Scientists have calculated the impact of a one-foot sea level rise on the New York City tri-state region would be very serious. According to Scientific American:
“Without additional protection measures, 1 foot of sea-level rise will inundate nearly 60 square miles of the tri-state region. That’s about 19,000 people in 10,000 homes, in places where about 10,000 people work. It could happen as soon as 2050 if emissions aren’t curtailed, the report found.”
The study indicates that specific areas within the region are most susceptible and that steps have to be taken as soon as possible to protect the 3,700 mile coast line of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
There are new ideas floating around about the affinity between the supporters of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The historical animosity of American conservatives toward Russia is apparently being overcome by an attraction to Putin’s strong views on the character of the Russian nation and state. According to the Washington Post:
“Soon, governments in Washington and Moscow will be both led by figures who embrace a similar brand of right-wing nationalism, one that harps on the primacy of national sovereignty, invokes myths of a greater past, trumpets Christian values and rejects multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism. Their ideological brethren have also found firm footing in parts of Europe and threaten to rewind decades of liberal integration on the continent.”
This ideological realignment will be interesting to watch if it continues.
As Aleppo crumbles, Iran is claiming victory. We tend to think almost exclusively about the alliance between Russia and Syria, but the Iranian militias proved to be the decisive element in the ground attack upon Aleppo. The fear is that the Iranian Shiite forces will take retribution against the Sunnis involved in the fighting around the city. At some point, Iran, Syria, and Russia will have to figure out their real interests in the Middle East, and I suspect that sorting out those interests will be quite difficult.
World Politics News 
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