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A major cooldown is coming for the US, but there's a catch
A major cooldown is coming for the US, but there's a catch

CNN

time19 hours ago

  • Climate
  • CNN

A major cooldown is coming for the US, but there's a catch

It's been an abnormally hot summer in much of the eastern half of the United States with multiple punishing heat domes, sweltering nights and plenty of humidity to go around, but some relief is finally on the horizon. A major weather pattern change beginning later this week will bring high temperatures more like early June — nearly 20 degrees cooler than they are now — to millions currently reeling through some of summer's most intense heat. The upcoming cooldown is tied to an expansive area of high pressure expected to track south out of Canada later this week, and a lengthy cold front racing down ahead of it. The north-central US will be the first beneficiary of cooler conditions on Wednesday and more of the eastern half of the US will follow in the coming days, with some of the coolest temperatures coming just in time for the weekend. But a dramatic cooldown like this always comes at a cost, and in this case it's rain and thunderstorms with a renewed risk of flash flooding for areas that have already been hit hard during a summer full of it. Here's when the heat will finally break and where flooding could become an issue later this week. More than 150 million people from the central US to the East Coast are under a Level 3 of 4 or Level 4 of 4 heat risk Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, as high temperatures climb into the 90s and the heat index soars even higher. It's another brutal day of heat for the dozens of cities and towns from the East Coast to the Mississippi Valley that are having one of their 10-hottest summers to date as of July 27, according to data from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Stretches of extreme heat are getting more intense and lasting longer as the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution and colder spells like the upcoming one are becoming less common. It isn't unheard of to have a handful of cooler days in the latter part of summer, but the upcoming change will feel especially jarring given how hot previous weeks have been. Temperatures will ease dramatically on Wednesday from the north-central US to parts of the Northeast. Chicago, for example, will soar into the 90s Tuesday but struggle to even reach 80 degrees on Wednesday. The cooling trend will continue Thursday with widespread temperatures in the 70s in much of the Plains, Midwest, Northeast and parts of the Ohio Valley. St Louis will reach the upper 90s Tuesday, the low 90s on Wednesday and might barely hit 80 degrees on Thursday. Temperatures will ease in the South too, though not nearly as drastically as farther north. Little Rock, Arkansas, could hit 100 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday, but reach the mid-90s by Thursday. Friday, the first day of August, could be the coolest day of the week for parts of the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast. New York City's high temperature on Friday will only reach the mid-to-upper 70s after being in the mid-90s Tuesday and Wednesday. Friday's high in New York City is similar to what the city records in the first days of June. After high temperatures near 97 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday, Washington, DC, could have a high in the upper 70s on Friday, which happens on only a few days each August. High temperatures are typically in the 80s in August in the nation's capital. Cooler conditions will finally reach more of the South over the weekend. Atlanta hasn't had a high temperature less than 80 degrees since May, but that streak could finally be broken on Sunday. Areas farther north will be quite pleasant over the weekend as high pressure remains in place. The cooler conditions will not last forever. The latest forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center indicate above-normal temperatures are likely to return during the first full week of August. Stormy weather could stretch over a large portion of the central and eastern US on Wednesday as humid air pours north out of the Gulf and the cold front starts to slice south. Storms spark to life when cooler, drier air and very warm and humid air clash, like what's expected this week. Wet weather will also be drawn out over multiple days given the slow trek south of the cold front. Parts of the Midwest are under a Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall on Wednesday with a massive Level 1 of 4 area stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The real concern begins Thursday for areas that have dealt with disruptive and deadly flooding this summer. A Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall is in place for parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, including New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Nearly all of New Jersey is in the risk area. The state has been slammed by flooding this summer, including when at least two people were killed two weeks ago. The increased risk also includes parts of Virginia that have flooded multiple times this season. The flood risk shifts south into the Carolinas and part of Georgia on Friday, more states all too familiar with serious flooding this summer. Tropical Storm Chantal's flooding rainfall killed at least one person in North Carolina in early July.

