News + current events

Good article.
https://cascadepolicy.org/uncategor...84751011&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Who’s Responsible for Oregon Wildfires?​

Defensible Space Is Every Property Owner’s Responsibility

Oregon has entered fire season earlier than usual this year, which means we are hearing repeated litanies from various interest groups. “If only we had more money to suppress fires,” says the Forest Service. “If only we were allowed to manage the forests” by cutting timber, says the timber industry. “If only people would stop driving so we could prevent global climate change,” say environmentalists.

In reality, wildfires in the West aren’t evidence of a lack of funds, forest mismanagement, or climate change. They happen because the West is a fire plain, and, just as a flood plain floods, a fire plain is going to burn. For as long as we’ve kept records, about one-half to one percent of the West burns each year, and nothing we can do is going to stop it.

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Caption 1: This chart shows how many acres were reported as burned each year since 1925 and my estimate of how many of those acres were prescribed burns and how many were truly wildfires. The best available data indicate that a few more acres burned in wildfires in the 1930s than in more recent years, but the difference isn’t great enough to prove anything about climate change one way or the other.
You may have seen a chart showing far more acres burned each year in the 1930s than in recent decades, which is often cited as evidence that global warming isn’t happening. In fact, it is evidence that the Forest Service was dishonest in its fire reporting.

In 1908, Congress gave the Forest Service a literal blank check for suppressing fires, but no money for prescribed burning. The Forest Service decided that prescribed burning was bad and it spitefully counted all prescribed fires conducted by private landowners as wildfires. This policy faded away in the 1950s, which is why the acres reported burned tapered off in that decade.

You may also have heard that many western states have suffered their largest fires in recorded history in recent years, which is often cited as evidence that climate change is the real problem. In fact, fires have not gotten more severe in recent years; instead, large fires are evidence of a change in firefighting strategies.

Before 1994, the Forest Service and other agencies directly attacked fires by putting firefighters on the fire front to stop fires from growing. In 1994, 14 firefighters who were directly attacking a fire in Colorado were overwhelmed and died. The chief of the Forest Service, Jack Thomas, ordered the agency to change strategies to protect firefighter lives.

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Caption 2: A large wildfire blows up in Oregon in August 2020. The little white streak below and to the right of the center of the photo is an MD-87 aerial tanker whose retardant drop didn’t do anything to stop this fire. While an MD-87 is smaller than a DC-10 or Boeing 747, they wouldn’t have done anything either. Use of these tankers is an expensive folly that kills several pilots each year.
Today, the more common practice is to have firefighters create fire lines well back of the fire front and do large backburns. One result is that fires burn far more acres but a third or more of those acres were lit by the firefighters. Another result, sadly, is that more, not fewer, firefighters are killed each year, but they are killed in ones and twos in aircraft crashes, auto accidents, and similar causes rather than groups of a dozen or more being burned over.

Another story is that we must regularly thin or burn forests to keep them from burning as wildfires. That’s true for southern pine forests, which grow so fast that they can become very fire-prone in just a few years. It is far less true for western forests, most of which are not made more fire-prone by suppression. Even the ones that are require a lot more years of suppression for them to become a fire hazard. A 2001 Forest Service report found that less than 15 percent of western forests are in serious fire danger due to historic fire suppression.

Contrary to timber industry claims, cutting old growth makes forests more susceptible to fire, not less. Young trees are the most likely to burn while older ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and certain other species have thick bark and have dropped their lower branches, enabling many of them to survive wildfires.

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Caption 3: The fires that swept through western Oregon in 2020 did not mean that forests were susceptible to becoming more fire prone due to years of suppression; they were simply fire plains that will burn when conditions are right (in this case, hot weather and thunderstorms followed by strong winds) and have done so periodically throughout recorded history. The only way to protect homes and communities from such fires is to make them defensible, as this one (where I live) is.
More people than ever (including me) live in western fire plains, and each year we hear about evacuations and homes burning down. Forest Service research has shown that, to protect homes and other structures, it is both necessary and sufficient to treat the land immediately around the structures and the structures themselves to reduce flammability.

This means roofs and eaves must be non-flammable; no firewood or other flammables should be stacked against the buildings; and 100 to 200 feet around each structure must be landscaped to minimize fire: a grassy lawn is fine; a big thicket of pine trees is not. This is known as defensible space, and a truly defensible home and yard can survive the worst fires, whereas one that isn’t defensible is vulnerable to burning down no matter what adjacent landowners do with their land.

If you live in a fire plain, it is up to you to keep your home defensible as you can’t rely on firefighters to keep fires from reaching you. This means the Forest Service’s real problem isn’t a shortage of funds but having too much money and spending that money in all the wrong ways, such as expensive aerial tankers that, the agency’s own studies show, accomplish very little.

