Axios

Super Typhoon Jebi reached a rarely achieved intensity on Friday, becoming the strongest storm so far this year. Based on satellite estimates, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

The big picture: The storm, which reached Category 5 intensity Thursday, is spinning well northwest of Guam and is forecast to eventually curve gradually northward over time, making landfall on September 3 or 4 in Japan as a Category 2 or 3 storm.

Global climate change is projected to cause increased pest-related crop losses that could compromise food security for millions, a new study finds.

Why it matters: By focusing on pests, the new research looks at an under-explored aspect of the relationship between climate change and the global food supply. It adds to the findings of previous studies that examined the nutritional content of food as well as changing crop yields.

San Francisco officials on Thursday granted permits to only two companies, Scoot and Skip, for a one-year electric scooter pilot program.

Why it matters: This is a major upset, in that the city didn't pick bigger names like Bird, Lime, Lyft or Uber.

Santa Monica has selected Uber-owned Jump, Lyft, Lime and Bird to get permits for its upcoming e-scooter pilot program, with Jump and Lyft also allowed to deploy electric bikes.

The bottom line: Santa Monica's planning department staff previously recommended that only Uber and Lyft receive permits to deploy scooters, but the final choice was made by the department director — possibly influenced by intense lobbying from Lime and Bird, the latter of which is a homegrown company that was originally passed over because of past brash behavior.

A major climate storyline in the Trump era has been the way that cities, regional governments and companies worldwide have been pressing ahead with low-carbon efforts.

Driving the news: Two U.S. developments this week illustrate the trend: California is on the cusp of enacting legislation to ensure all of the state's electricity comes from carbon-free sources by 2045, while Facebook announced a carbon emissions-cutting target and new renewable energy goals.