In October 2024’s news coverage of Hurricanes Helene and Milton and their catastrophic damage, some stories argued that climate change has increased the severity of such storms. This brief evaluates this hypothesis: are severe storms becoming more common?

In November 2026, the U.S. will hold midterm congressional elections. The potential outcomes range from a continued Republican unified government (control of the Presidency, House, and Senate) to a divided government where President Trump faces Democratic majorities in the House and or Senate.