Click for the latest from The Hill{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story Hurricane Helene spotlights Trump, Vance climate skepticism Hurricane Helene’s devastation is shining a spotlight on former President Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance's (R-Ohio) skepticism of well-established climate science.© Stephen Maturen, Getty Images Trump this week claimed that the planet has “actually gotten a little bit cooler lately.” Vance, meanwhile, prefaced an answer related to the link between carbon emissions and climate change during Tuesday's vice presidential debate with, “Let’s just say that’s true.” The statements, in the wake of the extreme weather disaster, highlight the gulf between the parties on the issue as the November election approaches and the storm's impact looms particularly large in the potentially key swing states of Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.   Climate change "is a highly motivating factor for young voters in this election," said North Carolina Democratic Strategist Morgan Jackson, "and when you see folks like Donald Trump and JD Vance, it is one of the reasons that I think young voters are going to be more motivated to turn out, because the top issue they care about and they worry about Republicans ... call a hoax.” Florida-based Republican strategist Ford O’Connell, however, said that even in hard-hit states, he does not believe that climate change will be a top issue in the presidential race.  “This is just not a top 10 issue this cycle,” O’Connell said. “What people in North Carolina and Virginia are pissed off about is the price of groceries and the price of gas.”  Read more in a full story tomorrow at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:  Vance on carbon emissions and climate change: ‘Let’s just say that’s true’ Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) expressed skepticism about the scientific consensus behind climate change in response to a question during Tuesday’s debate.  Full Story   Biden signs bill cutting environmental reviews for semiconductor industry President Biden on Wednesday signed legislation exempting some semiconductor manufacturing facilities from environmental reviews — despite objections from some Democrats and green activists who have expressed concerns about the potential for toxic waste.  Full Story   Hurricane Helene renews calls for Congress to pass disaster funding The widespread devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene is upping the pressure on lawmakers for a looming end-of-year fight over disaster funding.  Full Story   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Southern California study shows extensive exposure to toxic airborne plasticizers Urban populations in Southern Californian are facing chronic exposure to toxic airborne “plasticizer” compounds — two of which have already been banned from children’s products, a new study has found. Full Story   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Heritage Foundation Staffers Flood Federal Agencies With Thousands of Information Requests (ProPublica) It’s rained in D.C. 11 days in a row. That’s almost a record. (The Washington Post) Alabama Power settles with EPA over coal ash pond near Mobile (AL.com)  What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: 5 things to know about the port strike Dockworkers and longshoremen in East Coast ports are now on strike in a major labor action with real consequences for the U.S. and international economy. Read more Watch live: Tim Kaine faces off against GOP rival Hung Cao in Virginia Senate debate Virginia incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D) is set to debate Republican challenger Hung Cao Wednesday in a live event hosted by WAVY from Norfolk State University’s campus. Read more  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe. Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter Subscribe