1 month ago
A plume of Saharan dust is sweeping across Texas, spreading a milky haze over South-Central Texas before expanding north into Central Texas and the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex by late today into Tuesday.
The dust plume on Monday, June 29, is tied to a broader Saharan Air Layer outbreak over the western Gulf that is expected to persist into Tuesday, June 30. Satellite imagery shows a more concentrated band of elevated dust already moving onshore. While the strongest concentrations are expected to remain farther south, the plume is forecast to spread across much of Texas as it gradually weakens.
In South-Central Texas, the dust is riding in the mid-levels of the atmosphere near 5,000 to 6,000 feet, with potential for some downward mixing during peak daytime heating, according to the National Weather Service in Austin-San Antonio. That could result in a slightly muted sky and a softer, hazier sun angle through the afternoon, though surface visibility impacts should remain limited. The most noticeable effect will likely be a loss of sky clarity rather than any tangible air quality issues at ground level.
As the plume pushes north, it will become more diffuse, but still capable of coloring the sky. North and Central Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are more likely to see dust expressed as optics rather than haze — with sunsets and sunrises taking on deeper oranges and reds as sunlight scatters through suspended particles. Any impacts will be subtle but visually noticeable, especially around peak twilight hours.
The dust begins to thin further by Tuesday, June 30, as it lifts out of the region and mixes with returning Gulf moisture. Hot conditions will persist across Texas, with highs near or above seasonal norms, but skies should gradually clear from south to north as the Saharan plume disperses.
The dust plume on Monday, June 29, is tied to a broader Saharan Air Layer outbreak over the western Gulf that is expected to persist into Tuesday, June 30. Satellite imagery shows a more concentrated band of elevated dust already moving onshore. While the strongest concentrations are expected to remain farther south, the plume is forecast to spread across much of Texas as it gradually weakens.
In South-Central Texas, the dust is riding in the mid-levels of the atmosphere near 5,000 to 6,000 feet, with potential for some downward mixing during peak daytime heating, according to the National Weather Service in Austin-San Antonio. That could result in a slightly muted sky and a softer, hazier sun angle through the afternoon, though surface visibility impacts should remain limited. The most noticeable effect will likely be a loss of sky clarity rather than any tangible air quality issues at ground level.
As the plume pushes north, it will become more diffuse, but still capable of coloring the sky. North and Central Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are more likely to see dust expressed as optics rather than haze — with sunsets and sunrises taking on deeper oranges and reds as sunlight scatters through suspended particles. Any impacts will be subtle but visually noticeable, especially around peak twilight hours.
The dust begins to thin further by Tuesday, June 30, as it lifts out of the region and mixes with returning Gulf moisture. Hot conditions will persist across Texas, with highs near or above seasonal norms, but skies should gradually clear from south to north as the Saharan plume disperses.
1 month ago
By David Thomas
WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz's bid to revive his defamation lawsuit against CNN over the network's coverage of his remarks defending Donald Trump during the president's first Senate impeachment trial in 2020.
The justices turned away the retired Harvard Law professor's appeal of a lower court's ruling throwing out his case against CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery. In his appeal, Dershowitz had urged the justices to roll back protections against defamation claims that the Supreme Court established in its landmark 1964 ruling in a case called New York Times v. Sullivan.
In Sullivan and subsequent decisions, the Supreme Court said that to win a libel suit, a public figure must demonstrate the offending statement was made with "actual malice," meaning with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard as to whether it was false.
Dershowitz in his petition argued that Sullivan has become "an impregnable fortress that protects media irresponsibility while denying public figures any remedy for egregious misrepresentations."
WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz's bid to revive his defamation lawsuit against CNN over the network's coverage of his remarks defending Donald Trump during the president's first Senate impeachment trial in 2020.
The justices turned away the retired Harvard Law professor's appeal of a lower court's ruling throwing out his case against CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery. In his appeal, Dershowitz had urged the justices to roll back protections against defamation claims that the Supreme Court established in its landmark 1964 ruling in a case called New York Times v. Sullivan.
In Sullivan and subsequent decisions, the Supreme Court said that to win a libel suit, a public figure must demonstrate the offending statement was made with "actual malice," meaning with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard as to whether it was false.
Dershowitz in his petition argued that Sullivan has become "an impregnable fortress that protects media irresponsibility while denying public figures any remedy for egregious misrepresentations."
1 month ago
By Blake Brittain
June 22 (Reuters) - A California court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump's administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance limiting its cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin rejected the administration's argument that the city's policy was unconstitutional. He gave the administration permission to file an amended complaint.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision on Monday.
Los Angeles city attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a statement on Monday that the ruling "reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources."
June 22 (Reuters) - A California court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump's administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance limiting its cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin rejected the administration's argument that the city's policy was unconstitutional. He gave the administration permission to file an amended complaint.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision on Monday.
Los Angeles city attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a statement on Monday that the ruling "reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources."
