Topic: U.S. Department of the Interior

State of the Union transcript 2011: Full text of the president's speech

State of the Union transcript 2011: President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night. Here is the full text of the speech.
01/26/2011 01:40 pm

Gulf oil spill report warning: US must watch offshore drilling more closely

President Obama's commission to investigate the Gulf oil spill suggested wide-reaching reforms to avoid another disaster, including new oversight of the offshore-drilling industry.
01/11/2011 05:22 pm

Gulf oil spill commission report: Good news for BP?

The president's commission on the Gulf oil spill has roundly criticized BP's role in the disaster. But it's appearing less likely that the British oil giant will be charged with gross negligence.
01/06/2011 02:42 pm

Photos of the Day Photos of the day: 12/22

'Don't ask, don't tell' repeal: Will there be political fallout?

Obama on Wednesday signed the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' for gays in the military. On Capitol Hill, Republicans are grumbling about all the unanticipated activity of the lame-duck Congress.
12/22/2010 01:04 pm

In Pictures Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal

Photos of the Day Photos of the day 12/16

Polar bear 'doomed'? Only if greenhouse-gas emissions aren't cut.

Greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide must be cut to avoid a disappearance of summer sea ice in the Arctic, which is crucial to the polar bear.
12/15/2010 05:51 pm

Obama to sign bill awarding payments to black farmers: justice or 'fraud'?

President Obama signs a law Wednesday aimed at rectifying USDA actions that undercut black farmers. Some conservatives call it 'modern-day reparations' that reward political friends.
12/08/2010 02:35 pm

Obama backtracks on plan to open more Gulf waters to offshore drilling

In the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill, the Obama administration has decided to pull back from a plan to open Florida's Gulf coast and parts of the Atlantic seaboard to offshore drilling.
12/01/2010 05:54 pm

Gulf oil spill: Offshore drilling firms threaten to go abroad

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar met with the offshore drilling industry Monday in Houma, La. The event highlighted building tensions in the wake of the Gulf oil spill.
11/22/2010 08:02 pm

A combustible mix for White House: Gulf oil spill and politics

In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, Obama said science would guide energy policy, but some claim that the White House made a political 'edit' in a drilling report. House hearings could explore the issue.
11/11/2010 07:12 pm

Gulf oil spill aftermath: Will region regain lost jobs?

A federal moratorium on deepwater drilling imposed after the Gulf oil spill is expiring this fall, but economists warn that oil companies may not be prepared to restore the thousands of jobs that were lost.
09/20/2010 09:30 pm

BP permanently 'kills' Gulf of Mexico well

With a final shot of cement, BP permanently 'killed' its deep-sea well in the Gulf of Mexico that ruptured in April and unleashed the worst oil spill in US history.
09/19/2010 02:46 pm

Obama's new offshore oil drilling rules: too many loopholes?

The White House’s new guidelines for offshore oil drilling in deep water were intended to make it tougher for oil companies to avoid detailed environmental reviews.
08/17/2010 08:00 pm

Static kill plugs Gulf oil spill leak, but much work remains

Static kill: BPs efforts to plug the leak seem to have worked, but it's still too early to declare victory, officials say.
08/04/2010 06:32 pm

Offshore drilling moratorium: good for the Gulf, bad for the economy?

The federal government enacted a six-month moratorium on offshore drilling in deep waters in the wake of the Gulf oil spill. Depending on who you ask, it is either an environmental necessity or an economic disaster.
07/27/2010 03:03 pm

Offshore drilling moratorium: US cites blowout preventers' weak spot

The Obama administration on Monday cited control systems on subsea blowout preventers as one reason for its offshore drilling moratorium. But more than a year before the BP oil spill, authorities learned that balky control systems were the most common cause of blowout preventer failure.
07/13/2010 04:26 pm

Offshore drilling chief says he's willing to put oil executives in jail

Offshore drilling chief Michael Bromwich, who started his job three weeks ago as head of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, says that he is not afraid to put lawbreaking oil executives behind bars.
07/12/2010 01:06 pm

Gulf oil spill: Judge won't budge on deep-water drilling moratorium

A federal judge said Thursday that he will not reconsider his decision to overturn a six month deep-water drilling moratorium stemming from the Gulf oil spill. That means Interior Secretary Ken Salazar might need to look for a Plan B.
06/24/2010 09:21 pm

Offshore drilling: Judge who lifted moratorium has oil interests

Offshore drilling: Judge Martin Feldman, who overturned the government's moratorium on offshore drilling for oil, has reported owning stock in Transocean Ltd, the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig which exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico over two months ago.
06/23/2010 12:06 pm

Gulf oil spill: Judge slams Obama's drilling moratorium, blocks it

The judge said the federal report that led to the drilling moratorium didn't 'explicitly justify' a ban. Some independent engineers who reviewed the report agree. The administration will appeal.
06/22/2010 08:10 pm

Oil drilling ban has Transocean boss Steven Newman criticizing Obama

Oil drilling ban in the Gulf of Mexico has Transocean president Steven Newman upset with the Obama administration.
06/22/2010 10:45 am

Offshore oil drilling protest: Companies tell judge 'no more'

Offshore oil drilling moratorium could cost Louisiana thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in lost wages, according to one company.
06/21/2010 03:36 pm

ThinkMarkets Gulf oil spill: Mr. President, the problem isn't just MMS

The Gulf oil spill has focused attention on the Minerals Management Service (MMS). But President Obama's disregard of the environment is more important.
06/20/2010 03:35 pm