California Rushes to Prepare for Massive ‘Kelvin’ Wave and Sea Level Rise

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California Rushes to Prepare for Massive ‘Kelvin’ Wave and Predicted Sea Level Rise (Maria and Russ)

The author writes, “Communities across California are rushing to prepare for the imminent arrival of the ‘Kelvin wave,’ a massive underwater band of warm water threatening to inundate swaths of the vast North American shoreline.The wave is nearing southern California and is expected to reach the San Francisco Bay Area early this month. Waters could rise by a foot along the California coast, according to scientists, who warned that this could double the rise in sea levels caused by climate change.”

Trump’s Latest Attempt to Cheat in the Midterms Faces Little Blowback (Reader Jim)

From Slate: “Midterm elections are around the corner, and for months, while strategists have predicted a Democratic sweep, the GOP has been throwing everything and the kitchen sink at its base in hopes of mitigating the anticipated blue wave. This past week, those efforts took the form of a series of television ads, each one featuring President Donald Trump and highlighting his administration’s policies while also warning against unspecified threats of communism. The ads themselves, though, were not the most disturbing thing. The most alarming part of the ads is a small disclaimer at the bottom of the screen: ‘Paid for by the US government.’ It appears that Trump was using our taxpayer dollars to fund his midterm political efforts. Using taxpayer dollars for ads that are clearly political is a blatant violation of federal law, but the unfortunate reality is that there may not be a clear-cut way to actually stop the Trump administration from continuing to air them.”

Polish Defense Official Says US Has Decided To Establish a Base in Poland (Sean)

From Defense One: “Poland will fulfill a longtime goal of hosting a permanent US military base, a Polish defense leader said Friday, adding that the two countries are nearing an agreement to jointly develop weapons. … Asked for comment, a Pentagon spokesman said, ‘We have nothing to announce at this time.’ The Polish government first sought a US military base within its borders in 2018, when it offered to name it after President Donald Trump. Trump, at the time, said that he was ‘looking at it.’ Since returning to office, Trump has moved to reduce the number of US troops in Europe even as Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased missile and drone strikes against Ukraine and escalated a hybrid warfare campaign against NATO allies.”

John Roberts and His Island (Russ)

The author writes, “To many people on this remote stretch of Maine coastline, where every day looks like a fresh painting made of light and water, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is just ‘John.’ John, who has spent over 20 summers on Hupper Island, a refuge about 90 miles northeast of Portland with no cars and barely two dozen homes. John, who swaps favors with neighbors and endures jokes about his boating skills from more experienced operators. John, who has spent many mornings on the dock in Port Clyde, the postage-stamp-sized town across the water from the island, nursing a half-caff and a cinnamon bun. For a long time, the chief justice’s life here was a story of potluck dinners and easy friendships. … But in recent years, as the Supreme Court has reshaped American life and handed more power to President Trump, a very personal form of anger has been rising here at the chief justice.”

Solar and Wind Generation Meet Record 80% of Power Demand on Australia’s National Grid (Laura)

From The Guardian: “Sunshine and wind met 80.4% of demand on Australia’s main power grid on Saturday, setting a new high bar for renewable electricity. Solar panels on rooftops provided more than half of the power used in the national electricity market, the grid that supplies the eastern states, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, for 30 minutes around lunchtime. This was complemented by solar and windfarms, and a small amount of hydro (1%). Fossil fuels, coal and gas, contributed 20%. The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said the milestone meant there was ‘more clean, cheap, sovereign energy powering our homes and businesses than ever before.’”

The Term Working Class Is Useless (Dana)

From The New Republic: “Too many political analysts and pollsters are relying on education to define the working class, and it’s leading us to the wrong conclusions.”

Scientists Say House Cats Could Help Unlock Better Cancer Treatments for Humans (Mili)

The author writes, “Scientists have taken a major step toward understanding cancer in cats, opening what researchers once described as a genetic ‘black box.’ In a large international study published in Science, researchers genetically analyzed cat cancers on a scale that had not been attempted before. The work could improve cancer care for cats while also helping scientists better understand how some cancers develop in humans and other animals.”