Episode 293: El Nino Could Boost Snowpack While Fentanyl Deaths Rise

El Nino is no longer a “maybe.” We’re staring at a near-certain El Nino pattern, and we walk through what that could mean for New Mexico weather, Albuquerque precipitation, and mountain snowpack as we head toward fall and winter. We compare two very different analog years, including the huge 1997-1998 setup and the more disappointing 2015-2016 pattern, then translate the meteorology into what you actually care about: when the wettest window may hit, how the southern storm track can shift, and why early-winter timing could matter as much as total moisture.Then we turn to a front-page fentanyl story that raises an uncomfortable question about public safety and law enforcement strategy. A whistleblower alleges DEA decisions allowed massive quantities of fentanyl pills to reach Albuquerque streets during wiretap cases, while the agency argues the work targets larger drug trafficking networks and stays within DOJ guidance. We lay out the nuance, the claims, the pushback, and the part that’s hardest to sit with: how do you strike a balance when overdose deaths are climbing and every operational choice has a human cost?We also unpack the Iran situation and why it feels like policy whiplash. From the Strait of Hormuz to inspection talk to tougher rhetoric, we sort through competing messages and what “real progress” would have to include for a durable outcome. We wrap with a surprisingly heated story about vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a bigger debate about patriotism, political polarization, and whether pride in America should change based on who’s president.Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who follows weather or current events, and leave a review telling us which topic hit you the hardest.Website: https://www.nodoubtaboutitpodcast.com/Twitter: @nodoubtpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoDoubtAboutItPod/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markronchettinm/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D