Midwest

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Cancer Is Rising Among Young Adults in the Heartland

Washington Post takes in-depth look at what's happening in Iowa and other Corn Belt states

(Newser) - The Washington Post is out with an investigative piece that has a troubling takeaway: Cancer rates among young adults are rising faster in the Corn Belt than anywhere else in the nation. Specifically, the top six corn-producing states—Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and Kansas—have had "significantly higher"...

Midwest Heats Up, Fall or Not
Midwest Expects October Heat
Oct 2, 2025 6:40 PM CDT

Midwest Expects October Heat

Portions are looking for high temperatures 20 to 30 degrees above normal this weekend

(Newser) - October is feeling suspiciously like July across the Midwest, where an unseasonable heat wave is on track to shatter temperature records. Much of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest could see highs climb 20 to 30 degrees above normal this weekend, with Minneapolis looking at highs near 90°F—...

Beware Costco's Possibly Explosive Prosecco

Store recalls bottles sold in 12 states

(Newser) - Costco is recalling bottles of sparkling wine over concerns that they could unexpectedly shatter, even while left unopened on a shelf, NBC News reports. The recall affects bottles of Kirkland Signature Prosecco Valdobbiadene sold at Costco locations in 12 states—Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota,...

Rain, Flooding Hit Midwest, Closing Roads
Heavy Rains
Swamp Midwest
Aug 10, 2025 3:10 PM CDT

Heavy Rains Swamp Midwest

Milwaukee area receives up to a foot of rain

(Newser) - Heavy rainfall in a half-dozen Midwest states forced motorists to abandon their vehicles, cut power to thousands of households, and closed busy roadways. The National Weather Service issued flood watches and warnings for parts of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin. After rainfall began on Saturday in some areas...

Company Shuts Local News Sources in Five States

Hundreds of employees lose their jobs at once

(Newser) - Dozens of communities in the Midwest and West learned Thursday they had lost their newspapers after an Illinois-based publisher announced it would abruptly close because of financial problems. News Media Corp., which owns local newspapers across five states, said it will close 14 operations in Wyoming, seven in Illinois, five...

Smoky Skies, Poor Air Linger in Much of Midwest

Smoke from Canadian fires could push south and toward Northeast next

(Newser) - Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over several Midwestern states Saturday, bringing warnings of unhealthy air for at least the third day. Air quality alerts were in effect in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, as well as eastern Nebraska and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Forecasters said the smoky skies would...

Temperatures in Eastern US Set to Drop Sharply

Heat warnings might soon be replaced by flood warnings

(Newser) - After weeks of relentless heat in the eastern US, a sharp and sudden cooldown is on the way—offering a rare taste of early summer chill, but bringing the threat of storms and renewed flooding along with it. A cold front, tagged along by high pressure from Canada, will...

The Number of Dog Attacks on Mail Carriers Is Growing

Midwest leads nation as incidents rise and costs climb

(Newser) - Dog attacks on US postal workers hit a seven-year high last year, according to the latest US Postal Service data. Some 6,088 attacks were recorded in 2024, up 5% over the previous year and 15% from 2022, reports NBC News .
  • Midwest states led the nation, with Illinois, Iowa,
...

9 Dead After 'Mass Casualty Event' in Kentucky

Tornadoes wreak havoc there, plus at least 7 more die in Missouri from severe storms

(Newser) - Storm systems sweeping across the Midwest have left at least 16 dead, including nine people killed after a tornado sparked a mass casualty event in southeastern Kentucky. Kentucky authorities said there were also severe injuries when a twister tore across Laurel County late Friday. "The search is continuing in...

Worst US City for Allergies Holds Onto Its Dubious Crown

Wichita, Kansas

(Newser) - Despite being nicknamed the "Air Capital of the World," it can be difficult to breathe in Wichita, Kansas. For the third straight year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America named it the most challenging place in the country for seasonal allergy sufferers. That's nothing to sneeze...

'Short Corn' Could Bring Big Change to Midwest

Smaller, sturdier plants are better able to withstand powerful windstorms

(Newser) - Taking a late-summer country drive in the Midwest means venturing into the corn zone, snaking between 12-foot-tall green, leafy walls that seem to block out nearly everything other than the sun and an occasional water tower. The skyscraper-like corn is a part of rural America as much as cavernous red...

