National (U.S.)

Critics complain that "McMansions" have ruined neighborhoods. The McMansion fad fizzled with the real estate bust -- but could it return?

Investigation shows that even the local organizers of astroturf rallies against climate legislation are registered oil lobbyists.

New research suggests that atrazine, a popular weed killer found in some drinking water, causes birth defects and health problems at concentrations lower than previously thought.

"For decades, the chemical industry has been able to control the debate on whether BPA is harmful to human health. Now the Food and Drug Administration, which had relied on industry-financed studies to declare the chemical safe, is reconsidering its determination. ... Plastics makers [have launched a campaign] to fight federal regulation of BPA, downplay its risks and discredit anyone who characterizes the chemical as a health threat."

"Parasitic infections and other diseases usually associated with the developing world are cropping up with alarming frequency among U.S. poor, especially in states along the U.S.-Mexico border, the rural South and in Appalachia, according to researchers."

"As the credit freeze tightened its grip on the economy, the market for green construction -- at least in some respects -- remained strong overall, according to the U.S. Green Building Council and insurers of green construction projects. ...Still, as fewer and fewer banks proved willing to lend money for upfront construction costs, many smaller green builders have been forced to find new ways to see their projects through to completion."

"To prevent ecosystem damage due to commercial harvesting activity, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today decided to prohibit the expansion of commercial fishing in federal Arctic waters until researchers gather enough information on fish and the Arctic marine environment to put safeguards in place."

A "Flash Mob" of environmental activists in Salt Lake City staged a demonstration to declare: "Climate Change Kills." It was just one of dozens of events around the country staged by both sides in the climate debate.

"Industry groups that rely on federal courts to fight regulations and legislation flowing from a Democratic White House and Congress may face frustrations as President Obama makes his mark on the judiciary."