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New Hanover's 17-year life expectancy divide fuels Hub's reporting
New Hanover County has a 17 year life expectancy gap. Local journalists are working together to find out why.
Science program elimination at Southeastern Voc Tech sparks backlash
Natural life sciences students and alumni crowded a September school board meeting to passionately defend the value of the shop.
Trump signs bill authorising sweeping Russia sanctions
The legislation takes aim at Russia's energy and defence sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials
Friday Night Football 2026 Highlights & Scores
The full 60-minute Friday Night Football show can be watched on-demand on our KFDX+ app for smart TVs, or it can be streamed online here. Brownwood at Graham Graham defeats Brownwood 64-9 (5)Jacksboro at Bowie Jacksboro defeats Bowie 70-34 (8)Windthorst at Henrietta Windthorst defeats Henrietta 49-21 City View at Iowa Park Iowa Park defeats City […]
As Europe warms, Italy sees West Nile virus spread
Italian health authorities see evidence that rising temperatures and longer warm seasons are helping mosquitoes spread West Nile virus across a wider area, during more months of the year.
Stellantis Canada plant's sale could allow Chinese entry, mayor warns
"Don't kid yourself, the dominance that the Big Three have had in the Canadian auto market will evaporate," said the mayor of Brampton.
Protesters form human chain outside Kennedy Center over closure
The protesters gathered as the sun set on Sept. 18, three days after the Kennedy Center's Trump-appointed board voted to close it for two years.
Menopause and estrogen patches dominated DC conversations. Now what?
Menopause took center stage in Washington, DC, with meetings about testosterone, estrogen patches, and how to improve women's health care.
Galaxy Tab S12 leak spills the beans on the Plus and Ultra specs
A leak may have revealed the full specs of Samsung's upcoming tablets, the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and S12 Ultra.
Authorities seek suspects after break-in, theft at Arden business
Authorities are investigating after several items were stolen in a breaking and entering incident at a business in Arden.
Authorities seek suspects after break-in, theft at Arden business
Authorities are investigating after several items were stolen in a breaking and entering incident at a business in Arden.
Virginia Tech’s Season Begins Saturday Night Against Maryland
Virginia Tech enters Saturday night's game against the Maryland Terrapins, sitting at 2-0 on the season for the first time in five years. For the Hokies, it's been a solid start to the James Franklin era. Tech has thoroughly beaten two overmatched opponents at home in Blacksburg, and will now head on the road for …
Author and podcast host shares story of grief and inspiration at UVM's Women's Health and Cancer Conference
Nora McInerny was a keynote speaker at the event hosted by The University of Vermont Cancer Center
First look: New renderings show exhibit spaces at MOSH's new museum
New renderings released by MOSH show some of the museum's exhibit spaces at its planned Northbank facililty.
Housing authority subsidiary nixes mayoral candidate ‘evaluation’ effort
An effort by a subsidiary of the Fort Smith Housing Authority to produce a mayoral scorecard ahead of the November 2026 general election was short-lived after it received criticism from...
Housing authority subsidiary nixes mayoral candidate ‘evaluation’ effort
An effort by a subsidiary of the Fort Smith Housing Authority to produce a mayoral scorecard ahead of the November 2026 general election was short-lived after it received criticism from...
Esteemed Entertainment Journalist, Author Edward Morris Dies at 90
Morris was known for his 14-year tenure with Billboard, and authored eight books.
Public Administration vs. Politics: What Public Administrators Can Do Beyond the Rhetoric
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By George S. WelchSeptember 18, 2026 Every election cycle produces a familiar pattern. Candidates make promises. Political leaders exchange criticism. Advocacy groups mobilize supporters. Social media amplifies conflict. News coverage focuses on controversy, competition and […]
Minnesota Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan wants to ban prior authorization for health care
MINNESOTA (KFGO) - On "News and Views", Democratic Minnesota Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan shared she wants ...
ATA Action forms coalition to advance interstate telehealth licensure
The Cross-State Care Coalition brings together health systems, academic medical centers, telehealth companies and virtual care advocates to champion federal legislation that eases licensing constraints while maintaining state regulatory authority.
