On the morning of June 7, 2023, I walked out of my Brooklyn apartment and noticed the skies were hazier than usual, but I chalked it up to a change in weather and headed to work. When I arrived at my Manhattan office that overlooked the Hudson River, though, I knew this was something very
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers are expected to vote Tuesday on a bill aimed at supporting wildfire survivors after rejecting an ambitious proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom that would have limited electric companies’ financial liability for blazes sparked by their equipment. The Democratic governor said the last-minute compromise he made with lawmakers will have some
The bookends of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s nearly eight years in office have been defined by a crucial question: Who should cover the cost of damage from wildfires caused by utility equipment? The most destructive wildfire in state history, a blaze that killed 85 people and destroyed more than 18,000 buildings in Northern California, started two days
Melissa and Christopher Matthews in front of the remains of their home in Spokane on August 14, 2026. The Spokane Complex fires torched more than 900 structures. Margaret Albaugh for NPR hide caption toggle caption Margaret Albaugh for NPR SPOKANE, Wash. — Just weeks after wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes in some of the worst
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The bookends of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s nearly eight years in office have been defined by a crucial question: Who should cover the cost of damage from wildfires caused by utility equipment? The most destructive wildfire in state history, a blaze that killed 85 people and destroyed more than 18,000 buildings in
RENO, Nevada — A wildfire that mushroomed over the weekend in the Sierra Nevada foothills spread perilously close to neighborhoods in Reno, Nevada, forcing authorities to urge more than 90,000 residents to leave their homes. The out-of-control fire has already burned some homes, but there’s concern that shifting winds could push the flames into newly
