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Author: John Hanno
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Bogan High School. Worked in Alaska after the earthquake. Joined U.S. Army at 17. Sergeant, B Battery, 3rd Battalion, 84th Artillery, 7th Army. Member of 12 different unions, including 4 different locals of the I.B.E.W. Worked for fortune 50, 100 and 200 companies as an industrial electrician, electrical/electronic technician.
Watch: Trump Completely Loses Train of Thought in Awkward Speech
Edith Olmsted – October 10, 2024
Donald Trump drifted in and out of coherency during an awkward, weaving speech Thursday at the Detroit Economics Club, where he ranted about tariffs and railed against government mandates on electric vehicles.
During a speech that stretched an hour and 55 minutes, Trump employed his typical “weave,” a catchall phrase the Republican nominee uses to explain scattered rambling so repetitive that it does occasionally reiterate the original point.
But while explaining his fears that Kamala Harris’s policies would cause domestic manufacturing to leave the United States, Trump seemingly got carried away by the tide of his own weave and swept out into a sea of complete nonsense.
“And, it’s so simple, I mean, you know. This isn’t like Elon with his rocket ships that land within 12 inches on the moon where they wanted to land,” Trump said. “Or, he gets the … engines back—that was the first I realized, I said, ‘Who the hell did that?’ I saw engines about three, four years ago. These things were coming—cylinders, no wings, no nothing—and they’re coming down very slowly, landing on a raft in the middle of the ocean someplace, with a circle, boom!”
“Reminded me of the Biden circles that he used to have, right?” Trump said, seemingly referring to President Joe Biden’s campaign events that took precautions for Covid-19, in an awkward non sequitur.
“He’d have eight circles, and he couldn’t fill ’em up. But then I heard he beat us with the popular vote. He couldn’t fill up the eight circles, I always loved those circles, they were so beautiful, so beautiful to look at,” Trump continued.
Trump claimed that Biden “used to have the press stand in those circles, cause they couldn’t get the people. And then I heard we lost, no we’re never gonna let that happen again.”
“But—” he continued. “We’ve been abused by other countries, we’ve been abused by our own politicians, really, more than other countries.”
Trump seemed to turn back to the subject at hand after being carried away by his gushing over billionaire technocrat Elon Musk and attacks against someone who is not running for president. As for his actual opponent, Trump quickly devolved into personal attacks that didn’t sound quite right either.
Trump then appeared to lose his train of thought as he complained about Democrats opposing the SAVE Act, a longshot Republican bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote in a presidential election—something that is already mandated by the federal government.
“Democrats don’t want voter ID, you know why because they want to cheat,” Trump said. “But they don’t wanna—I say, ohhh—they don’t wanna—when I first, I thought, I thought I was seeing things. I thought I was … like … I didn’t hear that when I first started this who—they’d say, ‘The Democrats will not approve voter ID.’ And it’s only gotten worse!”
Despite using a teleprompter, Trump often went off-script, and repeatedly seemed to get caught up in what he was saying. As the Republican nominee careened between subjects, he seemed to recall that he had talking points, but couldn’t quite nail down what they actually were.
“The word grocery—it’s a sort of simple word. It sort of means everything you eat. The stomach is speaking, it always does,” Trump said. “And I have more complaints about bacon, things going up. Double, triple, quadruple.”
Trump repeatedly got caught up over his choice of words. At another point, Trump continued to seem exceedingly insecure about his own incendiary rhetoric, as he attempted to deliver his fire-and-brimstone fearmongering about large foreign companies.*
“We allowed them to come in and raid and rape our country,” Trump said. “That’s what they did. ‘Oh, he used the word rape!’ That’s right, I used the word rape. They raped our country.”
Scattered in the drivel was plenty of misinformation. Trump falsely claimed that Harris hoped to “ban” gas-powered vehicles, even though her campaign has been a little less than clear on whether she plans to support Biden’s electric vehicle mandate (which is also not a ban by any means).
Trump did say one thing that rang true, though: “Our biggest threat to democracy is stupid people.”
Obama Roasts Trump for Everything From Selling Bibles to Needing a Diaper at Pittsburgh Rally | Video
Sharon Knolle – October 10, 2024
Barack Obama laid into fellow former President Donald Trump so thoroughly on Thursday that more than one X user quipped, “I’d like to report a murder.“
Obama, speaking at a rally in Pittsburgh, ticked off a long list of reasons why voters should reject Trump and vote for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris next month.
He disparaged “the constant attempts to sell you stuff” including gold sneakers, a $100,000 watch and the Trump Bible. “Who does that?” asked Obama with an incredulous shrug.
“You know, he wants you to buy the word of God, Donald Trump edition. Got his name right there next to Matthew and Luke,” he said of Trump’s “God Bless the USA Bibles,” which, it was reported this week, were printed in China. They are priced at $59.99 each.
Obama: Constant attempts to sell you stuff. Who does that? Selling you gold sneakers and $100,000 watch and most recently, a trump bible. You know, he wants you to buy the word of god, Donald Trump edition. Got his name right there next to Matthew and Luke. pic.twitter.com/JUzkTQikU3
The 44th president continued to blast the 45th, recalling his shock at finding out how much diapers cost after his oldest daughter Malia was born. “Do you think Donald Trump ever changed a diaper?,” he asked about the father of five.
One attendee shouted, “His own!”
Obama admitted with a laugh, “I almost said that, but I decided I should not say it.”
Trump was dubbed “Diaper Don” by the media in 2020 over reports that he wore adult diapers while filming the reality competition “The Apprentice.”
Trump supporters not only shrugged at the suggestion when it resurfaced during Trump’s tax fraud trial earlier this year, but proudly began wearing the absorbent underwear themselves at campaign events and carrying signs that read “real men wear diapers.”
Obama also blasted Trump for taking credit for the state of the economy when he took office in 2017. “I remember that economy when he first came in being pretty good. Yeah, it was pretty good, because it was my economy. It wasn’t something he did. I spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans had left me,” he said.
Watch a clip from the rally in the video above, and click through to @Acyn’s X account for more.
Fact check: Trump, on a lying spree, made at least 40 separate false claims in two Pennsylvania speeches
Daniel Dale, CNN – October 10, 2024
Former President Donald Trump is on a lying spree.
As Election Day draws nearer, the Republican presidential nominee has made false claim after false claim on a dizzying variety of subjects. He has both come up with new falsehoods on pressing issues, most notably the federal response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, and repeated old favorites about subjects he has been railing about since his 2016 presidential campaign.
We went through the speeches Trump made at his two Wednesday campaign rallies in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, one in Scranton and one in Reading. In those two addresses alone, he uttered at least 40 separate false claims.
Here is a fact check.
FEMA and migrants: Trump falsely claimed of the Federal Emergency Management Agency: “They have no money. You know where they gave the money? To illegal immigrants coming in.” He also said, “They spent all their funds; they have no funds to take care…”
This is false in two ways. FEMA does have money for the immediate responses to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, though a string of recent disasters has depleted its disaster relief fund; the fund had about $11 billion remaining as of Wednesday. And FEMA did not give all of its disaster relief money to undocumented people; rather, as mandated by Congress, FEMA also administers an entirely separate pool of money for sheltering migrants.
