Environmental Politics

"Two leading U.S. Senate Democrats say last year's Paris climate deal should help one of its architects become the next U.N. secretary-general."

"Energy companies in Colorado are spending millions of dollars to derail a push by environmentalists to put measures on November's ballot that would stifle oil and gas drilling in the state, according to a Reuters review of campaign finance records.

Environmental groups are now gathering signatures for two statewide initiatives that would transfer regulatory control of oil and gas development to local governments and create more stringent setback requirements to keep oil and gas activities away from occupied structures.

"The House passed a $32.1 billion bill funding the Interior Department and environmental programs next year, the first time the legislation has cleared the House since 2009."

"New York's attorney general is rejecting a congressional committee chairman's demand for records about his investigation into whether Exxon Mobil misled investors about global warming."

"The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday voted down a Democratic push to allow federal spending on an international climate change program."

"The Union of Concerned Scientists will continue to object to House Republicans' requests for documents and communications on climate change, the nonprofit group's president said."

"Former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres isn't the only contender for secretary-general who has already made climate change a central theme of her vision for the United Nations' future."

"Lawmakers are calling out companies they say engaged in a 'sophisticated and deceitful campaign' to mislead the public."

"Senate Democrats are making a last-ditch effort to resuscitate a measure providing funding to combat the Zika virus, but Republicans have already panned their offer — escalating the partisan blame game as Congress prepares to leave for a summer recess without finishing a Zika bill."

"The Obama administration is threatening to veto a 2017 spending bill for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Interior Department."