7.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Japan, scientists warn bigger one to come
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off of the southern coast of Japan on Thursday, Aug. 8, prompting tsunami worries and concerns a larger quake could happen in the future. Scientists disclosed that after this most recent earthquake, there is a 70%-80% chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake striking the region within the next 30 years.
Japan sits on the infamous Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences around 1,500 earthquakes a year. The country accounts for around 20% of all global earthquakes.
The most recent earthquake on Thursday triggered tsunami warnings that have since been rescinded. Fears over tsunamis have grown since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. However, Japanese government officials said that all 12 nuclear reactors in the area remain safe for now.
The government is reportedly in the process of establishing a task force to coordinate disaster response efforts. In one neighborhood concrete walls were reportedly destroyed and a wooden home was damaged. However, government officials said that initial findings suggest that infrastructure is holding up relatively well to the earthquake.
Japan experienced a much more disastrous earthquake on Jan 1. That earthquake happened in Japan’s north-central region and killed more than 240 people.
Lahaina fire survivors make steps toward recovery on anniversary of disaster
There are signs of recovery one year after the deadly fires on the island of Maui, Hawaii. But there is a long road ahead for many who call the town of Lahaina home.
Reportedly, 102 people were killed in the fast moving firestorm. It was the deadliest fire in the U.S. in over a century. What used to be piles of smoking rubble and ash has now been largely cleared by contractors and the Army Corp of Engineers. This is leaving behind smooth lots where homes and businesses once stood.
With their town razed to the ground, thousands of survivors continue to struggle to find secure housing in a market saturated with short-term vacation rentals.
“Housing remains the number one issue.” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii said. “Businesses still need help as tourism lags and people of all ages need expanded access to mental health resources and other health care. Every part of the government, whether it’s federal, state or county, has a responsibility to help the survivors get back on their feet.”
“Building housing is going to be critical in the second year.” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, D, said. “We’re changing the laws around short-term rentals, hoping to bring as many as 7,000 short-term rentals back to the market for local families on Maui.”
Lahaina was a cultural and economic hub in the islands and its loss is still sorely felt. Despite the difficulties faced by the survivors, there is hope for a stable life after the disaster. A $4 billion global settlement was reached just days before the anniversary, offering a path forward for the thousands of plaintiffs affected by the wildfires.
Next to the hollowed out skeleton of the old Lahaina courthouse there is new growth. The massive 151-year old sacred banyan tree, the oldest banyan in the state, is covered in green shoots.
“For the people of Lahaina,” Schatz said. “The past year has been a year of uncertainty and unease. Unspeakable grief and heartache, impossible choices, a year of what ifs and what’s next. Nothing will ever fully replace the people and the things that were lost on that harrowing day about a year ago. But what we can do is be there for them as they recover. For as long as it takes every step of the way. That is our responsibility and that is our promise.”
Biden looks to solidify support from Democrats after debate
The White House released President Joe Biden’s next plans to reassure concerned Democrats after last week’s debate. And July 4 holiday travelers are expected to break records on the road amid soaring temperatures. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
Biden looks to solidify support from Democrats after debate
President Joe Biden and his team are taking this holiday week to reassure supporters that his decision to remain in the presidential race is the right one after his performance during the June 27 debate left some in his party questioning his candidacy. During a campaign fundraiser event in Virginia Tuesday, July 2, Biden blamed his poor performance on jet lag from back-to-back European trips, telling donors that “he wasn’t very smart” that he “didn’t listen” to his staff.
Reports also said Biden added that he almost “fell asleep during the debate.” To what extent the president was joking is not clear.
Previously, Biden’s campaign had said the president had a cold going into the debate.
On Wednesday, July 3, the president will speak with Democratic governors and party leaders as he looks to calm their fears. The White House reportedly will also be holding an all-staff meeting which the Associated Press describes as a “morale-booster.”
Biden has also agreed to sit down for an interview ABC News on Friday, July 5.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration really wants to turn the page on this topic with Biden heading to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days, but that didn’t stop reporters from pressing the issue.
