Climate Deniers Ascend in Senate Leadership: Sen. Jim Inhofe, who authored a book on the climate change “hoax,” is poised to become the chair of the Senate’s environment committee. Sen. Ted Cruz, another skeptic, will almost certainly be the head of the science and space subcommittee. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is expected to chair the energy committee and has advocated for expanded fossil fuel production. The new Senate majority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell, has also expressed doubt on the human impact on the climate. (RTCC, Mother Jones, Washington Post $, Salon,  The Hill on Inhofe, The Hill on Murkowski, MSNBC, Discover, Huffington Post, Al Jazeera America)