There’s lots of pre-recess activity in Congress right now, and bloggers provide news and commentary:

• Joe at Climate Progress has been following CAFE standards in the House (here, here, and here) and has the latest on Senate climate legislation.
• Van Jones at Gristmill highlights the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which the media has largely overlooked.
• Ed Silverman at Pharmalot updates us on what’s happening with prescription drug legislation.
• Aimee Witteman at Gristmill and Amanda at Enviroblog urge improvements to the Farm Bill. (The House has already finished with its version, but David Roberts at Gristmill notes that the Senate may write a dramatically different bill.)
• Jack Stearne at Shifting Baselines reports on a House amendment authorizing funds to research harmful algal blooms.

In non-legislative blogging:

Frank O’Donnell at Clean Air Watch warns that the White House has tampered with the EPA’s smog proposal (hat tip to Reg Watch).

Climate Science Watch reports on the stealth release of the evasive U.S. Climate Action Report (hat tip to DeSmogBlog).

Revere at Effect Measure explores the difference in health care wait times in the U.S. and Canada.

Jill Sheffield at RH Reality Check explains why Afghan women are disproportionately the victims of the destruction of Afghanistan’s health infrastructure.

Mead Over at Global Health Policy considers the pros and cons of user fees in improving poor people’s access to health care.

Tara C. Smith at Aetiology takes us back two-and-a-half years to the discovery of XDR-TB.

Coturnix at A Blog Around the Clock brings us the inside scoop on the first anniversary of his new employer, PLoS One.

Catherine Price at Broadsheet describes the sex education in Second Life.