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Durkee Fire creates extreme storms, wind and closes I-84 in eastern Oregon

Statesman Journal

Durkee Fire creates extreme storms, wind and closes I-84 in eastern Oregon

Emma Logan, Salem Statesman Journal – July 25, 2024

The Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon reached 244,858 acres as of Wednesday morning. The area is expecting hurricane force winds along with thunder and lightning storms Wednesday night.

This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. Thursday

One of the biggest fires burning in the United States is the Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon. As of Thursday morning, the fire was reported to be at least 270,000 acres and is 0% contained. The National Weather Service said storms brought close to 3,000 lightning strikes in the area.

The Oregon Department of Transportation closed Interstate 84 from Pendleton to Ontario on Wednesday due to unpredictable fire activity in the area. ODOT does not have an expected opening and travelers should not plan to use I-84 for travel. Check TripCheck for updates.

Heading into Wednesday afternoon, the area is under a red flag warning, hurricane force winds and a flash flood warning, according to the Durkee Fire updates. The National Weather Service also expects extreme thunderstorms and lightning in the area.

Due to the immense heat the Durkee Fire is creating and the existing winds, it is creating its own storms and changing the overall wind patterns.

“We call those pyrocumulus and you end up with a thunderstorm over the fire because there’s so much heat and just enough moisture above the fire to get a storm that forms,” Mike Cantin, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Boise, Idaho, said.

This happens due to the air surrounding the fire being drawn toward the fire creating erratic winds in the area. The gusty winds created could spread to other areas and elevate the danger for firefighters.

The Durkee Fire in Baker County has impacted travel on Interstate 84 Tuesday and Wednesday. The Oregon Department of Transportation recommends using US 20 as an alternate route.

“The low elevation fuels, all the grass, the sagebrush, all of the trees below 6,000 feet are ready to burn. Any ignition source no matter how small can start another major wildfire,” Cantin said.

The Durkee Fire experienced growth on Tuesday due to lightning ignitions over the weekend. This led to temporary closures of Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon for a majority of Tuesday.

On Saturday, Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the fire.

“The wildfires in Eastern Oregon have scaled up quickly,” Kotek said in a new release on Wednesday. “We are facing strong erratic winds over the region that could impact all fires. Rain is not getting through. Some communities do not have power. The situation is dynamic, and the teams on the ground are taking it day by day. I have deployed resources from the National Guard that are currently serving eastern and southwestern Oregon. I know these communities are supporting one another, doing their part to heed the guidance from officials and showing tremendous gratitude for our firefighters.”

On Friday, the Oregon State Fire Marshal sent structural protection resources in the form of firefighters and equipment to fight the fire in Eastern Oregon.

The fire was first reported last Wednesday and sparked by lightning strikes. The fire has brought level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations around Baker County. An evacuation map can be found at bit.ly/3YaNUJ0

“If you are outside, don’t create any sparks. Don’t drag a chain, if you are driving an RV make sure your chains are tied up, don’t park your car over grass, the heat of the engine could ignite it,” Cantin said. “This is one of those critical situations, that’s why fire are getting so big the weather is just right and the grass and sage and trees are ready to burn, all it takes is just a little bit.”

Here’s the latest on wildfires burning across Oregon.

Slate Fire burning 5 miles south of Detroit Dam

The Slate Fire in Willamette National Forest grew to at least 45 acres on Wednesday and was burning 5 miles south of Detroit Dam.

A multi-agency response performed suppression activities over Tuesday night. An air attack took place Wednesday as suppression attempts continue.

Forest Service Road 2212 will be closed from the dam to FS Road 1133 intersection to assist emergency crews’ access.

There are no current evacuation orders as of Wednesday afternoon.

Boneyard Fire reaches 49,716 acres at 3% containment

A level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order has been issued in Monument and from the south Morrow County line, north to Forest Service Road 21 and to the east Morrow County line for the Boneyard Fire in northeastern Oregon.

The fire was reported to be 49,716 acres and 3% contained as of Wednesday.

There is potential for the Boneyard Fire to merge with the 56,139-acre Monkey Creek Fire to the east.

An evacuation center has been set up at Grant Union High School (911 S Canyon Blvd., John Day).

A community meeting for the fire is panned 6 p.m. Thursday at the Long Creek High School gym (375 E Main St., Long Creek).

Parts of Oregon see 75 days without rain as fires rage

As more than a dozen fires burned on national forestland in the Pacific Northwest, some areas have gone more than 75 days without rain as of Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The record dryness was partly due to the lack of moisture in the Pacific Northwest. The Fremont-Winema and Deschutes national forests had gone more than 75 days without rain.

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in southern Oregon and Wallowa-Whitman in the east had both gone at least 45 days without rain, as has the Okanogan-Wenatchee.

Crews work on the Falls Fire burning in Grant and Malheur counties. There were at least 14 fires burning on national forest lands in the Pacific Northwest Region on Tuesday.

The lightning storms last week produced more than 2,000 strikes in 48 hours, causing rapid wildfire growth in already dry timber regions.

“This is shaping up to be another monster fire year in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s just mid-July,” said Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest assistant fire director for operations.

Every year, 75% of wildfires are human-caused, according to the Forest Service. In an effort to reduce this, all 17 national forests in the region were in campfire restrictions.

Temperatures were expected to cool by the end of the week, but the lack of moisture was expected to continue to keep forests and grasslands at critical fire conditions, the Forest Service said.

Campfires temporarily banned at Oregon State Parks

Campfires are banned at most state parks due to dry conditions and the strain on firefighting resources, the Oregon Parks and recreation Department announced Tuesday. All parks east of the Cascades will be under campfire bans. Fires and open flames will also be banned at parks in high-risk areas until conditions improve.

A list of parks under the campfire ban are listed at bit.ly/4fdeLud

Several parks have been closed due to wildfires including Battle Mountain Forest Scenic Corridor, Farewell Bend State Recreation Area, East and West Hatfield Trailheads on the Columbia River Highway State Trail and Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor.

OPRD encourages visitors to check park webpages before visiting. Find updated information at stateparks.oregon.gov/

Ray Benson Sno Park temporarily closed to station firefighters

The Willamette National Forest has temporarily closed the Ray Benson Sno Park. The area will be used as an incident command post for nearby wildfires.

The Ray Benson site is located within the Santiam Pass Recreation Area. The access road FS Road 2690-902 will also be closed. The remainder of the Santiam Pass Recreation Area remains open.

Rocky Mountain Complex includes seven lighting started fires

The lightning storm on July 17 ignited seven wildfires to the north, south and southeast of Oakridge and Westfir. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Team 1 assumed command of the fires on Tuesday.

Fire suppression efforts are underway beginning with fires deemed highest priority — Chalk, Coffeepot and Moss Mountain fires.

The Chalk Fire is the largest of the complex at 2,247 acres and 0% containment. Infrared flights on Tuesday revealed the fire grew by 1,000 acres. The Chalk Fire shares a perimeter with the 2021 Gales Fire scar, which should slow progress and help crews contain the flames.

