By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief

Happy Sunday! Here's a roundup of this week's stories in case you missed them.

NEWS

An anti-data center yard sign sits on the side of the road outside of the Billy Motel & Bar outside of Davis in Tucker County, West Virginia, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Photo by Caity Coyne/West Virginia Watch)

COMMENTARY

The West Virginia Legislature Capitol dome in Charleston, West Virginia. (Photo by Perry Bennett/West Virginia Legislative Photography)

Stories from the States

In states such as Colorado and New Jersey, record-high temperatures have led to a spike in heat-related illnesses. In agricultural states like North Dakota and Wyoming, farmers are struggling to grow crops amid withering drought.

Throughout the U.S., extreme heat days are becoming more frequent and more intense. State policymakers are now attempting to plan for extreme heat’s growing risks, which could strain public health and infrastructure budgets and the agricultural economies.

In Episode 42, you’ll hear from Andrea Snyder, an associate manager at The Pew Charitable Trusts. She’s been researching how the hotter summers could affect communities across the country and how some states are responding.

Click here to listen to Episode 42: “More extreme heat days are coming. Will states be ready?”

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