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Position: 12.9N 29.9W [10AM CDT 1500 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 60 miles [ 95 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1004 mb ↓.

Currently about 450 miles [ 720 km] West-Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 25.7N 43.2W [10AM CDT 1500 UTC].
Movement: North [005°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1010 mb.

Currently about 1270 miles [2045 km] Southwest of the Azores.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

NPR has a condensed version: Presidential Candidates Take Sides On Support For Kentucky Clerk.

Ellroon found a nice statement of the core issue:

No one’s being jailed for practicing her religion. Someone’s being jailed for using the government to force others to practice her religion. – Rachel Held Evans

My bumper sticker version is “County Clerk – NOT County Cleric!”

Ms Davis wasn’t just refusing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, she was refusing to issue licenses to anyone. She was attempting to avoid being sued for discrimination. Refusing to fulfill your duties as a public servant is generally considered a crime – malfeasance.

The ABC reports on a West Point tradition:

Thirty cadets at the prestigious US Military Academy in New York state have been left injured after a traditional pillow fight turned bloody.

The brawl left 24 young cadets with concussions, the West Point academy told the New York Times, after reports that some stuffed their pillows with hard objects.

I can tell you from personal experience that the standard military pillow is not fluffy and the cover is stiffer than a new pair of jeans, but you couldn’t possibly give someone a concussion with one.

They train military officers at West Point. Do we really want people who cheat in a pillow fight to be officers?

Position: 12.8N 27.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb ↓.

Currently about 320 miles [ 520 km] Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Another wave off of Africa goes tropical.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 24.1N 43.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [320°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1010 mb ↑.

Currently about 1350 miles [2170 km] Southwest of the Azores.

Fred is getting annoying in its refusal to weaken.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 22.8N 38.3W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [290°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1009 mb ↑.

Currently about 1305 miles [2100 km] Southwest of the Azores.

The weakening didn’t last long as Fred made it back to tropical storm status.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Apparently because the native coral snake, a colorful and deadly member of the Elapidae family, isn’t impressive enough, we have a King cobra kept as pet escapes from Florida home. Understand that this was totally legal with a state license.

People who support marijuana legalization don’t like the referendum in Ohio. It turns out that ten investor groups are financing the referendum that limits the number of sites where the legal marijuana can be grown to the ten sites that the investors own.

Kentucky clerk jailed for defying court orders on gay marriage

A US judge has ordered a Kentucky official jailed for contempt of court after she has repeatedly refused to issue marriage licences to gay couples.

Kim Davis has said that her Christian faith should exempt her from signing the licenses.

The US Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal in June.
…

US District Judge David Bunning said he had “no alternative” but to jail her, because issuing fines would not change her mind.

“Her good faith belief is simply not a viable defence,” said Mr Bunning. “Mrs Davis took an oath. Oaths mean things.”

It should be noted that Ms Davis essentially “inherited” her position from her mother, and she is so enamored of marriage that she has had four of them.

Position: 22.0N 36.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1005 mb.

Currently about 915 miles [1470 km] West-Northwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Fred is continuing to hang on despite a forecast of weakening.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Australia has sheep:

Wool shorn off an overgrown sheep found near Canberra yesterday has set an “unofficial” world record for the heaviest fleece removed in one shearing, the RSPCA says.

The sheep, found yesterday, underwent a risky shearing operation to remove 40.45 kilograms of wool.

It smashed the previous world record held by a sheep in New Zealand called Shrek, whose fleece weighed 27 kilograms.
…

After shearing, the sheep weighed in at 44 kilograms.

This was the second attempt by Australia to capture Shrek’s crown. First was Shaun the sheep [not related to this Shaun the Sheep] in Tasmania who came in short at 23.5kg.

Update: The RSPCA dubbed the sheep Chris. NPR’s headline was Woolly Mammoth, but the BBC’s mobile headline Fleece Release Me for the article is my personal favorite.

Position: 20.6N 32.7W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb.

Currently about 655 miles [1050 km] West-Northwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

The forecast is for the storm to go extra-tropical later today.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The ABC is reporting that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizers are dumping the logo they just announced because it is too close to a Belgian theater’s logo and the designer of that logo is very unhappy about it.

The BBC displays the New Zealand flag finalists

There is going to be a referendum to select the single winner among this group, and later another referendum to decide if people want a new flag,

I might have missed something important, but wouldn’t it have made more sense to find out if people wanted a new flag before you spent all kinds of money?

Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper calls the longest election campaign since the 19th century, and now has to deal with the reality that Canada is in recession as GDP shrinks in 2nd quarter. This is not a good election strategy as the incumbents don’t well when recessions start on their watch.

But the CBC didn’t stop at the border when reporting on dumb political ideas: U.S. border wall floated by Scott Walker.

Position: 19.4N 29.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 13 mph [20 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 50 mph [ 85 kph].
Wind Gusts: 65 mph [105 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 80 miles [130 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1003 mb.

Currently about 410 miles [ 660 km] Northwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Fred continues to weaken.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]