Axios

AGent Energy, a startup that integrates backup generators into the grid during emergencies, raised $11 million in seed funding co-led by Spero Ventures and MassMutual Ventures.

Why it matters: Power demand is rising quickly, straining grids and helping drive up electricity bills.

Brittany Kelm, one of the White House's senior energy advisers, is leaving to work for Sable Offshore, a small oil company with a big political footprint.

Why it matters: Sable Offshore was at the center of a dispute between California and the Trump administration, which invoked the Defense Production Act in March to cut regulatory red tape to help the company quickly boost oil production.

Inflation was benign in July, a second month of relief for American consumers and economic policymakers contending with stubborn price pressures.

• But the encouraging inflation picture may already be out of date, with the data largely capturing prices before renewed Middle East fighting sent energy costs notably higher.

Why it matters: The tame reading might give the Federal Reserve some breathing room to hold off raising interest rates in September. Still, the Iran war and the whiplash in energy prices it has unleashed leave lingering questions about the staying power of the inflation relief.

Inflation eased in July from a year earlier, with prices inching up slightly from the previous month after falling sharply in June, the Labor Department said Wednesday.

Why it matters: It is the first inflation report since fighting with Iran resumed in early July, though the data suggests inflation had yet to pick back up amid the renewed conflict.

A flurry of federal investments in mining and mineral supply chains could help the electric vehicle industry that famously isn't President Trump's jam.

Why it matters: The White House emphasized the support as a way to diversify supply chains critical to defense, aerospace and other sectors.

America's start-of-school season stretches nearly two months.

Why it matters: Gone are the days of a shared "back-to-school" moment. U.S. schools reopen on schedules that stretch from mid-July to mid-September, depending on where they are.

The profile of the proposed $67 billion merger between NextEra and Dominion just got even higher — and the path toward creating a new power giant just got even trickier.

Why it matters: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's (D) move Thursday to formally take part in the state regulatory proceeding is more than just inside baseball.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is waging an unprecedented economic war on Cuba — and wants to make sure the island's communist leaders know it's going to get worse.

• "What we're trying to teach them is there are no escape valves," Rubio told Axios.

Why it matters: Cuba's economy is in a state of slow-motion collapse because of crushing U.S. sanctions and communist mismanagement of the island, which prides itself as the hemisphere's chief foe of the superpower 90 miles to its north.

Suspected Iran-linked cyberattacks are exposing long-standing vulnerabilities in fragmented U.S. drinking water systems facing aging infrastructure and intensifying climate threats.

Why it matters: Drinking water systems disruptions can threaten public health and essential services, while many utilities—especially smaller ones—lack the staff and resources to strengthen their defenses..

Greater shares of Americans now say that extreme heat has affected various parts of day-to-day life compared to just two years ago.

Why it matters: The findings, from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, suggest that people are increasingly aware of extreme heat's impact on their health, budgets, travel plans and more.