Comic DL Hughley is clearly a funny guy. Smart too. Yet when he tries to put his talent in a a vehicle other than standup, it never quite comes together. Remember his wildly uneven CNN show, "DL Hughley Breaks the News"?

Which brings us to "DL Hughley: The Endangered List" (11 tonight, Comedy Central), his one-hour "social experiment" or satirical documentary about the comic's quest to get the black man on the endangered species list. Once again, there are moments of sharp observation, humor, even poignancy. But it, too, is more parts than the sum of those parts, a great idea that doesn't quite come together.

Which new cars get the most miles for your gallon of gas? The EPA's new fuel-economy list for 2012 models is dominated by the usual suspects -- electric cars and Japanese-brand hybrids. And good for them.

Meanwhile, it's worth noting also that you can enjoy respectable fuel economy these days with cars that aren't called Honda or Toyota.  What kind of fuel economy are you getting lately? Please let me hear from you by phone (919-829-4527) or email, and don't forget to include name and daytime phone number.

EPA gives you two ways to sort the fuel-economy list: with and without cars that plug into electrical outlets. 

If you EXCLUDE electric cars and plug-in electric hybrids, you'll see a familiar name at the top of the heap: Toyota Prius, the world's best-selling gas-electric hybrid, rated at 51mpg city, 48mpg highway, 50mpg combined.

All the top 10 on this list are hybrids except #9, the Scion iQ, with a combined 37mpg. ... [MORE]

Two North Carolina colleges are among 45 schools nationwide to receive $15,000 grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help design sustainable technologies.

Student teams from Appalachian State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are recipients of the People, Prosperity and the Planet Phase I grants, which challenge students, working together on interdisciplinary teams, to design and build sustainable technologies that improve quality of life, promote economic development and protect the environment.

View Triangle Expressway construction in a larger map

Starting this morning, thousands of RTP commuters must find a new way to work because the southern spur of NC 147 (Durham Freeway) from I-40 to Alexander Drive has been closed - forever (see Aug. 19 story with reader comments).

What's your new route?  How will the change affect your commute? Please share your thoughts below or let me hear from you (don't forget your daytime contact info). [6pm update: DOT suggests alternate routes, and announces nighttime lane closings on NC 147 and I-40.]

It was the 279A exit from I-40. The road was especially convenient, and its loss will be a particular hassle, for workers at the EPA and NIEHS, and other offices on Alexander Drive south of N.C. 54.

The N.C. Turnpike Authority closed the convenient connection because it overlaps with the northern end of the Triangle Parkway toll road, now under construction.  The Triangle Parkway is scheduled to open in December.

With a presidential election looming next year, the Obama administration yanked a controversial air-pollution rule that conservatives have demonized as bad for the nation's economy.

The U.S. Environmental Agency this morning acted on President Obama's wish to withhold issuing stricter standards to reduce ground level ozone levels. The EPA's approach was opposed by North Carolina's environmental regulators along with a spate of business groups.

Environmental groups immediately denounced the White House move as selling out to pressure from the business lobby. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce praised the move as "an enormous victory for America's job creators."

The EPA has been working on a stricter pollution rule for several years, delaying its release numerous times, most notably on the eve of the 2010 Congressional elections that swept in a Republican majority.

Now it will be at least several years before the EPA revisits the issue, buying the President time to deflect criticism that he is not doing enough to fix the nation's ailing economy.

As the N.C. Turnpike Authority moves toward the opening late this year of the Triangle Parkway, I'm reporting on how RTP-area commuters are affected by the construction and the new toll road.

EPA, NIEHS and other folks will be affected when some existing routes are changed.  Is this making it harder for you to get to work in the morning and home at night?

Will North Carolina's first modern toll road give you an easier drive each day?

Please let me hear for you: call me at 919-829-4527 or email me, and don't forget to leave your full name and daytime contact info.  Thanks.

Federal grants will help clean up and redevelop 214 polluted sites such as abandoned gas stations and shuttered factories in 40 states, Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson said Monday.

Three tribal nations also will receive federal money under the EPA's "brownfield" program, which is designed to spur growth in cities where contaminated industrial and commercial sites have been a drag on the economy while contributing to joblessness and crime, agency officials said.

Are you interesting in seeing how many states are in compliance with the Clean Water Act?

A conversation on a Duke University blog is prompting some interesting questions about the role a dean should play in public affairs issues.

The blog is The Green Grok and is written by Bill Chameides, dean of Duke's School of the Environment.

In a Feb. 21 blog post, Chameides takes aim at House Republicans hoping to de-fund environmental initiatives.

His comments on several political moves raised the ire of some of his readers. The result is a fairly thoughtful, occasionally testy exchange worth a read.

Chameides has some pretty pointed thoughts in this blog post. A few examples:

He points to the recent elimination of the role of U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, held by Todd Stern. Chameides writes that Stern's role as America's chief negotiator at the United Nations global warming talks is vital, and notes that while his job was being eliminated, legislators "courageously beat back an amendment that would have halted the Defense Department's sponsorship of NASCAR."

Chameides then takes aim at Mike Beard, a Minnesota state representative who, in a media interview, suggested that God will guarantee that the world doesn't run out of any energy sources or important resources.

"I guess words like famine and drought have not made it into the Minnesotan's lexicon," Chameides wrote in part.

He adds later: "Thank the lord that our creativity and ingenuity do not include the ability to make bombs so powerful they can destroy whole cities and with enough o them an entire planet. Oh...my bad,"

Chameides' word and tone bothered some readers.

In the blog's response section, one writes:

"The sarcasm in this column is deaming of an academic institution. I am embarrassed by this particular blog. We cannot claim to be objective - speaking and listening to all sides - with this statement/wording from our Dean. This is poisonous not only to those outside Duke, who look to univrsersities as a source of objectivity, but it also says volumes to our prospective students about teh Dean's ...blatant advocacy."

In later comments, other readers add their thoughts as well. Some come to Chameides' defense. Another asks for a smidge more objectivity and diplomacy.

What do you think?

In a sharp challenge to the Obama administration, House Republican leaders intend to unveil legislation to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases, officials said. They expect to advance the bill quickly.