From 27–29 January 2026, an important conversation unfolded inside the London headquarters of the Wellcome Trust. Convened jointly by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate...

HENDERSON COUNTY, North Carolina — The rain poured steadily as I crouched beside a jagged rock face on a remote mountainside, peering into the narrow cracks that could hide one of the rarest amphibians on Earth. I was looking for the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, a tiny, finger-length creature cloaked in black with splashes of mint green, perfectly camouflaged against lichen-covered stone. I had been here before, nearly a year ago, reporting on southern Appalachia’s remarkable salamander diversity. With over a hundred species thriving in this region, western North Carolina near Asheville holds more salamander species per square mile than anywhere else in the world. But even then, some species were already on the edge...

The Texas Panhandle is grappling with one of the most severe wildfire threats in recent memory, prompting state officials to declare an Agriculture Emergency. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller made the announcement Wednesday, citing the extensive damage wildfires have caused to farmers and ranchers across the region. Drought conditions, soaring temperatures, and low humidity have combined to create what the Texas Department of Emergency Management calls “extremely critical” fire danger. Officials warn that these harsh conditions are expected to persist through the end of the week, putting vast swaths of Texas at high risk for further fire activity. The Texas A&M Forest Service has placed the state at Wildfire Preparedness Level 3, signaling significant and frequent...