FEMA and employees: Trump added another false claim about FEMA, saying: “They have no workers, they have no nothing.” FEMA has more than 20,000 employees.
Harris and the response: Trump falsely claimed that as desperate people tried to survive Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris “didn’t send anything or anyone at all” to help them. There were extensive federal and state rescue and relief efforts in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene. It’s true that some residents died and others were stranded for days, but the state was not ignored by Harris or the Biden administration; North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, has repeatedly thanked President Joe Biden for his assistance.
Schools and transgender children: Trump told a slightly vaguer version of his usual false story about schools supposedly obtaining or performing gender-affirming surgeries for transgender children behind their parents’ backs, saying, “Your child go goes to school, and they take your child. It was a ‘he.’ And comes back a ‘she.’ And they do this…And often without parental consent.”
There is no evidence that US schools have sent children into gender-affirming surgeries without their parents knowing or performed gender-affirming surgeries on site; Trump’s own presidential campaign could not provide a single example of any of this ever happening. Even in states where gender-affirming surgery is legal for people under age 18, parental consent is required before a minor can undergo such a procedure.
Trump’s opponents and the election: In Reading, Trump falsely claimed of his election opponents: “They are cheatin’ dogs, I will tell you that.” In Scranton, he falsely claimed, “Their first meeting is: ‘How do we cheat?’” This is all nonsense. There is no basis for the claim that Trump’s opponents are election cheaters.
Harris’ previous presidential campaign: Trump repeated his false claim that, when Harris ran for president in 2020, “she was the first one to drop out, of like 22 people” in the Democratic primary. In fact, 13 other Democratic candidates dropped out of that primary before Harris exited in December 2019 – including the sitting or former governors of Washington, Montana and Colorado; the sitting mayor of New York City; andsitting or former members of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Harris and the press: Trump falsely claimed of Harris: “She doesn’t do any interviews.” Trump is entitled to argue that Harris has not done a sufficient number of interviews as the Democratic presidential nominee, but the assertion she doesn’t do “any” is wrong; Harris has done multiple interviews in recent weeks. Notably, Harris did an interview with the CBS News show “60 Minutes,” which aired Monday, while Trump backed out of his own interview with the show.
Harris-Walz and the Supreme Court: After correctly noting that Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, recently expressed support for getting rid of the Electoral College, Trump falsely claimed, “They want to add… they’re thinking about – first time I heard this number – 25: they want to have 25 Supreme Court justices.” There is no basis for the claim that Harris or Walz is pushing for a 25-justice Supreme Court.
Walz and menstrual products in schools: Trump disparaged Walz as “Tampon Tim,” then said, “You know why they call him that? ’Cause they sell tampons, with special legislation, in boys’ locker rooms.” Trump’s claim is false. The law Walz signed in 2023 requires schools to provide free menstrual products in bathrooms, not the sale of menstrual products in locker rooms – and all 18 public school districts that responded to CNN’s questions about the law say they do not provide the products in boys’ bathrooms. You can read more here.
Wind power: Trump repeated a familiar nonsensical story about how the use of wind power means people “can’t watch” television if “there’s no wind tonight.” Using wind power as part of a mix of power sources does not cause power outages when the wind isn’t blowing, as the federal Department of Energy explained on its website even during the Trump administration.
The Biden administration and electric vehicles: Trump falsely claimed that under a Biden administration electric vehicle mandate, “everybody’s got to have an electric car almost immediately.” There is no Biden administration requirement that consumers must buy an electric car or give up their existing gas-powered cars, “almost immediately” or otherwise. The Biden administration has made a push to get automakers to reduce emissions and adopt electric vehicles, but there is not a mandate for consumers; the tailpipe rules for automakers that were unveiled by the administration earlier this year aim to have electric vehicles make up 35% to 56% new vehicles sold in 2032.
The Paris climate accord and emissions: Trump repeated his false claim that under the Paris climate accord, the US “had to pay a trillion dollars” while some other countries didn’t have to pay.
Trump’s “trillion” figure is a wild exaggeration. Under the Obama administration, the US paid $1 billion of a $3 billion commitment it originally made in 2014. After Trump pulled the country out of the Paris accord, the US paid nothing to the global finance goal. And while Biden pledged $11.4 billion annually from the US, this level of funding hasn’t materialized. That’s because Congress, responsible for appropriating the nation’s budget, has allocated only a fraction of that – roughly $1 billion in 2022.
Harris’ comments on fracking: Trump said, “Listen to Kamala in her own words very recently,” then played two video clips in which Harris said she was in favor of banning fracking. But those clips are from 2019, beyond any reasonable definition of “very recently.” Harris has said during the 2024 campaign that she no longer favors banning fracking.
Venezuela, prisons and migration: Trump falsely claimed, “In Venezuela, many countries, they’re emptying their prisons into our country.” This is false. Trump has never corroborated this claim about Venezuela, let alone “many countries,” and experts have told CNN, PolitiFact and FactCheck.org that they know of no evidence for it.
“We have no evidence that the Venezuelan government is emptying its prisons or mental health institutions to send them outside the country, in other words, to the U.S. or any other country,” Roberto Briceño-León, founder and director of the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, an independent organization that tracks violence in the country, said in an email to CNN in June, after Trump made similar claims.
Venezuela, criminals and migration: Adding another colorful story about Venezuela, Trump falsely claimed that “they take the criminal gangs from Caracas off the streets and they bus them into the United States and drop them.” This is false. There is no evidence of Venezuelan authorities somehow busing gang members into the US.
The world prison population: Trump repeated his false claim that “the prison population all over the world is down, because they put them in our country.” The recorded global prison population increased from October 2021 to April 2024, from at least about 10.77 million people to at least about 10.99 million people, according to the World Prison Population List compiled by experts in the United Kingdom.
“I do a daily news search to see what’s going on in prisons around the world and have seen absolutely no evidence that any country is emptying its prisons and sending them all to the US,” Helen Fair, co-author of the prison population list and research fellow at the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research at Birkbeck, University of London, said in June, when Trump made a similar claim.
The number of migrants: Trump, speaking about migration, falsely claimed that “21 million people – plus – came into our nation” under the Biden-Harris administration. Through August, the country had recorded about 10.3 million nationwide “encounters” with migrants during the Biden-Harris administration, including millions who were rapidly expelled from the country; even adding in so-called “gotaways” who evaded detection, estimated by House Republicans as being roughly 2 million, there’s no way the total is “21 million.”
Harris, migrants and criminals: Trump, criticizing Harris on immigration, again wrongly described a set of statistics that was released in September. He falsely claimed in Scranton, “You saw that last week: 13,099 murderers allowed to come in, through them.” He falsely claimed in Reading that “as we speak she has – and this was just announced last week – 13,099, so over 13,000 illegal alien convicted murderers, roaming free in our country.”
