An unusually intense, early season heat wave is gripping areas from Texas to the entire Southwest, including major metro areas such as Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento.
Why it matters: Daytime high and overnight temperature records began to fall Thursday, including in Phoenix, and many will be tied or broken Friday through Sunday. The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning of a "high" potential for heat-related illnesses.
A new study out Thursday sheds new light on the drought history of the Colorado River Basin, and only adds to current concerns about the ongoing Southwest megadrought.
Driving the news: Based on tree-ring records of historical streamflow in the Upper Colorado River Basin, the study uncovered a drought in the second century that was more severe than the ongoing 22-year region-wide drought event.
A giant tortoise species long believed extinct has been discovered living in the Galápagos Islands, scientists confirmed in a new study.
The big picture: An adult female Chelonoidis phantasticus, a species also known as the "fantastic giant tortoise," was the first of her kind that scientists had found since 1906, according to the study by Princeton and Yale researchers, published in the journal Communications Biologyon Thursday.
The Department of the Interior plans to phase out single-use plastics by 2032 on its land and facilities, including the country's national parks.
The big picture: The announcement, made on World Ocean Day, said the department would find alternative materials to disposable plastics, such as cutlery, bags, cups, bottles, straws and food containers.
X-ray astronomy is helping to reveal new details about the nature of the universe.
Why it matters: For thousands of years, humanity's understanding of the universe has been dominated by what can be seen. Now, by measuring the invisible X-rays, infrared signals and gravitational waves emitted across the universe, scientists are getting a clearer understanding of the events that shape the cosmos.
Forty-two million people are under heat watches and warnings in the Southwest into the weekend as a heat dome strengthens over the region, with temperatures soaring to hazardous levels from Texas to Arizona and northwestward into California's Central Valley.
Why it matters: Extreme heat is the leading weather-related killer in the U.S., and the first such event of the season can be particularly dangerous since people are not yet accustomed to such high temperatures.
NASA is setting up a team to look into reports of unidentified aerial phenomena.
Why it matters: There have been about 400 UAP sighting reports, and today, there's congressional and public interest in nailing down exactly what they could be.
Scientists have found microplastics in freshly fallen Antarctic snow for the first time.
Why it matters: Researchers from New Zealand's University of Canterbury discovered tiny plastic particles in all 19 samples taken from sites along the Ross Ice Shelf, per a study published Wednesday in the science journal The Cryosphere.
