The summer of 2018 has been noteworthy for the all-time heat records smashed around the world, from California to Sweden and Japan.
Why it matters: The heat is a sign of a warming world, scientists have said, with human-caused global warming raising the odds of heat waves as well as increasing their severity and duration.
The Environmental Protection Agency officially proposed a rule Tuesday setting limits on carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, which replaces a far more aggressive plan issued by former President Barack Obama.
Why it matters: It’s a tacit acknowledgment by the Trump administration that it’s legally required to regulate carbon emissions — even though most officials don’t acknowledge climate change is a problem.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it is awarding a $1.03 billion contract to Booz Allen Hamilton to boost cybersecurity vulnerability detection and mitigation in six federal agencies.
Why it matters: Almost 75% of agencies are vulnerable to cyberattacks because they don’t understand their risk, the Office of Management and Budget found earlier this year.
The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal this morning to weaken climate rules for power plants will do little to blunt the forces undercutting coal in electricity markets, several analysts tell Axios.
Share of electricity: EIA, Production: EIA; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios
Why it matters: President Trump has made efforts to cut regulations on coal — the most carbon-intensive power source — a centerpiece of his energy agenda, but the administration has few tools make substantial changes to the trajectory of the once-dominant fuel's declining share of power markets.
The Detroit Lions have plans to become the 12th NFL franchise to use solar technology, with installations planned at both Ford Field and their training facility in Allen Park.
The big picture: Over the past three years, solar installations in U.S. sports arenas have steadily increased, according to a new report released by the Solar Energy Industry Association. Their research shows that between the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB and NASCAR, the U.S. collectively has over 46 megawatts of installed solar capacity powering sports facilities, enough to power nearly 8,000 U.S. homes.
Typhoons Soulik and Cimaron are both on collision courses with highly populated areas of Southeast Asia, including Southwest Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The storms will hit one after the other, possibly battering two massive Asian economies on the same day.
What to expect: Typhoon Soulik is up first and is forecast to deliver a fierce blow to Japan's Rykyu Islands in the next two days, before curving north-northwestward to make landfall in South Korea on August 22 or 23. The storm is the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds estimated at 115 miles per hour, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Dan is joined by Axios managing editor Kim Hart to talk about online privacy and a new report on how Americans care less and less about it. Also, in the "Final Two," he talks about how SpaceX could help Elon Musk buy Tesla and what's next in the trade wars.
The Environmental Protection Agency is slated to unveil a proposal this week to replace Obama-era rules to cut carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants with a much weaker substitute, according to multiple reports.
Why it matters: EPA's 2015 Clean Power Plan was a central pillar of Obama's climate agenda, and was designed to achieve a 32% cut in nationwide CO2 emissions from power plants by 2030, relative to 2005 levels.
JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman cut his Tesla price target from $308 to $195, stating that it appears "funding has not been secured" for Elon Musk's take-private proposal as originally claimed, reports StreetInsider.com.
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund may invest in luxury electric vehicle startup Lucid Motors, according to Reuters, which reports that recent discussions could result in the Saudis eventually investing over $1 billion and obtaining majority ownership.
Why it matters: The report comes just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) was "eager" to bankroll his plan to take Tesla private.
America’s hot summer is fueling wildfires — and a fierce debate over climate change, the single most polarized policy in the U.S.
The big picture: There are plenty of reasons for this divide. Fossil-fuel industry lobbying is one. Our elections that encourage partisanship and tribalism don’t help. A lot more is at play underlying these factors. Here's a rundown of what I see time and again that inflame our divisions.
More than 350 people have been killed and thousands are still stranded by historic flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala, per the BBC, as a result of relentless monsoon rains.
The big picture: The massive floods paralyzed the region's infrastructure, perhaps most dramatically illustrated by the scene at Cochin International Airport, the fourth-largest in India, with floodwaters up to the wings of jets still parked there.
