Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Trump is not new. Where are the Republicans getting this from?

Donald Trump has been asked to run for President of the USA since McCain lost his bid. At least since then.

The ego of the wealthy require those dependent on them to kiss their feet. If they don't get over the fact they may be wealthy but not privileged because of the dollars they use to wipe themselves with, they can say good-bye to American politics. 

When is the next Las Vegas kiss the ring taking place?

I could not believe John Kasich was nearly in tears today. He really believed his own rhetoric. That's scary. At least Donald Trump knows when his words are rhetoric.

Michael Steele is afraid to speak reality to the party bosses. He should reflect on that and then decide if he knows what reality actually is.

The Republicans wonder how they can run a woman, Hispanics and an African American in their primary and they don't have a minority nomination. The woman was a failed corporate executive without leadership skills even for her own nomination. She lied about the content of the films and testimony she leaned on to try to bring a firestorm to her candidacy. The Hispanic and African American leaned too much on religion for their campaigns. Evangelicals are not a majority in the USA and simply because a candidate speaks religion doesn't mean they are valid as an American President. JFK was the first Catholic President and he never spoke religion in the way that removed civil rights from Americans.

I find it really funny that Governor McCrory is screaming privacy regarding the transgender, but, when privacy is raised in regard to abortion rights it is not allowed! 

Republicans don't live in the real world. They are corrupt to the core. Take that as FACT and then decide why they aren't making it to the convention for the nomination. You're really lousy people. Get over it. How long does any Republican think they can cut taxes and watch jobs grow while cutting discretionary spending and call it a reality for the best outcome for the country? 

Kansas is a disaster. Republicans don't live in the real world. The planet is on fire and the Republicans are still denying the climate crisis. You just aren't good people. You have no morals. Your morals are green and it isn't grass.

Tell me something. When you go to church do you keep your fingers crossed behind your back? 

Some things never change.

May 4, 2016
By Eric Lichtblau and Richard Fausse

Washington — The Justice Department (click here) warned the state of North Carolina on Wednesday that its new law limiting bathroom access violated the civil rights of transgender people, a finding that could mean millions of dollars in lost federal funds.
In a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory, Vanita Gupta, the top civil rights lawyer for the Justice Department, said that “both you and the State of North Carolina” were in violation of civil rights law, and gave him until Monday to decide “whether you will remedy these violations.”
A Justice Department official said that federal officials hoped that the state would agree to comply voluntarily with federal civil rights law by abandoning the measure. But the department has a number of tools it can use to try to force compliance, including denying federal funds or asking a court to do so, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The ultimatum escalated a contentious national debate over North Carolina’s new legal stance on transgender and gay people, and set up what could be a lengthy showdown between the state and the Obama administration....

President Obama has arrived in Flint, Michigan.

There he shaking hands with the USA's worst human rights abuser.

Live Updates: (click here)

Dozens of protesters outside of HS, chanting clean water for #Flint




May 4, 2016
By Matt Burns
Google’s charitable arm (click here) is today announcing several grants and donations aimed at helping the residents of Flint, Michigan respond to their ongoing water crisis. With a total amount of $250,000, the funds will be used to pay several local researchers and address health concerns connected with drinking the poisoned water.
The cash won’t solve the crisis. The city and state estimate it would take tens of millions of dollars and many man hours to do that. Yet this money is wisely earmarked in strategic ways that will make it go far.
Google.org reached out to TechCrunch and explained that $150,000 will be used for teams of researchers at Flint and Ann Arbor University of Michigan campuses with the goal of developing a comprehensive data platform. This system will then be available to government and local community leaders and able to assist in making decisions about the water crisis....

President Obama drinking a glass of filtered water.
By Ryan Garza

In the audience waiting for President Obama:

Sincere and his mom Ariana make it in to see President Obama 
Governor Snyder is being booed. People don't want to hear from him. He is booed and heckled during comments.

The entire gymnasium is booing at Snyder. They are on their feet and no one can hear what he is saying. They won't let him be heard. It was a really bad idea for him to come to Flint when President Obama is there.

Snyder should know he doesn't belong there. Snyder will not accept his responsibility in this until he is prosecuted.


There is ample reasons why the people of Flint, Michigan feel the way they do.

