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A concentrated oil burn in the Gulf of Mexico, conducted in May 2010 (Pic by Deepwater Horizon Response, via Flickr) The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force on Wednesday released its comprehensive preliminary strategy for long-term restoration. Next Tuesday, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership and COMPASS (Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea) will host a roundtable discussion to further delve into the strategy, and discuss what can be done on a policy level. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will be sponsoring the event. According to a press release, the roundtable discussion will address specific scientific and economic issues regarding effective restoration in the Gulf of Mexico, including “What role can science play in identifying what the linked ecological and economic goals of ecosystem recovery are in the Gulf?” “Restoring economic vitality to the Gulf will depend on a foundation of sustained coastal health,” reads a press release for the event

DES MOINES — A bill approved by the U.S. Senate’s education committee will replace No Child Left Behind with legislation that’s less “prescriptive and punitive” and allows school districts more freedom in deciding how best to educate and evaluate children, says U.S

I note this because Iran’s violent seizure of a southern Iraqi oil field looked scary last week. But the Iranian troops have withdrawn -- although not entirely

Just as we wrote about the pressing need for financial literacy among consumers as credit tightens, The New York Times reports on the government’s efforts to

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum earned nods from two Iowa lawmakers: Iowa Sen

Apropos of my piece on Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair’s awkward testimony yesterday, Michael Isikoff fleshes out the dissatisfaction felt toward

In the wake of last weekend’s spill of around 1,000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone River in Montana, Rep. Fred Upton’s House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold hearings later this month on pipeline safety.

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., today lauded Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for sticking to his guns on the issue of categorical exclusions that allow oil and gas companies to skirt environmental regulations for drilling operations on federal lands.

At Economist’s View, Mark Thoma brings up a subject no one seems to want to talk about anymore - helping people with modest incomes buy homes. In the housing

Miami-Dade’s legislative delegation yesterday discussed immigration reform — another signal that the controversial issue will be important in Florida’s

Unprompted, TWI video intern Abbey Brandon produced a trippy (and informative!) video, breaking down this year’s open Senate seats and competitive Senate races.

Michigan health officials say no one should eat any lake trout from Lake Michigan because the fish contain dangerous levels of PCB, dioxins, and the now-banned pesticide chlordane .

How desperate is The Drudge Report for articles that might hurt Sen. Barack Obama? Look at what the news aggregation site is trumpeting today. Check out

ThinkProgress has the video from Good Morning America, in which the ousted deputy U.N. special representative to Afghanistan says that the stolen election has

If the governor signs the bill, South Carolina would join Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana and Utah in passing laws that dramatically increase the powers of state and local authorities to enforce immigration policy. These are also states that are or will soon be facing legal challenges from civil rights groups over the new laws.

Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, as well as DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton, are pressing the Democratic National Convention Committee to host the DNC in Minneapolis in 2012. The state’s most populous city is on the short list along with Charlotte, N.C., St.

Gov. Rick Perry had dinner with embattled media mogul Rupert Murdoch Monday night in New York City, according to CBS and NBC news reports. The News Corp. CEO

With the resignation of Van Jones over the weekend, environmental advocates lost their biggest champion in the White House. But on Tuesday those advocates

In October, Gen. David McKiernan, commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan expressed skepticism over the prospect of signing up tribal militias, Anbar

DES MOINES — U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Cumming) calls it “nonsense” for politicians to suggest doing away with the U.S.

The GOP’s 21-page Pledge to America proposal, released today, is mostly silent on energy policy. In fact, the proposal summarizes Republicans’ energy policy