Latest news with #Milton
New York Post
5 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Meet the ‘anti-Greta Thunberg' weather nerd debunking climate myths and skewering the extremist elder statesmen
CHARLES TOWN, West Virginia — Chris Martz was still in diapers when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005 — but that moment, he says, kicked off the political indoctrination of 'extreme weather events.' Now the 22-year-old freshly minted college grad has decided to make it his life's mission to lower the temperature on climate hysteria. 'I'm the anti-Greta Thunberg. In fact, she's only 19 days older than me,' Martz tells The Post, barely a week out from receiving his undergraduate degree in meteorology from Pennsylvania's Millersville University. Unlike the Swedish climate poster child turned Gaza groupie, Martz tackles the incomprehensibly complex subject of Earth's ever-changing climate with reason and data, rather than alarmists' emotional outbursts and empty, disruptive antics — or the increasingly mystical theories of left-wing academics. 5 Chris Martz calls himself 'the anti-Greta Thunberg.: Samuel Corum / NY Post 'I've always been a science-based, fact-based person,' Martz says over lunch near his small-town Virginia home. 'My dad always said, 'If you're going to put something online, especially getting into a scientific or political topic, make sure what you're saying is accurate. That way you establish a good credibility and rapport with your followers.'' 5 Greta Thunberg, here at a 2024 Stockholm protest, made her name as a climate scold. He started tweeting about the weather in high school and has amassed more than 100,000 followers, including, increasingly, powerful people in government. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee and Reps. Chip Roy and Thomas Massie have shared Martz's posts examining weather patterns with fair-mindedness. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis paraphrased a Martz tweet last year when he shot back at a hostile reporter who tried to link Hurricane Milton to global warming. DeSantis noted that since 1851 there had been 27 storms stronger than Milton (17 before 1950) when they made landfall in Florida, with the most deadly occurring in the 1930s. 'It was word-for-word my post,' Martz says. 'His team follows me.' 5 Gov. DeSantis used a Martz tweet to slap back at a reporter last year. Fox News Trump first-term Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler invited Martz to lunch two weeks ago in Washington, DC, where the two discussed Martz's future and his experience as a college contrarian. Hollywood celebrities have also taken a liking to the weather wunderkind. Martz brought his parents this year to dinner with Superman actor Dean Cain in Las Vegas. And in May, comic Larry the Cable Guy invited Martz backstage to meet after a show in Shippensburg, Penn. 'They didn't have to be as nice as they were. They just treated me like I was their next-of-kin,' Martz says of his new celebrity friends. 5 Dean Cain invited Martz to dinner in Las Vegas. Masters of Illusion, LLC The son of an auto-mechanic father and a mother who works in water science for the federal government, Martz grew up near Berryville, Va. (pop. 4,574), where he still lives. His interest in meteorology started in childhood but not for the usual reasons — say, a fascination with tornados or love of winter storms. But from a young age, Martz suspected his teachers and the media were lying to him, and that unleashed a storm of righteous indignation and a quest for truth. It started Christmas Eve 2015 when 12-year-old Martz was sweating in church. An outside thermometer read 75 degrees. It was a rare December heat wave, and the media were catastrophizing about global warming. Martz became stricken with paranoia over our boiling planet's future. 'Everyone seems to remember white Christmases when they were a kid, but the data doesn't back that up. It may be that we're remembering all the movies where it snows at Christmas,' he says. 'And I had science teachers telling me New York City was going to be under water in 20 years and that fossil fuels are destroying the environment.' But just a couple weeks after that December heat wave, a blizzard slammed the eastern United States, dumping record snowfall on his Virginia town. He wondered: What was really going on? Then Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston in 2017, and the media again blamed man-made climate change. Martz dug into the data and was shocked to learn there'd been a hurricane drought in America in the preceding 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, the longest period on record — dating back to George Washington's time — that a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm had failed to make landfall. In fact, many of the most powerful storms to hit the United States, he learned, occurred before the 1930s. 5 Martz's tweets have some powerful fans in government. Chris Martz / X Today, Martz calls himself a 'lukewarm skeptic.' While he does believe the Earth may be warming and human activity may contribute, natural variation remains the more likely culprit for changes in climate, and doomsday predictions are fueling unnecessary hysteria with a political motive. Martz instead looks at physical measurements to assess what's happening with Earth's climate. Catastrophic climate models that are so fashionable in academia can be manipulated to say whatever you want, he says. 'Models are not evidence.' 'You can make the case we've seen heavier rainfall in the eastern United States, but it all depends on where you start the graph,' Martz says. 'Since 1979, there's been an eastward shift in Tornado Alley. Okay, that's evidence of climate change. That's not evidence that humans caused it. 