Geoff Millikan retweeted
Enormous surf is heading for the Northern California coast this weekend, with waves of 20-40 feet expected on Saturday.
Locally higher breakers are possible at the famous Maverick's, possibly 50+ feet.
California's beaches could see an exceptional run of surf this winter.
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Spotify just announced a feature that could either save the music industry or destroy it.
Starting as early as Q1 2027, Spotify Premium subscribers will be able to use AI to transform any participating artist’s song into a completely different version. Turn a folk ballad into a dance track. Make a hip-hop song sound acoustic. Generate a cover where one artist’s voice performs another artist’s song. Remix a pop hit into lo-fi study music. Create the version of your favorite song that only existed in your head until now.
The remixes will be uploaded directly to Spotify. They’ll appear in playlists. They’ll count toward the original song’s chart position. And most importantly the original artist will earn royalties every time someone listens to a fan-created remix of their work.
Spotify has already signed a landmark licensing deal with Universal Music Group the world’s largest record label. Negotiations with Sony Music and Warner Music are ongoing. The feature will cost an additional $4–$5/month on top of Spotify Premium. And analysts project 7–8% of American subscribers will adopt it by 2028.
This is not Suno or Udio generating music from text prompts. This is fans remixing real songs by real artists with the artists’ permission, on the world’s largest streaming platform, with royalties flowing back to the creators.
A music industry analyst who’s covered streaming economics for 15 years told her team something after reading the licensing agreement that reframed how she understood the future of recorded music.
“Spotify just turned 640 million listeners into 640 million potential remixers. The question isn’t whether people will use it they will. The question is whether paying artists for fan remixes solves the economics of streaming or creates a world where the original recording is worth less than the infinite remixes generated from it.”
Here’s what Spotify’s AI remix feature actually is, who wins, who loses, and why this might be the most consequential decision in the music industry since the launch of streaming itself 🧵
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Blog - Washington State Confirms Human Avian Flu Infection - 2nd Human Case (Yakima County) in Serious Condition, by @Fla_Medic flutrackers.com/threads/wash… #H5N1
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Big Sur, California just recorded its warmest water temperature in recorded history.
67.3°F on Monday, 11°F above normal.
Record warm waters for October now span much of the California coast from San Diego to the Bay Area. You can see well above normal sea surface temperatures spreading north throughout October.
Enjoyed a sunny day in San Francisco (Corona Heights Park) one of my favorite dishes (cioppino) after seeing my son’s Portola pre-party that his new event company put on.
70
Geoff Millikan retweeted
AI won’t take your job. Someone who knows how to use AI better than you, will take your job.
We’re already starting to see what kind of new jobs AI is creating.
AI requires significant technical work and surrounding services to deploy into the economy. This means jobs for AI engineers that build applied AI products sold to (or within) enterprises, FDEs to deploy agents into companies, new services firms for deploying AI, and more.
And even the published stats of new jobs undercount all the existing jobs that are transitioning to new areas of AI work in an enterprise. Many prior data, research, and software jobs large enterprises are also being repositioned for working with AI.
Every bank, life sciences company, manufacturer, and even law firm is bringing on more technical talent -or repositioning existing roles- to help with agent deployment in their companies. It’s a lot easier to picture what AI can replace vs. what it creates until it starts happening. Now we’re seeing what this looks like.
Geoff Millikan retweeted
The world’s leading seasonal forecast models have never shown California this wet, not even in 1997–98.
Europe’s Copernicus climate service (C3S) just released its October outlook, combining 10 seasonal forecast models from 9 weather agencies. The C3S average calls for 156% of normal precipitation statewide this Dec–Feb, the wettest California winter forecast these models have produced, wetter even than their reruns of the 1997–98 super El Niño.
Out of 454 total model members, only 8% show a drier-than-average Dec–Feb statewide, while about 13% are explicitly forecasting California’s wettest winter on record. A record-wet winter is now more likely than a dry one.
