Hurricanes aren’t what they used to be. As the planet warms, they are morphing into something more dangerous — intensifying faster, producing more rainfall and generating bigger storm surge.

To protect ourselves from these increasing threats, researchers say hurricane preparedness and the way people perceive storms need to proactively change, as well.

“We want to make sure that people are not being complacent, (know) that these storms are intensifying more because of climate change, and that they are taking that seriously,” Jaclyn Rothenberg, director of public affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told CNN.

A shuttered nuclear plant rumbles back to life to power artificial intelligence at the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. What could possibly go wrong?

The question just became concrete, after Microsoft announced last week that it had signed a deal that will reactivate a unit of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Three Mile Island became shorthand for the worst case scenario of nuclear energy, after a partial meltdown in 1979 exposed about 2 million people to radiation and made nuclear anathema in American politics and energy.

Now, though, nuclear energy is making a comeback, and tech is playing a key role. Gallup found support for nuclear energy the highest it’s been in a decade. Silicon Valley in particular has touted nuclear as a reliable, carbon-free source of power.

Evacuations are underway and time is running out for Floridians to prepare for Tropical Storm Helene, which threatens to hit as the strongest storm to make landfall in the United States in over a year.

Helene formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea Tuesday morning and will set off on a breakneck pace of strengthening. It could take Helene just 48 hours to go from a 45 mph tropical storm to a Category 3 major hurricane as it rapidly intensifies over the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

A hurricane warning was issued for parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, from Anclote River to Mexico Beach, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 p.m. ETadvisory. The Mexican government has also issued a hurricane warning from Cabo Catoche to Tulum.

Nearly 40% of the U.S. population lives in a coastal county today. Many of these areas are increasingly exposed to disasters, including hurricanes and high tide flooding that has been worsened by sea level rise.

The Gulf of Mexico region, in particular, is prone to climate change-induced concurrent disasters – when multiple disasters strike at once. For example, when Hurricane Beryl hit Texas in July 2024, 3 million homes and businesses lost power for several days in the middle of searing summer heat – in addition to dealing with heavy rain and flooding.

To further complicate matters, more than one-fifth of the population in Harris County, home to Houston, is considered socially vulnerable, meaning people who are likely more susceptible to harm from extreme weather.

For this long-beleaguered region of Northeast Ohio, a gleaming new 2.8 million-square-foot manufacturing plant symbolizes something that has been fleeting in recent years: hope.

Hope that years of promises – so often broken or deferred – have been replaced by action in the form of 2,200 employees at the Ultium Cells electric vehicle battery plant, which sits at the forefront of cutting-edge green technology and manufacturing.

Hope in the shadow of the hulking former General Motors Lordstown plant that closed its doors in 2019, forcing workers like George Goranitis to leave the only jobs and homes they knew.

Today in Pennsylvania, Vice President Kamala Harris will sit for an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle. The interview will air in the 7 pm eastern hour tonight on the network.

This is smart. Here’s why:

1. Harris remains a largely undefined figure for about 3 in 10 Americans. Interviews like this one — which will get massive amounts of publicity — are a way to get her better known on her own terms.
2. Ruhle is, yes, an MSNBC host. But she’s not some giant liberal who will be seen as a Harris ally unwilling to ask any hard questions. This is not Donald Trump going on Sean Hannity’s show. Or calling into “Fox & Friends.” This is a real interview with a real journalist — and will be covered as such.
3. Ruhle’s background is in financial reporting. Harris is delivering an economic speech today in Pittsburgh. Add it up and you get this: The interview is likely to be A LOT about the economy — what Harris thinks about it and what she will do about it. Given that the economy is the #1 issue for voters, hearing from Harris on it — with 41 days left until the election — is critical

1. Media distortion

Where those on the left see Trump’s many failings, those on the right may see what some political observers call Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes simply called TDS.

According to this line of argument, the left-leaning media dissects Trump’s every word, and the media then distorts what he says. I have found that some Trump supporters think that people who feed too much on this allegedly biased media diet can get TDS and develop a passionate, perhaps illogical dislike of Trump.

I have also heard hardcore Trump supporters argue, with no evidence, that such “fake news” media outlets, like CNN, are part of a larger deep state plot of the federal government to upend the will of the people. This plot, according to those who propagate it, includes not just leftists, government bureaucrats and people who claim to be Republicans, but really aren’t, but also people in law enforcement.

Some Trump supporters also see merit in his contention that he is being wrongly persecuted, just like some see the Jan. 6 defendants being persecuted.