Midwest Heat Wave's Sticky Side Effect: Corn Sweat
Midwest Heat Wave's
Sticky Side Effect: Corn Sweat
the rundown
Aug 31, 2024 3:25 PM CDT

Midwest Heat Wave's Sticky Side Effect: Corn Sweat

Massive crops are releasing moisture amid the heat, increasing humidity

(Newser) - Scientists know it as evapotranspiration. Midwesterners may know it by an earthier term: corn sweat. This week's heat wave in America's Corn Belt has put the term into wider circulation, with scientists explaining how the phenomenon can increase humidity—making a 90-degree day feel like 100 degrees or...

Hundreds of Heat Records May Fall This Week
Get Ready for
a Hot Week,
America
THE RUNDOWN
Jun 18, 2024 7:49 AM CDT

Get Ready for a Hot Week, America

Hundreds of temperature records may fall this week as a heat wave sweeps the nation

(Newser) - Summer is still officially a few days away, but this week is going to be a hot one across much of America, with temperatures more akin to those seen deep in July or August. "Hundreds" of temperature records may be surpassed over the next few days, with the National...

As Texas Bakes, a New Weather Warning for Oklahoma

More twisters may be headed to Sooner State, while heat index in Texas hovers near 120 degrees

(Newser) - Forecasters are warning of another day of heightened risk of dangerous tornadoes in the Midwest on Saturday and telling people in South Texas it may feel like close to 120 degrees Fahrenheit almost four weeks before summer starts. The weather service in Oklahoma compared the day to "a gasoline-soaked...

In a Place Famous for Winter, 'What If Winter Never Comes?'

Life is currently 'unrecognizable' in Wisconsin's Northwoods, where snow and ice have been sparse

(Newser) - Maple sugaring season has kicked off early in Wisconsin's Northwoods—great news for pancake lovers, but not-so-great news for this area and other parts of the Upper Midwest that are experiencing what the Washington Post calls a "lost winter."
  • What's going on: Warmer-than-usual temps in Wisconsin
...

'Lost Winter' Continues, With New Warmth Swooping In

Record-busting temps expected early this week in Midwest, along East Coast

(Newser) - Our collective "lost winter" carries on, with a new burst of warmth set to converge on large chunks of the United States early this week. The Washington Post reports that record-busting temperatures are expected through Wednesday in parts of the Midwest and along the East Coast, with the mercury...

There's More 'Record-Breaking Heat' to Come

Temperatures will near 100 degrees in many cities before weekend brings relief for some

(Newser) - Much of the country continues to bake under a heat dome, with more than 110 million people in 20 states under heat alerts as of Thursday. More than 81 million are under excessive heat warnings , including in New Orleans, Dallas, and Louisville. The National Weather Service expects "another day...

'Absolute Chaos' as Tornadoes Rip Through Multiple States

At least 21 are dead as severe weather blasts through Illinois, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma

(Newser) - The scope of the destruction caused by what may have been dozens of tornadoes that swept through parts of the South and Midwest the day before became clearer late Saturday. Officials raised the death toll to 21, the AP reports; seven of the victims were killed in Tennessee's McNairy...

Neb. Lawmaker Apologizes for Believing 'Ugly Rumor'

State Sen. Bruce Bostelman believed claim schools were putting out litter boxes for 'furry' students

(Newser) - School custodians probably wouldn't want to add "empty litter boxes" to their daily to-do list, and luckily they don't have to—because students using litter boxes in school is not an actual thing. One Nebraska lawmaker is finally acknowledging that, and offering a public apology, after spreading...

Birds With Swollen Eyes Are Dropping Dead in 6 States, DC

Wildlife officials are trying to figure out what's afflicting hundreds of birds across US

(Newser) - At the end of May, wildlife managers in the District of Columbia and multiple mid-Atlantic states started fielding reports about hundreds of sick and dying birds, afflicted with eye and nerve issues that couldn't be explained. Now, the mystery illness has spread to the South and Midwest, and scientists...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser