In Pine Bluff, Arkansas, leaders rezoned land and offered free property to lure an EV plant that was supposed to bring thousands of jobs. Today, the site sits empty, and locals say they haven’t heard from the company in months.

Along the Gulf Coast, shrimpers are losing their catch, wetlands are vanishing, and communities are choking on pollution as Trump’s second term supercharges the LNG boom. “For us, it’s about continuing to exist.”

The Alaskan village of Kipnuk sits on melting permafrost. When the EPA awarded $20M to protect it from erosion, residents breathed a sigh of relief. But then the grant was canceled, and now the village’s future is in doubt.

Charleston’s $1.3B seawall will stop short of Rosemont, a historically Black neighborhood already hit by flooding. “The gentry of Charleston have connections, they have money, they have a voice,” says resident Skip Mikell. “These communities are voiceless.”

A growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn carries a steep price, contributing to a warming planet and widespread water contamination. Why? Because of how we grow it.

Few American cities are more vulnerable to sea level rise than New York City. The coastal community of Edgemere, Queens was among the hardest-hit during Superstorm Sandy. A decade later, residents still wait for promised flood protections.

Cities are getting hotter. And there’s one simple fix on the table: reflective roofs. So why is a powerful industry fighting to stop them?

Years of lobbying by corn and ethanol groups helped shape federal biofuel policy, fueling the expansion of a fertilizer-heavy production system that now drives major nitrous oxide emissions and pollutes rural water.

We’re joining 5 other Climate News Task Force newsrooms to offer a shared place to sign up for all our newsletters. It’s a new way to make climate coverage easier to find — and to support the reporting that holds powerful industries accountable. trustfnd.com/collaboratio...

Louisiana's Isle de Jean Charles, once 22,000 acres, is now just 320. When rising waters consumed their homeland, the island's Indigenous residents moved to a new government-funded settlement. But their “safe” homes already leak, crack, and fail.

America’s biggest crop didn’t become dominant by accident. 🌽 📈 The rise of corn is rooted in policy choices and industry lobbying, and it helped create a fertilizer-intensive system that is now worsening climate change.

From ski trails to hiking paths, extreme heat is reshaping how Americans play — and fueling greater concern about climate change than any storm or wildfire.

Taxpayers have covered more than $50 billion in corn insurance premiums. That support helped lock U.S. agriculture into fertilizer-heavy production, with major climate and water impacts. Read more in our latest investigation:

New York City promised to shield Edgemere from future storms after Sandy. More than a decade later, residents say little has changed. Floodlight went to Queens to hear what it’s like to live with rising seas and broken promises: “We’re the forgotten. We are the forgotten here.”

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Joanne Frederick cares for 100 acres of conservation land on her Maryland farm. Now, a proposed transmission line to power AI data centers could cut through it. “I can't cut a tree down on my own property, right? This power line will destroy five acres of old growth.”

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Owen Henry, a Baltimore homeowner, bought $100 worth of white reflective paint to coat his roof. The result? His electricity use dropped 24% — and his home felt noticeably cooler.

A federal appeals panel has resurrected an investor lawsuit accusing Florida Power & Light of securities fraud, potentially re-opening old wounds from a sprawling series of controversies uncovered by Floodlight and partner newsrooms:

Promoted as a climate fix, a federal mandate to mix ethanol into gasoline is instead driving high emissions: 🌽 Ethanol production drives huge demand for corn 🚜 Corn is grown with heavy fertilizer use 🔥 That fertilizer releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300x stronger than CO₂

The Pentagon logged 2,800 heat-related illnesses among troops last year. Its new policy: stop spending on climate and drop “climate change” from official missions.

NYC’s largest composting facility on Staten Island has expanded its food waste capacity by nearly 2,000%. But without higher participation citywide, much of New York’s organic waste will still rot where it shouldn’t.

If you follow Floodlight, you’ll want to hear from our partners too. We’ve teamed up with five other Climate News Task Force newsrooms on a collaborative signup page for our newsletters, putting high-quality climate reporting in one place.

Years of lobbying by corn and ethanol groups helped shape federal biofuel policy, fueling the expansion of a fertilizer-heavy production system that now drives major nitrous oxide emissions and pollutes rural water.

Along the Gulf Coast, shrimpers are losing their catch, wetlands are vanishing, and communities are choking on pollution as Trump’s second term supercharges the LNG boom. “For us, it’s about continuing to exist.”