The rest of the fires in the complex are:

208: 112 acres, 0% contained
217: 32 acres, 0% contained
Coffee Pot Fire: 613 acres, 0% contained
McKinley: estimated 26 acres, partially contained
Moss Mountain: 168 acres, 0% contained
Tire Mountain: estimated 20 acres, partially contained

There are no evacuations in place. There are closures on the vicinity of effected areas. Closure information and maps can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd552029

Lane 1 wildfire prompts level 1 evacuation warnings

The Lane 1 Fire burning southeast of Cottage Grove has prompted Level 1 ‘Be Ready’ evacuation orders for areas east of Cottage Grove, according to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. As of Tuesday evening, the fire has burned 1,090 acres.

Areas east of Disston starting at Brice Creek Road milepost 0.7 and following Brice Creek Road south are under the Level 1 notice.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office has closed Brice Creek Road east of the Umpqua National Forest Boundary and all of Sharps Creek Road. People camping in the Brice Creek, Sharps Creek, Champion Creek, Bohemia and Fairview Peak areas are advised to leave now.

Air quality advisory issued for southern, central and eastern Oregon

The Department of Environmental Quality’s air quality advisory due to fire smoke issued on Monday is still in effect until further notice. The air quality advisory is for the following counties: Grant, Wheeler, Crook, Deschutes, southern Umatilla and southern Morrow, Klamath, eastern Douglas, and northern Harney and northern Malheur counties

The DEQ expects intermittent smoke in Union, Baker, Wallowa, Jackson, Josephine, Gilliam, eastern Lane and northern Lake counties due to smoke from fires in Oregon.

Areas east of the southern Oregon fires like Crescent and Diamond can expect periods of unhealthy air quality conditions, according to the DEQ. Roseburg and Cottage Grove should remain good with little impact from smoke.

Smoke levels can change rapidly. Up to date information can be found on the DEQ’s Air Quality Index.

Light winds expected to lessen fire activity of Pyramid Fire over next three days

The lightning-caused Pyramid Fire burning east of Sweet Home in the Tombstone Pass area north of Highway 20 and south of Detroit near Santiam Junction remains at 535 acres and 0% contained as of Wednesday morning.

Significant progress has been made toward the opening of roads and establishment of a control line around the fire’s perimeter, the news release said. Additional crews and firefighting equipment will be added to strengthen suppression efforts.

Due to the fire burning in an old-growth forest, fire behavior specialist Jeff Shelton does not anticipate significant fire activity to occur in the next three days. The light wind is causing the smoke to behave like a lid holding the fire’s activity.

There was increased fire activity in the southwest flank, but very little activity was observed in the remainder of the area, according to the update. The control focus on Tuesday was to protect the Middle Santiam Wilderness, private industrial timberlands and nearby communities.

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday night “There is still no imminent danger to structures, the town of Sweet Home, or of closures to Highway 20” despite the fire behavior and dangerous conditions.

Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan issued a level 3 “go now” evacuation order for a large area of the Sweet Home Ranger District that mostly includes hiking trails and campgrounds in the Old Cascades region. The evacuation was coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service, and a closure of the area was likely. View a map of the closure area at tinyurl.com/LinnCoFireMap.

Ore Fire continues to grow amid rugged conditions and extreme fire behavior

The Ore Fire burning 7 miles northeast of Blue River was burning 860 acres as of Wednesday morning.

Fire managers are focusing on activities with the highest probability of success and least amount of risk to firefighters, communities and resources. The rugged and steep terrain, falling rocks, rolling debris, fire-weakened trees and extreme weather conditions continue to pose safety challenges for crews.

Burning debris rolling down steep slopes caused the fire to cross the established control line at FS 1509 Road on Tuesday. Firefighters were able to control the flames but falling debris will remain a challenge.

Buck Mountain Trail, Tidbits South and West Trail, Gold Hill Trail, Mona Campground, Lookout Campground and Saddle Dam Boat Launch are closed.

Other closures in the Willamette National Forest due to fire-impacted areas can be found at bit.ly/4dcWMCl

Homestead Complex reaches 910 acres

The Homestead Complex Fire, a group of fires in the Umpqua National Forest, had a combined 910 acreage total Wednesday morning.

The incident management teams assigned to the Homestead Complex and Diamond Complex will hold a joint community meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the Old Glide Middle School Gym.

On Tuesday, crews worked in both directions on the 258-acre the Horse Heaven Creek Fire, the most active in the complex, until fire activity intensified causing a switch to indirect tactics. Attempts at aviation intervention were thwarted due to thick smoke. Crews will try and build a containment line today, the news release said.

The steep and rugged terrain of the 267-acre No Man Fire makes it difficult to get firefighters on the ground near the fire’s edge. Crews will work to establish indirect control lines.

As of Wednesday, containment lines are being established for the 84-acre Reynolds Butte Fire and the 35-acre Lost Bucket Fire.

The 38-acre Fuller Lake Fire and 110-acre Bullpup Fire will remain unstaffed until resources become available.

The Umpqua National Forest issued closures for all of the Cottage Grove Ranger District and parts pf the Diamond Lake, North Umpqua and Tiller ranger districts. Boulder Flat Campground and Boat Launch are closed under the order.

BLM closes public lands due to wildfires southeast of Cottage Grove

Bureau of Land Management public lands southeast of Cottage Grove are closed due to wildfires in the areas of Sharps Creek and Clark Creek.

“The closure is for public and firefighter safety, and to allow fire suppression crews to continue to safely respond to the incident,” according to a Saturday news release from the BLM Northwest Oregon District.The closure area includes:

The Sharps Creek Campground and BLM-managed public lands southeast of the town of Dorena, surrounding Sharps Creek Road (County Road 2460 / BLM Road No. 23-1-12) and Clark Creek Road (BLM Road No. 23-1-13). It includes BLM lands in Township 22S, Range 1W, and Township 23S, Range 1W, Sections 1-3, 11-14, 22-24, 26-27, 33-34.

These areas are closed to the public and for activities including hiking, mining, hunting and camping.

BLM said Sharps Creek Road and Clark Creek Road are open to residents in the closure area.

For more info and a map, go to: blm.gov/orwafire.

Favorable weather helps crews fighting Microwave Tower Fire near Mosier

Crews were able to make progress by establishing lines on the east end of the 704-acre fire, as of Wednesday morning.

The fire has continued to creep down a north-facing ridge along I-84 and west of Mosier.

Authorities estimated 100 homes under level 3 and 500 residents were threatened in the Mosier area. Residents in Mosier west of the Columbia Gorge were being asked to evacuate due to the Microwave Tower Fire, which is being driven by strong winds.

Here are the evacuation levels for areas in Mosier related to the fire:

Level 3 “go now”: From Highway 30 south of Proctor Road, east to Huskey Road and the border of Mosier and west to the Hood River County line.
Level 2 “get set”: Mosier and from Huskey Road east to Mosier Creek Road and south to Jasper Lane.
Level 1 “be ready”: From Mosier Creek Road, east to Dry Creek Road, north to Mosier border and south to Osborn Cutoff Road.

