brooklynite
brooklynite's JournalAustralia bushfires: towns devastated and lives lost as blazes turn the sky red
Source: The Guardian
Australia’s bushfire crisis has claimed at least two more lives, authorities confirmed on Tuesday, as dozens of fires tore through several towns on the east coast and forced thousands of people to take shelter on beaches.
Two people – a father and son – died when fire hit the New South Wales town of Cobargo on Tuesday, while emergency services officials held grave fears for a third person, near Narooma, on the state’s south coast.
In Victoria, where more than 200,000ha has burned in the state’s east, at least four people were unaccounted for. The armed forces stand ready to evacuate those sheltering on the state’s beaches if needed.
Eleven people have been confirmed dead across all states in this year’s bushfire season so far.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/31/australia-bushfires-towns-devastated-and-lives-lost-as-blazes-turn-the-sky-red
She's just toying with us...
https://twitter.com/but_their/status/1211842159395119105/photo/1A Decade of Urban Transformation, Seen From Above
New York TimesChange can seem slow. A new building rises, one floor at a time. A new subdivision breaks ground with two homes, and then four. A new transit line is planned, and years pass. What it all adds up to can be hard to see.
But zoom out — way out — and it’s clear that the last decade has brought remarkable transformation to many communities. It's visible from 400 miles above: Vast new exurbs have been carved from farmland, and once-neglected downtowns have come to life again. The tech industry has helped remake entire city neighborhoods, and it has dotted the landscape with strange new beasts, in data centers and fulfillment hubs.
To grasp the scale of this decade of change, The Upshot worked with Tim Wallace and Krishna Karra from Descartes Labs, a geospatial analytics company, using a tool that has itself evolved significantly over this time: satellite imagery. With its growing power and precision, we can see both intimate details — a single home, bulldozed; a tennis court, reinvented — and big patterns that recur across the country. Here, we show some of the most consequential changes over the last 10 years, as seen from above.
(visit web link for before and after photos)
An elegy for Car2Go, the smarter Zipcar rival that lost its way
Fast CompanyThe first mainstream smartphone-optimized car-sharing service will soon roll into the junkyard. Car2Go announced Wednesday that it would exit North America Feb. 29.
The Daimler-owned company, which was in the midst of rebranding itself as Share Now after a minority investment by BMW, vaguely blamed the move on “the volatile state of the global mobility landscape.” It also cited “rising infrastructure complexities facing North American transportation.” (Read: Higher operating expenses and not enough electric-car charging stations, the latter problem having propelled its 2016 exit from San Diego).
The move will erase a convenient option for point-to-point travel in Car2Go’s remaining U.S. and Canadian cities: Chicago, New York, Seattle, and Washington, plus Montreal and Vancouver. It had backed out of Austin, Portland, Denver, and Calgary at the end of October.
Its fleet of Smart Fortwo and Mercedes GLA and CLA sedans, per-minute or per-hour pricing, and street parking prepaid by the firm have made around-town trips easy and cheap. You open its app to find a nearby car, walk to the vehicle and unlock it with the app, strap in and drive, pay about 40 cents a minute, and then park the car almost wherever.
Pompeo says Senate run 'not something I want to do'
Source: NBC News
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News on Monday that he does not want to run for Senate in Kansas — despite signs saying otherwise.
"So Susan and I love Kansas," Pompeo said on "Fox and Friends," referring to his wife. "But it’s my intention to stay here and continue to serve as President Trump’s Secretary of State. I’ve said that consistently. I intend to keep saying it, and as long as President Trump wants me to serve in this capacity, there’s still work to do."
Pressed on if that meant he was completely ruling out a run, Pompeo said, "I’ve watched my life take turns that one would never have expected, but it’s not something I want to do. I want to stay here and continue to perform the mission that I’m serving."
Pompeo said in February that he would not run for the seat being vacated by Pat Roberts, a Republican who is retiring after four terms. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has urged Pompeo to run — and noted last month he has plenty of time to jump in because the filing deadline isn't until June.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/pompeo-says-senate-run-not-something-i-want-do-n1108636?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_np
Longtime bell-ringer outside Nordstrom loses his perch as Salvation Army wrestles with image
Seattle Times“The best thing I like about Thanksgiving is the next day I go to work,” said the retired teacher and principal.
Or that’s how he used to feel. This year, Nordstrom told The Salvation Army it would no longer allow solicitation in front of its doors.
Beyond stating that policy, Nordstrom spokeswoman Jennifer Tice Walker did not answer questions about the change. But Clarke said he was told in a meeting last week with head of stores Jamie Nordstrom that LGBTQ employees said The Salvation Army’s presence made them uncomfortable.
The Salvation Army — an evangelical Christian organization that is one of the world’s largest providers of homeless shelters, food banks, youth programs and other social services — has long had a reputation of being unwelcoming to LGBTQ people. Leaders say their organization, like many religious groups, espouses a theology that sees marriage as between a man and a woman. But they say they do not discriminate when providing services or hiring staffers. The organization has been trying to change its image, in part by setting up a website highlighting services provided to the LGBTQ community, including a Las Vegas shelter for transgender individuals intended as a safe space.
There's a CHIK-FIL-A at 129th & Aurora...
Who has received an email from Zina Spezakis?
She's apparently an AOC acolyte endorsed by a branch of Our Revolution who's decided to Primary Bill Pascrell in NJ-10. Nothing in her opening comments points to anything specific about Pascrell that she doesn't like.
Estimate of 2020 Redistricting Changes
https://twitter.com/DKElections/status/1211721512106901504Which candidates will announce their 4Q haul before tomorrow at Midnight?
And which will not?
Per the NY Times:
Biden: Up from Q3, close $21.5 million he raised in Q2
Warren: Down from Q3, hoping to hit $20 mm
Buttigieg: 700k donations this Q — by far his most
Yang: $12.5 mm
I'm thinking all but Yang will announce in advance.
Michael Bennet calls himself 'the opposite of Donald Trump' in New Hampshire TV ad
4President
MANCHESTER, NH — Bennet for America today launched its first television ad in New Hampshire as part of its integrated strategy to introduce Michael Bennet to the voters who are just now tuning into the race. The ad — “Opposite of Trump” — makes clear why Bennet is the best person to beat Donald Trump and lead the country forward.
Last week, the campaign announced it needs to raise $700,000 by January 16th to have the resources to compete in New Hampshire, including for the launch of this ad. Today, it made public that because it has hit $165,000 of its goal, it is immediately investing $60,000 in a week-long TV buy in the Granite State and an expanded digital campaign. The campaign will increase its ad buy over the coming weeks as it continues to raise, and intends to reach a six-figure buy.
“Voters are asking one question in this election: Who can beat Donald Trump?” said Bennet for America spokesperson Shannon Beckham. “To beat Trump, we need the opposite of Trump, and Michael represents that in every way. People who are exhausted by the daily circus in the White House are looking for a candidate who will return things back to normal and start to make progress for their families. When Granite Staters meet Michael, they walk away believing he is the leader we need to make that change, and this ad will ensure even more people see why he is the best candidate to take on Trump.”
Earlier this month, Bennet announced his commitment to hold 50 town halls in New Hampshire during the final 10 weeks before the First in the Nation primary. With his tally at 21 town halls since then, Bennet is now tied for #1 among Democrats in New Hampshire Public Radio’s tracker of events. Bennet will return to the Granite State for a seven-day trip starting December 30, including hosting the first event of 2020 at 12:01 AM on January 1st. The campaign has also announced new endorsements, including Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), and State Reps. Joyce Fulweiler and Marjorie Smith.
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