“I think the American people need to get a yes or no answer on this: Does President Biden, at 81 years old, have Alzheimer’s any form of dementia or degenerative illness that would cause these sorts of lapses?” Andrew Feinberg, a reporter with The Independent, said. “And it’s a yes or no question and if you don’t know, why don’t you, as one of his senior staff members, know?”
Jean-Pierre fired back, “I have an answer for you. Are you ready for it? It’s a ‘no’ and I hope you’re asking the other guy the same exact question.”
This all comes as some members of the Democratic party are calling for Biden to step aside.
“I thought it was time for me to speak up, not for any self-gain, but because I think the risk to our country is so great we need to have the strongest candidate possible in order to ensure that the values that we hold for our democracy are not traded for an authoritarian strongman bent on revenge against his opponents,” Doggett told NBC News.
In a Newsweek opinion column, former Ohio congressman and presidential candidate Tim Ryan promoted the idea for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden on their party’s ticket.
Speaking to CBS News after leaving a fundraiser in California, the vice president confirmed President Biden remains the Democratic nominee.
“Look, Joe Biden is our nominee,” Harris said. “We beat Trump once and we’re going to beat him again. Period.”
Harris added, “I am proud to be Joe Biden’s running mate.”
Judge delays sentencing in Trump criminal case
Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York criminal trial has been pushed back to at least September. The judge’s decision came out Tuesday, July 2, a day after the U.S. Supreme Court handed the former president a big win, ruling he has some immunity from being criminally prosecuted on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump’s sentencing in New York was originally scheduled for next Thursday, July 11. Now, the judge overseeing the trial says Trump will be sentenced on Sept. 18 “if such is still necessary.”
That’s an “if” because Trump’s lawyers say the Supreme Court ruling should not only delay the sentencing but lead to tossing out his conviction completely.
Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social after the decision came down, saying the Supreme Court’s decision awarded him “total exoneration” in this and other criminal cases he faces.
Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony in May, when a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The Supreme Court’s decision has cast doubt on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump on election subversion charges, and a trial before the November election is highly unlikely now.
Giuliani disbarred in New York for 2020 election interference efforts
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred in New York after a Manhattan appeals court found he repeatedly made false statements about former President Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. The court said Giuliani “flagrantly misused” his position.
Giuliani, once a legal adviser to Trump, has been banned from practicing law in “any form” in New York. Giuliani’s lawyer said his legal team was disappointed by the court’s decision.
Island-wide emergency declared in Jamaica ahead of Beryl
As Hurricane Beryl hurtles toward Jamaica, the country’s prime minister preemptively declared the whole island a disaster area. He’s also instated an island-wide curfew for Wednesday, July 3.
Beryl has been downgraded to a Category 4 storm now, but it’s already caused at least six deaths in the Caribbean.
Beryl is forecast to weaken more as it gets closer to Jamaica, but is still expected to be a major hurricane — at least a Category 3 — when it hits, bringing life-threatening winds and storm surge.
Eli Lilly’s drug has been shown in clinical trials to slow a decline in memory and thinking abilities in people in the early stages of the disease. The drug, which will be sold in the coming weeks under the brand name Kisunla, is an infusion given every four weeks that targets a protein buildup in the brain — considered to be the main indicator of Alzheimer’s.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 6.7 million people in the U.S. 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s last year. That number’s expected to increase to 13.8 million by 2060.
Watch for heat, rain, busy roads this July 4 holiday
The July 4 holiday is almost here, and while people get set to celebrate America’s independence, they may find themselves having to face two separate issues — the weather and the roads. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the brief break from the heat in the eastern U.S. is over, with heat and humidity pushing through New England.
In California and portions of the southwest, triple-digit temperatures are expected throughout the holiday week. Meanwhile in the Midwest, NOAA said rain could spoil the cookouts.
Then there’s the jam-packed roadways. AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will drive over the July 4 week. That’s nearly 3 million more than last year and would surpass 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, when around 55 million traveled by car.
USGS addresses uptick in seismic activity at Mount St. Helens
Since the beginning of February, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has monitored approximately 350 earthquakes under Mount St. Helens, a notable increase in seismic activity. On Tuesday, June 18, the USGS unveiled its findings.
