Lauren Sommer
Stories
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Environment
Why clearing the brush around Los Angeles won't reduce the wildfire danger
After thousands of homes were destroyed, many are looking for ways to make Los Angeles safer from wildfires. But clearing dense shrubs on the hillsides could actually make the fire danger worse.
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Climate
Rats! Climate change is helping increase their populations in cities
Winters are getting warmer and shorter as the climate changes. That's helping rat populations grow in several U.S. cities.
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National
More houses are being built in wildfire-prone areas. Los Angeles has a plan to stop
Before the wildfire that destroyed thousands of homes, Altadena was already debating a tense question: should new housing be built in places that could burn?
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Environment
Here's how climate change fueled the Los Angeles fires
Extreme conditions helped fuel the fast-moving fires that destroyed thousands of homes. Scientists are working to figure out how climate change played a role in the disaster.
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Environment
This scientist studies climate change. Then the Los Angeles fire destroyed his home
Climate scientist Ben Hamlington works on understanding the impacts of climate change. Losing his house in the Eaton Fire has given that work new meaning.
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National
Some Los Angeles homes made it through the firestorm. Here's how
Houses are still standing in the burn zone in Los Angeles, ones that made it through the fires. Experts on the ground are finding those homeowners made some key preparations.
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Climate
Evacuation lessons to be learned from the L.A. fires
Residents feeling the Palisades Fire abandoned their cars in gridlock traffic as the wildfire approached. Evacuation planning is central to saving lives in wildfires, but many communities are behind.
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Environment
2023 was extremely hot. Then came 2024
It's looking like 2024 will be the hottest year since record-keeping began, unseating 2023 for the top spot. Climate change is playing a role, and scientists say it was even hotter than expected.
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Animals
Orcas are hunting whale sharks, the largest fish species on Earth
A new study reveals how a group of killer whales is able to hunt whale sharks, adding to a growing body of research showing how the whales use intelligence and coordination in impressive ways.
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Science
Orcas are hunting whale sharks. Is there anything they can't take down?
Killer whales off Mexico have developed coordinated hunting skills to take down whale sharks, adding to their reputation as the ocean's top predator.