The Supreme Court’s Damper on the Right to Strike - In a near-unanimous opinion, the Justices made it easier for employers to sue labor unions for damages caused by a work stoppage. - link
The Day That Wildfire Smoke Shrouded New York City - As the world warms and Canada burns, what once seemed unprecedented is becoming familiar. - link
What the Shakeup at CNN Says About the Future of Cable News - Will Chris Licht’s attempts to move the network toward the center outlast his own brief tenure as C.E.O.? - link
Tucker Carlson Is Sort of Back - The former Fox host is embracing his new outsider status with “Tucker on Twitter.” - link
Finally, a Few G.O.P. Candidates Dare to Speak Trump’s Name - The former President has been indicted again—but does it matter? - link
From Vox
Wildfire smoke reminded people about climate change. How soon will they forget? -
Smoke from Canadian wildfires renewed attention on climate change, but the effect may not last. | Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Extreme weather and climate-linked disasters don’t always lead to changes in public opinion.
The smoke cloud over the East Coast from record wildfires in Canada has become an impossible-to-ignore story. Turn on the news or log into any form of social media this week, and you’ll soon hear reports of increasingly toxic air or see otherworldly photos of orange skies over metropolises like New York and Washington, DC.
Or if you’re anywhere along the eastern seaboard, a brief whiff of air outside may be enough to learn what it’s like to breathe some of the worst pollution in the world.
Given that the smoke has shrouded one of the most populated parts of the country (and some of the largest media markets), it makes sense that the dirty air is getting a lot of attention. And many people under the pall are drawing a link to rising average temperatures. President Joe Biden on Thursday called it “another stark reminder of the impacts of climate change.”
Due to hundreds of uncontrolled wildfires across Canada, New York City looks like a post-apocalyptic hellscape.
If you want a prelude of what the world is going to look like if we do not address man-made climate change — this is it. #ActOnClimatepic.twitter.com/cimHQkDwkZ
But after the fires burn out and the smoke dissipates, will people still care as much about rising temperatures? And will that concern translate into action? To an extent, sure. But public opinion research on this is surprisingly murky.
“Overall, Americans are growing more concerned about climate change,” said Edward Maibach, director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, in an email. “The increasing frequency of extreme weather events and wildfires is likely playing a role in this growing rate of concern.”
It’s important to note that wildfires are a regular, natural phenomenon in many forests, including those in Canada. But several factors converged to make the recent blazes so stunning. Eastern Canadian forests experienced abnormally high temperatures and low humidity this year. Swirling winds above Nova Scotia then pushed the rising smoke south along the Atlantic coast toward New York City and then Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC, places that don’t typically get this kind of smoke.
However, rising average temperatures are increasing the chances of fomenting the conditions for large fires as well. “As the atmosphere warms, the ability to suck moisture out of the fuel [trees and other vegetation] increases almost exponentially,” Mike Flannigan, a wildland fire professor at the University of Alberta, told Vox’s Benji Jones. Which is to say, climate change didn’t “cause” these fires, but it’s a factor that’s driving up the overall risk of major infernos. Growing populations in vulnerable areas also mean that more people and property are afflicted when fires do ignite.
Recent polls have shown that Americans are connecting these dots. The Pew Research Center reported last year that among people who experienced events like heat waves, drought, and wildfires, more than 80 percent said climate change played a role. However, there was a big gap between Republicans and Democrats, with Democrats more likely to report a larger role for climate change.
Pew Research Center
There’s a partisan divide in how Americans see the role of climate change in extreme weather.
Another 2022 poll, from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that among adults who experienced extreme weather over the past five years, 37 percent said climate change was a crisis and 40 percent said it was a major problem. Compare that to adults who didn’t experience severe weather: Just 16 percent described climate change as a crisis and 30 percent as a major problem.
But other researchers have found mixed results on the question of how much disasters and extreme events alter how people think about global warming. A 2019 review paper in Environmental Research Letters looking at 73 studies of climate change and public opinion found that there were often too many confounding variables, concluding “the relationship between weather and climate opinions still remains unclear.”
