"Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength Monday as it neared Jamaica with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain and a life-threatening storm surge."

"The Trump administration has sent a referral to the Department of Justice recommending Biden-era Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff face criminal charges, alleging politicization of emergency funding."

"As Tropical Storm Melissa crawls through the Caribbean, it will strengthen to a hurricane and unleash torrential rain that may trigger major to extreme flooding and mudslides, endangering lives and property."

"The number of North Atlantic right whales ticked up in 2024, according to researchers’ latest estimate of this critically endangered species. Scientists, while cautiously optimistic, said threats including entanglement in fishing gear, climate change and low birth rates still loom over efforts to save the animals from extinction."

"Manatee County’s commissioners didn’t expect to be threatened with removal from office for considering two measures meant to enhance disaster resilience in this fast-growing county on Florida’s Gulf Coast."

"A sprawling, fast-moving tropical disturbance raced through the Windward Islands on Sunday and entered the Caribbean, where it’s set to become a formidable rainmaker for days on end."

"A Cameron Parish judge has ruled that state officials violated the Louisiana Constitution when they issued a permit for a liquified gas export terminal, which has halted construction on the facility."

"For seven years N.C. activists overcame political and scientific hurdles to convince the EPA to enact PFAS regulations in drinking water. Now they’re confronting a Trump administration intent on quashing their success."

"The white sandy beaches along a swath of Florida’s Gulf Coast were battered by three hurricanes last year, leading to a multimillion-dollar effort to repair a coastline that is the region’s economic engine."

"Locals face a perfect storm — they can’t afford insurance and climate change threatens their livelihood."