Johnny Cash statue unveiled in U.S. Capitol

An organizer estimates 200 community members shuttled about 26,000 people from Amish weddings to the polls to vote for the Republican nominee.

Over the weekend, a very small wildfire broke out in a hilly and densely vegetated area of Prospect Park, a swath of green space in Brooklyn. The 2-acre blaze drew about 100 firefighters as residents were warned to stay out of the park. Meanwhile, on the New York-New Jersey border, another blaze, the Jennings Creek wildfire, has burned thousands of acres, sending smoke drifting across much of New York City and killing an 18-year-old New York state forest ranger volunteer who died while responding to the fire.  Is this typical? Not exactly. But the Northeast has been under severe drought conditions for weeks. These fires, and the dozens of others currently burning in the Northeast and across the Ohio River Valley, as well as the scores more in the Western US, are the consequence of months of unseasonably hot and dry weather across large swaths of the country.  Okay, pause: What is a drought? Simply put, a drought is a dry period — that is, a long stretch of time without any rain or snow — that leads to a water shortage. Droughts can (and do) happen all over the world; they are not just a characteristic of a desert or a regional problem. Extreme drought can stress landscapes and water tables, regardless of whether a city is built on top of them or not. If a drought lasts long enough, people in that place can lose access to water.   This story was first featured in the Today, Explained newsletter Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day. Sign up here. While the Western United States is associated with aridity, it is remarkable to see this extent of drought spread across the Northeast. And current forecasts show that the conditions will persist for weeks or even months. “It’s problematic to see drought in all parts of the country. It’s not just a regional issue,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center. “Regardless of where you’re at, drought can and will impact you.” Firefighters extinguished the Prospect Park fire. Rain mercifully moved into New York on Sunday night and snuffed much of the smoke drifting across the East Coast, obscuring the fact that a cluster of fires in New Jersey continued to burn.  As the smoke fades, attention shouldn’t: Millions of people in the Northeast remain under red flag wildfire warnings, which signal conditions where anything that can generate a spark could likely lead to a fire. But we all live with drought, extreme heat, and fire now — and our relationship to water is connected to just how bad things could get. Why is the drought so severe? For much of the country, October was an extremely hot and dry month. We are currently on pace for 2024 to become the hottest year ever recorded, a declaration that forecasters from the World Meteorological Organization are making with confidence even with more than a month left.  According to the US Drought Monitor, the long periods of hot and dry conditions have left every state in the country facing drought — an unprecedented statistic.  There isn’t a single driver responsible for the scope of the current drought conditions. Even as our global average temperatures are rising thanks to climate change, our short-term weather patterns will shift all of the time. For example, despite Hurricane Helene bringing heaps of moisture to places like North Carolina a little more than a month ago, even western North Carolina is now abnormally dry. How can that be? Because it’s been that hot and dry in the weeks since — enough to erase any sign of a so-called thousand-year event.  “When I started looking at data over the past six months, you see that places like New Jersey, the Ohio River Valley, much of the plains have 12 to 15 inches below normal precipitation for this time of the year,” Fuchs said. “New York has a deficit of 10 inches. That’s very extreme for this part of the country.” And then there are these warmer temperatures later in the year that end up amplifying the ongoing drought’s worst effects. Temperatures usually fall significantly by November. Trees will drop their leaves and go dormant. Certain critters hibernate or go into low-power mode. Snow begins accumulating in the higher elevations, banking moisture that will melt out — gradually — during the warmer periods.  But when it’s 80 degrees in New York in November, trees and vegetation are still consuming water. There’s an extra period of demand on the overall water system, and that taxes water sources — lakes and streams begin to draw down and the ground holds onto less moisture. Vegetation that grew earlier in the year begins to dry out — and fuel wildfires.  “It really doesn’t take much time to transition to a hot and dry environment and you all of a sudden have all of this extra fuel for wildfires,” Fuchs said. “This is the perfect mix for fires to blossom.” Should we expect more wildfires?  Drought is a normal part of our climate, but it’s not normal to see this much drought across so much of the country.  Resources to help you understand how drought will impact where you live There are two monitors produced by the US Drought Monitor from the Climate Prediction Center that reflect what areas in the US will be most affected by drought and water scarcity. These projections, which update regularly, give a real-time pulse on conditions across the country and are created through a partnership between the US Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These tools are also  helpful in getting a clearer picture of how the climate is impacting your local landscape and will give you the heads-up if you’re likely to face water shortages. The monthly outlook is a great snapshot for this moment in time. It provides a gradient of drought conditions, shaded by severity, impacting the country. If you live in a place where drought is persisting, conserve your water and be aware of acute wildfire risk.   The seasonal outlook currently shows projection through January 2025 and will update again in mid-November to show conditions expected to the end of February. This map is helpful for getting a longer-range view of aridity and whether it’s likely to lessen or become more severe.  This extreme period of dry weather is a part of the larger picture that scientists have come to expect: that our weather will become more extreme and unpredictable and that we will collectively experience more pronounced swings from incredibly dry periods to incredibly wet periods.  Those dry periods, Fuchs says, are connected to warmer temperatures persisting into what should be the colder parts of the year and ramping up the demand on our water systems. That demand, by the way, includes water consumption by you and me and everyone else. Just multiply our daily showers, drawing from the tap, running our dishwashers and washing machines, washing our cars, watering our house plants (and so on) by the millions of people who live in a watershed, the area that shares a single water source for a particular region.  If there’s too much demand on an already stressed landscape, the wildfire risk increases as water levels in streams and in our water table drop.  To better navigate the conditions we see today and the climate we should expect in the future, we need to understand that no place is immune to drought conditions, Fuchs said. “Even if you think you’ve not been impacted by drought in the past, it’s increasingly important for people to know where their water comes from and conserve it the best you can at any time,” he said. “We’re actively experiencing severe climate change impacts,” said Aradhna Tripati, a climate scientist from UCLA who helped author the latest national climate assessment. Climate change “is no longer theoretical or a distant threat, an abstract one. It is not something that happens in the future here. It is not something only happening in places far away from where we live. All weather is now being affected.” Yes — even in New York City.

