Jan 31, 2018 - Energy & Environment

The transformation of the U.S. energy landscape

Ben Geman, author of Generate
Expand chart
Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration; Chart: Axios Visuals

The chart above is reconstructed from this new Energy Information Administration report on the rise of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in the U.S. — the methods that have allowed production of huge oil and gas resources from shale formations.

Why it matters: The steep upward and downward slopes on that graphic show how the marriage of horizontal drilling and fracking have utterly remade the U.S. energy landscape.

  • This is now helping to reshape global crude oil and natural gas markets and geopolitics.
  • U.S. oil production is expected to surpass 10 million barrels per day in the near future, roaring past the benchmark set briefly in 1970, and setting a record for annual production. Over 6 million of those barrels now come from shale.

Eyes peeled: EIA will report estimates later this morning on U.S. crude production for the week ending Jan. 26. The estimated tally for the week that ended Jan. 19 was roughly 9.9 million.

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Axios
Updated 9 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 12,859,834 — Total deaths: 567,123 — Total recoveries — 7,062,085 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 3,297,501— Total deaths: 135,155 — Total recoveries: 1,006,326 — Total tested: 40,282,176 — Map.
  3. States: Florida smashes single-day record for new coronavirus cases with over 15,000 — NYC reports zero coronavirus deaths for first time since pandemic hit.
  4. Public health: Ex-FDA chief projects "apex" of South's coronavirus curve in 2-3 weeks — Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots "should be on the table"
  5. Education: Betsy DeVos says schools that don't reopen shouldn't get federal funds — Pelosi accuses Trump of "messing with the health of our children."
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Jonathan Swan
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Scoop: How the White House is trying to trap leakers

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he's fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. "Meadows told me he was doing that," said one former White House official. "I don't know if it ever worked."

Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.

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Jacob Knutson
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11 GOP congressional nominees support QAnon conspiracy

Lauren Boebert posing in her restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24. Photo: Emily Kask/AFP

At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.

Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.

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