Forget the chance of a white Christmas in the Midwest and much of the East this year. Instead, record warmth is on tap.
The big picture: Mild air is flowing across the Lower 48 states as a result of an extremely strong, west-to-east jet stream flowing across the Pacific Ocean. This feature is connected to a strong El Niño in the tropical Pacific.
A call between senior Biden administration aides and reporters nicely captured a politically delicate White House stance on record U.S. oil and gas production and exports.
Why it matters: Felix Unger, meet Oscar Madison. The world's largest economy is also a powerhouse in global energy markets.
Yet that fact doesn't sit well with the environmental lobby, a vocal constituency President Biden needs as he heads into a tough reelection fight next year.
Driving the news: Ali Zaidi, a senior climate adviser, was asked Tuesday how 2023's record levels of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and oil output align with the White House's climate goals.
