Obama Lets States Tighten Fuel Standards

Executive order requires federal agencies to reduce waste, conserve energy

(NEWSER) - Federal agencies have until 2020 to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 28% under an executive order President Obama signed today. The order also calls for improvements in energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction. "As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient," Obama said before signing the order. More»

(NEWSER) - The new, strict and streamlined national fuel efficiency standard President Obama will announce today could be a victory on three fronts, the Climate Change argues in a piece running on the New York Times web site. Obama will boost his climate change cred, help floundering automakers, and resolve the federal spat with California all in one fell swoop. Obama’s plan will require cars to meet a 35.5mpg by 2016, four years earlier than the previous target date. More»

(AP) - Education Secretary Arne Duncan today released nearly $4 billion to California, the first state to benefit from a special fund for states that was created by the economic stimulus law. The fund will replenish state budgets that have been cut or threatened because of the recession. Most of the money is intended for schools, since education accounts for a big share of state spending. More»

Desperate for cash, they embrace measure DC counterparts spurn

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama’s relationship with DC Republicans is on the rocks, but he couldn’t be getting along better with GOP governors, reports the New York Times. Why? Follow the money. Struggling to balance their budgets, the governors don’t care which party help comes from. “The essence of a recovery package is essential to get our nation’s economy moving,” says Vermont’s Jim Douglas. More»

President will push hard for the agenda he wants

(NEWSER) - President Obama got his way, more or less, on the stimulus, but the process demonstrated Congress' abiding disinterest in bipartisanship. For future big-ticket items—and there are a lot of them—the president will take a tougher approach, Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin write for Politico. Chief of staff Rahm Emanuel offers a preview: “He has an open hand, but he has a very firm handshake.” More»