West

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Putin: Western World Order 'Is Finished'

Major speech rips Americans for declaring themselves 'God's own representatives on Earth'

(Newser) - Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a change in the world order on Friday in a scathing attack on the US and its leadership of the West. "When they won the Cold War, the US declared themselves God's own representatives on Earth, people who have no responsibilities—only interests,...

US Megadrought Is Worst We've Seen in 12 Centuries
On Parched American West,
a Dire 'Wake-Up Call'
NEW STUDY
Feb 15, 2022 11:02 AM CST

On Parched American West, a Dire 'Wake-Up Call'

Study says megadrought is worst in 1.2K years, a 'worst-case scenario' due to climate change

(Newser) - The American West's megadrought deepened so much last year that it's now the driest in at least 1,200 years and is a worst-case climate change scenario playing out live, a new study finds. A dramatic drying in 2021—about as dry as 2002 and one of the...

Storms Could Bring Heavy Rain, Snow to Dry West

Most of the Lower 48 expects a warm holiday weekend

(Newser) - Long-awaited moisture, which the West sorely needs, might be finally arriving at a difficult time. Forecasters expect winter storms to arrive in two waves, CNN reports: one delivering snow only to high elevations by Thursday, and a larger, colder one dropping snow at lower elevations. Accumulation in the Sierra Nevadas...

Wildfires Rage as West Bakes
Wildfires Rage as West Bakes
Jul 12, 2021 11:20 AM CDT

Wildfires Rage as West Bakes

Firefighters battle extreme heat in California, Oregon, elsewhere

(Newser) - Firefighters were working in extreme temperatures across the West and struggling to contain wildfires, the largest burning in California and Oregon, as another heat wave baked the region. Details, via the AP :
  • The largest wildfire of the year in California—the Beckwourth Complex Fire—was raging along the Nevada state
...

Triple-Digit Temps Over the Weekend, Then ... Snow?

Denver on 'roller coaster' weather ride, while West in general is getting slammed by a heat wave

(Newser) - Summer is definitely not over. A CNN meteorologist says the heat out West over the past couple of months "has been nothing short of amazing," and it doesn't look like it's going to let up over Labor Day weekend, with weather warnings emerging for California, Arizona,...

COVID Hospitalizations Surge Across US: 'Just Overwhelmed'

Seven states saw spikes, with Arizona, California, and Texas posting especially worrisome numbers

(Newser) - Arizona on Tuesday saw a record high of 3,591 new coronavirus cases and a surge in the number of hospitalizations for patients thought to have the virus, in the wake of having lifted its stay-at-home order in May. Data from the state's Department of Health Services shows...

3 Storms Headed Our Way for the Holiday

Inclement weather could muck up travelers' plans during Thanksgiving week

(Newser) - According to AAA , upward of 55 million Americans will be journeying away from home during Thanksgiving week—a normally busy time for travelers that looks like it will be compounded by three storms across the nation, reports USA Today . AAA warns Wednesday afternoon will likely be the worst time to...

Cops in the West Issue Warning on Oddly Moving Roads

Swarms of Mormon crickets are plaguing a bunch of states

(Newser) - Farmers in the US West face a creepy scourge every eight years or so: swarms of ravenous insects that can decimate crops and cause slippery, bug-slick car crashes as they march across highways and roads. Per the AP , experts say this year could be a banner one for Mormon crickets—...

'Uninvited Guest' Is Killing a Southwest Reservoir

Climate change is decreasing water levels in Lake Powell: Rebecca Solnit

(Newser) - More than 50 years ago, Glen Canyon, straddling Arizona and Utah, became flooded with water after the creation of the Glen Canyon Dam led to the formation of the Lake Powell reservoir. But even though the Sierra Club wrote the canyon's obituary in 1963, Rebecca Solnit reveals in the...

US Sizzling in Record Heat
 US Sizzling in Record Heat 
Jul 4, 2011 2:20 AM CDT

US Sizzling in Record Heat

Fireworks canceled as skiers hit slopes above sweating throngs

(Newser) - The US is still sizzling in triple-digit temperatures as record heat threatens fireworks displays. Santa Barbara County has set up special cooling centers in libraries, senior centers and other community facilities as California struggles in 100+ degree heat, along with much of the Southwest and the lower Mississippi Valley. Several...

Want Happiness? Go West, Young Man

Boulder, Colorado tops 'well-being' list

(Newser) - A huge new study has ranked Boulder, Colo., as the happiest, healthiest city in America, and finds Western cities in general are more content than the rest of the country. The new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index rated 162 cities based on interviews with 353,000 people, who answered questions about their...

Obama's Mideast Success Jacks Expectations

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s trip to the Middle East has established even higher standards for his presidency, Politico reports. Obama is using his global celebrity to restart Israel-Palestine talks and improve relations between the West and the Muslim world, proving he’s “not a president who has ever shied away...

Grand Canyon Is No Disneyland
 Grand Canyon Is No Disneyland 
Jul 1, 2008 6:15 PM CDT

Grand Canyon Is No Disneyland

It takes 6,000 workers to keep park visitors safe

(Newser) - Every day from before dawn until around midnight, a staff of thousands unites to keep the Grand Canyon in good condition and its 4.4 million annual visitors safe. NPR travels to the iconic destination to see how it works. "I hope that you are not imagining a pony...

Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Water

Sunbelt lusts for Great Lakes' water, but eight states vow to keep it

(Newser) - You'd think the warm weather and easy living would make the West and South leave Frostbelters alone. But no, they want what that frost is made from: water. As drought and development strain limited local water resources, the Sunbelt wants to tap some of the billions of gallons of Great...

Record Highs Scorch West
Record Highs Scorch West
Jul 6, 2007 5:51 AM CDT

Record Highs Scorch West

Sizzling towns open swelter shelters for elderly as heat goes on

(Newser) - A searing heat wave is likely to continue barbecuing the western U.S. today after record temperatures soared to 127 in Death Valley, 125 in nearby Baker and 116 in Phoenix yesterday. Las Vegas sizzled at 116 degrees with humidity in the single digits, and even northeastern Oregon cracked 107...

Utilities May Profit From Ruling
Utilities May Profit From Ruling
Apr 3, 2007 8:31 AM CDT

Utilities May Profit From Ruling

Some corporations may profit off tighter greenhouse gas regulations

(Newser) - Some utility  companies may actually benefit financially from the Supreme Court ruling forcing the EPA to crack down on greenhouse gas emissions, the Wall Street Journal reports.  While it will cost them millions in the short-term to meet new requirements, utilities in government-regulated markets—mostly in the Southeast, Great...

16 Stories