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The 2026 State Healthcare Policy Review examines US state efforts to regulate private equity in healthcare, focusing on transparency, approval authority, targeted prohibitions, and the corporate practice of medicine. While several states enacted new disclosure and reporting laws, few expanded the power to block transactions, and many stringent proposals were narrowed or failed. Key developments include Maine's new administrative approval process and Connecticut's ban on hospital sale-leasebacks.

Analysis of cooling degree days (CDD) shows that 97% of 241 major U.S. cities experienced increased cooling demand since 1970, with an average increase of 37%. This trend, combined with a 31% rise in residential electricity prices between 2020 and 2025, increases the financial burden on households, particularly low-income families. In 2020, the ten states with the highest cooling costs saw average household expenditures between $378 in Hawaii and $712 in Arizona. Future projections suggest U.S. household cooling demand will rise 43% by 2050. The report also highlights systemic risks, including electricity grid strain, increased carbon emissions from fossil-fuel-reliant cooling, and the urban heat island effect caused by waste heat from air conditioners.

The report argues that while next-generation geothermal has vast potential to provide clean firm power, its growth is hindered by a 'missing middle' financing gap, subsurface uncertainty, and outdated regulatory frameworks. It proposes five deployment levers: characterizing subsurface resources through data digitization and mapping, governing through streamlined permitting and clarified property rights, financing via procurement standards and convertible loans, connecting through improved transmission planning and workforce development, and innovating through sustained R&D and testbeds.

Climate change accounted for 27% of the rate of heat-related emergency room visits in the U.S. during 2018-2025. August 2026 was the warmest August on record globally, with record warmth affecting 13.2% of global land and ocean areas. In the U.S., Summer 2026 was the warmest on record for the contiguous region, and August 2026 was the warmest August for average, maximum, and minimum temperatures since 1895. Drought affected at least 81% of the contiguous U.S. as of September 8, 2026, and nearly 8.3 million acres burned year-to-date, driven by increased 'fire weather' days. Attribution analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates human-caused climate change drove summertime warming trends in 91% of analyzed U.S. cities. Additionally, a strong El Niño event is projected to peak around February 2027, with global temperature anomalies potentially reaching 1.7C above pre-industrial levels.

The U.S. experienced 12 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters from January to June 2026, causing at least $31.9 billion in damages and 183 fatalities. This period ranks fifth for the most events in the first half of any year since 1980. Severe storms were the dominant disaster type, accounting for eight of the 12 events. Historically, the average number of such disasters per year has risen from three in the 1980s to 20 events annually between 2016 and 2025, with the average time between events shrinking from 82 days to 16 days in the same comparison.

The document is a formal statement by a coalition of state attorneys general and local officials opposing federal legislation that would shield fossil fuel companies from state-level lawsuits regarding climate deception and consumer protection violations.

Despite the removal of federal tax credits for clean energy upgrades via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, residential clean technologies in the US continue to offer significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions and cost savings. Using the Green Upgrade Calculator, RMI found that electric vehicles (EVs) generally lead in emissions reductions and cost savings in the West, while air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are most effective for emissions in the Northeast and Midwest and for savings in the South. Rooftop solar provides the highest emissions impact in Hawaii and leads in cost savings in California, Florida, and the Northeast due to high electricity prices and sunlight. The report emphasizes that the most effective state and local programs will target specific household archetypes—such as high-mileage drivers for EVs or delivered-fuel users for ASHPs—and bundle technologies to maximize synergy and savings.

The briefing identifies a systematic 'escalation of doubt' strategy used by disinformation actors to minimize the role of climate change in wildfires. It details how narratives shift from attributing fires to criminal acts or government mismanagement to more extreme conspiracy theories, such as claims that fires are started to clear land for wind farms or lithium extraction. The document highlights the role of digital platforms' 'attention economy' in amplifying these lies, noting that in Canada, such disinformation has interfered with emergency services and public safety during crises. It concludes that 86% of Canadians support a federal plan to regulate the spread of climate disinformation during extreme weather events.

The May 2026 report highlights that the month was the second-warmest on record globally, with carbon dioxide levels reaching a new monthly peak of 432.3 ppm. In the United States, spring 2026 was the second-warmest on record for the contiguous U.S., while 77% of the region experienced abnormally dry or drought conditions as of early June. The report also notes a developing potentially very strong El Niño and record-low snowpack in several western states.

Analysis of 144 U.S. cities shows that 90% have experienced increased hourly rainfall intensity since 1970, with the highest average increases in the Upper Midwest. Projections indicate that at 2°C of global warming, 85% of U.S. counties will likely see a 10% or higher increase in precipitation on the heaviest 1% of days, with disproportionate risks for Black communities and rural areas.

