Lauren Sommer

Right now, there's a "heat dome" lingering over the southwestern U.S. – a high pressure system that pushes hot air down and traps it, raising the temperature. Heat is becoming increasingly lethal as climate change causes more extreme heat. So in today's encore episode, we're exploring heat. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Short Wave host Regina G. Barber about how the human body copes with extended extreme heat and how today's heat warning systems could better protect the public. With scientists predicting a very hot summer, if you can, stay cool out there, dear Short Wavers.

What science story do you want to hear next on Short Wave? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

Whale families communicate a lot underwater. So now, researchers are using artificial intelligence to try to figure out what they're saying.

Federal forecasters say the El Nino climate pattern is on its way out, after a year where it helped break global heat records. So what does that mean for this coming year?

Humpback whales have come back from the brink of extinction. But scientists are finding that their recovery is being impacted by climate change.

International climate change negotiations began in Dubai with the announcement of a fund to help developing countries with the worst impacts of climate change. getting enough funding will be hard.

Climate change costs tens of billions of dollars each year, hurts Americans' health and disrupts everyday life, including how we work, eat, play and mourn, according to a major new assessment.

Local leaders near Phoenix are placing limits on where new homes can be built, with the goal of protecting long-term access to water. But there's a significant loophole.

Towns across the U.S. want to stop building homes that are vulnerable to climate-driven disasters, like wildfires, floods and droughts. It's easier said than done.

Following years of devastating wildfires in California, the state is drafting stricter rules for vegetation and landscaping in fire-prone areas. Public pushback is expected to be intense.

The plants and mulch within five feet of a home pose a major risk for spreading wildfire. California now has the tricky task of convincing homeowners to get rid of the greenery.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on countries to step up their climate commitments. Meanwhile, the U.K. plans to backtrack.

The outlook for climate change is better now than a few years ago, but countries have a long way to go to avoid dangerous climate impacts, according to a new report.

Hotter oceans are threatening coral around the world this summer. A new project is seeking to preserve coral by deep-freezing them, in the hope that one day they can help restore reefs.

There's little that separates the ocean from the 2,200 burned buildings in Lahaina. Officials are working to block runoff that could harm the coral reefs offshore.

The coast guard and local officials have put up barriers to help avoid runoff from rain. Even though Lahaina is a dry place, what are the continuing threats to ocean health from the burn zone?

The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would make history as the first marine sanctuary to be managed with a tribe from the outset.

As Maui begins to pick up the pieces after deadly fires, the question is what can be done to prevent similar disasters. Other Westerns states have adopted measures to protect communities.

In preparing for future fires, Maui doesn't have to look far. States like California have passed wildfire policies to reduce the risk that a community will be destroyed.

The toll of the Maui wildfires is still growing, but amid the destruction, there have been moments of lightness. One separated family reunited thanks to the grassroots supply network that's sprung up.

Maui has long known the dangers of wildfires. The island has a plan to help make communities safer. But like so many other places at risk, they've struggled to get the funding to implement it.