President Trump told House Republicans that he made his now infamous phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the urging of Energy Secretary Rick Perry — a call Trump claimed he didn’t even want to make.
Behind the scenes: Trump made these comments during a conference call with House members on Friday, according to 3 sources on the call.
Saudia Arabia is trying to recast itself to the West as a more liberal, fun destination, but the country’s questionable human rights record continues to haunt its attempts to boost tourism and make its economy less oil-dependent.
Why it matters: Critics of Saudi Arabia claim the legal changes and popular entertainment meant to lure tourists distracts from human rights abuses and the country's involvement in the Yemeni civil war, per the Guardian. Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's image on the world stage have also been starkly affected by the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside a Saudi Consulate in Istanbul 1 year ago.
The American South has been hit with record heat, even as other parts of the country welcome fall weather, and it's bringing a sudden dry spell, dubbed a "flash drought" with it, reports the New York Times.
Why it matters: The warm and dry regional pattern is hurting crops across the South, per the Times. But if the drought continues, "it could bring wildfires and render entire crops as losses," writes the Wall Street Journal.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Friday plans to open about 720,000 acres of land in California’s central coast to oil and gas lease sales.
Why it matters: New federal land has not been freed up for fossil fuel extraction in the region since at least 2013, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Environmentalists say new oil rigs will hurt California's land and water and contribute to climate change. However, the Interior Department claims the expansion will help ensure the U.S. achieves energy independence and economic growth.
Why it matters: President Trump is facing what the paper has branded a "rural rebellion," necessitating this latest twist in a never-ending battle over America's ethanol mandate. The president is stuck between two allies — agriculture and oil interests — feuding with each other.
BP said Friday that Bernard Looney, head of the company's oil-and-gas exploration and production unit, will take over as CEO in early February.
Why it matters: It adds clarity to the oil giant's succession plans after word emerged recently that current CEO Bob Dudley, 64, is readying to step down after a decade in the role.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry is preparing to step down by the end of the year, per several reports Thursday night citing anonymous sources familiar with his plans.
Why it matters: Perry has served far longer than many officials in President Trump's Cabinet and avoided the kinds of controversies that forced out ex-EPA chief Scott Pruitt and former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
