Michael Copley

Michael Copley, NPR News.

During the government shutdown last fall, the Energy Department announced it was canceling more than $7 billion in grants that it said don't address the country's energy needs and aren't economically viable.

Critics said the move was aimed at punishing Democratic-leaning states during a political fight.

Now, U.S.

District Judge Ahmet Mehta has ruled the Energy Department violated the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law.

The ruling applies to seven grants, totaling $27.6 million, some of which was earmarked for electric vehicle charging programs.

The Energy Department didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Michael Copley, NPR News.

No hurricanes made landfall in the U.S.

last year, but disaster costs still exceeded $100 billion for the fourth time in five years.

According to Climate Central, a climate science and communications nonprofit,

More than half of last year's damages were caused by wildfires.

Climate change is fueling more intense storms, floods, and wildfires that damage and destroy property.

Costs are also rising because people continue moving to coastal regions vulnerable to hurricanes and forested areas prone to wildfires.

And when disasters happen, inflation has made rebuilding more expensive.

Michael Copley, NPR News.

For three decades, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been the basis for global efforts to limit heat-trapping emissions.

The State Department says the convention is one of 66 international organizations that no longer serve U.S.

interests.

Critics say the U.S.