Zahra Hirji

Zahra Hirji

@zhirji.bsky.social

Bloomberg News climate reporter. Past BuzzFeed News, InsideClimate News. Mom. She/her. Views are my own. Email: zhirji@bloomberg.net Signal: zhirji.51

16,175 Followers 403 Following 389 Posts Joined Aug 2023
1 day ago
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Extreme Heat Is Making Life Increasingly Unlivable The number of hours where it’s too hot for everyday activities has doubled since 1950, a new study found.

New: The number of days where extreme heat makes it too dangerously hot to walk the dog, sweep the porch and engage in other ordinary pursuits has doubled since 1950. Older people experience a month a year when heat prevents them from routine activities. Free link.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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4 days ago
Caitlin KALINOWSKI over X

I resigned from OpenAl. I care deeply about the Robotics team and the work we built together.
This wasn't an easy call. Al has an important role in national security. But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got. This was about principle, not people. I have deep respect for Sam and the team, and I'm proud of what we built together.

OpenAI head of robotics just resigned over company deal with the Pentagon saying…

“Surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got”

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4 days ago
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Police body cam footage shows DOGE knew Institute of Peace was private property during raid Footage obtained by The Handbasket’s lawsuit shows a hostile takeover on March 17, 2025.

SCOOP — Body camera footage obtained as a result of my lawsuit against the DC Metropolitan PD confirms DOGE and the Trump administration openly admitted they were entering private property when they raided the building on March 17, 2025. That didn't stop MPD from breaking down the doors.

My report:

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4 days ago
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Big BRIC news: Months after a district judge overturned FEMA's termination of the massive resiliency grant program BRIC, the court today ruled the agency has yet to take a series of steps to actually get the program up and running. Now FEMA has 21 days or less to get a move on.

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5 days ago
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Three Big Questions Facing FEMA With Kristi Noem Out The Department of Homeland Security oversees the nation’s main disaster response agency, which has undergone turmoil under Noem.

“It’s just a matter of time before FEMA is put to the test against something that stresses the nation,” former FEMA head Pete Gaynor says, pointing to wildfire risks & an upcoming hurricane season.

With Noem out, could FEMA get new leadership & other changes? www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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5 days ago
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Three Big Questions Facing FEMA With Kristi Noem Out The Department of Homeland Security oversees the nation’s main disaster response agency, which has undergone turmoil under Noem.

With Noem on the way out, here are questions disaster experts have shared with me & @laurenthal.bsky.social @bloomberg.com: what happens to the FEMA Review Council? Will there finally be an officially nominated FEMA head? And what happens to the 100k policy?

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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5 days ago
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Three Big Questions Facing FEMA With Kristi Noem Out The Department of Homeland Security oversees the nation’s main disaster response agency, which has undergone turmoil under Noem.

Trump ousted Kristi Noem as DHS head, a move announced Thursday that will also have major implications for the nation’s top disaster agency.

Experts say FEMA now faces big questions that will help determine how it responds to the next big disaster (gift link) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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6 days ago

Gas prices are now higher than when Trump took office.

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6 days ago
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Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. ProPublica’s first-of-its-kind analysis is the most detailed look yet into a rise in life-threatening complications for women experiencing pregnancy loss under Texas’ abortion ban.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the hundreds of pregnant women navigating this broken system in Texas.

Our team has reported data that shows a horrifying story: www.propublica.org/article/texa...

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6 days ago
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Trump’s Alaska Oil, Gas Lease Sale Draws Zero Bids From Drillers The Trump administration’s first oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet received no bids, according to the US Interior Department, indicating tepid interest from drillers in that region.

The Trump administration’s first oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet received no bids, according to the US Interior Department, indicating tepid interest from drillers in that region

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1 week ago
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New: The Trump admin confirmed in a court filing it will pay interest on any refunds it ultimately must make after SCOTUS struck the president’s contested tariffs.