Major events similar to the ongoing fires in Canada did raise short-term concerns about climate change, mainly among people who were already worried about rising global average temperatures, explained the paper’s co-author Peter Howe, who studies perceptions of climate change at Utah State University, in an email. “However, it’s not clear how durable or long-lasting the impacts are,” he said.
It’s also uncertain how much floods, fires, heat waves, and drought influence people who weren’t already thinking about the environment. “We don’t have strong evidence yet that extreme weather events are a major cause of people who were previously dismissive about climate change changing their minds,” Howe said.
In fact, some opinion polls show that the partisan divide on climate change as a priority has grown even though disasters exacerbated by climate change afflict red and blue regions alike.
Pew Research Center
Far more Democrats say that climate change is a major threat than Republicans.
On the other hand, many of the tactics to limit climate change remain broadly popular. According to Pew, 69 percent of Americans support the US becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and a majority favor more government support for renewable energy.
Climate change isn’t the only issue on the table, of course. Worries about the economy can push concerns about warming to the backburner for some people, and for others, it can alter the kinds of solutions they support. “In the current period of high inflation, the public largely favors policies seen as having less of a direct impact on their own financial situation,” according to the 2022 NPR poll. For example, Americans were more inclined to support measures to protect against future disasters (57 percent) and less likely to favor a carbon tax that would raise their energy prices (39 percent).
So, on their own, the recent Canadian fires and their smoky shadow over a huge swath of the continent might not lead to large, lasting changes in public opinion. But with average global temperatures rising, the chances of fires, floods, and heat waves recurring more often or with more severity is growing. The smoke will blow away, but more days with dangerous air quality lie ahead, and it will grow even harder to avoid.
Why are all these random Republicans running for president? -
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a town-hall-style event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College on June 6, 2023, in Manchester, New Hampshire. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
In a crowded GOP primary, everybody still thinks they can win in 2024.
The 2024 Republican field expanded this week with the entry of three new presidential candidates: former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. All three are polling at the bottom of the now nine-candidate field, raising the question: Why would any of them enter a race that seems impossible to win?
The short answer is that they may think they can beat the odds. That might seem delusional given both Pence and Christie are polling in the low single digits, and Burgum is so little-known that he hasn’t even been poll-tested. But they’re holding out hope that they could become the definitive alternative to the current frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is consistently polling in second, flames out.
“For all these guys, it’s a very, very, very steep climb. But if DeSantis stumbles, somebody will fill that vacuum,” said Chris Russell, a GOP strategist based in New Jersey.
That’s not an impossibility given that DeSantis has had a rocky few months. His campaign launch was defined by technical glitches and an overly online message that seemed impenetrable to most rank-and-file Republicans. There are growing concerns among donors that he’s just not that good at retail politics and that he’s already doomed himself among general election voters by embracing right-wing policies on issues such as abortion.
If DeSantis’s issues continue, second-tier GOP candidates — which also include former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and right-wing activist Vivek Ramaswamy — could catch a break. It wouldn’t be the first time a long-shot candidate was suddenly catapulted into viability: At this point in the primary eight years ago, Trump was polling at 1 percent, while Jeb Bush had a double-digit lead and Scott Walker was in second. Walker later dropped out before the Iowa caucuses, the first on the Republican primary calendar, and Trump killed Bush’s campaign by dubbing him “Low-Energy Jeb.”
The difference between 2016 and this year is Trump’s stranglehold on his base. He remains the leader of his party and is polling at over 50 percent, with DeSantis about 30 percentage points behind. That lead increased after he was indicted in New York, and it’s unclear whether his trajectory will change given the additional criminal charges Trump said he faces on Thursday night in a separate criminal case concerning his alleged withholding of classified documents.
Taking down DeSantis is one thing; taking out Trump is another. But the other Republican hopefuls are looking to history when they say anything can happen. Regardless of the polls, they seem to truly believe that they have a shot, though if they were to lose, some (except for maybe Pence) would welcome any consolation prizes, including positions of vice president or in the Cabinet.
