National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Force in Play

Reported the US summer heat record and tracking a strong El Niño

The Earth just recorded its joint-hottest month since modern measurements began. Copernicus, the European Union's climate monitoring service, reported Thursday that August 2026 tied July 2023 at 16.96°C, 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels.

Updated Yesterday

Rule Changes

Field office assessments overruled in this case

Massachusetts asked the federal government in April to declare the February blizzard a Major Disaster, unlocking funding for six coastal counties. The Trump administration denied the request in July, then denied Governor Maura Healey's appeal this week.

Updated 6 days ago

Rule Changes

Processing first deep-sea mining applications under domestic law

A five-year research expedition has cataloged 788 species living 4,000 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean—90% of them previously unknown to science—just as the race to mine the same seabed accelerates. The study, published in February 2026, documents a 37% decline in animal abundance wherever mining equipment touched the seafloor. It's the first systematic look at what commercial extraction would destroy.

Updated May 27