This hasn't been a central issue, but underscores the financial stakes. Interest could total $700M/month, per Cato buff.ly/i4ybtNW

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1 week ago

just thinking about how USAID was dismantled under the rationale of cost savings but there's an unlimited budget for war

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1 week ago
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Cornyn, Paxton Head to Texas GOP Senate Runoff, DDHQ Projects US Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are heading for a runoff in the Republican primary for the US Senate in Texas, while state Representative James Talarico defeated Congressw...

In the Texas GOP primary, US Sen. John Cornyn was leading w/~42% support, less than 2 points over Texas AG Ken Paxton as of early Wed. A third candidate, US Rep Wesley Hunt, won enough votes to deny either a majority, sending Cornyn & Paxton to a runoff in May. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
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Texas GOP Fight Intensifies as Democrats Eye Senate Takeover Texas Democrats selected a Senate candidate who has staked his campaign on appealing to independent and swing voters after a surge of enthusiasm fueled by opposition to President Donald Trump.

James Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker, bested US House Rep Jasmine Crockett in the Dem primary Tuesday. Voters chose a candidate who focused on broadening the party’s tainted brand w/independents & disaffected Republicans over a progressive rising star

Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
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For the first time, we now know how many Black-owned bookstores exist in the U.S. The National Association of Black Bookstores has released the “first comprehensive national report” on the state of America’s Black-owned bookstores.

There has never been an official, comprehensive record of Black-owned bookstores across the United States — until now

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1 week ago

All I can think about is Jeff Bezos saying that he slashed jobs at the Washington Post — including those of foreign correspondents in the Middle East — based on "the data," and a few weeks later a whole war breaks out in the Middle East that these laid off folks would have covered as true experts.

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1 week ago

Rep. Sen. Tillis is 1st Congress person to really bring up FEMA in this Noem oversight hearing -- and not in a good way. After criticizing her 100K approval process, he goes on to say: "You've failed at FEMA ...and I have reason to believe you are violating the law, either knowingly or unknowingly"

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1 week ago
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You see this chart and you will likely go "Look, this is why we must move to clean energy."

Not so fast. Higher fossil fuel prices make green alternatives more attractive, but they can also make it harder to deploy renewables.

Story with @lauramillan.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
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As Iran Crisis Upends Oil and Gas, Clean Energy Gets Complicated Higher fossil fuel prices could make green alternatives more attractive, but harder to deploy.

NEW: Here's what the crisis in the Middle East and turmoil in energy markets mean for renewable energy and the clean transition

Story w @akshatrathi.bsky.social @sharonchenhm.bsky.social via @bloomberg.com
FREE read:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
A scanned image of the first page of a legal document on letterhead from Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, dated February 27, 2026. It is labeled "Opinion No. KP-0518" and addressed to Mr. Darrel D. Spinks, Executive Director of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. A portion of the first paragraph is highlighted in yellow, reading: "mental health care providers" licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council." A scanned image of the second page of the Attorney General Opinion document. A section in the first full paragraph is highlighted in yellow, which reads: "[f]or the purpose of transitioning a child’s biological sex as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous profiles of the child or affirming the child’s perception of the child’s sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s biological sex." A scanned image of the third page of the Attorney General Opinion document. The text discusses various statutory and dictionary definitions of the terms "health care provider" and "health care". There are no highlighted sections on this page. A scanned image of the seventh and final page of the Attorney General Opinion document, showing the "SUMMARY" section and the signature block for Ken Paxton. The entire summary paragraph is highlighted in yellow, reading: "The definition of a “health care provider” in subsection 161.701(2) of the Health and Safety Code unambiguously encompasses the professions regulated by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. Any licensee that facilitates the provision of unlawful procedures or treatments that aim to transition a child’s sex are thus forbidden from receiving public money in support of those efforts and, separately, risk revocation of their licenses to practice."

