MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS…

A One-in-Five Year Flood

A new study says that because of global warming, Houston could be in for Harvey-like hurricanes with much greater frequency by the end of the century. The study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says that between 1981 and 2000 there was roughly a 1-in-100 chance that a hurricane would bring twenty inches of rain to Houston. If the planet continues to warm at the pace it is now, from 2081 to 2100, those odds increase to 1-in-5.5. “When you’re planning for the future of cities like Houston, it would be unwise to assume that the climate of the future is pretty much similar to what it’s been for the last 100 years or so,” Kerry Emanuel, the author of the paper, told the Atlantic. “Even if the climate wasn’t changing, records of rainfall are too short, and the quality of them is too low, to really get a handle on flooding risks.”

Going Out on Top

Fresh off of winning a World Series title with the Houston Astros, Carlos Beltran is retiring. The forty-year-old outfielder, who has appeared on the lineup for the Rangers and twice for the Astros, made the announcement on Monday in an essay for the Player’s Tribune. The poignant retrospective on his career ends with the big announcement: “I am blessed to have played this game for 20 years. I am blessed to have played for so many great organizations. I am blessed to have shared all of my experiences with my wife and my three kids, my family and friends. To have so many loving fans. To have been able to build a school in Puerto Rico and change the lives of so many kids. To have won the Roberto Clemente Award, which is the greatest honor I could have ever received as a ballplayer. And I am blessed to be a champion. But now, my time as a player has come to an end. Today, I am officially announcing my retirement. Muchas gracias, béisbol. I can’t wait for what the next chapter holds.”

Strong Backing

Making good on his promise last summer to be more aggressive in the 2018 campaign season, Governor Greg Abbott endorsed a primary challenger to incumbent State Representative Sarah Davis of Houston, a fellow Republican. Abbott backed Susanna Dokupil, who the Houston Chronicle describes as a “more conservative Republican like Abbott, who is running against the more moderate Davis.” The Chronicle notes that it is rare for governors to involve themselves in legislative races this early (the month-long filing period opened this weekend). “We need leaders in Austin who will join me to build an even better future for Texas,” Abbott said in a video. “That’s why I’m so proud to support Susanna Dokupil for state representative of House District 134 in Houston, Texas.”