On May 18, 1980, the largest volcanic eruption in American history occurred as Mount St. Helens blew its top in Washington, spreading 540 million tons of ash across 22,000 square miles of the United States. The blast and resulting ash killed 57 people and caused around $1 billion in damage.
So, 44 years after its last major eruption, is Mount St. Helens due for another catastrophic eruption? Geologists with the agency don’t think that it is likely.
USGS officials said that the increase in seismic activity is likely due to the arrival of additional magma inside the volcano. It’s a process they call “recharge,” and it’s a common occurrence for this geological feature.
Geologists said this process can play out for years without an eruption, so there’s no need to worry about it right now as they continually monitor the activity for abnormalities.
The USGS maintains that there are no signs the mountain will blow anytime soon. The agency asserts that “short-term increases in earthquake rates are common at Mount St. Helens,” providing examples of increases in seismic activities over the past four decades.
The agency said that there are no significant changes found and that there is no change to alert levels at this time. The USGS the mountain’s activity “remains at normal, background levels of activity,” and said that most of the earthquakes monitored by them are likely too small to be detected by any person on the ground.
If individuals are worried about it, the USGS assures people that it’s constantly keeping a close eye on the volcano and will issue alerts as needed.
Over 2,000 feared buried alive in Papua New Guinea landslide
Thousands are being forced to evacuate on Tuesday, May 28, in Papua New Guinea, where officials have declared a state of emergency due to an ongoing landslide following a deadly incident the week of May 19. More than 2,000 people are believed to have been buried alive by a landslide in Papua New Guinea’s remote northern highlands last week, according to government officials.
The exact death toll remains unclear, with only five bodies recovered so far.
“We have a situation that is getting worse and worse every moment,” Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the U.N. migration agency’s mission in Papua New Guinea, said. “As time goes in such a massive undertaking, the number will remain fluid.”
The landslide has destroyed buildings and blocked the main highway, creating major obstacles for relief workers.
Heavy machinery has been brought in to assist, but officials say the situation remains unstable due to shifting debris.
Cohen testifies Trump said ‘just do it’ about payment to Daniels
Michael Cohen, the one-time lawyer for former President Donald Trump, took the stand in the former president’s criminal trial. And a giant billboard collapses in India, killing more than a dozen people and leaving dozens injured. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
Cohen testifies Trump said ‘Just do it’ about payment to Daniels
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former attorney, took the stand in New York on Monday, May 13, alleging that the former president not only knew about the $130,000 payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels but also authorized it and approved the plan for repayment.
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Cohen alleged that during the final days of the 2016 election, Trump told him, “Just do it,” regarding the payment to Daniels. Cohen said that the payment aimed to prevent Daniels from sharing her alleged affair with Trump in 2006 — a situation Cohen deemed “catastrophic” for Trump’s presidential bid.
According to Cohen, Trump expressed concern about Daniels’ story being published, stating, “Women are going to hate me; guys may think it’s cool. But this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.”
While Cohen maintains that the payment was “all about the campaign,” Trump’s defense suggests it aimed to protect his family from embarrassment. Cohen testified that Trump instructed him to delay paying Daniels until after the election, allegedly saying, “Push it out past the election because if I win, it has no relevance, and if I lose, I don’t really care.”
Trump denies any relationship with Daniels and has pleaded not guilty to charges related to payments made to Cohen. Cohen’s testimony continues today with questioning from the prosecution, followed by cross-examination from Trump’s legal team.
Blinken arrives in Kyiv, meets with Zelenskyy
In an unannounced visit Tuesday, May 14, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv, reassuring Ukraine of America’s continued support as the war with Russia persists.
Blinken emphasized that this aid would “make a real difference” in Ukraine’s fight on the battlefield, with much of it directed toward replenishing the country’s artillery and air defense systems.
I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression. pic.twitter.com/7ruIw6GgVd
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 14, 2024
This marks Blinken’s fourth trip to the Ukrainian capital since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Biden administration unveils new tariffs on Chinese imports, including electric vehicles
The release also highlighted China’s flooding of global markets with artificially low-priced exports.
