PBS examines 'THE RISKIEST Places to Live in the US as Our Climate Changes'

PBS is revisiting PBS Terra asks 'What is the RISKIEST Region in the US as the Climate Changes?' Watch THE RISKIEST Places to Live in the US as Our Climate Changes | Weathered: Earth's Extremes.

In this story from Weathered: Earth’s Extremes, Maiya May pours over giant risk maps with NASA scientist Marshall Shephard to learn the most significant impacts of our changing climate on each region of the US. Using some of the most powerful computers in the world, scientists can project how a warmer world will change our weather. She finds an answer to the question: where is the riskiest place to live as the climate warms, and how can we prepare?

The answer is Miami/Dade County/Broward County in Florida, the parishes just east of New Orleans in Louisiana, and Los Angeles County in California. Meanwhile, Oakland County is slightly more vulnerable than I had thought, but much better than Los Angeles. That makes me extra glad I moved from Southern California to Michigan 35 years ago!

Stay tuned as "Wednesday is both National Fossil Day and World Food Day. PBS Eons videos about the prehistory of food, anyone?"

'A People's History of Native America' from PBS Origins for Indigenous Peoples' Day

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day, Canadian Thanksgiving, and, oh yeah, Columbus Day! I'm concentrating on the first today by showcasing the four most watched videos from A People's History of Native America on PBS Origins, beginning with the most viewed, Native American Reservations, Explained.

How did Native Americans end up on Reservations? We explore the complicated relationship between the Indian Nations and the United States of America. This episode unpacks the legacy of Treaties and their effect on modern legislation. We answer the most important question: why do Native Americans continue to live and grow their families there?

Watch Tai Leclaire breakdown all you need to know about the Reservation system and why “Rez Life” is critical to the Native American experience.

That's a fascinating exploration of the history of reservations and how reality ended up not matching what was promised in the treaties. I can see why so many people have watched it.

The next most popular is the season finale, Who can Identify as a Native American?

What’s the deal with “Pretendians”? Tai Leclare and experts dissect what it really means to be Native—whether it’s blood, initiation, or just a claim. This episode digs deep into the complexities of identity and last names in Indian Country.

I really wanted to put this first, but it didn't feel quite right to begin this entry with the last video posted. Still, excellent question, one that hits close to home, as "My wife, my ex-girlfriend, and my ex-wife all have Native American ancestry. At least two of them would qualify as Native Americans under U.S. government policy, and one of them is enrolled as a Cherokee..."

Speaking of "playing Indian," the third most watched video in the series is What Hollywood Gets Wrong About Native America.

Why aren’t Native people– and their stories – ever the crux of your favorite films?

From films used as a tool of genocidal propaganda, to award-winning Indigenous stories in Hollywood, how far has Indigenous media representation come and where is it headed?

Tai Leclaire and experts track the past, present and future of Indigenous entertainment– and how the media and bias prevents Native people from telling their own stories.

While I haven't watched Reservation Dogs yet, I did blog about its Golden Globes and Emmy nominations, so it's on my list. The same is true of Prey, which I haven't watched (yet) but whose Emmy and Saturn Award nomination I covered. On the other hand, my wife and I have watched both seasons so far of Dark Winds, which was also nominated for a Saturn Award, and are looking forward to season three.

I close today's post with Native American Food Sovereignty, Explained.

Today, many Native Americans live in food apartheid and insecurity.

But it wasn't always this way. Once, their lands were abundant with nutritious food sources—corn, bison, potatoes, squash, and more.

So… what happened?

Forced relocation meant that entire Indigenous food systems were ripped away. This triggered a public health crisis and forced a dependence on government rations that just can’t compare.

I blogged about food deserts when I began this blog. It's about time I resumed.

This final entry reminds me that Wednesday is both National Fossil Day and World Food Day. PBS Eons videos about the prehistory of food, anyone? Stay tuned.

'SNL' plays Family Feud Election Edition as Ariana Grande hosts

Happy Sunday during election season! It's time for another highlights post of last night's Saturday Night Live beginning, like the show, with Family Feud Election 2024 Cold Open.

