Hurricane Erin has intensified to a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds at 160mph, per the National Hurricane Center.
Threat level: A new advisory Saturday from the hurricane center is forecasting "life-threatening surf and rip currents" for the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the East Coast next week.
The Justice Department is suing California in an effort to block the state's enforcement of emissions standards for trucks.
Why it matters: It's the latest battle between President Trump and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom over whether California has the right to set tighter pollution limits than federal law requires.
A company seeking to open a temporary storage site for commercial nuclear waste acknowledged that New Mexico's political opposition has at least temporarily clouded its prospects.
Why it matters: Holtec International said a Supreme Court ruling in June over waste storage reaffirmed the company's license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to pursue the site in southeastern New Mexico.
Erin became the first hurricane of the 2025 season on Friday and is expected to pass north of the Caribbean Islands on Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Threat level: Erin could become a Category 4 hurricane over the weekend if it continues to rapidly strengthen as expected, according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
UN-hosted global talks to produce a treaty on curbing plastic pollution ended Friday "without consensus on a text of the instrument" despite years of negotiations, the body said.
Why it matters: Plastic is a multi-front environmental problem even as it enables the manufacture and distribution of vital and popular goods.
An array of climate metrics hit fresh records in 2024, a major new report with contributions from hundreds of scientists worldwide shows.
Why it matters: The annual "State of the Climate" is among the most comprehensive looks at global warming's many effects, both worldwide and by region.
