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☆ Trevi Fountain: Climate activists dump charcoal in Rome monument
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rome CNN —Climate change activists turned the blue water of the Trevi Fountain in central Rome black with diluted charcoal on Sunday. Luisa Regimenti, councilor for personnel, urban security, local police and local authorities in the Lazio region, which includes Rome, condemned the act. In a written statement she said that it was the “umpteenth demonstrative act of eco-vandals” that hit “a symbol of Rome universally known in the world.”Climate activists from the group Last Generation stand inside the Trevi Fountain in Rome. It will cost time, effort and water.”Last Generation activists at the Trevi Fountain, Rome. “Charcoal in the water of the Trevi Fountain,” they tweeted Sunday.

☆ Fruit harvest faces ruin after floods hit Italy's Emilia-Romagna
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A vineyard is flooded after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in San Giorgio near Forli, Italy, May 18, 2023. Coldiretti said the region was Italy's largest producer of pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums, and the second largest producer of cherries and kiwi. In all, it accounted for a third of Italy's total fruit harvest. A Coldiretti spokesperson said the floodwater could rot the roots of almost 15 million fruit trees, killing them. Italian media said the government would initially announce some 100 million euros ($110 million) in spending and tax breaks for Emilia-Romagna.

☆ Italy's Meloni visits flood-hit Emilia-Romagna region
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, May 21 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited flood-hit areas of northern Italy on Sunday after returning early from the G7 summit in Japan to lead the response to the disaster. Around 36,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, and many of those who remained in flooded areas were left without electricity. Agriculture has been hit hard in an area which grows fruit such as peaches, kiwis and apricots, as well as corn and grain. Meloni had left the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima a day earlier than scheduled, saying her conscience would not allow her to stay away longer. The Italian government will hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to decide on measures to help people to cope with the emergency.

☆ Floods ruin crops and drown livestock in one of Italy’s gastronomic heartlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“The water then slides away, destroying everything.”What also slid away were orchards, vineyards and crops ready to harvest. A tractor goes off road after flooding outside Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Emilia Romagna is one of the richest regions in Italy. Firefighters come to rescue people and recover their belongings after flooding hit the Fornace Zarattini district of Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Extreme weather such as what has happened this month in Emilia Romagna is perplexing even to experts.

CNN —Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited areas of northern Italy hit by deadly flooding on Sunday, cutting short her visit to Japan for the G7 in response to the disaster. A resident speaks on his phone while walking a flooded street in the village of Carde, Cuneo, near Turin in northwestern Italy on Sunday. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesClean-up operations are in full swing, with video from the emergency services on Saturday showing the removal of mud from washed out roads after landslides. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesA flooded street in Conselice, near Ravenna. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesThe torrential rains come after months of drought that dried out the land – which meteorologists say has reduced its capacity to absorb water, worsening the floods.

☆ Trevi Fountain water turns black in Rome climate protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Climate activists pour vegetable charcoal in the Trevi Fountain water, during a demonstration against fossil fuels, in Rome, Italy May 21, 2023 in this image obtained from social media. Allesandro... Read moreROME, May 21 (Reuters) - Seven young activists protesting against climate change climbed into the Trevi Fountain in Rome on Sunday and poured diluted charcoal into the water to turn it black. The protesters from the "Ultima Generazione" ("Last Generation") group held up banners saying "We won't pay for fossil (fuels)," and shouted "our country is dying". Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri condemned the protest, the latest in a series of acts targeting works of art in Italy. The tradition is for visitors to toss coins into the famous 18th century Trevi Fountain to ensure that they will return to Rome one day.