He is far from the only distressed asset I envision the New York teams (and others) will consider.

Police detained a 62-year-old male suspect in Zhuhai following the ramming, which also left 43 people injured.

At least 11 people were killed, including two children, according to officials at Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were taken.

The second annual TIME100 Climate 2024 list identifies 100 leaders driving measurable, successful, and equitable climate action

Ensuring that the United States’ largest private company, operating in over 70 countries with more than 160,000 personnel, meets its sustainability goals is a challenge. But Pilar Cruz has proven she is the right person for the job at food and beverage multinational Cargill since her role as chief sustainability officer was created in 2021.…

Police in China say 35 people were killed and another 43 injured when a driver rammed his car into people exercising at a sports center in the southern city of Zhuhai. The driver was detained.

Cement production is responsible for about 8% of all global emissions—and it’s a stubborn industry to decarbonize because it is so energy-intensive. That’s where Fortera comes in. As CEO and co-founder, Ryan Gilliam is working to make it easy for existing cement plants to become more sustainable by installing technology to capture up to 90%…

Find out why Ajay Banga was selected for the list.

In 2020, Sandeep Nijhawan co-founded Colorado-based Electra. Its mission: to decarbonize iron- and steelmaking. Iron production is a hot, energy-intensive process. Today, the steel industry is responsible for about 7% of all global carbon emissions (90% of which come from making iron). But through a novel electrochemical process, powered by renewable energy, Electra is trying…

Tim Latimer is CEO and co-founder of Fervo Energy, a startup making geothermal energy a viable alternative to fossil fuels. By repurposing technology from the oil and gas industry, Fervo drills deep below the Earth’s surface to reach hot rocks and converts that heat into 24/7 clean energy. Google is already working with Fervo to…

With the House, Republicans would have full control of the federal government next year.

Colin Wessells is the founder and co-CEO of Natron Energy, a company making sodium-ion batteries to power clean technologies. Because sodium is more abundant and more affordable than lithium, sodium-ion batteries could help bolster battery supply chains and accelerate the energy transition. Thanks to Wessells’ vision, Natron is the first – and only – commercial…

Bret Kugelmass, founder and CEO of Last Energy, has a bold vision: To become the first company to bring a small modular nuclear reactor online in the United States. And, as one of the fastest growing companies in this space, it’s working hard to make this a reality. It currently has commercial agreements for 80…

Negotiators at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan fear that the return of Donald J. Trump will sap momentum for global climate action.

Lime helped popularize the climate-friendly concepts of micro-mobility and bike shares that are now seen in many major metropolises around the world; the e-bike rental company operates in more than 280 cities. Last year, it boasted that about five e-bike trips were booked every second—that’s around 156 million trips globally. But beyond helping decarbonize our…

When Sarah Finch learned in 2019 that her local government had approved an oil drilling project near her home in southeast England, she was shocked. “I always thought that was something that happened somewhere else,” says the climate activist. Adding to her alarm was the fact that this project had been approved without any consideration…

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress following a tax fraud conviction, is paralyzed from the chest down.

