News bites: Here comes the individual mandate

The Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services are moving forward to formalize the controversial individual mandate at the core of President Obama’s healthcare law, The Hill’s Healthwatch reports.

A Los Angeles law firm sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is weighing whether to challenge Richard Cordray’s appointment to lead the bureau following a court ruling finding similar appointments unconstitutional, according to Bloomberg.

Environmental groups are threatening lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency, saying federal regulators have failed to adequately enforce the Clean Water Act, according to The Associated Press and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.