The Environmental Protection Agency plans to ease regulations on coal-fired power plant waste on Monday, according to the Washington Post.
Why it matters: Coal-fired power plants produce coal ash and water that contain mercury, arsenic and other heavy metals that pose risks to human health and the environment if stored improperly. Some power plants store coal ash in unlined waste ponds, which threatens groundwater and waterways.
We plan to take a wholly different approach to the 2020 election by focusing on the critical trends that are certain to outlive the moment.
Why it matters: Election coverage is too often myopic and maniacally focused on the daily churn of dust-ups and distractions. Toss in social media, and the emotionalism of the moment, and it’s easy to lose sight of the tectonic shifts unfolding in real time.
Saudi Arabia has approved the long-anticipated initial public offering of state-owned oil giant Aramco, the kingdom's market regulator announced in a statement Sunday.
Why it matters: This could be the biggest IPO ever. Aramco is responsible for about 10% of the world’s oil production, per Bloomberg, which notes it "generated the most profit of any corporation last year with net income of $111 billion — more than Apple Inc., Google’s parent Alphabet Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corp. combined."
The United Kingdom has issued a moratorium on hydraulic fracking, citing concerns about earthquakes that could create "unacceptable impacts," the AP reports.
The big picture: "The ban marks a major U-turn for the Conservative party and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who once referred to fracking as 'glorious news for humanity' and urged the UK to 'leave no stone unturned, or unfracked' in pursuit of shale gas, the Guardian reports.