There is a Red Cross shelter available for evacuees at Hood River Middle School, 1602 May St.,, Hood River, OR., 97031.

The fire started Monday afternoon west of Rattler Ridge west of Mosier.

The fire is burning in grass and timber and was being pushed eastwards by strong westerly winds.

“The fire has seen moderate activity with intermittent single tree torching, some flanking and smoldering creating a moderate amount of smoke,” according to a Wednesday update from the Oregon Department of Forestry. “The fire also saw growth backing down the north slope. With the expected increased winds today, crews are ready to address increased fire behavior. There is a potential for increased smoke in the area.”

For info on evacuation levels, go to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff/

20 fires burn at least 3,811 acres in the Diamond Complex

In the past 24 hours, 8 new fires at a combined 62 acres have been identified and added to the Diamond Complex on the Diamond Lake Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest. The complex is 3% contained.

All fires are under a full suppression strategy with firefighters directly attacking the fire line where feasible.

These are the active fires in the complex:

Pine Bench: 1,472 acres (north of Highway 138 near Dry Creek)
Trail: 827 acres (east of Highway 138 on the west slope of Mount Thielsen)
Lemolo: 518 acres (north of Lemolo Lake on Bunker Hill)
Pig Iron: 27 acres (Pig Iron Mountain north of Highway 138)
Watson: 144 acres (north of Highway 138 on Watson Ridge)
Brodie: 95 acres (about 5 miles south of Highway 138 and south of Devils Canyon)
Trep: 101 acres (about 4 miles south of Highway 138)
Garwood: 5 acres (about 3 miles southwest of Mount Bailey)
Slide: 0.1 acres (northeast of Pine Bench)
Potter: 327 acres (north of Highway 138 about 2 miles southeast of Potter Mt.)
Ooya: 123 acres (north of Highway 138 about 1 mile northeast of Bird Point)
Clearwater: 7 acres (south of Highway 138 about 5 miles northwest of Diamond Lake)
Elephant: .07 acres (2 miles southwest of Lemolo Lake)
Lost Bear: 5 acres (2 miles south of Hwy 138)
Lost: 12 acres (4 miles south of Hwy 138)

The eight newest fires have not been named and are widely scattered in the area.

A level 2 “be set” evacuation warning was issued due to the Boulder Flat/Pine Bench Fire east of Roseburg and Glide in the North Umpqua Canyon near Toketee Falls. The evacuation was for homes in the Slide Creek area downstream to the Soda Springs area due to a fire near Soda Springs and Pine Bench in Toketee. A map of the evacuation area can be found here: bit.ly/4dc3qsB.

The weather on Tuesday was forecast to be lower in relative humidity and slightly higher in temperature. The conditions will support increased fire spread and spotting potential. This will add to the challenging fire behavior due to rugged and steep terrain.

Lemolo Fire reaches 404 acres in Douglas County

The Lemolo Fire in Douglas County had reach 423 acres as of Wednesday morning and was 0% contained.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday night issued level 3 “go now” and level 2 “be ready” evacuation orders for the Lemolo Fire. The fire was reported to be at least 373 acres as of Sunday night.

Level 3 evacuations were issued for:

Bunker Hill Campground
Kelsay Valley Campground
The North Umpqua Trail between USFS 2612 Road and Windigo Pass intersection, west to North Umpqua Trail as it intersects with USFS 2612 Road.

This includes all areas on north and northeast side of Lemolo Lake, according to the sheriff’s office.

Level 2 evacuation orders have been issued for:

East Lemolo Campground
USFS 2614 Road south of Inlet Campground, including Kelsay Valley, Pumice Flat and Elbow Butte areas.
Poole Creek Campground/Boat Ramp
Lemolo KOA Campground

An evacuation map can be found at www.dcso.com/evacuations

Find more info at the Diamond Complex Fire Information Facebook page.

Falls Fire reaches 140,422 acres and 50% containment in Grant and Harney counties

The Falls Fire burning in Grant and Harney counties near Burns was 140,422 acres and was 50% contained as of Wednesday morning.

A cold front bringing wind and thunderstorms is anticipated to hit the Falls Fire area on Wednesday evening.

The fire was reported to be active on Monday afternoon due to southwest winds, which prompted growth along parts of the northern perimeter of the fire, according to the Tuesday morning update.

On Tuesday, Oregon State Fire Marshal crews were set to remain active on the northeast, east and southern parts of the fire.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal requested help from California to protect life and property against the fire on Friday.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services provided three strike teams with 15 fire engines and 80 firefighters from nine different counties to provide structural protection.

Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation orders remained in place in Grant and Harney counties. The Harney County Sheriff’s evacuation map can be found at bit.ly/4d1XvX2 for the most accurate evacuation notices.

Ten residences and 13 “other” structures were destroyed in the early stages of the fire, according to Oregon State Fire Marshal structure teams.

This fire forced the closure of several areas in the Malheur National Forest. Emigrant Creek Campground, Falls Campground, Yellowjacket Campground and Delintment Lake Campground were all closed.

Round Mountain, Wickiup fires burn in Central Oregon

The Round Mountain and Wickiup fires on Deschutes National Forest remained at a combined 276 acres as of Tuesday morning. The Wickiup Fire is now 50% contained and Round Mountain is at 20%.

Crews were set to continue mop up for hot spots and secure the perimeter for both fires on Tuesday.

Evacuation maps can be found at bit.ly/3Wr3y1B.

Campfires prohibited on BLM public lands in Northwest Oregon District

Campfires are now prohibited on all Bureau of Land Management public lands throughout the Northwest Oregon District.

Fires, campfires, smoking in vegetated areas, using vehicles in unmanaged vegetated areas, operating a chainsaw, welding, cutting or grinding, or using an internal combustion engine without a spark arrestor will be prohibited. The BLM announced Monday these stronger restrictions will remain in effect until rescinded.

More information on restrictions and closures can be found at blm.gov/orwafire

Fire restrictions in place for Willamette and Siuslaw national forests, majority of places in Oregon

The majority of Oregon’s national and state forests outlawed campfires, except in campgrounds.

Willamette National Forest and Siuslaw national forests, to the east and west of the Willamette Valley, implemented fire restrictions this week.

Fire restrictions prohibit all campfires, charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires or other open fires outside of designated campgrounds. Building, maintaining or using a fire, campfire or stove was still permitted in designated metal campfire rings or grills in designated recreational sites.

Restrictions for smoking, off-highway vehicles and chainsaws in campgrounds were also in effect.

Restrictions and updates to restrictions as they change can be found at fs.usda.gov/main/willamette/fire.

Outdoors intern Elliott Deins contributed to this report.

Emma Logan is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal.

Trump Tries to Flip the Script on Democracy After Biden’s Withdrawal Democracy After Biden’s Withdrawal

The New York Times

Trump Tries to Flip the Script on Democracy After Biden’s Withdrawal

Nick Corasaniti and Jim Rutenberg – July 23, 2024

Supporters of former President Donald Trump outside the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)

Ever since rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the Democratic Party has sought to claim the mantle of democracy, painting Donald Trump and his allies as extremists willing to deny the will of voters to cling to power.