Texas AG Ken Paxton has declared that it is illegal for mental health providers and therapists to treat trans youth. It means that trans youth will be denied access to any mental healthcare that isn't conversion therapy. Paxton also threatens parents of trans youth with child abuse investigations.

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1 week ago
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Why California is Reconsidering Nuclear Energy After 50-Year Ban The state is one of several looking into allowing new nuclear reactors to meet climate goals as AI power demand surges.

New: Cracks are showing in California’s 50-year-old moratorium on new nuclear power plants as artificial intelligence spikes electricity demand and the state struggles to meet its climate goals. With @willwwade.bsky.social. Free link.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
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Why Patagonia Had to Swap Out Its Cult-Hit Tinned Mackerel Canned fish has one of the smallest carbon footprints among animal proteins — but sourcing it is getting harder with climate change.

Fished from abundant, well-managed stock off the coast of Spain & France, Patagonia’s canned Atlantic mackerel was once the epitome of sustainability.

But the species became overfished, so the company had to track down a new source, @emmarcourt.bsky.social reports: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
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JUST IN: A federal judge says the Trump administration has been “terrorizing” refugees — violating the promise America made to them when they fled persecution at home — by locking them up illegally. He blocked the policy for those in MN storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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1 week ago
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US Climate Forecaster to Be Absorbed in Weather Agency Reshuffle The US climate forecasting service will be absorbed into other federal departments as part of a re-organization announced to staff Thursday.

Scoop: The Climate Prediction Center is being folded into other agencies overseen by the National Weather Service

The change follows moves by the Trump administration to dismantle climate science programs

By @weathersullivan.bsky.social & @laurenthal.bsky.social

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
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How Trump's FEMA Secretly Dismantled Program to Prepare Americans For Disasters The administration last year closed a division that helped individuals get ready for emergencies.

Trump says he wants FEMA to get out of the business of preparing for natural disasters. His administration secretly dismantled a program that helped regular people do that.

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1 week ago
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How Trump's FEMA Secretly Dismantled Program to Prepare Americans For Disasters The administration last year closed a division that helped individuals get ready for emergencies.

Anyone used to be able to freely order print copies of FEMA preparedness material. When FEMA secretly closed the division behind that material, the backlog of copies were destroyed.

"Talk about a waste of taxpayer dollars," said former FEMA chief Deanne Criswell

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
February 26, 2026
Dear members of the Columbia community:
This morning at approximately
6:30 a.m., federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia Residential building and detained a student.
We are working to gather more information, working to reach the family, and providing legal support.
Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a
"missing person." We are working to gather more details.
It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access. An administrative warrant is not sufficient.
If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the University, ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety. Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University's response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena.
We will update our community as additional information becomes
available.
Sincerely,

BREAKING: Columbia President Claire Shipman says DHS agents entered a residential buliding this morning and detained a student.

"Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a 'missing person.'"

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1 week ago
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The Rise of the Manhattan Mega-Mansion In the West Village and other historic neighborhoods, buyers are consolidating apartments and combining townhomes, a sign of New York’s allure to the ultra-rich.

Ultra-rich buyers are consolidating New York townhouse apartments into giant single-family homes. Some are buying two, even three adjacent townhomes to build a franken-house.

Step inside a Manhattan mega-mansion, the latest status symbol in this second Gilded Age:

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

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1 week ago
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How Trump's FEMA Secretly Dismantled Program to Prepare Americans For Disasters The administration last year closed a division that helped individuals get ready for emergencies.

Unlike the very public dismantling of FEMA's billion-dollar BRIC program (which a judge then ruled unlawful), the agency secretly shelved a much smaller resiliency program focused on the everyday Americans.

Here's the story, exclusively @bloomberg.com: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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1 week ago
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How Trump's FEMA Secretly Dismantled Program to Prepare Americans For Disasters The administration last year closed a division that helped individuals get ready for emergencies.

SCOOP: How Trump's FEMA Secretly Dismantled Program to Prepare Americans For Disasters

Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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