Sacramento receives $6 million state grant for cannabis enforcement, public health and youth programs
The City of Sacramento has received $6 million in state funding to expand efforts to address illicit cannabis activity while supporting public health education and youth development programs. The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday authorized the City to accept the Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant from the California Board of State and Community […]
SCA celebrates opening of state-of-art high school in Jamaica, providing new home for Queens High School for the Sciences
The New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) celebrated the opening of a state-of-the-art 876-seat high school in Jamaica Thursday, Sept. 17,
Google’s Pixel VIPs redesign starts rolling out to users
Pixel VIPs is getting a visual refresh with swipe navigation, redesigned profile pages, and the removal of activity recommendations.
Defense questions DNA evidence in TJ Wiggins triple-murder trial
Defense attorney Debra Tuomey questioned the reliability of DNA evidence linking TJ Wiggins to the 2020 killings at Lake Streety in Frostproof.
The Pixel Weather widget now lets you catch up on the forecast with a single tap
Google's latest Pixel Weather update brings a new refresh button lets the home screen widget grab a fresh forecast in a single tap.
Penelope Health raises $100M from Matt Holt's Thoreau, others
Thoreau continues to build its arsenal.
Bridges Texas History explores iconic politician Lloyd Bentsen
In his latest Texas history column, Ken Bridges looks at the life and legacy of four-term U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen.
Community health workers: Rural Michigan’s solution
For those who believe -- as we do at MHP Salud – every Michigander should have a fair shot at good health and care -- this is the moment to act.
Clover Health Sees PPO Edge, Cohort Gains as Medicare Advantage Pricing Tightens
Clover Health Investments (NASDAQ:CLOV) is positioning its Medicare Advantage business to benefit from industry pricing discipline, member retention and the maturation of member cohorts, Interim Chief Financial Officer Clay Thornton said at Jefferies’ Healthcare Services and Technology Conference in
Her postpartum depression spiraled and she couldn't get care. She's not alone
Half of U.S. women had trouble when getting health care, according to new research. One in three women said a doctor minimized or dismissed symptoms.
Inside the myth of the ‘superfood’ – and what you should really be eating
If no food actually possesses nutritional superpowers, what should we be eating? Here's what to know.
Reno health inspectors find wine, linens stored under sewer line
One restaurant was cited for improper storage of wine and linens, and sauce that had been cooling too slowly to prevent bacterial growth.
Can windows cool buildings without electricity?
Thermochromic smart windows can automatically adjust solar and thermal radiation in response to temperature, offering a passive route to reduce building energy demand and improve indoor comfort. A new review published in Science Bulletin examines why these windows have not yet achieved large-scale application, despite rapid materials progress. The authors identify key challenges in spectral regulation, switching temperature, response speed, durability, scalable fabrication, glazing integration, lifecycle impacts, and building control. They argue that future development should shift from isolated material optimization toward deployment-oriented design and system-integrated adaptive building envelopes.
Penelope Health Announces Partnership with Thoreau to Accelerate its Platform for Real-Time Policy Intelligence
NEW YORK, September 18, 2026--Penelope Health ("Penelope"), a real-time provider and payer policy intelligence platform, today announced a partnership with Thoreau, which is building healthcare’s foundational compute, rules, and research infrastructure platform, to create a shared infrastructure layer for real-time payments and clinical rules. Thoreau, along with other investors, has committed $100 million in funding to Penelope. Penelope will use the capital to create new products that bring ad
Galaxy S27 Pro, S27 Ultra charging and battery specs just leaked, and it's good news
New regulatory filings have revealed battery and charging details for the Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra. And there's good news.
That security patch date on your Android phone is no longer the full story
Google has released new tools allowing Android apps to get a much more accurate picture of how secure your phone really is.
As tech honchos call for regulation, AI policy has largely stalled
The debate over AI policy has widened after executives called for slower development and guardrails.
Trinity Health Chelsea Hospital nurses join growing unionization push
Registered nurses at Trinity Health Chelsea Hospital add to Michigan's growing number of union-represented health care workers.
Her Black dad couldn't go on a Capitol trip. She could be a US senator
Juliana Stratton, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Angela Alsobrooks could make history as the first three Black women to serve in the Senate concurrently.
Sound science used to protect Collier from mosquitoes
Claims that the Collier County Mosquito Control District applies 'millions of gallons of neurotoxin' simply do not match the facts
Oklahoma Health Care Authority improves access to medication to treat opioid use disorder
Oklahoma Medicaid recipients can now access a long-acting medication to treat opioid use disorder with fewer barriers.
