It’s official: Data centers are slowing America’s shift away from coal

New federal data shows that AI demand helped push U.S. power sector emissions up last year.

dlvr.it

In Germany, Wind and Solar Overtake Fossil Fuels

Together, wind and solar generated 44 percent of Germany’s electricity, while fossil fuels generated roughly 43 percent, according to data from the Energy Institute, a think tank based in London. The figures represent a major milestone for the German “Energiewende,” or “energy turnaround,” a national push to ramp up renewable energy and phase out gas, coal, and nuclear power. 

e360.yale.edu

Pesticide pollution in Midwest and Great Plains rivers is getting worse, decade-long study reveals

Pesticide pollution is a problem especially in the middle of the country. And sometimes there's enough of it to possibly hurt aquatic plants and animals.

kcur.org

Europe Saw Deaths Spike During Brutal June Heat Wave

e360.yale.edu

A potent weedkiller can drift for miles, killing crops and trees. EPA’s new rules may not stop it

New federal rules for dicamba aim to help cotton and soybean farmers control weeds. But the herbicide, which can kill other crops and trees, remains controversial.

kcur.org

New butterfly tagging technology turns hypotheses to facts for KU’s Monarch Watch

Outfitted with a little eyelash glue and tiny, solar-powered tags, Kristen Baum and her team at Monarch Watch will be able to watch the progress of monarch butterflies hatched in Lawrence as they fly ...

lawrenceks.news

Inside the effort to save one of America's most imperiled salamanders

When a species is facing extinction, it takes an enormous human effort to stave it off. Case in point: the painstaking campaign to save the frosted flatwoods salamander.

n.pr

How Illicit Mining in the Brazilian Amazon Fueled a Surge in Malaria

A decade ago, a rush of illicit gold mining brought hunger and disease to the Yanomami people of the Brazilian Amazon. New research finds a clear link between mining and the spread of malaria.

e360.yale.edu

Up To Date is taking the show on the road

Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall while Steve Kraske interviews the movers and shakers from around the KC metro? Here's your chance.

kcur.org

Two data center companies are trying to buy more than 1,000 acres of Kansas land

There aren't many details on what Monarch or NextEra envision for western Sedgwick County, in part because people selling land have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements with the companies.

kcur.org

This Kansas house being built with hemp is designed to keep down electricity bills

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s agriculture business grows hemp without irrigation, insecticides or plowing. Now its product is helping to build a home in Ogden.

kcur.org

Kansas will get the world’s first mile-deep nuclear reactor and the groundbreaking is next week

Deep Fission says it plans to install a nuclear reactor underground at an industrial park in southeast Kansas. State and local government leaders are on board. It’s part of a national push for new nuc...

kcur.org

Barbed wire fences dot the West. There’s a growing movement to take them down -- for wildlife

Every two and a half miles of barbed wire is responsible for killing one deer, elk or pronghorn a year, one study estimated.

n.pr

Hack exposes Kansas City, Kansas, Police's secret officer misconduct list

A major breach of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department reveals for the first time, a list of alleged officer misconduct including dishonesty, sexual harassment, excessive force, and false arrest...

kcur.org

Are you worried about your SNAP benefits in Missouri or Kansas? NPR wants to hear your story

As the federal government shutdown drags on, tens of millions of people are at risk of losing food and nutrition aid as a result. KCUR and NPR want to hear from you about the potential loss or delay of these food benefits.

kcur.org

A nuclear startup wants to put a reactor 1 mile underground in Kansas

Deep Fission is a fledgling startup that says it can help tech companies meet the "explosive demand" for more energy to power artificial intelligence.

kcur.org

Kansas could get its second nuclear power plant — this time with a new, advanced design

A company cofounded by Bill Gates will explore building a reactor in Kansas. It would generate power without emissions, but environmental groups have concerns.

kcur.org

Kansas could get its second nuclear power plant — this time with a new, advanced design

A company cofounded by Bill Gates will explore building a reactor in Kansas. It would generate power without emissions, but environmental groups have concerns.

kcur.org

NPR's middle school champion: A moving podcast about Japanese incarceration

For the first time, NPR's Student Podcast Challenge has a returning champion: a California fifth grader who explored a dark chapter in U.S. history during World War II.

n.pr

A Missouri man was attacked and carjacked at a QuikTrip. Why is the city prosecuting the victim?

Surveillance footage shows Philip March being pummeled and robbed of his car keys in 2022. Hazelwood is prosecuting him for property damage.

kcur.org

Mud swallowed half of this Kansas lake. Engineers think they can fight back

In dry years, Tuttle Creek Lake and other reservoirs keep the Kansas River flowing strong enough to provide drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. But these manmade lakes are disappearing...

kcur.org

Industrial waste plant could get a vote in Wyandotte County without expected public meetings

Last month, Kansas City, Kansas, planning commissioners delayed their vote on a permit for 30 days and told the company that it must do more to meet with the public. Members of the community are conce...

kcur.org

Senate set to debate cuts to NPR, PBS and foreign aid

The Senate voted by a razor-thin margin late Tuesday to advance debate on a package of funding cuts requested by President Trump that would claw back $1.1 billion previously allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

kcur.org

How to pick the right fixtures and bulbs for wildlife-friendly outdoor lighting at home

Well-designed lighting lets people see at night while reducing the negative impacts of artificial light on pollinators and birds. It's also better for human sleep.

kcur.org