The Obama administration has urged the Supreme Court to toss out an appeals court decision that would allow lawsuits against major emitters for their contributions to global warming, stunning environmentalists who see the case as a powerful prod on climate change. In the case, AEP v. Connecticut, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a coalition of states, environmental groups and New York City. The decision, handed down last year, said they could proceed with a lawsuit that seeks to force several of the nation's largest coal-fired utilities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Go to story #1

With global warming legislation sidelined, advocates are bracing for battle over U.S. EPA climate rules, the only game in town for curbing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Environmentalists were left reeling this summer when the Senate retreated on climate legislation, and while a few die-hards say a climate bill is still possible this year, most advocates are shifting their focus to upholding EPA's authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Go to story #2