Pretty thin news day today.  They're still sifting through the 450 or so amendments to Waxman-Markey, but word is that that Committee leadership struck a deal this morning, and they'll be voting on ACES early this evening. Elsewhere...

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Congress Votes to Allow Guns in National Parks

"In a stinging defeat for gun-control, the U.S. Congress has voted to allow people to carry loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. The House approved the measure, 279-147, on Wednesday, one day after the Senate acted. [Associated Press - MSNBC]

Global Warming, if Left Unchecked, Twice as Bad as Previously Expected

"Global warming will be twice as severe as previous estimates indicate, according to a new study published this month in the Journal of Climate, a publication of the American Meteorological Society.  The research, conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), predicts a 90% probability that worldwide surface temperatures will rise more than 9 degrees (F) by 2100, compared to a previous 2003 MIT study that forecast a rise of just over 4 degrees."  [USA Today]

Will Mail to Congress Influence Waxman-Markey?

"The Louisiana Democrat [Rep. Charlie Melancon is one of several moderates who have yet to announce their positions on major climate legislation headed to a vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. With the oil and gas industry providing the bulk of high-paying jobs in his district, some residents back home are worried they will lose their livelihood if the bill passes...Melancon said in an interview that it's not about the volume, but whether the source of a letter is a constituent free of ties to interest groups. With most of these individualized messages running strongly against the bill, he said he will be taking them very seriously.  'I may not be able to vote for this bill until it comes back from the Senate,' he said."  [ClimateWire - New York Times]