2. Bread on the table, money in the bank

“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

For many Trump voters, the answer to Ronald Reagan’s famous question is clear: “No.” They accurately remember Trump’s term as one of tax cuts, economic growth and stock market highs.

It is true that overall employment numbers and average pay went up under President Joe Biden. But for some Trump supporters, that economic boost pales in comparison to the massive surge in inflation during Biden’s term, with prices rising almost 20%. While the inflation rate has recently abated, prices remain high – as voters are reminded of every day at the grocery store.

Polls also show that Trump has a strong lead over Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on how they would handle the economy, which is a top concern for voters, especially Republicans.

3. A border invasion

Another reason some Americans want to vote for Trump: immigration.

Like inflation, the number of people illegally crossing the border soared under Biden.

This massive influx of “illegal aliens,” as Trump calls them, dropped to its lowest level in four years in July 2024. This happened after the Biden administration made it harder for immigrants to apply for asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, a policy measure that is in line with many Republicans’ approach.

In 2022, a poll found 7 out of 10 Republicans worried that “open borders” were part of a Democratic plot to expand liberals’ power by replacing conservative white people with nonwhite foreigners.

Trump has played into some people’s mostly false concerns that immigrants living illegally in the U.S. are freeloaders and won’t assimilate, as illustrated by recent – untrue – allegations that immigrants are eating pets in Ohio.

In 2022, 82% of Republicans said they viewed immigration as a “very important” issue. Trump continues to tout his proposed solution, which includes shutting the border, building a wall and deporting 11 million immigrants who are living in the U.S. without legal authorization.

4. A proven record

Some Trump voters simply compare the records of Trump and Biden-Harris and find that the tally tilts firmly toward Trump.

And it’s not just about the economy and immigration.

There were no new wars under Trump. Biden-Harris, in contrast, are saddled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. Trump supporters’ perception is that American taxpayers foot a large portion of the bill, even though other countries are also giving money to Ukraine, and Israel is actually buying weapons from the U.S.

I have found that Trump supporters also think he is better suited to deal with the rising power and threat of China.

5. The MAGA bull in a china shop

While some Harris supporters lament Trump’s destruction of democracy and decency in politics, I have found that Trump voters see a charismatic MAGA bull in a china shop.

It is precisely because Trump is an unrelenting pugilist, or a fighter – as he showed when he raised a fist after the assassination attempt against him in July – that he should be elected, his supporters believe.

Some even view him as savior – who will save the U.S. from a “radical left” apocalypse.

For such Trump stalwarts, MAGA is not simply a slogan. In the Trumpiverse, it is a movement to save an America that is on the brink of failure.

Mark Robinson in 2009: ‘They Should Have Shot Al Sharpton’

Back in his pre-political days, Mark Robinson wasn’t spending all his online time trawling the forums of porn sites. He spent some time reading and commenting on small political sites too—where the opinions he shared, The Bulwark has learned, were no less unhinged.

These comments are previously unreported. And for good reason: They’re no longer accessible on the Internet, as the comments systems Robinson used to make them are now defunct. The Bulwark was only able to access them through an archive of old comments made on sites built with the content management system WordPress. Plugging Robinson’s personal email address (the same one that multiple outlets have reported on in recent days) into that archive, we were able to find his now-infamous “minisoldr” username and the comments he left.

Hezbollah Fires Deep Into Israel, Associated Press
Hezbollah launched a missile targeting Tel Aviv in its farthest strike into Israel, intercepted by Israeli forces, following airstrikes in Lebanon that killed hundreds, further escalating regional tensions.

NE Gov. Won’t Call Special Session, NBC News
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced he won’t call a special session to change the state’s electoral vote system, blocking Trump’s push for a winner-take-all system before the election.

Chutkan Rebuffs Trump Request, The Hill
Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Trump’s request to alter the Jan. 6 case schedule and approved a 180-page brief from special counsel Jack Smith, dismissing attempts to delay proceedings.

Zelensky: Peace Could Be Close, BBC
President Zelensky believes the war with Russia could end sooner than expected if Ukraine strengthens its position with Western support, pushing for peace through his “victory plan.”

Ground News

Zelensky’s PA Visit Draws GOP Criticism, For the Left
President Zelensky’s visit to a PA ammunition factory drew accusations from some Republicans of campaigning for Democrats, while others saw it as a show of gratitude to munitions workers.

Polar Bears Dwindle as Ice Melts, For the Right
Melting sea ice and shrinking food sources threaten Hudson Bay’s polar bears, with their population halved in 40 years and possibly gone by century’s end due to climate change.