Defense contractor Anduril Industries and Archer Aviation are together developing a hybrid-power vertical takeoff and landing aircraft they hope can win the Pentagon's favor.
Why it matters: Climate change concerns, fuel-hauling challenges and battlefield advantages are pushing the U.S. military closer to alternative power sources for its arsenal.
A wildfire threatening Malibu homes has forced thousands to evacuate, and forecasters warn "very dry air and elevated fire weather conditions would persist" into Wednesday night, even after red flag warnings ended earlier in the day.
The big picture: Santa Ana winds and very low humidity have driven the dire conditions, as hundreds of firefighters tackle the fast-moving Franklin Fire, which was burning out of control across an estimated 4,000-plus acres in Malibu Wednesday.
Threat level: Red Flag warnings ended as powerful Santa Ana winds eased on Wednesday afternoon, but the National Weather Service's Los Angeles office said on X that breezy areas of southwest Santa Barbara County and the San Gabriel Mountains were still under threat amid "very dry" conditions.
The news that the frigid Arctic tundra ringing the polar region has switched from being a net absorber, or "sink," of planet-warming greenhouse gases to a net emitter, or "source," indicates the Arctic is on the brink of further, sweeping changes.
Why it matters: This conclusion, contained in an authoritative federal report, indicates far-reaching consequences lie ahead for the world. And it suggests more Arctic climate dominoes are still to fall.