This 13,099 figure includes people who are incarcerated in federal, state and local prisons and jails – and it includes people who entered the country over decades, including during Trump’s administration, not just under Biden and Harris. You can read more here.
Harris’ record as attorney general: Trump falsely claimed that when Harris was attorney general of California, “she said under no circumstances” will people be prosecuted for the crimes of child sex trafficking, assault with a deadly weapon or the rape of an unconscious person. Harris did not say anything like that; Trump was grossly mischaracterizing a debate over the language Harris’ office used to summarize California ballot initiatives.
Trump’s border wall: Trump repeated his false claim that “I built over 500 miles of wall” on the southern border. Official government data shows 458 miles were built under Trump – including both wall built where no barriers had existed before and wall built to replace previous barriers.
Trump’s crowds: Trump falsely claimed of his rallies: “We never have an empty seat.” There have been empty seats at numerous Trump rallies over the years – including hundreds at this very rally in Reading. And at many Trump rallies, some once-filled seats empty out during his speeches when supporters leave.
Trump’s crowd in Butler: Trump falsely claimed there were “over 100,000 people” at the rally he held Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, at the same site where a gunman had attempted to assassinate him in July. CNN affiliate KDKA in Pittsburgh reported that the Secret Service put the crowd at 24,000 people, while the Trump-supporting sheriff of Blair County, Pennsylvania, James Ott, said in his speech at the rally itself (more than three hours before Trump took the stage) that he was looking out at “21,000-plus people.”
Trump’s response to the assassination attempt: Trump, speaking of his response to the attempted assassination in July, falsely claimed, “I said as I was getting up – before I even got up – I said, ‘How many people were killed?’ Because, you know, it was wall to wall people, and I said, ‘How many people were killed?’ They said, ‘We think three, sir,’ and I said, ‘That’s not good.’”
Trump’s rally microphone picked up what was said by Trump and Secret Service agents while he was on the ground and just after, and he did not ask, before or after he got up, how many people were killed. It’s possible he did so after he was whisked off stage (and, of course, possible he was genuinely misremembering what happened in such a traumatic moment).
Trump and firefighters: Trump falsely claimed, “We got the firefighters endorse us, you probably heard.” But the actual recent national news was that the International Association of Firefighters had decided not to endorse any candidate in the race; while Trump is free to argue that this was a victory for him, given that the union endorsed Biden in 2020, it was not an actual endorsement. And while there were some people in the Scranton crowd holding “Scranton Firefighters for Trump” signs, the Scranton chapter of the union also has not issued an endorsement. The president of the chapter told the Scranton Times-Tribune that none of the people he saw holding the signs were active or retired local firefighters.
Trump and classified documents: Speaking of the criminal case against him over his post-presidency retention of classified documents, Trump repeated his false claim that “I had the Presidential Records Act; I was totally allowed to do it.” The Presidential Records Act says that, the moment a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration gets custody and control of all presidential records from their administration. (Trump’s case was dismissed by a federal judge in July on other grounds, that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutional; Smith has appealed.)
The New York Times and the Russia investigation: Trump, calling claims about his 2016 campaign’s connections to Russia a “scam,” repeated his false claim that The New York Times “admitted they were wrong” about the coverage that won its journalists a Pulitzer Prize along with journalists from The Washington Post.
“The claim is completely false,” Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said in an email to CNN in 2023, when Trump made a similar claim; Stadtlander noted that “the award was upheld by the Pulitzer Prize Board after an independent review” and said the Times’ reporting “was also substantiated by the Mueller investigation and Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the matter.”
The New York Times and the 2016 election: Trump repeated a false claim he made during his presidency, saying of The New York Times’ coverage of the 2016 election: “Remember in 2016 they had to do an editorial apologizing to their readers because they said, ‘He’s going to lose’…and then I won?”
As the Times noted in 2017 in response to such Trump claims, it did not apologize for its 2016 election coverage. It did publish a post-election letter, from then-executive editor Dean Baquet and publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., that said the election had raised several questions, including this: “Did Donald Trump’s sheer unconventionality lead us and other news outlets to underestimate his support among American voters?” But the letter did not include an apology, to Trump or anyone else.
Trump and the defeat of ISIS: Trump repeated his false claim that “we defeated ISIS in four weeks; it was supposed to take four or five years.” The ISIS “caliphate” was declared fully liberated more than two years into Trump’s presidency.
Military equipment surrendered to the Taliban: Trump repeated his false claim that “we gave $85 billion worth” of US military equipment to the Taliban. Trump’s figure is a massive exaggeration; the Pentagon has estimated that the equipment abandoned to the Taliban by Afghan forces upon their 2021 collapse was worth about $7.1 billion – a chunk of the roughly $18.6 billion worth of equipment provided to Afghan forces between 2005 and 2021.
Biden and foreign income: Trump repeated his false claim that “Biden got a lot of money from China.” After years of investigation by House Republicans, there is still no evidence Biden has received any Chinese money.
Chris Wallace and a question about the Biden family: Trump told his familiar false story about how he had asked Biden at a 2020 presidential debate why the wife of a mayor of Moscow had paid Biden $3.5 million – in fact, the money was sent to a firm connected to the president’s son Hunter Biden, not to the president – but moderator Chris Wallace, then of Fox News and now of CNN, had interjected to say, “Well, please don’t ask him that question.” Wallace never did that. As the transcript shows, Wallace interjected during this debate exchange to try to get Trump to allow Biden to answer Trump’s question about the payment, not to stop Trump from asking.
Inflation: Trump repeated his false claim that inflation under Biden and Harris is “the worst inflation in the history of our country.” Trump could fairly say that the US inflation rate hit a 40-year high in June 2022, when it was 9.1%, but that was not close to the all-time record of 23.7%, set in 1920, and the rate has since plummeted; the most recent available inflation rate at the time Trump spoke here was 2.5% in August.
Mortgage rates: Trump falsely claimed that young people can’t buy a house because interest rates are higher than 10%: “It’s not 10%, it’s 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 percent.” This is false. The average rate on a standard 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.12% in the week ending October 3, according to mortgage financing provider Freddie Mac, and 6.32% in the week ending October 10.
Trump’s tax cut: Trump repeated his false claim that “I gave you, as you know, the largest tax cut in the history of our country.” Expert analyses have found that his 2017 tax cut law was not the largest in US history, either in percentage of gross domestic product or in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Tariffs on China: Trump repeated two of his regular false claims about tariffs on imported Chinese products. He falsely claimed that China “paid hundreds of billions of dollars” in these tariffs during his presidency, then falsely claimed that before his presidency, “nobody ever brought in 10 cents, not one other – not 10 cents, you check those records.”
The 1890s and tariffs: Touting the supposed benefits of tariffs, Trump falsely claimed that in the 1890s, when the US had very high tariffs, “Our country was the richest it ever was.” The US is far richer today than in the 1890s; per capita gross domestic product is now many times higher than it was then.
The trade deficit with China: Trump repeated his frequent false claim that the US trade deficit with China has averaged “$500 billion” per year. The US has never had a $500 billion trade deficit with China even if you only count trade in goods and ignore the services trade in which the US traditionally runs a surplus with China; the all-time record, about $418 billion, was set under Trump in 2018.
