National

President-elect Donald Trump aims to open up federal lands to more energy development, tapping into a long-running and contentious debate over how best to manage America's remaining wilderness.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's legacy of hard-nosed regulation earned it a reputation as a jobs killer - a fact that outgoing EPA Director Gina McCarthy says could prove to be one of her biggest regrets.

Police fired tear gas and water at protesters in North Dakota opposed to an oil pipeline in freezing weather late Sunday and early Monday, in the latest clash between law enforcement and activists.

The question is especially keen after the 2016 election when the media grappled with challenging false statements made by Republican Trump in his campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Demonstrators fanned out across North America this week, including Missoula, to stop the Dakota Access pipeline, as the companies ask a federal court for permission to complete it.

Scrutiny of Facebook has heightened since the surprise election of Republican Donald Trump, with critics alleging the site helped spread lies via fake news stories and hoaxes.

Trump, who has called global warming a hoax invented by the Chinese, has said he wants to cancel the 2015 Paris Agreement among almost 200 nations.

Under normal circumstances, a president whose party controls all of Congress can count on getting things done and Trump likely will not be an exception, but he will start with unusual handicaps.

"After spending a year with (militia) groups in Oregon, Montana, Nevada and Idaho protesting what they describe as government overreach, I've decided not to label them at all."

Republicans and Democrats will battle in a dozen U.S. states, including Montana, that will hold elections for governor on Tuesday, and many of the races could be close calls.