May 4, 2016
A few suggestions (click here) from the investigative reporter who broke the story about the city's toxic water.

Live coverage on MSNBC. President Obama is suppose to speak soon.
There are some notes on the message boards indicating when residents can afford to purchase baby wipes, they are used for personal hygiene rather than showers or baths.
President Obama says, "Flint's recovery is everyone's responsibility."
"What I believe contributed to this is a larger mindset....Environmental rules designed to keep air and water clear are optional...or burdens taxpayers...I am alright so I am not going to invest in what we need as a community...so we under invest underground and bridges and the schools that move usu forward.
This is part of the attitude and the mindset and the community that are poor...are not heard in the halls of power. This myth that states government is always wrong, is an extensive of that attitude...the government is us...it is corrosive...over time it diminishes the life of a community and makes it harder for our young people to achieve...A pastor stated he feels like he doesn't count. You can't have a democracy if the people feel they don't count."
"What should do individually what we can do for ourselves...but, we should do collectively what we can't do for ourselves...there are things we do together than benefits everyone..."

President Obama has been coughing occasionally and asked for a glass of water. 4:33 PM He is still coughing and there is still no water to him. It finally arrived.

Mayor Weaver has a plan to fix the pipes in Flint, Michigan and the cost is far higher than averting the disaster in the first place. The pipes will be replaced by the state government. Intense conference held in "The Beast" earlier in the day with Secret Service surrounding the car.

Flint's state delegation has to lead the state congress in a bipartisan legislation to insure the funding for the new pipes.

The federal, state and local leaders have to work together and stay on the job until it is done. That means it is required the state remain engaged until this is finished. The health care passed today in the legislation is a good beginning. The legislature passed a Medicaid Expansion for the children of Flint that were exposed to the lead. "All parties have to work together...to put Flint on a strong foundation..."

Cough.

"Culture of Neglect" mindset has to be fixed. "But, I do love Detroit and the schools have to be fixed. That is part of the same mindset....we are going to accelerate everything to get the new pipes needed here in Flint....It is  going to take awhile to get those pipes replaced. But, it is not going to happen overnight...."

C-Span

"What I know...first, while you are waiting to get your pipes replaced you need to have a filter installed...if you do use that filter than water is safe to consume for children over six and women not pregnant....to solve the problem, I am telling you what I know...I understand the fear the people have...those filters are free and people will help if you need help with installation and the water will be safe. Point two, the children in Flint exposed to the water need to be checked, because lead is a serious issue and if not diagnosed it will lead to serious problems. If a parent is working with a doctor you child will be fine....If you are my age or a little older there is some lead in your system when you were growing up....not to make light of the situation...the point is as long as kids are getting good healthcare and they are getting a good education and they are getting some home training and they are in a community that cares these children will be fine....I don't want that stigma established in the minds of kids."

"The reason I think this is important...moms and dads are feeling guilty...it is right to be angry, but, you can't be passive...and sink into despair....Don't wait for someone to reach out to ask if your child has seen their doctor lately...you have to use that health system...."

President Obama does want outreach regardless the vigilance of the parents. It is just a second measure to be sure everything is going well. I agree, especially considering how this community in Flint was oppressed for nearly two years before the country heard the news and became outraged. I worry about the people in Flint. They could be too passive in a low depressive state for too long. I worry they aren't strong enough still today to carry on if their news continues to be bad news. They need a gentle spirit of well being instilled in their lives. They have had horrible things happen by todays' standards and they know it. They and their children have to compete in a world that did not have bad news. There are still adults breaking out in rashes. They very well might have developed sensitivity to some minor amounts of toxins. No person with a rash should be ignored and explained away even if they have a filter. Adults can develop sensitivities and should be taken seriously.

President Obama states, "The culture of neglect leaves the poor people behind, the working people behind....We have to break that mindset....We have to break that attitude....and everybody has to look out for each other....the kids in Flint are their kids and our kids...."

"...Our success is dependent on each other...."

end

From the Iraq Oil Report:

April 29, 2016
Iraqi oil engineers are moonlighting (click here) as weapons developers, inventing remote-controlled rocket launchers and other devices for al-Hashid al-Shabi (Popular Mobilization) militia forces fighting against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization.The weapons program is a small-scale operation funded by private donations to an independent employees' committee of the state-run South Oil Company (SOC). While the engineers are not mass-producing the weapons, their contributions highlight ...

