Environment
Heat dome expands across the central United States, creating dangerous conditions for millions
Dangerously hot weather will expand across much of the central United States this weekend and into next week, pushing temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) from Dallas to North Dakota with roughly 70 million people facing heat advisories.
Southern China is on high alert for Typhoon Noul, with over 340,000 evacuated and flights canceled
Typhoon Noul is bringing winds and heavy rain to southern China, including Hong Kong, over the weekend, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in the province of Guangdong with the region on high alert and at least dozens of flights canceled.
More than 250,000 people flee their homes in France and Spain as wildfires burn
The Tour de France's last stage Sunday is being slashed in length by a third to divert officers to the fight against wildfires in the country's southwest.
Tropical Storm Genevieve forms in the Pacific Ocean as Hurricane Fausto strengthens to Category 2
Tropical Storm Genevieve formed Friday in the Pacific Ocean as Hurricane Fausto strengthened into a Category 2 storm and is expected to approach the Hawaiian Islands next week, forecasters said.
Virginia study on groundwater, data centers calls for tighter water regulations
Virginia, the world's largest data center hub, has released a long-delayed study that examined the state's eastern region groundwater supply and the resource-hungry industry's possible impact on it, finding declines are likely in a critical aquifer due to population growth and industrial use, and urging stricter regulations.
A third death has been confirmed from catastrophic Texas floods, governor says
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that a third person has been confirmed killed by catastrophic floods this month that prompted more than 500 rescues, damaged homes and businesses, and are still making some areas inaccessible.
Giraffes given a new home in Uganda to escape oil drilling in the country’s largest park
On a cold morning in Uganda's largest national park, rangers chat and sing to lift their spirits ahead of the start of a daunting wildlife project considered critical to conservation: moving the Nubian giraffe to a new home.
Hurricane Fausto strengthens into Category 2 storm, expected to approach Hawaiian Islands next week
Hurricane Fausto has strengthened into a Category 2 storm in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to approach the Hawaiian Islands next week, forecasters said.
Wildfires near Madrid and in southwestern France force over 80,000 to evacuate
Spain's government declared a national emergency Friday after wildfires forced the evacuation of some 20,000 people from villages near Madrid, while in southern France more than 60,000 residents fled their homes, including by boat, to escape two major blazes.
A model Indigenous territory in Brazil’s Amazon seeks protection from criminal gangs
The Ashaninka Indigenous people - who recovered their territory in the Brazilian border with Peru from settlers three decades ago, established and sustained their own governance, and grew crops while protecting the forest - have long been a success story for communities across the Amazon. But now, their way of life is under a violent threat.
Trump plugs states, utilities into pledge for Big Tech to pay for data centers’ energy bills
President Trump on Thursday expanded his Ratepayer Protection Pledge to a sweeping coalition of governors, state legislatures, utilities and data center developers -- demanding that tech giants foot the energy bills for their power-hungry data centers rather than passing those costs onto American families.
Tropical Storm Bertha moves toward Texas landfall after grazing Louisiana’s coast
Tropical Storm Bertha churned toward a second landfall in Texas on Thursday after grazing southern Louisiana in a slow crawl that triggered heavy surf and some flooding along the Gulf Coast but kept the heaviest rains offshore.
Florida researchers bring endangered elkhorn coral ashore to protect them
Scientists working to save a coral species from extinction transported 30 pieces from nurseries off the Florida coast to a hatchery on land Wednesday, fearing that warming waters could trigger a mass bleaching event this summer that could wipe them out.
Demand for critical minerals fuels conflict but could help resource-rich nations, WTO says
Surging global demand for critical minerals should be "a once-in-a-lifetime chance" for resource-rich countries in Africa and elsewhere to harness wealth and improve life for millions - but it has too easily triggered violence and poverty, the head of the World Trade Organization said Wednesday.
Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall on southern Louisiana with threatening winds
Tropical Storm Bertha crawled onto the southern tip of Louisiana on Wednesday, making landfall and packing strong winds far from its center after closing beaches from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi.
Need backup power? Automakers want you to look no further than their vehicles in your driveway
Winter Storm Uri, the multiday freeze that slammed Texas in February 2021 and pummeled the state's power grid, has been on Kenneth Kovar's mind ever since. Though the resident of New Braunfels, northeast of San Antonio, didn't lose power at the time, he wasn't able to run his septic tank - it is independent from local systems. He had to fill his toilets with water from his backyard pool.
National Guard deploys as flash floods in West Virginia inundate homes and businesses
Torrential rains caused flash floods in West Virginia that inundated homes and businesses, washed out bridges and led to numerous water rescues, authorities said. The governor said there were no reports of deaths or missing people as of Wednesday.
Firefighters battle one of Spain’s biggest-ever wildfires during heat wave across the Mediterranean
Firefighters in central Spain battled a wildfire on Wednesday that has burned over 79,000 acres in one of the country's largest blazes on record.
France recorded 5,700 more deaths than usual during its historic June heat wave
France recorded at least 5,700 more deaths than usual during a historic heat wave last month, the public health agency said Wednesday, sharply increasing its estimates of the feared toll from record-shattering temperatures.
Endangered right whales could wait almost a decade for new U.S. protections
New protections for endangered right whales in the North Atlantic would be postponed for nearly a decade under a plan that cleared a key hurdle in Washington last week with the full-throated support of the fishing and lobster industries.