Why it matters: Collins is one of the incredibly few black women to start a "unicorn" startup, but she stepped away from Zume a year ago to tackle climate change with a new company, Planet FWD (which Cleo is backing).
Gas prices are always front-and-center during holiday travel — AAA reports that the nationwide average, at around $2.59/gallon, is roughly where it was during last year's Thanksgiving — but the rise of electric vehicles could upend that traditional metric.
Why it matters: EVs have lower fuel costs on an annual basis, which will get more relevant as their upfront costs move closer to parity with those with internal combustion engines.
FEMA data and records demonstrate "the degree to which the recovery from Hurricanes Maria and Irma on America’s Caribbean islands has been stalled ... leaving the islands’ critical infrastructure in squalor and limbo," the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: The stalled aid highlights the disconnect between how the federal government can view American citizens in its territories, like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that lack congressional representation and Electoral College votes versus those on the mainland.
A wind-driven wildfire burning north of Santa Barbara, California, forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes and threatened thousands more homes, AP reports.
What's happening: Santa Barbara County residents hope an approaching storm could help extinguish the flames of the Cave Fire, per AP, which notes 4,000 of the almost 5,500 evacuees were told Tuesday they could return home after authorities reduced the evacuation zone size. The blaze burned 4,300 acres and was 10% contained Tuesday evening, Santa Barbara County fire spokesman Mike Eliason tweeted.
The Iranian government responded to gas price protests by shutting down the country's internet for a week. Dan digs in with Norman Roule, a 34-year CIA veteran who previously oversaw U.S. national intelligence policy and activities related to Iran.
Charles Cooper, an attorney who represents former national security adviser John Bolton and his deputy Charles Kupperman, argued Tuesday that a ruling that found former White House counsel Don McGahn must comply with a congressional subpoena does not apply to national security officials.
Why it matters: House Democrats had hoped that Bolton and other officials may use the ruling, which is being appealed, to justify cooperating with the impeachment inquiry.
The House Oversight Committee filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Attorney General Bill Barr and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross for refusing to comply with subpoenas for documents related to the Trump administration’s efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
Why it matters: The White House had previously claimed its aides were "absolutely immune" from congressional subpoenas. On Monday, a federal judge ruled former White House counsel Don McGahn must testify under subpoena in the ongoing House impeachment inquiry, giving House Democrats a stronger hand to enforce its other oversight requests.
A climate technology investment group that counts Leonardo DiCaprio among its advisers yesterday announced the closing of its first funding round and says it exceeded targets.
Why it matters: Princeville Capital's Climate Technology Fund aims to invest over $300 million over the next four years in companies that will deploy "near-term climate solutions," the announcement states.
Analyses released ahead of the big United Nations climate meeting that opens next week in Madrid bring bad news for the planet.
The big picture: The reports show that despite increasing use of climate-friendly tech, especially surging deployment of solar and wind power, steep emissions cuts are nowhere on the horizon.
A couple dozen cities across the Bay Area in California could soon move forward with bans on natural gas in new buildings, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said Monday.
Driving the news: San Jose is the largest city to pass such a measure in what’s quickly becoming a controversial trend in the Golden State designed to tackle climate change at a more local level.
Climate change is making home insurance unavailable or unaffordable in the riskiest areas for hurricanes, wildfires and flooding.
Why it matters: As insurance companies pay record amounts to homeowners who have suffered partial or total losses, they retreat from or raise premiums in places where claims are owed.
Atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) reached the highest ever recorded in human history in 2018, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced in a new report Monday.
Why it matters: If the trend continues, as predicted, the impact of climate change will become even more severe, the intergovernmental organization warns. "The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5 million years ago," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement accompanying the report.
Global shipper DHL will begin rolling out its zero-emission StreetScooter electric vehicle fleet in the U.S. next spring, as the firm works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Reuters reported Monday.
Why it matters: Per the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the transportation industry contributed to 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 — and many delivery companies are working to get cleaner and greener by using electric vehicles.
