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News Articles: climate change

Mud and debris as atmospheric rivers dumped rain in Studio City, Calif., in 2024. Forecasting heavy rain requires measurements from satellites, doppler radar, ocean buoys and other instruments, most of which are operated by the federal government.

Where does your weather forecast come from?

Whether you get your forecast from an app on your phone, a website or a meteorologist on TV, most of the underlying information comes from the federal government.

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By:
  • Rebecca Hersher
Lindsey Williamson learned about efficient heat pump water heaters on a home improvement television show. However, "My main problem was finding somebody locally who could actually install what I was looking for," Williamson says.

Need help switching appliances from gas to electric? A 'coach' can help

Government incentives for climate-friendly upgrades are confusing to navigate, and it can be hard to find businesses that sell them. So a new industry is emerging to help: the decarbonization coach.

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By:
  • Jeff Brady
Acting FEMA administrator Cam Hamilton testified before the House Committee on Appropriations that the agency should not be eliminated, contrary to suggestions from President Trump.

FEMA leader is out, amid questions over future of the agency

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cameron Hamilton, has been replaced. The shake up comes weeks before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.

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By:
  • Lauren Sommer and
  • Rebecca Hersher
FILE - In this June 3, 2017, file photo, the coal-fired Plant Scherer, one of the nation's top carbon dioxide emitters, stands in the distance in Juliette, Ga. Global carbon dioxide emissions related to energy use are being forecast to rise significantly this year, driven by a resurgence in the use of coal to generate electricity, the International Energy Agency says. The IEA

The latest red flag for these Georgia doctors? Poor air quality

A coalition of health care providers is urging the state and federal government to get serious about pollution.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Orion hurricane hunter aircraft sits on the tarmac at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 2022. Data gathered by the aircraft helps federal scientists issue hurricane warnings to the public.

Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds

Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

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By:
  • Rebecca Hersher
The Trump administration canceled billions of dollars in disaster preparedness grants. This mobile home park in Rising Sun, Md., has flooded repeatedly, and the local government was relying on federal funds to move people out of harm's way and turn the area into a park.

Rural communities were promised millions in disaster funds. Trump is ending it

Rural communities are scrambling after the Trump administration canceled billions in disaster grants. Many were counting on the funds for infrastructure fixes meant to withstand future disasters.

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By:
  • Lauren Sommer and
  • Rebecca Hersher
The U.S. has accused an Israeli private investigator of orchestrating a hacking campaign that targeted American climate activists. Extradition hearings for the private eye, Amit Forlit, were held at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.

Private eye accused of hacking American climate activists loses U.K. extradition fight

The Justice Department has charged Amit Forlit with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, among other crimes.

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By:
  • Michael Copley and
  • Russell Newlove
People are seen on the beach and in the water in front of the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu, Nov. 15, 2020.

Hawaii plans to increase hotel tax to help it cope with climate change

A bill scheduled for House and Senate votes on Wednesday would add an additional 0.75% to the daily room rate tax starting Jan. 1.

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By:
  • The Associated Press
Flood waters in Tarpon Springs, Fla., after Hurricane Helene passed offshore in September 2024. Sea level rise due to climate change means coastal flooding is worse, and happens more often. The White House has dismissed approximately 400 scientists and other climate experts who were working on a major report about how climate change affects the U.S.

White House dismisses authors of major climate report

The Trump Administration dismissed all the scientists working on the next National Climate Assessment. The report is the most comprehensive source of information about climate change in the U.S.

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By:
  • Rebecca Hersher
People gathered to protest the Trump administration during the 'Hands Off' protest on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 5, 2025.

Environmental groups say Trump administration violated their free-speech rights

A lawsuit alleges the Trump administration violated the free-speech rights of nonprofits and municipalities that have had federal funding for climate and environmental projects frozen or cancelled.

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By:
  • Michael Copley
Pope Francis greets Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg, right, during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 17, 2019.

Pope Francis focused on climate change as the planet continued to get hotter

Pope Francis called on the world and 1.4 billion Catholics to confront climate change. He brought attention to the issue but it's not clear he changed many minds.

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By:
  • Jeff Brady
Homes in the Yupik Eskimo Village of Quinhagak on the Yukon Delta in Alaska are threatened by shoreline erosion as climate change makes the planet warmer. More than 22 tribes and nonprofits in the U.S., including Alaska, have had millions of dollars in federal funds for infrastructure projects frozen. Some of those projects were meant to help address the impacts of climate change.

Federal funding freeze halts key infrastructure projects in tribal communities

Riverbank stabilization, lead and asbestos contamination are just some of the projects tribes planned to address before the Trump administration froze funds.

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By:
  • Nate Perez
Climate change activists carry signs as they march during a protest in Philadelphia in 2016. Earlier that year, U.S. prosecutors allege hackers began targeting prominent American climate activists in an effort to gather information to foil lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry over damage communities have faced from global warming.<br><br>

Exclusive: Climate activists were hacked. There was a link between victims and an alleged attacker

Prosecutors say the operation was aimed at gathering information to foil lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry over damage communities have faced from climate change.

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By:
  • Michael Copley
NOAA satellites captured an image of 2022's Hurricane Ian. Data from those satellites and other NOAA efforts feeds into hurricane forecasts, as well as efforts to understand weather, climate, and fisheries changes. A proposed budget for the agency would slash more than 25% of its funding.

Major budget cuts proposed for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The agency forecasts weather, manages fisheries, and researches the world's oceans, atmosphere, and climate. The proposed budget cuts would slash the climate work entirely.

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By:
  • Alejandra Borunda
A crane stacks turbine components at the New London State Pier Terminal. The offshore wind industry has generated millions of dollars for the city and local economy in recent years.

The Northeast bet big on offshore wind. Trump wants to halt the industry entirely

Northeast states have bet big on offshore wind to meet spiking power demand and drive economic growth. But the industry's future is much more uncertain under President Trump.

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By:
  • Miriam Wasser