Now, after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and Democrats swiftly aligned behind Vice President Kamala Harris as a replacement, Republicans are trying to flip the argument.

In a series of statements and social media posts, Republicans have argued that Democrats, by pressuring Biden to quit, have “disenfranchised” the 14 million people who voted for him in the party primaries.

The accusation isn’t based on any party rule or supposed legal violation. Instead, it is the Republicans’ latest attempt to muddy the waters on an issue that helped Democrats win key races two years ago. Since Trump’s attempt to overturn his defeat in 2020, which led to the Jan. 6 riot and criminal charges against the former president, Democrats have cast Republicans as a threat to democratic norms.

They have used images from the Jan. 6 riot in attack ads and mobilized Democratic voters against Republican-backed legislation restricting voting. The issue was especially potent for Democratic governors and secretaries of state in critical swing states, who won every election for statewide office except for governor in Nevada and Georgia in 2022.

On Monday, Trump tried a new tactic to neutralize that threat, zeroing in on the “stolen” nomination claim. “They stole the race from Biden after he won it in the primaries — A First!” Trump posted on his social media site. “These people are the real THREAT TO DEMOCRACY!”

The two most senior Republican congressional leaders — House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — echoed the claim.

“Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy,’ has proven exactly the opposite,” Johnson said. McConnell, the Republican minority leader in the Senate, said Democrats were “trying to upend the expressed will” of primary voters.

There is nothing in Biden’s withdrawal or his endorsement of Harris that appears to violate any party or election rules. Under party rules, when a candidate withdraws after the primary elections but before officially securing the nomination, delegates are free to vote for another candidate of their choosing. Republican Party rules outline a similar process.

Democrats and voting rights experts dismissed the criticism as a specious, and argued that Republicans lacked credibility on the subject.

On Monday, Alex Floyd, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, said it was Trump who was trafficking in “anti-democratic rhetoric as part of his campaign,” adding that the former president “himself inspired a violent insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.”

He said that Democrats were “committed to an open process” to select Biden’s successor on the ticket. That process includes a vote by the party’s nearly 4,000 delegates. Other Democrats noted that the 14 million people who voted for Biden certainly did so knowing he was on a ticket with Harris, the current front-runner.

Civil rights groups and democracy activists did not appear to share the Trump campaign’s concerns about Democratic disenfranchisement. Polling from this summer showed a majority of Democrats wanted Biden to step aside.

“I don’t think this is anti-democratic in the slightest,” said David Becker, director for the Center for Election Innovation and Research, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization. Becker noted that Trump sought to throw out millions of votes in the states where he contested his defeat, as part of his attempt to hold on to power after losing the 2020 election.

It’s unclear whether Republicans’ attacks about the “stolen” Democratic primary will land with swing voters. But Trump has been trying to reframe the political debate over democracy for years, with some signs of success. He has cast the Jan. 6 rioters as patriots and accused Democratic prosecutors of using indictments to interfere with the election.

A recent Washington Post poll found that voters in six battleground states were more likely to trust Trump than Biden to handle threats to democracy. The survey found 61% of voters in those states listed “threats to democracy” as extremely important to their vote. The only issue rating higher was the economy.

“I am the only one saving democracy for the people in our country,” Trump said as he accepted his party’s nomination last week.

Trump and his allies also sought to use the attempt on Trump’s life at his July 13 rally in Pennsylvania to portray him as a “defender” of democracy.

They have painted the shooting as an anti-democratic attempt to remove Trump from the race. (Virtually nothing is known about the motives of his shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks.)

In making the argument that Biden’s exit from the race disenfranchised millions of primary voters, Trump and his party picked up a theme the president’s campaign had also emphasized. When Biden was resisting calls to drop out, he and his surrogates often pointed to those votes to defend his decision to stay in the race.

“We had a Democratic nominating process where the voters spoke clearly,” Biden had told MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. “I won 14 million of those votes.”

The Republican attempts to seize on that argument as their own, democracy activists say, is part of a broader, yearslong effort to erode trust in the electoral process.

“I see this all as just a continued effort to try to cast doubt on our elections, to try to undermine pro-democracy candidates,” said Joanna Lydgate, CEO of the States United Democracy Center.

Hillary Clinton: How Kamala Harris Can Win and Make History

The New York Times – Guest Opinion

Hillary Clinton: How Kamala Harris Can Win and Make History

By Hillary Rodham Clinton – July 23, 2024

Mrs. Clinton was the Democratic nominee for president in 2016.

Kamala Harris, seen outside the White House.

Credit…Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

History has its eye on us. President Biden’s decision to end his campaign was as pure an act of patriotism as I have seen in my lifetime. It should also be a call to action to the rest of us to continue his fight for the soul of our nation. The next 15 weeks will be like nothing this country has ever experienced politically, but have no doubt: This is a race Democrats can and must win.

Mr. Biden has done a hard and rare thing. Serving as president was a lifelong dream. And when he finally got there, he was exceptionally good at it. To give that up, to accept that finishing the job meant passing the baton, took real moral clarity. The country mattered more. As one who shared that dream and has had to make peace with letting it go, I know this wasn’t easy. But it was the right thing to do.

Elections are about the future. That’s why I am excited about Vice President Kamala Harris. She represents a fresh start for American politics. She can offer a hopeful, unifying vision. She is talented, experienced and ready to be president. And I know she can defeat Donald Trump.

There is now an even sharper, clearer choice in this election. On one side is a convicted criminal who cares only about himself and is trying to turn back the clock on our rights and our country. On the other is a savvy former prosecutor and successful vice president who embodies our faith that America’s best days are still ahead. It’s old grievances versus new solutions.

Ms. Harris’s record and character will be distorted and disparaged by a flood of disinformation and the kind of ugly prejudice we’re already hearing from MAGA mouthpieces. She and the campaign will have to cut through the noise, and all of us as voters must be thoughtful about what we read, believe and share.

I know a thing or two about how hard it can be for strong women candidates to fight through the sexism and double standards of American politics. I’ve been called a witch, a “nasty woman” and much worse. I was even burned in effigy. As a candidate, I sometimes shied away from talking about making history. I wasn’t sure voters were ready for that. And I wasn’t running to break a barrier; I was running because I thought I was the most qualified to do the job. While it still pains me that I couldn’t break that highest, hardest glass ceiling, I’m proud that my two presidential campaigns made it seem normal to have a woman at the top of the ticket.

Ms. Harris will face unique additional challenges as the first Black and South Asian woman to be at the top of a major party’s ticket. That’s real, but we shouldn’t be afraid. It is a trap to believe that progress is impossible. After all, I won the national popular vote by nearly three million in 2016, and it’s not so long ago that Americans overwhelmingly elected our first Black president. As we saw in the 2022 midterms, abortion bans and attacks on democracy are galvanizing women voters like never before. With Ms. Harris at the top of the ticket leading the way, this movement may become an unstoppable wave.