Iraq has always had issues with exporting their oil to the market. That is why Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. 

April 28, 2016
Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (click here) is conducting detailed technical planning with Iran that could lead to the construction of the autonomous region's second oil export pipeline."It's serious. Very serious. We've had several meetings in the past, and will continue to have meetings," said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Taha Zangana, who has led the KRG's technical delegation. "The technical part of pre-engineering is almost – almost – in place."If the project moves forwar...

April 20, 2016
The former director general of the state-run (click here) North Oil Company (NOC) and nearly two dozen other people have been arrested and, pending an ongoing investigation, could be charged with using a fake company to bilk the government out of millions of dollars."The North Oil Company officials in Kirkuk, whom were detained for administrative corruption and wasting the public's money, are still in prison," Brig. Gen. Sarhad Qadir, the police chief of the sub-districts of Kirkuk province, said late Tu...

May 3, 2016
Iraq Oil Report is now offering a new subscription service: the Iraq Oil and Financial DatasetClick here for a free sample of the spreadsheets and data-driven analysis that underpin our industry-leading coverage of Iraq’s oil sector.

Iraq's federal government exported a record amount of oil in April, netting the most oil revenue Iraq has generated in five months.The Oil Ministry said it had exported an average of 3.364 million barrels per day (bpd) in April – a 3 percent increase over the previous month...

May 1, 2016
Months of anti-corruption protests (click here) climaxed on Saturday as Iraqis forced their way into the Green Zone – the safe haven for Iraqi and foreign elites in the capital – and temporarily took over Parliament, demanding that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi follow through on his attempt to put in place a technocratic government.Most members of Parliament fled the area unharmed, and party leaders are holding emergency meetings overnight. Photographs posted on social media showed Abadi later touri...

The cabinet was dismissed. Foreign countries are welcome to invest in it's oil industry. Encouraged even.

April 26, 2016
  • Details of dramatic Parliament session
  • MPs throwing objects at the Speaker and Prime Minister
  • Sadr backs initial new ministers
  • Warns that his protestors are ready at the gate of the Green Zone
The Iraqi Parliament on Tuesday approved five new ministers in a contentious and incomplete effort by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to reshuffle his Cabinet and deliver on promises to reform the government.Prior to the vote, a slew of MPs launched a cacophonous protest and even threw empty water bottles and toilet paper toward Abadi and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, according to several legislators who witnessed the melee."When the prime minister tried to deliver a speech, the...

If foreign governments get involved, there is going to be more corruption, not less.

Mosul is a place the Kurds would like to regain. Mosul is where the Navy Seal died.

April 19, 2016

Air strikes deep inside Mosul (click here) are taking a punishing toll on the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group, killing dozens of militants per week, draining their reserves of cash and spreading rampant paranoia among their ranks.But weakening IS comes at an increasing cost to the beleaguered civilians trapped in the city, who are being subjected to a campaign of summary executions, harassment and interrogations. Residents also fear they will be killed by war planes, as IS militants embed thems...

Daesh has been seeking a media blackout in Mosul because the people may turn on them.

May 4, 2016 For Iraqis living in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, (click here) news is dwindling about the U.S.-backed army massing to the south for an assault on the city that could begin this year.
Soon after Iraqi forces established a foothold in the Makhmour area in February, about 60 km (40 miles) from the northern city, the jihadists began restricting access to television for its 1 million-strong population, according to residents.
With limited and erratic access to internet and mobile networks, civilians in Mosul have depended on satellite TV for their primary source of news from the outside world since Islamic State captured the city two years ago....

Iraq is having a difficulty collecting monies for the oil, too.

I think it is very obvious, the USA has no clue what is occurring with Iraq other than involvement in advising the Iraqi military.
3 March 2016
By Damian Carrington

Climate change could kill more than 500,000 people a year (click here) globally by 2050 by making their diets less healthy, according to new research published in the Lancet.
The research is the first to assess how the impacts of global warming could affect the quality of the diets available to people and found fewer fruit and vegetables would be available as a result of climatic changes. These are vital in curbing heart disease, strokes and diet-related cancers, leading the study to conclude that the health risks of climate change are far greater than thought.
Climate change is already judged by doctors as the greatest threat to health in the 21st century, due to floods, droughts and increased infectious diseases, with the potential to roll back 50 years of progress.
Peter Scarborough, at the University of Oxford and part of the new research, said these direct impacts would affect tens of thousands of people at particular times: “But everyone in the world eats, so small changes in diet can quickly add up” to hundreds of thousands of deaths.
“The health burden related to climate change is much bigger than we thought,” Scarborough said. But cutting carbon emissions and improving education and the availability of fruit and vegetables would reduce the number of deaths, he said....
It's been hot and dry in Punjab, India.

