Axios

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Tuesday he's issuing draft plans to overturn the agency's 2009 scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human health and welfare — a move guaranteed to spark litigation.

Why it matters: It's President Trump's most direct effort to rip out climate regulations root and branch — and make it harder for a successor to impose new ones.

Summers are hitting peak temperatures — and local heat waves are growing longer, stronger and more frequent, according to new data from the EPA.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will maintain long-term access to key Defense Department satellite data used for hurricane forecasting and more, the agency said in a statement Tuesday.

Why it matters: The potential loss of the data threw a monkey wrench in forecasting operations just ahead of what's expected to be an above-average hurricane season.

The U.S. wind sector is seeing a rebound for the moment, but big problems loom, per new data and industry analysis of Trump 2.0 policies.

Why it matters: Wind is the country's largest source of renewable electricity, providing roughly 10% of U.S. power in 2023.

President Trump is outpacing former President Biden — and even his own first-term clip — in getting his ambassadors confirmed by the Senate.

Why it matters: Trump wants to go even faster.

The power of the world's forests to check the growth of planet-warming emissions has weakened in recent years, new data and analysis find.

Why it matters: In typical years, forests and other vegetation suck up roughly 30% of emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Deadly wildfires engulfing parts of Turkey and Greece have forced thousands to evacuate, as much of the Mediterranean and Europe face what meteorologists are describing as an "exceptional," enduring heat wave.

The big picture: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Spain have also seen fires driven by extremely dry conditions and powerful winds. Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal are among the countries impacted by the extreme heat, and a record high temperature of 50.5°C (122.9°F) was recorded in the southeastern Turkish city of Silopi on Friday.