Host Steve Harvey (Kenan Thompson) welcomes key players in the 2024 election, like Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph), Doug Emhoff (Andy Samberg), Tim Walz (Jim Gaffigan) and Joe Biden (Dana Carvey), to face off against Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson), Donald Trump Jr. (Mikey Day) and JD Vance (Bowen Yang) in a game of Family Feud.

Also Chloe Fineman as Kaitlan Collins, Dana Carvey as Joe Biden, and no one as Melania Trump. Too bad, it could have been Heidi Gardner, but it was probably funnier that she didn't show. Here's to hoping that the election turns out like the game with the Democrats winning.

Now to make fun of the week's news on Weekend Update: Trump Agrees to Fox News Town Hall with All-Women Audience.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Trump confirming he wouldn't agree to a second debate against Kamala Harris.

On the one hand, congratulations to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on raising one billion dollars. On the other, my wife and I are looking forward to no longer receiving fundraising texts and emails from the campaign.

A possible subway series wasn't the only story covered last night. Watch Weekend Update: LeBron James and Son Bronny Make NBA History.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like the Supreme Court declining to hear R. Kelly's appeal in his sex crime case.

The R. Kelly and Diddy news is enough to qualify this as the Sunday entertainment feature, but there will be more over the jump.

The BBC World Service examines 'How the US election could change our climate' plus MSNBC on Project 2025 and climate

Change of plans — instead of "returning to the Emmy Awards with the diversity in Emmy winners posts I've been promising," I'm returning to the intersection of the election and climate change thanks to BBC World Service examining How the US election could change our climate - The Global Story podcast.

In the second of our pre-election series we look at America and... climate change. How could Kamala Harris or Donald Trump shape the global response to the climate crisis?
...
As one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuels and carbon emissions, the US plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change. The environmental policies of the next president could reshape American industry and the economy, while influencing the global fight against climate change.

Sumi Somaskanda speaks to the BBC’s climate editor Justin Rowlatt and Carl Nasman, who covers US climate issues for the BBC.

Yes, the United States does face a stark choice on a number of issues next month (this month for people who are filling their ballots early and mailing them in, as my wife and I are planning on doing) as I described most recently in CityNerd examines Agenda 47 and cities in 'And You Thought Project 2025 Was Bad', not least of which are climate and energy, which I promised to cover months ago in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 4. Then, I had two videos from MSNBC to share. Now, I have five, beginning with the most recent, Project 2025 calls for break up of nation's top weather and climate service. That makes this part 8 of MSNBC examines Project 2025.

Project 2025 is calling for the breaking up of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA). Monica Medina, former Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, joins Morning Joe to discuss as Hurricane Milton is set to hit Florida.

FEMA having to debunk rumors on its webpage reminds me of what I wrote in Kamala Harris visits 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'.

As for Trump's lies about FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene, I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling what I last wrote in 'SNL' returns with Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris after winning six Emmy Awards; "the voices he's listening to aren't reliable sources. This includes JD Vance.' It also includes the voices in his head." Who are he and his supporters going to believe, their narrative or their own eyes and ears? So far, it's their narrative.

That's damage that's already been done and needs to be repaired. I'd rather not imagine the impact of breaking up NOAA, which paid my salary twice. That would make the consequences of extreme weather and other natural disasters worse.

Monica Medina appeared previously in ‘He will weaponize’ and politicize the weather: Trump and Project 2025’s wrecking ball climate plan, one of the videos I have been saving.

This year’s presidential election will determine the fate of our democracy and, with it, hard-won environmental and climate gains. Project 2025, the conservative playbook for another Trump term, promises to completely eviscerate climate policy and empower Big Oil. Activist and author Bill McKibben and Monica Medina, a former top climate official at the State Department, DoD, and NOAA, join Ali Velshi to discuss what’s at stake this November. 'Biden has done more to support clean energy by far than any president before,' says McKibben. Trump “won’t just politicize the weather – he will weaponize it,” warns Medina.

