"The Army Corps of Engineers wants to use ash cast off from coal-fired electrical generation to shore up dozens of miles of Mississippi River levees, drawing fire from environmentalists worried that heavy metals from the filler might make their way into the river."

"U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on Wednesday declared the entire concrete-lined Los Angeles River channel 'traditional navigable waters,' a designation crucial to applying Clean Water Act protections throughout its 834-square-mile urban watershed."

"Canada, which has a disputed sovereignty claim to the Northwest Passage, will require all larger ships plying the Arctic sea route to register starting on July 1, the government said on Tuesday."

"Billions of dollars of new business and tens of thousands of jobs will flow to four hub cities -- Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando and Albany, N.Y. -- where plans for major high-speed rail networks are located, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors."

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's announcement that biking and walking would get equal priority in federal funding as automobiles has drawn praise from bikers and brickbats from the conservative National Association of Manufacturers.

President Obama announced Thursday that the Transportation Dept. is awarding $8 billion in economic stimulus funds to develop America's first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.