Paradise Lost

11/13/2018

The Confirmation Files Climate, current events, Politics, Science , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

As California once again reels from the fires, many are warning this is climate change in action

As the deadliest wild-fires ever to hit California continue to rage, an estimated 31 people are known to have died, with over 200 still missing. Some 250,000 have been forced to flee their homes. Over 100,000 acres of land has been burnt, including luxury homes in Malibu.

Image: JOSH EDELSON/GETTY IMAGES

As California once again reels from the fires, many are warning this is climate change in action.

The town of Paradise in Northern California, home to 23,000 people, has effectively been destroyed by what is known as the “Camp Fire”, and is now described as a ghost town. The grim headline in the Guardian said: “Only bones and fragments”.

At one stage the fire that engulfed Paradise traveled 11 miles in 11 hours or 80 acres a minute. One fire-fighter who had been involved in trying to put out the blaze, observed: “It’s devastation, total devastation, it’s pretty incredible something like this occurred,” “We’ve gone through lots of wildfire over the years, this is the worst I’ve seen personally.”

More from Common Dreams

Posted by Libergirl

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Family: Slain Mayoral Candidate Beaten, Burned

03/05/2013

The Confirmation Files Blacks, Politics , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Image: The Advocate

The body of a slain Mississippi mayoral candidate was beaten and burned, a family member said Monday.

Marco McMillian’s godfather, Carter Womack, said McMillian’s family received the information from the Coahoma County coroner. Coroner Scotty Meredith declined to comment Monday, and a spokesman for the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Department had no immediate comment.

But a person with direct knowledge of the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press that McMillian had some bruises and there were burns on at least one area of his body. The person wasn’t authorized to publicly comment and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The cause of death has not been released. An autopsy was performed, but toxicology tests are pending, and authorities say it could take two weeks to get those results.

Womack said the coroner told family members that someone dragged McMillian’s body under a fence and left it near a Mississippi River levee last week.

McMillian, 34, was a candidate for mayor of Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta.

“We feel that this was not a random act of violence based on the condition of the body when it was found,” said a statement released by his campaign.

The slaying received significant attention, in part, because McMillian’s campaign said he was the first openly gay, viable candidate for public office in Mississippi.

More from AP via TPM

Posted by Libergirl

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