The EPA has rejected a request by the oil industry and ruled in favor of renewable fuels. Oil refiners had petitioned the EPA to allow them to change the point of obligation, which  means refiners would shift the responsibility for blending ethanol into gasoline to wholesalers and retailers. Tom Buis, with Growth Energy, said the agency rejected the request on Thursday, which is good news for ethanol, “Our goal has been to give consumers more choice at the pump with E-15. [node:read-more:link]

It sounds like science fiction: An unstoppable invader is taking over the West and the best hope to stop its relentless advance is a small team of scientists. But that's what is happening in southwest Idaho, where experiments are underway to determine if soil bacteria can halt the century-long assault of non-native cheatgrass, which sends out roots that cheat other plants of water in the spring."We hope that we can identify the effectiveness of the bacteria on annual grasses and to identify non-target risk effects," said Matt Germino, a research ecologist with the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

A group of young Americans suing the federal government to demand increased efforts on climate change won a notable battle, as a federal court rejected the government’s request to dismiss the case. The ruling paves the way for the 21 plaintiffs—who range in age from 9 to 20—to take their case to trial in federal court. A ruling in their favor could be a landmark decision on climate change, though it would almost certainly be appealed to a Supreme Court that is set to become more conservative in the wake of Donald Trump’s win. [node:read-more:link]

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has purchased 635 acres in Aiea in Central Oahu from Bishop Museum.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although funding for the acquisitions came from the state’s Legacy Land Conservation Program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Recovery Land Acquisition Program. [node:read-more:link]

When Rebecca Schmaltz found out she was pregnant with her second child, she tried to quit heroin cold turkey. She stopped injecting for a day or two, became sick with withdrawal symptoms, and relapsed. She kept trying, though, to kick the habit on her own. Finally in her fourth month of pregnancy she passed out from severe withdrawal symptoms and ended up in a hospital. When she woke up, she learned a doctor had given her methadone to eliminate her symptoms, which can be life-threatening to the fetus. [node:read-more:link]

In an attempt to position Michigan as the center of research for autonomous vehicles, the Legislature gave final approval Thursday to a package of four bills that allows for the testing of driverless cars in the state.  Without any discussion or debate, the House of Representative passed the package with overwhelming majorities. The Senate concurred this afternoon with technical changes made by the House and sent the bills to Gov. [node:read-more:link]

Chicagoans and other residents of Cook County will see soft-drink prices rise after a new tax on sugary beverages was narrowly approved by county officials on Thursday, aimed at both addressing health issues linked to sugar consumption and trimming a budget shortfall. Cook County, with about 5.2 million residents, is the most populous municipality so far to implement a tax on sugary drinks. Voters in San Francisco and two other northern California cities, Oakland and Albany, approved similar measures on Tuesday. The Cook County tax will be a penny per ounce. [node:read-more:link]

On Tuesday, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved a new law banning farmers from restrictively confining hens, pigs, and calves; 78% of voters said ‘Yes.’ Diemand Farm was prepared for a yes vote and will change with the law. “We will have to work to accommodate the new requirement to enlarge the cages or go with a cage-free system entirely,” said Brian Bailey of Diemand Farm in Wendell. Bailey said they’ve kept their chickens in cages for efficiency and sanitary reasons, and to protect them from hurting each other. [node:read-more:link]

Amid a national push for greater police accountability, voters in several major cities have approved measures to create or strengthen civilian oversight of law enforcement.  The trend reflects growing public demand for independent reviews of misconduct claims after deadly police encounters in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri, Baltimore and New York spotlighted police use-of-force and interaction with minorities. Voters in New Orleans, Honolulu, Miami and San Francisco passed plans Tuesday to bolster existing civilian oversight programs. [node:read-more:link]

Ben and Leticia Ward’s farm in Fountain, Colorado, just outside Colorado Springs, doesn’t look like an army base. But it’s not hard to uncover whiffs of military influence at Little Roman Farm.  A stack of sturdy fiberglass bins next to a greenhouse seem benign, ready to be put to use as brooding bins for chickens or an aquaponics system to grow veggies and fish at the same time. The bins once housed Joint Direct Attack Munition, or part of a system that controls “smart bombs.”  “It was purged courtesy of the U.S. Army,” Ben Ward says. “Thanks, U.S. Army. [node:read-more:link]