The new tariffs will take effect over the next three years. Tariffs increasing this year cover goods such as EVs, batteries, solar cells, medical products — including syringes and needles — as well as steel and aluminum. Notably, the tariff rate on EVs will increase from 25% to 100%.
Large billboard collapses, killing at least 14 people in Mumbai
The rain, accompanied by high winds, caused the 100-foot-tall billboard to fall over a gas station in the suburb of Ghatkopar. At least 47 people were rescued late into the night.
Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate mishap at Ghatkopar today. @MumbaiPolice team is on the spot in the rescue operation. We assure citizens that stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap.
India experiences severe floods during the monsoon season, typically from June to September, which is crucial for agriculture but often causes extensive damage.
Largest remaining collapsed Baltimore bridge span demolished
Crews demolished the largest remaining span of a collapsed bridge in Baltimore, clearing the way for the eventual full return of shipping through one of the busiest sea routes in the U.S.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship named the Dali in March, which lost power and veered off course. As a result, a section of the bridge landed on the grounded container ship. Six people were killed in the collision.
The operation was delayed due to bad weather, but the demolition went according to plan Monday, May 13.
Iceland volcano erupts again, triggers second evacuation of Grindavik
For more than two years, the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland has grappled with the presence of active volcanoes. Volcanologists, anticipating eruptions since November following a series of earthquakes, saw an eruption over the weekend as the latest natural force impacting the evacuated town of Grindavík.
The Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted for the second time in less than a month on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 14. Molten lava breached defensive barriers on Monday, engulfing the small town of Grindavík and igniting several homes. This forced the second evacuation of the fishing village, housing nearly 4,000 people.
While no fatalities were reported, a worker is missing after allegedly falling into a crack opened by the volcano.
Iceland President Guðni Th Jóhannesson described the country as facing “tremendous forces of nature.”
Experts observed a significant decrease in volcanic activity since the initial eruption. Geologists highlighted magma corridors flowing beneath the abandoned town, emphasizing the impossibility of predicting the exact end of the volcanic activity.
This event marks the fifth eruption along the Reykjanes Peninsula since 2021.
Fueling home insurance crisis: Natural disasters rack up billions in damage
Ida. Ian. Idalia. Extreme storms are increasingly battering the U.S. at alarming rates and causing billions in damage.
“You want to live on the water, you got to put up with it, you know,” 77-year-old retiree John “Sparky” Abrandt said as he picked up debris around his Horseshoe Beach, Florida, home following Hurricane Idalia.
It’s not just on the water that homeowners are paying the price. The West is facing deadly heat waves and drought, wildfires are stretching far beyond their normal boundaries and tornadoes are leveling towns across the Midwest and South.
“Make sure that you’re assessing the risk of where you live,” Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) spokesperson Scott Holeman said. “The ocean views are great. The mountain views are great. But if there are risks in some of those areas, know that costs are probably going only up.”
Triple-I data shows natural catastrophes in the U.S. caused $100 billion in insured property loss in 2022. These costly natural disasters are becoming way more frequent.
Adjusted for inflation, there are more billion-dollar disaster events in the past 13 years than in the 30 years before it, according to NOAA.
“As we see conditions changing and more people living in those risky areas, there are more people exposed,” Holeman said. “You’re seeing some companies that are saying, ‘We’re not going to do any more of this kind of business in these areas.’”
The insurance pinch is squeezing out people around New Orleans, where nearly every home faces a high flood risk. According to real estate company Redfin, 15,000 more people moved out than in the past two years as insurance premiums price people out of what used to be an affordable place to live.
But migration out of New Orleans is a rare exception, as most population shifts are moving into harm’s way.
“There are people that continue to move to places where there are a lot of wildfires, or we’re certainly not seeing people really leave Florida,” Holeman said.
A Redfin analysis shows over the past four years, people are increasingly moving into the U.S. counties with the highest flood, fire and heat risks.
The pandemic prompted a lot of these moves to warmer areas with lower costs of living. Redfin’s chief economist says it’s human nature to focus on current benefits and discount risks that are tougher to measure, like climate.