Time is short to organize the campaign on her behalf, but the Labour Party in Britain and a broad left-wing coalition in France recently won big victories with even less time. Ms. Harris will have to reach out to voters who have been skeptical of Democrats and mobilize young voters who need convincing. But she can run on a strong record and ambitious plans to further reduce costs for families, enact common-sense gun safety laws and restore and protect our rights and freedoms.

She has a great story to tell about the accomplishments of this administration. Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris led America’s comeback after Mr. Trump bungled the pandemic and left our economy in free fall. Under their leadership, the United States has created more than 15 million jobs, and unemployment is near a 50-year low.

When inflation spiked around the globe, many economists said the only way to tame it would be a painful recession with major job losses. But Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris kept Americans working as inflation fell back toward normal levels and real incomes for working people rose.

When many thought bipartisanship was dead, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass major legislation on infrastructure and clean energy, microchips and national security. From drug prices to student debt, they’ve delivered results that have made our country stronger and people’s lives better.

Ms. Harris is chronically underestimated, as are so many women in politics, but she is well prepared for this moment. As a prosecutor and attorney general in California, she took on drug traffickers, polluters and predatory lenders. As a U.S. senator, she rigorously questioned squirming Trump administration officials and nominees and was inspiring to watch. As vice president, Ms. Harris has sat with the president in the Situation Room, helping make the hardest decisions a leader can make. And when the extremist Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she became the administration’s most passionate and effective advocate for restoring women’s reproductive rights.

I look forward to hearing her prosecute a compelling case against Mr. Trump, who failed as a president the first time and is running on a dangerous agenda. A second Trump term would be much worse than the first. Mr. Trump’s plans are more extreme, he is more unhinged, and the guardrails that constrained some of his worst instincts are gone.

Ms. Harris can explain to the American people that inflation would surge again under Mr. Trump, thanks to his proposed across-the-board tariffs, sweeping tax cuts for the rich and mass deportations. The policies outlined by Mr. Trump’s allies in Project 2025, from further restricting abortion rights to dismantling the Department of Education, are a recipe for a weaker, poorer, more divided America.

The vice president’s law enforcement experience gives her the credibility to rebut Mr. Trump’s lies about crime and immigration. The facts are on her side: After spiking under Mr. Trump, the murder rate is plummeting under the Biden-Harris administration. Illegal border crossings are also dropping fast and are now the lowest they’ve been since 2020, thanks in part to Mr. Biden’s recent executive order. We’d be making even more progress if Mr. Trump hadn’t killed a bipartisan immigration compromise in Congress this year for his own selfish political purposes.

As a friend and supporter of Mr. Biden, I find this a bittersweet moment. He is a wise and decent man who served our country well. We have lost our standard-bearer, and we will miss his steady leadership, deep empathy and fighting spirit. Yet we have gained much as well: a new champion, an invigorated campaign and a renewed sense of purpose.

The time for hand-wringing is over. Now it’s time to organize, mobilize and win.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was the Democratic nominee for president in 2016 and is a former U.S. secretary of state and senator from New York.

With Biden out, Michelle Obama would be Donald Trump’s worst self-inflicted nightmare | Opinion

Miami Herald – Opinion

With Biden out, Michelle Obama would be Donald Trump’s worst self-inflicted nightmare | Opinion

Dion Lefler – July 21, 2024

If there’s one thing you can generally count on with Republicans, it’s political efficiency.

This time, they may have been too efficient.

The news that Joe Biden is dropping his campaign to be reelected president is about the worst thing that could have happened for Donald Trump.

Let’s face it, this race has always been a contest between age-related forgetfulness and age-related anger and aggression.

Now, instead of running against a man who appears too old to keep his thoughts together, Trump will have to face off against a younger and more vital opponent — at exactly the time the American people have said in a loud, clear voice that they’re tired of the same old men and the same old rhetoric.

Trump, and his party, brought this on themselves. They turned their remarkably efficient attack machine on too early.

The debate last month pretty conclusively showed that Biden isn’t up to what Americans expect from their president anymore.

It’s not his fault. Biden has been a man of great accomplishments in the Senate, as vice president, and as president over a long and productive career.

But age catches up to everyone.

From The Opinion Team

President Joe Biden withdrew Sunday from the 2024 presidential race. Read more on this developing news event, from our Opinion team:

→Biden’s withdrawal solves one of Dems’ many problems. But it creates one, too

→With Biden stepping down as nominee, Democrats make history book for the wrong reasons

→Once again, Joe Biden is giving America its best chance to defeat Donald Trump

Four years ago, Biden was the bulwark against the continuation of Trumpism. That’s what Democrats want and what the country needs again in 2024.

The way for Republicans to ensure their victory would have been to go along with the Democrat-created illusion of “Joe’s fine,” until after the Democrats held their convention and it was too late to turn back and pick someone else.

In the first debate, Trump should have tried to channel Ronald Reagan, politely smiling and answering the questions that were put to him. He should have waited for the second debate to pounce on Biden’s infirmity.

It’s the difference between tactics and strategy.

Now, no matter whom the Democrats choose to run against Trump, he’ll have a much harder case to make for himself.

He’s going to have to defend a Republican Party that, as we saw at their convention, basically supports restoration of the Soviet Union and seems terrified of fruit-pickers and hotel maids at the border.

To keep his vital right-wing evangelical base, Trump’s going to have to embrace their demands to ban abortion by any means necessary, which Americans in states blue and red (even Kansas) have voted repeatedly not to do. Against a more agile opponent, he won’t get away with claiming Democrats support abortion up to the moment of birth, or after, as he did against Biden in their debate.

And to keep his billionaire mega-donors, he’ll have to defend the Heritage Foundation’s God-awful Project 2025, a blueprint for dismantling just about everything in the United States that makes it a decent place to live.

So now, let’s see if the Democrats can be more strategic than Republicans (which, admittedly, they seldom are).

While they have several candidates who could potentially beat Trump, the Democrats have only one sure thing: Michelle Obama.

Polls show that other possible contenders, including Vice President Kamala Harris — who Biden endorsed shortly after announcing that he was stepping down — run slightly behind Trump. They’d start out playing catch-up.

In those same polls, Michelle Obama crushes Trump by 11 points.

Since her husband left the White House, she’s been the good soldier, supporting others for the top job while always saying she’s not interested in it herself.

But she’s also said she’s “terrified” at the potential outcome of the November election. While she might not actively campaign for the nomination, I’d think she’d find it pretty hard to turn it down if delegates at the Democratic National Convention were to draft her next month.

Dawn Staley, women’s basketball legend, head coach at the University of South Carolina and a four-time Olympic gold medalist (three as a player, one as coach), called the right play in a recent appeal to former president Barack Obama on X:

“Now please let us borrow @MichelleObama for just 4 short years! First Gentleman is a good look for you.”

Nobody knows better than Staley that when you’re down by a couple of points late in the fourth quarter, you want to get the ball in the hands of your best player to take the final shot.