One of the Pixel 11’s exclusive features is already showing up on Pixel 10
Google is testing the Pixel 11’s Proactive Assistance feature on the Pixel 10 with the latest Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5.
Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts
Prize-winning author Phil Klay has been named the new president of PEN America.
Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts
Prize-winning author Phil Klay has been named the new president of PEN America | Talk 1370
FAO Makes the Case for Strong Science, Clear Risk Communication for Food Safety Decision-Making
In a new publication, FAO authors argued that robust scientific evidence and clear risk communication are essential to effective food safety decision-making, and highlighted challenges posed by emerging technologies like AI, social media misinformation, and the framing of scientific information.
Silicon Valley spa was a brothel, and business was brisk, D.A. says
A Cupertino massage spa has been busted for allegedly providing sexual services to about 30 customers daily, authorities said.
Firstborns tend to do better in life. The reason has surprised scientists.
Being born second (or third or fourth) can cost you — literally. For decades, scientists have been asking why younger siblings get less education, have worse mental health and earn less, on average, than firstborns. Thanks to the records of 1.2 million Danish children, they finally have an answer.
How Trump’s new green-card policy could affect immigrant families
The policy, set to take effect Friday, would give immigration officers broader authority to deny permanent residency to people using public benefits.
Toxic Fracking Waste Becoming a Political Issue in Ohio
The Democratic candidate for governor backed restrictions on disposal of fracking wastewater around a hard-hit town, and called for a “thorough investigation” of the dangers.
Bookwaves/Artwaves - September 17, 2026: Mary Roach, America's Funniest Science Author, Part One
Two Interviews with best-selling science writer Mary Roach. From 2010, "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void." looks at life as an astronaut and in outer space. From 2021, "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks The Law" examines what happens when animals break the law (as opposed to joining the FBI if they've been abused). Also: Reviews of "The Cook" at Berkeley Rep through October 11, 2026, and "African Stew" at the Magic through September 27, 2026. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky.
Ray Jones Highlights Proposed Federal Grant Rule Changes in University Business
Spencer Fane attorney Raymond Jones authored the article What These Proposed Grant Rules Mean for Your Next Proposal, recently published by University
Lodi Grape Festival returns to San Joaquin County with four-day event
The Lodi Grape Festival returns this week with live music, carnival rides and several ways to save on admission.
'Trust me on AI,' oligarch's wedding gift, Jolly: Florida politics
President Donald Trump says nothing to see here in a scary artificial intelligence break out. Check out the latest episode of Inside Florida Politics.
17 cats found dead, 20 rescued from extreme heat at Walker business; woman faces 66 charges
A Walker woman faces dozens of animal cruelty charges after authorities say they discovered nearly 40 cats and kittens suffering in extreme heat without food or water inside a local business.
17 cats found dead, 20 rescued from extreme heat at Walker business; woman faces 66 charges
A Walker woman faces dozens of animal cruelty charges after authorities say they discovered nearly 40 cats and kittens suffering in extreme heat without food or water inside a local business.
Alex Ovechkin on Russian political ad appearance: 'I support my country'
Alex Ovechkin was asked about his appearance in a political video in his native Russia. "They asked me to do that and I said yes," he said.
17 cats found dead, 20 rescued from extreme heat at Walker business; woman faces 54 charges
A Walker woman faces dozens of animal cruelty charges after authorities say they discovered nearly 40 cats and kittens suffering in extreme heat without food or water inside a local business.
Police: 17 cats found dead in extreme heat at Walker business; woman arrested
A Walker woman faces dozens of animal cruelty charges after authorities say they discovered nearly 40 cats and kittens suffering in extreme heat without food or water inside a local business.
Ponzi schemer's bid for leniency involved MO congressman, newspaper
A Ponzi schemer who took millions from victims paid a Missouri political firm to secure favorable media and a congressman's support before sentencing.
Two CT business owners plead guilty to millions in COVID program fraud
Prosecutors across the country took part in enforcement against 160 defendants responsible for frauds totaling $245 million targeting the Paycheck Protection Program, authorities said.
Codie Sanchez explains her 'kind of intense' approach to meetings
The founder of Contrarian Thinking and author of the new book "Own or Be Owned" encourages people to leave a meeting at any time.
Knox County means business, says Mayor Betsy Henderson
Betsy Henderson explains why she vetoed a South Knoxville townhome development and her plans for future growth.
