Graphic Truth

Graphic Truth: Billion-dollar disasters have become more common

In addition to the devastating human toll of last weekend’s Texas floods, which have so far taken the lives of at least 100 people – including dozens of children – initial estimates put the economic damage to people’s homes, businesses, and public infrastructure at upwards of $18 billion.

The number of US weather and climate-related disasters that have inflicted at least $1 billion worth of damage has in fact grown significantly over the past two decades, as weather patterns become more severe, a phenomenon experts attribute to climate change. Here is a look at this tragic trend since 1980.

More For You

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony commemorating Israel’s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, on April 21, 2026.
ILIA YEFIMOVICH/Pool via REUTERS

The United States and Iran seem to be moving closer to a deal to end the war, which could hurt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reelection hopes.

Last week, Microsoft took legal and technical action to disrupt Fox Tempest, a cybercrime-as-a-service operation that enabled attackers to disguise malware as trusted software and scale ransomware attacks globally. The case highlights a growing shift toward service-based cybercrime ecosystems and the importance of targeting upstream tools that make attacks harder to detect. Read the full blog here.

Police use a water cannon during a rally to disperse supporters of Ozgur Ozel, the ousted chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), while waiting for his arrival in Izmir, Turkey, May 26, 2026.
REUTERS/Berkcan Zengin

Riot police raided the headquarters of Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People's Party, after a court order to remove party leader Özgur Özel. Rights groups say the move by the government of President Erdoğan is politically motivated.