11 Signs Your Teenager May Be A Feral Cat. Tabs, Thurs., Aug. 10, 2023
Length of naps not a useful measure.
Hawaii is on fire, with high winds from Hurricane Dora — well south of the islands —spreading wildfires on Maui and on the Big Island. At least six people have died, more than 270 buildings have been destroyed, and evacuations are underway. President Biden ordered the US military and “all available federal assets” to help with firefighting and search and rescue. On Maui, the town of Lahaina, Hawaii’s pre-colonial capital, has largely been lost to fire. It’s bad. (Update: the death toll is now up to at least 36. Jesus)
Not only has climate change contributed to the drought that made the islands more vulnerable; Vox notes that
nonnative grasslands and shrublands cover nearly one-quarter of the land area in Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Wildlife Management Organization. “Together with a warming, drying climate and year-round fire season,” the group said, the nonnative grasses “greatly increase the incidence of larger fires.”
If you want to help folks affected by the fires, Hawaii News Now has a whole range of options for you to help out. I’ve given some of my Ameros, which started as your Ameros, to the Maui Food Bank and to the Maui Humane Society, which is asking for local folks to temporarily foster shelter animals so they can have room for animals rescued after the fires. And there are LOTS of other groups helping too. Links may be getting heavy traffic, so keep reloading if you can help. [Hawaii News Now]
OK, and on to normal-er tabs!
FBI agents shot and killed an extremely online gun nut they were trying to arrest Wednesday for making very specific threats against the lives of Joe Biden and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, among other Democrats he wanted to kill. [NBC News]
Special Counsel Jack Smith got a warrant to search Donald Trump’s Twitter account in January of this year as part of the investigation into Trump’s attempted auto-coup in 2020. Twitter was fined $350,000 because it delayed handing over the records. At least Elon didn’t just send Smith a poop emoji, his standard reply to press inquiries. [CNN]
Donald Trump said he won’t sign a pledge to support the 2024 Republican nominee, a requirement of the first GOP primary debate later this month. On Newsmax, Trump said, “Why would I sign it? […] I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president. So right there, there’s a problem.” Oh no, he might not be in the debate, please don’t cry. [AP]
Ron DeSantis just can’t stop himself from suspending elected Florida prosecutors for no reason other than not liking their politics. [Politico]
In Rhinebeck, New York, last weekend, cops had to break up a not-quite fistfight between an 83-year-old supporter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and several local Democrats who had a booth at a farmer’s market to tout Joe Biden. The RFK Jr. supporter planted himself near the Democrats and harangued anyone who went to their booth about vaccines and conspiracies. When the Dems put up a sign saying they didn’t support RFKJ, blocking the interloper’s own signs, he got very upset and the discourse became uncivil. No punches were thrown. [Daily Beast]
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Robbie Robertson, of The Band, died Wednesday at the age of 80, leaving behind some essential parts of American music, including “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” and “The Weight,” among many others. Thing I did not know: Robertson said “The Weight” was inspired by the films of surrealist Luis Buñuel. Robertson also played music with a young man from Hibbing, Minnesota. [Rolling Stone]
The Smithsonian Institution wants you to know that Martin Luther King Jr.’s original text of the “I Have A Dream” speech is now on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on August 28. The typewritten speech is 3 pages long, and contains much more than the half sentence that every Republican thinks is the entirety of the speech. It does not, however, include the phrase “I have a dream,” because King semi-extemporized that at Mahalia Jackson’s urging. The speech will be on view until September 18 [WaPo]
If you want to get excited about some climate news that isn’t depressing, nerd out with this David Roberts interview with Fervo Energy CEO Tim Latimer about Fervo’s big breakthrough last month. Its pilot enhanced geothermal plant in Nevada recently finished 30 days of continuous operation, a shakedown test proving it can reliably generate electricity at a commercial scale. It’s huge news for the green energy transition! [Volts / CNBC]
The Daily Beast really likes this new Ben Kingsley-befriends-a-space-alien movie Jules, and the trailer looks sweet too. Jane Curtin!
Also too, I believe I owe you nice people a Thornton photo.
Oh, yes, let’s not forget: A Wonkette party is coming to Michigan.
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Eat my shorts, it’s The Simpsons! I wrote about the famous chalkboard gag here: https://martiniambassador.substack.com/p/i-will-not-waste-chalk
All teenagers are really feral cats.
Hell, I suspect I'm actually a feral cat.