Harris and taxes: Trump played a deceptively edited video showing “The View” co-host Meghan McCain saying to Harris in 2019, “Everything from a 70 to 80% tax rate,” and Harris responding, “I think that’s fantastic.”
This video cuts out key words from the exchange; Harris was not specifically endorsing high tax rates when she made the “fantastic” comment.
Here’s the transcript of the 2019 exchange:
McCain: “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the new darling of the party. She officially has more Twitter followers than Nancy Pelosi. She was on ‘60 Minutes’ this weekend proudly calling herself a radical. And she’s promoting policies like saying that every single carbon emission in the country, every car, should be eliminated within the next 11 years, everything from a 70 to 80 percent tax rate. Do you agree that she could possibly – and this ideology, of the socialist left – could splinter your party?”
Harris: “No. You know, I think that she is challenging the status quo. I think that’s fantastic. I think that – you know, I used to teach, before, especially before – in the last few years – and the thing that I always loved about teaching was when you teach, it requires you to defend the premise. And it requires you to re-examine the premise. And question, is it still relevant? Is it – does it have impact? Does it have meaning? And I think that she is introducing bold ideas that should be discussed. And I think it’s good for the party, I frankly think it’s good for the country. Let’s look at the bold ideas. And I’m eager that we have those discussions. And when we are able to defend status quo, then do it, and if there are – you know, if there’s not merit to that, then let’s explore new ideas.”
Biden’s documents case: Trump falsely claimed in Reading that, in an investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents, “Biden was essentially convicted” and in Scranton that “they ruled on him, they said he’s guilty.” Biden was not convicted, “essentially” or not, and was not found guilty; in fact, Biden was not even charged with a crime. The special counsel in the case, Robert Hur, wrote in his public report that “the evidence does not establish Mr. Biden’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” adding that “several defenses are likely to create reasonable doubt as to such charges.”
A supposed Biden gaffe: Mocking Biden’s gaffes, Trump falsely claimed, “But the worst was when he was in New Hampshire and he said, ‘It’s great to be in Florida.’ That’s palm trees.” This never happened. Biden has certainly made various geographic gaffes, as hasTrump, but he never said he was in Florida when he was actually in New Hampshire.
Longevity Experts Say This Seemingly “Healthy” Habit Can Actually Take Years Off Your Life
Emily Laurence – October 10, 2024
Aleksandr Zubkov via Getty Images
Getting 10,000 steps a day. Improving your VO2 max. Putting berries on your breakfast. What are the habits you embrace in an effort to live a long, healthy life? Certainly it’s the routines we do regularly that impact our health the most.
But there’s one well-intentioned habit in particular that longevity experts say can actually take years off your life instead of adding more to it: eating too much animal-based protein. Thought a high-protein diet was a good thing? As doctors explain here, getting too much can backfire.
Why Overemphasizing Protein Isn’t Actually Healthy
Ronnie Kaufman / Getty Images
Before we get into why too much protein isn’t good for longevity, it’s important to note that the nutrient is absolutely important. Dr. Suzanne J. Ferree, who is double-board-certified in family medicine and anti-aging and regenerative medicine, told HuffPost that it’s especially important to get enough as we age.
“The common theory is that we need to cut protein-rich foods as we age, but the research actually only supports this in younger people, not in those of us over 50,” Ferree said. Scientific research backs this up, showing that older adults need more protein than younger adults because our bodies naturally lose muscle as we age.
So yes, protein is absolutely important. How much protein a person needs each day varies based on one’s individual health and needs, but the Food and Drug Administration recommends aiming for 50 grams of protein a day as part of a 2,000-calorie diet. The problem is that many people are eating more protein than they need. On top of that, Americans are overconsuming a specific type of protein that isn’t all that healthy.
In general, there are two types of proteins: animal-based proteins and plant-based proteins. Research has shown that plant-based proteins are healthier than animal-based proteins. Unfortunately, Americans are consuming more of the latter than the former.
“A common mistake is the overemphasis on consuming a high-protein diet, particularly one rich in animal-based proteins, with the belief that it is essential for longevity and muscle preservation. Many people assume that the more protein they consume, the healthier they will be, leading to an overconsumption of animal products like meat, dairy and eggs,” said Dr. Monisha Bhanote, a quintuple-board-certified physician and longevity expert.
Most Americans are eating about 100 grams of protein a day, double the recommended amount. According to a Dietary Guidelines for Americans report, 75% of Americans meet or exceed the recommendation for meat, poultry and eggs. Bhanote says this is exactly what can take years off one’s life.
Anna Blazhuk / Getty Images
“Excessive consumption of animal-based proteins can actually accelerate aging and undermine cellular health, contrary to popular belief,” she said. She explained that the biggest reasons for this come down to two harmful compounds: advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).
“AGEs are harmful compounds that form when proteins or fats combine with sugar in the bloodstream,” Bhanote said. She explained that animal-based foods — especially if they are grilled, fried or roasted — are high in AGEs. Research shows that these compounds can accumulate in your tissues and, over time, can lead to oxidative stress and inflammation, which are key drivers of cellular aging. “AGEs damage proteins, DNA and other vital cellular structures, accelerating the aging process and contributing to chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s,” Bhanote said.
What about TMAO? Bhanote explained that elevated levels of TMAO have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke — all of which obviously are not good for longevity. “TMAO promotes the accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries and impairs the body’s ability to remove it, leading to inflammation and further damage to the cardiovascular system. This not only compromises heart health but also affects overall cellular function and longevity,” Bhanote said.
Related to the mistake many people make of overemphasizing protein in their diet, Raghav Sehgal, a Ph.D. student and Gruber fellow at Yale University whose research focuses on human aging, told HuffPost that one common mistake people make when it comes to longevity is focusing on “miracle diets” promising fast results. The biggie that’s relevant here: the ketogenic diet, which prioritizes fat and protein while minimizing carbohydrates. For many people doing keto, meat and eggs are hero foods; however, as previously explained, eating too many animal products can take years off your life.
How To Use Protein To Work For You, Not Against You
Mike Kemp / Getty Images/Tetra images RF
So, how should we approach protein with an eye toward longevity? Bhanote and Sehgal are of the same mind about this: Eat more protein-rich plants and fish.
While fish certainly isn’t a plant, it is thought of differently than animal-based proteins because it has a completely different nutritional makeup than meat, and scientific research has repeatedly shown benefits to human health when consumed regularly. Eating fish regularly has been associated with reducing the risk of premature death by 12%.
Sehgal explained that plant-based proteins (such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, soy, nuts and seeds) are loaded with antioxidants, fiber and nutrients that keep our hearts healthy, reduce inflammation and lower the risk of chronic diseases. “These foods are naturally low in AGEs and do not contribute to TMAO production, making them much gentler on your cells and overall health,” Bhanote added.
Scientific studies show that having a diet that prioritizes plant-based proteins lowers the risk of mortality associated with cardiovascular disease and other causes. In other words, replacing animal proteins with plant proteins can add years to your life.