'A lot of the biggest tornado outbreaks during the 1920s and '30s occurred in the southeastern United States, where we see them today. Whereas in the 1950s and '60s they occurred more in the Great Plains,' he explains. 'So it's likely that it oscillates due to changes in ocean circulation patterns and how that affects the placement of pressure systems and where moisture convergence is and wind shear is and how those dynamics play out. It's much more likely an artifact of natural variability. 'There's no physical mechanism that makes sense to say, well, if you add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere that it's going to cause an eastward shift of tornadoes in the United States.' As hurricanes have failed to become more frequent or powerful, the media has glommed on to wildfires as the climate emergency du jour. Even the Trump administration's states in the aftermath of this year's Los Angeles Palisades fire: 'Scientists widely agree that human-caused warming is generally making fires in California and the rest of the West larger and more severe.' Martz counters this. 'California has been getting drier in the last 100 years or so,' he says. 'However, in the geological past, it's been much drier in California. Between 900 and 1300 AD, there was a 400-year-long drought that was worse than today's in the southwestern United States.' Blaming Big Oil is much easier than blaming themselves, Martz says of California's politicians, insisting many of the state's fires could be avoided if powerlines were placed underground, instead of on dry hillsides where downsloping winds snap transmission lines (a likely cause of January's fires, he says), and if the state had better forest management. 'It's all a giant money-making scheme,' Martz tells The Post. 'Politicians and bureaucrats latch on to scientific issues, whether it was the pandemic, for example, or climate, to try and get certain policies implemented. In usual cases, it's a left-wing, authoritarian kind of control. 'We want to control what kind of energy you use, control the kind of appliances you can buy, how much you can travel, what you can drive, what you can eat, all that. But in order to do that, they need scientists telling a certain message. And the science is funded by government actors.' Martz himself gets accused of having nefarious backers, namely Big Oil, which he finds laughable as just a college kid with a Twitter account. He works part-time as a research assistant for the DC-based nonprofit Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, which advocates for free-market energy solutions, and insists it hasn't taken money from the fossil-fuel industry for nearly two decades. That hasn't stopped angry climate cultists from trying to ruin his life. 'For my last three years of college, there were endless phone calls, emails sent to the provost, the president, trying to get me kicked out. They'd have department meetings about me. Thankfully, my professors had my back,' he says. For all his detractors, Martz remains in good company. The meteorologist founders of both The Weather Channel and AccuWeather have been known to push back against the left's climate-change voodoo, along with prominent climatologists like Judith Curry, Roy Spencer and John Christy. But Martz thinks his youth makes him particularly threatening to the established order. 'They don't seem to realize yet that cancel culture doesn't work anymore,' he says. 'They're getting angry because they're losing their grip on the narrative. They're getting desperate to try to stop anyone who is making a difference.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Advanced technology will help Manatee County during 2025 Hurricane Season
The Brief Manatee County has partnered with Peregrine to gather real-time data across the county as storms move through. Peregrine can help place first responders and equipment in areas that need help faster. Manatee County encourages residents to ask questions now before a storm impacts the area. BRADENTON, Fla. - Some homeowners still haven't moved back into their homes following the 2024 Hurricane Season. Manatee County said residents need a plan now as a new hurricane season approaches. County officials say they are even more equipped this year to handle whatever comes their way. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Why you should care Two months brought three destructive storms to Manatee County. As recovery continues, Matt Myers, the county's chief of emergency management, urges residents to be ready for the new hurricane season. "They need to be prepared now for anything that can happen," said Myers. Manatee County has been doing the same. Over the course of the last year, they've enhanced rescue team capabilities in part to reach residents at night. READ: Online survey focuses on Bay Area residents' decision to evacuate or not during Helene, Milton They've also enhanced technology. "The rapid response we can do with the information, it's faster and it's better," said Myers. Partnering with Peregrine, a company that helps gather real-time data from across Manatee County in one dashboard. Manatee County will be able to determine what areas need help and get resources there faster. "We can source 911 calls using the artificial intelligence to run through the calls for us and type in flooding, and it will plot it on the map. We will know where those calls are coming in from, so we can start flooding," said Myers. MORE: New TECO trailer will be used for community demonstrations on dangers of live power lines Jodie Fiske, Manatee County's director of public safety, said it also helps with getting supplies to residents and