NPR Senior Climate Editor Offers Insights on Extreme Weather

Why it matters locally: Understanding the link between climate change and extreme weather is relevant to Michigan, as the state experiences a variety of weather events, including heat waves, severe storms, and lake effect snow, which can be influenced by broader climate patterns.

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Rebecca Hersher, NPR's senior climate editor, provides internal guidance to the newsroom when extreme weather events occur. Hersher states this guidance helps staff understand the role of climate change in these situations. Hersher's role involves equipping journalists with information to contextualize weather phenomena for their audiences. A photograph shows a woman walking in downtown Houston, Texas, on July 30, 2026. She walks in the shade during a regional heat wave. Ronaldo Schemidt of AFP via Getty Images took the photograph.