“I think all these guys think to themselves, ‘Why not me?’” Russell said.
Pence’s and Burgum’s campaigns seem like uphill battles
Of the three new entries in the race, Michael DuHaime, a GOP strategist based in New Jersey, thinks that Christie has the best chance of breaking through. That might be an unsurprising opinion coming from a former top adviser to Christie. But it’s also true that Pence and Burgum have some problems Christie lacks, which means they don’t really have a plausible path to the nomination.
Pence’s unfavorability ratings, even among Republicans, are through the roof. In a series of recent polls, well over half of voters said that they viewed him unfavorably. He had 39 percent favorability in his best poll, from Fox News, and 29 percent in his worst, from the Wall Street Journal. That’s historically bad for a presidential candidate who previously served as vice president.
His decision to certify the results of the 2020 election and his criticism of Trump’s actions during the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol was the turning point: Despite being viewed favorably by his party during his tenure as vice president, his approval ratings took a nosedive thereafter and never revived.
Pence has nevertheless dug in his heels in criticizing the insurrection and attacking Trump. At his campaign launch in Iowa Wednesday, he said, “I believe anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again.”
And during a CNN town hall Wednesday, he said that he had no interest in pardoning insurrectionists (but declined to say whether he would pardon Trump). When asked whether he would support Trump if he wins the nomination, he said, “I don’t think he’s going to be the nominee. I have great confidence in Republican primary voters.”
Those critiques will make it difficult for Pence to win over voters who still view Trump and the insurrectionists favorably. But Pence is also likely to have trouble finding support among those ready to move on from Trump. He worked for the former president for four years; that’s turning off the “Never Trump” segment of the party and would probably be an issue for swing voters in the general election. So it’s hard for him to make the case for his electability.
Still, he persists. A prominent evangelical, Pence sees his campaign for president as a spiritual journey in addition to a political one, and his advisers believe he can vanquish the other second-tier GOP candidates and emerge victorious if Trump and DeSantis self-destruct, as Adam Wren writes in Politico. But that is a very large if, and sheer self-belief doesn’t make someone president. All those qualifiers have made big donors including the Koch network appear skeptical of his bid.
Burgum’s problem, on the other hand, isn’t that voters don’t like him; it’s that they’ve never heard of him.
His favorability ratings are high in North Dakota, but he doesn’t have the national name recognition of some of his GOP rivals. His entry into the race might be a symptom of the fact that he’s hit his “ceiling for rising in North Dakota politics,” given that he’s term-limited and would have a hard time trying to unseat North Dakota’s incumbent Republicans in the US Senate, said Mark Jendrysik, a professor of political science and public administration at the University of North Dakota.
Burgum is hoping he can differentiate himself from the pack as a free market entrepreneur, touting his experience leading Great Plains Software, which went public in 1997 and was sold to Microsoft in 2001 for $1.1 billion in stock. His proceeds from that deal mean he’ll likely be able to self-fund his campaign through the early stages, but he would need to pick up serious donor support to stay viable after the first primaries.
“He’s going to have to spend a lot of money just telling people who he is,” Jendrysik said. “It might be that he’s trying to raise his profile, but it just seems like a very expensive way to do that.”
Burgum might believe that there is an avenue for a “non-confrontational, competent business leader,” Jendrysik added, but that might not be enough to resonate given the current preferences of Republican primary voters who clearly still love Trump and his red-meat politics. His aides are betting that his business network will help yield major donors, but upon announcing his candidacy, he didn’t have the support of any super PAC or outside group. That leaves Burgum, at least for now, waiting for Trump and DeSantis to somehow be taken out of the running.
Does Christie have an opening, or just a bone to pick with Trump?
Christie insists he sees a path to the nomination, however narrow that may be. But at least on some level, he also seems motivated to take down Trump and believes he’s the best person to do it: “You need to think about who’s got the skill to do that and who’s got the guts to do it because it’s not going to end nicely no matter what,” he said in March.
