AI could revolutionize post-tornado assessments

Dive Brief: Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a tool that may be able to produce “near-instantaneous” damage assessments and recovery forecasts following a tornado. Using remote sensing from high-resolution satellite or aerial images, …

EP 140: Internal SOS for DEFRA environment plan revealed plus Starmer’s Brexit ‘reset’

Oceans are losing light as marine ecosystems face narrowing zones for life

Large areas of Earth’s oceans have darkened over the past two decades, shrinking the sunlit zones where most marine life thrives, according to a new study. Ian Sample reports for The Guardian. In short: Between 2003 and 2022, 21% of the global ocean …

Louisiana law targets local pollution monitors with harsh fines, spurring federal lawsuit

In a federal lawsuit filed recently, environmental groups accused Louisiana of silencing community-led air monitoring efforts by threatening million-dollar fines for publicizing pollution data gathered without state-approved methods. Jack Brook reports for …

Volkswagen executives convicted in emissions fraud as fallout from diesel scandal continues

A German court convicted four former Volkswagen executives for their roles in a years-long scheme to cheat diesel emissions tests, marking a key moment in the carmaker’s reckoning with its $30 billion pollution scandal. Jack Ewing and Tatiana Firsova …

RFK Jr. wants to cut off top medical journals from government scientists

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says federal scientists may be banned from publishing in the world’s most respected medical journals, calling them corrupt and planning to replace them with government-run alternatives. …

Oil executive without Senate approval reshapes Interior while holding energy investments

A Texas oil executive with ties to the fossil fuel industry is overseeing sweeping changes inside the U.S. Interior Department despite lacking Senate confirmation, divestments, or an ethics pledge. Martha Bellisle reports for The Associated Press. In short …

Trump administration accelerates purge of education, science, and historical research

The Trump administration has begun dismantling federal support for research, public education, and scientific inquiry, threatening the infrastructure that has long informed American public policy and innovation. Adam Serwer reports for The Atlantic. In …

Rising temperatures linked to growing cancer death rates among women in Middle East and North Africa

As extreme heat intensified across the Middle East and North Africa between 1998 and 2019, cancer mortality among women steadily climbed, according to new research. Ruby Mellen reports for The Washington Post. In short: A study in Frontiers in Public …

Teen-run conservation group helps Minnesota youth cope with climate stress through action

A student-led environmental group in Minnesota is helping teenagers turn climate anxiety into purpose by organizing hands-on conservation projects like planting trees and restoring trails. Kate Selig reports for The New York Times. In short: The Green Crew …