The Democratic Party would do well to listen to her.

Dozens of Local Police Officers Were at Trump’s Rally. Very Few Were Watching a Critical Area.

The New York Times

Dozens of Local Police Officers Were at Trump’s Rally. Very Few Were Watching a Critical Area.

Campbell Robertson – July 21, 2024

Law enforcement officers survey a scene after former President Donald Trump’s campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Eric Lee/The New York Times)

BUTLER, Pa. — A key question after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump a week ago is why the Secret Service excluded from its secured zone a nearby warehouse that the gunman used for his assault.

But another possible flaw in the Secret Service’s plans for the campaign rally at the farm show grounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, is emerging. The protection agency expected the sizable contingent of officers from local law enforcement agencies to contain any threats outside the secured zone but assigned almost all those officers to work inside it, according to numerous interviews with local law enforcement and municipal officials.

None of the law enforcement agencies that assisted the Secret Service that day — the Pennsylvania State Police, the Butler Township Police Department, the Butler County Sheriff, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police or the multicounty tactical teams — say they were given responsibility for watching the zone outside the Secret Service’s security perimeter.

More specifically, the local law enforcement officials say that none of them were assigned to safeguard the complex of warehouses just north of the farm show grounds. The gunman was able to use the roof of the warehouse closest to the stage — about 450 feet from the podium — from which to shoot.

“I am going to defend those guys, because it wasn’t their job to secure the building,” said Richard Goldinger, the district attorney in Butler County, who oversees the multicounty tactical teams that were used at the rally July 13.

Rather, an overwhelming majority of the dozens of local and state officers called upon to aid the Secret Service were given other duties at or inside the secured perimeter — an area that was protected by a fence, metal detectors and the Secret Service itself.

With law enforcement focused elsewhere, a would-be assassin roamed freely outside the perimeter. The only officers who got close to him were ones who left their designated posts to do so.

Their job had been to direct traffic.

The assigned responsibilities of local law enforcement officers raise questions as to whether these resources were effectively deployed. The assignments also suggest there was a breakdown in the Secret Service’s communication with local law enforcement.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will almost certainly face sharp questions about why that rooftop was left unguarded during a hearing with the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on Monday. In an interview with ABC News this past week, Cheatle said local police — not the Secret Service — had been responsible for the area in which the warehouses were located.

“In this particular instance, we did share support for that particular site and that the Secret Service was responsible for the inner perimeter,” Cheatle said. “And then we sought assistance from our local counterparts for the outer perimeter. There was local police in that building — there was local police in the area that were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building.”

Local agencies quickly issued statements disputing her account, saying that no officers were deployed in the building the gunman used. She has not spoken publicly since.

The gunman, later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shot at Trump, leaving his ear bloodied, and injured three rally attendees, one fatally. A Secret Service sniper then shot and killed Crooks.

Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, said his agency took responsibility. He said the agency would cooperate with all relevant investigations and was committed to better understanding what happened before, during and after the shooting.

But Guglielmi could not answer detailed questions about who was assigned to guard the area that included the warehouses, owned by AGR International.

On July 3, the Trump campaign called the Butler Farm Show, an annual fair and livestock show, to ask if Trump could rent their fairgrounds July 13.

“It just seemed like an awful quick turnaround,” said Ken Laughlin, president of the farm show’s board.

Laughlin said the campaign did not ask questions about the venue, which includes a few barns and a fence around the outside to stop people from attending the show without buying tickets.

Laughlin said that three agents from the Secret Service came to visit the grounds five days later, on July 8.

Retired agents said that collaborating with local law enforcement on unfamiliar sites is essential to their work.

“We cannot do our job without the locals; we come from nowhere, and these are our partners,” said Beth Celestini, who worked on protective details assigned to President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama before retiring in 2021.

In the days that followed their first site visit, the Secret Service made its requests for local assistance. The law enforcement presence at the site on the day of the rally — federal, state and local — ending up totaling more than 100 officers, a Secret Service official said.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe said he had about six deputies at the rally, whose primary jobs were to secure the perimeter and “make sure people didn’t jump the fence” into the event.

Keeping watch over the complex of warehouses, Slupe said, “wasn’t our role or responsibility.” Instead, his deputies were detailed to the metal detector areas and command communications posts.

Local agencies had a security briefing on July 8 with Secret Service agents to plan assignments, the sheriff said.

“If people could have prevented that roof issue,” he said, referring to the building from which the gunman had shot, “we’d have no issue, right?”

The State Police said in a statement that its 30 to 40 troopers were there “to assist with securing the inside perimeter.” The statement said the agency “was not responsible for securing the building or property at AGR International.”

Tactical law enforcement teams compiled from Butler County and neighboring counties provided two counter assault teams and a quick-response team. They were placed in the secured zone in case something went wrong.

Between the July 8 walk-through and another to finalize plans July 11, the Secret Service had another request. It asked for two police sniper teams to supplement the two sniper units that were to be deployed by the agency’s forces.

The emergency service units, another name for the county tactical teams, provided seven counter snipers. Four of the seven were given duties within the security perimeter, according to a local law enforcement official.

The three others took a position in a warehouse directly behind the one that Crooks ultimately used. Even those snipers were assigned to use their second-floor window view to survey the crowd inside the secured zone — not to watch over the warren of buildings where they were stationed, a law enforcement official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the continuing investigation.

The Secret Service’s counter snipers were placed on barn rooftops, directly behind Trump.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had 16 Homeland Security Investigations agents at the rally assisting the Secret Service, according to two U.S. officials. One of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the continuing investigation, said the ICE agents were deployed in various roles such as screening members of the news media as they entered the secured area and helping direct traffic.

A Pittsburgh police spokesperson said its team had officers on motorcycles to lead and follow Trump’s vehicle. “They were ABSOLUTELY NOT responsible for monitoring any buildings or anything else at the site,” the spokesperson said in an email.

Officers from the Butler Township Police Department also helped out. But they were not security, according to Butler Township Commissioner Edward Natali.

“There were seven officers all assigned to traffic detail. Period!! The BTPD was NOT responsible for securing AGR or any other location,” Natali said in a post on social media. “Anyone who says so, reports on it, implies it, etc… is uninformed, lying, or covering their own backsides.”

Once there was notification of a suspicious person in the crowd outside of the secured area at the rally, four Butler Township police officers left their traffic posts and went hunting for him, officials who briefed members of Congress said this past week.

Larry Hogan blasts Project 2025 as a ‘dangerous path’ for GOP

The Hill

Larry Hogan blasts Project 2025 as a ‘dangerous path’ for GOP

Lauren Irwin – July 20, 2024

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) criticized Project 2025 in a recent op-ed, calling the policy priorities outlined in the conservative agenda “absurd and dangerous.”

Hogan, in the piece published Friday by The Washington Post, argued that “traditional American Values” are under threat on both sides of the aisle.

“On the left, the refusal by some to clearly stand up to radicals such as antisemitic and pro-Hamas protesters, advocates of defunding the police, and the open-borders movement has done substantial damage,” Hogan wrote. “However, on the right, there is no clearer example of the threat to American values than Project 2025.”

