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January 3, 2020

Australia Braces for "Blast Furnace" as Heat & Winds Fuel Wildfires
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Australia is bracing for what is expected to be the worst weekend yet in
an already devastating climate-fueled wildfire season that has ravaged
the southeastern part of the country, killed at least 18 people and
nearly half a billion animals, and destroyed 14.5 million acres of land.
Temperatures are expected to soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with
high winds expected. New South Wales transport minister Andrew Constance
described the coming conditions as "a blast furnace." On Thursday, the
state of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, declared a state of
emergency, and Victoria declared a state of disaster. As the catastrophe
in Australia deepens, conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison is
facing widespread condemnation for his administration's climate
inaction. On Thursday, angry fire victims chased Morrison out of the
town of Carbago.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison: "How are you?"

Fire victim 1: "I'm only shaking your hand if you give more funding to
RFS. So many people here have lost their homes. We need more help."

Fire victim 2: "This is not fair! We are totally forgotten about down
here. We get nothing. If we were Sydney, if we were North Coast, we
would be flooded with donations, with emergency relief."

We'll have more on the wildfires in Australia later in the broadcast.


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