Air quality in the US is projected to backslide in the coming decades, landing back where it was in the mid-2000s as a result of climate change, according to a new report. The report comes with an online tool for users to zoom in on individual properties to see what kind of air quality residents might experience there in the future. It paints a picture of a changing landscape for regulators, who are going to have to adapt to evolving threats.
Technology
Climate change is erasing previous gains in air quality — fires are mostly to blame
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24710039/236691_Air_pollution_NYC_AKrales_0034.jpg?ssl=1 "Climate change is erasing previous gains in air quality — fires are mostly to blame")
“Air quality really highlights how the changing climate is being felt by individuals.”
A hotter planet sets the stage for more wildfire smoke and supercharges the chemical reactions that lead to smog. That means the game is changing when it comes to how to prevent pollution in the future. After decades of success reining in pollution from smokestacks and tailpipes, climate change is erasing some of those gains.
“Air quality really highlights how the changing climate is being felt by individuals,” says Jeremy Porter, lead author of the report published by the nonprofit research organization First Street Foundation. “Really bad floods and really bad wildfires are relatively rare, [although] we see them more and more often. But something like poor air quality, it doesn’t just affect the low houses on the street, it affects everybody in the community,” Porter says. First Street has previously released research and online tools for assessing flood, fire, and heat risks for individual properties.
The group’s latest work shows that around 10 percent of properties in the US (roughly 14.3 million) already have to cope with a week or more of days when air quality is considered “unhealthy” due to fine particle pollution, also called soot. Nearly half of those properties have it much worse, experiencing two weeks of unhealthy air quality days.
To suss that out, First Street looked back on data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s network of air quality sensors across the nation. Porter and his colleagues were then able to combine that data with First Street’s existing peer-reviewed fire and heat models to make predictions about the future.
First Street modeled air quality 30 years from now, the length of a typical mortgage. On its current trajectory, air quality in 2054 could revert back to how bad it was in 2004, according to First Street, “wiping away 20 years of air quality improvements.” An additional 1.7 million properties are expected to face 10 or more poor air quality days a year from both soot and smog — a 15 percent rise from today.
That upward trend reflects a “climate penalty,” the report says. Smog, or ground-level ozone, in technical terms, is produced through a photochemical reaction where nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react with each other in sunlight. As a result, smog can be worse on hot, sunny days. Climate change is making heatwaves longer and more intense, and pollution is part of that problem.
Hot, arid conditions also prime the land to burn. Fire is the primary driver of worsening air with climate change, the report finds. It’s particularly egregious in the Western US, where the number of poor air quality days grew by as much as 477 percent between 2000 and 2021.
That figure is based on the EPA’s color-coded air quality index and counts the number of days in which the index value is at least considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups” — an orange day. Red days are “unhealthy,” purple are “very unhealthy,” and maroon is considered “hazardous.” Averaging the highest daily soot levels across the US, the researchers found that the average highest value has risen from orange to red since 2000.
That generally accounts for peak levels of particle pollution during specific events like wildfires. The health risks from sudden, brief periods of pollution are different than those linked to persistent exposures to pollution from living next to a busy freeway, for example. Health risks including problems related to respiratory and cardiovascular disease increase with chronic exposure.
“If you have, say, more fires but less pollution in the rest of the year, you’d see these acute effects increase, but they will be offset by decreases in chronic effects,” says Drew Shindell, a professor of earth science at Duke University who studies climate change and air quality but was not involved in the First Street report.
Shindell also points out that there’s still the opportunity to change the trajectories laid out in the report. Just like the Clean Air Act led to big improvements in air quality between the 1970s and 1990s, the US has the opportunity to act now. Cleaning up pollution is just going to have to look different than it used to for policymakers, both Shindell and Porter say.
“The job of somebody like an air quality regulator is changing because it used to be 100 percent of your attention would be on emissions from human activities — so you’d worry about power plants, and industry, and motor vehicles,” Shindell says. “We’ve done a good job of controlling many of these things. But we haven’t done a good job of controlling greenhouse gases.”
In other words, to get soot and smog under control, regulators will also have to prioritize slashing other pollutants — carbon dioxide and methane emissions that cause climate change. They’ll also have to think about things like forest management to better keep wildfires under control. That all links the local effects of air pollution to what’s going on in the wider world, on top of worrying about what your neighbors might be emitting. Last year, wildfires in Canada sent a plume of smoke down to the Northeastern US, causing New York City to briefly hold the title for worst air quality in the world.