It explains why Phoenix, Arizona, drew in 76,000 more people in the past two years amid scorching heat and a lack of water; while Lee County, Florida, welcomed 60,000 more people, though Hurricane Ian ravaged the coast last September.
“I guess all you do is put everything back together and try again,” Fort Myers, Florida, resident Luis Damone said while trudging through knee-deep water in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
With home insurance premiums through the roof, some homeowners go ‘naked’
When the worst happens to your home, a common consolation is, “That is what insurance is for.” But with the price of homeowners’ insurance going through the roof, more people are opting to go without.
About 12% of homeowners do not carry homeowners’ insurance, according to a recent Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) analysis. Nearly half of those households make less than $40,000 per year.
Mortgage lenders require owners to have insurance, so those who don’t have insurance likely own their property outright.
“For some people, they may want to walk away and move to another location, but just know, you’re gonna lose everything,” Triple-I spokesperson Scott Holeman said.
Some are deciding it’s a price they’d have to pay when they can’t afford to pay their premiums.
Nationally, the average premium has gone up nearly 30% since 2018, according to Matic. Most of the increase is attributed to the rising cost of repairs and extreme natural disasters.
But many states have it even worse. In Nebraska, $300,000 in dwelling coverage costs more than $3,500 per year, double the national average. That’s second only to Oklahoma.
“It’s either the price goes up so high people can’t afford it, or the companies go out of business, and no one can be insured,” Holeman said.
It’s a problem in places like California, where average premiums are below the national average. Recently, insurers have lost so much money in the state that State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, and USAA have paused or are limiting new coverage. Together, those four make up nearly a quarter of California’s property insurance market share.
“There are a lot of policy decisions that are going to have to be made in some of those high-risk states, and they are having [those discussions],” Holeman said.
State governments regulate how much insurers can charge, and 31 states have approved double-digit rate increases since the start of 2022, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of S&P Global data.
Facing an insurance exodus in California, the state’s chief regulator just ruled insurers can now factor in future risks when setting prices, something many other states already allow. The state agency said eight insurance companies have requested rate increases of at least 20% or higher this year.
“Insurance is about spreading risk; it’s about managing risk; and it’s about assessing that risk to know what to charge people,” Holeman said. “And as we see conditions changing and more people living in those risky areas, there are more people exposed.”
Why more insurers are refusing to provide homeowners’ insurance
It’s not anecdotal: Extreme natural disasters are happening more often and causing way more damage. Insurance is supposed to be there to safeguard homeowners in case the worst happens to their property. However, in disaster-prone areas, some insurers are declaring that it’s too risky to keep doing business there.
“The last few years, insurers have lost money,” said Scott Holeman, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute, known as Triple-I.
“If the combined ratio is under 100, insurance companies can make money,” Holeman explained. “If that combined ratio is over 100, that means they’re paying out more money than they’re taking in. And that’s not sustainable for any business to pay out more than what you’re collecting.”
For four out of the past five years, national data shows homeowners’ insurers have earned less in premiums than they’ve paid out in losses and expenses. Taking a closer look at markets like Florida and California, it’s no wonder insurers are jumping ship.
From 2016-2019, for every $100 in premiums Florida home insurers received, they paid out $117.50 in losses and expenses. On a national level, it was basically break-even over that time at $100.70.
Insurers are going to have to raise rates to stay in business or leave the market.
Scott Holeman, Insurance Information Institute spokesperson
Meanwhile, California insurers are still catching up from the fateful fire seasons of 2017 and 2018. Triple-I said that in the last decade, California insurers made healthy profits in the homeowners’ insurance business for eight out of 10 years. However, the combined ratio is still 108.1% over that time. That’s because for every $100 in premiums received, California’s home insurers paid out $241.90 in 2017 and $213.40 in 2018.
This year the state’s largest insurer, State Farm, said it would stop selling new home policies in the state. Allstate had quietly stopped selling them last year and announced the move after State Farm. Others have followed suit. Farmers has also significantly pulled back in Florida and California.
“Florida and California are seeing a lot of issues but it’s not just there — we’re seeing places like Arkansas and Mississippi were hit by tornadoes earlier this year,” Holeman said. “Insurers are going to have to raise rates to stay in business or leave the market.”