Once a Trump defender, he’s said he was “wrong” about the former president and that election night 2020 was the “breaking point” in their relationship.
Christie has already proved willing to go head-to-head with the former president, offering criticism of his reluctance to debate and unwillingness to accept the results of the 2020 election, and calling him a “coward” and “puppet of Putin.” He’s said that he wouldn’t support Trump even if the former president wins the Republican nomination in 2024. “Beware of the leader in this country, who you have handed leadership to, who has never made a mistake, who has never done anything wrong, who when something goes wrong it’s always someone else’s fault. And who has never lost,” Christie said of Trump Tuesday.
It’s a remarkable 180-degree turn for someone who briefly headed Trump’s White House transition team and helped him prepare for debates in 2020. And it’s attracting Trump’s ire — and therefore earning Christie the media attention he wants. On Tuesday, Trump responded to Christie’s attacks with a jab about the former governor’s weight, which Christie called “childish.”
Russell said it’s Christie’s bombastic style that puts him in a different class than other GOP rivals who have taken an anti-Trump stance, including Pence. Christie has publicly reminded his Republican colleagues about how he took down Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on the presidential debate stage in 2016 and says that somebody needs to do the same to Trump.
“The one thing he does bring to the race that probably nobody else does or that at least he does better than everybody else: He’s a really high-level communicator and he’s not afraid to throw a punch,” he said. “He is incredibly charismatic. His debating skills and media skills are nonparallel in a lot of ways.”
Those skills may end up benefiting other candidates as well, especially those who might be hesitant to directly attack the former president. If Christie becomes the attack dog, he can do the dirty work for them.
“I don’t doubt that he will land some blows on Trump,” Russell said. “I could see him as potentially a kamikaze pilot of sorts that does damage to Trump and helps [the other GOP contenders] get closer.”
That might be the most likely, though not preferred, outcome for someone who came in sixth the last time he ran for president. But Christie might still take that loss as a win. His previous support of Trump has seemingly brought him nothing but misery; now, he might want to inflict a little of his own.
Overall, it remains possible, though perhaps unlikely, that some confluence of events radically reshapes the race. That has candidates at the bottom of the polls waiting, hoping, and looking for their chance.
“There’s an opportunity right now for one of these candidates to break through,” DuHaime said. “It seemed like it might be a two-person race six months ago, but DeSantis has been very disappointing in the runup to and the start of his candidacy. That has donors and voters looking for a third alternative.”
If you can’t breathe well, neither can your pet -
In early June, smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed New York City, causing hazardous levels of air pollution. | Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
How to tell if your pet is suffering from wildfire smoke.
Humans aren’t the only ones breathing in deadly, dirty air this week.
Pets — animals who often have indoor sanctuary — may still have to venture outside when wildfire smoke comes to town. Dogs need their outdoor bathroom breaks, and don’t have the protection of masks, like we do. And if living in poorly sealed buildings without air filters, other pets like cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds, too, can suffer from unhealthy air.
While pet parents and animals in the US are a safe distance from the flames themselves, the threat of air pollution cannot be underestimated. In humans, air pollution can cause dizziness, coughing, headaches, and in more severe cases and vulnerable groups, heart and lung problems. Air pollution is also a silent killer: It’s responsible for nearly 250,000 premature deaths in the US and 6.7 million premature deaths globally each year.
Poor air quality can also harm your pet. As such, air quality alerts apply to people as well as their pets. If the air isn’t safe for you, it’s not safe for them.
“A lot of people just don’t realize that animals can experience things almost exactly in the same ways that we do,” said Lisa Lippman, a veterinarian and director of virtual medicine at Bond Vet. “They have the same organ systems that we do, and they’re really, really susceptible, especially [to air pollution] if they’re in the at-risk categories.”
Importantly, fretting about air quality and what to do is just the beginning of what experts believe, due to climate change, will be a more fire-filled future. As such, it’s important that pet parents learn how to protect themselves and their furry/scaly/feathered friends.
