More heat pumps than ever are going into homes and businesses in the United States these days. But they are just one small-scale use of geothermal energy, a promising utility-scale technology that is growing worldwide — and with a minimal carbon footprint to boot. But there are drawbacks as well. The new Issue Backgrounder explains how it all works.
For the first time in its 27 years history, the International Symposium on Journalism (ISOJ) will be held in the fall instead of the spring. Traditionally, ISOJ has been held in April, but the 2026 edition of the conference will be on Sept. 17 – 18, 2026, at the University of Texas at Austin.
"At the North American International Auto Show, tires squeal as gearheads put shiny new vehicles through their paces on a pair of indoor tracks that sprawl across the event space. One of those tracks used to be set aside exclusively for electric vehicles as U.S. automakers sought to quickly build out the cars of the future."
"As the son of a popular Michigan Congressman, John Dingell, Jr., grew up accustomed to being around power brokers and deal-makers. In 1938, at the tender age of 12, he began working as a page in the U.S. House of Representatives, long before he would succeed his father and launch his own distinguished Congressional career. But it was the time he spent with his father in the woods, not the U.S. Capitol, that had the most lasting impact."
"A federal judge issued a temporary injunction, allowing the developer of Empire Wind, an offshore wind project off the coast of Long Island, to resume construction after the Trump administration suspended work there in late December."
"The Trump administration has completed its first Venezuelan oil sale, valued at $500 million, an administration official confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday. "
"Earth’s average temperature last year hovered among one of the three hottest on record, while the past three years indicate that warming could be speeding up, international climate monitoring teams reported."
"As electricity prices climb, an unusual disconnect is emerging between what regular people pay — and what data centers pay."
"The Defense Department said it plans to overhaul Stars and Stripes, the storied military newspaper that has long enjoyed editorial independence, to rid it of “woke distractions” and refocus coverage on “warfighting.”"
"The Trump administration is suing California over a law that creates a 3,200-foot buffer zone between new oil and gas wells and homes, schools, hospitals and parks."