Tennessee's new Music Advisory Council will boost advocacy and tourism
Governor Bill Lee is among the state officials behind an initiative to support music industry professionals.
Mets Pitcher's Comeback Season Ends with Unusual Injury
Robert Stock's comeback from thoracic outlet surgery has ended early after the Mets pitcher developed numbness in his fingers related to a circulation issue.
The Presidential Prayer Team
Each day, we invite you to join us in prayer for our national leaders. As mandated by 1 Timothy 2:1-2, we encourage prayer for those in positions of authority.
West El Paso noodle restaurant receives low health inspection score
A West El Paso Asian restaurant got low inspection scores in visits conducted Sept. 7-11.
As Canadian tariffs bite, Republicans search for a winning message
Candidates in northern border states most affected try to strike a balance between appealing to Trump’s loyal base and reaching independent voters.
When DNA sounds a lasting alarm: cGAS-STING links aging to brain inflammation
Neurodegenerative diseases, cerebrovascular disorders and other age-related neurological conditions are major causes of long-term disability. A review published in SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences by researchers from Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, examines how damaged nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA can become immune danger signals. The authors highlight cGAS-STING as a key molecular hub linking cellular damage, inflammaging and neuroimmune dysfunction, and discuss opportunities for more precise therapeutic intervention.
CVS Health's Aetna to streamline cancer treatment approvals
CVS Health's Aetna health insurance unit will cut back next year on the preapprovals it requires for treatment for cancer patients to only one medical prior authorization process early on, the company said on Thursday.
With new building to debut, Mercy nursing college becomes university
Mercy College of Health Sciences will have a new name to display on its new 23,700-square-foot nursing school in downtown Des Moines.
Memphis People in Business for Sept. 17, 2026
A look at promotions, hirings, movers and newsmakers in the Memphis area business scene
Galaxy S25 and older models finally have a One UI 9 rollout date
The Galaxy S25 series and Samsung’s 2025 foldables are set to get One UI 9 on September 28, with older models following later.
El-Sayed, Andrews are right to run. We need doctors in politics.
Doctors, nurses and public health professionals are running for office at every level. We should welcome that – across the political spectrum.
El-Sayed, Andrews are right to run. We need doctors in politics.
Doctors, nurses and public health professionals are running for office at every level. We should welcome that – across the political spectrum.
Dennis rejects hearing on Foley's as neighbors demand action
Dennis Licensing Board decides against holding a public hearing when faced with neighborhood complaints of noise and nuisance at Backyard by Foley's.
Banker explains how digital wallets are modernizing business payments
Lanie Sedlacek with UMB Bank looks at the ins and outs of how digital wallets are modernizing business payments.
New bill would compensate returned political hostages like Paul Whelan
A bill by Rep. Haley Stevens would provide compensation to wrongful detainees such as Michigan's Paul Whelan, who was held by Russia for over five years
Dave Chappelle to hit major cities for new tour. How to get tickets
The comedian plans to hit seven arenas across the U.S. this fall.
Orlando Health grant assists Early Learning Coalition Brevard
The Early Learning Coalition of Brevard County (ELCB) recently announced it has been awarded more than $250,000 from the Space Coast Health Foundation to expand evidence-based social-emotional learning supports for preschool children across Brevard County.
Topeka couple seeks help to save their snack van
A Topeka couple is turning to the community to save their mobile snack business after repeated van breakdowns.
100 Tennessee football simulations predict clipped wings for Kennesaw State
We're back with EA Sports College Football 27's prediction for Tennessee vs. Kennesaw State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Oklahoma Health Care Authority improves access to medication to treat opioid use disorder
Oklahoma Medicaid recipients can now access a long-acting medication to treat opioid use disorder with fewer barriers.
Regents OK first Augusta University undergrad degree in public health
Augusta University is launching its first undergraduate public health degree to prepare students for health careers.
The science behind Florida football’s physical transformation starts with Jake Sankal
Nutritionist Jake Sankal is the science behind some of Florida football's body transformations. Here's how it works.
This new Android skin copies iOS 27 so perfectly, it might even fool Apple
HONOR has revealed Magic OS 11 based on Android 17, and while it brings new AI features, it also copies Liquid Glass down to a T.
