The "cap and trade" bill is sponsored by Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer of California and John Kerry of Massachusetts, and would require U.S. manufacturers, utilities and refineries to reduce their carbon pollution output 20 percent by 2020, from 2005 levels.

However, many lawmakers have expressed concerns about the possible impact of the bill on their regions’ utilities and consumers.

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska told CNBC that he believed that "at the end of the day, the people who turn the switch on at home will be disadvantaged."

Meanwhile, a more powerful opposition is coming from the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus of Montana who said that while "we cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change … we also cannot afford the unmitigated effects of legislation."

The developments come against the backdrop of calls from President Obama for the Senate to pass climate change legislation.

Speaking at the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia, Florida, the president also warned that "the closer we get to this new energy future … the more we’re going to hear from special interests and lobbyists in Washington whose interests are contrary to the interests of the American people."

On the one hand, the conservative Republican Bob McDonnell’s victory in the gubernatorial race in Virginia and moderate Republican Chris Christie win in New Jersey may be seen as a triumph for a party that appeared to be in disarray after two national electoral defeats in 2006 and 2008.

However, in the closely watched special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district, the conservative candidate — endorsed by such GOP heavyweights as Sarah Palin and Dick Armey as well as by Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck — was defeated by retired Air Force Captain Bill Owens, a Democrat.

In the run up to the vote, the liberal Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava withdrew under pressure from the party’s right wing, a development some interpreted as indicative of an ongoing feud between the far right and moderates for control of the party.

On Wednesday, GOP leaders sought to diminish the meaning of Hoffman’s defeat, with Republican Party chairman Michael Steele stressing the local nature of the election and suggesting the gubernatorial races were a better indicator of the party’s success.

However, President Obama’s campaign chairman David Plouffe suggested the Republicans were still divided as conservatives keep pushing for "purging moderates from the party," something the voters appear to disapprove of it.

The new parks and recreation administrative policy prohibits firearms in parks, community centers and other city-owned buildings, but the plaintiffs argue that it violates Washington State’s long-standing preemption statute, adopted more than 25 years ago.

"It essentially impairs the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms for personal protection, which is explicitly protected by Article 1, Section 24 of the state constitution," says SAF executive vice president Alan M. Gottlieb.

He also expressed his satisfaction that the NRA has joined in the lawsuit, saying "our successful collaboration in the past stopped illegal gun confiscations in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and nullified an illegal gun ban in the city of San Francisco."

The two organizations are joined by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the Washington Arms Collectors and filed their lawsuit in the Superior Court of Washington State in King County.

Scientists from Alabama have found evidence that a compound called puerarin regulates glucose metabolism by directing it to muscles, where it helps generate energy, and away from fat cells and blood vessels. They have also discovered that it is found in abundance in root extracts from kudzu, which has long been used as nutritious food by people in China and Japan.

The scientists arrived at the conclusion by studying animals which received kudzu extract supplementation and experienced lower cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and insulin levels after a period of two months.

In the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry they wrote that kudzu root "may provide a dietary supplement that significantly decreases the risk and severity of stroke and cardiovascular disease in at-risk individuals."

Puerarin is an antioxidant isoflavone that is also believed to have protective properties against cancer, including certain types of breast and prostate cancers.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with excess body fat, high blood pressure, sugar and lipids levels. If untreated, it may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke or diabetes.

Dubbed "net neutrality," the measure is intended to put in place regulations that would prevent these companies from restricting access to internet content, applications and services offered by competitors.

According to TheHill.com, these special interest groups argue they "need to manage internet traffic to keep services running smoothly to all subscribers," and are spending much time and money lobbying politicians in Washington to prevent the proposed regulations from being implemented.

However, the step was greeted with praise by five pioneers involved in development of early internet technologies, including ARPANET and TCP/IP communications protocol.

They released a public letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in which they say that "as individuals who have worked on the internet and its predecessors continuously beginning in the late 1960s, we are very concerned that access to the internet be both open and robust."

Analysts say that applications such as Google, Skype and Facebook would be among the biggest beneficiaries of "net neutrality."