News
Uncontacted Indigenous groups could vanish within a decade without stronger protections, experts say
5+ mon, 3+ week ago (1058+ words) October 27, 2025, 2: 31 PM "These are what I would call silent genocides " there are no TV crews, no journalists. But they are happening, and they're happening now," said Fiona Watson, Survival's research and advocacy director, who has worked on Indigenous rights for…...
Record US drought sparks worries about fires, water supply and food prices
15+ hour, 9+ min ago (578+ words) April 18, 2026, 9: 01 AM Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, weather data shows. Meteorologists said it's a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and western water issues. More than 61% of…...
Mezcal's popularity is booming in the US. That comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico
1+ mon, 3+ day ago (920+ words) IRAN WAR UPDATE: Iran reimposes restrictions on Strait of Hormuz, accusing US of violating deal to reopen it March 16, 2026, 9: 28 AM "We were taught when to harvest agave, how to care for the soil, and how much we could ask of…...
Sea wall rebuild at Tidal Basin almost finished, and Stumpy is still part of it
2+ week, 4+ day ago (568+ words) LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: D. C. -area chefs, restaurants named finalists for James Beard Awards March 31, 2026, 5: 53 PM If you've been down to the Tidal Basin lately, you may have noticed a lot has changed along the water. The National Park Service said the Tidal…...
To aficionados, fungi are freaky, mystical and overlooked. They're helping scientists learn more
2+ mon, 2+ day ago (882+ words) February 17, 2026, 4: 34 PM It was last seen here in California's Napa County two years ago, and Allen, a fungi scientist, was keen to find it. But within minutes, something caught her attention. She knelt, pulled a hand lens to her eye,…...
The Supreme Court hands a win to oil and gas companies fighting environmental lawsuits in Louisiana
1+ day, 15+ hour ago (475+ words) April 17, 2026, 1: 35 PM The unanimous procedural decision gives the companies a new day in federal court after a state jury ordered Chevron to pay upward of $740 million to clean up damage to the state's coastline, one of multiple similar lawsuits. Backed…...
Wildfires used to "go to sleep" at night. Climate change has them burning overtime
1+ day, 14+ hour ago (549+ words) April 17, 2026, 2: 06 PM Fires used to die down or even die out at night as temperatures dropped and humidity increased, but that's happening less often. The number of hours in North America when the weather is favorable for wildfires is 36% higher…...
Mount Holyoke's corpse flower blooms again, drawing crowds to its "rotting flesh' stench
3+ day, 15+ hour ago (648+ words) SPORTS ALERT: Washington Commanders unveil new uniforms LOCAL ALERT: Maryland legislative session closes with over 140 news bills signed into law April 15, 2026, 1: 49 PM "I was expecting it to smell bad, but it smelled genuinely like rotting flesh," said Nyx Del Prado,…...
EPA may ease regulation of chemical plastic recycling, and environmentalists worry
3+ day, 13+ hour ago (816+ words) April 15, 2026, 9: 04 AM The Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering whether facilities that recycle plastic chemically should be held to the same strict air pollution standards as incinerators. The possible change is alarming environmental advocates who say it would lead to more…...
As energy costs rise, some states back off ambitious climate goals
3+ day, 19+ hour ago (836+ words) April 15, 2026, 9: 37 AM Times have " radically changed," Hochul said, since 2019, when the state set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030. She's proposed giving the state years more to comply, saying pursuing that goal now by imposing planned fees on…...