Scientists say the U.S. heat is part global warming in action and natural weather variations. The drought that struck almost two-thirds of the nation and a La Nina weather event helped push temperatures higher, along with climate change from man-made greenhouse gas emissions, said Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University. She said temperature increases are happening faster than scientists predicted.

“These records do not occur like this in an unchanging climate,” said Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. “And they are costing many billions of dollars.”

Link...

I may be remembering incorrectly... I was thinking she had been nominated, but was not actually on the Board.

RB

Dr. Brown has served two years on the board. Word I have is that she was a challenge to Bill Samson's position and was pushing conservation as opposed to continued build out of new power plants. There's more to this but the real story would be to find out who is pulling Corker's string?