18 h. ago Trump’s inaugural fund got $19m from fossil fuel industry, analysis shows

President raised $239m for inauguration – more than previous three inaugural committees took in combinedThe fossil fuel industry poured more than $19m to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, accounting for nearly 8% of all donations it raised, a new analysis shows, raising concerns about White House’s relationship with big oil.The president raised a stunning $239m for his inauguration – more than the previous three inaugural committees took in combined and more than double the previous record – according to data published by the US Federal Election Commission (FEC). The oil and gas sector made a significant contribution to that overall number, found the international environmental and human rights organization Global Witness. Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago Trump’s inaugural fund received $19m from fossil fuel industry, analysis shows

President raised $239m for inauguration – more than previous three inaugural committees took in combinedThe fossil fuel industry poured more than $19m into Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, accounting for nearly 8% of all donations it raised, a new analysis shows, raising concerns about White House’s relationship with big oil.The president raised a stunning $239m for his inauguration – more than the previous three inaugural committees took in combined and more than double the previous record – according to data published by the US Federal Election Commission (FEC). The oil and gas sector made a significant contribution to that overall number, found the international environmental and human rights organization Global Witness. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Democrats and climate groups ‘too polite’ in fight against ‘malevolent’ fossil fuel giants, says key senator

Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island gives 300th climate speech on the US Senate floorThe Democratic party and the climate movement have been “too cautious and polite” and should instead be denouncing the fossil fuel industry’s “huge denial operation”, the US senator Sheldon Whitehouse said.“The fossil fuel industry has run the biggest and most malevolent propaganda operation the country has ever seen,” the Rhode Island Democrat said in an interview Monday with the global media collaboration Covering Climate Now. “It is defending a $700-plus billion [annual] subsidy” of not being charged for the health and environmental damages caused by burning fossil fuels. “I think the more people understand that, the more they’ll be irate [that] they’ve been lied to.” But, he added, “Democrats have not done a good job of calling that out.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Voices: We banned cigarette ads for the good of public health – fossil fuels must be next

Ahead of a Commons debate that could see oil companies banned from sponsoring museums and sporting events such as Formula One, Jonathon Porritt, a former environmental adviser to King Charles, says it’s a vital next step in breaking our reliance on fossil fuels

Events

6 d. ago Scammers sent fake Trump inauguration emails to steal over $250,000 in crypto from donor

Scammer helped siphon over $250,000 in crypto by impersonating Trump inaugural committee figures

Politics

7 d. ago ‘Legal bullying’: global protest rights on line in Dutch court case, say activists

After US jury said it should pay oil pipeline firm $660m, Greenpeace is hoping to reclaim funds via EU anti-Slapp lawThe outcome of a court case in the Netherlands could shape the right to protest around the globe for decades to come, campaigners have warned, as figures show a dramatic rise in legal action taken by fossil fuel companies against activists and journalists.Greenpeace International is using a recently introduced EU directive to try to reclaim costs and damages it incurred when a US jury decided it should pay the oil pipeline corporation Energy Transfer more than $660m in damages earlier this year. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Spain records highs of 46C and France under alert as Europe swelters in heatwave

Extreme heat ‘the new normal’, says UN chief, as authorities across the continent issue health warningsEurope live – latest updatesA vicious heatwave has engulfed southern Europe, with punishing temperatures that have reached highs of 46C (114.8F) in Spain and placed almost the entirety of mainland France under alert.Extreme heat, made stronger by fossil fuel pollution, has for several days scorched Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece as southern Europe endures its first major heatwave of the summer. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago As Trump targets birthright citizenship, the terrain is once again ‘women’s bodies and sexuality’

From 22 Chinese women detained in 1874 for being ‘lewd and debauched’, experts point to a grim US traditionOne day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, five pregnant immigrant women – led by an asylum seeker from Venezuela – sued over the president’s executive order limiting automatic birthright citizenship, out of fear that their unborn children would be left stateless.The case went before the supreme court, which sided with the Trump administration Friday by restricting the ability of federal judges to block the order. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago UN expert urges criminalizing fossil fuel disinformation, banning lobbying

Rapporteur calls for defossilization of economies and urgent reparations to avert ‘catastrophic’ rights and climate harmsA leading UN expert is calling for criminal penalties against those peddling disinformation about the climate crisis and a total ban on fossil fuel industry lobbying and advertising, as part of a radical shake-up to safeguard human rights and curtail planetary catastrophe.Elisa Morgera, the UN special rapporteur on human rights and climate change who presents her damning new report to the general assembly in Geneva on Monday, argues that the US, UK, Canada, Australia and other wealthy fossil fuel nations are legally obliged under international law to fully phase out oil, gas and coal by 2030 – and compensate communities for harms caused. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Suspend UK from oil oversight body over protests crackdown, say campaign groups

