YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality
24 August 2025 - YouTube made AI enhancements to videos without telling users or asking permission. As AI quietly mediates our world, what happens to our shared connection with real life? (more)

Hurricane Erin explodes in strength to a Category 5 storm in the Atlantic near Caribbean islands
16 August 2025 - Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in Atlantic waters just north of the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said. While the compact hurricane's center was not expected to strike land, it threatened to dump flooding rains in the northeast Caribbean as it continued to grow larger. ...Scientists have linked rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. (more)

The last dance? Organizers of North America's largest powwow say 2026 will be the event's final year
16 August 2025 - For decades, tens of thousands of people have descended upon Albuquerque for what is billed as North America's largest powwow, a celebration showcasing Indigenous dancers, musicians, and artisans from around the world. Organizers announced Saturday that 2026 will be the last time the cultural event is held, saying via email and social media that it will end after 43 years without providing details on the decision. (more)

US: Climate models reveal how human activity may be locking the Southwest into permanent drought
15 August 2025 - A new wave of climate research is sounding a stark warning: Human activity may be driving drought more intensely - and more directly - than previously understood. The southwestern United States has been in a historic megadrought for much of the past two decades, with its reservoirs, including Lakes Mead and Powell, dipping to record lows and legal disputes erupting over rights to use water from the Colorado River. (more)

Humans may have 'locked in' drought-inducing climate pattern in U.S. West: Study
14 August 2025 - Greenhouse gas emissions generated by humans may have 'locked in' a climate pattern responsible for long-term megadrought across the U.S. West, a new study has found. Human-induced shifts to the pattern, called the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), are directly linked to the persistent aridity plaguing California and the Colorado River basin states, according to the study, published in Nature. (more)

US: For these incarcerated students, online school has been a disaster
14 August 2025 - No matter the offense, states must educate students in juvenile detention. It's a complicated challenge, no doubt -- and success stories are scarce. Struggling to educate its more than 1,000 students in long-term confinement, Florida embarked last year on a risky experiment. Despite strong evidence that online learning failed many students during the pandemic. (more)

US: Takeaways from AP's investigation into online school for incarcerated teens
14 August 2025 - In Florida, where more than 1,000 students are in long-term confinement, the state last year put those kids' schooling online. That's despite strong evidence that online learning failed many kids during the pandemic. The state juvenile justice system contracted with the Florida Virtual School, one of the nation's oldest and largest online learning systems. But an AP investigation showed the online learning has been disastrous. (more)

How wildfire smoke across Canada and the US can affect mental health
13 August 2025 - ildfires have devastated the western US and Canada this week, resulting in destruction, injury, evacuation and poor air quality. On Tuesday, several states - including Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut - issued air quality health advisories, according to the National Weather Service. Wildfire smoke, a major source of air pollution, is linked to severe health issues including heart attacks, strokes, and lung diseases like asthma. ...Neuroinflammation caused by wildfire smoke increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's disease. (more)