Two more major shipping firms, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA CGM, said they were suspending passage through a Red Sea strait vital for global trade after Yemeni rebel attacks in the area. The announcement follows two of the world's largest shipping companies, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, in response to a warning by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who control much of Yemen but are not recognized. The Huthis said they were targeting vessels near the Bab al-Mandeb strait to pressure Israel over its war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

SEE HOW MUCH THE DECISIONS COULD COST CONSUMERS

Small modular nuclear reactors are considered by the U.S. Department of Energy to be "a key part of the Department's goal to develop safe, clean, and affordable nuclear power options." The concept is an intriguing spin-off of conventional nuclear power plants—instead of constructing a large static facility, build a series of much smaller fission reactors at a central facility that can be mass-produced and then transported to a final destination. The technology is still at pilot stages, but has garnered increased attention from government agencies.

WHAT ENERGY INDUSTRY EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT SMRS

Children in California are suing the US government over its failure to curb pollution, the latest in a series of legal actions by young people around the world worried about climate change. The kids say the EPA "intentionally allows life-threatening climate pollution to be emitted by the fossil fuel sources of greenhouse gases it regulates, harming children's health and welfare," according to Our Children's Trust.

SEE WHAT YOUNGSTERS HAD TO SAY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

Who was the first African American woman to win a lawsuit in the US?

Friday's answer: The Essquibo region, located on the Guyana-Venezuela border, was named for Juan de Esquivel, the son of Christopher Columbus and the first European to explore it in 1498.