Why mountain towns are prepping for a brutal hurricane season

+ making machines smell stuff US Edition - Today's top story: Hurricanes don't stop at the coast – these mountain towns know how severe inland flood damage can be, and they're preparing [View in browser]( US Edition | 1 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Hurricane season starts today, and all the forecasts are warning of an extreme six months ahead for the Atlantic basin. If national forecasters are right, we could see as many as 25 named storms and more than a dozen hurricanes. It’s the National Hurricane Center’s busiest preseason forecast ever, and [for good reason](, as Purdue University meteorologist Jhordanne Jones explains. Hurricanes are clearly bad news for the coasts, but being inland doesn’t mean you’re safe. [These storms don’t stop at the water’s edge]( – they keep going, often for hundreds of miles, as years of storm tracks show. And when they get into the mountains, that much rain quickly becomes a flood disaster. Geographer Craig Colten describes what happens when tropical cyclone rains have reached the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and what mountain towns are starting to do to prepare. This week, we also liked articles about how the upcoming Olympic Games are drawing attention to [France’s headscarf ban](, why [insurance companies should cover colon cancer screenings](, and how the [British electoral system differs]( from the U.S. one. [ [The latest on philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Giving Today.](] Stacy Morford Environment + Climate Editor Remnants of Hurricane Fred sent rivers out of their banks across western North Carolina in 2021. North Carolina DOT [Hurricanes don’t stop at the coast – these mountain towns know how severe inland flood damage can be, and they’re preparing]( Craig E. Colten, Louisiana State University In the mountains, heavy downpours can be devastating, especially when storms hit back to back. . Donald Trump arrives in a Manhattan court to hear the jury’s verdict. Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images [Trump’s guilty verdict is not the end of the matter]( Donald Nieman, Binghamton University, State University of New York By focusing on the facts, the public can avoid being distracted by baseless allegations about the Trump verdict that undermine institutions designed to ensure – not weaponize – justice. The 2024 Paris Olympics will officially start on July 26. nicolas michaud/Flickr [France’s headscarf ban in the 2024 Summer Olympics reflects a narrow view of national identity, writes a scholar of European studies]( Armin Langer, University of Florida Laïcité, which historically upheld individual freedom, denies minority rights today, as seen in the ban on French athletes wearing hijabs at the 2024 Paris Olympics. - [Colon cancer rates are rising in young Americans, but insurance barriers are making screening harder]( Andrea Shin, University of California, Los Angeles Colon cancer is curable when caught early, but some insurers are either refusing to cover or significantly delaying approval for colonoscopies. - [UK and US elections: 2 very different systems united by a common political language]( Garret Martin, American University School of International Service UK political leaders have just a few short weeks − and limited campaign funds − to woo voters. - [A lesson on dissent from a Vietnam War protester who joined the US military – and then faced execution after his protest didn’t stop]( Rodney Coates, Miami University At least one positive came out of the racial protests during the Vietnam War era – the emergence of Black studies programs on college campuses. - [Internships are linked to better employment outcomes for college graduates – but there aren’t enough for students who want them]( - [Yes, Donald Trump has a point about political prosecution]( - [Eye exercises to improve sight – is there any science behind them? 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You might be surprised]( The Conversation News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts at his trial in New York. The jury apparently did not buy defense attorney Todd Blanche's description of witness (and former Trump fixer) Michael Cohen as what? - A. "A Mount Everest of misinformation" - B. "The GLOAT ... Greatest liar of all time" - C. "The King Kong of con men" - D. "A stool pigeon who sings like another MC, Mariah Carey" [Test your knowledge]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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