Axios

Hurricane Beryl, currently battering the Windward Islands as the most intense hurricane to form in the Atlantic so early in the year, is validating meteorologists' worst fears about the 2024 season.

Why it matters: Beryl has shattered records for rapid intensification, overall strength and location at this time of year. It has achieved these feats because of unusually hot ocean waters, tied in part to climate change.

The U.S. just set sail into a new era of climate and environmental policy.

Why it matters: A Supreme Court ruling Friday constrains what the Beltway's vast bureaucracies can do without detailed instruction from Congress.

Some of the world's largest economies want to speed up the green transition — unless doing so makes China more influential.

Why it matters: Cheap electric cars made in China might convince price-conscious consumers to ditch their gas guzzlers sooner. But politicians in Western countries also want to protect their own clean energy industries, in which they're investing billions.

Editor's note: For the latest on Hurrican Beryl, please see here.

Hurricane Beryl, which formed Saturday evening, is rapidly intensifying after being named a tropical storm in the morning. It is breaking records for the month of June given its location in the central tropical Atlantic Ocean.

Threat level: The storm is forecast to become a major hurricane of Category 3 or above intensity before making landfall near Barbados and in the Windward Islands late Sunday night into Monday.