90-Second Read: The Hantavirus Is Also a Climate Warning

But with 2026 predicted to be the hottest year on record, the Hantavirus outbreak is a warning of what public health experts have long said: A hotter planet is a deadlier planet. The Associated Press and CNN appear to be the first major news organizations to make the climate connection to the Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that departed Argentina on April 1. The link between Hantavirus and climate change remains far from definitive; more research is needed to determine how large a role climate change played in this particular outbreak. The signs now are that the Hantavirus is not the next pandemic.

CCNow's recent white paper on the state of climate journalism applauded AP and CNN for their sustained commitment to climate coverage at a time when "climate hushing" has afflicted many other news organizations, especially in the US. That commitment is what enables the AP and CNN to see the climate connection to breaking news like the Hantavirus and inform their audiences accordingly. Join San Francisco State University professor Yumi Wilson for "Covering the Planet with the Tools That Tax It: AI for Climate, Science and Environmental Journalists," on Thursday, May 21, at 12pm US Eastern Time. RSVP: 2026 Hurricane Season, What You Need to Know Ahead of NOAA's Outlook.

The World Health Organization has emphasized that the risk to the general public is very low, and there is no danger of a pandemic akin to the Covid-19 contagion that convulsed the world in 2020. This year is expected to be the hottest in recorded history, thanks to an El Niño super-charging global temperatures that are already amplified by climate change. Too often, news coverage of extreme weather disasters has been silent about climate change's role; for example, most reporting on the mega-fires that scorched Los Angeles in 2025 focused on the roaring flames but ignored what helped spark them in the first place. Join us Thursday, June 4, for a live training session to learn how to identify and interrogate climate solutions.

A new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Climate finds that 98% of climate-related commitments made by meat and dairy companies could be categorized as greenwashing. CBC News is looking for a Senior Producer to lead the health, science and climate unit (Toronto). Climate Tracker Asia is accepting applications for the NextGen Climate Bootcamp 2026: Voices of Philippine Youth; apply by May 22.