Agriculture accounts for more than 10% of US greenhouse gas emissions, and corn uses more than two-thirds of all nitrogen fertilizer nationwide making it the leading driver of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions, studies show. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

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After Hurricane Sandy, NYC began installing major flood protections around Lower Manhattan. But in one Queens neighborhood devastated by the superstorm, residents say little has changed. “Why is Edgemere different? Because we don't have Wall Street here?”

New York City now requires curbside composting — a major step toward cutting food waste and climate pollution. But a closer look at the data raises a key question: Is the program actually working as well as it could?

We’re joining 5 other Climate News Task Force newsrooms to offer a shared place to sign up for all our newsletters. It’s a new way to make climate coverage easier to find — and to support the reporting that holds powerful industries accountable.

Corn covers 90 million acres and anchors the ethanol industry. But fertilizer-heavy farming is driving potent greenhouse gas emissions and water contamination.

New York City made curbside composting mandatory to cut food waste and methane pollution — but early data shows the program is capturing just 10% of compostable material so far, with inconsistent enforcement and limited outreach slowing participation across much of the city.

Floodlight is a proud member of the Climate News Task Force, a network of newsrooms committed to stronger and more collaborative climate reporting. Find out what we’re up to and follow along: trustfnd.com/collaboratio...

Corn anchors the ethanol industry and much of U.S. agriculture. But fertilizer-heavy farming is driving nitrous oxide emissions and water pollution.

NYC’s largest composting facility on Staten Island has expanded its food waste capacity by nearly 2,000%. But without higher participation citywide, much of New York’s organic waste will still rot where it shouldn’t.

Hossain endured a decade of floods that battered his farmland in Bangladesh. When his daughter was born, he couldn’t afford the hospital bill. Months later, he left for the U.S. — one of many migrants fleeing places repeatedly hit by climate disasters. floodlightnews.org/flooding-and...

New to Floodlight? 👋 We’re an investigative nonprofit newsroom that focuses on climate accountability. Sign up for our twice-monthly newsletter and join a community of readers who want the inside story on who’s stalling climate action:

America’s most dominant crop is making climate change worse. Here’s how.

New York City now requires curbside composting — a major step toward cutting food waste and climate pollution. But a closer look at the data raises a key question: Is the program actually working as well as it could? NEW in Floodlight and @sentientmedia.org:

That's less than what @thexylom.com gets in weekly web traffic lol (You can sign up for our free climate newsletter bundle with @agwaterdesk.bsky.social @canarymedia.com @floodlightnews.org @planetdetroit.org @sentientmedia.org btw; please help us run laps around Nuzzi this holiday season 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽)

Climate accountability journalism is stronger when newsrooms work together. Floodlight and five other members of the Climate News Task Force have built a single signup page so readers can get updates from all of us. One form, multiple trusted sources 👇

Is New York City getting its composting program right? 🗞️

A growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn carries a steep price, contributing to a warming planet and widespread water contamination. Why? Because of how we grow it.

Troops are collapsing from heat exhaustion. Military bases are flooding. Planes can’t lift off in hotter air. But the Pentagon’s new message under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “We don’t do climate change crap.”

In case you missed it: We’re thrilled to announce that Floodlight has chosen Brad Racino as our next editor-in-chief! 🎉 This follows a highly competitive national search that drew 240 candidates.

A growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn has a steep price: The fertilizer used to grow it is warming the planet and contaminating water. @amesalex.bsky.social reports via @floodlightnews.org: buff.ly/HSG3h2P

When the 43-day shutdown halted SNAP benefits for millions, the demand for emergency food in New York surged. This 40-year-old organization stepped up — rescuing surplus food that would have gone to waste and expanding distributions to fill the gap.

Clean energy promises lower bills and more reliable power. But what happens when solar panels won’t fit on crumbling roofs? Or when old wiring can’t support new heat pumps? That’s the reality in many formerly redlined communities, Floodlight found:

🌽 For years, federal policy has pushed U.S. agriculture toward higher corn yields and more fertilizer use. The result is a farming system with major climate impacts and growing water contamination. Our new investigation breaks it down:

Fracked gas superchilled into liquid, known as liquefied natural gas or LNG, was once sold as a “bridge fuel.” But scientists say its full climate impact is 33% worse than coal — and the Gulf Coast is living with the fallout.