May 3, 2016
Dust storms (click here) hit many places in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, bringing down the mercury by a few notches and providing relief to the people reeling under sweltering heat conditions.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, was also hit by a dust storm in the morning.The maximum temperature, which was close to 43 degrees Celsius here yesterday, also dropped by a few notches.
People in Hisar in Haryana, where the maximum had on Monday crossed the 45 degrees Celsius mark, also got some relief from the severe heat wave as dusty conditions brought down the mercury on Tuesday morning.
Ambala, Kurukshetra, Jind, Rohtak, Panchkula among other places in Haryana also witnessed partly cloudy skies on Tuesday....


May 1, 2016
Islamabad: Scattered rains and dust storms (click here) are expected from Monday to Thursday in Punjab Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Khaber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Kashmir.
The day temperatures are expected to fall 23 C below normal after the rainfall.
A fresh westerly wave is likely to approach Pakistan on Sunday evening Monday that will produce rains with intermissions and gusty winds in plain areas of the country during the coming week, an official of Met office told APP.

Under the influence of this westerly wave scattered rain dust storm is expected in Islamabad, FATA, KP, Punjab, GB and Kashmir during Monday evening to Thursday....

May 2, 2016

City sizzles at 44 degree Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit), dust storm adds to commuters' woes

Mercury maintained an upward trend (click here) in the city today along with a heavy dust storm forcing residents to remain indoor.
High humidity levels during the morning hours also caused a lot of inconvenience to residents of the region.
As per the Agri-Met Department of the PAU Regional Centre in Bathinda, the maximum temperature recorded was 44.2°C and the minimum temperature was recorded at 20.6°C. This is the highest maximum temperature which has been recorded in the city this season so far.
The day started on a hot and humid note but in the evening the weather took a sudden change and at around 4.30 pm clouds came out and dust storm lashed the city.
People were caught by surprise as the wind velocity suddenly increased in the afternoon. Those riding two-wheelers were forced to slow down their vehicles while some decided to take a halt and wait for the storm to subside. The dust storm also disrupted power supply   in various parts of the city....

May 3, 2016
The diversion of wheat from Punjab to Haryana (click here) to get prompt payment and fall in yield of the main rabi crop could be responsible for the state not meeting its target of wheat procurement this year. As against the original target of procuring 129 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat from the state, the procurement is expected to be around 105 LMT.
Till last night, 102.07 LMT of wheat had been procured by state agencies and the FCI in the state. Though this figure is more than the wheat procured on the corresponding day last year (82 LMT), sources said that last year the season peaked late because of rains in March.
The fall in procurement figures is mainly because a large quantity of wheat from Punjab has been sold in neighbouring Haryana this year. It is estimated that over 6 LMT of wheat from the state has been sold in Haryana as payments to farmers in the state were not made till April 22.
In Haryana, the procurement till date is 63.31 LMT as against 57.55 LMT last year despite almost 90,000 hectare fall in the area under wheat. This proves that wheat from Punjab villages along the 250 km inter-state border has been sold in Haryana.
“As a result, there has been a fall in the total wheat procured in Punjab. Punjab was targeting procurement of 129 LMT. But the high temperature in December and rains in February led to the Ministry of Agriculture revising the wheat production and procurement targets. Punjab then revised its procurement target to 111 LMT,” said a senior government official....

Dust Storms causes problems for transportation. Trucks.

April 7, 2016
By Mary Bowerman

massive dust storm (click here) almost 100-miles-wide swept over the Texas Panhandle Tuesday night.
Forecaster Nicholas Fenner told AP the storm flung dust 2,000 feet into the air before dissipating. A cold front with high-speed winds picked up dirt in Colorado and Kansas and spread it around the panhandle area, AP reported.
Photos of the storm look like a massive gray tidal wave is taking over the horizon....