determining what will be needed during the long-term recovery process. "That leads to expedited categories of reimbursement. That leads to major declarations. All of the steps we need to do we have cut really critical time off of the process we had before to get it moving to get our residents what we need," said Fiske. As residents enter a new storm season, some with remaining damage or questions, Manatee County said they are here to help. "We want people to be proactive in asking the questions, hopefully before we take an impact," said Fiske. What's next Manatee County will hold a coffee and questions event from 9-11 a.m. on June 6 at the Emergency Operations Center, which is located at 2101 47th Terrace East in Bradenton. Residents can come out with any concerns and ask questions. To sign up, click here. The Source Information was gathered for this report by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon and Manatee County officials. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Taylor Swift buys back music rights of first 6 albums. Read Swift's letter to fans
Taylor Swift buys back music rights of first 6 albums. Read Swift's letter to fans Show Caption Hide Caption VIDEO: Taylor Swift gives Delaware fan a smooch during weekend selfie Milton's Nicole Viscount found herself in a private suite with Taylor Swift during the Kansas City Chiefs playoff game Sunday. Taylor Swift bought the rights to her first six albums The albums Swift purchased include "Taylor Swift," "Fearless," "Speak Now," "Red," "1989" and "Reputation" The six albums were originally purchased by record producer Scooter Braun in 2019 for $300 million This is the first time Swift has owned the rights to all of her music It's a new era for Taylor Swift. The world-famous pop star announced on May 30 that she bought back the rights to music her catalog after years-long battle with record producer Scooter Braun. This is the first time Swift has control of her entire music catalog. Here's Swift's reaction: Taylor Swift music: 'You belong to me' Swift made the news official, posting a lengthy letter on her website and photos of her surrounded by her first six albums on Instagram. Taylor Swift website letter to fans "I'm trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow," Swift wrote. "I flashback sequence of all the times I dreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell you this news. All the times I was thiiiiiiiiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through. I almost stopped thinking it could happen after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away. "But that's all in the past now. I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out this is really happening. I really get to say these words: "All the music I have ever made ... now belongs... to me." "And all of my music videos. All the concert films. The album art and photography. The unreleased songs. The memories. The magic. The madness. Every single era. The life's work." To read Swift's entire letter to fans, click here. Taylor Swift master: Which Taylor Swift albums did she buy back? Swift purchased the rights to her first six albums, which include: "Taylor Swift," 2006 "Fearless," 2008 "Speak Now," 2010 "Red," 2012 "1989," 2014 "Reputation," 2017 Who owned Taylor Swift's music? Previously, Swift's first six albums were owned by record producer Scooter Braun after he purchased the masters from record label Big Machine for $300 million in 2019. Swift described the sale to Braun as her 'worst case scenario,' and said she had not been given the opportunity to buy her work outright, the Guardian reported. Since 2020, Swift has retained the rights to songs from albums "Lover," "Folklore," "Evermore," "Midnights" and "The Tortured Poets Department," which were all released through Republic Records. How much did Taylor Swift pay for her masters? She acquired the master rights to her first six albums from Shamrock Holdings, a Los Angeles investment fund which purchased the catalog from Braun's Ithaca Holdings for $300 million in November 2020. It is unclear how much Swift paid for the catalog. Taylor Swift net worth 2025 According to Forbes, Swift's total net worth is roughly $1.6 billion with $600 million in royalties and touring, another $600 million attributed to her music catalog and additional $125 million in real estate. Taylor Swift fever hits Delaware: Tribute shows for Swifties in summer 2025 Taylor Swift credits 'Eras Tour' and fans for purchase In her letter, Swift thanked her fans — affectionately known as "Swifties" — for helping make her dreams of acquiring all her music come true. "To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it," Swift wrote. "To my fans, you know how important this has been to me — so much so that I meticulously re-recorded and released 4 of my albums, calling them Taylor's Version. The passionate support you showed those albums and the success story you turned the Eras Tour into is why I was able to buy back my music. "I can't thank you enough for helping me reunite me with this art that I have dedicated by life to, but have never owned until now." 'Taylor's Version': No new 'Reputation'? Before the recent purchase, Swift embarked on a project to rerecord and release her first six albums by branding each 'Taylor's Version" and adding "From the Vault" tracks. Between 2021 and 2023, Swift rerecorded her albums "Fearless," "Red," "Speak Now" and "1989." Many fans had speculated the next "Taylor's Version" would have been "Reputation." Swift commented on the delayed release of "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" and said she hasn't yet rerecorded a quarter of it and "there will be a time for the unreleased vault tracks to hatch."
