I realize that Bertha hasn’t really been providing any gripping drama after the early spin up to Cat 3, but 94L is out in the mid Atlantic and will probably be at least Tropical Depression 4 in the morning.

Bertha is on track to be the longest surviving July tropical event on record, after just missing out on the longest lasting hurricane record.

This is unfortunate: via CNN – Snake-handling pastor arrested

FRANKFORT, Kentucky (AP) — The pastor of a Kentucky church that handles snakes in religious rites was among 10 people arrested by wildlife officers in a crackdown on the venomous snake trade.

More than 100 snakes, many of them deadly, were confiscated in the undercover sting after Thursday’s arrests, said Col. Bob Milligan, director of law enforcement for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Most were taken from the Middlesboro home of Gregory James Coots, including 42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder.

[Read more →]

Update: CNN is now confirming the report and raised the death toll to nine.

The BBC just reported [no US media is covering this yet]: Heavy Afghan losses for US troops

At least eight US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in clashes with Taleban militants.

US commander Daniel Dwyer told the BBC the soldiers had been killed in clashes in the north-east of the country.
…

A Nato statement says US soldiers and members of the Afghan National Army came under attack in Kunar province, near the border with Pakistan.

[Read more →]

Position: 30.5 N 63.1 W. [10 PM CDT]
Movement: North-Northwest [325°] near 3 mph.
Maximum sustained winds: 65 mph.
Wind Gusts: 75 mph.
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles.
Minimum central pressure: 990 mb.

Bertha is 160 miles Southeast of Bermuda and very slowly moving in that direction.Bermuda will get minimal tropical storm force winds in a few hours if Bertha maintains its present moment.