Author: Reporter

Scientists are wondering if global warming and El Nino have an accomplice in fueling this summer’s record-shattering heat. The European climate agency Copernicus reported that July was six-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit hotter than the old record. That was a bump in heat that is so recent and so big, especially in the oceans and even more so in the North Atlantic, that scientists are split on whether something else could be at work. Scientists agree that by far the biggest cause of the recent extreme warming is climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas...

The Energy Department announced in August that it was awarding up to $1.2 billion to two projects to directly remove carbon dioxide from the air in what officials are calling the largest investment in “engineered carbon removal” in history. The process, known as direct air capture, does not yet exist on a meaningful scale and could be a game changer if it did and were economical. “If we deploy this at scale, this technology can help us make serious headway toward our net zero emissions goals while we are still focused on deploying more clean energy at the same...

After three years, the pandemic-era freeze on federal student loan payments will end this fall. It might seem tempting to just keep not making payments, but the consequences can be severe, including a hit to your credit score and exclusion from future aid and benefits. More than 40 million Americans will have to start making payments again under the terms of a debt ceiling deal approved by Congress, though many could see their balances reduced or erased if the Supreme Court allows President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan to go ahead. A decision is expected this week, though...

Rhonda Hicks could have kept working into her 60s. She loved teaching and loved her students in Philadelphia’s public schools. As a Black woman, she took pride in being a role model for many children of color. But other aspects of the job deteriorated, such as growing demands from administrators over what and how to teach. And when she retires in a few weeks, she will join a disproportionately high number of Black and Hispanic teachers in her state who are leaving the profession. “I enjoy actually teaching, that part I’ve always enjoyed,” said Hicks, 59. “Sometimes it’s a...