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A red tide washes over Florida; massive floods in India kill hundreds.
A poisonous red tide wipes out thousands of sea creatures in Florida
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- Marine life in southwest Florida is dying en masse in the worst “red tide” the state has seen since 2006. The toxic algae and seaweed are also hurting tourism and making people sick. [Al Jazeera / Andy Gallacher]
- The red tide is “a naturally occurring toxic algae bloom” that comes with “a smell so awful you gag with one inhale.” The tide, which began in October, stretches across 150 miles of southwest Florida’s shoreline. [AP / Tamara Lush]
- The toxic algae stay in the seaweed even after the red tide comes to an end. As a result, 267 tons of marine life, including fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and very large sharks, have washed up on Florida’s beaches. [Guardian / Mallory Pickett]
- Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for seven Floridian counties in response to the red tide on Monday. The declaration will allow Scott to direct funds and resources to the affected communities. [ABC / Courtney Han and Julia Jacobo]
- Veterinarians and conservationists are doing what they can to combat this “alarming” disaster. They fear “we will see long-lasting effects from this event.” [Washington Post / Kate Furby]
- Scientists are “on the cusp” of finding a possible solution. They have carried out experiments in large tanks that successfully wipe the water clean of the toxicity. But wiping out the toxicity in the open waters is a different game. [Reuters / Steve Gorman]
- Scott has noted that beaches and wildlife in Florida are deteriorating amid both the red tide and last year’s hurricanes. However, he refuses to take a stance on climate change. “I’m not a scientist,” he said in 2014. [Politico / Marc Caputo]
Thousands dead or homeless after a monsoon strikes Kerala
- More than 220,000 people have been displaced and at least 324 have died in what is shaping up to be Kerala’s “worst flood in 100 years.” [AP]
- The torrential downpour, which began nine days ago in the south Indian state, has triggered “neck-deep” flooding and landslides. Rains are expected to continue through the weekend. [BBC]
- Kerala is typically India’s “idyllic tourist destination.” But now all residents and visitors have received evacuation notices, as 80 of Kerala’s dams inch toward maximum capacity. [NYT / Maria Abi-Habib]
- India is in the midst of monsoon season, which began in June. As of today, more than 900 people have died because of flooding across India. The figure is likely to go up amid Kerala’s ongoing storm. [Guardian / Michael Safi]
Miscellaneous
- Ariana Grande has released her first album since the bombing at her concert in Manchester, and it includes a hidden tribute to the victims. [The Verge / Patricia Hernandez]
- Neuroscientists say they have developed technology that can “predict” if someone will commit a crime. [Tonic / Andrew R. Calderon]
- New York University announced it will waive tuition for all current and future students ... attending its medical school. Because the people most hurt by student debt are usually doctors, right? [Atlantic / Adam Harris]
- Astrophysicists have discovered an exoplanet in the closest star system that gets as hot as 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit and has “metallic” skies. [NBC / David Freeman]
Verbatim
“I thought the worst of it was over — I thought it was. The worst is over from a Tesla operational standpoint. But from a personal pain standpoint, the worst is yet to come.” [Elon Musk in an emotional, “excruciating” interview with the New York Times]
Watch this: How Brexit could create a crisis at the Irish border
The open border has helped keep the peace for 20 years. [YouTube / Sam Ellis]
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