To see historical data and forecasts for future air quality in your region, you can check out First Street’s online tool at RiskFactor.com. It uses First Street’s peer-reviewed models for forecasting flood, fire, heat, and now, air quality risk. It’ll show how a property ranks compared to others in the US when it comes to local air quality, which sources of pollution are nearby, and how many days of poor air quality in the area to expect now and in the future.
Continue Reading
I’m sure we’re all familiar with Dark Crystal, so we know that Jim Henson can be weird and tackle slightly more mature subject matter. But there is little in his oeuvre that is quite as mind-bending as the Muppetless The Cube. This 1969 teleplay was produced for an NBC anthology series called Experiment in Television, which featured, appropriately enough, various experimental films, plays, and documentaries. One episode even featured Marshall McLuhan explaining his oft-cited theory that “the medium is the message.”
Even among all these oddities, however, Jim Henson’s The Cube stands out. It’s a 53-minute bottle film — taking place almost entirely in a single room. A man awakes in a white cube, unsure of where he is or how he got there. There are no windows, no door. Just walls of white panels.
It doesn’t take long for someone to open a section of the wall and bring in a stool for our nameless man in the cube. But when he closes the “door” behind him, our protagonist can’t open it back up. And thus begins the parade of people, dozens of them, taking turns going in and out of various invisible doors in the titular cube.
The interactions start off strangely enough — why is there strawberry jam on the stool? Who is this woman who claims to be the protagonist’s wife even though he doesn’t recognize her? But they quickly escalate, calling into question the nature of reality, our protagonist’s sanity, and raising questions about what the cube is exactly. Jim Henson himself even makes an uncredited cameo as the voice of a gorilla in a tutu.
As people come and go, delivering supplies to the man, harassing him, or even attempting to seduce him, the room changes around him inexplicably. Beds, couches, fully stocked liquor cabinets, and other furniture mysteriously appear. A full band slips in and sings a song with the line “you’ll never get out ‘til you’re dead,” before it’s revealed to be a recording as the record skips repeatedly on the word “dead.”
The Cube offers many questions but no answers. Is the man living in a simulation? Is he on TV? Are the people around him actors? Is any of it real at all? Does matter exist?
Even in a post-Twilight Zone world, The Cube feels uniquely bizarre, more akin to the modern dystopian anthology series Black Mirror than anything else. While it’s not true lost media, it remains relatively obscure. It only aired twice, there’s a sold-out DVD listing on Amazon, and it only occasionally makes an appearance on streaming services in any official capacity.
Your best bets right now are a pair of YouTube uploads, both embedded above. One is a much higher-quality transfer of a black-and-white kinescope film with remastered audio. Unfortunately, it also cuts out most of the song due to copyright. The other upload is full color and retains the song, but is a generally lower quality rip with muddier image and audio. Regardless of which one you choose, it’s a wild and thoroughly enjoyable ride that shows just how twisted the mind of Jim Henson could be.
Google general counsel explains AI-powered phishing rise
Halimah Delaine Prado, Google General Counsel, reveals the rise of AI-powered phishing scams originating from China’s ‘outsider enterprise.’ She explains how these criminals use artificial intelligence to create highly convincing fake websites, impersonating trusted brands like T-Mobile to defraud hundreds of thousands of Americans, causing millions in losses. Prado highlights Google’s strategy to combat these evolving threats.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The security step many of us trust most may not protect us the way we think. The FBI is warning about an emerging phishing-as-a-service platform called Kali365. It targets Microsoft 365 accounts, including Outlook, Teams and OneDrive.
That alone sounds bad. The scarier part is how it works. This scam can get into your account without stealing your password. Even with multifactor authentication turned on, one wrong device-code approval could give a criminal access.
Here’s how the scam works, why it can slip past MFA and what you can do to protect your Microsoft account.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
NEW FBI WARNING REVEALS PHISHING ATTACKS HITTING PRIVATE CHATS
A fake device-code request can trick Microsoft 365 users into approving access without ever sharing a password. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How Kali365 tricks Microsoft users
Kali365 is a phishing-as-a-service platform. In other words, crooks can subscribe to it and use ready-made tools to attack Microsoft 365 accounts. The FBI says Kali365 was first seen in April 2026 and has mainly spread through Telegram. The platform gives attackers access to AI-generated phishing messages, automated campaign templates, tracking dashboards and tools that capture OAuth tokens. That last part is the key.
OAuth tokens are digital access keys. They can let an app stay connected to your Microsoft account without asking for your password every time. They are useful when the right app uses them. They are dangerous when a scammer steals them.