A major cooldown is coming for the US, but there's a catch
A major cooldown is coming for the US, but there's a catch

CNN

time19 hours ago

  • Climate
  • CNN

A major cooldown is coming for the US, but there's a catch

It's been an abnormally hot summer in much of the eastern half of the United States with multiple punishing heat domes, sweltering nights and plenty of humidity to go around, but some relief is finally on the horizon. A major weather pattern change beginning later this week will bring high temperatures more like early June — nearly 20 degrees cooler than they are now — to millions currently reeling through some of summer's most intense heat. The upcoming cooldown is tied to an expansive area of high pressure expected to track south out of Canada later this week, and a lengthy cold front racing down ahead of it. The north-central US will be the first beneficiary of cooler conditions on Wednesday and more of the eastern half of the US will follow in the coming days, with some of the coolest temperatures coming just in time for the weekend. But a dramatic cooldown like this always comes at a cost, and in this case it's rain and thunderstorms with a renewed risk of flash flooding for areas that have already been hit hard during a summer full of it. Here's when the heat will finally break and where flooding could become an issue later this week. More than 150 million people from the central US to the East Coast are under a Level 3 of 4 or Level 4 of 4 heat risk Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, as high temperatures climb into the 90s and the heat index soars even higher. It's another brutal day of heat for the dozens of cities and towns from the East Coast to the Mississippi Valley that are having one of their 10-hottest summers to date as of July 27, according to data from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Stretches of extreme heat are getting more intense and lasting longer as the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution and colder spells like the upcoming one are becoming less common. It isn't unheard of to have a handful of cooler days in the latter part of summer, but the upcoming change will feel especially jarring given how hot previous weeks have been. Temperatures will ease dramatically on Wednesday from the north-central US to parts of the Northeast. Chicago, for example, will soar into the 90s Tuesday but struggle to even reach 80 degrees on Wednesday. The cooling trend will continue Thursday with widespread temperatures in the 70s in much of the Plains, Midwest, Northeast and parts of the Ohio Valley. St Louis will reach the upper 90s Tuesday, the low 90s on Wednesday and might barely hit 80 degrees on Thursday. Temperatures will ease in the South too, though not nearly as drastically as farther north. Little Rock, Arkansas, could hit 100 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday, but reach the mid-90s by Thursday. Friday, the first day of August, could be the coolest day of the week for parts of the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast. New York City's high temperature on Friday will only reach the mid-to-upper 70s after being in the mid-90s Tuesday and Wednesday. Friday's high in New York City is similar to what the city records in the first days of June. After high temperatures near 97 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday, Washington, DC, could have a high in the upper 70s on Friday, which happens on only a few days each August. High temperatures are typically in the 80s in August in the nation's capital. Cooler conditions will finally reach more of the South over the weekend. Atlanta hasn't had a high temperature less than 80 degrees since May, but that streak could finally be broken on Sunday. Areas farther north will be quite pleasant over the weekend as high pressure remains in place. The cooler conditions will not last forever. The latest forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center indicate above-normal temperatures are likely to return during the first full week of August. Stormy weather could stretch over a large portion of the central and eastern US on Wednesday as humid air pours north out of the Gulf and the cold front starts to slice south. Storms spark to life when cooler, drier air and very warm and humid air clash, like what's expected this week. Wet weather will also be drawn out over multiple days given the slow trek south of the cold front. Parts of the Midwest are under a Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall on Wednesday with a massive Level 1 of 4 area stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The real concern begins Thursday for areas that have dealt with disruptive and deadly flooding this summer. A Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall is in place for parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, including New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Nearly all of New Jersey is in the risk area. The state has been slammed by flooding this summer, including when at least two people were killed two weeks ago. The increased risk also includes parts of Virginia that have flooded multiple times this season. The flood risk shifts south into the Carolinas and part of Georgia on Friday, more states all too familiar with serious flooding this summer. Tropical Storm Chantal's flooding rainfall killed at least one person in North Carolina in early July.

