1. NATURAL GAS:
CDC gets an earful from House GOP on fracking health studies
The Obama administration is getting more push-back from House Republicans about federal research aimed at assessing the health risks associated with a booming natural gas industry. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, GOP leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee accused officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of harboring "preconceived notions" about the possible health effects of gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.