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The Dutch are dominating renewable energy & urban planning

Mike Corder, Toby Talbot / AP

When it comes to using renewable energy and new technologies to power their cities, the Dutch are leading the way:

  • A Dutch tech startup has already built a testing site for a Hyperloop system between Amsterdam and Paris, with the hopes of having it done by 2021, Science Alert reported.
  • After setting a goal of having all public trains — which use about 1.2 billion kWh of electricity a year — run on renewable energy by 2018, the Netherlands accomplished it a whole year early, according to Business Insider.
  • The Netherlands has 2,200 wind turbines, which could sustain 2.4 million homes.

Why it matters: The Netherlands has been giving billions of dollars in subsidies to the renewable energy industry for the past several years. The Dutch government announced late last year that they'd be phasing out some of these subsidies in order to focus on energy saving and carbon capture technologies, Reuters reported.

Go deeper

Kadia Goba
18 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Congress plots COVID pandemic-era office upgrades

oving crates outside Rep. Elise Stefanik's old office Tuesday. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The House plans to renovate members' suites even though staff are worried about an influx of contractors and D.C. is tightening restrictions on large gatherings, some staffers told Axios.

Why it matters: The Capitol has been closed to public tours since March. Work over the holiday season comes as U.S. coronavirus cases spike, Americans beg for more pandemic assistance and food lines grow.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan
3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump pressures Barr to release so-called Durham report

Bill Barr. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

President Trump and his allies are piling extreme pressure on Attorney General Bill Barr to release a report that Trump believes could hurt perceived Obama-era enemies — and view Barr's designation of John Durham as special counsel as a stall tactic, sources familiar with the conversations tell Axios.

Why it matters: Speculation over Barr's fate grew on Tuesday, with just 49 days remaining in Trump's presidency, after Barr gave an interview to the Associated Press in which he said the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread fraud that could change the election's outcome.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan, Rebecca Falconer
4 hours ago - Health

CDC to cut guidance on quarantine period for coronavirus exposure

A health care worker oversees cars as people arrive to get tested for coronavirus at a testing site in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

The CDC will soon shorten its guidance for quarantine periods following exposure to COVID-19, AP reported Tuesday and Axios can confirm.

Why it matters: Quarantine helps prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which can occur before a person knows they're sick or if they're infected without feeling any symptoms. The current recommended period to stay home if exposed to the virus is 14 days. The CDC plans to amend this to 10 days or seven with a negative test, an official told Axios.

  • The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.