There’s no shortage of criticism of the leadership of Los Angeles and the state of California in the wake of the Los Angeles fires. One of the biggest topics is the fact that, in Pacific Palisades, the hydrants went dry. … Continue reading →
If memory serves, large California fires don’t ordinarily happen at this time of year, which is usually California’s rainier season; they happen in the fall and are usually over by early December. And I think that memory does serve, since … Continue reading →
I haven’t written anything about the Azerbaijani airplane crash and Russia because I’ve been waiting for more clarity on the story. But so far, clarity hasn’t come. So I’ll link to this: Early indications suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may … Continue reading →
Here are some details: The FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program (ESFP). The FEMA migrant-spending program began as an offshoot of a Reagan-era plan called the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). EFSP had the goal of providing aid to … Continue reading →
The mayor of Tampa was quite blunt about it: [Mayor] Castor noted that many Floridians are already leaving the area. For those trying to stay home, she urged them to reconsider. “They may have done that in others,” Castor said, … Continue reading →
The forecasts are dire indeed, and after what happened in North Carolina I hope people take them very seriously and evacuate: Hurricane and storm surge warnings are now posted along Florida’s western Gulf Coast, where the storm poses threats of … Continue reading →
It’s an ongoing disaster in North Carolina and also Georgia, and I’m reading varying reports on rescue efforts. It seems fairly clear that preparedness was lacking although it was known that the storm would be pretty bad in North Carolina, … Continue reading →
If you’re wondering why inland, mountainous western North Carolina was hit so hard by Helene, here’s the explanation: It’s a beautiful area in which I once spent a month (with Gerard, about fifteen years ago). Driving around in the fall … Continue reading →
We don’t know the final death toll of Hurricane Helene, but it’s already high: The Category 4 hurricane made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night, with winds of 140 mph and a devastating storm surge. Helene left … Continue reading →
Hard to believe, isn’t it? And yet easy to believe, because in many ways it seems a distant memory. Children who were born that day are turning twenty-three. But the main reason for the feeling of distance, I think, is … Continue reading →
This is a shock: The Francis Scott Key Bridge along I-695 in Maryland collapsed into the Baltimore harbor following a “ship strike” early Tuesday morning, setting off a search and rescue mission for those who plunged into the chilly waters. … Continue reading →
Ten years. We know more than we did then, but the basic mystery remains. To refresh your memory, if it needs refreshing: MH370 set off from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for China’s capital city on March 8, 2014. Thirty-nine minutes … Continue reading →