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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Brutal conditions in California: “Thousands of Californians fled their homes as severe weather continued to batter the state, leaving one dead, a child missing and massive swaths of power outages on Tuesday. Moderate to heavy rains were expected to continue to hammer much of California on Tuesday as a fresh low-pressure system barreled toward the state as part of a ‘parade of cyclones’ that prompted a string of rescues Monday.”
* A related report that stood out for me: “[S]cientists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) delivered a clear message Monday at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting in Denver, Colorado: Climate change is — unequivocally — making extreme weather events worse.”
* Notable training: “The U.S. is planning to begin training Ukrainian troops on the Patriot air defense system at Fort Sill, Okla., later this month, according to three defense officials. The first group will consist of just under 100 Ukrainian service members with some experience in air defense systems. The training is expected to take several months, the officials said.”
* The latest Jan. 6 criminal sentence: “The far-right internet provocateur ‘Baked Alaska,’ known to his family and friends as Anthime ‘Tim’ Gionet, who live-streamed his hour-long romp through the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to about 16,000 people, was sentenced Monday to 60 days in jail.”
* The administration isn’t done focusing on student loans: “The Biden administration on Tuesday released a detailed plan that will make it easier for student-loan holders to wipe out their debts using income-driven repayment plans.”
* Collective action to protect the environment is possible: “We did it. Solid science and effective activism followed by decisive action from governments around the world to phase out chlorofluorocarbons has prevented a looming environmental catastrophe. ... On Monday, the United Nations announced that the ozone layer is on track to be restored within about four decades, according to the latest quadrennial ozone-depletion assessment by the World Meteorological Organization.”
* What could possibly go wrong: “In one of their first acts in power, House Republicans removed the metal detectors outside the House chamber, just days before the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks.”
See you tomorrow.