Again, no one is disputing that protein is important. It’s crucial to get enough and, as Ferree pointed out, it’s especially important to get enough as we age. But other nutrients are important too, which is why Sehgal said the best diet for longevity is a balanced one that includes a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods.
The benefit of eating a balanced diet full of plants certainly isn’t revolutionary news, but it is backed up by many scientific studies. When it comes to longevity — and health in general — science-backed wins out over trendy and new. This article originally appeared onHuffPost.
A top nutrition scientist had a stroke at 53. He did 2 things to lower his blood pressure — and cutting out salt wasn’t one of them.
Serafina Kenny – October 9, 2024
The nutrition scientist Tim Spector changed his diet to lower his blood pressure after a stroke.ZOE/ Getty
The nutrition scientist Tim Spector had a stroke in 2012 and learned he had high blood pressure.
He made dietary changes to lower his blood pressure, which he shared with Business Insider.
Unusually, these changes didn’t include reducing his salt intake.
Just as he was about to ski down a mountain in 2012, Tim Spector started seeing double. The epidemiologist and nutrition scientist made it down safely, but he later discovered he’d had a mini-stroke.
Spector was 53 at the time — considerably younger than 74, the average age that people in the UK, where he’s from, were found to have strokes in a 2021 study published in the journal Stroke.
While strokes are seen as a condition affecting mostly older people, more younger people are having them. The prevalence of strokes in adults ages 18 to 44 increased by 14.6% from the years of 2011 to 2013 to the years of 2020 to 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After the stroke, Spector, who’s also the cofounder of the science and nutrition company Zoe, was diagnosed with high blood pressure. This is common after a stroke because most people who have one also have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.
Spector shared with Business Insider the two things he did to lower his blood pressure after his stroke.
Spector added a salt alternative to his diet
Patients with high blood pressure are commonly told to reduce the amount of salt they eat. This is partly because salt increases the amount of water the body retains, which in turn increases the pressure in the blood vessels.
But Spector said he struggled with eating “tasteless food” when he cut out salt. And it didn’t seem to have any impact on his blood pressure because Spector is “salt-resistant.” That means eating salt doesn’t hugely affect his blood pressure.
Instead, he ate more potassium, which the World Health Organization recommends to reduce high blood pressure, by using a salt alternative made from potassium.
Because levels of sodium and potassium in the body affect each other, the more potassium you eat, the more sodium is lost though the urine, according to the AHA. Potassium can also help the walls of blood vessels relax, easing the pressure inside.
He ate more fruits and vegetables
Spector was already eating a minimal amount of ultra-processed foods, which is also something stroke patients are typically advised to do. So to further improve his diet, he added healthy foods — fruit and vegetables, to be exact.
Eating more fruits and vegetables was linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure in a 2023 review of studies published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Researchers suggested this could be because they contain lots of potassium or because eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is also associated with a lower risk of obesity, which is a risk factor for high blood pressure.
Researchers still aren’t sure which foods are best for lowering blood pressure, but the British Heart Foundation recommends fruits and vegetables that are high in nitrates, such as beetroot, spinach, kale, strawberries, and bananas.
The AHA recommends following the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, to reduce the risk of stroke. The DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, poultry and fish, and nuts, and is low in fat, sugary beverages, red meat, and sweets.
BI previously reported on how to start the DASH diet.
Certain arm positions commonly used for blood pressure checks may lead to inaccurate results. Here’s the right way to do it
Jacqueline Howard, CNN – October 8, 2024
Certain arm positions commonly used for blood pressure checks may lead to inaccurate results. Here’s the right way to do it
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A new study found that having your arm in the wrong position during blood pressure checks — either at home or the doctor’s office — can result in readings “markedly higher” than when your arm is in the recommended position: appropriately supported on a table with the middle of the cuff positioned at heart level.
This suggests that not consistently having your arm positioned and supported appropriately during a blood pressure reading might result in a misdiagnosis of high blood pressure, which some experts worry could possibly lead to unnecessary treatment.
The study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that having your arm resting in the lap during a blood pressure reading can lead to an overestimated systolic blood pressure measurement by 3.9 mm Hg and overestimated diastolic reading by 4 mm Hg. And having your arm hang by your side can lead to an overestimated systolic reading by 6.5 mm Hg and overestimated diastolic reading by 4.4 mm Hg.
Blood pressure is measured in units of millimeters of mercury or mm Hg, which consists of two numbers – the upper or systolic reading and the lower or diastolic reading. A person is considered as having high blood pressure or hypertension if they have consistent readings of 130/80 or higher.
“Health care providers need to be reminded about the importance of taking the time to do these steps properly,” said the study’s senior author Dr. Tammy Brady, who serves as vice chair for clinical research in the department of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and medical director of the pediatric hypertension program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
“I just hope that it raises awareness regarding how important things like arm position are to blood pressure measurement accuracy,” Brady said about the study.
“I also hope this study educates patients, empowering them to advocate for proper measurement when they’re in a clinic setting,” she said. “But also, because so many patients rely on home blood pressure measurements for hypertension diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment, I hope this educates them on how to properly position their arms because our findings absolutely extend to measurements in the home.”
The researchers, from Johns Hopkins University, recruited 133 adults from Baltimore, Maryland, between August 2022 and June 2023, to participate in the study. The adults, ages 18 to 80, were randomly assigned to have their blood pressure measured while their arms were positioned in three different ways: supported on a desk, as is the recommended standard practice; supported on their lap; or hanging by their side, unsupported.
Each study participant underwent a total of 12 blood pressure measurements with their arms in each of those various positions.
Among the participants, when their arms were supported on a desk as recommended by the standard clinical guidelines, the average of their blood pressure reading was 126/74, the researchers found.
But when the participants’ arms were resting in their laps during their readings, the average blood pressure reading was 130/78, and when their arms were hanging by their sides, the average of their readings was 133/78.
“I did not expect there to be that much of a difference when the arms were placed in the two alternative positions. We tested those positions because those are the positions that most people have their blood pressure measured, according to data and personal observations,” Brady said. “We thought there’d be a difference, but I was surprised by how much of a difference there was.”
The researchers wrote that there are several physiological reasons why blood pressure measurements could be erroneously higher when the arm is not adequately positioned or supported. A greater vertical distance between the heart and where the cuff is placed can increase hydrostatic pressure in the arteries, or the pressure of the blood against the wall, due to gravity’s pull, leading to an overestimation of blood pressure. And an unsupported arm can lead to the muscle contracting, which may cause an increase in blood pressure.
“We know that arm position affects the blood pressure reading, what this study does is gives us a more precise measure of just how much this has an impact,” Dr. Nichola Davis, vice president and chief population health officer at NYC Health and Hospitals, who was not involved in the study, said in an email.
“This is seen in participants with all levels of blood pressure, but more pronounced in participants with elevated blood pressure. These are important findings because we diagnose and treat hypertension based on blood pressure readings, and these readings need to be accurate,” Davis said in the email.
