A GOP amendment to the Senate Democrats' budget plan would prohibit federal agencies from considering greenhouse gas emissions from exports under a federal environmental law.

The measure from Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) would ensure agencies cannot evaluate emissions “produced outside the United States by any good exported from the United States,” according to Barrasso’s office.

A summary of the amendment contends the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) plans to force federal agencies to consider greenhouse gas emissions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) before approving projects.

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The State Department on Thursday designated Mali's Ansar al-Dine as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, banning American residents and corporations from providing material support for the group and blocking its property in U.S. jurisdiction.

Ansar al-Dine has been linked to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The group was formed in 2011 by Iyad ag Ghali, who was designated a terrorist last month.

Al-Dine was behind the takeover of several Malian towns, including Gao and Timbuktu, last year. The group's push southward and the conservative Islamist laws it imposed in its wake prompted France to intervene in January with aerial and intelligence support from the United States.

The FBI searched the home of President Reagan's national security adviser this month looking for evidence he's lobbied for Sudan, The Washington Post reports.

Federal agents say they found emails showing Robert “Bud” McFarlane collaborated with the Sudanese government. U.S. law makes it illegal to lobby for the Khartoum regime, which seeks to be taken off the sanctions and state sponsor of terrorism lists, because of its human-rights abuses.

"I believe that these emails are evidence that McFarlane was entering into an agreement with the government of Sudan to lobby the U.S. government officials on behalf of Sudan and to provide it advice during negotiations with the United States,” a federal agent wrote. The agent goes on to accuse McFarlane of seeking to hide that connection “by construing the agreement to make it appear that his contractual relationship was with Qatar, when in fact it was not.”

A lawyer for McFarlane told the Post he did nothing wrong.

The new leader of the Senate Foreign Relations panel on East Asia set the tone for his chairmanship by starting off a series of hearings on President Obama's “pivot to Asia” Thursday with a focus on human rights.

Lawmakers have been probing the strategic and business repercussions of the president's priorities for the past few years, but Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) brings a different perspective. He championed last year's Russia human rights sanctions bill in the Senate and pushed for U.S. foreign aid programs to make gender equity a priority when he chaired the subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance in the last Congress.

“We must remember as we 'rebalance to Asia' that the fundamental respect for the human rights of every person, every woman, man and child, is the underpinning to security and prosperity,” Cardin said in his opening statement Thursday. “Good governance which includes a respect for human rights is key to economic growth.”

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Reports say Iraq is allowing Iranian civilian aircraft carrying weapons and military personnel to cross its territory to Syria.

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The president said the United States remains “deeply committed” to a two-state solution in the region.

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The heckler was reportedly shouting about the convicted spy serving a life term in prison.

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Israeli President Shimon Peres said Thursday that he is convinced that President Obama would take military action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, a day after the pair met at Peres's Jerusalem home.

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Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) on Thursday praised President Obama’s outreach to Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but cautioned that he should “play favorites” as he works to renew peace talks during his Mideast trip.

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