Snapshot: Grounded, Not Bowed

A dangerous blizzard and even more dangerous lies

Grounded planes yesterday at LaGuardia Airport in New York. . (Photo by Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

In their willful ignorance and recklessness, Donald Trump and his criminal regime would have us believe there’s no such thing as man-made climate change. They think fossil fuel companies should be free to endlessly pump carbon dioxide into our atmosphere and further enrich themselves.

Of course, the reality is that the climate crisis is causing more frequent and more extreme weather events, a fact that most every sentient being can ascertain, while endangering more and more lives. The regime’s actions will surely accelerate these trends. That includes, just two weeks ago, the profoundly irresponsible overturning of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health and require regulation.

In my own case, I had expected I could take a short trip to Chicago (my hometown) on Friday and be back to New York on Sunday evening, no sweat. As it turns out, however, a sudden and possibly historic blizzard hitting the northeast—high winds and likely more than a foot or two of snow—has meant that I had three flights canceled and it might take several days before I can fly home.

Inevitably, this has caused havoc with my writing plans. So bear with me, friends. And let’s hope that some 40 million affected Americans will get through the storm safely.

I do expect to be staring at a screen Tuesday night to endure the madman who is sure to deliver a self-centered, grievance-filled lie fest billed as the State of the Union. I applaud more than a dozen Democrats who are choosing to boycott the Capitol show and participate in alternate events, including a rally on the National Mall.

Even as extreme weather continues to cause dangerous disruptions, we can be sure that the guy who ignored scientists’ warnings and lied about the deadly gravity of COVID will continue to deny the reality of climate change. It’s another reminder of how much time and energy is required to confront this authoritarian malignancy rather than addressing other serious existential challenges.

We cannot be distracted or deterred from removing this reckless bunch of miscreants who are making our planet sicker and our world more turbulent and deadly.

For those on the East Coast, stay safe out there.

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