A former Australian miner spotted a ripple on Saturn from his backyard in 2024; two years later, he co-authored a world-first discovery of a 10-sided atmospheric wave
A mysterious ripple spotted on Saturn from an amateur astronomer's backyard in Australia has helped lead to the identification of a giant, 10-sided atmospheric wave around the planet's south pole. Trevor Barry, a former miner from Broken Hill, New South Wales, had been observing Saturn from his homemade backyard observatory when he noticed an unusual feature in 2024.
Weekend spotlight: A plethora of entertainment choices
The Catalyst’s every-Thursday guide to bay area entertainment and the arts.
New survey shows how many insured Americans still owe money on medical bills
Nearly half of insured adults with unpaid bills or medical debt owed $2,000 or more to hospitals, doctors or labs, Commonwealth Fund survey finds.
BACK IN BUSINESS: Escanaba’s Ludington Street Finally Re-Opens
CLICK BELOW TO HEAR COMMENTS FROM ESCANABA MAYOR MARK AMMEL Ludington Street, Escanaba's main business thoroug...
Music, politics, power – Why Macklemore's Ed Sheeran tour dispute is unprecedented
Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's tour raises bigger questions about free speech, venue power and who controls the stage.
Kings' Roster Stocked With PG Depth Following Recent Signings
With question marks surrounding the backup point guard position, the Sacramento Kings have added two ball handlers to the roster. With a plethora of options who can handle the ball and initiate offense, the roster has become more versatile.
Bridgeport residents urge state stadium authority to oppose proposed Amtrak facility near Rate Field
Bridgeport residents are raising concerns that their neighborhood could lose the White Sox while gaining a proposed $900 million Amtrak maintenance facility near Rate Field.
House passes Russia sanctions, sending bill named for Lindsey Graham to Trump's desk
The legislation was named for the late South Carolina Republican. It gives the president authority to impose tariffs on top importers of oil and natural gas from Russia, such as China and India.
Writer who resigned over Sophie Cunningham fans column joins Outkick
The author of a lightning-rod column about transgender participation in women's sports didn't wait long for his next job
Google doubles down on today's preview builds with Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5
Android 17 QPR1 just had its stable release earlier this week, but development continues on QPR2, with Beta 5 now landing.
Watch The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 7 premiere with Sling
Winter is coming to Bravo, here's how to stream the Season 7 premiere of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake.
What Does the Science of Climate Change Really Look Like?
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series on how the Right should think about environmental and climate policy. Read Chris Barnard on Reclaiming Environmental Policy from the Left. More than a decade ago, the world’s governments negotiated and signed the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to hold global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. In the following years, climate had immense cultural power. Greta Thunberg emerged. Fortune 500 companies established net-zero plans. The U.S. got the Inflation Reduction Act. Then the pendulum swung back. President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office, speaking of green energy as a “scam” and carbon footprints as a “hoax” and on all matters of international policy emphasizing bilateral engagement and power over globalism and cooperation. The technology companies that had been at the forefront of net-zero pledges and green leadership discovered the importance of all-of-the-above power to their visions for artificial intelligence and began quietly postponing or removing their targets. On the left side of the political spectrum, rising concerns about inflation and cost pushed climate lower down in the stated priorities of voters and stump speeches of politicians. The moment is ripe for a reset on the politics of climate change and for conservatives especially to chart a course that acknowledges and addresses the real challenges in plausible ways. So what should we think about climate change as we enter a post-peak climate era? If it is neither an apocalypse nor a hoax, what will hold up as a durable view of climate change? And how does it project onto the concerns and priorities of the right-of-center’s emerging coalition? New to Commonplace_? Subscribe below to get the magazine in your inbox._ Subscribe A Solid Foundation As the politics and economics of climate careened over the past ten years, the physics carried on regardless. In 2015, the year the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted, the world emitted 41.2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. By 2025, emissions had risen only 2.4%, to 42.2 gigatonnes, because falling emissions from land use offset increasing emissions from fossil fuels. But slow growth in annual emissions is not rapid decline, let alone net-zero, so carbon dioxide kept accumulating in the atmosphere, going from 399 to 426 parts per million. Global temperature kept rising too, from about 1.1 degrees Celsius above the 1850–1900 average in 2015, to 1.4 degrees above it in 2025. None of this should surprise anyone. Even most prominent skeptics, like the authors of the 2025 report commissioned by the Trump administration’s Department of Energy, accept the basic physics. Carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere at industrial volumes accumulates and traps heat that would otherwise escape to space. That heat warms the upper ocean and increases temperatures at the surface. Increased ocean heat and melting of land ice cause sea levels to rise. Changes in the climate become noticeable