Why this scam can beat MFA
Most phishing scams try to steal your password. Kali365 takes a different route. The attack abuses Microsoft’s device code login process. You may have seen something similar when signing into a streaming app on a smart TV. A screen shows a short code. Then you enter that code on another device to approve the sign-in.
That process is legitimate. The scam begins when a criminal starts the sign-in from their own device and tricks you into approving it. You may see a phishing email that looks like it came from a trusted cloud service or document-sharing tool. The message includes a code and tells you to visit a real Microsoft verification page.
That real Microsoft page is what makes this so sneaky. The web address can look right. Your password manager may not object. The page may feel safe. But once the code gets entered, you may unknowingly authorize the attacker’s device. From there, the attacker can capture access and refresh tokens. That can open the door to Outlook, Teams and OneDrive without your password or another MFA prompt.
QR CODE EMAIL SCAM TARGETS EMPLOYEE REVIEWS
Scammers can use a legitimate Microsoft sign-in page to make the phishing attempt feel much more convincing. (Neil Godwin/Future via Getty Images)
Why this should worry small businesses too
A scam like this can hit anyone with Microsoft 365 access. Still, small businesses should pay close attention. Think about what sits inside a typical work account. Email threads. Invoices. Shared files. Employee chats. Vendor contacts. Customer details. Calendar invites. One compromised account can give a criminal a very believable voice.
A scammer who gets into Outlook can study how you write. They can send messages from your real account. They can ask coworkers to pay fake invoices, share files or reset passwords. That to me is scary because the scam may not look like a scam anymore. It may come from someone you know.
How the attack unfolds
The FBI describes the scheme in a clear sequence. First, the victim gets a phishing email that pretends to come from a trusted productivity or file-sharing service. Next, the email provides a device code and tells the victim to enter it on a legitimate Microsoft verification page.
Then, the victim enters the code and unknowingly approves the attacker’s device. After that, the attacker captures OAuth access and refresh tokens. Finally, the attacker can access Microsoft 365 services such as Outlook, Teams and OneDrive without needing the victim’s password.
Red flags to watch for
The biggest warning sign is an unexpected request to enter a Microsoft device code. Be suspicious if an email tells you to enter a code for a file, voicemail, invoice or shared document you did not request.
Also, watch for urgency. Scammers love messages that push you to act fast. They may claim a document will expire, a voicemail is waiting, or an account needs verification.
Another clue is context. If you were not trying to sign in to a device, do not enter a device code. That one habit can stop this scam before it starts.
If a Microsoft code appears in an unexpected email, text or Teams message, stop and go directly to your account. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What Microsoft says about the Kali365 phishing warning
In response to CyberGuy, Microsoft said customers should follow the FBI’s recommendations as well as Microsoft’s published best practices to protect against Kali365 and similar scams.
The company also said it works to disrupt cybercriminal ecosystems tied to phishing-as-a-service and account takeover activity. Microsoft pointed to recent Digital Crimes Unit actions involving Fake ONNX, RaccoonO365 and Tycoon 2FA as examples of those broader efforts.
How to protect your Microsoft 365 account from Kali365
A few smart habits can help you spot fake device-code requests, reduce your exposure and follow the FBI’s guidance for limiting this type of attack.
1) Never enter a device code you did not request
Only enter a Microsoft device code when you personally started the sign-in. If the code arrives through an email, Teams message or random document link, stop.
2) Go directly to Microsoft
Do not use links inside surprise messages. Open your browser and go directly to Microsoft or your company’s Microsoft 365 portal.
3) Check your account activity
Review recent sign-ins, connected devices and active sessions. If you see a location, device or app you do not recognize, take action right away.
4) Revoke suspicious sessions
If you think you entered a code by mistake, sign out of all sessions and revoke suspicious app access. Then change your password and contact your IT team.
5) Keep MFA turned on
Do not turn off multifactor authentication because of this scam. MFA still blocks many account attacks. This threat shows why you also need to be careful with approval prompts and device codes.
6) Use strong security software
Using strong antivirus software can help detect phishing pages, malicious links and suspicious downloads before they cause damage. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
7) Use a data removal service
Scammers often build convincing phishing messages with personal details found online. A data removal service can help reduce the amount of your information available on people-search sites and data broker databases. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
8) Train your team on device-code scams
Employees may know not to type passwords into strange pages. Many have never been warned about device codes. Make this specific scam part of your security training.
9) Restrict device code flow if your business does not need it
The FBI says restricting device code flow can help prevent or limit this style of attack. IT teams should create a conditional access policy to block device code flow for all users, with limited exceptions for required business processes.
