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Irish Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Trump fingerprints are all voer America's unfolding disaster movie
America has always felt as much like a movie set as a real country. From New York to Disneyland, its sweeping frontier plains to its grand canyons. Everywhere you go are familiar sights and iconic landmarks from the big screen, a place where it's never been hard for fantasy to trump reality. It's the home of Hollywood, where now even politics is just another arc in a grand plot. And increasingly the American genre of choice is 'Disaster Movie'. There's a scene in George Clooney's 2000 film where after days trapped inside the 'Perfect Storm', there is a chink in the angry clouds. A shaft of sunshine lights the faces of the exhausted fishermen. But just as the Hollywood happy ending seems on, the storm clouds close over once more. 'It's not going to let us out,' says Clooney's boat captain Billy Tyne. It's where America seems to now find itself. Trapped inside a perfect storm of ignorance with no way to avert disaster. Donald Trump's supporters reacted with fury when links were drawn from last week's tragedy in Texas to his administration's attacks on science. Over 100 people died in raging floodwaters, including 27 kids and counsellors attending Camp Mystic, a summer camp on the banks of the Guadalope river. The kneejerk attempts to lay the deaths directly at the door of a lack of weather forecasters due to MAGA cuts were premature. But only because they have not had time to fully bite. They will. And Trump and his sycophancy of dunces will have their fingerprints all over each new disaster. The Project 2025 blueprint for his second term spells it out. THE US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is one of the most respected and important authorities on climate and weather. Project 2025 branded it the primary component 'of the climate change alarm industry' and called for it to be 'broken up.' In just a few months, Trump and his backers from the oil industry have launched a blitzkrieg on American science, and its ability to react to the next inevitable Camp Mystic. They have embraced a tenet of the most classic authoritarian playbook of them all - George Orwell's 1984 – in which the Ministry of Truth spreads the gospel: 'Ignorance is Strength.' The Ministry of Trump is similarly trying to erase the evidence of the climate crimes of the fossil fuel industry. It has fired hundreds of scientists and even removed any references to the crisis from websites. Trump's Big Beautiful Bill passed last week was also an assault on tax incentives to transition to renewable energy – a key demand of Project 2025. His loyal followers including press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted with fury to attempts to blame him for Camp Mystic. They branded the 'politicisation of this natural disaster' disgusting. You could remind them of how their boss ranted about diversity hires in air traffic control while the bodies of plane crash victims were still smouldering on the runway. But really what's the point? Better to be ignorant of facts. In North Carolina they blamed Joe Biden for directing a storm at their state by cloud seeding. I suspect it wouldn't be too hard to find MAGA devotees who believe Trump can divert hurricanes with bolts of lightning from his arse. Orwell also had this advice for a world of creeping authoritarianism: 'We have now sunk to a depth where restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.' So here goes. The conditions created for the Texas rain bomb to form over the Gulf of Mexico (it's probably ok not to call it the Gulf of America on this occasion) were made more extreme, likely and volatile by the fossil fuelled climate crisis. The International Disaster Database estimates that human-caused climate change intensified all of the 10 most deadly extreme weather events of the past 20 years and contributed to more than 570,000 deaths. That included three tropical cyclones, four heatwaves, one drought and two major floods. In all cases they were made more intense, more likely, and more deadly by 250 years of atmospheric warming caused by burning oil, gas and coal. "This study should be an eye-opener for political leaders,' said one leading expert. "We have the knowledge to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy and build a safer, healthier world. But we need political leaders to step up and make it happen." Unfortunately, that's not a movie coming any time soon to America's theatre of ignorance.
Glasgow Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Mark Wahlberg hails Scots brothers rowing the Pacific as ‘warriors'
Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean are more than halfway into their 120-day Pacific challenge to cross 9,000 miles of open ocean between Lima and Sydney. Earlier in June, the Perfect Storm star had video-called them to say their record-breaking bid 'could be a movie'. In his latest call, the 53-year-old actor said he would keep in touch with the trio as they make their way across the globe, hailing them as 'f****** warriors'. The brothers are crossing 9,000 miles of ocean (Lara Eventide/PA) He said: 'You guys are bored. You need someone to talk to. You need someone to, you know, give you a little pump up. Let me know. I'm available.' Wahlberg joked: 'Well, you know what would make me a legend? Playing one of you guys, or all three, in a movie. There've been a few actors who've played twins before, but I could maybe play all three of you, change up my look a little bit.' He added: 'You guys are doing something that's so extraordinary. It's another level. This is real man shit you're doing. You're out there with big smiles on your faces, pounding away, while everybody else is lying in bed in dreamland, nice and dry, and still waking up complaining about something. 'You're not doing this for attention – you're doing it to raise attention for a very worthy cause. You guys are real men. You're f****** warriors. It's incredible. 'Hopefully, you'll inspire other people to find something important to do to raise awareness. It's awesome, guys.' The brothers row in two-hour shifts (The Maclean Brothers/PA) As well as aiming to set a record for the fastest row across the world's largest ocean, the brothers are hoping to raise £1 million for clean water projects in Madagascar. So far they have raised more than £125,000. Challenges experienced by the brothers so far include salt sores, relentless weather, a broken water maker and a faulty auto helm. Their 28ft (8.5m) carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily, is named in memory of their late sister. It has no engine and no sail and the brothers are powering their way across the ocean in two-hour shifts.
