Meteorologists keep grasping for new ways to convey just how dangerous Hurricane Milton is. The Category 4 system – which only weakened slightly overnight – is "like a bowling ball" rolling toward Florida, storm chaser Josh Morgerman wrote from Sarasota this morning.
In Tampa Bay, WFLA's chief meteorologist Jeff Berardelli wrote on Facebook that "Milton is pushing huge surge toward our coast, promising to be the most devastating storm here in 100+ years." Please, he wrote to his neighbors, don't take chances. "Protect your life and family. I'll be with you through landfall and beyond as we weather the storm and then pick up the pieces. I wish you all the best."
Like a growing number of TV forecasters, Berardelli is also identified on air as a climate specialist. The New York Times reported earlier this year that "on-air meteorologists have become a target in the culture wars as they report on the effects of climate change." But it's necessary to do so. News coverage that omits the climate change component does a disservice to the audience.
Of course, during an emergency like Milton, live-saving information is the top priority. But the context for the storm – the physics that explain how Milton intensified so lightning-fast – is crucial. As misinfo swirls on social media, news organizations must provide clear explanations of the man-made emissions fueling the ever more dangerous threats. And for the most part, they are! I'm hearing and seeing climate change connections all throughout the coverage of Milton.
>> Two separate climate analysis of Hurricane Helene found that fossil fuel pollution worsened what would have already been a disastrous situation. Scientists found that the devastating rainfall "was made up to 20 times more likely" because of global warming. Now, scientists are once again pointing to the fingerprints fueling Milton's unprecedented growth.
"Climate change clearly warmed the Gulf waters that fueled Milton's development, likely supercharging its rapid intensification and making this hurricane much more dangerous. Fossil fuel pollution is amplifying this threat," said Dr. Daniel Gilford, meteorologist and climate scientist at Climate Central.
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John Morales, the longest-serving meteorologist in south Florida, went "viral" on Monday when he got emotional on air while warning viewers about the impending hurricane. It happened, he said, because he felt empathy for his fellow Floridians and "angst" about "increasingly frequent and more severe extreme weather events."
"These symptoms of the changing climate have changed me from a cool cucumber to somebody that's certainly more agitated and in a bit of dismay about what’s going on," Morales told CNN's Erin Burnett last night. Here's the video.
>> As Morales said to Mother Jones, climate-driven extremes are "putting us in a place that we haven’t been before," and it's "very difficult to stay cool, calm, and collected."
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Countering the conspiracies |
WIRED reporter David Gilbert is right: "The scale and speed of conspiracies about Hurricane Milton being orchestrated and controlled by the deep state is incredible to watch. In the space of hours it went from Marjorie Taylor Greene to Irish far-right WhatsApp groups, where they are now discussing how to combat it." His colleague Tess Owen debunks the conspiracy theories here.
>> Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican, issued a remarkable statement yesterday dispelling rumors and saying "nobody can control the weather."
>> The White House is launching a Reddit page, in part to "correct misinformation" about storms, The Hill reports.
>> Jason Koebler writes that A.I.-generated slop concerning Helene is being circulated by users who "simply do not care that it is not real and that it did not happen" and believe the images capture "a vibe that is useful to them politically." (404 Media)
>> Scott Nover breaks down the far-right's latest formula for spreading misinfo: "1) Post a screenshot of a supposedly genuine text message, 2) express outrage, 3) ask if it's true without really caring whether it is, and 4) do no further investigation into the matter." (Slate)
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No matter what happens with Milton, there will be a pivotal election next month, and in Florida abortion rights will be on the ballot. The state government led by Ron DeSantis is campaigning aggressively against the ballot initiative, and that's the context for this news item: In a move that critics are calling a flagrant abuse of power, Florida's Department of Health is threatening to bring criminal charges against local TV stations for airing a campaign ad in support of the ballot initiative.
The extraordinary threat prompted FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel to say that "threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government's views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech." The health department hasn't responded to our request for comment about the rebuke. Most importantly, the TV stations have continued to air the ads in question, meaning they haven't bowed to the state's pressure. Liam Reilly and I wrote about the state of play here.
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"The US Department of Justice in a court filing Tuesday night said it may recommend dismantling Google's core businesses, separating Google's search business from Android, Chrome and the Google Play app store," CNN's Clare Duffy and Brian Fung report. The filing comes "after a federal judge ruled in August that Google had violated US antitrust law with its search business." Google is calling the DOJ's potential plan "radical" and arguing it could make the customer experience worse. Details here.
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Later this morning Paramount boss Shari Redstone will be interviewed by Axios media correspondent/CNN analyst Sara Fischer at an Adweek event. What will she say about Tony Dokoupil's contentious interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates last week? On Tuesday, the WSJ's Joe Flint and Jessica Toonkel reported that Redstone "disagreed with how the situation was handled and that she didn’t believe the interview violated editorial standards."
>> Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League "has come to the defense of Tony Dokoupil after the 'CBS Mornings' anchor’s bosses found he had an 'ax to grind' during his tough interview with controversial author Ta-Nehisi Coates," Charles Gasparino reports. (NYP)
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Two different media blitzes |
Here's the thing – Kamala Harris isn't the only candidate on a TV tour right now. Donald Trump is making the rounds, too. But the Harris campaign publicized her media plan in advance, while Trump sometimes just seems to be winging it. On Monday, he chatted with a couple right-wing radio hosts and appeared (pre-taped) on Fox's "The Ingraham Angle." On Tuesday, he called into "The Ben Shapiro Show," "The John Kobylt Show," and Newsmax's "Rob Schmitt Tonight." Harris campaign aide Ammar Moussa argued that "Trump can't do a real interview outside of his conservative bubble."
>> Meantime, the Trump campaign "demanded" that "60 Minutes" release the "unedited" transcript of Harris's sit-down, so expect to hear that talking point a lot on Wednesday. The "60" election special averaged 5.4 million viewers on Monday, enough to rank as the #1 show of the night.
>> Drinking a beer with Stephen Colbert, telling Howard Stern about her elliptical workouts, talking about her mom with Alex Cooper... the message of the Harris media blitz has been, in four words, "I'm a normal person." (And that Trump is not.)
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Thursday's debate deadline |
The window for a final 2024 presidential debate is closing. CNN wants to hold a debate on October 23 and Harris wants to do it – but Trump hasn't agreed. On Tuesday, the network wrote to both campaigns, issuing a deadline "for a formal response from both campaigns for this Thursday, October 10 at 12 p.m. ET to participate." The clock is ticking for Trump. Does he really want to pass up one final chance to challenge Harris in front of 60 or 70 million viewers?
>> Shortly after I published this story about the deadline, Harris rep Brian Fallon reaffirmed that she is ready to appear on October 23. "Trump has ducked 60 Minutes and debates, and refused to release medical records" in the campaign’s closing weeks "as his speeches show him to be less and less stable," he said.
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Watching news, but not from news outlets |
Hannes P. Albert/picture alliance/Getty Images |
"More Americans are flocking to TikTok for news and information, but they aren't necessarily following media organizations or journalists on the platform, according to a new report from Pew," Eleanor Hawkins of Axios writes. "Instead, they are relying on creators, entertainers and influencers to deliver the news — even as mis-and-disinformation campaigns continue."
The Pew research is really quite striking. TikTok users are mostly following pop culture and entertainment, and they're often consuming news around the edges, almost incidentally, if at all. Big news brands have barely broken through on the platform. Will they ever?
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"A bipartisan group of 14 attorneys general from across the country filed lawsuits on Tuesday against TikTok, alleging that the platform has 'addicted' young people and harmed their mental health," CNN's Clare Duffy and Deidre McPhillips report.
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Solving the Bitcoin mystery |
Jon Sarlin writes: "HBO has released 'Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,' a documentary claiming that Peter Todd, a bitcoin core developer, is secretly Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of bitcoin. The doc's director Cullen Hoback has made a name for himself as the man who solves the biggest internet mysteries. I spoke with Hoback at length here, where we discussed the film’s revelations and his confidence in his theory. In a statement, Todd flat-out denied being Satoshi and called the documentary 'irresponsible.' Hoback, however, said 'Peter’s got next level game theory. His reaction doesn’t surprise me at all.'"
HBO and CNN are corporate siblings. Check out Sarlin's fascinating full story here... |
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Liam Reilly writes: Interested in owning Alex Jones' notorious conspiracy theory empire or nutritional supplement business? Two auction firms shared they will start the bidding process for Jones' Infowars, with an initial bid deadline on the far-right outlet's intellectual properties and assets to kick off on November 8. Bidders will be required to place a 10% deposit and qualifying bids will move to a November 13 live bidding session, with multiple bidding rounds available to determine the highest or best bid. Any remaining Free Speech Systems assets not auctioned off on the 13th will head to a final public auction, slated for December 10.
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>> Trump is calling Bob Woodward all sorts of nasty names. (Beast)
>> In other news, Woodward's forthcoming book "War" is rocketing to the top of Amazon's new-releases list. It is currently #3. (Amazon)
>> OpenAI's latest content partnership deal is with Hearst. (Axios)
>> Game on: The NYT is starting to beta test a new puzzle called Zorse. (Semafor)
>> Fox News is making a new push into Spanish-language content. (Axios)
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>> Brazil lifted its ban on X "after its owner, Elon Musk, capitulated in his fight with the country’s Supreme Court." (NYT)
>> "Snapchat is bringing ads to the app's main Chat tab." (TechCrunch)
>> "Adobe is expanding its Content Credentials 'nutrition labels' to make it even easier for creatives to be credited for their work, identify what is and isn’t AI online, and protect their content in the process," Jess Weatherbed reports. (The Verge)
>> One more from Weatherbed: "Google Docs is making it much easier to organize information." (The Verge)
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Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner |
We need something uplifting on a day like today. So check out this gallery of winning photos in the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. This is the overall winning image, "The Swarm of Life" by Canadian photojournalist Shane Gross, showing western toad tadpoles under the water:
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Shane Gross/Wildlife Photographer of the Year |
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