10) Audit device code usage first
Before blocking device code flow, the FBI recommends auditing current usage to identify legitimate business needs. That can help prevent disruptions for employees or systems that rely on this sign-in method.
11) Block authentication transfer policies
The FBI also recommends blocking authentication transfer policies. This can help prevent users from transferring authentication from computers to mobile devices.
12) Protect emergency access accounts
If your organization cannot fully restrict device code flow, the FBI recommends excluding emergency access accounts to prevent lockouts. That step should be handled carefully by your IT or security team.
13) Report the attack
If you were targeted or compromised, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. Include phishing emails, email headers, suspicious login times, IP addresses, locations, unauthorized devices and active sessions.
What to do if you have already entered a code
Move quickly.
- Sign out of Microsoft 365 on all devices.
- Change your password.
- Check your recovery email and phone number.
- Review forwarding rules in Outlook.
- Look for strange inbox rules that hide, delete or redirect emails.
- Then review OneDrive files, Teams messages and recent account activity.
- If this is a work account, tell your IT team immediately. Do not wait to see what happens. Stolen tokens can give attackers continued access until they are revoked.
Kurt’s key takeaways
This is the kind of scam that can fool smart people because it uses a real Microsoft sign-in page to pull off something criminal. That is what makes Kali365 so dangerous. It can turn a trusted security step into a trap, especially when the code did not come from a signed-in user. The big takeaway here is to slow down before entering any Microsoft device code. If a code shows up through an unexpected email, text or Teams message, stop and go directly to the account instead. Do not approve a sign-in unless it was started on purpose. A few extra seconds of caution can help keep criminals out of Outlook, Teams, OneDrive and everything connected to them.
Have you ever received a Microsoft code or login prompt you did not request, and did it look convincing enough to make you pause? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
I’ve seen lots of so-called “smart” bike locks over the years, but none so far could justify the added cost. A newcomer that got its start securing ATMs for banks is trying to change that. There’s nothing wholly unique about the TMD Chain Lock, but the combination of materials, performance, and insurance-friendly ART-2 certification makes it worth considering.
TMD’s first bicycle lock combines a Bluetooth proximity sensor and motion alarm with a slender core of hardened steel chain wrapped in a soft and lightweight sleeve of high performance Dyneema and Kevlar fibers. That makes this lock tough, yet flexible enough to conveniently wrap around your seat post when cycling. TMD also designed the keyless lock to be shareable with friends and family, and capable of withstanding shock, rain, dust, and extreme temperatures. That makes it highly suited to city bikes parked outside and ridden all year long.
I like the TMD Chain Lock I’ve been testing, but spending €249 (about $283) on something that typically costs far less is a big ask.
$280
The Good
- Strong yet flexible lock won’t scratch bike
- Digital key can be shared with friends and family
- Convenient if you lock your bike several times a day
- ART-2 certified for insurance
- Loud enough alarm
The Bad
- Very expensive
- Lacks USB-C charging
- Annoying operating sounds
The chasm separating ATM security from bike security isn’t as wide as it might seem. TMD developed a centralized, keyless system for banks to authorize access to its ATMs for service, replacing the physical master keys that created a massive security risk whenever they were lost or stolen. It’s this same keyless knowhow that TMD now brings to the Bluetooth bike lock.
There are many advantages to turning phones into digital keys, especially in bike-centric societies like the Netherlands, which TMD calls home. For example, I could ride to the train station and have an authorized friend pick the bike up later. And the keyless convenience quickly adds up for those of us that use our bikes to commute to work, pick up the kids from daycare and football, run errands, and shop for groceries. In my home city of Amsterdam, it’s not unusual to grab my keys more than a dozen times a day to lock and unlock my bike.
I tested the TMD Bike Lock in the 110cm (about 3.5 feet) length with an iPhone 15 Pro running the latest version of iOS. Generally — I’d say 19 out of every 20 attempts — the TMD Chain Lock immediately recognized my approach, allowing me to seamlessly unlock it with a push on the lock’s only button. When I did have to wait, it took no more than a second for the button to flash blue, indicating the lock had detected my nearby phone in a pocket or bag. Pretty good, but that convenience comes with some tradeoffs.
For example, my bike remained within range of my phone when parked outside a cafe, so anyone could have walked up and unlocked it. I had the same issue when cooking in my kitchen with the bike parked just outside the window, as I normally do. In both cases, I either had to move the bike or turn off my phone’s Bluetooth radio. And since my phone is now my bike key, if it’s stolen, my much more expensive e-bike is vulnerable as well.
