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Rob Hotakainen

New EPA leader sure to draw fire as environmental fights intensify

As Obama prepares to choose a new leader for the EPA for his second term, any unanimity on environmental issues is long gone on Capitol Hill, where the agency has become a favorite whipping boy for those who fear it has too much power. Whoever gets the job will face criticism from the right as going too far in pushing job-killing regulations, and criticism from the left as not doing enough to crack down on polluters. | 02/04/13 14:43:43 By - By Rob Hotakainen and Erika Bolstad

Where’s the beef? Not in Indonesia, and U.S. cattle producers are none too happy

When authorities discovered a case of mad-cow disease in California last year, Indonesia angered U.S. cattle producers by becoming the first nation to ban beef from the United States. | 01/29/13 16:11:04 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Salazar leaves legacy of drilling expansion, moratorium

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s announcement that he’s stepping down at the end of March leaves his successor to grapple with contentious issues including drilling in Arctic waters off Alaska and fracking for natural gas and oil on public lands. | 01/16/13 18:07:14 By - By Sean Cockerham and Rob Hotakainen

U.S. shrimp processors seek federal help to slow imports

They survived hurricanes and oil spills, but Gulf Coast shrimp processors say there’s no way they can battle foreign governments to stay in business. | 01/15/13 15:25:08 By - By Rob Hotakainen

30 years after war, Britain battles Argentina over cruise ships at Falklands

In remote waters of the South Atlantic, Kevin Kilmartin counts on big cruise ships to deliver tourists to the Falkland Islands, hoping to lure them to his 35,000-acre sheep and cattle ranch and take them on a safari adventure to his very own wilderness beach, which is inhabited by thousands of Gentoo penguins. | 01/08/13 11:12:36 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Washington state's newcomers go to work in Congress

After learning that he would rank 382nd in seniority in the new U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic Rep. Denny Heck of Olympia, Wash., did a quick calculation to figure out where he stands as a rookie on Capitol Hill. | 01/04/13 07:36:12 By - Ron Hotakainen

With state budgets in red, push for online sales tax gains steam

At The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, N.C., co-owner Tom Campbell says he is losing business as customers come in to photograph his books or jot down notes, conducting their research before they buy the books online to avoid a sales tax. | 12/19/12 15:20:28 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Senate gives final OK to Russian trade deal; Obama says he’ll sign it

Ending nearly 40 years of trade restrictions with Russia, the Senate voted Thursday to approve a bill that will allow U.S. companies to expand business ties with the world’s ninth-largest economy and its 140 million consumers. | 12/06/12 15:01:24 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Obama promises more help, but Indian tribal leaders say they’ll wait and see

Barack Obama has done something that none of the previous 43 U.S. presidents ever did: He met with tribal leaders every single year of his term. | 12/05/12 18:49:02 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Washington state’s Gov. Chris Gregoire fears consequences of fiscal cliff

If the nation runs into the “fiscal cliff” on Jan. 1, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire fears the worst for Washington state. | 12/04/12 17:49:49 By - By Rob Hotakainen

As trade rulings against U.S. mount, backlash builds against WTO

Increasingly, Congress is playing second fiddle to the World Trade Organization, and it’s become a source of irritation on Capitol Hill. Many WTO opponents say the massive world-trading body has assumed far too much power. | 11/28/12 15:56:15 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Barack ‘Black Eagle’ Obama loses his adoptive father

As a freshman senator campaigning for president in May of 2008, Barack Obama made a stop on the Crow Indian Reservation in southern Montana, where he became part of a new family. | 11/28/12 16:38:53 By - By Rob Hotakainen

House passes Russian trade deal, but Moscow isn’t happy

Ignoring threats of retaliation from Moscow, the House of Representatives passed a long-delayed trade deal with Russia on Friday, adding language aimed at cracking down on human rights abuses. | 11/16/12 16:56:25 By - By Rob Hotakainen

A jobs market bright spot? ‘App economy’ sizzles

Ross Waycaster designed the first of his four mobile apps as a high school senior in Tupelo, Miss., a game called Super Marrio Jump that’s been downloaded from the Apple store more than 20,000 times, earning him more than $16,000. | 11/15/12 13:28:12 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Post-elections, trade deals might face more opposition

As one of the first major acts in its lame-duck session, the House of Representatives is expected to vote to approve permanent trade relations with Russia, possibly by Friday, but free-trade deals might face a considerably tougher go in 2013. | 11/14/12 16:19:27 By - By Rob Hotakainen

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