Currently in the Twin Cities — September 18, 2023: A summer-like week ahead

The weather, currently.

We’ve got a summer like week ahead after a pretty normal weekend, as far as temperatures are concerned. Look for sun much of Monday but there’s an isolated chance of a shower late in the day as an upper level disturbance passes quickly through. Highs will be in the upper 70s with 80s Tuesday through Thursday, possibly Friday.

Keep in mind the ‘normal high’ is about 71 this week. We’ll also become more unsettled late in the week with at least isolated showers possible Wednesday night into the weekend with the best chances perhaps late Friday into Saturday.

— Sven Sundgaard

What you need to know, currently.

The State of California filed a lawsuit on Friday against the five largest oil companies and their lobbyists, alleging that they deliberately misled the public to protect their profits — putting lives at risk and worsening extreme weather, creating billions of dollars of damage in the process.

"Oil and gas companies have privately known the truth for decades — that the burning of fossil fuels leads to climate change — but have fed us lies and mistruths to further their record-breaking profits at the expense of our environment. Enough is enough," said Rob Bonta, California's attorney general.

The lawsuit pits the largest US economy against the heart of the global fossil fuel system — and is analogous to the recent successful lawsuits against utility companies in California for their role in sparking deadly wildfires. This time, California is demanding the oil companies pay their share of damages to the state for their decades of lies.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, in the largest climate march since Covid, more than 75,000 people rallied in NYC explicitly to end the era of fossil fuels. The demands were clear: President Biden must declare a climate emergency and take immediate action to wind down fossil fuel production and use throughout the economy. And that work needs to be done with climate justice at its center.

Here’s AOC’s full speech at Sunday’s global climate march to end fossil fuels in NYC:

It’s happening, y’all.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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