How to keep your pets safe from wildfire smoke
Like humans, the first line of protection for pets is staying indoors whenever possible. Even indoors, birds are particularly at risk. Keeping them in a room with sealed windows and an air purifier can help.
“You get birds in smoke and they’re going to crumple,” said Debra Zoran, a veterinarian and professor in small animal clinical sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University. But “with good filtration and working air conditioners and all those sorts of things, they’re probably going to be okay [indoors].”
As Vox’s Keren Landman reports, you’ll want to switch from ventilation mode to recirculation mode on your HVAC units. If you have a window AC unit, make sure those flimsy side panels are well sealed. You’ll also want to avoid running exhaust fans like the ones in your bathroom or kitchen.
For dogs that require the occasional quick trip outdoors, keep it brief and mission-oriented.
That can be difficult if your pup doesn’t quite understand why you’re in such a hurry. If they’re reluctant, potty pads might also be a good resource to stock up on. Smoke is usually less intense really early in the morning and late at night, so think about doing your outside walks during those times.
Back inside, you can wipe down their fur (especially around the eyes and mouth) to help prevent irritation from airborne particles. Puppies and older dogs, along with those with smushed faces — like pugs, Boston terriers, and bulldogs — are at greater risk.
“Animals with flat faces, like pugs and Persian cats, are sensitive to poor air quality since they cannot pant as effectively,” Lori Bierbrier, a senior medical director for the ASPCA Community Medicine team, told Vox in a written statement. “These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.”
Bierbrier recognizes that keeping your pet indoors most of the day, especially if they’re used to outdoor play sessions or walks, can be challenging. Boredom is already a neglected animal welfare issue, even without added confinement.
“Ramping down that exercise could leave your pet with pent-up energy,” she said. “Interactive toys or healthy chews can help keep your dog active and engaged while limiting outside time.” Specifically for dogs, Bierbrier recommends stuffing toys with the animal’s favorite food and then freezing it. These toys keep pets busy and soothe them, she said.
One thing you should not do, Zoran said, is put a mask on your dog when you take them outside. Even if you manage to get a mask on tight enough to prevent particulates from getting around the edges, “a mask that tight would cause most dogs to lose their minds. If it’s tight enough to keep particulates from getting around it, they’re not going to go for it because they can’t pant,” she said.
Cats and dogs alike have strong respiratory systems, but hydration is key. “Their nasal passages and respiratory trees are amazingly resilient to removing those particulates, as long as they’re well hydrated. If the airways get dehydrated, they can’t do their jobs as well,” said Zoran.
How to tell if your pets are having a bad reaction to wildfire smoke or poor air quality
Since animals can’t exactly say, “Hey, I’m having a tough time breathing!” directly to humans, it’s sometimes hard to tell when your pet isn’t feeling well, or if symptoms are a sign of something more serious as opposed to general irritation.
The American Veterinary Medical Association instructs pet owners to consult their vet if their animal is experiencing fatigue, eye irritation, coughing, gagging, or labored breathing after exposure to smoke-caused air pollution. If cats are breathing through their mouths, they’re having trouble breathing. “That’s go-to-the-vet land,” said Zoran.
“With dogs, you can’t use that same criteria, because they breathe through their mouths all the time,” Zoran continued. “If they’re coughing, and are obsessively open-mouth breathing, or are unable to lay down and rest, that probably means they’re uncomfortable and don’t have the ability to relax, and that is telling you that something is not going well.”
There are ways for owners to relieve their discomfort at home. For dogs and cats that show signs of eye irritation (which include redness, tearing, and pawing at their face), squeezing a cotton ball with lukewarm water over their eyes to flush them out can relieve discomfort, Jerry Klein, the chief veterinary officer at the American Kennel Club, told the New York Times.
It’s also important to recognize when the best option for you and your pet is to leave the area. If you and your pets are in immediate danger due to a wildfire or any other type of natural disaster, having a confirmed, pet-friendly location to evacuate to is vital.
