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A startling report from the United Nations shows that sea levels are rising too fast. Read on for what the report means for millions of people living along the coasts.
Is the new Joker movie “dangerous?” Critics are raising the alarm ahead of the movie’s release. See how Warner Bros. is responding below.
And on a lighter note, actress Jenna Dewan, who was formerly married to Channing Tatum, announces she’s going to have another baby.
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup.
TOP STORY: United Nations Report Says Sea Levels Are Rising Faster Than Originally Predicted
Communities along the coast will have to get used to more frequent flooding over the next few decades. According to a new report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels are rising much faster than scientists initially predicted they would.
The most immediate and visible change that cities in the United States will see and feel will be the need for extra protection against floodwaters. The report states that extreme floods, typically seen once per century, will become an annual event by the year 2050. Cities facing the greatest risk from this change include Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu and Savannah, Georgia.
The threat has accelerated because ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctica are shrinking too fast. The UN report explains that Greenland alone lost 275 gigatons of ice per year between 2006 and 2015. Greenland’s ice could raise ocean levels by 20 feet. Another pressing issue is that ocean temperatures have been getting warmer. The report states that “marine heatwaves” destroy coral reefs and can damage the underwater environments that species rely on to survive.
Scientists say that reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide will help to slow down the rate at which sea levels are rising. Lynn Scarlett, the vice president for policy at the Nature Conservancy, expressed optimism in an email to the Washington Post. “We must not let these climate change impacts paralyze us. We must address root causes of climate change by slowing and eventually stopping the accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions.”
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: Critics Express Concern Over the New ‘Joker’ Movie
The new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix is scheduled to debut in theaters on October 4. But the movie is already stirring up questions and concern about whether it glorifies violence and inspires sympathy for a character that ultimately becomes a homicidal villain.
Joker tells the story of Arthur Fleck, a lonely man who becomes this villain after spending a lifetime feeling that everyone is out to get him. TIME magazine film critic Stephanie Zacharek had this to say about the movie: “In America, there’s a mass shooting or attempted act of violence by a guy like Arthur practically every other week. And yet we’re supposed to feel some sympathy for Arthur, the troubled lamb; he just hasn’t had enough love.”
Family members of the victims of the 2012 mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado, sent a letter to Warner Bros. ahead of the movie’s release. They expressed fears the Joker could inspire more violence. The studio published a response Tuesday defending the film as a piece of art.
“Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies. Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address this epidemic. At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.”
CHECK THIS OUT: Jenna Dewan Announces She’s Pregnant With Her Second Child
Actress and dancer Jenna Dewan announced Tuesday that she is pregnant with her second child! She followed up the news by posting a picture on Instagram that shows off her baby bump. In the photo, she is cuddling with 6-year-old daughter Everly, whom Dewan shares with ex-husband Channing Tatum. She wrote in the caption, “Becoming a mother is quite simply the absolute best most incredible thing that has ever happened to me ? @stevekazee you are a gift from above and I couldn’t be more excited to be expanding our family together.”
Dewan began dating Broadway actor Steve Kazee a few months after splitting with Tatum. Dewan filed for divorce in October of 2018 after eight years of marriage. The formal filing happened around the same time that Dewan made her relationship with Kazee public.
Tatum has also moved on and has been dating singer Jessie J. According to E! News, Dewan informed Tatum about her pregnancy before making it public. The entertainment news outlet reported that Tatum was “happy” for his ex and expressed his support for her.
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
GettyUS Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, speaks to the press on September 24, 2019, in Washington, DC.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump. Polls have shown that a majority of American voters have been opposed to impeachment proceedings.
- The White House has released the memo from the call between President Trump and the leader of Ukraine. You can read it here.
- Robert Hunter, the lyricist and poet best known for his work with the Grateful Dead, passed away September 23 at the age of 78.
- Demi Moore reveals startling details about her childhood and her relationship with her mother, Virginia Guynes, in a new autobiography.
- Gmail has launched a dark theme for Android and iOS that may better preserve battery life and make the phone screen easier to read.
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle showed off their son Archie for the first time in public during a trip to South Africa.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Today marks 62 years since the group of students known as the Little Rock Nine began their first day of school in Little Rock, Arkansas. They had to be escorted into the building under heavy guard by the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division.
In 1954, the Supreme Court decided that segregation in schools was unconstitutional in the famous Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case. At the time, the Little Rock School Board said it would comply with the new law and allow black students to attend formerly all-white high schools beginning in 1957.
But when the first day of school arrived in 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out the state National Guard to surround Central High School and prevent black students from entering. He argued that integration would lead to violence. Finally, President Eisenhower issued an order federalizing the Arkansas National Guard and deployed troops to Little Rock to enforce the integration order.
The guards escorted the black students inside Central High School on September 25, 1957. The troops remained there throughout the rest of the school year to keep the peace. All grades in Little Rock public schools were finally integrated in 1972.
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