Wildfires are scorching parts of southern Europe as a lingering...
Wildfires are scorching parts of southern Europe as a lingering heat wave bakes swaths of the continent, prompting health alerts and evacuations.
Nearly 200 French schools were fully or partially closed yesterday, and 17 Italian cities are under the country’s highest heat alert as of this writing. Portugal and Spain experienced record-high temperatures of nearly 115 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend. The extreme heat, expected to persist into midweek, is driven by a heat dome stretching from southwestern Europe to Turkey. Scientists say climate change contributes to the frequency and intensity of these high-pressure systems, which trap hot air like a lid on a pot.
The hot, dry air and strong winds in western Turkey have sparked wildfires that displaced over 50,000 people and temporarily shut down an international airport. Smaller fires also ignited in France’s Corbières region, while Greece remains on high alert after battling blazes near Athens last week.
Central and northern Europe are also sweltering, with Britain recording its hottest opening dayin Wimbledon history yesterday.
Louisiana has joined Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee in passing legislation...
Louisiana has joined Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee in passing legislation to reclassify natural gas as green energy, a move that Gov. Jeff Landry said will support the state's pursuit of energy independence and dominance. The law also directs state agencies and utilities to prioritize natural gas and nuclear power.
Energy companies pitch long-distance N.D. gas pipelines
North Dakota regulators are considering plans for two underground pipelines...
North Dakota regulators are considering plans for two underground pipelines that would transport natural gas from western oilfields to the east of the state. The pipelines, proposed by Intensity Infrastructure Partners and Rainbow Energy Center, as well as WBI Energy, would each span about 350 miles, with phased launches expected in 2029 and 2030.
Senators voted on a slew of amendments to the “Big, beautiful...
Senators voted on a slew of amendments to the “Big, beautiful bill.” The Senate pulled an all-nighter to hold a vote-a-rama—a marathon voting session that’s probably less fun than it sounds—to slog through proposed amendments to the tax bill full of GOP priorities the president hopes to have on his desk by July 4. Lawmakers grappled with many thorny political issues, like Medicaid cuts and clean energy tax credits, as Republicans tried to inch toward a vote on the bill while keeping enough members of their own party on board to pass it without support from any Democrats. To do that, the Republicans can only lose three votes, and two members of the party have already vowed to oppose it. If the Senate version passes, it’ll go back to the House, which will have to sign off on any changes from the version passed there.
Two Idaho firefighters were killed on Sunday after a man started a wildfire and then shot at first responders who arrived to put it out, authorities said.
A Trump administration investigation found that Harvard had failed to protect Jewish students from harassment. Continued failure to address this issue could lead to “the loss of all federal financial resources,” the government said.
President Trump threatened Japan with new tariffs, saying it won’t buy American rice despite a rice shortage.
Moderna may soon make it possible to get a Covid vaccine and a flu shot without getting stuck twice. The company announced yesterday that its mRNA-based flu vaccine had performed well in late-stage trials, clearing the way for it to seek approval for a combo shot.
Insiders at AI chip-maker Nvidia have reportedly sold off $1 billion worth of stock over the past year.
Warren Buffett has given away more money than most of us will ever have, most recently donating $6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation and four family charities. It’s the biggest annual donation he’s made yet, bringing his total philanthropy up to ~$60 billion.
Oil edges down on easing Middle East risks but gains for a second month
(Reuters) - Oil prices edged down on Monday as investors...
(Reuters) - Oil prices edged down on Monday as investors weighed easing Middle East risks and a possible OPEC+ output increase in August.
Both Brent and U.S. crude oil benchmarks posted their biggest weekly declines since March 2023 last week but rose for the second consecutive month, gaining around 6% and 7% respectively.
Brent futures settled down 16 cents, or 0.2%, to $67.61 a barrel and expired on Monday. The more active September contract ended at $66.74.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled down 41 cents, or 0.6%, at $65.11 a barrel.
A 12-day war that started with Israel targeting Iran's nuclear facilities on June 13 sent prices above $80 a barrel before sliding back to $67.
"This ceasefire that was quickly engineered appears to be holding up, so the supply risk premium that was in place is continuing to be withdrawn in a rapid fashion," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital.
Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil production hit a record 13.47 million barrels per day in April, up from 13.45 million bpd in March, according to data released by the Energy Information Administration as part of its Petroleum Supply Monthly series.
The record U.S. oil production was adding to the bearish sentiment on Monday, Kilduff added.