The researchers wrote in the study that the “latest clinical practice guidelines emphasize several key steps for accurate measurement,” including:
Have the appropriate arm position – the cuff should be positioned at heart level with the arm supported on a desk or table.
Wearing the appropriate cuff size is key because an improperly sized blood pressure cuff can distort blood pressure readings taken by automated blood pressure devices. One study, published last year in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that using standard, regular-sized blood pressure cuffs resulted in “strikingly inaccurate” readings if a patient required differently sized ones, particularly for participants who fit larger cuffs.
There are some steps people should take before they have their blood pressure checked, said Dr. Gail Adler, a cardiovascular endocrinologist and co-specialist in the Hypertension Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who was not involved in the new study.
“In the 30 minutes before you take your blood pressure, you want no smoking, no exercise, no caffeine, no alcohol, and … no major arguments. Don’t be psychologically stressed,” Adler said.
“Then what you want to do is you want to sit in the chair, get in the right position, and for five minutes, you relax, you don’t talk, you rest your arm comfortably, you sit upright with your back straight, you keep your legs uncrossed and your feet flat on the floor. Make sure you don’t have to pee, if you have to pee or urinate, that’s going to raise your blood pressure,” she said. “And you’re not supposed to talk when you take your blood pressure, and the cuff should be against your arm. So you don’t want to put it over clothes.”
Because people often feel more calm and comfortable at home, “what we’re finding now is studies suggest that blood pressures measured at home are a better indicator of your usual blood pressure than blood pressures measured in the office,” Adler said.
Blood pressure measurements are often “suboptimally performed” in clinical practice, which can lead to errors that subsequently and inappropriately alter doctors’ decisions around managing a patient’s blood pressure in about 20% to 45% of cases, according to the American Medical Association.
“Anecdotally, I think all of us on the study team have started to pay more attention to how our blood pressures are being measured. I’ve certainly paid attention to how my kids’ blood pressures are being measured,” Brady said.
‘We shouldn’t make hasty judgments’
Having high blood pressure raises the risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States.
It’s estimated that nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, but only about 1 in 4 adults with high blood pressure has their blood pressure under control, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I don’t think that we are aggressive enough with the treatment of hypertension in America,” Dr. Dave Montgomery, a cardiologist at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, who was not involved in the new study, said in an email.
“Hypertension is one of the commonest risk factors for cardiovascular disease and among the easiest to treat and control. Still, hypertension is the culprit or major contributor to a large proportion of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality,” he said. “We too often miss the mark.”
Regarding the new study, he added that he doesn’t see a blood pressure reading that may be off by 4 to 5 mm Hg – due to arm position – leading to overdiagnosis or overtreatment, in the form of a new prescription or dose modification.
“If someone has normal blood pressure, 4 mmHg won’t change that. But in someone with a diagnosis of hypertension, 5-10 points may signal that we don’t quite have the control we seek,” Montgomery said. He added that blood pressure can change minute by minute, due to physical factors and someone’s psycho-emotional states.
“This means that in general we shouldn’t make hasty judgments about one blood pressure reading. But consistently high blood pressure should be treated aggressively,” he said. “This is how we lower the burden of heart disease.”
You’ve probably been checking your blood pressure wrong your whole life
Reda Wigle – October 8, 2024
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say accurate blood pressure readings depend on proper arm positioning — and many patients and practitioners are getting it wrong.
You’ve probably been checking your blood pressure wrong your whole life
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Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say accurate blood pressure readings depend on proper arm positioning — and many patients and practitioners are getting it wrong.
They’re up in arms!
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say accurate blood pressure readings depend on proper arm positioning — and many patients and practitioners are getting it wrong.
In the study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers compared blood pressure readings of 133 adults who held their arms in three different positions: resting on the lap, leaning on a surface and hanging by their side. They found that certain placements corresponded to a drastic increase in systolic pressure.
Incorrect arm positioning can seriously throw off blood pressure results. Natee Meepian – stock.adobe.com
Systolic measures pressure in the arteries when your heart beats — it’s represented by the first and higher number in a blood pressure reading.
The research team found that when participants had their arms hanging by their side, their systolic pressure was 6.5 points higher and their diastolic pressure was 4.4 points higher.
Accurate readings are dependent on the arm being supported, experts say. standret – stock.adobe.com
Diastolic pressure, the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats, is the bottom number in the reading.
Lap support overestimated systolic pressure by 3.9 points and diastolic pressure by 4 points.
Dr. Tammy Brady — a pediatrician epidemiologist and medical director of the pediatric hypertension program at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center — was surprised by her findings.
She noted that blood pressure discrepancies can result in the misdiagnosis of hypertension and patients being prescribed medication they do not need, which can create unwanted side effects.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say accurate blood pressure readings depend on proper arm positioning — and many patients and practitioners are getting it wrong. DC Studio – stock.adobe.comUnnecessary blood pressure medication can bring on unwanted side effects. fizkes – stock.adobe.com
“One of my hopes is that this will help inform patients as to how to do this on their own and also to tell their health care provider the right way,” Brady told NBC News. “Patients should be empowered to make sure the blood pressure measurement is accurate.”
The American Heart Association‘s recommended position for an accurate blood pressure reading is feet flat on the floor, back supported with arms leaning on a surface and cuff positioned at mid-heart level.
The organization also urges patients to avoid tobacco, caffeine and exercise within 30 minutes before testing.
The American Heart Association’s recommended position for an accurate blood pressure reading is feet flat on the floor, back supported with arms leaning on a surface and cuff positioned at mid-heart level. Johns Hopkins MedicineMore
Normal blood pressure is defined as less than 120 systolic pressure and less than 80 diastolic.
Stage 1 high blood pressure is when systolic is 130 to 139 or diastolic is 80 to 89. Stage 2 hypertension is systolic blood pressure of 140 or higher and a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher.
A couple of points could make all the difference in a diagnosis.
And the type of cuff used to measure blood pressure may be just as important as arm positioning.
Separate research published last year found that standard, or “regular,” blood pressure cuffs deliver “strikingly inaccurate” readings for patients who require a different size — particularly for those who need larger cuffs.
A 2023 study found that using the standard-sized blood pressure cuff can result in “strikingly inaccurate” readings for patients with smaller or larger arms. Getty Images/iStockphoto
It’s recommended to use a cuff that best fits the person’s arm, but experts found that medical professionals most often use medium-sized cuffs. These are typically the only size provided for at-home blood pressure monitors.
For those who find out their blood pressure is too high, experts suggest exercising regularly, consuming a nourishing diet, maintaining a healthy weight and quitting smoking.
After ’60 Minutes,’ Palm Beach County legislator calls for probe of Ian insurance payouts
Anne Geggis, Palm Beach Post – October 8, 2024
Reports that damage claims from Hurricane Ian were systemically downgraded has a Palm Beach County state lawmaker leading a call for a Florida grand jury and a select legislative committee to investigate.
Democratic state Rep. Kelly Skidmore of Boca Raton said the report on the CBS network news magazine “60 Minutes” that aired Sept. 29 echoes testimony heard during a 2022 House Commerce Committee meeting. During that hearing homeowners and insurance adjusters testified that valid claims from the hurricane two years ago were rejected and underpaid once it came time to make insured Floridians whole from the damage suffered.
