Axios

North Carolinians turned out in record numbers for the first day of in-person early voting Thursday, as the state continues to grapple with the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene.

The big picture: The key battleground state in the 2024 presidential race is still reeling from the storm's devastation, which prompted massive hurdles for voters and election officials in the weeks before the Nov. 5 election.

The annual NOAA winter outlook calls for weak La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean to be a key factor in influencing the path that storms take.

Zoom in: A warmer and drier than average winter is favored along the southern tier, with the likely emergence of drought conditions in the Southwest in particular.

Human-caused climate change is having widespread and significant negative effects on young people's mental health across the country, a new study finds.

Why it matters: The study is one of the largest to date to examine how young people are responding to global climate change and government action.

After having its hottest summer on record, Phoenix saw an unprecedented and sustained heat wave during parts of September through mid-October.

Why it matters: The latest stretch prolonged heat-related health threats and pointed to the growing challenge of how to be resilient in the face of scorching temperatures.

The hottest climate policy news this week is something the Supreme Court didn't do: freeze Joe Biden's big carbon emissions rules for power plants.

Why it matters: The rules target a huge CO2 source — existing coal plants and future gas plants — and avoided being quickly forced into hibernation.