If you live in a city near a fire plain, such as Santa Rosa, California or Boulder, Colorado, then zoning codes that prohibit low-density development at the urban fringe are asking for trouble. If a fire reaches the edge of your city, and all the houses are ten to twenty feet apart, then when one house catches fire they will all catch fire. It is safer to surround the city with a broad zone of homes on one-half to one-acre lots that, if they are made defensible, will act as a fire break for the rest of the city.

We in the West live in a fire plain. It is going to burn. Our goal should not be to prevent the unpreventable but to adapt to it. That means making our homes defensible, maintaining safe evacuation corridors, and strictly limiting firefighting budgets so that agencies won’t waste money and firefighter lives on strategies and tactics that are not cost-effective.

Randal O’Toole is an Adjunct Scholar at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization. He is a transportation and land-use policy analyst. O’Toole has a degree in forestry from Oregon State University and has spent several decades studying forest policy. He is the author of Reforming the Forest Serviceand The Perfect Firestorm: Bringing Forest Service Wildfire Costs Under Control.
 
Here we go again. At my house it was 110 degrees at noon.

2 hikers overcome by heat on Scottsdale trail; rescue underway​

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/07/25/2-hikers-overcome-by-heat-scottsdale-trail-rescue-underway/

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Firefighters are working to rescue two hikers suffering from heat exhaustion on a popular Scottsdale trail Saturday as the Valley bakes in potentially record-setting temperatures.

Scottsdale and Phoenix firefighters responded just before noon to the Gateway Loop Trail in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve after reports of a man and woman showing signs of heat-related illness.

More than 25 firefighters and technical rescue personnel were assigned to the rescue, with four Scottsdale Fire Department e-bikes deployed up the trail to reach the hikers with life support equipment.

Crews planned to use a UTV to access and remove the hikers. If terrain or conditions prevented that, a Big Wheel rescue operation was set to serve as a backup plan.

The rescue comes as First Alert Weather Days have been issued through Monday for potentially record-setting heat across the Valley.



Extreme heat grips Arizona through Monday​

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through Monday evening for the Valley and much of southern and western Arizona. Those days are designated as First Alert Days.

Saturday morning has been exceptionally warm. The temperature was still 99 degrees at 5 a.m. Highs are expected to reach 117 degrees this afternoon, matching Friday’s high
 
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Saw this just after reading the article above:


‘Don’t underestimate the heat’: Tempe man’s dog chase ends in second-degree burns​

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/07/25...empe-mans-dog-chase-ends-second-degree-burns/

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A Tempe man is recovering from second-degree burns on both feet after chasing his dog down the street on hot pavement earlier this week, and doctors at the Arizona Burn Center say cases like his are happening every day.

Brandon Puglisi said his dog, Linda, ran out of his Tempe home after a landscaper left a door open on Tuesday morning.

“I threw on a pair of shorts and ran out there to go catch her,” Puglisi said.

Puglisi said he was outside, barefoot, for no more than two minutes before the pain started to set in.

“It was right when I crossed the street back is when I noticed my feet starting to hurt pretty bad,” he said.

His mother, Lavaya Pristo, a nurse, told him to go to the hospital. His burned feet are now wrapped 23 hours a day.

“It’s been two hospital visits and, you know, more to come. And, you know, he can’t drive. Bandage changing,” Pristo said.

Puglisi is expected to recover and thankfully Linda was not injured. Even though he grew up in Arizona, Puglisi says he didn’t think too much of going outside without shoes or socks at that time because of how early in the day it was.

“I knew I wasn’t gonna die from it, but it was definitely scary, for sure,” he said.

With air temperatures in the mid-110s this weekend, pavement and concrete can reach significantly higher temperatures.

Dr. Kevin Foster, Director of the Arizona Burn Center, said the Valley sees an unusually high number of contact burns each summer.

“In Arizona and Phoenix in particular, we’re kind of unique in the United States because we see so many contact burns during the summertime because of, number one, the hot ambient temperature, but then also because of the direct sunlight,” Foster said.

Foster said the danger can escalate quickly.

“I don’t think people really understand how quickly this can go south,” he said.

If you suffer a contact burn, use room-temperature water to cool the burn and seek medical care. If going outside, cover exposed skin.

Pristo said the experience carries a clear lesson.

“I think the bottom line is don’t underestimate the heat in Arizona,” she said.
 
More from Saturday. It was 117 degrees yesterday afternoon.


Hiker rescued on South Mountain trail after suffering heat-related illness​

https://ktar.com/arizona-news/hiker-rescued-south-mountain-trail/5892222/

Technical rescue crews safely assisted an adult male hiker off South Mountain on Saturday afternoon after he experienced a heat-related emergency, authorities said.