Leader Live
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Mark Wahlberg hails Scots brothers rowing the Pacific as ‘warriors'
Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean are more than halfway into their 120-day Pacific challenge to cross 9,000 miles of open ocean between Lima and Sydney. Earlier in June, the Perfect Storm star had video-called them to say their record-breaking bid 'could be a movie'. In his latest call, the 53-year-old actor said he would keep in touch with the trio as they make their way across the globe, hailing them as 'f****** warriors'. He said: 'You guys are bored. You need someone to talk to. You need someone to, you know, give you a little pump up. Let me know. I'm available.' Wahlberg joked: 'Well, you know what would make me a legend? Playing one of you guys, or all three, in a movie. There've been a few actors who've played twins before, but I could maybe play all three of you, change up my look a little bit.' He added: 'You guys are doing something that's so extraordinary. It's another level. This is real man shit you're doing. You're out there with big smiles on your faces, pounding away, while everybody else is lying in bed in dreamland, nice and dry, and still waking up complaining about something. 'You're not doing this for attention – you're doing it to raise attention for a very worthy cause. You guys are real men. You're f****** warriors. It's incredible. 'Hopefully, you'll inspire other people to find something important to do to raise awareness. It's awesome, guys.' As well as aiming to set a record for the fastest row across the world's largest ocean, the brothers are hoping to raise £1 million for clean water projects in Madagascar. So far they have raised more than £125,000. Challenges experienced by the brothers so far include salt sores, relentless weather, a broken water maker and a faulty auto helm. Their 28ft (8.5m) carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily, is named in memory of their late sister. It has no engine and no sail and the brothers are powering their way across the ocean in two-hour shifts.
South Wales Guardian
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Mark Wahlberg hails Scots brothers rowing the Pacific as ‘warriors'
Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean are more than halfway into their 120-day Pacific challenge to cross 9,000 miles of open ocean between Lima and Sydney. Earlier in June, the Perfect Storm star had video-called them to say their record-breaking bid 'could be a movie'. In his latest call, the 53-year-old actor said he would keep in touch with the trio as they make their way across the globe, hailing them as 'f****** warriors'. He said: 'You guys are bored. You need someone to talk to. You need someone to, you know, give you a little pump up. Let me know. I'm available.' Wahlberg joked: 'Well, you know what would make me a legend? Playing one of you guys, or all three, in a movie. There've been a few actors who've played twins before, but I could maybe play all three of you, change up my look a little bit.' He added: 'You guys are doing something that's so extraordinary. It's another level. This is real man shit you're doing. You're out there with big smiles on your faces, pounding away, while everybody else is lying in bed in dreamland, nice and dry, and still waking up complaining about something. 'You're not doing this for attention – you're doing it to raise attention for a very worthy cause. You guys are real men. You're f****** warriors. It's incredible. 'Hopefully, you'll inspire other people to find something important to do to raise awareness. It's awesome, guys.' As well as aiming to set a record for the fastest row across the world's largest ocean, the brothers are hoping to raise £1 million for clean water projects in Madagascar. So far they have raised more than £125,000. Challenges experienced by the brothers so far include salt sores, relentless weather, a broken water maker and a faulty auto helm. Their 28ft (8.5m) carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily, is named in memory of their late sister. It has no engine and no sail and the brothers are powering their way across the ocean in two-hour shifts.
STV News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Mark Wahlberg hails Scots brothers rowing the Pacific as ‘warriors'
Three Scottish brothers attempting to become the fastest people to row across the Pacific have received a second call of support from Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg. Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan Maclean are more than halfway into their 120-day Pacific challenge to cross 9,000 miles of open ocean between Lima and Sydney. Earlier in June, the Perfect Storm star had video-called them to say their record-breaking bid 'could be a movie'. In his latest call, the 53-year-old actor said he would keep in touch with the trio as they make their way across the globe, hailing them as 'f****** warriors'. PA Media The brothers row in two-hour shifts He said: 'You guys are bored. You need someone to talk to. You need someone to, you know, give you a little pump up. Let me know. I'm available.' Wahlberg joked: 'Well, you know what would make me a legend? Playing one of you guys, or all three, in a movie. There've been a few actors who've played twins before, but I could maybe play all three of you, change up my look a little bit.' He added: 'You guys are doing something that's so extraordinary. It's another level. This is real man shit you're doing. You're out there with big smiles on your faces, pounding away, while everybody else is lying in bed in dreamland, nice and dry, and still waking up complaining about something. 'You're not doing this for attention – you're doing it to raise attention for a very worthy cause. You guys are real men. You're f****** warriors. It's incredible. 'Hopefully, you'll inspire other people to find something important to do to raise awareness. It's awesome, guys.' As well as aiming to set a record for the fastest row across the world's largest ocean, the brothers are hoping to raise £1 million for clean water projects in Madagascar. PA Media The brothers are crossing 9,000 miles of ocean So far, they have raised more than £125,000. Challenges experienced by the brothers so far include salt sores, relentless weather, a broken water maker, and a faulty auto helm. Their 28ft (8.5m) carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily, is named in memory of their late sister. It has no engine and no sail, and the brothers are powering their way across the ocean in two-hour shifts. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