Not only did McKibben imagine what a U.S. without NOAA would be like, he compared it to convicted criminal Donald Trump's response to the pandemic, "if we don't know, then we don't have to talk about it." He also brought up Ron DeSantis forbidding mention of climate change in Florida's official documents, all while the Sunshine State was already facing one of the worst hurricane seasons forecast. So far, that dire prediction is coming true. Speaking of which, Trump weaponizing the weather against his enemies isn't a prediction; it already happened during his time as President.

I have three more MSNBC videos about Project 2025 and climate policy to share, but I have papers to correct and dinner to grill, so I'm saving them for part 9. In the meantime, stay tuned for a highlights post of tonight's Saturday Night Live as the Sunday entertainment feature. Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks!

'The Traitors' won two Emmy Awards for National Coming Out Day

Happy National Coming Out Day! I usually examine Emmy Awards won by reality programs, but skipped that tradition last year because of the writers' and actors' strikes. I'm returning to it today by re-examining Gold Derby's predictions for reality programs at the Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

• RuPaul Charles - RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV)
• Alan Cumming - The Traitors (Peacock)
• Daymond John, Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec - Shark Tank (ABC)
• Kristen Kish - Top Chef (Bravo)
• Jeff Probst - Survivor (CBS)

Nine editors voted for RuPaul to return to the stage, while two agree with the Gold Derby TV Awards voters that Alan Cumming will win. The experts are less sure with five picking RuPaul and four choosing Cumming. In contrast, the top 24 users agree with the editors that RuPaul will reign supreme for one more year, while four chose Cumming.

There has been no change since Sunday. I would pick RuPaul to RePeat.

I never did register at Gold Derby, but I would have been wrong anyway, as Cumming won. His win keeps the LGBTQ+ theme of today going, as Cumming is bisexual and an LGBT activist. That partially makes up for RuPaul's Drag Race, Queer Eye, RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked, and We're Here all being shut out, despite two of them being favored to win their categories.

To celebrate Cumming's first Emmy, I'm sharing Entertainment Tonight's Alan Cumming Reacts to Beating RuPaul for Emmy for Best Host.

Alan Cumming chats with ET's Nischelle Turner after winning Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for season 2 of 'The Traitors.'

Cumming should be impressed by beating RuPaul; that's not an insignificant achievement.

Now to revisit the predictions for Cumming's second Emmy.

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV)
• Top Chef (Bravo)
• The Traitors (Peacock)
• The Voice (NBC)

RuPaul's Drag Race has won this category five of the past six years, including earlier this year for 2023 and the forecasters at Gold Derby agree, as ten of eleven editors, eleven of sixteen experts, and fifteen users have chosen it as the winner. One editor, five experts, and six users think The Traitors could walk away with the statuette in an upset (three users haven't made up their minds yet). I would pick RuPaul's Drag Race given the opportunity.

Like me, the remaining top 24 users jumped on the RuPaul's Drag Race bandwagon with one user switching from The Traitors to RuPaul's Drag Race. I bet they regret that decision, as The Traitors won. Watch Reality Competition Program: 76th Emmy Awards from the Television Academy.

The Team from The Traitors accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program at the 76th Emmy Awards.

Congratulations to Cumming and the rest of The Traitors team!

Follow over the jump for the rest of the reality TV Emmy winners.

John Oliver examines 'Federal Courts'

It's been nearly two weeks since I posted 'Last Week Tonight' examines disability benefits after winning 2 Emmy Awards, so it's time I return to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, who examined Federal Courts last week.

John Oliver discusses how Donald Trump has impacted our federal courts, what he could do if reelected, and how Judge Steve Harvey fits into our judiciary branch.

The cases Oliver mentions take me down a bad memory lane, including Supreme Court unanimously preserves access to Mifepristone, the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, and others that I examined in PBS NewsHour and FiveThirtyEight examine the end of the Supreme Court term. As I wrote in the last linked entry, "This has certainly been an eventful term, thanks to the three justices that The Former Guy appointed, which moved the court even more to the right. The damage from his maladministration continues..." The three justices appointed by the Bushes are happy to go along, especially Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Those five form a majority. With John Roberts, who has generally escaped my scrutiny, they compose a supermajority. I shudder to think what another Trump term would do to the courts. May my American readers feel the same way and vote accordingly. This includes voting Republicans out of Congress in addition to voting for Kamala Harris as President.

