How the 2026 Super El Niño and Climate Change Are Related

Here’s what we know about the record-setting El Niño on a record-hot planet, and the most important questions scientists are trying to answer.

California’s Tallest and Most Iconic Trees Are Getting Heatstroke

Redwoods adapted to a cool, foggy climate. Now a new study shows they slow down photosynthesis when their environment warms.

A New Mexico Community Was a Place to Build a Life. Then a Hypersonic Missile Factory Showed Up

Castelion—a next-generation defense tech company—is building a facility in Rio Rancho Estates that documents show could pose a major fire and chemical hazard to neighboring communities.

Tropical Storm Isaias Set to Be First Atlantic Hurricane of 2026 Season

Tropical Storm Isaias is set to become the basin’s first hurricane of the season, bringing life-threatening rain and storm surge to the Gulf Coast.

A Startup Has a Plan to Make Water From Air Using Data Centers’ Waste Heat

Atoco’s new machines use specialized materials that can harvest water from some of the driest air on Earth without using electricity.

Rural Data Centers Are in for a Big Federal Tax Break

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,  data center projects in rural areas could be eligible for major tax benefits starting next year. Some hyperscalers do not seem eager to take the free cash.

A Decade-Long Experiment Is Unlocking the Mysteries of the Ocean’s ‘Deep Reefs’

Scientists left structures up to 100 meters under the surface. Here’s what they found when they retrieved them 10 years later.

Plastic Is Melting Onto Corals

Scientists have found a new form of pollution, one where plastic and pieces of coral become irreversibly intertwined.

The Data Center Backlash Should Also Be a Climate Reckoning. It Isn’t Yet

Climate groups are latching onto the data center opposition movement, but it remains to be seen if they can get people to care about the facilities’ impact on the atmosphere.

Why This Weekend’s Nor’easter Is Like a Hurricane

Nor’easters are usually a winter phenomenon. But this week’s storm is arriving earlier than usual, and it could take on some characteristics more typical of tropical systems.