An electricity blackout that began at around 4 pm EDT Thursday paralyzed much of the northeastern United States and parts of Canada. A New York Times reporter and an energy expert discuss the likely causes of the power outage, and…

A battle over federal wilderness designations in Utah ended when the state convinced the federal government to drop certain land restrictions, an agreement environmentalists say will endanger pristine areas.

Christine Todd Whitman, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is leaving her post after more than two years of highly charged debates that often put her at odds with others in the Bush administration. Experts examine President Bush's environmental record…