The 900-age policy agenda, led by the conservative Heritage Foundation, is gaining traction as the unofficial presidential transition project. It is divided into sections based on five main topics — “Taking the Reins of Government,” “The Common Defense,” “The General Welfare,” “The Economy” and “Independent Regulatory Agencies.”

Project 2025 has gained support from more than 100 other right-wing organizations and conservatives who critics argue could staff a second Trump administration if he’s reelected in November.

Trump, however, has called attempts to link him to the document “pure disinformation” and claimed he has “nothing to do” with it.

Hogan said to call the ideas in the plan radical would be “a disservice,” even as Republicans downplay the influence of the plan.

“In truth, Project 2025 takes many of the principles that have made this nation great and shreds them,” he wrote in the opinion piece.

Hogan, who is running for the vacant Senate seat left by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), noted that one of the primary goals in the plan targets federal workers, and could affect more than 150,000 Maryland residents.

“The goal is to remove nonpartisan civil servants, most of whom patriotically do their jobs without fanfare or political agendas, and replace them with loyalists to the president,” Hogan said. “Republicans who believe this power grab will benefit them in the short term will ultimately regret empowering a Democratic president with this level of control.”

The former governor, whose father was an FBI agent, also highlighted an aspect of the plan that he said would weaken the Department of Justice’s independence from the president. Impartial justice should not be abandoned by choice and design, Hogan argued.

Of the “absurd and dangerous” policies in the plan, Hogan highlighted that the Education Department and the Federal Reserve could potentially be disbanded, as well as mass deportations.

“This radical approach is out of touch with the American people,” Hogan said. “Most Americans — regardless of party affiliation — have more in common than many realize.”

“They want common-sense solutions to address the cost of living, make our communities safer, and secure the border while fixing the broken immigration system,” he continued. “Instead of addressing these problems, Project 2025 opts for total war against the other side, making it impossible to find common ground.”

Biden hits Trump over RNC speech: ‘What the hell was he talking about?’

The Hill

Biden hits Trump over RNC speech: ‘What the hell was he talking about?’

Lauren Irwin – July 20, 2024

President Biden took to social media Friday evening to blast former President Trump over the speech he gave while accepting the GOP presidential nomination at the final night of the Republican National Convention (RNC).

“I’m stuck at home with COVID, so I had the distinct misfortune of watching Donald Trump’s speech to the RNC,” Biden posted on social media platform X. “What the hell was he talking about?”

The president announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week and had plans to isolate in his Delaware home. Meanwhile, Trump closed out the RNC in Milwaukee after choosing Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) to be his running mate earlier in the week, and there was no shortage of glitz and glamor.

The former president made a rock-star entrance on stage Thursday to officially become the GOP nominee for president in November.

His speech, the first since a gunman attempted to assassinate him a week ago, lasted more than 90 minutes and was the longest acceptance speech by a major party candidate in RNC history.

Biden highlighted some moments in Trump’s speech during his rant, which stretched well past midnight.

“Let’s start with this. Donald said he ‘did a great job’ with COVID,” Biden said. “Folks, this is the same guy who told us to inject bleach while over a million Americans died.”

He also pointed to the former president’s comments about protecting Social Security and Medicare, calling it a “flat-out lie.”

“Trump proposed cutting Social Security and Medicare every year he was in office,” he said. “And he’ll do it again.”

His thread on X targeted his 2024 rival over his rhetoric on tax cuts, ending inflation, electric vehicle mandates and immigration. Biden also mocked the former president for his praise of the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lector, whom Trump has called a “wonderful man.”

“Donald, Hannibal Lecter is not real,” Biden wrote. “And he is a cannibal.”

Biden asked Trump to “look at the facts” when it came to domestic job growth.

“Honestly, I thought the worst lie he told all night was when he said, ‘in conclusion’ and then kept going,” the incumbent said. “I’ve heard enough. And if you’re with me, pitch in to our campaign.”

Trump made it a point to only mention Biden once in his speech. The start of his remarks showed a difference side of the former president, but he quickly changed his tune back to a normal rally-like speech, criticizing Biden and the “crazy” former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

As Biden battles both COVID and a rising number of calls for him to step aside from members of his own party after a poor debate performance raised concerns about his mental fitness to serve another term in office, his campaign said Trump’s speech only made him “more determined than ever.”

Scientists sound the alarm after new research points to growing invisible threat putting coastal cities at risk: ‘We need very dramatic action’

The Cool Down

Scientists sound the alarm after new research points to growing invisible threat putting coastal cities at risk: ‘We need very dramatic action’

Susan Elizabeth Turek – July 19, 2024

A new study that accounts for seawater intrusion between ice sheets estimates that other projections about future sea level rise could be too modest.

What’s happening?

As detailed by the Guardian, researchers used computer models to analyze how ocean water intruding into ice sheet cavities impacted melting rates. They believe this could create a “tipping point” where the sheets lose ice much faster than expected.

“[Seawater intrusion] could basically be the missing piece,” study leader Dr. Alexander Bradley told the news outlet. “… And there’s a lot of evidence that when you do include it, the amount of sea level rise the models predict could be much, much higher.”

The Guardian also highlighted a previous study that suggested seawater intrusion could cause some Antarctic ice sheets to lose ice around two times more quickly. The latest findings were published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Why is this concerning?

As it stands, models by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration project large swaths of the West and East Coasts will eventually succumb to the oceans, but the latest analysis suggests the tipping point could be closer than initially believed.

Almost 40% of the global population lives less than 65 miles from a coast, according to the UN Environment Programme. If sea levels continue to rise, those communities could be at a further increased risk of property and livelihood loss, as well as displacement.

Watch now: Alex Honnold shows off his new Rivian

Human activities have directly impacted our seas, with the burning of dirty fuels like gas, oil, and coal overwhelmingly driving the overheating of our planet.

According to NOAA, the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred in the past decade, with 2023 being the warmest ever recorded. These warmer temperatures are causing ice sheets to melt and ocean water to expand, thus contributing to rising sea levels.

The higher water levels also increase the risk of costly damage and deadly flooding during extreme weather events. Strong hurricanes, for example, have become more frequent as a result of our changing climate, with rapid intensification a growing phenomenon.

What can be done about rising sea levels?

Floating homes and land reclamation projects are among the initiatives providing hope that we can adapt to rising sea levels. However, Dr. Bradley also called for bold action to help preserve our coastal communities.

“With every tenth of a degree of ocean warming, we get closer and closer to passing this tipping point…” Dr. Bradley told the Guardian. “So we need very dramatic action to restrict the amount of warming that takes place and prevent this tipping point from being passed.”

The global community still has a ways to go to reduce its reliance on dirty fuels and meet its agreed-upon pollution-reduction goals, but there have been promising developments. For example, in 2023, clean energy accounted for a record 30% of electricity worldwide, with wind and solar installations leading the way, according to a report by Ember.

