United Airlines' Lauren Riley is at the forefront of executives evangelizing for a switch to jet fuel with less of a carbon footprint.
Why she matters: As United's chief sustainability officer, Riley has sought to position the airline — the first to publicly commit to a carbon-reduction target — as a leader on sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.
America faces an economy-shaping energy jam: We've never needed more of it more urgently to meet rising consumer and business demand.
Why it matters: We produce and export more energy than at any point in history. But the data centers powering the AI boom suck up so much energy, so fast, it's increasingly jacking up prices for nearby ordinary residents.
The big picture: This dynamic — surging demand and finite supply — is playing out in community after community. It creates a difficult tension for President Trump, who wants both to accelerate AI and slow energy spikes for consumers.
Top climate investors are aligning on an unusual plan to scale high-risk startups after a private coastal retreat sparked a push for joint action.
Why it matters: The investors — including Bill Gates, John Arnold and Vinod Khosla — hope that synchronized investment can break the logjam for deploying new energy projects.
Cautious unity emerged at the retreat in the face of cooling political and economic momentum for climate action.
The U.S. imposed new sanctions against Russia's two biggest oil companies on Wednesday in an effort to press Russian leader Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire, President Trump said.
Why it matters: This is the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions against Russia over the war with Ukraine since Trump assumed office.
Tesla delivered record quarterly revenue after its EV sales rebounded in the third quarter, but its profit fell short of expectations.
Why it matters: The automaker had been facing a sales backlash among consumers who were aggravated over CEO Elon Musk's support of President Trump and leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency.
The White House and GOP officials are on a PR offensive to tout gasoline prices that — depending on how you slice the data — are at their lowest since either May 2021 or last December.
Why it matters: Average prices are hoveringaround $3 per gallon or have already dipped below that. It adds intrigue to a huge question: Who gains politically when pump prices fall but power bills rise?
The Orionid meteor shower is set to treat stargazers to "one of the most beautiful showers of the year" — with streaking meteors and fireballs shooting across the sky as it peaks through Thursday, according to NASA.
The big picture: This meteor shower occurs every year as the Earth passes through the inbound debris stream of Halley's Comet, with the 2025 Orionids active from Oct. 2-Nov. 7 and peaking this week, per an American Meteor Society online post.