☆ Meloni to leave G7 a day early to tackle Italy flood crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attend a meeting during the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan May 20, 2023 Ukrainian Presidential Press... Read moreHIROSHIMA/ROME, May 20 (Reuters) - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to leave the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima a day earlier than scheduled to lead the response to flooding which hit the north of her country this week, two sources said on Saturday. Torrential rains devastated the eastern side of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, killing 14 people, causing billions of euros worth of damage and hitting agriculture particularly hard. Italy's government will hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to decide on measures to help people to cope with the emergency. Earlier in the day, Meloni thanked the G7 leaders and everyone from other countries who had expressed solidarity with Italy and those affected by the flooding. Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Angelo Amante, writing by Gianluca Semeraro, editing by Gavin Jones and Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Elon Musk's SpaceX and Italy's Unipol join forces to help Italians hit by flooding
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, May 20 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX and Unipol Gruppo (UNPI.MI) agreed to join forces to help people hit by flooding in northern Italy connect to the Internet, facilitating rescue operations, the Italian insurer said on Saturday. Torrential rains devastated the eastern side of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, killing 14 people, causing billions of euros worth of damage and hitting agriculture particularly hard. Around 36,000 people were forced to leave their homes and many of those who remained in flooded areas were left with no electricity. SpaceX is positioning its satellites to prioritise the Emilia-Romagna region and provide improved coverage. "SpaceX, Starlink and Tesla are happy to be of use in any way to help Italy and the people affected by the flooding", Musk said in a statement.

☆ Italy's Emilia-Romagna governor says earthquake 'lessons' to help flood recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A view of a submerged sculpture due to floodwaters after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in Lugo, Italy, May 19, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia GrecoMILAN, May 19 (Reuters) - Italy's Emilia Romagna region will recover from the devastating floods that hit this week by taking from lessons learned from the 2012 earthquake, its governor said Friday, as the death toll from the disaster rose to 14. "Nothing will stop", the governor told reporters, referring to business, tourism and other activities in the wealthy northern region. Reuters video footage from the town of Lugo in Emilia-Romagna showed cars submerged in water and flooded homes, as some residents rode bicycles or paddled through the watery streets. Heavy rains followed months of drought which had dried out the land, reducing its capacity to absorb water, meteorologists said.

☆ After Earthquakes and Drought, Floods Devastate Northern Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | Gaia Pianigiani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Eleven years ago this month, back-to-back earthquakes struck the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, which this week was devastated by another disaster: Widespread flooding that has caused at least 14 deaths and left thousands more homeless. On Friday, rescue workers continued to clear streets of mud, while towns in the Ravenna area remained submerged. Hundreds of roads were blocked by landslides making travel in the region difficult — with some towns cut off completely — and power was still out in some places. Officials said the full extent of the damage was still not clear in the region, which had recently been plagued by drought and where few have forgotten the devastating 2012 earthquake. “We couldn’t have imagined that we would commemorate the 11th anniversary of the earthquake — moreover with the satisfaction of having rebuilt practically everything or almost everything — with a new earthquake to deal with, because that’s what it is,” Stefano Bonaccini, the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, said in reference to the flooding at a news conference on Friday evening.

☆ Nina Gold on creating film stars, audition tapes, and why she'll never act
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This is the same Nina Gold who’s made a successful career casting some of the defining films and TV shows of this century. “I still don’t really understand what it is that makes acting good,” she says. For “Bad Sisters’” smarmy, abusive antagonist John Paul, Gold cast Claes Bang. For Gold and her team – rising to six people, depending on projects – it’s a lot of logistics and audition tapes. Gold cast Taylor-Johnson in his breakout role as John Lennon in “Nowhere Boy” (2009) at age 18-20, she guesses, but had been auditioning him since about the age of nine.

CNN —Deadly floods that have engulfed the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, killing at least 14 people, are another sign of the accelerating climate crisis, according to researchers. The floods come after years of severe drought in the region, which has compacted the soil, reducing its ability to abemsorb rainfall. Researchers say the devastation is linked to the climate crisis. The town of Lugo, pictured on Thursday, was left under water following floods that left at least 14 people dead. The climate crisis “is affecting territories with increasingly intense extreme events, with risks to people’s lives, and impacts on the environment and the economy.

[1/4] Military officers assist a person on a dinghy after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in Faenza, Italy, May 18. "Climate change is here and we are living the consequences. Last July, an ice avalanche in the Italian Alps killed 11 people following a heatwave that exacerbated the worst drought that Italy has suffered for at least 70 years. "A climate change adaptation policy that goes beyond how to handle emergencies and considers the effects of ordinary planning is increasingly urgent," it said in a statement. Italy's national civil protection agency estimates that 94% of the country's municipalities are prone to natural disasters - making it inconceivable to protect everyone from the dangers of climate change.

