Great Smoky Mountains Officials: Beware The 'Cow Killer Ant'
Park officials in the Great Smoky Mountains are warning about an insect you may want to avoid. They say the “cow killer ant” packs a powerful sting.
Environment
As Duke Energy Updates Belews Plant, Concerns Over Coal Ash Remain
It's been five months since state regulators ordered Duke Energy to excavate coal ash at six remaining sites across North Carolina. Duke is taking steps to modernize the plant, but for those who live nearby, the action isn't enough.
In Measure Overhauling Energy Policy, Ohio Pivots Away From Green Energy
While most states are embracing green energy plans, Ohio appears to be doing the opposite. A new law props up struggling coal plants and trims support for renewable energy forms.
Federal Watchdog Warns EPA Is Failing To Enforce Lead Paint Abatement Rules
Home renovations can kick up dangerous dust from lead-based paint. A new report finds the Environmental Protection Agency is not adequately enforcing rules meant to protect kids from lead exposure.
She Tweeted About Medical Waste On A Beach — And It Had An Impact
Shaniera Akram, the wife of the legendary Pakistani cricket star Wasim Akram, took a walk on a Karachi beach and saw hazardous medical waste. So she issued a plea for action on social media.
Saving California's Kelp Forest May Depend On Eating Purple Sea Urchins
Purple sea urchins are devouring the kelp forest off California's coast. To help the forest survive, researchers are trying to make these urchins a delicacy on menus at seafood restaurants.
Current Marine Heat Wave Reminds Scientists Of 'The Blob'
A marine heat wave off the West Coast is causing ocean temperatures to rise from Alaska to California. Scientists say it looks a lot like the warm water mass they nicknamed the blob five years ago.
Chip-And-Ship Forest Clearing May Help Prevent Wildfire Disasters
Large-scale forest thinning in northern Arizona to prevent wildfires is behind schedule. But a new program is taking low-value logs and shipping them across the Pacific to markets in Asia.
Antigua And Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne On Rebuilding After A Hurricane
Hurricane Irma devastated the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda two years ago. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with the country's prime minster, Gaston Browne, about rebuilding and climate change.
Dorian's Floodwaters Trapped Hundreds In The Outer Banks Until Boat Rescuers Arrived
One islander who was saved described Dorian this way: "It was like being in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome mixed with the Wizard of Oz," she said. "The noise, the intensity was just outrageous."