** President Trump, joined by industry and political leaders, announced a sweeping federal initiative—potentially totaling $70 to $90 billion in energy investments—aimed at boosting U.S. power capacity to support the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and data infrastructure.
** The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the start of a new pilot program to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear reactors and strengthen domestic supply chains for nuclear fuel. The Department issued a Request for Application (RFA) and is seeking qualified U.S. companies to build and operate nuclear fuel production lines using the DOE authorization process.
** The Department of the Interior announced the conveyance of nearly 28,000 acres of land to NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., under Section 12(c) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, bringing the total conveyed to NANA to more than 713,000 acres. This marks a significant milestone in fulfilling NANA’s land entitlement—now 96% complete—and advances the Trump administration’s priorities to reduce federal overreach and unleash Alaska’s resource potential.
** A U.S. House subcommittee on July 15 voted to reject NASA funding cuts contained in the White House’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal. The Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) voted to advance to the full House Appropriations Committee legislation that includes $24.8 billion in funding for NASA in 2026, the current budget level.
** Three Republican Congressmen ask U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi to investigate whether offshore wind projects off Maryland, New Jersey, and New York pose national security risks.
** Labor leaders praise New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push for nuclear power and seeming openness to more natural gas pipelines.
** A study finds air quality in the Great Smoky Mountains has improved since the ‘90s, and that real pollution reductions began after 2005 because the Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal-fired power plants were required to install emission control devices.
** MP Materials said on Wednesday it would sell $500 million of its common stock, a day after the U.S. rare earths miner inked a supply deal with Apple.
** Uber will invest $300 million in electric vehicle maker Lucid in a robotaxi deal that aims to start with one major U.S. city late next year, the companies said on Thursday.
World
** Beijing has warned Labour that it will “resolutely safeguard” its electric car industry after it emerged the British Government will block Chinese electric cars from a new grant scheme. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy called on the UK to follow World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and create a “non-discriminatory environment for investment”.
** Ireland has officially stopped burning coal for electricity, closing its last coal-fired power plant in County Clare after more than 40 years. According to Bloomberg, the move makes Ireland the latest European country to phase out the dirtiest fuel, following in the footsteps of the UK. Spain and Italy are expected to do the same soon.
** China plans to develop a 600kmph (373mph) “flying train” are threatening to make Britain’s HS2 line obsolete before it even opens. State-owned CRRC showed off a prototype magnetic levitation, or “maglev”, train in Beijing last week in a sign of its increasing confidence in the technology.
** Shares of ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant, tumbled 11% on Wednesday after the company announced it could no longer confirm that it will grow in 2026. The drop wiped out over $30 billion in market value and sent shockwaves through global tech markets.
** China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has reported a significant discovery in the South China Sea, identifying oil and gas reserves in metamorphic buried hills for the first time off the coast of China. The development is centred around the Weizhou 10-5 South Oil and Gas Field, situated in the Beibu Gulf, where the water depth averages 37m.