Even in a traditionally safe Republican district in Wisconsin, the issue of abortion rights is highlighted, reflecting a larger national debate that is happening about access to abortion this year ..read more

Jamie McDonald has provided meals in Ukraine and Turkey as a volunteer with World Central Kitchen. Now, he's partnering with the global charity led by José Andrés to feed residents in Asheville ..read more

The U.K. used coal power to drive the Industrial Revolution and expand the British Empire. It's now the first major economy to quit the fossil fuel, a primary contributor to global warming ..read more

The death toll reported from an average tropical cyclone is 24. But the true toll is maybe 300 times higher—and the losses stretch for years after the storm passes ..read more

Coastal cities often bear the brunt of hurricanes. But as Hurricane Helene showed, extreme rainfall can be life-threatening hundreds of miles away ..read more

Years ago, astronomy professors started noticing something that troubled them: Many of their students didn't understand climate change and the science supporting it. So a small group of professors decided to do something about it — teach climate change in their introductory astronomy courses. Want to hear more stories about climate change? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you ..read more

In northern England, it was coal that fueled the Industrial Revolution. But this week, the U.K. closed its last coal-fired power plant -- and became the first major economy to quit coal altogether ..read more

Over six million fungal species are believed to inhabit planet Earth. Outsmarting them is the work of Arturo Casadevall's lifetime. What If Fungi Win? is the question at the heart of Arturo's new book, co-authored with journalist Stephanie Desmon. In this episode, Emily and Regina take a trip to Arturo's lab at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and meet a group of scientists thinking about the fungal consequences of climate change, urban heat islands, and scooping up microbes with candy. Curious about fungi? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you ..read more

Experts say the first thing is to make sure it’s safe to go back inside. Then you need to dry things out as fast as possible ..read more

Spruce Pine is a major global supplier of high-purity quartz. It’s an essential ingredient for microchips and solar panels ..read more