The Department of Energy on Tuesday announced a sweeping artificial intelligence program that would give it a big role — and a unique one — in the federal government's AI research efforts.
Driving the news: The department announced the Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security and Technology (FASST) initiative at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington.
"Given the high-profile nature of this transaction they needed something. I think you would hear a lot of squawking from a lot of folks who didn't want this deal to go through if it sailed through with no changes."
— Dan Pickering of Pickering Energy Partners, via the Financial Times, on the FTC barring ex-Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield from the board of the merged Exxon-Pioneer
Hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly — and to a greater extent closer to shore than they used to — in large part because of human-caused climate change, a new study finds.
Driving the news: The study, published in the journal Earth's Future, found that hurricanes have on average gained strength more quickly in recent decades as they draw nearer to coastlines.
This impacts pricey real estate along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts and goes against previous trends of weakening near land.
A significant severe storm outbreak threatening much of the Plains and Central U.S. unleashed tornadoes across several states — including a destructive one that ripped through two northeastern Oklahoma towns late Monday.
Threat level: The Storm Prediction Center raised the risk level to "High," the most significant level on its risk scale that is rarely used, due to the tornado threat in central Oklahoma and southern Kansas into Monday night.
The National Weather Service uses a variety of tornado alerts to help protect people when severe weather strikes, but these are often misunderstood.
Why it matters: Any confusion of what a warning means could result in someone wasting time to get to shelter, and therefore being in a more dangerous situation.
Microsoft and Stockholm Exergi this morning announced a deal that would potentially see the Swedish firm provide 3.3 million tons worth of carbon removal over 10 years starting in 2028.
Why it matters: The companies claimed it "represents the world's largest permanent removals deal to date."
State of play: Removal certificates would be generated via Stockholm Exergi's planned bio-energy with carbon capture and storage plant in Sweden.
A Stockholm Exergi biomass-fed combined heat and power plant would have CO2 capture installed.
Meanwhile, the process is viewed as carbon-negative because biomass feedstocks absorb CO2 when grown.
The globe recorded its hottest April on record, extending its record hot streak to 11 straight months, according to new data.
Why it matters: Temperatures on land and in the sea are having major impacts on people around the world, including ongoing, deadly heat in Southeast Asia.
