National (U.S.)

"Al Gore ripped U.S. television coverage of climate change Friday, alleging the media is cowering before industry-funded global warming 'deniers.'"

"The US government entered a state of suspended animation on 1 October after Congress failed to agree on a budget for the next fiscal year, causing federal agencies — including those overseeing science policy and research — to shut down indefinitely."

"In resolving a longstanding dispute, the Food and Drug Administration has announced that it will rescind approval for three of the four arsenic drugs that had been used in animal feeds at the request of the companies that market them."

"President Obama's pick to lead the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has asked that his name be yanked from consideration, citing a deadlocked Senate panel and stiff opposition from right-wing groups that turned the confirmation process into a 'blood sport.'"

"In the frantic days after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP lied about how much oil was leaking from its Macondo well and took too long to cap it, plaintiffs' lawyers said on Monday at the opening of the second phase of the company's trial."

"The U.S. Army is spending billions of dollars shifting toward solar energy, recycled water and better-insulated tents. The effort isn’t about saving the Earth."

"Children who did not get vaccinated against whopping cough are one of the causes of the 2010 outbreak of the illness, when more cases were reported than in any year since 1947, researchers say."

"NBC Sports Network gave a controversial NRA-sponsored safari hunting show the axe over the weekend, ending a week of controversy that was initially sparked when the network aired an episode in which the host gleefully shot and killed a bull elephant."

"With the government on the brink of a shutdown, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to compromise on helium. Legislation passed late last week will keep the gas used in party balloons flowing from a national reserve."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will take one of the biggest hits of any federal agency if the government shuts down this week, operating with under 7 percent of its employees, according to guidance issued by the agency."