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The document analyzes the growth of Compassus, a for-profit home-based care provider jointly owned by TowerBrook Capital Partners and Ascension Health, as a model for private equity expansion into nonprofit healthcare. It details joint ventures with systems including Providence, Bon Secours Mercy Health, and OhioHealth, highlighting the strategic shift toward home-based care. The text specifically examines the Providence partnership, noting that while Providence sought to reduce operating losses and manage services outside its 'core focus', the move faced opposition from nursing associations over concerns regarding patient care quality, workforce benefits, and access for underserved populations.

The report details a 50-year campaign by the natural gas industry to brand its product as "clean energy" and a "bridge fuel." It argues that this was a strategic fraud designed to protect residential markets from electrification and later to facilitate a massive expansion of infrastructure. The document highlights the role of industry-funded research, specifically the Gas Research Institute (GRI), and a flawed 1996 joint study with the EPA that underestimated methane emissions to legitimize gas as a climate solution. It further describes how the industry used voluntary programs like Natural Gas STAR to fend off mandatory regulations and co-opted environmental organizations to lend credibility to its claims.

Despite the removal of federal tax credits for clean energy upgrades via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, residential clean technologies in the US continue to offer significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions and cost savings. Using the Green Upgrade Calculator, RMI found that electric vehicles (EVs) generally lead in emissions reductions and cost savings in the West, while air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are most effective for emissions in the Northeast and Midwest and for savings in the South. Rooftop solar provides the highest emissions impact in Hawaii and leads in cost savings in California, Florida, and the Northeast due to high electricity prices and sunlight. The report emphasizes that the most effective state and local programs will target specific household archetypes—such as high-mileage drivers for EVs or delivered-fuel users for ASHPs—and bundle technologies to maximize synergy and savings.

The United States has established a regulatory path for commercial fusion energy that avoids the frameworks used for nuclear fission reactors, instead adapting regulations for radioactive byproduct materials. Under the 10 CFR Part 30 framework, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its Agreement State Program share authority, allowing compatible state agencies to license fusion facilities. The NRC is currently finalizing specific regulatory guidance in NUREG-1556, Volume 22, with a final rule expected by December 31, 2027. This proportional approach focuses on the confinement of radioactive materials, such as tritium, rather than fission criticality safety, aiming to provide the regulatory certainty needed for private investment and deployment.

The Multi-Family Housing Tracker documents the significant increase in private equity ownership of U.S. apartment complexes, noting that 228 identified firms own nearly 3 million units, or approximately 13% of the national total. The report highlights a heavy concentration in Sunbelt states and metropolitan areas, correlating these regions with sharp increases in 'cost-burdened' renters. It details a business model focused on rapid value increases through rent hikes and additional fees, while documenting widespread tenant complaints regarding poor maintenance, aggressive evictions, and the use of algorithmic pricing software like RealPage. The document concludes with recommendations for landlords, public officials, and institutional investors to implement rent caps, just-cause eviction protections, and responsible investment standards.

The US electric grid faces severe supply chain constraints, with lead times for large power transformers reaching up to four years and prices for power line cables doubling since 2019. Domestic production is insufficient, meeting only 20% of demand for large power transformers in 2025. To address this, the document proposes a three-pronged federal strategy: easing near-term bottlenecks through allied partnerships and production ramps; expanding domestic capacity via manufacturing tax credits and low-cost scaling capital; and promoting innovation in next-generation grid hardware. It also highlights subnational opportunities for states to attract investment through tailored workforce training and industrial clustering.

Analysis of 144 U.S. cities shows that 90% have experienced increased hourly rainfall intensity since 1970, with the highest average increases in the Upper Midwest. Projections indicate that at 2°C of global warming, 85% of U.S. counties will likely see a 10% or higher increase in precipitation on the heaviest 1% of days, with disproportionate risks for Black communities and rural areas.

After a record year in 2024, the U.S. EV market experienced a 4% sales decline in 2025, driven by the expiration of federal tax credits and a volatile regulatory environment. While charging infrastructure continues to grow through private investment, nearly $20 billion in manufacturing projects have been canceled, particularly in the Midwest and South. Major automakers are shifting strategies toward hybrids and affordable models to mitigate losses, while workers face increased layoffs and production pauses. Despite these setbacks, long-term forecasts from BloombergNEF and the IEA suggest continued, albeit slower, EV adoption through 2030.

In Q4 2025, U.S. clean energy investments were characterized by significant uncertainty driven by a record 43-day government shutdown, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and Department of Energy (DOE) funding cuts. While utility-scale solar and storage remained strong, with $18 billion in actual investments, other sectors like wind, hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) faced substantial project cancellations. Nuclear energy showed signs of growth through large-scale partnerships and DOE loans, while the manufacturing sector saw $8.4 billion in EV supply chain cancellations, partly due to shifting federal incentives and corporate pivots toward gas and hybrid vehicles.

The document explains how a warming atmosphere and oceans fuel more powerful thunderstorms, leading to stronger straight-line winds and a shift in 'Tornado Alley' toward the Eastern US. It highlights the economic toll, noting that severe weather accounted for 91% of billion-dollar disasters in the US in 2025, and encourages newsrooms to use attribution studies and local data to illustrate these climate connections.

