"Energy and the environment are typically 'back burner' issues in national elections, but both are huge this year for Republicans. From tarring President Obama’s administration with allegations of mismanagement and favoritism for pushing renewable-energy and a 'green jobs' agenda, to lambasting 'job-killing' environmental regulations, GOP candidates have embraced both energy and environmental issues with gusto. Take a look at where each of them stands."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will release standards to combat air-toxics emissions from power plants during an event tomorrow at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington."

"In the last-minute rush in Congress to finalize spending for the current fiscal year and head home for the holidays, one of the losers appears to be USEC, the uranium enrichment company, and the politics are more convoluted than ever.

"At a fall retreat, board members of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the environmental advocacy group, listened as a political consultant gave a critique of the green movement."

"Big Corn and Big Sugar are locked in a legal and public relations fight in the US over a plan to change the name of a corn-based sweetener that has gotten a bad name."

"The federal spending bill before Congress is a no-spending bill for the Energy Department when it comes to enforcing new efficiency standards for light bulbs. But the new standards for light bulbs — signed into law in 2007 — would remain in place, meaning the effort to stem the new rules might mean little at the end of the day."

A rider attached to the payroll tax bill would set a 60-day deadline for the Obama administration to make a postponed decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. A deal on the bill had seemed done as the weekend began, but comments by House Speaker John Boehner on a Sunday talk show seemed to signal that GOPers were going back on the deal.

"BOSTON -- A group of animal rights activists sued the U.S. government Thursday to challenge the constitutionality of a rarely used law they say treats them like terrorists if they cause a loss in profits for businesses that use or sell animal products."

"SAN FRANCISCO — California Gov. Jerry Brown railed Thursday against politicians who doubt climate change, calling them 'political lemmings' and the chief obstacle in the fight against global warming."

"The Environmental Protection Agency is expected Friday to approve a tough new rule to limit emissions of mercury, arsenic and other toxic substances from the country's power plants, according to people with knowledge of the new standard."