NASA has launched a first-of-its-kind mission from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base called DART, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Guest: Jason Davis, Editorial Director, The Planetary Society A year-long study on a part of the Mojave Desert has found that the night sky there is really, really dark. So much so, it might earn the rare distinction as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Winters across the U.S. are getting warmer because of climate change. And in California, an increase of even a few degrees has serious implications for water supplies.  Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED  Many of us will soon be preparing our Thanksgiving meals this week. But some of the food that will be cooked and served won’t actually be eaten, it will end up in the garbage. And that kind of food waste is a significant contributor to climate change, so much so the state of California is trying to crack down on it with big changes coming up.  Guest: Rachel Wagoner, the director of the state’s recycling agency, Cal-Recycle Last year, Congress passed a law requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to disclose how many veterans got sick and died of the coronavirus in VA nursing homes. The department has finally released some data, but it’s incomplete.  Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices