Expert: Tropical Storm Harvey Is Headed to These Areas Next

Tropical Storm Harvey has devastated Houston, flooded tens of thousands of homes and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane – and it’s not done yet.

“What we’re dealing with here is a storm that has plenty of time over warm water that appears to me is heading for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,” Joe Bastardi of WeatherBELL.com said on radio Thursday.

He predicted the path of Tropical Storm Harvey, advising officials in those areas to stock up by airlifting in supplies and otherwise to prepare in case the storm hits the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

“We just saw a tremendous response in Texas, a reactive response, which was great,” Bastardi said. “But a proactive situation … would really be a way that you can show how good government can work with the right preparation.”

At least 31 people have died in the flood waters of Tropical Storm Harvey, according to local officials. Houston was drenched with more than 50 inches of rain, displacing people by the thousands as their homes flooded; a FEMA administrator told Fox News that at least 30,000 people are living in emergency shelters until the waters recede.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: We welcome to the program, Joe Bastardi. He's from WeatherBELL.com. If you don't know Joe, he's been on with us several times over, you know, the last -- seems like couple of decades. Maybe three decades, Joe.

But Joe is one of the best weather guys out there, meteorologists. He is -- when it comes to hurricanes, this guy nails it. He has said recently that the -- the drought of hurricanes, if you will, these giant storms, this is the year they're going to come to an end. He is also -- his tracking of this hurricane was almost 100 percent correct, or close enough for people in my business at least.

And unfortunately, he is also calling for another hurricane that is now starting to form as a tropical storm. And he's here to tell us a little bit about that.

But first, Joe, welcome to the program. How are you, sir?

JOE: Well, I'm pretty good. I just want to call in for a couple reasons on Irma, okay? It's not a done deal that's hitting the United States.

GLENN: Sure.

JOE: It's Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands I'm very, very worried about. In fact, in looking at what I'm seeing, it has a classic look for a hurricane that should go to a major hurricane. But we look at these analogues of past patterns. For instance, Ike and Andrew. Where the path -- you see the path come up and bend. And when it bends off to the left like that, the hurricane starts intensifying. Because it means that the upper air ridge of high pressure to the north of it is backing west with it, to sort of escort it westward like that.

By the way, and I just want folks to understand, I learned that methodology in 1976 at Penn State University from Dr. John Lee, my tropical professor, who would point out countless storms, countless major storms. Because we did have major hurricanes back then. In fact, quite a few of them in the '30s, '40s, and '50, that when they came up and bent to the left, there would be rapid intensification that would follow over the next few days.

And so what we're dealing with here is a storm that has plenty of time over warm water that appears to me is heading for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. This is very important. It's going to move slow. If we get a good handle on this by Sunday, if it's me and I'm the administration, I would start looking at this as to try to preemptively airlift supplies and get people ready. Because it may not come until Wednesday or Thursday, but if you're coming in Saturday or Sunday, even if it's a near-miss, it's a bad storm. If it's a direct hit, where the Category 4 or 5 hurricane coming through the Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, look what you go did, right?

And we just saw a tremendous response in Texas, a reactive response which was great. A proactive situation, especially with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Both US territories. We have to understand that. Would really be a way that -- you can show how good government can work with the right -- with the right preparation.

GLENN: Joe, what are the odds that that -- that comes a little farther up north.

JOE: What do you mean?

GLENN: And hits -- you know, it -- it slams into -- it misses Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and it slams into the Carolinas. I guess it's not really north.

JOE: That's certainly in the realm of possibility. But what I do is I make a forecast. I think what this is going to do --

GLENN: Okay.

JOE: -- is come very close to Puerto Rico, just north of Hispaniola. And because -- I've got, you know, clients all in there.

GLENN: Yeah.

JOE: And, you know, we're getting the Bahamas sort of war footing. Getting them prepared. And then you have the southeast United States.

If this thing takes a further cell track over Puerto Rica and Hispaniola, it will not be able to rebuild major intensity before Florida.

GLENN: Okay.

JOE: If you look at the tracks of storms into Hispaniola, what happens is this, if there are major hurricanes and they're hit, the inside of them get hallowed out. And they can't get their core back together for two, three, four days.

You saw that with Ike. When Ike hit in there, it had to get back over the gulf for a while. So you have to understand that there is a way out here for the United States, or it recurves to the east of the United States.

