Ever since my first visit there as a youngster, I've loved the place. My uncle had an ice cream store somewhere near Tampa. When I helped out there during our visit one summer, the reward was all the ice cream I could eat.
In my 30s and 40s I spent part of each summer on Sanibel Island off of Ft. Myers well south of Tampa. I wrote parts of three books down there.
There are many other memories as well, some of them bittersweet. My Dad died in Florida. For all six of my kids, Florida was at some point in their lives a special kind of paradise.
But Florida has a huge problem and it’s called climate change. As it has gotten battered by storm after storm in recent years, long-time residents are starting to question how much longer life in the Sunshine State will even be viable.
Those concerns are hitting a crescendo right now. Helene caused extensive damage with only a passing blow. The cleanup is still underway and now Milton is headed straight for Tampa.
Of course there is a political storm in the aftermath of Helene over the allocation of resources, mainly in North Carolina. But that is to be expected in the final weeks of a campaign, especially when you have one candidate, Trump, willing to exploit any disaster for his own gain.
Meanwhile, everyone else is worried whether a very special corner of the planet is going to become one of first casualties of global climate change.
HEADLINES:
Hurricane Milton is a Category 5. Florida orders evacuations and scrambles to clear Helene’s debris (AP)
Once in a Lifetime Storm (Weather Channel)
The Great Florida Migration Is Coming Undone (WSJ)
Why the Tampa Bay area is especially vulnerable as Milton nears (WP)
A Changing Climate Is Scorching the World’s Biggest River (NYT)
1 year after Hamas attacked Israel, the conflict grows more dangerous than ever (NPR)
5 takeaways from Kamala Harris’ one-on-one interview with ‘60 Minutes’ (CNN)
Latino voters explain why they're moving to the right (Business Insider)
Professor who correctly predicted 9 presidential elections weighs in on 'October surprise' (CNN)
Trump’s Speeches, Increasingly Angry and Rambling, Reignite the Question of Age (NYT)
Trump would add twice as much to national debt as Harris, study finds (WP)
JD Vance said Donald Trump would end funding to Planned Parenthood. The comments from Trump’s running mate, were made this weekend. (WP)
Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, has discussed US-Saudi diplomatic negotiations involving Israel with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman multiple times since leaving the Trump White House. (Reuters)
How Jack Smith Outsmarted the Supreme Court (Atlantic)
Arm position during blood pressure check may lead to wrong reading, study finds (NBC)
Rises in life expectancy have slowed dramatically, analysis finds (Guardian)
Artist appeals copyright denial for prize-winning AI-generated work (Ars Technica)
People are listening to AI-generated podcasts. You might want to, too. (WP)
Modern-Day Magellan Discovers New Dining Options By Zooming In A Little On Google Maps (The Onion)
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