As of Thursday, more than 700 wildfires were burning across the country, two-thirds of them out of control, with more than 28,000 square miles burned in 4,400 wildfires so far this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. 

Armadillos have been making a slow but steady push north. At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, they’ll turn up in Chicago, according to one expert.

Experts say the increases are driven by warmer temperatures due to climate change and the expanding presence of ticks in more areas in the U.S. and Canada — including places where people are less familiar with the risks and how to prevent disease.

Environmental advocates, elected leaders and workers at the Environmental Protection Agency gathered at Federal Plaza downtown Monday to push back against the president’s reported plans to repeal a key federal determination that allows the EPA to help combat climate change.

The bleaching event has been so severe that NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program has had to add levels to its bleaching alert scale to account for the growing risk of coral death.

The U.S. needs more publicly funded research and development on agriculture to offset the effects of climate change, according to a paper out in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this month. But instead the U.S. has been investing less. 

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley traveled to the nation’s capital twice as mayor. His successors, Mayors Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot, never made the trip in their official roles.

The surprising January heat record coincides with a new study by a climate science heavyweight, former top NASA scientist James Hansen, and others arguing that global warming is accelerating. It’s a claim that’s dividing the research community.

Experts say President Donald Trump’s moves to step away from global climate action, ramp up domestic oil and gas production and remove incentives for electric vehicles are worrisome as the planet continues to heat up.

The bill comes as several state officials warn that Illinois is falling behind on its clean energy goals. The state’s main funding mechanism for renewable energy projects also faces a potential $3 billion budget shortfall in the coming years.

It’s the first time in recorded history that the planet was above a hoped-for limit to warming for an entire year, according to measurements from four of the six teams. Scientists say if Earth stays above the threshold long-term, it will mean increased deaths, destruction, species loss and sea level rise from the extreme weather that accompanies warming.

Illinois regulators are considering adopting a set of standards to improve air quality. The Illinois Pollution Control Board took hours of testimony Monday from environmental and other advocates.

That growth in chargers is important as Illinois aims to rapidly transition toward having more electric vehicle drivers. As of last week, there were about 120,000 EVs on Illinois roads, while the state’s goal is to have 1 million on the road by 2030.

The former president and now president-elect often skipped over details but through more than a year of policy pronouncements and written statements outlined a wide-ranging agenda. It would scale back federal government efforts on civil rights and expand presidential powers.

The South Side community experiences a large amount of flooding made greater than its counterparts on the North Side because of a lack of preventative infrastructure, which can cause significant damage to homes and businesses.

Although the mailers did not identify who paid for them, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 helped bankroll the campaign, Local 150 officials told WTTW News.