Under Jennifer M. Granholm’s leadership, the U.S. Energy Department has quickly become a powerhouse of the clean energy transition. Across the country, she is helping bring the Biden Administration’s climate goals to life. This includes adding 800 new or expanded clean technology manufacturing facilities, and 60 GW of clean energy capacity this year alone—that’s equal…

Mads Nipper is CEO of Orsted, the world’s largest developer of offshore wind power. In 2009, 85% of Orsted’s energy production came from fossil fuels, but over the last 15 years the company has transformed itself into a leader in renewables. Having already divested its oil and gas business in 2017, this year Orsted shut…

General Mills is consistently recognized as a leader in corporate sustainability efforts – from supporting ambitious climate policy to advancing regenerative agriculture. GM’s Chief Sustainability and Global Impact Officer Mary Jane Melendez is spearheading these efforts. Under her leadership, last year the company reduced its scope 3 emissions by 7% and scope 1 and 2…

Damilola Ogunbiyi is working to ensure the energy transition is not only swift, but also equitable and just. Originally from Nigeria, Ogunbiyi has acted as a liaison to bring leaders from the Global South into key climate conversations. Through her roles at the United Nations and Sustainable Energy for All, she has worked on global…

Wanjira Mathai is the Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute. In this role she is forging strategic alliances that advance nature-based climate solutions and climate justice in some of the most vulnerable communities. This year Mathai announced $17.8 million in funding for 92 local restoration groups as part of…

In the race to curb emissions, Greg Jackson, founder and CEO of U.K.-based Octopus Energy Group, believes the answer lies not in asking consumers to pay more, but in harnessing technology to “align their interests with those of the planet.” At the heart of the group’s strategy is dynamic pricing, enabled by Kraken, its power-grid…

While many major residential solar companies have floundered recently, SunRun is not among them. Under CEO Mary Powell’s leadership, the company has become the largest developer of residential solar in the U.S., responsible for a fifth of all home systems installed. And this August, it became the first solar-plus-storage company to surpass one million customers.…

Megan O’Connor founded Nth Cycle in 2017 to address two problems: a growing volume of electronic waste, and a limited domestic supply of critical minerals needed for the energy transition. Fast forward to 2024, and her company has become the first in the United States to extract nickel and cobalt on a commercial scale from…

Robert Falck is CEO and founder of Einride, a Swedish company decarbonizing ground freight. Einride works with some of the world’s largest companies – including Mars, Heineken, PepsiCo, and Maersk – to electrify trucking fleets and make freight movement more efficient. This year it partnered with port operator DP World to start electrifying Dubai’s Jebel…

A City Hall spokesperson confirmed that due to existing NYC laws, "we will not be providing any information about the undocumented to the federal government."

The start to the season, in which Anders Lee has taken any questions about his game falling off at age 34, crumpled them into a ball and thrown them into the garbage, has not happened by some coincidence.

As a child, Sam Coffey got an inside look at sports journalism, thanks to her parents’ careers. Years later, she has emerged as a fixture under USWNT coach Emma Hayes.

If Judge Juan Merchan upholds the conviction, sentencing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 26, less than two months ahead of Trump's inauguration.

The stage was set with Hollywood stars and other pro athletes on hand to see the Rams make a statement in prime time, except the Dolphins made L.A. look bad.

Inflation, moderation, and candidate effects

A string of gruesome killings has thrust Mexico's security crisis into the spotlight -- and poses challenges for new President Claudia Sheinbaum

LGBTQ+ social networking platform Grindr last year told its all-remote staff they had to return to the office or lose their jobs. Now federal labor regulators say the company's return-to-office policy unlawfully targeted unionizing workers.

A lot of damage can be done within a single four-year Trump term, says a reader. Another says this was the election that voters swung the pendulum to 'normal.'

Despite being set more than 70 years apart, London nightlife scenes in the World War II drama 'Blitz' and 'The Outrun’s' 21st century tale of alcoholism and recovery each display a 1930s influence on the costumes.

The actor landed her first Oscar nomination in her 80s. Now in her 90s, the 'Thelma' star is enjoying the attention from her first leading role.

From Brynn Jones Saban of Aralda Vintage to Clémence Pariente of Le Boudoir, L.A.’s vintage sellers share their most cherished pieces.

In theory, Trump could solidify and build on his winning coalition, but that would require disappointing the people insisting he has a mandate to do whatever he wants.

'God gave us the gift of free will, and it is up to us to protect the world,' says a professor emeritus of biology. 'We must do better.'

Strength training has many benefits for health and longevity. Now many older Angelenos are seeking out a method called slow motion strength training to protect their joints and heal injuries.

USC professor Berislav Zlokovic is on leave after whistleblowers cast doubt on his published work and derailed trials for an experimental stroke treatment.

Zoox's self-driving vehicles began rolling out in San Francisco this week and are expected to compete with Waymo robotaxis.

Friendships are love affairs of a different sort and can be as much of a roller-coaster ride as romantic ones.

Legal aid centers report receiving hundreds of inquiries from immigrants wondering what they should do ahead of Trump's promised mass deportations.

Working on the thriller of sorts about selecting a new pope, the actor says it fed her brain and was just what she looks for in a role.