they were keeping the locations secret to prevent them from becoming targets of terrorists.

Reporting from Washington -- The Environmental Protection Agency will announce today that it is granting California's request to impose tough restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks -- reversing the Bush administration's position and opening the way for the state to take the lead on global-warming policy.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday made public a list of 26 communities in 10 states where residents are potentially threatened by coal ash storage ponds similar to one that flooded a neighborhood in Tennessee last year.

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she's open to the idea of having the government compete with private companies as a way to help provide health insurance to the nearly 50 million people who lack it.

President Barack Obama said the House bill curbing greenhouse-gas emissions that passed by a close vote Friday represents "an extraordinary first step," but said he had doubts about a provision to impose tariffs on goods from countries that don't match U.S. efforts to combat global warming.

WASHINGTON - Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., joined a handful of Republicans Friday to help Democrats pass a sweeping climate change bill that would limit pollution blamed for global warming.

Major federal legislation that began with the tragic death by gunshot of San Bernardino's 11-year-old Mynisha Crenshaw was reintroduced Friday by U.S. Sen.

Democrats will apparently move forward with their enormous tax-and-spend bill known as Waxman-Markey this week and it's all concealed in a cloak of green political correctness.

Many pieces of information pass by my desk every week having to do with all kinds of topics.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss and other foes of defense reform. - By Rachel Morris - Photo of Saxby Chambliss by flickr user Dizzy Girl used under a Creative Commons licence.

June 24: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing clean energy reform this week on Capitol Hill.

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT Re: Jeffrey Lord's Boxing With Barbara, Liz, and the Latina : Thank you, Mr.

Congress on Wednesday plans to begin heading down one of its longest, most winding and most-lobbied roads as it begins to rewrite how highway and transit programs will be planned, built and funded for the next six years.