But what we do is, look, we tell people options. And we say, this is our most likely forecast. And right now, the first place I'm worried about and the reason I called in was because Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and the idea that, you know, if you're seeing something four or five days in advance, you would be able to get ready for it.

What happened with Harvey was, everybody was staring at the eclipse on Monday. I mean, I was amazed at the lack of attention to what was going on. It wasn't named. But it was -- and, you know, we were warning our clients saying, "You know, this is going to be a big deal." And we warned them -- that's not hind-sighting. It's what we were doing.

And as far as the preseason goes, I tell you, I put something on Twitter this morning that showed the pressure patterns when major hurricanes are going to hit the United States and the computer models. And what has happened over the last 12 years -- and it might be due to the fact that the globe is warmer. Okay?

Might argue over what causes that, but I don't argue that the globe is a bit warmer. Is it distorts the barometric pressure patterns during the hurricane season, which may make it less likely for hurricanes to hit. Now, what do we jump on this year? We knew this year would be different. Look at how cool it is across the eastern and central United States.

And when it's cool in the month of August and the ocean -- and you're in a warm cycle in the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, we are. Okay? Bang. It lights up the tropics. You saw that happen in 2004.

GLENN: Okay. So, Joe, you just brought up global warming. And all of Al Gore's nonsense of, you know, the world is going to all be underwater, you know, by 2016. And he talked about these great buildup of storms. We have just gone through an amazing quiet period of storms. And I would like to get your view. I don't know where you stand on global warming.

I am on record saying, I will look at the temperatures. And if the temperatures are up. That's great.

What you do about it, is what we need to actually be discussing. But for the people to start coming in and saying, "These storms are global warming. See, we told you." No, this is a cycle that has been quiet for a while and might come roaring to life.

JOE: Well, here's the thing, you know, I believe, first of all in Ecclesiastes 1:9: There's nothing new under the sun. You know, as man gets smarter, he observes things more and more.

The cycles in the ocean, what we call the meridional overturning circulation, centuries in the making. The way you see the oceans now is a product of back and forth for such a long time.

GLENN: Yeah.

JOE: So I believe that the cycle is largely warming. CO2's contribution is minute. It's only .04 percent of the atmosphere.

But, look, here's what starts happening: Let's say this becomes a big hurricane, but it stays out at sea. Well, that's weather. If it happens to come 100 miles further west and hits the United States, well, there's climate change right there. And that's what you see going on.

You take -- see, this is the thing about me -- I should probably be like a spy for the other side. I can give them examples where they could push their point. For instance, suppose this comes into the Bahamas as a major hurricane. That will be three major hurricanes in three years, right? Which is almost unprecedented in the Bahamas. Three major hurricanes in three years. My counter, then, to myself would be: Well, look at what happened '63, '64, '65, '66, around there, where you had major hurricanes. You had Anez (phonetic), Cleo, Betsy, Flora, all coming into the same spot.

And where was that? And that's the big thing. Why -- today is the anniversary of Hurricane Carol, folks, on the northeast coast. 1954. The wind gusted to 135 miles an hour at Block Island, Rhode Island. That happens to be stronger than the wind gusts at Aransas Pass with this past storm, which was 132 miles an hour. Now, one could argue, well, there were stronger winds with Harvey. But then again, with Carol, there may have been stronger winds too because they push 15 feet of water into Providence, Rhode Island.

GLENN: So, Joe --

JOE: So my point is this: That you are seeing an agenda. And they come out after the fact. It's Monday morning quarterbacking, and that's what I get all upset about. That, oh, these people didn't even know what was going on to happen in the preseason. They didn't get out there and hang their tail out to dry, like we did at our company. And then they tell me after the fact? That, oh, this is because of CO2.

GLENN: So, Joe, I have to ask you this question. And I know you have to run. You're a very busy man. And I appreciate your time.

JOE: Not really. I can hang out.

(laughter)

GLENN: I want to ask you this one question: And that is this. I have such respect for you because you really know your science. You know your craft. You know it.

But I'm listening to you, and I'm hearing the memorization of the dates and the storms and everything else. Did you -- like a lot of kids grew up, they memorized the names of the presidents. Did you grow up knowing you wanted to do this and memorizing the names of storms? When did you decide, my gosh, I'm passionate about this?

JOE: Well, at the age of three, my mom and dad had to keep an eye on me because I would lie on my back and stare at the sun and the cumulus clouds going in front of the sun because I would like to look at the outline of the clouds. My dad is a meteorologist. He's 88 now. He graduated out of A&M in '65, and he put me to bed, not with the three little bears, but the three big storms of '54. Carol --

(laughter)

JOE: No, listen, I've been through it. My son's like this. My great grandfather was a town weatherman in Bisignano, which is a town in Sicily. And it's in the blood. And it's in the passion.

You know what, we're probably a lot alike in our spiritual beliefs. God -- God gives you something, a passion like that, he's doing it for a reason.

GLENN: Yeah, he is.

JOE: Many people -- you know, I see the majesty, I see the majesty of the creation of God's hand in the weather every day. I simply marvel at it. I'm looking at it right now out my window. There's a cloud in one place. No cloud in the other. There has to be something different going on over that short period, that short area. How does that happen?

So you got to understand something, that this is all I've ever wanted to do since I was a little kid. I've been a geek all my life. I'm still a geek now. I can't help it.

And I'll tell you what's bad, it's a blessing and a curse, folks. Because you will see things quite far away, and then you can't sleep because you keep going over it. You keep looking at maps. Looking at maps.

And then what happens when they don't happen? You learn about being wrong, okay? And that's the problem I think that climatologists have: They should be made to forecast the weather for a year so they can see how the models go wrong and how they can be wrong. Because when you're just looking at stuff from behind and you get to come out and say, "Well, see, it's what we told you," it's a very, very different situation from being an operational forecaster, where your life is on the line.

GLENN: Joe Bastardi from WeatherBELL.com. WeatherBELL.com. Chief meteorologist, and really one of the most accurate guys when it comes to long-range forecasting and a friend of the program for a very long time. Joe, I appreciate it. God bless.

JOE: Hey, before I go, just remember, calm down. Everyone enjoy the weather. Because it's the only weather you've got. Most of the weather is nice across most of the world. Okay?

STU: Optimistic take.

GLENN: God bless you. Thanks, Joe. Yeah.

Top THREE reasons the U.S. NEEDS Greenland

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Are Trump's repeated promises to claim Greenland for the U.S. just belligerent imperialism or a deft move to secure the future of America?

During his patriotic inaugural address, President Trump reiterated his campaign promise to expand American territories, including securing U.S. control over Greenland. This is not a new idea despite what the mainstream media may claim.

The idea of buying Greenland was originally introduced by progressive hero Woodrow Wilson in 1917 as an attempt to secure the homeland as America was gearing up to enter the First World War. The second attempt came after World War II when President Truman tried to buy the island from Denmark in another attempt to shore up national security, this time against the Soviets. Since then, Trump floated the idea in 2019, which was met with much the same ridicule as now.

The truth is that the acquisition of Greenland represents far more than just an outlet for repressed imperialist desires. It would be one of America's best investments in a long time, which is why we've been eyeballing it for so long. Here are three reasons the U.S. needs Greenland:

Strategic Military Position

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For the majority of the 20th century, Europe was the region from which a foreign attack on American soil could be launched: the Germans for the first half of the century, and the Russians for the second half. On both occasions, Greenland stood between our foreign enemies and the United States.

After the World War II, America was the official military defender of Greenland, per an agreement with Denmark. Under this agreement, the U.S. built Pituffik Air Force Base, a remote base 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Due to its location, approximately halfway between D.C. and Moscow, the Pentagon still views Pituffik as a vital component of America's nuclear defense.

The U.S. also built a secret base within the ice cap known as Camp Century. Camp Century was part scientific outpost, part nuclear-tipped ballistic missile silo built in the ice to withstand a direct atomic strike. The nearly two miles of icy tunnels were powered by a nuclear reactor and were designed to survive a nuclear first strike, and return fire. Although abandoned in 1967, Camp Century still symbolizes the strategic importance of Greenland for U.S. security.

Untapped Resources

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While Greenland's population is a mere 56,000, the island has a total landmass nearly three times the size of Texas. According to a 2009 geological assessment, a whopping 30 percent of the Earth's undiscovered natural gas, and 13 percent of its undiscovered oil is locked away beneath Greenland's icy ground. There are also untapped deposits of valuable rare earth metals including copper, graphite, and lithium.

Neither Greenland nor Denmark have any real plans to tap into this immense wealth trapped beneath the ice, but it could prove crucial for ending the West's dependency on China. China has the global market cornered on rare earth minerals- including America. We acquire 72 percent of our rare earth mineral imports from China, making us entirely dependent on them for the manufacturing of many essential goods. Tapping Greenland's natural resources would help free America, and the West, from China's yolk.