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane season prep urged by Tallahassee, Leon officials
With the hurricane season set to begin June 1, public officials from Leon County and the city of Tallahassee gathered together at the Public Safety Complex to urge residents to prepare for the upcoming season. Huddled together in the media room of the complex, officials from departments across all levels of local government gathered with the "Billy the Bucket" mascot as they showed and spoke to residents what they should be packing in advance of storms and to have a safety plan in place. "This year's forecast calls for an above average season ... comprehensive preparedness requires the whole community, the young and the old, to get involved to start preparing for hurricane season," Leon County Emergency Management Director Kevin Peters said. The event was underscored by last year's slew of storms which tore through Leon County, such as Hurricanes Helene, Debby and Milton and even some that occurred prior to hurricane season such as the May 10 tornado outbreak and the "Bicentennial Storm," the effects of which still are being felt in the community. "County and city officials encourage you to keep your essential emergency supplies in a five gallon bucket ... these buckets are waterproof, easy to grab and multi-purpose," Peters said. One by one, officials placed items into the bucket while speaking about their importance for storm preparedness, three-day supply of medication, batteries, weather radio, important documents and more. Among the several speakers was Mark Wool with the National Weather Service who provided the numbers for the upcoming season. "I bring you a forecast that favors an above normal season, specifically, the numbers are 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes," Wool said. "I always like to reference the 1992 season, where there was only six named storms that whole year, can you imagine that, but the first one was named Andrew." Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida with sustained winds of up to 175 miles per hour, killing 44, and the storm continued all the way to Louisiana where it caused more deaths and an estimated $1 billion in damages, according to the National Weather Service. "I don't know how many of you recall that Helene was predicted to come directly at us," Wool continued. "Had that forecast that was out as recently as 12 hours before landfall held true, we'd still be recovering today." Outside of the Public Safety Complex, preparations will continue as Leon County looks to hold community engagement events for residents and the 2025-2026 Survival Guide will start being sent out to households. Officials shared several ways that residents can stay connected and receive alerts when storms do arrive: Leon County Citizens Connect mobile app Residents can sign up for text alerts from the city at Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@ and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon County braces for active hurricane season, urges prep
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Year of the surge: How a storm 100 miles away changed Tampa Bay forever
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In 2024, Tampa Bay witnessed something that hadn't happened in generations—a historic storm surge, not from a direct hurricane strike, but from a storm that stayed nearly 100 miles offshore. Hurricane Helene never made landfall, but it didn't have to. On Davis Islands, longtime resident Jeannie Trudeau Tate remembers the moment she realized something was different. 'I've lived on Davis Island since 1983, and we have never had a drop of water in the house.' But on that day, water began creeping up over the seawall, spilling into their pool, and slamming against their sliding glass doors. Debate of Midnight Pass continues after reopening due to hurricanes 'The water was up four feet on the sliding glass doors,' she said. 'I was joking, I should do a commercial for the door company—because somehow, not a drop came through.' Until it did. It wasn't the windows or the doors that gave way—it was the pet door. 'We first foolishly thought we could keep up with it,' Jeannie said. 'We tried the wet vac, buckets … but within 30 minutes, we knew it was a losing battle.' With floodwaters rising and power flickering, Jeannie and her husband made a split-second decision: escape now, or risk being trapped. 'We tried the front door, but the water was four feet high. We went to the window—water was right there. My husband flung the front door open, we stayed to the side, grabbed the dog, and waded waist-deep through the bushes to a neighbor's house. It was about 12:30 in the morning.' Helene claimed twelve lives in the Tampa Bay area—all due to storm surge. Many were caught off guard, thinking a storm that far offshore couldn't pose a threat. But just weeks later, Hurricane Milton approached on a track that threatened a direct hit. This time, people listened. 'I'm absolutely convinced people reacted differently because of Helene,' Jeannie said. 'My husband and I—prime example—we evacuated for Milton. It was a ghost town.' Thanks to the memory of Helene's surge, Milton claimed no surge-related deaths. The storm that didn't make landfall here ended up saving lives, because experience became the teacher. The National Hurricane Center continues to urge coastal communities to take storm surge seriously, even when a hurricane is well offshore. Water, not wind, is often the deadliest threat. And in the year of the surge, Tampa Bay learned that firsthand. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
