Prepare For The Storm

Here are five fresh reads for this week that stitch together the climate emergency, worker power, and the political choices squeezing everyday people. Spoiler: the same folks profiting off chaos would love us distracted and divided. We do the opposite. We get informed, organize locally, and make it count.

Arctic Slowdown Isn’t a Reprieve, It’s a Pause

A new peer-reviewed study finds Arctic sea ice loss slowed over the last two decades, likely due to natural ocean cycles temporarily masking the long-term warming trend. Scientists say the pause could last five to ten more years, then melting is expected to accelerate again, which means this is not a victory lap; it is a warning shot to cut emissions faster and boost community resilience now. NewsCarbon Brief

“This temporary period can’t go on forever; it’s a bit like a kind of sugar rush.” The Washington Post

What to do: Push your city or county to adopt a climate-safe capital plan, prioritize cooling centers, flood protections, and electrification rebates. Join or start a mutual-aid hub that maps vulnerable neighbors and checks on them during heat and storm events. Bring this article to your next council meeting and ask for a timeline and a budget.

Russian Propaganda Finds an Audience on the U.S. Religious Right

PBS tracks how Kremlin narratives about “traditional values” have been laundered into segments of U.S. politics and faith communities, fueling polarization at home. Understanding the pipelines of influence is step one; cutting them off is step two.

“Those arguments have found an eager audience within certain sectors of American politics.”

Russian propaganda finds sympathetic ears among U.S. religious right

Over the last decade, we’ve charted Russian propaganda efforts to affect elections in the U.S. and overseas. Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to portray himself and Russia as defenders of Christian and so-called “traditional” values. As special correspondent Simon Ostrovsky reports, those arguments have found an eager audience within certain sectors of American politics.

PBS NewsSimon Ostrovsky

What to do: Help inoculate your networks. Host a media-literacy night at your union hall, library, or congregation. Share nonpartisan fact-checking resources and make a plan for “pre-bunking” before the election season hits full blast. Encourage faith leaders to issue statements rejecting foreign disinfo and affirming inclusive democratic values.

July 2025 Was Blistering, Still Tracking Top-Three Hottest Years

Yale Climate Connections reports July 2025 was the third-warmest July on record globally, with oceans near record heat and U.S. flash floods taking a deadly toll. With El Niño gone, the heat is running on underlying climate change, not a short-term bump. Yale Climate Connections

“2025 is on track to be one of the three warmest years on record globally.”

July keeps the torrid pace going in one of Earth’s hottest years on record » Yale Climate Connections

Despite the absence of El Niño, the year 2025 is on track to be one of the three warmest years on record globally.

Yale Climate ConnectionsJeff Masters, Bob Henson

What to do: Treat seasonal disasters like certainties, not surprises. Check your renters' or homeowners insurance, assemble a go-bag, and sign up for local emergency text alerts. If you’re a workplace steward, negotiate heat safety language, paid extreme-weather leave, and air-quality protections into your contract.

Court Gives SpaceX a Win, Undercuts the Labor Board

A federal appeals court said the National Labor Relations Board’s structure is likely unlawful and blocked cases against SpaceX and others. This weakens a core venue where workers fight illegal union-busting, exactly when organizing is surging. Expect more employers to stall cases and test the limits.

“The National Labor Relations Board’s structure is likely unlawful.” Reuters

What to do: Don’t wait on DC. Use state and local levers. Organize supermajorities before going public, file parallel unfair-practice claims with state agencies where possible, and build solidarity funds so workers can withstand delay tactics. Support NLRB funding and structural fixes with calls to your reps.

Unions Tell States to Block Musk’s New $29 Billion Payday

Labor unions and progressive groups are urging state officials who oversee public pensions to vote down fresh stock awards for Tesla’s CEO, warning of governance risks and worker-retirement exposure. Shareholder power matters, and this is a live test.

“Labor unions and advocacy groups urged states to oppose fresh pay awards for Tesla CEO Elon Musk.” Reuters

What to do: If you have a public pension, contact your state treasurer or comptroller’s office and ask how they plan to vote. Push for proxy voting transparency and stronger policies against outsized pay packages that dilute worker retirement value.

The Big Picture

Climate chaos continues to set records, the richest try to cash out bigger slices, and anti-worker rulings accumulate. That is not fate, it is policy. The antidote is community plus courage. Join a climate group, a union drive, or both. Share this newsletter with three friends, talk about one action you’ll take this week, and reply with wins we can amplify. Like, comment, and pass it on so more folks are ready for the storm.

The storm is coming. Will you be ready?

History has shown us that civilizations rise and fall, and the signs of collapse are all around us. You don’t have to face it alone. Join The Weathered Publication, a community of thinkers, doers, and realists preparing for what’s next.

Join us for free, give what you can, and be Prepared For The Storm.