Polar Silk Road

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In 2018 China launched an ambitious project that aimed to cut the travel time of cargo vessels between its ports and European markets in half. China, in collaboration with Russia, plans on developing new shipping routes through the Arctic Ocean. This bold new strategy, dubbed the "Polar Silk Road," has been made possible thanks to new tech, including a fleet of Russian, nuclear-powered icebreakers, the latest of which is capable of breaking through nearly 10 feet of ice.

With clear waterways from eastern China and Northern Europe, it won't be long before the first cargo ships brave the frigid sea and China looks to the next leg of the journey: the Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage is the area of sea between Canada and the North Pole that would be an optimal shipping route between America's East Coast and Asia if it wasn't frozen over most of the year. But with new technology, we may be able to overcome the challenges of the ice and open the passage to commercial traffic, and Greenland is positioned directly on the passage's easternmost mouth.

Greenland would quickly become a key location along the Northwestern Passage, acting as a sentinel of the east, with the ability to control traffic through the trade route. If China or Russia were to take control of Greenland, they would dominate the Northwestern Passage, along with the rest of the new northern trade routes.

Is Romania squashing its own 'Trump' candidate?

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This week the streets of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, erupted in protest after the Constitutional Courts annulled the recent first round of the presidential election after the "far-right" candidate won.

The government is lying to you. If you have been listening to Glenn for a long time you already know that, and you also know that if you try to call attention to the lies you get labeled a conspiracy theorist or "far-right." This is not only true in America but across the world. Politicians cheat, steal, and grab power, then lie about all of it. This is the root of countless issues across every government on the planet, and recently Romania has become the latest example of this unfortunate phenomenon.

But what is really happening in Romania? Was this an actual attempt to stamp out someone who would shed light on lies and corruption? Or did the Romanian government put a stop to a genuine bad actor?

The Election

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On December 6th, 2024, the Romanian Constitutional Court canceled the second round of the presidential election amid claims of Russian interference. The second round of the election would have seen right-wing candidate, Calin Georgescu face off against pro-European centrist Elena Lasconi.

The trouble surrounds Georgescu, who stands accused of using Russian aid to run an unprecedented social media campaign that helped him win an election pollsters claimed he stood no chance of winning. Georgescu's rapid rise in popularity on social media does raise some eyebrows, and to add to the suspicion he declared he had zero campaign spending. On the other hand, Georgescu's supporters claim that his quick rise to stardom and underdog victory is due to the growing resentment for the ever-out-of-touch political elite.

Georgescu's Platform

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Georgescu rose to prominence on a platform many of his detractors have labeled "far-right," "pro-Russian," and "populist" (sound familiar?). His positions include supporting Romanian farmers, increasing Romanian self-reliance, and increasing local energy production. Georgescu has been lauded for his message of hope and vision for the future and his dedication to truth, freedom, and sovereignty.

Georgescu is also a vocal Christian and a supporter of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He has questioned the climate change and COVID-19 narrative as well as NATO and the war in Ukraine, which is how he earned his "Pro-Russian" monicker. Georgescu promised to respect and honor its obligations to the EU and NATO, but only to the extent that they respect Romania and its interests.

What Happens Next?

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After Georgescu's unexpected victory, the Romanian Constitutional Courts annulled the election's first round and scheduled it to restart on May 4th. As of now, it is unclear whether Georgescu will be allowed to participate in the new election. This act by the Constitutional Courts triggered mass protests in the capital, Bucharest, and has caused many Romainians to question the state of democracy within their country.

Many of the protesters are calling what happened a coup and are demanding the election be allowed to continue to the second round. They are also calling for the resignation of current President Klaus Iohannis, who has maintained power thanks to the incomplete elections. Georgescu has officially challenged the court's decision and even made a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights, but it is unclear if his appeal will make any difference.

The tides have turned — and now the very same banks that were pushing heavy-handed environmental, social, governance rules are running away from them.

In a significant victory, a federal judge in Texas has ruled that employers and asset managers cannot use environmental, social, and governance factors in employee retirement accounts. If this ruling holds up — which is likely, given the conservative composition of the appellate court — it will dramatically shift the balance of power between corporations and their employees.

