BNA's subscription-only Daily Report for Executives has a nice summary of a stunning new EPA report showing that factory farms and paving are leaving nearly half of our streams polluted: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sediment Runoff Said to Pollute Nearly Half of U.S. Streams Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment runoff are smothering fish and polluting nearly half of the nation's streams, according to a survey on the health of streams released by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Estate Tax Vote Nears; Lobbying Heats Up Harsh Budget Resolution On Its Last Leg? 2006 Tax Reconciliation Bill Languishes White House Misleads Public, Congress on PART Results

("Legally iffy" is a technical term of art, of course.) On the heels of the Heinzerling article making the case against OIRA meddling from an admin law perspective, an article by Cardozo law prof Kevin Stack tackles OIRA meddling from a different starting point: statutory interpretation. Here's a look: In our constitutional system, the significance of the President's assertions of statutory powers should come as no surprise.

House and Senate leaders are still working to secure a final agreement on the tax reconciliation bill (H.R. 4297). While leaders do plan to remove some business tax extender provisions from H.R. 4297 and move them as a separate package, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) have been unable to agree on the timing and contents of the “extenders” package.