That's a wrap for today's political post. Stay tuned for National Coming Out Day, when I usually examine Emmy Awards won by reality programs.

Kamala Harris visits 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'

I might just return to this season's big story, the election, tomorrow. That is, if I don't cover hurricane season instead. Stay tuned.

That's how I closed 'Bankrupt - 99 Cents Only Stores' by Bright Sun Films, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and it turns out I get to blog about both today, thanks to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which had a special episode last night with Kamala Harris as its guest. Normally, I'd begin with the monologue and end with the cold open, but I'm shuffling the order by starting with The Late Show Presidential Nominee Interview cold open.



It's a tradition like no other.
LOL, because it's not a tradition for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, although it is one for 60 Minutes. As for Stephen's invitation to convicted criminal Donald Trump to "go fvck himself," I second his emotion.

Now the monologue, Getting To Know VP Kamala Harris | Trump's FEMA Lies Harm Hurricane Victims | Elon Is So Cringe.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is honored to be the only late night television show on Vice President Kamala Harris's media blitz, while her Republican opponent is busy undercutting FEMA's efforts to dig out from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, and his friend Elon Musk is once again the internet’s favorite laughing stock.

I'm glad Stephen returned from break for this episode. Doing so was good for his show, Vice President Harris, and the country.

Now the Vice President herself appears as she asks Trump via Stephen, "Have You No Empathy, Man?" - VP Harris On Trump's Lies About FEMA's Hurricane Helene Relief Work.

The Democratic nominee for president of the United States returns for her seventh visit to The Late Show and sits down for a four-part interview with Stephen Colbert. Watch as she and Stephen discuss the devastation of Hurricane Helene and the crude cynicism of Donald Trump who is spreading misinformation about FEMA's response as the potentially catastrophic Hurricane Milton approaches landfall in Florida. Stick around for three more segments with Vice President Kamala Harris!

I made Funkadelic's "One Nation under a Groove" my personal theme song for Harris's campaign back in 2019 and revived it once she began running again this summer, as shown by this tweet of mine.

#OneNationUnderAGroove
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
One nation and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now!#Kamala2024 #KamalaHarris2024 #KamalaHasMyVote #NotGoingBack pic.twitter.com/u3Xdv7x2eL

— Crazy Eddie's Motie News (@pinkusensei) July 26, 2024

I'm thrilled that someone else thought of it, too, and hope it catches on.

As for Trump's lies about FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene, I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling what I last wrote in 'SNL' returns with Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris after winning six Emmy Awards; "the voices he's listening to aren't reliable sources. This includes JD Vance.' It also includes the voices in his head." Who are he and his supporters going to believe, their narrative or their own eyes and ears? So far, it's their narrative.

Stephen has three more clips of Harris, but I have to get ready for work. Watch them on The Late Show's YouTube channel.

'Bankrupt - 99 Cents Only Stores' by Bright Sun Films, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I'm returning to Company Man asks 'The Decline of 99 Cents Only Stores...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse with Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films presenting Bankrupt - 99 Cents Only Stores. I feel like no bankrupt company's story is fully told until both Company Man Mike and Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films have weighed in.

Well known across southern States in America, 99 Cents Only Stores was a growing company, focused on customer service and offering products at a gimmicky, yet very enticing price point... 99 cents. But after corporate takeovers and rising costs, this chain of around 300 locations would begin to struggle and ultimately declare bankruptcy. Join me to find out why.

I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling my reaction from May.

As I wrote most recently in Company Man asks 'The Decline of Red Lobster...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse, "I listed a who's who of retail chains gutted by private equity in CNN Business explains retail bankruptcies and how private equity is gutting retail, tales of the Retail Apocalypse and again in Business Insider and CNBC explain the rise and fall of Chuck E. Cheese, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic." The debt left behind by the leveraged buyout hurt the chain's cash flow afterwards, which Company Man Mike illustrated and which Erik blamed as the major reason for the chain's liquidation.