This decision represents one of the most substantial blows to the ESG agenda to date. Companies that have been steering employees into ESG-focused investments, which prioritize progressive values over financial returns, now face legal repercussions. Continuing such practices would directly violate federal law. The ruling forces companies to re-evaluate their commitment to ESG initiatives, and many may withdraw from these funds before the case even reaches the appellate court.

Watching these corporations squirm as they try to backtrack and avoid legal repercussions is ever so satisfying.

The impact of this ruling could very well be the beginning of the end for the ESG movement as it’s been pushed by elites.

In even better news, BlackRock, a major player in the ESG movement, has officially left the United Nations’ International Association of Asset Managers. This is a direct rebuke of the global push for ESG initiatives and a major sign that the tide is turning. In contrast to the Glasgow Net Zero Conference in which the Global Financial Alliance for Net Zero — an organization championed by global elites — was pushing for ESG to be a central focus, BlackRock’s departure from the group signals that even those who were at the forefront of this movement are starting to distance themselves.

But it doesn't stop there. Every major U.S. bank has now announced that they too are leaving the U.N.’s Association of Net Zero ESG Bankers, another key part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance. For years, we’ve been warning that ESG in banking was one of the primary ways elites like Biden, the Davos crowd, and others were planning to reset the world’s economy.

The tides have turned — and now those very same banks are running away from ESG, a powerful signal of things to come. They know they’re on the losing side, and they’re scared that a new administration will come down hard on them for their involvement in these globalist initiatives.

In another win, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unveiled a shocking new rule that, if it survives, would prohibit many financial institutions from de-banking customers based on their political or religious views, or even certain types of speech. While the rule is not as comprehensive as we need it to be, it’s a step in the right direction — and it includes concerns raised by our allies about the dangers of ESG. The Trump administration has promised to come down even harder on the banks with tougher rules, and this is a very good start.

Watching these corporations squirm as they try to backtrack and avoid legal repercussions is ever so satisfying. Some are running for cover while others are desperately trying to ingratiate themselves with the powers that be. It’s clear that the backbone of these companies is made of rubber, not steel. They don’t really believe in the ESG values they preach — they’re just playing the game to get in bed with the political elites.

Now that Trump is back in town, these corporations are showing their true colors. They never cared about their customers or the values they forced upon them. It was always about the power they could acquire through catering to those in power at the time.

No company should be afraid of the president of the United States. But they’re not afraid of Donald Trump. They’re afraid of the return of the rule of law. They know that fascistic public-private partnerships between the government and corporations are on the way out. That’s a victory for freedom and a victory for the American people.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Inside President Trump's EXCLUSIVE inauguration balls

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Inauguration Monday was a busy day for President Trump, and it didn't stop after his inauguration address either. President Trump partied across D.C. long into the night.

Exclusive balls are a D.C. tradition on inauguration night, hosting many of the nation's most influential people. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appeared at three of the most prestigious balls: the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball, and the Starlight Ball.

These parties had star-studded guest lists that included celebrities, musicians, politicians, and many more. Here is a peek into the exclusive inaugural balls:

Commander-in-Chief Ball

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Trump's first stop was at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, an event dedicated to the armed forces that defend our nation. The event included a dance where Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance joined the President and First Lady on stage and a performance from the country music band Rascal Flatts and country singer Parker McCollum. President Trump also spoke to U.S. service members stationed in South Korea on a video call and cut a cake shaped like Air Force One with a sword.

Several people of note were in attendance, including Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and actor Jon Voight. Musician and avid Trump supporter Kid Rock was also in attendance along with country music star Billy Ray Cyrus.

Liberty Ball

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Trump's second stop of the night was at the Liberty Ball, an event thrown for all of Trump's loyal supporters. The event had a magnificent lineup of musicians, including country singer Jason Aldean and rapper Nelly. There was even a live performance of Trump's iconic campaign song, "YMCA" by Village People.

Also in attendance were President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, who appeared on stage with her father.

Starlight Ball

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Wrapping up his night of celebration, President Trump visited the Starlight Ball, which was full of major donors to his campaign.

Shortly after arriving, the presidential couple and the vice presidential couple shared a dance in front of a mock White House. Later the stage featured singer Gavin DeGraw for a memorable performance. Notably, renowned podcaster and comedian Theo Von was spotted entering the event. Von is known for hosting President Trump on his podcast for an in-depth interview during his campaign, which many credit boosting Trump's popularity with the younger generation.