Should Netflix Be More Like Walt Disney?
Should Netflix Be More Like Walt Disney?

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Should Netflix Be More Like Walt Disney?

Key Points Netflix is opening Netflix Houses in select U.S. cities, which will bring its popular shows and movies to life. Disney is second-to-none when it comes to physical experiences, a segment that rakes in substantial profits. Netflix dominates the current media landscape, so a major shift in strategy isn't necessary. 10 stocks we like better than Netflix › In the past decade, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) shares have soared 955%. Just this year (as of July 23), they are up 32%. With this type of stellar performance, it seems the business can do no wrong. However, there is one area Netflix has yet to tap: Theme parks. The company has become a dominant media and entertainment enterprise, but it's presence in the physical world is nonexistent. This puts Netflix behind a peer like Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS), which owns and operates seven of the 10 most visited theme parks on the face of the planet. Not to mention the cruise ships that Disney also has. Maybe Netflix is staring at an obvious opportunity here to grow its revenue and fan base. Should the top streaming stock become more like the House of Mouse? Here's how investors should view this situation from a strategic and financial perspective. Creating a flywheel Disney has unmatched intellectual property (IP), which helps support its flywheel. People might watch a new Marvel movie or series and immediately want to experience these characters in real life, so they visit Walt Disney World to ride the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster. They might also buy merchandise. It's a situation where all the pieces fortify Disney's competitive position, allowing it to develop deeper and longer-lasting connections with its fans. Creating physical experiences can help Netflix bolster its brand in the same way. For what it's worth, the company plans to launch Netflix Houses in Dallas and Philadelphia this year, and in Las Vegas in 2027. These are permanent, but small-format (about 100,000 square feet) setups located in shopping malls. There are interactive experiences, dining options, and retail stores. It's encouraging to see Netflix test the waters when it comes to physical experiences. It might not have the breadth and depth of IP that Disney has, especially when it comes to content for kids and families, but it has extremely popular shows and movies that people love. It's probably best that Netflix isn't going full steam ahead with building an actual theme park, as it likely won't be able to compete with Disney's dominance, or with Comcast's Universal Studios. Financial implications When making these kinds of strategic decisions, what matters most is the potential they can have for financial success. Disney's Experiences segment is its most profitable. In fiscal 2024 (ended Sept. 28, 2024), this division raked in $9.3 billion in operating income on $34.2 billion in revenue. Netflix reported $6.9 billion in free cash flow in 2024, with a forecast to bring in between $8 billion and $8.5 billion this year. Investing in building out theme parks would require huge capital expenditure commitments that would certainly dent Netflix's strong financial position. Return on invested capital is a key metric that management teams should think about when allocating cash to its best use. Developing physical experiences at Disney's level would take resources away from creating top-notch content that the company is known for. In September 2023, Disney announced that it was going to spend $60 billion over the next decade to expand its Experiences segment. That's a massive undertaking that Netflix can avoid. Netflix is doing just fine The media industry, which is now being driven by the streaming model, is extremely competitive. There are many businesses vying for viewer attention, so it's always important to figure out ways of standing out. But Netflix reigns supreme, with more than 300 million subscribers worldwide. It's operating from a position of strength with the upcoming launch of Netflix Houses. Netflix doesn't need to be more like Disney. The former continues to fire on all cylinders. The opposite argument holds more weight, with Disney needing to be more like Netflix -- at least when it comes to the House of Mouse's streaming segment that just became profitable not too long ago. Should you buy stock in Netflix right now? Before you buy stock in Netflix, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Netflix wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Netflix and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Should Netflix Be More Like Walt Disney? was originally published by The Motley Fool

How many close friends do you really need?
How many close friends do you really need?

News.com.au

time3 days ago

  • General
  • News.com.au

How many close friends do you really need?

