Axios

General Motors said it will not delay its plans to field a fleet of self-driving cars next year in the wake of yesterday's fatal accident involving an autonomously-driven Uber vehicle.

"Protecting the safety of the people in the communities in which we live and work, as well as our employees, is at the heart of who we are as a company. Our plans to commercially launch in dense urban environments in 2019 remain unchanged but, as we’ve said from the start, we will not launch until we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.”

The state of play: This follows news that Uber and Toyota have halted testing of their autonomous vehicle programs after yesterday's accident.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has inspired optimism in Washington with major initiatives — allowing women to drive, reining in the religious police and formulating a vision for economic reform.

Yes, but: Even after these first breaths of fresh air, hopes for the autocracy to transform overnight remain mistaken.

The United States is quickly ramping up its exports of liquefied natural gas to record levels.

Why it matters: The increase, highlighted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration Monday, is a product of the fracking boom over the last decade that has made America the world’s largest producer of natural gas.

McDonald’s is announcing today its first-ever target addressing climate change, seeking to cut greenhouse gas emissions of its restaurants and offices by 36% in the next 12 years.

Why it matters: As one of the most recognizable brands on Earth, what McDonald’s does matters more than most. The fact it’s putting forth a concrete target, based on 2015 emissions levels, is the latest and one of the strongest signs yet of how corporate America is taking steps to address the issue despite the Trump administration reversing course.

President Trump on Monday signed an executive order prohibiting U.S. citizens from buying Venezuela's newly created 'Petro' cryptocurrency, and a senior administration official says the White House is mulling additional sanctions on the country.

The backdrop: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose tenure has been marked by swelling authoritarianism and economic chaos, is seeking re-election in May. These sanctions are part of U.S. efforts to punish his regime. Maduro's government launched the world's first state-issued cryptocurrency last month in hopes of boosting its plunging economy and circumventing U.S. and European financial sanctions.

A biofuels standard Congress passed more than a decade ago in the name of rural development, energy security and climate change has devolved into an arcane fight over market share that has nothing to do with those initial three goals.

Why it matters: The law — called the renewable fuel standard that requires refineries to blend biofuels into gasoline — is a textbook example of how regulations create winners, losers and unintended consequences.