The document outlines how climate-fueled hazards like rising sea levels and extreme weather are reshaping global tourism, leading to trends such as "coolcations" and the decline of snow-based activities. It highlights the economic risks for tourism-dependent communities, the carbon intensity of aviation, and the ethical dilemmas of "last-chance tourism." The guide suggests reporting on adaptation strategies, such as Hawaii's "green fee" and climate insurance in El Salvador, while urging journalists to contextualize aviation emissions beyond their current global percentage.

April 2026 was the fourth-warmest month globally on record, with the contiguous U.S. experiencing its third-warmest April. The report highlights severe drought in the Southeast U.S., record-low Western snowpack, and a persistent marine heat wave off the coasts of California and Mexico. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the analysis attributes springtime warming trends in 98% of analyzed U.S. cities to human-caused climate change, with exceptional warmth noted in Honolulu and San Juan. Forecasts indicate a high probability of a strong El Niño developing later in 2026, potentially driving global temperature anomalies above 1.8°C relative to pre-industrial levels by early 2027.

The document reports that 2024 was the warmest year on record, marking the first calendar year where global surface air temperatures exceeded pre-industrial levels by 1.5°C. It details a surge in weather-related disasters, with 62% of all such events since 1984 occurring after 2004, and notes that over 240 million internal displacements occurred between 2013 and 2023 due to natural disasters. The text emphasizes that atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached record highs in 2024, hitting 426.7 ppm in May, which underscores the failure of current global policies to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement targets.

Between December 2025 and February 2026, human-caused climate change significantly influenced global temperatures, with more than one in six people daily experiencing temperatures at least twice as likely due to climate change. In the United States, a sharp divide occurred: western states saw record-breaking warmth, with nine states experiencing their warmest December-February on record and Casper, Wyoming, recording the highest temperature anomaly globally among 960 analyzed cities. Conversely, the eastern U.S. faced below-average temperatures and cold snaps that the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates were made less likely by climate change. The record warmth in the west has led to low snowpack in Oregon, Colorado, and Utah, threatening water supplies and increasing wildfire risks.

March 2026 was the warmest March on record for the contiguous U.S., characterized by a historic snow drought in the West and extreme heat that increased cooling energy demand. Globally, the month was the second-warmest on record, with Arctic sea-ice reaching a near-record low maximum. In the U.S., severe drought affected 77% of the contiguous region, while Hawaii experienced record-breaking precipitation due to Kona lows.

A February 2026 survey of 749 registered Hawai‘i voters reveals that 85% view rising homeowners insurance costs as a serious problem, with 79% of homeowners experiencing rate increases in the last 2-3 years. While voters attribute these increases to various factors, including insurance industry profits (31%) and climate change (19%), there is significant support for state intervention. Specifically, 82% favor greater regulations to limit policy cancellations, and 61% support legislation allowing the State of Hawai‘i to sue oil and gas companies to recover insurance-related costs stemming from extreme weather disasters worsened by climate change.

January 2026 was the fifth-warmest January on record globally, characterized by significant temperature anomalies in the U.S. West and record-low snowpacks in several states. The document highlights the transition of NOAA to the Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI) to better account for climate change in ENSO tracking. Attribution analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates that extreme warmth in the northern U.S. and specific cities like San Juan and Honolulu was strongly driven by carbon pollution.

The EPA has proposed a significant rollback of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which would remove reporting requirements for 46 of 47 source categories and suspend subpart W reporting until 2034. This proposal threatens the viability of over 270 carbon capture projects and $77.5 billion in capital investment because the 45Q tax credit relies on GHGRP for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). Specifically, the loss of subparts PP, RR, and VV would prevent carbon capture and storage (CCS) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects from claiming 45Q credits. For hydrogen projects, the delay of subpart W would reduce the reliability of upstream methane leak rate measurements used in the 45VH2-GREET tool for 45V tax credits, potentially forcing taxpayers to rely on an inaccurate 0.9% national average and increasing legal risks for high performers. Internationally, the rollback could disadvantage U.S. exporters in markets requiring verified data, such as those under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Domestically, at least ten states, including California and Colorado, have embedded GHGRP into their legal frameworks; removing it would force these states to create costly patchwork substitutes to maintain emissions inventories.

The document challenges the narrative that wind and solar power drive up electricity costs, asserting that real-world data from multiple global markets often shows an inverse relationship. It highlights that in the US and EU, regions with higher-than-average renewable shares frequently have lower-than-average household power prices. While acknowledging that factors like transmission costs, wildfire mitigation, and market liquidity can influence prices, the briefing concludes that renewables generally lower wholesale costs by displacing expensive fossil fuels.

Hawaiʻi faces significant economic and security risks from sea level rise, wildfires, and drought, which threaten both civilian infrastructure and critical US military hubs like Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. While federal agencies provide essential monitoring and recovery support, proposed FY 2026 budget cuts would eliminate key programs such as the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, potentially reducing disaster relief and hindering climate adaptation efforts.