In 2025, many of us are living alone. Or we live with housemates, cotenants, flatmates – people who may share a fridge, a lease, even a dog, but not necessarily our inner world. While the population swells in our cities, and digital devices keep us constantly connected, many of us live in a kind of emotional isolation. We go to work, we cook our meals, we scroll our phones, we answer messages – and still feel deeply alone. For generations, it was a given that our romantic partner, our spouse, was also our closest confidante – the person we could cry in front of, confide in, lean on when the day had simply been too much. But for some, the presence of a partner only throws the lack of connection into sharper relief. Intimacy cannot be assumed. And for the growing number of people living solo, the question becomes starker: if not a partner, then who? The answer, it turns out, is friends. Not a friend. Friends – plural. Research from News Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank reveals that those with the best self-reported mental wellbeing are also those with the most people in their corner. On average, people with high wellbeing have five people they can rely on; those with poorer mental health report just over three. Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needs to have the most important conversation of their life. That gap might sound small, but in practice, it's enormous. It's the difference between feeling like there's always someone you can call, and running through a dwindling mental list of names when things start to unravel. The data is compelling. It confirms what many of us know instinctively, but sometimes forget to prioritise: that connection is not an optional extra — it is vital. Friendship is not decoration for a busy life. It is one of the structures that hold us upright. And yet, many Australians don't feel able to build or rely on that structure. The research also found that nearly half of us feel unprepared or unsure how to talk about mental health – even when someone turns to us for help. And when it comes to talking about our own struggles, we hold back out of fear: not fear of judgement, but fear of burdening others. We silence ourselves to protect the people we care about, not realising that this silence builds barriers where we need bridges. What emerges from this research is not just a picture of loneliness, but a profound uncertainty about how to connect in meaningful ways. Many of us are deeply social in practice – attending events, replying to group chats, showing up for work drinks – but feel emotionally cut off. We keep things light. We're funny, dependable, generous. But not vulnerable. Not fully ourselves. And in doing so, we miss out on the nourishment that true connection can bring. It's tempting to try to solve this with another app, a new social initiative, a government-funded campaign. And those all have their place. But there's something more elemental at stake here – something that doesn't require policy or innovation, but courage. We need to talk to our friends. Really talk. We need to be brave enough to say, 'I'm not okay.' Or even just, 'I'm struggling today.' We need to listen to each other without scrambling for solutions. To be present, even if we don't have the perfect words. Of course, that kind of honesty doesn't appear overnight. It takes time, and trust. But the alternative – isolation, both physical and emotional – carries its own costs. Mental ill-health is not just a personal issue. It's a public one. It affects families, workplaces, healthcare systems, communities. And it's growing. We cannot afford to pretend that mental wellbeing is something people can cultivate entirely alone. The most resilient among us still need others. That's why the link between support networks and mental health is so powerful. It gives us something tangible to work with. If we want to improve wellbeing, we can start by expanding our circles. That might mean reaching out to old friends and suggesting a catch-up that's more than just a walk-and-talk. It might mean gently probing when someone gives a breezy 'I'm fine' that doesn't ring true. It might mean noticing who is always the listener and never the speaker – and inviting them to take up space. These small actions don't always feel like mental health interventions, but they are. A text message that says 'thinking of you' might be the first step out of someone's emotional fog. A regular coffee catch-up might become someone's only appointment they truly look forward to. We don't need to be therapists to be impactful. We just need to be consistent, and willing to show up – even imperfectly. And we need to remind ourselves, too, that we are not burdens. If someone cares for us, they probably want to know how we really are. It is not weak to need others. It is human. In a culture that prizes independence and stoicism, this may feel radical. But if the research tells us anything, it's that no one thrives in isolation. We thrive in connection. We flourish in friendship. So maybe the real message from all this data isn't about mental health campaigns or social trends. Maybe it's simpler. Maybe it's this: pick up the phone. Send the message. Make the plan. Build the net before you fall. Because one day, you might need it. And so might someone else.

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