While the appointment of 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference president Mukhtar Babayev has been criticized because of his past ties to an oil company, there is also optimism that November’s COP29 event will lead to continued cooperation to protect our planet.

Supporting eco-friendly policymakers at home can support efforts at a systemic level. There are also simple ways to reduce the pollution you generate, like by unplugging energy vampires. Doing this can even save you around $165 on your electric bills every year.

Teamsters exec announces challenge to O’Brien after RNC speech

The Hill

Teamsters exec announces challenge to O’Brien after RNC speech

Lauren Irwin – July 19, 2024

International Brotherhood of Teamsters Vice President at large John Palmer announced he is mounting a challenge to current President Sean O’Brien after he gave a speech at the Republican National Convention.

In a letter, Palmer said he was officially announcing his candidacy for Teamsters national office in the 2026 election and invited all Teamsters to join him in forming an opposition slate to “send Sean O’Brien back to the truck.”

“This administration rode into power on a wave of excitement generated by our members’ desires and frustration. We were promised a more engaged leadership and a more militant union. What we have received so far is a PR blast furnace of misinformation and betrayal,” Palmer wrote in the letter, first reported by In These Times’ Kim Kelly.

Palmer also appeared to post the letter to a Teamsters Facebook group.

Of the many speeches given at the RNC this week, one of the first ones was delivered by O’Brien.

Palmer laid out several reasons why O’Brien has shown he is not fit for his leadership position, including fear of retaliation among members and failing to support members in contracts.

“This has all culminated in his presence at the anti-union, anti-worker Republican national convention, kissing the ring of a man that scabbed a picket line, failing to pay workers, discriminating against people of color as a landlord, falsely accusing five black men in New York of murder, orchestrating an insurrection against the United States, dodging the draft, and appointing Union busters from the Jones Day law firm to create the most anti-union Labor Board in history,” Palmer wrote.

Palmer argued that its “naïve to believe” that people who attended the RNC will support unions in “any way, shape, form, or manner.”

“We have successfully estranged ourselves from the rest of the labor movement through the actions of one man. Should we really go out and seek more enemies right now?” his letter said.

The Hill has reached out to Palmer for comment.

What JD Vance’s conversion to Catholicism adds to Trump’s ticket

MSNBC – Opinion

What JD Vance’s conversion to Catholicism adds to Trump’s ticket

Vance ticks boxes with anti-abortion groups upset that the RNC watered down the party platform by removing its long-stated goal of a nationwide abortion ban.

Anthea Butler, MSNBC Columnist – July 18, 2024

How JD Vance is an example of how people in the GOP will do anything to get close to power.

Sen. JD Vance of Ohio made his prime-time debut on Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention. While a relative newcomer politically, it already seems clear that Vance will be an asset to former President Donald Trump’s third run for president because his hard-line stance against abortion, coupled with his Catholicism, will push back critics of the Republican National Committee’s watered-down platform. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, is “good friends” with Vance and was reportedly elated that Trump had chosen him as his running mate.

Besides running alongside Trump, Vance and former Vice President Mike Pence have one thing in common: both have adult conversion stories. Pence was raised Catholic and converted to evangelical Christianity as an adult. Vance was raised Protestant and was baptized into the Catholic Church in 2019 by Dominicans.

The similarities end there. Pence was of the Republican establishment, but Vance has embraced MAGA and Trump just like he has the Catholic Church. And he may ultimately end up the vanguard of the next MAGA generation.

Vance has the fervor that new converts to religion always have when they want to change the world. In a piece about his conversion, titled “How I joined the Resistance: On Mamaw and becoming Catholic,” Vance says that after his Protestant upbringing, he became an atheist out of a desire for social acceptance among American elites. His conversion to Catholicism came not as a blinding flash of light, he says, but by reading Augustine and being persuaded by a passage from Augustine’s “City of God” on Genesis.

The senator said that another pivotal part of his journey to Catholicism was an encounter he had with Peter Thiel, who gave a talk at Yale Law school when Vance was a student there. Thiel, founder of PayPal, Palantir Industries, one of the first investors in Facebook and a big financial supporter of MAGA, is a venture capitalist with a particular kind of religiously inflected axe to grind. Thiel, a staunch supporter, donated $15 million to Vance’s 2022 Senate campaign. Just last month, Thiel said, “If you hold a gun to my head, I’ll vote for Trump,” but he said he wouldn’t donate to Trump’s super PAC. That may change now that Trump has chosen Vance.

Perhaps most importantly, Vance ticks boxes with anti-abortion groups upset that the RNC watered down the party platform by removing its long-stated goal of a nationwide abortion ban. Vance is strongly opposed to abortion. Although his views on the specifics of how anti-abortion restrictions should work have sometimes shifted — his office declined to tell NBC News what his current abortion stance is — he has previously voiced support for a nationwide ban on abortion and has likened abortion to slavery.

Nicolle Wallace: ‘JD Vance’s extremism is what won him the spot for Trump’s number 2’. 10:54

What’s the need to put a nationwide abortion plan on the platform when the vice presidential pick has been vocal about wanting one? Having Vance on the ticket signals to Republicans who are upset at the way the platform was changed that a national abortion ban is still on the table.

Vance has a story that lends itself to a triumphal American story. His first book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” was a hit, but the second book he was contracte d to write, titled “A Relevant Faith, Searching for a Meaningful American Christianity,” was called off with mutual agreement of publisher Harper Collins and Vance before his successful Senate run in 2022.

Vance seems to always be looking for acceptance through belonging to what he perceives to be powerful groups or leaders. By going from faith to atheism to a different faith, and by going from a full-on criticism of Trump to a full-on embrace of Trumpism, Vance keeps remaking himself. His obsequiousness to Trump includes pledging to do what Mike Pence would not do in 2020 and 2021: accept an alternate slate of electors. That fealty has led to Vance becoming the vice presidential candidate despite his withering critiques of Trump in the past.

Vance may be the perfect MAGA candidate, yet some would also squarely place him as a political religious actor. In May 2024, in “First Things,” Matthew Schmitz called Vance a “religious populist” because he’s not only concerned with abortion but also with economic and religious issues, and has shown a willingness to work with senators he disagrees with to achieve his aims. I believe, however, that Vance is more aligned with what is called Catholic integralism, the belief that Christians can use a “soft power” approach to exert influence over society. Wallace Throckmorton talks about the po tential for Vance to be an integralist and to use his religious views to influence government. This falls in line with how Vance is not only concerned with curtailing reproductive choices but also with promoting economic prosperity for families.

Vance may not tick every box of what the Republicans wanted as a vice presidential candidate, but he will be able to tap into his Catholicism and his story of poverty to wealth. He is also a much more fervent MAGA believer, someone who can bridge the intellectual and populist wings of the Republican Party. Most importantly, he is the perfect white male candidate because of his antiquated beliefs about women and reproductive rights. It will be instructive to see how Catholics, as well as other religious groups in the party, receive Vance as running mate and if his presence will give absolution to Trump the same way Pence’s did.

Anthea Butler is a professor of religious studies and Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Her most recent book is “White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America.”