April 10, 2016
Lawrence County, Ark. (KTHV) - Dust storms in northeast Arkansas (click here) on Sunday caused multiple car accidents, one ending in a fatality. 
Arkansas State Police Troop B responded to a five-vehicle crash near Walnut Ridge on Sunday afternoon. It claimed one person's life. The identity of the person has not been released. 
This was the second multiple-vehicle in Lawrence County crash emergency officials had to clean up. At around 12:30 p.m., a 13-car crash left 11 people injured. 

April 25, 2016
Willcox — It took about two hours (click here) for the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 to reopen between U.S. Highway 191 in southeastern Arizona and Lordsburg, N.M., according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Westbound I-10 remained closed through the early evening between Lordsburg and U.S. Highway 191 as crews worked to clean up the crash from early this afternoon.

April 28, 2016
Cochise County, Ariz. - I-10 is closed (click here) in both directions in southeastern Arizona, from State Route 191 to Lordsburg, New Mexico.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the closure is due to blowing bust.
There is at least one collision reported in the area as well.
According to DPS spokesman Kameron Lee, a total of 12 vehicles have collided in I-10 at MP 376, including a San Simon fire truck.

April 30, 2016
San Simon — A 62-mile stretch (click here) of Interstate 10 was closed for about two hours Saturday, the third time the interstate was closed over the past week due to blowing dust.
Unlike the previous closures, there were no reports of crashes Saturday due to reduced visibility.

The closure took place between U.S. Highway 191 in southeastern Arizona and Lordsburg, N.M.

Saudi Arabia secures the country by suppressing terrorism and deporting illegals.

Dammam: Despite several terror attacks (click here) seeking to destabilize the country, the nation’s security forces are winning the war against these groups, say experts.
Yahya Al-Zaedi, a former security commander, said: “Despite the casualties resulting from the terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia over the past year, the security successes have continued. The security forces still have the upper hand,” he said.
He said the country’s security forces were able to thwart many terrorist operations, most notably those that targeted commercial complexes and oil facilities near the capital. Ahmed Al-Mowkali, a specialist in terrorism, said that Daesh’s activity is divided into military-style attacks and propaganda. 
These operations are planned by the group’s leaders in Syria. 
The media campaigns are run to recruit new members, he said.
According to reports, there have been nearly 30 terrorist attacks in less than one year in the country by various groups. Daesh began its operations in the Kingdom in November 2014 with four masked men opening fire at a Shiite shrine in Dalwah village of Al-Ahsa region....


Riyadh: Terrorism and drugs are the two main threats (click here) to the stability and security of the country, according to the National Anti-Drug Commission (Nibras).
Nibras President Abdulilah Al-Sharif said that the Kingdom’s growing status in the region and globally has made it a target for terrorists and drug dealers, according to a local media report on Monday.
Al-Sharif made the comments recently at a forum for public security workers, which forms part of Nibras’ community related work to raise awareness about these issues.
He said the Kingdom has carried out a great deal of initiatives to counter all forms of terrorism. There have also been several preemptive operations carried out to foil attacks, with many perpetrators arrested, charged and brought to trial....


Jeddah: The crime rate (click here) in Makkah dropped by 28 percent from 2014 to 2015, with over 120,000 illegal expatriates arrested last year, according to the city’s police.
Makkah Police Department Director Col. Saeed Al-Qarni said this has been achieved through better enforcement. This year there would be heightened security during the Haj through a single control room, with several additional security centers introduced to help with the fight against criminals in the holy city.
Makkah has a high-tech 24-hour control center that has been set up to prevent crime and assist people in need. It is linked to 300 cameras and patrols on the ground, and follows up on alerts and requests for assistance received from members of the public via calls and SMSs, a local publication reported recently.
Officers at the center send out patrols to hotspot areas or refer cases to local police stations depending on the type of report received, the publication said. Muhammed Al-Suhaimi, director of security patrols for the city, said more than 150 commissioned and noncommissioned officers work at the center receiving calls in various languages.
Meanwhile, the country’s security agencies dealt with 96,000 crimes in 2015, said Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Interior Ministry. He said this indicates a 10 percent drop in the rate compared to the previous year. He said 70 percent of the cases were solved.
He said violent crimes rose to 90.4 cases per 100,000 Saudi citizens, and reached their highest levels in Jeddah, Riyadh and Makkah. The ministry said there was a 25.95 percent increase in crimes involving money, and that it dealt with 1,877 cases of embezzlement.

