Deadline Poet / October 29, 2024

Climate Change

Calvin Trillin
A neighborhood in North Tampa flooded by Milton's storm surge.
A neighborhood in North Tampa flooded by Milton’s storm surge.(Pedro Portal / Miami Herald / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Yes, Asheville’s devastated by a storm.
And Phoenix? Hot enough to kill some folks.
Extreme events must make it hard to say
That climate change is nothing but a hoax.
Or do they?

Support independent journalism that does not fall in line

Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets. 

Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.  

As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war. 

In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth. 

The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more. 

But this journalism is possible only with your support.

This March, The Nation needs to raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the resources for reporting and analysis that sets the record straight and empowers people of conscience to organize. Will you donate today?

Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation’s “deadline poet.”

More from The Nation

The Overlooked Crisis Facing Immigrants With Disabilites

The Overlooked Crisis Facing Immigrants With Disabilites The Overlooked Crisis Facing Immigrants With Disabilites

Gregory Javier Laguna, who has Down syndrome, and his brother have been detained for almost five months. Under Trump, "it feels like we have no recourse," said one advocate.

Pepper Stetler

Demonstrators at a rally against the SAVE America Act outside the US Capitol

How the SAVE Act Seeks to Undermine the Right to Vote How the SAVE Act Seeks to Undermine the Right to Vote

After you strip away the lies about rampant voter fraud, the GOP bill is a frontal assault on hard-won protections of the franchise

Anthony Conwright

The principal owner of the Athletics, John Fisher, speaks during a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $1.75 billion stadium on June 23, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Do the Owners of MLB Teams Even Like Baseball? Do the Owners of MLB Teams Even Like Baseball?

The failsons and finance brokers who own MLB franchises seem ready to destroy the league to make themselves a little richer—and too many fans may take their side.

Matt Kreisher

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Doesn’t Work. Mamdani Could Stop It.

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Doesn’t Work. Mamdani Could Stop It. Assisted Outpatient Treatment Doesn’t Work. Mamdani Could Stop It.

Claims that coercive mental health care is a necessary evil are not supported by evidence.

Nev Jones and Eric Reinhart

Satellite view of the Salalah oil storage fire after Iranian drone attack, on March 13, 2026.

How the War Has Led to the Largest Disruption of Energy Supplies in Decades How the War Has Led to the Largest Disruption of Energy Supplies in Decades

Unless a resolution is found, the impact is likely to grow.

Stanley Reed