Your animal’s evacuation kit should contain three to seven days of food, any medicine your pet needs, medical records, and a pet carrier (a full list of what to include can be found on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website).
In any case, pet parents should be monitoring these disasters closely, paying attention to both the air quality — which they can do via AirNow — and their pet’s behavior.
“Don’t hesitate to reach out to the vet if you have any questions,” said Lippman, who shared advice on how to deal with the current air pollution on her Instagram. “We would so rather you be safe than sorry.”
From The Hindu: Sports
WTC final, Ind vs Aus Day 3 | Rahane rises to occasion to take India to 260 for six at lunch - India, who resumed the day at 151 for five in response to Australia’s 469, need 10 runs to avoid follow-on.
Disney+ Hotstar to offer free streaming of Cricket World Cup, Asia Cup to mobile users - India will host this year’s Asia Cup in September while also hosting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup which will take place from October 5 to November 19
Morning Digest | Former U.S. President Donald Trump charged in classified documents probe; Father of minor wrestler says filed false sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief, and more - Here’s a select list of stories to read before you start your day
French Open | Swiatek feels heat but ends Haddad Maia run to reach final - Swiatek sets up Muchova showdown for French Open crown
Haaland looks set to replace Messi and Ronaldo as soccer’s next global superstar - Haaland’s five goals against Leipzig in the Champions League matched the record held by Messi and Luiz Adriano for the most in a single game in European soccer’s top club competition.
From The Hindu: National News
Switching from coal power contracts to renewable energy can save Kerala ₹9,000 crore in five years, says study - A report on the findings, released here on Friday, recommended that the State go in for a phased energy transition plan with the goal of phasing out coal power purchases by 2030
Palaniswami to chair a meeting of district secretaries on June 13 -
Kochi start-up forays into space with rocketry and satellite development - It plans to launch a customised satellite aboard a rocket propelled by a helium or hydrogen-powered balloon
Reopening of schools in T.N. | 1,500 special buses to be operated from June 9 to 11 - Transport Department said 650 special buses would be run for three days to Chennai from the other parts of the State and 850 special buses would be operated from Madurai, Thirunelveli, Tiruchi and Salem to important destinations, including Bengaluru.
Maitreyan joins BJP, a return after two decades in AIADMK - Dr. Maitreyan had been with the BJP prior to 2000.
From BBC: Europe
Ukraine army attacks Russian forces in southern Zaporizhzhia region - Military observers say Kyiv is trying to split the occupying forces in Zaporizhzhia.
France stabbing: Children attacked in Annecy park in stable condition - All four children are in hospital and officials have told the BBC they are in a stable condition.
Ukraine dam: Floods devastate tracts of rich farmland - The long-term consequences for agriculture will be severe in one of Ukraine’s most fertile areas.
Eurozone in recession as rising prices hit spending - Revised data shows the eurozone’s economy contracted at the end of last year and the start of 2023.
Ukraine war: Russia says ammonia pipeline blast may end grain deal - Moscow blames Ukraine for damage to the key Togliatti-Odesa pipeline on Monday, which Kyiv denies.
From Ars Technica
I just bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print, and I regret nothing - The still-updated World Book Encyclopedia is my antidote to the information apocalypse. - link
Dealmaster: Savings on practical Father’s Day tech gift ideas - Our curated Father’s Day list of the favorite toys and tech dads will love. - link
A telescope happened to be pointing at the brightest supernova yet observed - The BOAT—brightest of all time—reveals the mechanics of gamma-ray bursts. - link
Google makes office attendance part of performance reviews - Employees need to be in the office at least three days a week. - link
Tesla to add General Motors to its charger standard next year - GM EV drivers will need a dongle at first; NACS ports will show up in 2025. - link
From Jokes Subreddit
Hey Guys…Next time you’re having an argument with your wife, start undressing. -
She will instantly have a headache and then go to sleep.
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NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
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