Rare blue supermoon may mean more dangerous tides in Hurricane Idalia’s path – National & International News – WED 30Aug2023

Rare blue supermoon may mean more dangerous tides in Idalia’s path.

Biden administration wants to guarantee overtime pay to 3.6 million more workers.

Another military coup in Africa, this time in Gabon.

NATIONAL NEWS

Rare blue supermoon may mean more dangerous tides in Idalia’s path

Tonight, a rare blue supermoon will grace the skies, the first since 2009. The moon is “blue” not because of its color but because it is the second full moon to occur within a calendar month. This blue moon is also a “supermoon” because it is a full moon occurring at a time when the moon’s distance from the earth (its perigee) is closest. 

While this will be an awe-inspiring sight for many,  Brian Haines of the National Weather Service office in Charleston, SC, says its “timing is pretty bad”. That’s because it coincides with the landfall of Hurricane Idalia and its transit across Florida into Georgia and the Carolinas. The moon’s current proximity to the earth is likely to increase the height and intensity of the tides, making deadly storm surges larger and more powerful.

Hurricane Idalia hit Cedar Cove, FL, in the state’s “Big Bend” region as a category 4 this morning and has already brought in storm surges that covered some homes almost to roof height. As it moves across land, the storm has weakened to a category 2. The wind and rain it brings will still cause widespread destruction, the full extent of which may not be known for some days. As it approaches the coast once again, the storm will likely regain power from the warm waters of the Atlantic.

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Biden administration proposes rule to guarantee overtime pay to 3.6 million more workers

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su announced a proposed rule change today that would make more salaried workers eligible for overtime pay. The new rule would guarantee so-called white collar workers making less than $55,000/year time-and-a-half pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week. The current threshold of $35,568 has been in place since 2019 when it was raised from $23,660. The change would increase the number of eligible workers by 3.6 million. Hourly workers would be unaffected, as would workers in executive, administrative or professional roles.

“I’ve heard from workers again and again about working long hours, for no extra pay, all while earning low salaries that don’t come anywhere close to compensating them for their sacrifices,” Acting Secretary Su said in a statement on the Labor Department’s website.

In addition to an immediate pay bump for current workers, the threshold will be revamped every three years to keep up with current wage data. Overtime protections for workers have eroded over the years due to stagnant wages and inflation. This rule change would prevent that erosion in the future. 

There will be a 60 day comment period before the final rules are published. Instructions for submitting comments are available on the Labor Department’s website.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Another military coup in Africa, this time in Gabon

The military leadership of Gabon, a Central African nation, announced that it had seized power and placed the president Ali Bongo under house arrest. This is the continent’s eighth military takeover in three years and the third in a year. In Gabon, military leaders seized power after Bongo was declared the winner of a disputed election. International observers were not allowed to monitor the election for fairness and were even barred from the country. There was also an internet blackout for days and threats of violence at polling places.

The Bongo family has had an iron grip on power in the oil-rich nation for more than half a century. Ali Bongo took over from his father, and had already set the wheels in motion to handover power to his son. Despite the country’s wealth of resources, youth unemployment was as high as 40% in 2020.

After he was placed under arrest, President Bongo called for the people to “make noise” to ensure his release and reinstatement. Instead, there was celebration in the streets, with civilians hugging soldiers and cheering “Long live our Army”.

France, Gabon’s former colonial ruler, retains major oil and mining interests in the country. Bongo, who was educated in France, was photographed with French President Emmanuel Macron in June.

This is the second military coup in French-speaking African country in just a few weeks, following the coup in Niger further north. Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, also former French colonies, have also come under military rule in recent years. Some have characterized these coups as a break with civilian leadership that is to cozy with former colonial overlords.

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