“This exposé was, unfortunately, not news to us in Florida,” Skidmore said. “For nearly 30 years, Republicans have had full oversight and control over the insurance industry. The result? A downward spiral for property owners with no real solutions to the problem.”
The Florida House Democratic Caucus has sent a letter to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis asking for the special statewide grand jury to investigate whether illegal activity resulted in insurers giving Hurricane Ian victims short shrift. And another letter was sent asking for the select legislative committee to Speaker of the House-Designate Daniel Perez, a Miami area Republican, Skidmore said.
Governor DeSantis: Concern already addressed on Hurricane Ian insurance payouts
Asked about the Democrats’ request, a spokesman for the governor provided a clip of DeSantis reacting to the 60 Minutes’ report but not the call for the statewide grand jury. DeSantis said that safeguards against downgraded claims were already baked into reforms that were passed post-Hurricane Ian.
“We now have protections in Florida law that you can’t just disregard what the adjuster does,” DeSantis said, after noting he is “not much of a fan” of the CBS news magazine. “You actually have to have a clear, valid reason to be able to depart downward. That may not have been in place when Ian happened.”
DeSantis also noted that the company the news magazine focused on, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance, was fined $1 million last May for violating claims-handling requirements after Ian. Most of the findings in that March report, however, focused on handling claims in a timely manner and following procedures, rather than the actual amounts paid, although it did note Heritage’s failure to pay interest.
Kelly Skidmore
Heritage, for its part, issued a public statement after the 60 Minutes segment aired noting the program’s reporting omitted information the 12-year-old company had provided about improvements that were made in its claims-handling procedures in Ian’s wake. And also there was no deliberate effort to deceive customers about the value of their claims, Heritage said.
“It is important to point out that when we did our own review of Hurricane Ian claims following 60 Minutes’ outreach — using a random sample of 10,000 claims — we found that 4,162 of those were revised downward, 2,583 of them were revised upward and about 3,311 of them had no change from what the adjuster reviewed. This is further evidence that we work to pay every eligible claim,” the company statement reads.
Perez could not be reached by email, text or phone to respond to the Democrats’ call.
Florida property insurance a political hot potato
The same year that Hurricane Ian’s winds made landfall at nearly Category 5 strength, five property insurance companies became insolvent or stopped doing business in the state. Special legislative sessions were called to shore up the situation.
But Democrats were unhappy with many of the reforms that the Republican-dominated Legislature put in place. Those measures largely focused on stemming the tide of litigation from contested damage claims. But critics said the Legislature’s actions left consumers with little recourse to contest an insurance companies’ valuation of a claim.
More than a year out from those reforms, Floridians typically pay two to three times more for their property insurance premiums than the national average. The state’s potential for catastrophic hurricanes, the number of lawsuits and the financial industry’s reluctance to help insurers’ with the risk of those factors have been largely blamed for the state of affairs in providing ample and affordable property insurance.
Florida should lead the way in seeking solutions to the problem, Skidmore said, noting that Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz has proposed spreading the risk of these storms around a much wider area with a National Catastrophic Risk Pool. Moskowitz of Parkland has proposed that natural catastrophes like the one hurricanes Ian, Helene and, now possibly Milton present — with widespread, devastating damage — would be backed by the nation’s credit, instead of relying on private insurers and money markets to shoulder the worst sort of risks that have wiped out some insurers faced with a crush of damage claims.
“I am renewing my call to act and support Congressman Moskowitz’s efforts to, at the very least, have a conversation about creating a National Catastrophe Risk Pool,” Skidmore said in a prepared statement.
The risk pool idea is similar to a bill former Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist proposed when he represented Pinellas County. Moskowitz’s bill, introduced in March 2023, has not gotten a committee hearing or a cosponsor.
How to prepare: Hurricane Guide 2024
Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network.
Hurricane Milton is set to pass directly right over my house. I’m ready.
Hurricanes are an unfortunate lifestyle that Floridians have embraced.
Sean Kernan – October 7, 2024
Me and a friend helping a flooding vehicle after a storm.
I was a young boy, living with my grandparents in a brick, sturdy home, that my grandfather built by hand. The morning before the storm came in, I helped him board up our windows.
I leaned into his ladder with all of my weight, keeping it sturdy as he stood at the top, swinging his hammer to bolt on another board.
“Do these boards even help?” I asked, adding to my endless list of questions.
“Yes, dang it. Now hold that ladder,” he said, getting frustrated with a loose board.
“It’s going to be a strong storm,” he growled. “You need to toughen up and be prepared to help me when it hits. Anything can happen.”
Grandpa was born in the Great Depression, and had this gruff way about him, that wasn’t always pleasant, but was underscored by caring and love, no matter how harsh he seemed.
“But it rains here all the time Grandpa. We got a big storm before, and – “
“Not like this one,” he said, interrupting me before I could finish.
Hurricane Andrew hit us directly that night. People forget how apocalyptic the storm was, with winds stronger than that of Hurricane Katrina. It certainly lived up to its reputation with us.
The wind picked up in the wee hours that night, with thin drops pelting our house sideways like pellets. I stared out the window intermittently that night, noticing the branches and leaves moving side to side, then up and down. Sometimes, they’d bend far to one side in the wind, stuck in that position like the tree was stretching its limbs before a workout.
I slept for one hour before I heard a huge explosion outside. A transformer had blown as a power line came down. The house heated up within minutes, sending an intrusive thick blanket of humidity crawling into the house, reminding us that the storm wasn’t our only problem. Losing your power in August in Florida could feel like a death sentence. Unfortunately, it was, for some. Our power wouldn’t return for two days.
The wind grew and grew. The sound of rain hitting the house also grew louder, as the droplets began sounding like bullets hitting the brick walls. Our roof creaked in agony, like a giant ship at sea, struggling to stay afloat during a storm.
Eventually, the wind was so strong that the seams on our windows, and other small cracks in our structure, started to whistle and scream like a banshee haunting the building. That part scared me more than anything else. Not even the vibrating brick walls terrified me as much as that howling. I can still hear it.
At 4 AM, I heard my grandmother calling out to me, “Sean. Help me.” Feeling panicked, I rushed out into the dining room, which was pitch black. Shuffling my feet, attempting to remember every minor obstacle, I inched forward and saw a figure on the floor, her form crumpled on the ground. Terror set upon me and, for a moment, I thought my grandmother was dead. She’d clearly fallen.
“Help me get up, Sean,” she said, meekly from the floor.
My towering grandfather suddenly loomed in the kitchen, his dark form behind me. Inexplicably, he seemed angry at grandma, saying, “What are you doing down there Vivian! Get up!”
“She fell grandpa!” I said, pleadingly.
Grandma shouted up, “What do you think I’m doing? Looking for pennies? You fool!”