Today is the 46th year since the shootings at Kent State.

Congratulations to Senator Bernie Sanders for his victory in Indiana.

Secretary Clinton was successful in the cities of the state.

Good job. Oh, yeah, the USA has the greatest military in the world. They allow their own enemies profit at the deaths of Americans in Afghanistan and mainland USA.

There is no reason for the USA to be in Afghanistan. The Afghan government has given up on Helmand Province.

May 4, 2016
By Taimoor Shah and Mujib Mashal

Kandarhar, Afghanistan — It is spring that determines (click here) how a year turns out, according to an Afghan proverb. And if the Helmand poppy fields this spring are any indication, the Taliban will have a very good year.
As the opium harvest winds down across Helmand Province, Afghanistan’s largest in territory and poppy cultivation, farmers and officials are reporting high yields. The skies were generous with heavy rainfall, and the Afghan government with its cancellation of annual eradication campaigns. It had lost much of the territory in Helmand to the Taliban anyway.
So it was with peace of mind that farmers, and thousands of seasonal laborers who had traveled to Helmand, scraped the gum from the opium bulbs. Taliban fighters were just around the corner to lend a hand — and to receive their share of wages and taxes, in cash or kind. The crowded fields amounted to an insurgent recruiter’s dream.
“We are happy that we had a good harvest this year compared with previous years,” said Abdul Rahim Mutmain, a farmer in Musa Qala district. Mr. Mutmain said his modest plot saw a four-fold increase in yield compared with 2015, which was plagued by crop failures and concerted government eradication....

The Canadian Oil Sands sparked into a blazing fire.

It is nearly impossible to stop an oil fire this size. Dick Cheney can take credit for this one. Fort McMurry is within the drought range.



May 4, 2016
By Nia Williams
Fire raged unchecked through the Canadian city of Fort McMurray (click here) overnight as authorities raced to complete the evacuation of its population of 80,000, fearful that hot, dry winds forecast for Wednesday would further fan the flames.
About 44,000 people were estimated to have fled the city by late on Tuesday on traffic-chocked roads, and the province of Alberta requested military help to bring the blaze under control and airlift others from fire- and smoke-filled streets.
"I'm afraid that huge parts of my home town... may burn tonight and will continue to burn," Brian Jean, leader of Alberta's official opposition party, told CBC Radio, saying his own home was in the immediate path of the flames.
The fire in the heart of Canada's oil sands region broke out southwest of the city on Sunday, shifting aggressively with the wind to breach city limits on Tuesday, when its size was estimated at 26.5 square kilometers (6,540 acres).
It destroyed one residential neighborhood in the southeast, and others were severely damaged or under threat, Chief Darby Allen of Fort McMurray's fire department said.
The blaze also temporarily closed off the main southern exit from the city, Highway 93, prompting many residents to flee north toward the oil sands camps....

The carbon content is very dense in these forests.

...Canada’s boreal forests (click here) are also incredibly diverse, featuring mountain ranges; forested plains, bogs, and peatlands; coniferous and mixed forests; and millions of waterways. They support wildlife ranging from gray wolves to black bears to the endangered woodland caribou. They are also home and vital sources of livelihoods and culture for hundreds of First Nations communities, such as the Cree Nation. And because boreal forests capture and store twice as much carbon dioxide as tropical forests, the area plays a critical, global role in curbing climate change....

The fire in the heart of Canada's oil sands region broke out southwest of the city on Sunday, shifting aggressively with the wind to breach city limits on Tuesday, when its size was estimated at 26.5 square kilometers (6,540 acres)....
The fire in the heart of Canada's oil sands region broke out southwest of the city on Sunday, shifting aggressively with the wind to breach city limits on Tuesday, when its size was estimated at 26.5 square kilometers (6,540 acres).It destroyed one residential neighborhood in the southeast, and others were severely damaged or under threat, Chief Darby Allen of Fort McMurray's fire department said.The blaze also temporarily closed off the main southern exit from the city, Highway 93, prompting many residents to flee north toward the oil sands camps.