U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service placed wolverines on its threatened species list on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The designation was issued as a result of human-driven climate change, which has seen a decline in the amount of mountain snow where wolverines create dens and live.
Environmental groups criticized the Biden administration's $3.4 million auction of oil and gas drilling rights in Wyoming on Tuesday as world leaders prepare to meet in Dubai for the COP28 climate summit.
The big picture: The 37 parcels of land covering some 35,000 acres was the first of 63 drilling parcels the Interior Department's U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planned to sell across 44,000 acres in six Western states over the next two weeks.
A drug that could extend large dogs' lifespans and help keep them healthier as they age is one step closer to coming to the market.
Why it matters: Bigger dogs live shorter lives than smaller dogs "by nearly half," notes a statement from Loyal for Dogs, which announced Tuesday that the drug it's developing, LOY-001, had cleared a key FDA regulatory hurdle required in the approval process.
Hawai'i's attorney general has announced subpoenas for three Maui agencies this week as part of an investigation into the catastrophic wildfires that reaped through the island in August.
The big picture: The move comes as the island reels from the deadliest wildfires in the U.S. in over a century, which killed at least 97 people, destroyed thousands of acres and caused more than $5.5 billion in damage.
Pope Francis won't attend the COP28 climate summit in Dubai this week as planned due to ill health, the Vatican announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: Francis would have been the first pontiff to attend a formal UN "conference of the parties" and his planned speech and meetings would have lent weight to the talks, per Axios' Ben Geman.
Fossil fuel lobbying at COP28 is facing scrutiny after a report alleged host country the UAE planned to discuss striking oil and gas deals with other governments at the climate summit, which starts Thursday.
Why it matters: The report — which COP28 organizers categorically deny —includes allegations that a UAE team prepared "talking points" to further the interests of ADNOC, a state oil firm that COP president-designate Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber heads.
President Biden is not expected to attend the opening of COP 28 this week but will send top U.S. officials to the UN climate summit in Dubai, the White House confirmed.
Why it matters: Biden attended the previous two COP summits and has put tackling climate change at the center of his policymaking. Environmental policy forms a key part of his administration's national security strategy.