This far out, forecasts are about odds, not certainties. But 9 in 10 runs come in at or above normal, and even the driest 10% of runs average 88% of normal. The odds have never leaned this heavily toward an exceptionally wet winter, though a below-normal winter is still possible, but extremely unlikely.
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Omg...a great...
Helen Branswell, whose reporting on infectious diseases and public health drew acclaim, dies at 69
statnews.com/2026/10/13/hele…
more later from us later....
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Deeply saddened by the passing of @HelenBranswell, a journalist of integrity and professionalism. Throughout her career, Helen demonstrated an unwavering commitment to evidence, science and truth, helping the public understand some of the most complex and consequential health challenges of our time. At a moment when misinformation competes with facts, her reporting was a trusted source of clarity, honesty and insight.
We at @WHO were privileged to work with Helen over many years, whether through one-on-one interviews or the hundreds of press conferences she attended during COVID-19 and beyond. Her questions were always informed, thoughtful and fair, reflecting a deep commitment to helping the public understand the facts and their implications for health.
On behalf of WHO, I extend my sincere condolences to Helen’s family, friends and colleagues. She will be greatly missed.
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Helen Branswell, STAT's infectious disease reporter who earned the respect of experts and public health officials with her accessible, prescient dispatches, has died at age 69. trib.al/3bBswKg
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Global model ensembles are in strong agreement that a prolonged &anomalous nearly West-wide autumn heatwave will develop this week & persist for 10+ days. While some daytime records may be set, this event will be more notable for its persistence & breadth. [Thread]
ALT Map showing predicted temperature anomalies in early October from the ECMWF ensemble across the western U.S. Nearly the entire region is painted red and pink, indicating widespread very warm anomalies.
Geoff Millikan retweeted
California legislative leaders, Gov. Gavin Newsom announce utility wildfire deal sacbee.com/news/politics-gov…
Geoff Millikan retweeted
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Russia to warn against attacking a NATO country, which out of all the speculative scenarios in the information-space since the meet, was the most likely. It’s yet unclear if any specific consequences, outside of the already in place NATO Article 5 commitment framework, was communicated to Russian decision-makers.
Geoff Millikan retweeted
We have some good news to share while crews battle the #HawkFire, but we are not out of the woods just yet! Some areas have been downgraded to yellow or even lifted in spots of the North Valleys and Somersett! Check PerimeterMap.com for evacs and NVRoads.com!
Geoff Millikan retweeted
The Hawk Fire: Aviation continues to work the fire with retardant drops from tankers and bucket work from helicopters. The fire is outside Somersett and visible from Reno.
Night capable helicopters have been requested. The head of the fire remains active, with evacuation orders ongoing. Last estimated at 3,000 acres, but has grown since.
#HawkFire in Reno, as seen from Truckee. Truckee River in foreground, looking east, downstream.
#HawkFire Skorski helicopter and two others helicopters making laps on the western edge near Verdi, NV. – at Verdi, NV
Geoff Millikan retweeted
#HawkFire Aircraft Assigned.
Air Attack 42, Lead Bravo 61.
Air Tankers 12, 15, 862, 864, 914, MAFFS4, 6.
Copters 3, 4HH, Helitankers 0HX, 1AJ.
Unknown acreage on the Fire right now, Incident Command Requested Resources from Cal Fire.
#HawkFire Aircraft Assigned.
Air Attack 41, Air Tankers 862, 864.
Helitanker 1AJ, Two Type 2 Copters.
Geoff Millikan retweeted
Notable new wildfire (#HawkFire) burning just above Verdi/NW of Reno, NV and poses an imminent structure threat as it moves primarily toward NE under Red Flag fire conditions (hot, dry, and windy). Winds are not extreme, but overall burning conditions are greatly elevated. #NVwx
ALT Screenshot from Watch Duty app of general fire area and evacuation zones.
ALT Snapshot from fire monitoring webcam network depicting a substantial pyrocumulus plume atop Hawk Fire.
ALT Snapshot from fire monitoring webcam network depicting a large plume of dense smoke rising from the Hawk Fire as it moves toward area just NW of Reno.