France, Germany, and the U.K. sent a letter Thursday morning to members of the UN Security Council announcing they are triggering the "snapback" mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran, which had been suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal.
Why it matters: In the letter, the three European powers emphasized that during the next 30 days — before the sanctions take effect — they are open to negotiations with Iran on a nuclear agreement that could halt the process.
Trump administration tariffs on India would halve "if it stops buying Russian oil and helping to feed the war machine" in Ukraine, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Wednesday.
Why it matters: India's tariffs doubled to 50% on Wednesday, but the key U.S. trading partner is showing no signs of backing down, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging citizens to buy Indian-made and his senior officials meeting with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin last week.
Multiple FEMA staff who signed an open letter criticizing the Trump administration's budget cuts to disaster preparedness were placed on leave Tuesday, the Washington Post first reported.
The big picture: Among the workers who signed the letter are "individuals who were directly helping relief efforts in Kerr County, Texas" following July's deadly floods, said a spokesperson for Stand Up for Science, the nonprofit that publicized the declaration, in a Tuesday night email that called the administration's action "illegal."
A forthcoming Trump administration plan to make Cold War-era plutonium available to power companies for reactor fuel deserves a close look, nuclear industry officials said Wednesday.
Why it matters: Experts in arms control and nuclear safety say the idea — which would repurpose plutonium from dismantled warheads — is costly and dangerous.
Uber has placed a lot of robotaxi bets lately, but the three-way deal it struck last month with Nuro and Lucid could be the most consequential — not just for the partners, but for the entire industry.
Why it matters: It's a high-profile experiment to figure out the economics of robotaxis and, perhaps more importantly, to identify a business model that can be profitable for all.
U.S. infrastructure investing is becoming unstable, particularly when it comes to renewable energy projects.
Driving the news: The Trump administration last week ordered a stop to work on an offshore wind farm in Rhode Island, even though 65 of the 85 turbines already are installed.
The Net-Zero Banking Alliance, hit by an ongoing wave of defections, is pausing work while weighing a new structure, the UN-affiliated group said Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's a stark sign of the ESG pullback on Wall Street and the financial sector more broadly, though many banks say they remain committed to low-carbon transition.
