Kamala Harris Could Be Just the Kind of Prosecutor the Earth Needs
Mother Jones illustration; Lev Radin/Sipa/AP; Getty When it comes to campaign messaging, Kamala Harris’ past as a prosecutor has served as both a strength and a liability. As a first-term senator from California, her rigorous cross-examination during the confirmation hearings of several Trump appointees—including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Environmental…
The Problematic Chemicals Fueling America’s EV Revolution
This investigation was reported in collaboration with The Examination, The Post and Courier, Columbia Journalism Investigations, and RTBF, and co-published in partnership with Mother Jones. Propulsion without the need for petroleum: That’s the lithium-ion battery’s promise. Backed by government incentives across the globe, lithium-ion batteries are hailed as key to a green transportation revolution—and for…
This Majority-Black City Has a Water Crisis That Privatization Won’t Fix
Joshua Lott/The Washington Post/Getty/Grist This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In the summer of 2022, heavy rainfall damaged a water treatment plant in the city of Jackson, Mississippi, precipitating a high-profile public health crisis. The Republican Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency, as thousands of residents…
This Tribe Will Gladly Accept Clean Energy Funding, Even If Wyoming Won’t
Northern Arapaho host a local powwow on the eve of a solar eclipse in Riverton, Wyoming.Helen H. Richardson/Getty Images This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. When Wyoming governor Mark Gordon told the Environmental Protection Agency in 2023 that the state would not be applying for…
Democratic Senators Pressured EPA to Ease Rules on Steel Mill Pollution
Laura Hedien/Getty/Grist This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In early March, a small group of Democratic senators from the Rust Belt sent President Joe Biden an urgent letter. They began by extolling the benefits of two of the Biden administration’s biggest achievements, the bipartisan infrastructure law and the…
How US Air Pollution, Ironically, Has Kept Climate Hazards in Check
Smokestacks at the Dearborn Industrial Generation facility in Dearborn, MI.Jim West / ZUMA This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The past half-century has seen remarkable improvements in air quality in many parts of the world, thanks largely to legislation like the Clean Air Act. Efforts like…