to us as subtle shifts in temperature and precipitation, seasons arriving early or late, changes in the surrounding ecosystem, and weather extremes. The much more meaningful debate is not about whether these things are happening, but about what it all means for human societies. (While it is a proxy measure of overall risk, no one experiences global surface temperature.) This debate invokes at least three interesting questions: how much today’s warming is showing up in regional climate trends, how much more warming we should anticipate, and how extreme weather events can be understood in the context of climate change. Recent scientific advances give us new insights into each of these, but there is still much to learn. This is the context in which the next generation of conservative leaders will be the first to deal with significant climate change as a fact, not a forecast. It will be with them for their entire careers. Our evolving scientific picture of climate change will come from weather and climate records stretching further into the past, new kinds of observations in the present, better modeling tools for the future, and simply more time to observe the emergence of climate signals and their tangible effects on ecosystems and communities in the United States and around the world. The policy landscape will be shaped by not only the impacts of changes in the climate, but also by the ways in which societies respond and by the emergence of new technologies for both altering the trajectory of emissions and adapting to new climate realities. Global climate records now show the fingerprints of warming in different phenomena around much of the world. The IPCC, in its most recent assessment report, documents warming trends over all land regions, even as natural variability adds substantial variance to local trends. And the highest temperature extremes have become more intense and frequent, almost everywhere, since the 1950s. Scientists are highly confident that these changes are attributable to human influence. But confidence in detecting trends and attributing them to human influence degrades across heavy precipitation events; drought trends are heterogeneous and not attributable to human activity with great confidence. For hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe storms there is even less confidence in trends or their relationship to climate change. In general, a fair summary of the evidence is that for well-observed phenomena, like surface temperature or heavy rainfall, with a clear relationship to warming, our multidecadal observations are consistent with human influence overcoming natural variability over long time periods and extremes increasing. For regions that are sampled more sparsely, or phenomena with a higher noise-to-signal ratio, we will need to observe them longer to understand the magnitude of the climate signal or improve dynamical understanding using models and observations together. But for Climate For those who can’t wait, we also have new techniques that attempt to understand the role climate change has in influencing particular extreme events. When the climate is changing and disaster strikes, it is natural to ask whether that disaster was somehow “caused” by climate change. For scientists and policymakers acting in good faith, answering that question helps develop a more accurate picture of the problem, how it may be getting worse, and what preparations we should be making to respond to it. It may, at some point, give some weight to how liability is assigned by courts or adaptation funding is distributed by society. But how we ask this question is extremely important. It is easy to get the analysis wrong by discounting the role that meteorology plays. As meteorologist Theodore Shepherd explained in a clear 2016 review of climate attribution methods, “if a weather or climate event is truly extreme in the present climate, then perforce it requires unusual meteorological conditions, which means that climate change is at most a contributing factor.” Share Scientists have two ways to probe climate as a contributing factor, both of which have entered media coverage of extreme weather events. One asks a probabilistic question: How much more likely is a particular event (e.g., a temperature record over a particular area) amid global warming? The answer involves using historical records and computer simulations to estimate the likelihood of such an event in both a changed and a preindustrial climate. The findings are less about the specific event, and more about events of that nature. The other question is: How has the changed climate affected the specific event in question? Here, scientists try to understand what a similar event would have looked like in the preindustrial climate. This is sometimes called the storyline approach, where the story is the specific meteorological details of the event. These methods offer ways to test the intuition of scientists about real weather extremes. In late June and early July of 2021, a persistent high-pressure ridge, or heat dome, set up over the Pacific Northwest and an extraordinary heat wave affected the area from Oregon to British Columbia. For six days, it shattered temperature records across the region and hundreds died from heat-related causes, in an area where such high, and persistently high, temperatures were well outside of experience and many live without air conditioning. Scientists have studied its connection to climate change using multiple approaches. This specific event was created by a rare combination of meteorological factors, a strong high-pressure ridge created the conditions for extreme heat, which occurred on top of higher average temperatures in the region from global warming. Probabilistic analyses showed that climate change increased the likelihood of such an event by at least 8-fold to more than 100-fold. One standout example found that such an event had