Hurricane Beryl rapidly intensified into a "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 storm over the eastern Caribbean as it churned toward Jamaica on Monday night, and has begun a slow weakening trend since.
Why it matters: The storm that earlier made landfall on Grenada's Carriacou Island as a Category 4 hurricane is the earliest Category 5 storm in the Atlantic on record and it's killed at least one person as of early Tuesday. It continued to intensify Tuesday morning.
Why it matters: Numerous daily record highs are likely to be set, along with monthly milestones for warm overnight minimum temperatures and the most prolonged heat streaks.
Exactly 30 years ago, a Warren G hip-hop classic opened with the line "Regulators, mount up!" But now the Supreme Court is giving very different signals.
Why it matters: A 6-3 ruling Monday from the court's conservative majority brings even more jeopardy for expansive executive rules.
A Louisiana federal judge has blocked the White House pause on new LNG export licenses to major markets, but the on-the-ground effects of the order are pretty hazy for now.
Why it matters: The injunction Monday is a victory for attorneys general in 16 GOP-led states and industry groups battling the pause, which Biden officials announced in January to weigh the economic and climate effects of surging exports.
American Airlines has entered into a conditional purchase agreement with hydrogen fuel cell aviation upstart ZeroAvia for 100 hydrogen-electric engines intended to power regional jets with zero in-flight emissions.
Why it matters: American sees ZeroAvia's engines as a potential game-changer for powering its regional flights.
The Biden administration on Tuesday published a new rule for employers that aims to help protect about 36 million workers from heat-related illnesses and death.
Why it matters: The rule, if finalized, would establish the country's first federal safety standard addressing excessive heat in the workplace — at a time when large swaths of the country are experiencing extreme heat.
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.
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.
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