Axios.com political coverage: on Environment

Donald Trump: Why not nuke hurricanes to stop them from hitting US?

During one hurricane briefing at the White House, Trump said, "I got it. Why don't we nuke them?" according to one source who was there. "We drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can't we do that?" the source added, paraphrasing the president's remarks.

The sources said that Trump's "bomb the hurricanes" idea--which he floated in the first year of his presidency--went nowhere and never entered a formal policy process.

Trump called this story "ridiculous" in a tweet. He added, "I never said this. Just more FAKE NEWS!"

Trump didn't invent this idea. Detonating a nuclear bomb over the eye of a hurricane dates to the Eisenhower era. The idea keeps resurfacing in the public even though scientists agree it won't work.

Kamala Harris: 2019: ban plastic straws; 2024: no longer her position

Why it matters: Banning plastic straws to protect the environment and marine life is the latest progressive issue on which Harris and her campaign have either declined to comment or changed her position.

Zoom in: Many parts of the country have banned plastic straws as concerns have grown about plastic pollution in oceans and waterways.

Flashback: During a CNN town hall in 2019, Harris was asked whether plastic straws should be banned: "I think we should," she said. "We do need to ban the plastic" straws, she added, saying that paper straws needed to be improved.

Axios asked Harris' current campaign if she still supports that idea. "She doesn't support banning plastic straws," a campaign official told Axios. "She joked about how crappy paper straws are and the need to come up with better eco-friendly alternatives."