1 month ago
Greenpeace and its activists allies have blocked for more than two decades the adoption of Golden Rice, which is genetically enhanced to produce the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene. The result, according to new calculations by DC Abundance founder and research director at the Golden Gate Institute for AI Abi Olvera, is that "delay has killed about 106,000 children and left another 210,000 to 425,000 blind."
Her conservative calculations of the deaths and disabilities caused by Greenpeace's scientifically ridiculous opposition to Golden Rice are focused on 11 countries in which the consumption of rice makes up a significant proportion of their people's diets.
As Olvera reports, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that "250 000–500 000 children who are vitamin A-deficient become blind every year, and half of them die within 12 months of losing their sight." Vitamin A deficiency contributes to increased morbidity and mortality from common childhood infections. As the WHO notes, "Even mild, subclinical deficiency can be a problem, because it may increase children's risk for respiratory and diarrhoeal infections, decrease growth rates, slow bone development and decrease the likelihood of survival from serious illness." And it is the world's leading preventable cause of childhood blindness.
I have been debunking Greenpeace's unscientific opposition to Golden Rice since 2000 when the activist group claimed: "Greenpeace opposes golden rice because it has all the risks of any [genetically modified] crop." In my 2013 article, "Scientists Call Out Greenpeace for Killing and Blinding Kids," I hailed the blistering editorial in Science that ***** erted, "If ever there was a clear-cut cause for outrage, it is the concerted campaign by Greenpeace and other nongovernmental organizations, as well as by individuals, against Golden Rice."
In 2016, I reported the open letter by 100 ***** el Prize laureates calling on "Greenpeace to cease and desist in its campaign against Golden Rice specifically, and crops and foods improved through biotechnology in general." The laureates suggested that Greenpeace was committing a "crime against humanity." And as recently as 2024, I warned that Greenpeace's crusade against Golden Rice will continue to blind and kill children when reporting that the anti-technology activist group had persuaded a Philippine court to block local farmers from planting the grain.
Her conservative calculations of the deaths and disabilities caused by Greenpeace's scientifically ridiculous opposition to Golden Rice are focused on 11 countries in which the consumption of rice makes up a significant proportion of their people's diets.
As Olvera reports, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that "250 000–500 000 children who are vitamin A-deficient become blind every year, and half of them die within 12 months of losing their sight." Vitamin A deficiency contributes to increased morbidity and mortality from common childhood infections. As the WHO notes, "Even mild, subclinical deficiency can be a problem, because it may increase children's risk for respiratory and diarrhoeal infections, decrease growth rates, slow bone development and decrease the likelihood of survival from serious illness." And it is the world's leading preventable cause of childhood blindness.
I have been debunking Greenpeace's unscientific opposition to Golden Rice since 2000 when the activist group claimed: "Greenpeace opposes golden rice because it has all the risks of any [genetically modified] crop." In my 2013 article, "Scientists Call Out Greenpeace for Killing and Blinding Kids," I hailed the blistering editorial in Science that ***** erted, "If ever there was a clear-cut cause for outrage, it is the concerted campaign by Greenpeace and other nongovernmental organizations, as well as by individuals, against Golden Rice."
In 2016, I reported the open letter by 100 ***** el Prize laureates calling on "Greenpeace to cease and desist in its campaign against Golden Rice specifically, and crops and foods improved through biotechnology in general." The laureates suggested that Greenpeace was committing a "crime against humanity." And as recently as 2024, I warned that Greenpeace's crusade against Golden Rice will continue to blind and kill children when reporting that the anti-technology activist group had persuaded a Philippine court to block local farmers from planting the grain.
2 months ago
(NewsNation) — Some U.S. employers say they plan to stop covering GLP-1 drugs for weight loss next year, according to a recent report.
The report from the Business Group on Health surveyed businesses and found that about 10% of employers that currently cover the drugs say they will not continue that coverage by 2027.
"Our findings show the tremendous concern employers have regarding these medications from a cost and financial viability perspective," Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of Business Group on Health, said. "Against the backdrop of anticipated double-digit health care cost increases — fueled in large part by GLP-1s and overall prescription drug costs — companies cannot ignore the reality that GLP-1s have significant implications for health care budgets and overall affordability."
Using cannabis for sleep isn't harmless – it can trap people in a cycle of dependency
One company has already made its decision to drop coverage of weight-loss drugs. According to Reuters, health insurer Cigna is ending coverage of the treatments starting in July and told its employees they could buy them elsewhere.
The report from the Business Group on Health surveyed businesses and found that about 10% of employers that currently cover the drugs say they will not continue that coverage by 2027.
"Our findings show the tremendous concern employers have regarding these medications from a cost and financial viability perspective," Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of Business Group on Health, said. "Against the backdrop of anticipated double-digit health care cost increases — fueled in large part by GLP-1s and overall prescription drug costs — companies cannot ignore the reality that GLP-1s have significant implications for health care budgets and overall affordability."
Using cannabis for sleep isn't harmless – it can trap people in a cycle of dependency
One company has already made its decision to drop coverage of weight-loss drugs. According to Reuters, health insurer Cigna is ending coverage of the treatments starting in July and told its employees they could buy them elsewhere.
