Friday, May 15, 2026

INFRARED IMAGERY from GOES Satellites: US National Weather Service Phoenix Arizona

 ðŸ›° 🌎Infrared (IR) imagery from GOES satellites is always neat to look at across the Desert Southwest at night (and all times) to see all the spatial temperature variations across our diverse landscape. 

May be an image of map and text that says '78 40 50 Se Death Valley GOES-Eas Shortwave Infrared Grand Canyon Salton Sea Lake Pleasant Mazatzal Mtns Downtown Phoenix 1-8 Greenbelt Roosevelt Lake Glamis Sand Dunes Estrella Mtns Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community WPinalCounty w Pinal County Agriculture NATIONAL WEATHER NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE SERVICE PHOENIK FARIZONA Gulf of California/ Sea of Cortez Valid: 3:26 A MST/PDT Friday, May 15, 2026'


With just this shortwave IR product from early this morning you can pick out many features, including the large warm Phoenix urban footprint. In the Phoenix area you can even pick out the warmest spot being Downtown and one of the cool spots near Phoenix is the Salt River Pima…

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CARTOON CAROUSEL | Politico May 15, 2026

Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.

By POLITICO STAFF 
05/15/2026 05:00 AM EDT

CARTOON CAROUSEL

political cartoon

 political cartoon 

https://www.politico.com/dims4/default/f1c084f/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F16%2Fbf%2Fa0b8b43f482292de0dfe0e34bbba%2Fmichael-deadder-cagle-com.jpg 

political cartoon

CITY OF MESA Notice of Intent to Establi$h Fee$ & Charge$...May 16, 2026

Arizona law (A.R.S. §9-499.15) requires that government entities provide written notice on their website home page of the proposed new or increased taxes or fees. When the City of Mesa has such a change to report, it will be posted to this page 60 days prior to Council voting on such changes. 

SEE THIS FIRST > 

 

City departments have the opportunity to evaluate their fees and charges and propose changes based on the use of services. Departments also evaluate whether fees and charges are consistent with the market rate or provide cost recovery of a program or service.  

https://scontent-phx1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/698939129_1415105557326215_6685608314068765_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p526x296_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=F78l5-cGo20Q7kNvwH6Wx_e&_nc_oc=AdpKAxEM7Ab7Srgl8ebR3JIzVwqvSC0mJbQn838k00O5gVmyBdeqDIPuh6b9ZMEsJYs&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-phx1-1.xx&_nc_gid=IyCJuyXwWPb2F4d2jDAg8A&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_Af6ZfOIJggdgYEMLr9Emplg7oJQO1HnT-AZEF56qha97QA&oe=6A0CCF9E 

Notice of Proposed Fees – Administrative Updates, Arts and Culture, Business Services, Code Compliance, Development Services, Municipal Court, Office of Urban Transformation, and Transportation

April 2, 2026 at 6:51 am

The Mesa City Council will review and take action on the proposed text amendments, fees adjustments, and changes to the departmental updates listed below. 

Mesa operates under a charter form of government with citizens electing a mayor and six councilmembers to set policy for the City.

Mesa's councilmembers serve terms of four-years, with three members being elected every two years. The mayor is elected at-large every four years. The mayor and council are elected on a non-partisan basis. The vice mayor is selected by the City Council.

The Mesa City Council believes that its people, not leaders, are what makes a City great and actively works to encourage citizen participation in the decision-making process. Whether it is through neighborhood meetings, advisory boards and committees, telephone calls and letters, or email, the Mesa City Council sets policies based on the input and needs of its citizens.

To learn more about the proposed changes, please click the links below:

Click On The Link Below Stickers - Find & Share on GIPHY

In accordance with A.R.S. 9-499.15, this 60-day notice and report are posted regarding proposed Citywide Fees and Charges.

 

A CHIP IN THE OLD BLOCK

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Disaster intelligence...accessibility analysis

  

Hammad Shahid - GIS & Remote Sensing Specialist | Flood, Forest & Wildlife Mapping for Research & NGOs | ArcGIS, QGIS, GEE, Python | LinkedIn

Disaster response accessibility mapping transforms complex geographic, logistical, and demographic data into real-time visual tools. These maps ensure emergency services can reach impacted areas and that vulnerable populations can safely navigate to relief. Governments and organizations rely on these spatial platforms to mitigate risks and direct life-saving resources.
Core Functions of Accessibility Mapping
  • Evacuation Routing: Identifies open roads. Highlights gridlocked areas. Outlines flood-blocked paths.
  • Resource Location: Tracks operational shelters. Maps out food distribution centers. Marks temporary medical tents.
  • Infrastructure Monitoring: Flags down cell towers. Monitors power grid statuses. Visualizes passable bridges.
  • Socio-Demographic Layering: Pinpoints isolated elderly groups. Locates non-English speaking communities. Tracks mobility-impaired residents.

SEE THIS> Cities are expanding faster than ever, but not always in a planned way. 

 

RELATED 

Maptive: Emergency Response Mapping Software for Faster, Smarter Response |  Maptive

 

"Atmospheric Code Red: 2026 Super El Niño

One of Earth’s most dangerous climate patterns is waking up again. 

 

Scientists are warning that a powerful El Niño could develop in 2026, potentially becoming one of the strongest events recorded in modern history. Some climate models are now showing conditions that rival — or even exceed — the extreme El Niño event of 1877.
 
El Niño begins when unusually warm water spreads across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. That heat doesn’t stay in the ocean. It disrupts atmospheric circulation across the planet, altering rainfall, drought patterns, storms, and temperatures thousands of miles away.
 
The effects can be devastating.
 
Historically, strong El Niño events have triggered crop failures, deadly heat waves, severe droughts, catastrophic floods, coral bleaching, and fisheries collapses across multiple continents at once. 
  • During the extreme 1877 event, drought and famine contributed to tens of millions of deaths worldwide, particularly in parts of India, China, Brazil, and Africa.
  • Today, scientists fear the consequences could become even more severe because the planet is already starting from a hotter baseline.
 
Global ocean temperatures have remained unusually warm for months. Many regions are already struggling with water shortages, extreme heat, and climate-driven disasters. A major El Niño layered on top of modern global warming could amplify conditions even further — pushing some ecosystems and infrastructure systems past their limits.
 
Researchers say El Niño doesn’t affect every region equally. Some places may experience extreme rainfall and flooding, while others face prolonged drought and dangerous heat. But taken together, the pattern has a way of stressing food supplies, energy systems, agriculture, and public health around the world at the same time.
 
Scientists caution that forecasts are still evolving, and the exact strength of the event remains uncertain. But confidence has been increasing across multiple climate models that a major El Niño is developing.

Page · Science Website
 
Learn more:
"Atmospheric Code Red: 2026 Super El Niño Now Trending Toward Record-Breaking Intensity." Severe Weather Europe

So much data in 1 Infographic

 https://scontent-phx1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/697793046_1352063950369545_7375414459416072487_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p526x296_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=nmWkQvACsFUQ7kNvwHqRbx0&_nc_oc=AdqGPIxt8u2K-a6-K9s4RRjN9NbSxR0rcpcEn75TmOHpe5NfvXQoHIAxEEOU2iyK3Qs&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-phx1-1.xx&_nc_gid=s2bAupJ-vGNCi-wlWK-BNw&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_Af7U6jvm4Ixxen-3QO7dMuY2vO4gkehL3dmbne_W-g6ANQ&oe=6A0BD42B

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