Nearly 80% of the Northwest is experiencing drought this summer, with Oregon recording its fourth driest spring-to-summer period since 1895, raising concerns for farms, rivers, and wildfire risk. State officials have declared multiple county emergencies as streamflows hit record lows.
Federal staffing cuts, rescinded climate-focused conservation funds, and misaligned crop insurance are undermining farmers as extreme rainfall and flooding worsen across farm country. The shift is delaying on-the-ground help, sidelining resilience practices, and squeezing especially small, diversified operations.
As extreme weather disasters grow more frequent, shady contractors are exploiting survivors with inflated bills, shoddy repairs, and legal threats — leaving many homeowners financially trapped just when they’re most vulnerable.
A decade after a record marine heat wave and sea star die-off, Northern California has lost about 95% of its bull kelp, leaving vast urchin barrens that thwart natural recovery.
A federal emergency management website used by states to coordinate disaster response may go offline this week as its contract funding lapses, raising concerns about preparedness in the middle of hurricane season.
Net zero by 2050 is "a monstrous human impoverishment program and of course there is no way it is going to happen," U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.
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