"With sizzling temperatures and a parched climate, it can be hard to survive in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. But some species have evolved to thrive in this extreme environment, including the iconic saguaro cactus. Part of the reason for this prickly plant’s success is its intimate relationship with a smaller—but similarly mighty—desert player: fungi."

"Here in the pine-covered mountains known as the Sierra Gorda – one of the most biodiverse stretches of Mexico – a “mercury boom” is underway."

"A tropical wave located a few hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands on Tuesday morning was headed west at about 15 mph." "And in the Eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Lorena is a heavy rain threat for Mexico, while Hurricane Kiko may pass close to Hawaii Sep. 10-11."

"The U.S. has suspended live cattle imports from Mexico due to concerns about the New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite found in southern Mexico. This suspension has severely impacted ranchers in Sonora, who are already struggling with drought."

"Plastics are a “grave” danger to humans and the planet, responsible for an estimated $1.5 trillion annually in health-related costs, and nations need to center human health as they finalize the global plastics treaty, scientists said in a new report released Monday."

"The United States and Mexico have signed an agreement outlining specific steps and a new timetable to clean up the longstanding problem of the Tijuana River pouring sewage across the border and polluting California beaches, officials from both countries announced Thursday."

"The saguaro cactus is the iconic plant of the Arizona borderlands, and in June and early July, its thorn-covered small fruit ripens. For members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose ancestors have lived in this hot desert for thousands of years, harvest time for the “bahidaj” is sacred."

"A planned fish farm off Florida’s Gulf Coast has received an environmental permit allowing operators to discharge nutrient-laden water from what could be the first commercial-scale saltwater aquaculture operation in the Gulf of Mexico."