For more on what’s needed + drop-off sites in the West Coast and Guam:

April 22 is #EarthDay & it’s also my 30th birthday.

This year, the best gift I could ask for is you to help my home. My heart is with my family, friends, and communities currently recovering from Typhoon Sinlaku. I’d be so grateful if you donated and sent aid their way instead. linktr.ee/sinlaku

I’m looking to talk to climate scientists/meteorologists who have analyzed Super Typhoon Sinlaku’s characteristics as it barreled through the Northern Mariana Islands, particularly the wind speed and how it seemingly stalled longer than usual. Please DM me!

CCNow’s Andrew McCormick and Kyle Pope were in Chicago this week for #SEJ2016. They talked with @rachelreports.bsky.social about the power of community for climate journalists. It’s a tough beat and connecting in person is, as Rachel says, so important. We agree!

My fam texted me this video. The whiplash, the agonizing sound …

Expert panelists:

⭐ Aparna Mukherjee, @sejorg.bsky.social
⭐ @rachelreports.bsky.social, The Confluence
⭐ Mark Hertsgaard, CCNow

CCNow’s @kylepope01.bsky.social will moderate. Come with questions!

And watch out for the release of the ‘State of Climate Journalism’ white paper this Thursday

📣 State of Climate Journalism webinar 🌡️

Join us this Thursday, April 16, at 12pm ET, for a conversation launching a new CCNow white paper about the state of climate journalism. We're broadcasting from @sejorg.bsky.social's annual conference!

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

I’m seeing coverage of Typhoon Sinlaku only highlighting Guam. A reminder that the storm shifted and is now passing the Northern Mariana Islands, a separate U.S. territory just north of Guam. Specifically, the eye of the storm will track close, if not over, the islands of Saipan and Tinian.

It’s only April. Preparing for typhoons is not unfamiliar to me but to do so during April … for a super typhoon?

The likelihood of a super typhoon developing in the Mariånas in April is historically very low, since peak typhoon season typically runs from August to November.

Tracking Super Typhoon Sinlaku See the likely path and wind arrival times for Sinlaku

When a typhoon comes barreling toward my home islands, it rarely makes it to major news outlets this fast, so thank you @nytimes.com for tracking. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Typhoon Sinlaku is now on track for the Northern Marianas. Be safe friends & family 🥺

“We Are All Still Waiting for Answers:” Papua New Guinea’s Ocean Crisis Enters Fourth Month Mass marine die-off triggers health emergency in New Ireland Province as neglected coastal towns wait on government action.

Although Papua New Guinea Minister for Fisheries Jelta Wong publicly committed to delivering laboratory investigation results of the country's contaminated waters by March 31st, the government missed the deadline without issuing any statement, writes @rachelreports.bsky.social.

Mass drowning of chicks puts emperor penguins at risk of extinction Record low levels of Antarctic sea ice is having grim consequences for penguins yet to grow waterproof feathers

Our burning of fossil fuels is melting sea ice and drowning emperor penguin chicks, putting them in danger of extinction. 😱

My newsletter, The Confluence, brings you original reporting and writing that tells ocean stories connecting science and social justice.

My latest is about a toxic marine event in Papua New Guinea, where dead fish have been washing ashore for months.

Subscribe now for FREE: theconfluence.news

“We Are All Still Waiting for Answers:” Papua New Guinea’s Ocean Crisis Enters Fourth Month Mass marine die-off triggers health emergency in New Ireland Province as neglected coastal towns wait on government action.

NEW: Entering the fourth month of a health emergency triggered by a mass marine die-off, neglected coastal towns in New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, are still waiting on government action.

This story by @rachelreports.bsky.social is produced by The Confluence and co-published by The Xylom:

Toxic Tides and Broken Promises in Papua New Guinea Mass marine die-off triggers health emergency in New Ireland Province as neglected coastal towns wait on government action

Schools of fish are dying across a number of sites in New Ireland, while 1,000+ people have reported skin burns, respiratory illnesses & gastrointestinal symptoms after being in contact with the ocean.

As of April 7, locals are still waiting on government action. theconfluence.news/p/toxic-tide...

How defense contractors and oil companies profit from war on Iran as US gas prices soar As Americans struggle amid the threat of higher inflation, Lockheed Martin, Shell and other companies are experiencing gains

As Americans face rising gas prices and the threat of higher inflation, “it is becoming clearer who is making “a lot of money”: defense contractors and oil companies.” Good analysis from @theguardian.com. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Nurul Amin Shah Alam's death was a homicide County medical examiners announced the ruling on Wednesday. New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating.

The death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Blind Rohingya refugee who was left on the freezing streets of Buffalo by Border Patrol officers, was ruled a homicide. New from me at @motherjones.com. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Oil prices surged and stock markets sank today, which is the opposite of what Trump was hoping to achieve after his national address last night.

Trump Eyes White House Treaty Room for Latest Renovation Project

Taxpayer dollars 💸 www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/u...

I know it’s not their fault tho… sigh

I’ve been at LaGuardia airport since 6am, waited in TSA precheck line for 1 hour, only for my 9am flight to keep getting delayed every hour. Now, my 9am flight is at 2pm. Lounge employees are like “you’re back!”

The unfortunate thing is LGA was my fav airport. This experience is ruining that😭

Large oil refinery explosion near Texas coast forces residents to shelter in place Officials say a large explosion at an oil refinery near the Texas coast has shot plumes of smoke into the air and forced nearby residents to shelter in place.

I’d rather live next to wind turbines and solar panels.

Also simply calling the Northern Marianas, a U.S. territory, a “military hub” diminishes the cultural value of the Indigenous people living there, who have been speaking out the last few months against US deep sea mining ventures.

As I mentioned above, the US is literally growing its Pacific influence by offering Pacific Island nations a "rules-based alternative" to Chinese investment, often tied to security and infrastructure aid. Will Pacific Island nations even see this aid?

China is a member of the International Seabed Authority, party to UNCLOS, while the U.S. is neither a member of the ISA, hasn't ratified UNCLOS.

That means China has been engaging with rulemaking from within international law, while the US bypasses the ISA via domestic permitting and other deals.

How deep-sea mining is growing China’s influence in the Pacific China’s oceanographic fleet — the largest in the world — may serve strategic, military-use purposes.

This is a good visual piece of China’s deep sea mining influence, but it appears quite one-sided. In international waters, China may be the heavyweight, but in territorial waters, the US is gaining ground by bribing Pacific Island nations & bypassing international law. www.cnn.com/interactive/...

The UN says wait, but the White House says go ISA meeting concludes with no mining code, while Trump expands potential mining areas and makes a deal with Japan

Key deep-sea mining news this week:
1. ISA meeting ended with no deep-sea mining code
2. Trump nearly doubles the size it wants to mine around Guam and the Northern Marianas
3. US and Japan makes a joint rare earths deal theconfluence.news/p/the-un-say...

Pentagon seeks more than $200 billion in budget request for Iran war That figure would far surpass the costs of the U.S. airstrike campaign to date and aims to boost production of critical weapons depleted in the conflict, people familiar with the matter said.

$200 billion could fund the National Science Foundation for 20 years.

How conflict in the Strait of Hormuz is devastating local fisheries and ecosystems As the world watches the oil markets, a silent ecological collapse threatens livelihoods and the biodiversity of one of the world's most vital maritime corridors.

A reminder that there are local people who actually rely on the Strait of Hormuz for food and livelihood. theconfluence.news/p/how-confli...

I wrote this about Cesar Chavez a while back.