effectively zero probability of occurring in the preindustrial climate. The enormous range in these assessments reflects how hard it is to estimate probabilities of events at the tail of the historical record. Estimates of the effect on the temperature of the event are more clustered. A recent review paper documents how multiple methodologies have found a positive influence, roughly 1-2 degrees Celsius of an anomaly that exceeded 15 degrees, of climate change on the temperature magnitude of the event. Multiple studies have investigated and found some positive influence of climate change in other extreme events. Attribution studies found climate likely increased the heavy rainfall that accompanied Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and surrounding regions in 2024. The extensive fires that struck Los Angeles in 2025 illustrate how the causal chain can become messy, though. Studies do detect a positive influence of climate on the event’s likelihood, but while climate change likely contributed to underlying aridity, it would not have played a role in the heavy winds or land practices that preceded disaster. These event attribution studies will become more common for extreme, or damaging, weather events. They can be produced quickly, and often are reported before peer review. As the Pacific Northwest heatwave example shows, when multiple methods converge on a positive attribution, the finding should probably carry some weight even if you have to be careful about accepting the results from a single study. I expect that as climate change proceeds and the climate thus departs further from a preindustrial counterfactual, the influence will become more detectable across a variety of extreme events and more easily identified. This will be used to cast blame, but can also be used to inform how communities and society adapt to ongoing change. We May Still Be Surprised One positive development, insofar as less climate change is better, has been that our central estimates for future climate change should probably be revised downward. Mostly, that is because the high-end warmings that scientists regularly analyzed about ten to 20 years ago, driven by high emissions throughout the twenty-first century, now appear to be somewhere between unlikely and impossible. At one time, the upper end of mainstream climate projections extended well into 4 to 6 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of this century, which, models suggest, would have wrought enormous real-world damage. Current energy and policy trends now point toward 2.5 or 3 degrees. Damages and risks are commonly modeled as increasing steeply with more warming, so this is already a better-than-previously-expected outcome for the climate (which is independent of the physical response to emissions). But we should maintain a wide range for plausible outcomes and prepare for the possibility of being surprised. Emissions trajectories are subject to deep uncertainty, the physical climate response is still developing, and whatever change occurs in the climate will then be mediated through unpredictable economic, social, and political institutions. Over the past decade, the pace of warming surprised some keen observers and appeared to accelerate, though not yet outside the range of expectation provided by climate models. The reasons for that apparent acceleration are being actively studied (as was the apparent pause in warming from 1998 to 2012), but no single driver has emerged. Some blame it on the El Niño, variability which would have no bearing on climate. Some think it is a result of factories in East Asia and global shipping fleets cutting aerosol emissions, which in the strongest version of the argument would indicate higher climate sensitivity to carbon-dioxide emissions. Others are more measured, not yet ready to draw solid conclusions as to whether climate projections require revision. We will have to see. Long-Term Thinking Climate change asks us to think over long time scales. But the pace of human-driven warming is compressing a large global change into a century. Changing weather patterns and extreme events are already causing adjustment costs and damages and will do more. Adaptation will help, but it is not free. For some communities, these costs will erode livelihoods and well-being, and may force migration. Are we prepared for large-scale managed retreats in the United States? Thankfully, American wealth, geographical diversity, and moderate climates may leave us better prepared than many around the world. But wealthy countries can still suffer serious disruption from narrowly concentrated costs, even if they appear entirely manageable in aggregate. Readers of Commonplace are familiar with the challenges of rapidly adapting to economic forces. The displacement that came from the China Shock is barely perceptible in aggregate GDP and employment data, but it affected millions of people and those people were far less mobile than economic models tended to assume. Deindustrialization rippled through the nation with enormous effects for not only our economic vitality, but also our national security. The forces surrounding climate change may not be so different; the world gets richer and must accept some diffuse costs. Those may be modest overall, but cause all manner of unpredictable effects with which policymakers must cope. In the case of the China Shock, our faith in a growing pie served us poorly. We’ll need to do better on climate. Leave a comment
Rep. Houchin's Science of Reading Act passes House
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – A bill authored by Rep. Erin Houchin (R-District 9) passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
How to turn off the new 'always listening' feature on Apple Watches
The new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra are capable of listening, recalling and summarizing various sounds and conversations.