WWF's Food Waste Warriors (FWW) program aims to eliminate food waste in US K–12 schools, noting that nearly 40% of food served in schools is wasted, totaling 530,000 tons and $1.7 billion in lost value annually. The program focuses on three pillars: engaging students through standards-aligned education, expanding edible food recovery via share tables and refrigerators, and diverting waste from landfills through composting. FWW reports that up to 90% of school food waste can be recovered or recycled, with some participating schools achieving a 70% reduction in waste. The report details success stories from Maryland, Maine, Tennessee, and Georgia, and proposes a national data-collection platform and recognition program to scale these efforts.

The review finds that neonicotinoid seed treatments (NSTs) often fail to provide statistically significant increases in yield or profitability for North American farmers, particularly in colder regions like the Midwest and Northern U.S. where early-season pest pressure is lower. While some positive returns on investment (ROI) were observed in the U.S. South due to milder winters and higher pest pressure, these results were inconsistent year-to-year. The document highlights significant ecological harms, including the reduction of predator insect populations, damage to pollinators, and disruption of soil decomposition. It argues that a shift from prophylactic use to an 'assess-and-decide' approach based on actual pest pressure would save farmers money without reducing yields.

The document reports that 2025 is virtually certain to be among the top five hottest years globally, driven by rising carbon pollution from fossil fuels. In the U.S., record high temperatures significantly outpaced record lows, and the year saw a record-costly start for billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, including the most expensive wildfire event on record in Los Angeles. Globally, carbon pollution intensified Hurricane Melissa, which devastated Jamaica. The report also highlights a trend of 'hydroclimate whiplash' contributing to both the Los Angeles fires and deadly flash floods in Texas, while noting that the U.S. has rolled back key clean energy policies and is set to withdraw from the Paris Agreement by January 2026.

In 2025, the contiguous U.S. experienced its fourth-warmest year on record and 23 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, totaling $115 billion in damages. Globally, 2025 was the third-warmest year since 1850, with NOAA data indicating it was approximately 1.3°C warmer than the pre-industrial average. The year was marked by record-breaking December heat in the U.S. Southwest and devastating atmospheric river flooding in Washington and Oregon.

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project and a group of residents are calling on Brookfield Asset Management to implement strict standards for resident protections—including a 3% annual rent cap and the allowance of window A/C units—should it acquire Yes! Communities. The letter highlights a pattern of rent hikes and poor maintenance at Yes! Communities parks in Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Iowa, and Texas, and expresses concern over the management record of RHP, a previous Brookfield partner, citing issues in New York, Colorado, and North Carolina.

The document argues that fusion energy is transitioning from laboratory research to commercial viability, with many U.S. startups projecting grid connection by the first half of the 2030s. It outlines how states can create competitive advantages by implementing specific regulatory reforms, such as becoming an NRC Agreement State to manage radiological licensing, and by adopting legislative tools like explicitly defining fusion as a clean energy source in state statutes. The brief also suggests financial mechanisms including state-level investment tax credits, the creation of dedicated fusion energy funds, and the repurposing of retired fossil fuel sites—termed "fusion brightfields"—to leverage existing grid infrastructure. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of developing specialized workforces and innovation hubs around universities and national laboratories to support the industry's growth.

The briefing emphasizes that the US nuclear posture relies on a foundation of science, technology, and engineering (S&T) managed by the NNSA National Laboratories and the Department of Energy. It advocates for increased long-term investment in early-stage R&D, the modernization of aging manufacturing infrastructure through robotics and CNC, and the rebuilding of a specialized workforce. The authors suggest that the S&T base should be viewed as a tool of deterrence in itself, requiring stable funding cycles that transcend short-term political terms and expanded public-private partnerships to accelerate innovation.

The Next California project, now operating through the Delta Ag Alliance, seeks to increase specialty crop acreage in the Mid-Mississippi Delta from 0.19% to 3% by 2034. This transition is designed to unlock $3.2 billion in annual farmgate revenue and protect US food security as climate change forces production shifts away from California. The project employs a four-pillar strategy: farmer-led discovery, innovative funding structures (including operating loans and infrastructure funds), support for farmer-entrepreneurs, and public sector research alignment. Early pilots like Delta Harvest have demonstrated the economic viability of specialty rice, while other ventures like Peebles Organics and Delta Dirt Distillery showcase the potential for organic produce and value-added processing. To scale these efforts, the alliance is focusing on bridging the 'chasm' between early innovators and the early majority through targeted capital and the development of regional processing infrastructure.

The document highlights the environmental and health risks associated with spreading sewage sludge on approximately 70 million acres of U.S. farmland, noting that such sludge often contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It criticizes the EPA for failing to finalize risk assessments for PFOA and PFOS and for underestimating the risks of over 150 other PFAS chemicals detected in sludge. The text cites specific farm failures in Maine and Michigan due to contamination and notes that while some states like Maine have banned the practice, others still encourage it. The author calls for federal regulations, the protection of local government authority to restrict sludge use, and corporate accountability for clean-up.

The document analyzes how federal clean energy incentives have driven over $321 billion in investments across the U.S. between Q2 2022 and Q1 2025, highlighting that these investments are heavily concentrated in Southern and Western states and Republican-held congressional districts. It argues that rolling back these incentives would disproportionately harm these regions and jeopardize significant outstanding investments in states like Louisiana and North Dakota, as well as major projects in emerging hubs like Southern Arizona and the Southeast.