Groups question UK membership of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative after actions of successive governmentsA coalition of civil society groups is calling for the UK government to be suspended from a key global body that oversees how oil and gas companies are run.The campaigners say Keir Starmer’s Labour party has overseen a “fossil-fuel sponsored crackdown” on peaceful protest and direct action in the UK since it came to power last year. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Michelle Obama addresses lack of public appearances with husband Barack following divorce rumors

The former president and first lady sparked divorce rumors when Michelle failed to attend Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January

Politics

2 w. ago Shell has ‘no intention’ of making offer to buy BP after £60bn takeover rumours

Shell doubles down on denials after media reports of early talks with rival BP to create £200bn UK oil companyBusiness live – latest updatesShell has said it has “no intention” of making an offer for the rival fossil fuel company BP after speculation it had been planning a £60bn takeover, ruling out a formal approach for the next six months.In an official statement to markets on Thursday, the company doubled down on the previous day’s denials that it was planning a bid, after media reports that it was in early talks with its competitor to create a £200bn UK oil supermajor. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Shell ‘no intention’ of making offer to buy BP after £60bn takeover rumours

Shell doubles down on denials after media reports of early talks with rival BP to create £200bn UK oil companyBusiness live – latest updatesShell has said it has “no intention” of making an offer for the rival fossil fuel company BP after speculation it had been planning a £60bn takeover, ruling out a formal approach for the next six months.In an official statement to markets on Thursday, the company doubled down on the previous day’s denials that it was planning a bid, following media reports that it was in early talks with its competitor to create a £200bn UK oil supermajor. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago US supreme court divided as fossil fuel industry wins in car pollution case – live

The conservative-dominated supreme court voted seven to two to back a challenge by oil and gas companiesFuel firms can challenge California’s emission limits, supreme court rulesDonald Trump is once again repeating unfounded claims that the results of the 2020 presidential election were fraudulent, saying that the evidence is “massive and overwhelming” but not providing any of it. The president called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to the case.He wrote on Truth Social this morning: Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Louisiana bill would redefine gas as ‘green’ amid Trump energy push

Critics of the plan say that there’s nothing green about fossil fuel production

Politics

3 w. ago They planned to seek asylum. Trump’s policies have left them stranded at the US

Five months after the president closed the border, many who planned to enter US legally don’t know where to turnDonald Trump’s crackdown on immigration upended lives on inauguration day when he abruptly closed the border for many who were just on the Mexican side of the border planning to cross into the US legally. Five months on, some hold on to hope, others are giving up.A family from El Salvador seeking asylum was left stranded at the border within sight of Texas only three days into the second Trump administration. A grandfather, his daughter, his niece, her husband and two of his grandchildren had done things “the right way”, by requesting one of the highly limited appointments with US Border Patrol, from the Mexican side using the Biden-era mobile phone app called CBPOne. But on January 20, Trump signed an executive order cancelling all scheduled appointments, including theirs on 23 January at noon. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Climate misinformation turning crisis into catastrophe – major report

False claims obstructing climate action, say researchers, amid calls for climate lies to be criminalisedRampant climate misinformation is turning the crisis into a catastrophe, according to the authors of a new report.It found climate action was being obstructed and delayed by false and misleading information stemming from fossil fuel companies, rightwing politicians and some nation states. The report, from the International Panel on the Information Environment (Ipie), systematically reviewed 300 studies. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Reeves promised oil industry ‘quid pro quo’ over windfall tax in private meeting

Government accused of making ‘secret exchange deal’ with fossil fuel companies to compensate for tax hikeThe chancellor, Rachel Reeves, told a fossil fuel company the industry would receive a “quid pro quo” in return for higher taxes on its windfall profits, it can be revealed.In a meeting with the Norwegian state energy company Equinor on 27 August, Reeves suggested that the government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) subsidies were a payoff for oil firms being hit with a higher tax rate. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Death toll from Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 28 – Europe live

More than 130 were injured in Tuesday’s attack on Ukrainian capitalAnd speaking of Russia’s impact on its neighbours, let’s quickly go to Miranda Bryant in the Nordics and see how the region monitors the global threat of war, terror and piracy on seas from its Maritime Cyber Resilience Centre.The European Commission has insisted there will be no return to Russian gas, as it published plans to phase out fossil fuel imports from its eastern neighbour by 2028. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Trump promised riches from ‘liquid gold’ in the US. Now fossil fuel donors are benefiting

How Kelcy Warren, one of Trump’s biggest industry backers, and his pipeline firm are likely to flourish in his second termKelcy Warren was among the top donors for Donald Trump’s 2024 White House bid, personally pouring at least $5m into the campaign and co-hosting a fundraiser for the then presidential hopeful in Houston.Trump’s win appears to already be benefiting Warren and Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline and energy firm of which he is co-founder, executive chair and primary shareholder. Continue reading...

Politics