Thread: The Apocalypse Beat: Life in an era of hurricanes, wildfires and nuclear threats

The Apocalypse Beat: Life in an era of hurricanes, wildfires and nuclear threats

By Howard Kurtz
Published September 11, 2017
Fox News

I’m sure I’m not the only person to make this observation, but it feels like we’re living through calamities of biblical proportions.

Lately I feel like I’m on the apocalypse beat, careening between coverage of monster hurricanes and the threat of nuclear war.

Perhaps it’s just the curse of the news gods, but we have ricocheted between the catastrophic Texas flooding unleashed by Harvey, the blustery threats and hydrogen bomb test of Kim Jong-un, and the devastating fury of Irma hitting Florida yesterday.

And that has made me ruminate a bit about the nature of leadership.

President Trump, who draws so much criticism, has performed reasonably well during this period. He’s taken the most flak for his tough words against Kim after each new bomb or missile test. This can be unnerving, but the approach of the last two decades—diplomacy and sanctions—hasn’t worked either. Whether we have edged closer to a nuclear confrontation is hard to discern, but every administration has to maintain a credible military threat against the rogue regime.

The twin hurricanes remind us that there are limits to government in the face of mother nature’s fury. But so far you have to credit both federal and state officials with a herculean effort. Countless people were rescued from the Houston floods, and Rick Scott was on TV so often urging South Florida to evacuate that it seemed the governor had his own show. I still can’t get my mind around the mind-boggling task of evacuating nearly 7 million people, almost as many as live in New York City.

After the media cast Hurricane Harvey as a major test for Trump, most never got around to reporting that he did pretty well. He quickly visited Texas as FEMA did a stellar job of coordinating rescue and relief efforts. There was some carping about Trump not showing enough empathy, but even that faded after the president’s second visit, when he met with victims in Houston after avoiding the city at the height of the flooding. And with Democratic help, Trump has pushed a $15-billion relief package through Congress, which amounts a down payment on what’s needed.

It’s obviously too soon to say how the government will perform after Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida.

But one thing that has been inspiring in Texas is how many ordinary people got into boats to rescue folks trapped in their homes, and how many community organizations and churches pitched in to help. Volunteers rose to match the moment of crisis. And journalists who ventured into dangerous conditions in Florida and Texas deserve credit as well.

It still feels like we’re trapped in the grip of relentless danger: Ever more destructive hurricanes, ever more deadly wildfires in California and Oregon, and a particularly devastating earthquake in Mexico. But the silver lining is that it has fostered a sense of community too often lacking in these polarized times.

Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017...r-threats.html

Which is another reason why we need to stop allowing people into this country legally or illegally. No more refugees or asylum.

We must pay down our debt and save for our future of having to rebuild after these massive disasters. Think about when the big one hits California...not a matter of "if"...but "when" it will hit.

The whole Northwest is on fire.

Yet we continue to GIVE our money away freely to other countries...rather we are FORCED against our will to give our money away.

No more money, no aid, no oatmeal. These countries need to take care of themselves and get on birth control.

Ordinary people usually do jump in to help each other, but it's always good to see it happen.

Everyone should have known the media would find some fault with Pres. Trump. Actually, I've always thought the visits by Presidents to disaster areas to be really useless. Thank God, I've never been in that situation, so perhaps it does help in an emotional way.

I was disappointed at the Gov. of Texas when he didn't shut down that stupid reporter. She said the President hadn't talked enough about the victims. Then she said he didn't ask people to send donation and supplies.

Why didn't the Gov. tell her the news media had been down there, supposedly talking with people and officials. Why weren't they finding out what was needed and report that. They have the microphone and access to the country. Why not use it for good rather than trying to find something to criticize the President. Maybe they could have done that rather than shoving a microphone in the face of a shivering hungry victim and asking 'how do you feel?".

The idea of cutting the cable, satellite, etc., and just not paying these people might do some good.