Crews were dispatched around 4 p.m. to the Bursera Trailhead following reports of a hiker in distress.

Upon arrival, rescue personnel hiked up the trail to evaluate the man. First responders provided the hiker with hydration and cooled him down at the scene.

After being stabilized, the hiker was able to walk down the trail on his own power with the guidance and assistance of the rescue team.

Once off the trail, paramedics re-evaluated the hiker before transporting him to a local hospital in stable condition for further medical evaluation.



Dead body of adult man found near trail in South Mountain Park​

https://ktar.com/arizona-news/dead-body-found-near-south-mountain/5892275/

Authorities are investigating after the body of an adult man was discovered late Saturday afternoon at South Mountain Park in Phoenix.

Phoenix police officers responded to a report of a possible dead body around 5:12 p.m. near National Trail.

A search of the area led officers to the unresponsive man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said there were no immediate signs of foul play.

The Phoenix Fire Department was called to assist officers with recovering the man’s body from the trail area.

The investigation remains ongoing. The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.
 
Interesting that he doesn't say that it will benefit humanity. It will, however, greatly benefit his corporations and, of course, his wealth.

What it will also do is put wages in the toilet, since there will be fewer jobs for the ever increasing number of working age people.

Yeah, like who does he think is gonna be buying all this stuff that robots are gonna be making?
 
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In June 2025, a person reached out to IMPD, claiming that she saw a video of a woman, later identified as Schmidt, reportedly raping a 2-year-old.

This jumped out at me....so someone, in the process of viewing this material, decided to call the cops because they saw someone they knew?

Do people in that world think that it's so normal that the rest of us just randomly stumble onto it?

I'm fairly confident inferring that this person was somehow involved or has traded CSAM with the accused, and reported after they had a disagreement.

Only solution to this problem:
1785090901657.webp
 
Here we go again. At my house it was 110 degrees at noon.

2 hikers overcome by heat on Scottsdale trail; rescue underway​

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/07/25/2-hikers-overcome-by-heat-scottsdale-trail-rescue-underway/

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Firefighters are working to rescue two hikers suffering from heat exhaustion on a popular Scottsdale trail Saturday as the Valley bakes in potentially record-setting temperatures.

Scottsdale and Phoenix firefighters responded just before noon to the Gateway Loop Trail in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve after reports of a man and woman showing signs of heat-related illness.

More than 25 firefighters and technical rescue personnel were assigned to the rescue, with four Scottsdale Fire Department e-bikes deployed up the trail to reach the hikers with life support equipment.

Crews planned to use a UTV to access and remove the hikers. If terrain or conditions prevented that, a Big Wheel rescue operation was set to serve as a backup plan.

The rescue comes as First Alert Weather Days have been issued through Monday for potentially record-setting heat across the Valley.



Extreme heat grips Arizona through Monday​

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through Monday evening for the Valley and much of southern and western Arizona. Those days are designated as First Alert Days.

Saturday morning has been exceptionally warm. The temperature was still 99 degrees at 5 a.m. Highs are expected to reach 117 degrees this afternoon, matching Friday’s high

It's hitting us down here in southern Sonora. It's always hot this time of year, but even the old-timers are saying this is different. I have seen my digital thermometer seize up at around 128F outside in the sun. Temps well above 110F are not uncommon.

I walked into the house awhile back after working outside until noon. It's an old adobe with a dirt roof, so well insulated. I was surprised at how "cool" it felt inside compared to outside, then I looked at the inside thermometer and it was 90F. Yeah, 90F felt cool after coming in from outside... 😳

I left a digital thermometer in my truck a few days ago and it seized up at 158F. Of course, this was in a closed vehicle, which helps you see why children and pets die.

From about 10:00a to about 5:00pm our little village is dead; nobody is out and about. The one room in our house with a/c (our bedroom) is a sanctuary.
 
This jumped out at me....so someone, in the process of viewing this material, decided to call the cops because they saw someone they knew?

Do people in that world think that it's so normal that the rest of us just randomly stumble onto it?

I'm fairly confident inferring that this person was somehow involved or has traded CSAM with the accused, and reported after they had a disagreement.

Only solution to this problem:
View attachment 701452

Just to play the devils advocate it could have been some perv that found it and talked so with the info being 3rd hand or more until someone went looking for it.

However, I wouldn't know where to even start looking for that so to be safe they should carry on with your plan.
 
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Indeed. That's much different then "congressional stock ban"

Can't believe I actually got excited about politicians doing something right for once.

Did some additional reading on it, they do have to forfeit any proceeds in addition to the penalty for illegal trades so that is good. They also have to give a notice 7 days before they sell any current stocks in their portfolio.
 
A social media influencer was shot dead by her estranged husband after she outed him as an alleged pedophile using a TikTok trend, police say.