The stress of the situation had gotten to everyone. I was unsettled that night, though not terrified. An hour later, I heard the sound of groaning wood from my bedroom, which grew progressively louder until I heard a large collapsing sound. Peeking through my blinds, I saw a huge tree in our backyard, with a five foot wide trunk that had been pulled sideways.
The storm wasn’t the first or last I’d experience, but was certainly the strongest.
The morning came, and I stepped outside to see a different neighborhood. Across the street, one neighbor’s entire roof was peeled off, like a giant had come and lifted it, while looking for people to snack on.
The street was littered with shingles and branches. Small pieces of debris that had once been part of our homes blew in the wind. The air was eery and still — a striking contrast to the night before.
A neighbors car was impaled with a large branch, right through the front of the driver’s side window. It brought home how dangerous these storms could be.
The streets weren’t even flooded either. Only a few puddles here and there. If you live in Florida long enough, you learn that every hurricane is its own monster, a howling feral beast with invisible hands. Some unleash torrents of rain, turning streets into rivers. Others, like Andrew, wielded the wind like a weapon, ripping through everything in sight with brutal force.
I walked through our circular neighborhood, eventually bumping into other boys I knew. Our childlike capacity for play kicked in, and we spent hours climbing over uprooted trees, walking on branches that were once far too high for our reach.
In an instant, we forgot the chaos and devastation, and started having fun in that moment, as only a child can.
There was an enormous live oak, which was more than a hundred years old, and had been turned horizontal. I got up on it, and began working my way to what was formerly the top branch, which stood nearly 40 meters.
As I balance beamed my way over a high branch, I heard a deep voice, “Hey you! Kid! Get down from there!”
A fireman, in full attire, was standing below the knocked down tree, holding an axe. Behind him, was a huge black truck, that was quickly filling with branches. These rescue crews were working their way through the neighborhood, checking homes and clearing roads.
And so ended our day of play in the apocalyptic landscape around us. Sadly, many families lost so much that day, including loved ones who were ripped from their lives. Perhaps it was a blessing that I was young, and not capable of comprehending the loss so many were experiencing. It’s hard to even conceive of that pain as I look back now upon our neighborhood.
A reflection on the current threat
I was born in Florida and have lived here most of my adult life. There’s a silent pact you make when moving here. You know what it entails, and that storms are an inevitability.
Recently, I’ve been getting many heartfelt messages. I live in Tampa, where a storm is barreling down upon us. As of my writing this, the storms path is aimed directly over my house, only a few days from now.
My home is the X.
The worst part of moments like this isn’t fear per se, but more the uncertainty. You just want to know one way or the other if it is going to hit. You also get into this weird mindset where you are watching the radar, wishing to move the storm north or south, which would inevitably hit another city instead. It isn’t a conscious wish for the demise of another, but an odd though many peers and I experience.
If it does hit, this would be the fifth direct hit hurricane I’ve experienced, on top of the many others that have grazed us. My mindset as a boy was more that of fear of my physical health. Today, I tend to worry more about damage to my property, and the health of those around me. I know that my home is sturdy and strong, but many homes are not. They stand to lose much. Because property insurance has become so extraordinarily expensive, many can’t afford it. I’m currently in evacuation Zone C, and waiting to see what the updates entail.
Another hurricane is upon us. These storms become a sort of lifestyle choice for us Floridians. Even when hurricanes aren’t hitting, we get massive storms slamming into us on the regular.
Alas, we move here knowing what to expect. We leave a few chips on the poker table. The comforting smell of salty air carries the subtle promise of chaos, the grim possibility that mother nature shall return to remind us who is queen.
To those of you in the path, please be safe. Listen to your evacuation orders. Your life is more important than your home.
I’m a former financial analyst turned writer out of sunny Tampa, Florida. I began writing eight years ago on the side and fell in love with the craft. My goal is to provide non-fiction story-driven content to help us live better and maximize our potential.
The nation’s eyes are on Florida as Hurricane Milton seems poised to strike the state this week — nearly two weeks after experiencing the destruction of Hurricane Helene.
Residents of the Sunshine State are no strangers to hurricanes, but experts are sounding the alarm over Milton. The storm rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane Monday, only one day after it officially became a hurricane, and “is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday,” according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Here’s why experts are concerned about the storm.
Rapid intensification
The storm officially became a hurricane Sunday, according to the NHC, and on Monday, it had already intensified into a Category 5 hurricane. Rapid intensification, per the NHC, is when “the maximum sustained winds of a tropical cyclone” rise “at least 30 knots in a 24 hour period[.]” Thirty knots is equal to just below 35 miles per hour (mph).
“This is what rapid intensification looks like, going to sleep to a meh category 1 hurricane & waking up to a monster category 5 with 160 mph winds,” CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa said in a post on the social platform X Monday that featured maps with Milton.
“Truly mind-boggling & scary,” Raffa continued in her post. “This is the trend as our oceans continue to trap heat & fuel stronger storms.”
The science nonprofit Climate Central noted Milton’s rapid intensification in a thread on X Monday, stating that oceans rising in temperature “due to human-caused climate change, are fueling stronger tropical cyclones.”
“#Milton rapidly intensified over sea surface temperatures in the Western Gulf of Mexico, which have been made hundreds of times more likely to be anomalously warm due to climate change,” Climate Central said later in the thread.
A Florida meteorologist who recently got emotional when talking about the severity of Milton said that the Gulf of Mexico, where the storm is currently located, has waters that are “so incredibly hot.”
“You know what’s driving that, I don’t have to tell you … global warming, climate change leading to this and becoming an increasing threat,” John Morales said.
Risk of damage
The NHC said in a forecast discussion Monday that “Milton is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.”
“A large area of destructive storm surge will occur along parts of the west coast of Florida on Wednesday,” the agency continued. “This is an extremely life-threatening situation, and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”
Beyond the storm surge, the NHC also said that possibly “devastating hurricane-force winds are expected along portions of the west coast of Florida where a Hurricane Warning is in effect” and that zones “of heavy rainfall will impact portions of Florida today well ahead of Milton, with heavy rainfall more directly related to the system expected later on Tuesday through Wednesday night.”
“This rainfall will bring the risk of considerable flash, urban, and areal flooding, along with the potential for moderate to major river flooding,” the agency continued.
Bryan Bennett, a Tampa-area meteorologist, said in a post on X Monday that Milton “COULD BE OUR KATRINA,” referencing the cataclysmic 2004 storm that caused mass destruction in New Orleans.
“Winds rotate counterclockwise around a hurricane,” Bennett said. “If the storm makes landfall in Pasco [County] or Pinellas [County], not only will it significantly flood [Clearwater] & St. Petersburg, but much of south Tampa, MacDill [Air Force Base], & downtown Tampa may go underwater.”
Bennett also said when the storm makes landfall, “winds are going to be sustained around 125, gusting to 155 mph,” adding that a wind speed at “150 mph wind is strong enough to take off a roof and damage exterior walls of a well built home.”
“I typically try to keep my message calm & low key,” Bennett said in his post. “But, the potential devastation that this storm may cause is the reason for my concern/worry for my home -Tampa Bay. That is also why I am pushing for so many people to please evacuate.”
