Weather patterns are driven by climate. No one weather event can ever be linked to climate change, but if you see a sudden increase in extremes -- if, for the sake of argument, you experience a decade of some of the hottest summers, coldest winters, longest droughts, strongest hurricanes, etc etc, then it's a pretty good indication that the Climate is changing. If you couple that to the known link between greenhouse gases and human activity, and the (non-linear) link between greenhouse gases and atmospheric temperature, it isn't difficult to connect the dots.
It's a nonsense, too, that this is somehow a new story. The link was understood well over a century ago. It's only anti-scientific pushback that has led to there being any controversy.
As to the idea that "Scientists need research grants. That costs integrity." -- no doubt this is true to the extent that research proposals have to be written in a way that encourages you to get funding. But the research itself still needs to pass basic tests. A scientist who writes a lot of rubbish is very quickly found out by the rest of the community.
There is no controversy here, except in as much as it helps people to ignore the problem, carry on with their lives as before, and continue to ruin the planet as a result.