Jake joins Company Man Mike and Erik in that assessment and so do his viewers; the comments on this video nearly unanimously blame the leveraged buyout by private equity for the chain's demise. I'm joining them.

So concludes this tale of the Retail Apocalypse. I might just return to this season's big story, the election, tomorrow. That is, if I don't cover hurricane season instead. Stay tuned.

Rachel Maddow examines Curtis Yarvin, one of JD Vance's influences

I suggested a future topic in Kosta, Colbert, and Hayes react to the VP Debate.

I think I should start paying attention to Peter Thiel and Curtis "Mencius Moldbug" Yarvin, both of whom have cyberpunk villain ideas straight out of Snow Crash that are influencing Vance. They would be right on target for this blog.

I repeated part of this in CityNerd examines Agenda 47 and cities in 'And You Thought Project 2025 Was Bad', then wrote "expect me to blog about them." On that note, Watch: Rachel Maddow lays out why you should care about JD Vance's real agenda in which both Yarvin and Thiel figure heavily.

Rachel Maddow shows JD Vance explaining his lack of faith that democracy can deliver on his conservative ideals, and shows the influences behind Vance's preference that the United States government be gutted and instead run by a dictator.

Listening to Yarvin and Vance talk about replacing American institutions, including democratic governance, reminds me of David Frum's warning that I quoted in 'The Daily Show,' Vox, and CBS News explain QAnon, silly to serious examinations of a conspiracy theory: "If conservatives become convinced that they can not win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy." Yarvin, Thiel, and Vance are proving Frum right.

The above was part 2. Here's part 1, Maddow: JD Vance wants to destroy anything conservatives can't control, which sets up part 2, but gets a bit too long to get to the point I want to make.

Rachel Maddow looks at the conservative history of attacking universities for exposing students to ideas that conservatives don't like, and highlights JD Vance in his own words discussing ideas for punishing universities and well as businesses that he sees as being on the wrong side of the culture war he is waging. This is part one of two clips cut from the Monday, September 30, 2024 Rachel Maddow Show. Find part two and other Maddow clips on YouTube at MSNBC.com/Rachel.

As Maddow points out, Vance is continuing a cause championed by cranky people pursuing a sometimes explicitly fascist agenda. I call that being on the wrong side of history. May Vance and Yarvin also be on the wrong side of the future.

'SNL' spoofs the VP debate in its cold open

The 6000th post on this blog, as I promised yesterday, is a highlights post of tonight's Saturday Night Live beginning with the VP Debate 2024 Cold Open.

Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph) and Doug Emhoff (Andy Samberg) watch the vice presidential debate between JD Vance (Bowen Yang) and Tim Walz (Jim Gaffigan).

Also Dana Carvey as Joe Biden, who stole the skit, Heidi Gardner as Norah O'Donnell, and Chloe Fineman as Margaret Brennan. They gave the vice presidential debate exactly what it deserved, a good razzing. "Honey, we have the soundbite!" Yes, Tim Walz got JD Vance to give "a damning non-answer." Vance has bought the Big Lie.

Weekend Update: Trump Scrolled Twitter During Jan 6 concentrated on other news, including funnier findings from Jack Smith's filing.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like it being released that Trump was scrolling Twitter during January 6, Elon Musk attending a Trump rally and Trump not wanting to release his medical records.

I can tell SNL's writers regret missing out on RFK Jr. this summer when his shenanagans were fresh and took this opportunity to make fun of him before it was way too late. His candidacy has already turned into a pumpkin just in time for Spooky Season, but will rot in November, just like all the other jack-o'-lanterns.

The news about Diddy and Daniel Day Lewis was enough to qualify this post as the Sunday entertainment feature, but I couldn't resist including Weekend Update: Jane Wickline to introduce a new cast member playing and singing about parties, just not the political ones.

Jane Wickline stops by Weekend Update to perform a song about Gen Z partying.

Now I'm wondering if this song is eligible for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics at next year's Emmy Awards. I'll have to wait until July to find out!

Follow over the jump for a classic skit and its sequel.