Alcee Hastings News

It's an only-in-Washington drama that opens Tuesday and Wednesday as the Senate and House agriculture committees mark up their new five-year plans, which are worth tens of billions of dollars to American farmers over the next decade.

When Congress banned "earmarks" in 2011, House Speaker John Boehner hailed the move as proof that lawmakers were "dead serious" about outlawing pet projects and "ending business as usual in Washington." But new documents show that the ban - while still in effect - has done little to curb the appetite of Florida legislators looking to steer millions ... (more)

It should come as no surprise that a president who grew up in Hawaii and has been known to enjoy the occasional vacation on Martha's Vineyard would prioritize policies that result in the improved management of America's oceans and coasts.

When I heard that Secretary of State John Kerry thought "there ought to be a recount" in the 2013 Venezuelan presidential election and said that the Obama Administration would be having "serious questions about the viability of that government" if "there are huge irregularities," I did understand that this was pretty much pro forma stuff, not to be ... (more)

Hunting for oil and gas deposits off the Atlantic coast with gear that produces underwater sound blasts 100,000 times stronger than a jet engine could harm or kill tens of thousands of whales and dolphins, an environmental group contends in a new report.