2019
August
30
Friday

Monitor Daily Podcast

August 30, 2019
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Linda Feldmann
Washington Bureau Chief

In today’s edition, our five stories explore globalism (the Amazon fires), deterrence (Iran vs. Israel), equal treatment (the racial politics of justice), urban wildlife (raccoons in Toronto), and whimsy (competitive whistling).

With Hurricane Dorian barreling toward Florida, we’re seeing predictable news coverage: Long lines at grocery stores from Miami to Jacksonville. Political leaders urging residents to stay out of harm’s way. Emergency responders preparing for the onslaught. 

Floridians are battle-tested when it comes to hurricanes, and some even embrace the challenge in the spirit of the old saying, “Out of crisis comes opportunity.”

In Lake Worth Beach, Florida, Julian Concepcion has started a business called Tribal Cocos, in which he’ll climb your coconut tree and cut off the coconuts before the high winds turn them into projectiles. 

“It’s just me, a machete, and sometimes a rope,” Mr. Concepcion told WPLX-TV. Those who can’t afford to pay, he adds, won’t be charged. 

Neighbor helping neighbor is a constant during hurricane season – from hanging storm shutters to delivering food and water to underserved communities. After a storm passes, some neighborhoods have a big cookout. Because, why not? After a power outage, some food that has gone unrefrigerated must be eaten right away or get thrown out. 

We’re also reminded of Monitor writer Patrik Jonsson’s story out of coastal North Carolina last year after Hurricane Florence struck. There, neighbors put aside differences over politics and global warming to find a solution to chronic flooding. 

Heading into the holiday weekend, we wish Florida well. 


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Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

Ricardo Moraes/Reuters
A child plays while a tract of Amazon jungle is burned by loggers and farmers near Porto Velho, Brazil, on Aug. 27.

A deeper look

Courtesy of Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy
Defense attorney Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy defends Michael Drejka in Florida's Pinellas County. Police initially declined to arrest Mr. Drejka after he killed an unarmed black man in an argument over a parking space. Forcing the state to prove its case protects all Americans, especially those in heavily policed minority communities, says Ms. Jean-Pierre Coy, who received some criticism for her decision to defend Mr. Drejka.

The Monitor's View

AP
Britain's Houses of Parliament on the bank of The River Thames in London Aug. 29.

A Christian Science Perspective

About this feature

A message of love

Ann Hermes/Staff
Shades of brilliant blue surround visitors to the Mendenhall ice caves. The ice absorbs all other colors in the visible light spectrum, leaving behind a monochromatic scene. Along with the constant dripping of the ceiling and walls, a low rumble can be heard – the sound of the glacier shifting in an ice quake. It’s a reminder that the Mendenhall Glacier is in flux and is melting more rapidly in the past few years. The changing landscape of the ice has given rise to a new brand of “last chance tourists.”
( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Jacob Turcotte and Karen Norris. )

A look ahead

Thanks for joining us today. We don’t publish on Monday, Labor Day in the United States – but do keep an eye out for a special email from us: an exploration of the challenges and triumphs seen by American workers.

More issues

2019
August
30
Friday
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