Using records reported by Opensecrets.org, The Christian Post calculates that bankrupt solar manufacturer Solyndra spent nearly $1.1 million on Washington lobbying since 2008. That includes 2009, when critics say the White House pressured the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to cut short due diligence on a federal loan guarantee of more than $500 million for the Calif.-based company.

The White House may even have known about repeated predictions that the company would go bankrupt.

The bulk of the lobbying money was spent in 2010. In May of last year, President Obama visited the Solyndra plant after it opened and touted it as a model for how government and private sector collaboration can bring about "green energy" jobs. Just two months earlier, however, auditors from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP had warned that the company was in jeopardy and could go bankrupt. more >>

The Environmental Protection Agency, a federal agency charged with regulating pollutants in the air, water and ground, has been harshly criticized by Republican presidential candidates. Will this criticism harm their support among politically conservative Christians?

While there is some common ground between the GOP candidates, there are distinct differences.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) would like to shut down the EPA, while Governor Rick Perry (Texas) would like to place a moratorium on new EPA regulations. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, who criticized Perry for questioning the science behind human-caused global warming, said there should be a moratorium on new EPA regulations. more >>

As Texas Governor Rick Perry has taken the lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, he has also become a target for some of his opponents struggling to gain a foothold in the race by challenging recent statements he made on global warming and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

At a Wednesday campaign stop in New Hampshire, the nation's first primary state, Perry said that climate change is not being caused by humans.

“I think we're seeing almost weekly, or even daily, scientists that are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change,” Perry said. more >>

Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich expressed regret for making a commercial with fellow former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) about climate change – a subject that is divisive among Republicans and especially Christians.

As he attempts to woo voters ahead of the 2012 presidential race, Gingrich said the meaning of the 2008 ad has been "misconstrued."

Gingrich told a WGIR Radio host Tuesday, "I was trying to make the point that we shouldn't be afraid to debate the left, even on the environment." more >>

Los Angeles appears to have emerged unscathed from what was supposed to be the worst part of the 405 freeway shutdown. Also, some cyclists raced a JetBlue flight during Carmageddon, and won.

The warnings of city-wide traffic gridlock issued by local government and the media appear to have worked. L.A. residents are mostly taking public transportation, walking, biking, ride-sharing, and just staying home. Indeed, the traffic in L.A. appears even lighter than normal for a Saturday afternoon.

Some businesses and groups are making use of the media attention Carmageddon brought to L.A. Jetblue sold $4 tickets to fly from Burbank to Long Beach on Saturday. more >>

A severe thunderstorm with hurricane-like winds knocked out electricity to more than 860,000 homes in the Chicago area on Monday, making the blackout the largest power outage since 1998, officials with ComEd utility company said.

As of midday Tuesday, approximately 358,000 customers remained without power.

ComEd reports that power to about a half million customers has been restored. It may take several days for full restoration to take place, company officials stated on ComEd’s Facebook page. More detailed restoration information from the company will be available later. more >>