The West has been slammed by wet weather this winter: An “atmospheric river” has pummeled California with weeks of heavy rain and the Rocky Mountains are getting buried with snow. That’s good news for the Colorado River, but climate scientists say the 40 million people who use the river’s water should take the good news with a grain of salt.

Vice President Kamala Harris and two cabinet secretaries on Thursday celebrated the start of construction of a new high-capacity power transmission line between Arizona and California, which they hope will lead to future solar energy farms in the desert outside Phoenix.

President Joe Biden opened his visit to the North American leaders summit with a diplomatic gesture that landed well with his host, Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, before the two leaders were to begin Monday talking about weighty matters including immigration, trade and climate change.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego touted the city Thursday as a model for enduring extreme weather events, during a virtual panel on how local governments can help defend against the impacts of climate change.

In a midterm campaign season dominated by inflation, abortion and crime, there's another issue that is becoming more urgent in Western states: drought.

Climate change is causing hotter temperatures in Arizona and other areas of the Southwest, leading to drought conditions that are leaving Colorado River states grappling with what actions to take next. 

A new online dashboard that aims to give state and local governments the real-time information they need to fight climate change paints a bleak picture for Arizona’s future, calling for more heat, more drought and more wildfires.

Hydroelectric turbines may stop turning. Las Vegas and Phoenix may be forced to restrict water usage or growth. Farmers might cease growing some crops, leaving fields of lettuce and melons to turn to dust.

The U.S. Senate on Aug. 7 approved the Inflation Reduction Act, which builds on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s accomplishments as lead negotiator and co-author of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment Jobs law to address climate change –– and create good-paying jobs right here in Arizona.

Our two senators will need to stand in the breach to ensure that FERC stands by its self-professed highest priority of "helping assure the public receives affordable and reliable electric and natural gas service" by killing its proposed natural gas rule.