Seattle claims to 'protect' hundreds of trees that were never threatened An analysis shows that fewer than 3% of “protected” trees were actually preserved under the city’s controversial 2023 ordinance. Robert McClure/InvestigateWest
Project 2025 and Hanford: What Trump’s second term could mean for WA’s toxic sludge A conservative policy roadmap — and past actions from the new president's first term — could offer clues as to what he might have in store for one of the most radioactive places in the world. Jeanie Lindsay
Advocates worry about North Carolina's old growth forests, damaged by Hurricane Helene The old growth forests of Western North Carolina took a beating from Hurricane Helene. Now they've lost a bid for federal protection. This worries advocates that the forests could soon vanish. Katie Myers
Development is taking a toll on Florida's precious springs The state has been slow to adopt rules to protect Florida's endangered springs. While a boom in residential construction has increased the amount of groundwater being taken from the aquifers. Greg Allen
U.S. electricity demand is set to explode. That will make it harder to cut climate pollution Analysts say the country will burn a lot more natural gas in the coming years to meet soaring electricity demand, potentially locking in decades of heat-trapping emissions. Michael Copley
Toyota's commercial truck company will pay $1.6 billion for faking emissions tests Hino Motors will plead guilty to submitting false emissions data to regulators for more than 100,000 heavy-duty trucks. The company will pay an array of fines, and fix some affected vehicles for free. Camila Domonoske
Pacific Northwest’s busiest volcano predicted to erupt by end of 2025 Thanks to a dense array of sensors on the volcano’s summit and flanks, scientists know that Axial Seamount has been swelling with magma and getting taller, a sign that it’s ready to go off. John Ryan
What will solar energy look like under Trump? Potential rooftop solar customers and installers worry the incoming President-elect Donald Trump administration might try to eliminate a 30% federal tax credit.
Invasive green crabs threaten West Coast ecosystems. One solution? Otters As invasive green crabs wreak havoc on California's estuaries, a new study has found that a restored sea otter population might be the solution. Manuela López Restrepo
How do the Los Angeles fires compare to the Great Seattle Fire? We mapped it out The Palisades and Eaton fires have burned over 37,830 acres as of Tuesday afternoon. That’s a burn area 300 times larger than that of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. Teo Popescu