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Electric Vehicles

Elon Musk and the Capitol.
Electric Vehicles

Congress Could Break Tesla’s Revenue Model

Between the budget reconciliation process and an impending vote to end California’s electric vehicle standards, a lot of the EV maker’s revenue stands to go poof.

Climate

AM Briefing: Biggest Blows Yet to the IRA

On gutting energy grants, the Inflation Reduction Act’s last legs, and dishwashers

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Electric Vehicles

The Little Kid In Me Is Psyched for Electric Bulldozers

All of the awesome earth-moving and none of the planet- or lung-harming emissions.

Green
17 States Sue Over Wind Pause

AM Briefing: 17 States Sue Admin Over Wind Pause

On defending wind, Russian gas, and NREL layoffs

Yellow
DOJ Sues States Over Climate Laws, Lawsuits

AM Briefing: DOJ Sues States Over Climate Laws, Lawsuits

On DOJ lawsuits, reconciliation, and solar permitting

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Climate

AM Briefing: The Bleak Future of the National Climate Assessment

On fired climate scientists, the California waiver, and Tesla’s Semi

The Bleak Future of the National Climate Assessment
<p>Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images</p>

Current conditions: Severe weather warnings continue through this evening in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with strong tornadoes remaining a possible threatIt will be 85 degrees Fahrenheit in Washington, D.C. today, about 14 degrees above averageLate afternoon thunderstorms are expected in Ottawa, where Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is out of a job after Monday’s snap election, which also saw Liberal Mark Carney elected to a full term as Canada’s prime minister.

THE TOP FIVE

1. Trump administration fires all authors of the National Climate Assessment

On Monday, the Trump administration dismissed all of the nearly 400 contributors to the National Climate Assessment, the congressionally mandated review of how global warming impacts the United States. According to the termination email, the Sixth Climate Assessment, due out in 2028, is “being reevaluated” by the administration, although one former contributor pointed out to The New York Times that “if you get rid of all the people involved, nothing’s moving forward.”

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A Slate pickup.
<p>Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images, Slate</p>

Maybe you remember the time before the “basic economy” fare. A ticket on a major airline like Delta or United used to come with a few automatic amenities, like the ability to choose one’s seats — or, before 2008, even to check a bag without a fee. In the 2010s, facing rising costs and competition from the likes of Spirit and Frontier, the big airlines began to embrace the a la carte approach of the budget airlines: Passengers could buy an uber-cheap fare, but anything beyond a seat on the plane and a Diet Coke became an upsell.

The trajectory of air travel was on my mind this week as the world learned more details about Slate. The EV startup backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, among others, revealed its compact electric pickup to the world, and the world was struck by the vehicle’s simplicity. The little truck represents a kind of bare-bones transportation not seen at American car dealerships in decades, with power windows and plain metal panels coming standard — and everything else as an add-on.

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