Because of exemptions, lobby groups like the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity don't have to disclose how much they spend on fake-grassroots activities and TV ads.

"A House committee is investigating whether the coal industry's largest influence group failed to accurately report its lobbying spending to Congress."

A mandatory disclosure report filed Monday in the Senate showed that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $34.7 million last quarter to influence Congress and the administration. It's a large amount and a dramatic jump.

Some think Rush Limbaugh's call for New York Times reporter Andy Revkin to kill himself may have a detrimental effect on civil discourse in the U.S.

"A prominent coal industry association spent nearly $10 million over the past 18 months on lobbying efforts supervised by a public affairs firm currently under congressional investigation for its involvement in sending forged letters opposing the climate bill."

"Army Corps of Engineers officials on Wednesday defending their handling of a rowdy crowd of coal industry supporters who repeatedly interrupted other speakers at a mountaintop-removal public hearing Tuesday night."

"A congressional panel will hold a hearing Thursday into those forged letters urging lawmakers to oppose climate change legislation. The letters purported to come from minority, senior, and veterans' groups, but in fact were sent by Bonner & Associates, a GOP-aligned astroturf lobbying firm, on behalf of a coal industry client."

The US Chamber of Commerce violated its own rules to reach a climate change position that has driven companies out of its fold. That is the picture painted by interviews with current and former US Chamber board members, several of whom divulged new revelations about the Chamber's internal climate controversy.

"The group of Cabinet secretaries and White House advisers who meet regularly to craft the president's energy and environmental agenda now numbers 13, double what it was during the administration's early days. It's just one of the signs that the administration is stepping up its push to pass energy and climate legislation this year."

"The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted [Thursday] to confirm Pennsylvania's controversial mining director as the director of the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement."

"Apple is pulling out of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of the organization's strident criticism of plans to reduce U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions, the computer giant said Monday."

"The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is hemorrhaging staff as it faces a critical test in the coming weeks to pass a comprehensive global warming bill."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently denied that it was in denial about climate change. But in filings earlier this year with EPA, it questioned the science behind climate change, suggested air-conditioning would protect people, and theorized that global warming would be good for people anyway.

"Nike announced Wednesday that it would resign from the board of the United States Chamber of Commerce, becoming the latest company to break with the group over climate policy."

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is blocking Senate confirmation of Paul Anastas to head EPA's Office of Research and Development -- demanding that EPA have the National Academy of Sciences review its assessment of formaldehyde risks.