TMD says its Chain Lock is “immune to conventional drilling and picking,” but all bike locks can be defeated by a determined thief. The Chain Lock has earned an ART-2 certification issued by an independent Dutch organization that tests and certifies bike locks on a scale from one to five. Most Dutch insurance companies require ART-2 at a minimum to validate policies on expensive e-bikes and cargo bikes. It’s akin to something like a Sold Secure Silver or Gold rating in the UK, a 2 Roues in France, and VdS approval in Germany. (The US and Canada do not have a single, centralized, independent testing body that dictates insurance requirements for bicycles.) Should your bike be stolen, you can produce a digital log file for the insurance company from within the TMD app as official proof that your bike was locked.
To deter theft, the lock also features an integrated motion alarm that can be armed and disarmed in the app or with a double press of the lock’s button. At 100dB it’s less shrill than I expected, but it does the job when it senses the lock being jostled. It shuts off automatically after about 10 seconds of inactivity.
TMD tells me that a future software update will let you disable these sounds.
The lock is rather noisy in day-to-day usage. Unlocking it is accompanied by a loud tone that hits 75dB when measured at a distance of one meter. I hate that it draws attention to me and my expensive e-bike. Just flash green and unlock — that’s more than enough. TMD tells me that a future software update will let you disable these sounds.
TMD claims the lock’s battery will last up to nine months on a single charge. However, my test unit has already dropped 16 percent after a week of testing, suggesting a lifespan closer to six or seven weeks. But that’s likely because I store my bikes inside my house when not in use, so the lock’s Bluetooth radio is constantly being lit up by my phone’s proximity.
To prevent water and dust ingress and leave more room for the battery and speaker, TMD says it opted for a shallow magnetic pin connector – not USB-C – to charge the Chain Lock. That’s a shame because plenty of phones have USB-C ports and offer even better IP68/69 protection against rain and debris. That means you’ll need to have the lock’s proprietary cable on you should you ignore the low-battery warnings and let it die. It can be quickly recovered, however: I saw a completely dead (and locked) Chain Lock spring back to life after just two or three minutes of charging off the USB-C port of an iPhone.
You can still unlock the TMD Chain Lock should your phone die. You just have to tap in your four digit “emergency code” on the lock’s button. Choosing a code like 1324 would require 1 push, then 3 pushes, then 2, and 4. The ring around the button changes colors to visually prompt you for each new number. The TMD app also lets you share the lock with friends and family, who can also come to your rescue with their own phones.
1/6
For added peace of mind, it’s always a good idea to double-lock your bike, so most urban cyclists combine a chain lock with a ring lock that’s permanently mounted to the frame and prevents the rear wheel from spinning. TMD has already announced an “anti angle grinder” U-Lock and GPS-equipped Ring Lock coming later this year. Having my phone unlock both of my bike’s locks simultaneously would really up the convenience factor and better justify TMD’s pricing.
Right now, paying €249 when equivalent analog bike locks costs a quarter of that would be foolish for most people. The ART-2 certified ABUS 8900, for example, in the same flexible 110cm length, costs around €60 (about $68). If you can afford the TMD Chain Lock and really hate keys, or need a keyless lock that can be shared digitally with others, then have at it. Otherwise, it won’t justify its exorbitant price.
- Security rating: ART-2 certified
- Operation: Keyless Bluetooth
- Deterrence: Motion activated 100dB alarm
- TMD Locks App: Manages sharing, location tracking and more (iOS and Android compatible)
- Sizes: 70cm (1.3kg), 110cm (1.7kg) and 160cm (2.1kg)
- Colorways: Navy, Beige and Black
- Power: 9 month battery life. Charge to 100% in 2 Hours
- Durability: IP57 water and dust resistant
- Warranty: 2 years
- Pricing: from €229
All photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
-
Mississippi1 minute agoCould Texas Be Facing Another Trap Game vs. Mississippi State in 2026?
-
Missouri4 minutes agoUPDATE: Well-known mid-Missouri attorney charged after sting expected to request home detention | 93.9 The Eagle
-
Montana9 minutes agoMontana nurse and Guard member earns national Air Force recognition
-
Nebraska16 minutes agoFormer OSU, Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari arrested after police pursuit in Nebraska
-
Nevada19 minutes agoOfficials elevate response efforts to combat eastern Nevada wildfires
-
New Hampshire24 minutes agoU.S. Forest Service Reorg Talk | Films | Stories In A Park: Week Ahead Events On Concord Patch
-
New Jersey31 minutes agoMissing New Jersey teens found safe after vanishing from train station | Fox News Video
-
New Mexico34 minutes agoNew Mexico wrestling standouts give back at Raton High School camp