VIDEO

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Sara Gilson, 43, was fatally shot by her husband Jeremiah 'Shawn' Duffey, 48, in a horror murder-suicide when he broke into her home in Owasso, Oklahoma on July 23, according to police.

The shooting unfolded after Gilson shared a TikTok on July 11, where she performed a 'Netflix documentary' trend in which users pretend to sit down for an interview on the streaming platform.

While the trend has largely been used to satirize trivial events and jokes, Gilson used her clip to poke fun at the breakdown of her marriage because of her husband's alleged pedophilia.

'Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon to be ex husband who I just found out is a pedophile,' Gilson wrote in the video.

Gilson, a mother of two, added in the caption, 'I wish I was joking,' with the clip racking up over six million views.

Duffey was allegedly caught kissing and touching a 15-year-old girl on the youth basketball team he coached by another coach, according to a protective order filed on June 10 by the girl's mother.

The couple's marriage ended in 2021 when Gilson filed two protective orders against her husband. Those orders were dismissed at the time because Gilson did not appear in court, reports The Oklahoman.

On June 10, the same day as the filing from Duffey's alleged victim, Gilson also filed for another emergency protective order against Duffey, alleging that he had a gun, threatened suicide, and then 'went on the run.'


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Duffey was never arrested for the alleged incident or charged with any crime.

A report about the allegations was made to the Owasso Police Department, however, it is unclear if Duffey was the subject of an investigation before his death. The Daily Mail has contacted the Owasso Police Department for comment.

In Gilson's protective order, a judge ordered Duffey out of their home and ordered him to stay at least 100 yards away from her, according to People.

The protective order was then extended on June 23, through August 24.

Duffey was also the subject of another protective order filed on the same day as his wife's, which was filed by the schoolgirl's mother.

She claimed that her daughter was kissed and touched by the youth basketball team coach.

Another coach reportedly caught him in the act, and the girl told her mother that Duffey's inappropriate behavior extended to sending her messages, inviting her to his hotel room during a tournament trip, and offering her money for her silence, per the filing.


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After Gilson shared her pointed TikTok exposing her husband's alleged crimes, she posted two more videos to her page alluding to her ordeal before she was killed.

In one video, she showed herself with a friend on a boat, captioned: 'Everyone talks about romantic love, but no one talks about how female friendships literally save your life.'

She then shared another video of herself on a yacht, captioned: 'May whatever the f*** that was never find me again.'

Days after that final post, Duffey broke into Gilson's home and shot her dead before turning the gun on himself, police said.

Duffey's own TikTok account also included crude clips about his personal life, including one of him coughing with the caption: 'Ur sick if you like to pull hair and bite.'

In another video, he used the caption: 'Apparently every girl's ex was toxic, controlling, and manipulative.'


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In a GoFundMe set up for Gilson's two children, her loved ones described her death as 'unimaginable,' saying she was an 'incredible mom.'

'Her sudden and heartbreaking loss has left an entire community grieving, but the greatest loss is felt by her two precious children, who must now face life without their loving mother,' the fundraiser read.

'Her children were the center of her world, and everything she did was for them. She loved them fiercely, worked hard to provide for them, and dreamed of giving them the best life possible.'

Link
 
Cracker Barrel is shaking up its leadership after CEO Julie Masino announced she is stepping down following a turbulent tenure marked by a controversial brand overhaul and mounting pressure to revive sales.

The restaurant chain said Monday that Masino, who took the helm in late 2023, will step down as CEO and from the board, effective August 10, after leading an ambitious turnaround plan that included remodeling stores, refreshing menus, and updating the brand's image.

Her departure comes after the company faced backlash from loyal customers over its modernization efforts, with critics accusing the beloved Southern chain of abandoning the rustic charm that made it a household name.

Some customers blasted the redesigned stores as looking too modern and 'generic,' while others accused the company of going 'woke' by moving away from its traditional country aesthetic.

The overhaul even drew criticism from President Donald Trump, who publicly weighed in on the controversy.

Cracker Barrel has named former Bloomin' Brands CEO David Deno as Masino's successor as it looks to stabilize the business and win back diners after several quarters of sluggish performance and declining traffic.

Masino will remain in an advisory role through October 9 to ensure a smooth transition, while Deno - who previously spent more than two decades in senior leadership roles at Yum Brands before leading Bloomin' Brands - takes over as CEO and joins the board.

Independent Chairman Carl Berquist said Deno was selected following a 'robust and thoughtful search process,' citing his decades of restaurant and retail experience and track record of driving growth and operational excellence.


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Not far enough.

I agree they need to nuke the ability to trade through a trust. You can't give them an out, they will all take it.

I will say it will be interesting to see notifications of their upcoming trades 7 days before the transaction, it will really tell who is using insider info. for their own benefit.