[1/6] Firefighters work next to a flooded car, after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in Faenza, Italy, May 18, 2023. "We are facing a new earthquake," Emilia-Romagna President Stefano Bonaccini told reporters, recalling the seismic events that struck the region in 2012, destroying thousands of homes. The government has promised an extra 20 million euros ($22 million) in emergency aid, on top of the 10 million euros allocated in response to previous floods two weeks ago, which killed at least two people. At least 10,000 people were forced to leave their homes, and many of those who remained in flooded areas were left with no electricity. Heavy rains followed months of drought which had dried out the land, reducing its capacity to absorb water, meteorologists said.

CASTEL BOLOGNESE, Italy, May 18 (Reuters) - Floods that killed at least 13 people in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region caused billions of euros' worth of damage and hit agriculture particularly hard, the regional governor said on Thursday. "We are facing a new earthquake," Emilia-Romagna President Stefano Bonaccini told reporters, recalling the seismic events that struck the region in 2012, destroying thousands of homes. The government has promised an extra 20 million euros ($22 million) in emergency aid, on top of the 10 million euros allocated in response to previous floods two weeks ago, which killed at least two people. [1/6] Firefighters work next to a flooded car, after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in Faenza, Italy, May 18. Heavy rains followed months of drought which had dried out the land, reducing its capacity to absorb water, meteorologists said.

☆ Springsteen draws criticism for not cancelling Italy gig after deadly floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] American rock star Bruce Springsteen gestures during a concert of the European tour at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, Spain, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Albert GeaROME, May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. rock legend Bruce Springsteen came under criticism in Italy for going ahead with a concert in Ferrara on Thursday evening after the northern Emilia-Romagna region was battered by floods that left at least nine people dead. "@springsteen please consider to reschedule your concert today. Representatives for Springsteen did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reporting by Francesca Piscioneri; editing by Alvise Armellini and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Catastrophic floods in Italy force thousands of people to leave their homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In this aerial picture, flooded streets caused by heavy rains across Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region, on May 18, 2023 in Lugo, Italy. About 5,000 people were evacuated from their homes and at least five were killed after torrential downpours hit the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, prompting catastrophic flooding across at least three dozen towns. Italian Civil Protection Minister Nello Musemeci said that some areas received an average of 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rain in only 36 hours, while other areas recorded 500 millimeters (19.7 inches) during that time. More than 20 rivers have burst their banks across the region, causing more than 280 landslides, according to the Civil Protection department. The torrential downpour followed a long period of drought in the region.

☆ Emilia Romagna Grand Prix canceled because of flooding
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jill Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Formula 1 has canceled this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix because of heavy flooding in the northern Italian region, citing safety concerns. At least eight people have been killed by heavy flooding and mudslides in the region with more than 13,000 residents being forced to evacuate, according to local authorities. On Tuesday, motorsport staff were asked to leave the site of the race amid concerns regarding flooding, an F1 source told CNN. “It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time.”Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who is the current world champion and, racing at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola, Italy, Sunday, April 24, 2022. The Emilia Romagna GP was due to have been the sixth race of the season on the F1 calendar.

☆ Imola F1 race called off as floods devastate region
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last year's race drew a weekend crowd of 129,000 and 64,000 on the Sunday. Officials said at least eight people had died and thousands were evacuated from their homes in towns and cities across the region. The race was scheduled to be the sixth round of the season and the first in Europe. Red Bull have won every race so far and double world champion Max Verstappen is 14 points clear of team mate Sergio Perez. "We support the decision... safety to all those involved and in the region is paramount and has to take priority," the team said on Twitter.

☆ ‘Catastrophic’ Floods in Italy Leave 8 Dead and Thousands Homeless
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Widespread flooding in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna killed at least eight people and forced another 5,000 to abandon their homes, officials said on Wednesday as rescue efforts continued to assist those stuck on the upper stories of buildings. Some of the worst-hit areas received almost 20 inches of rain in 36 hours, about half the average annual amount, according to the Italian civil protection minister, Nello Musumeci. Taking into account those figures, “you can understand how powerful this rainfall was,” he said. Stefano Bonaccini, regional president of Emilia-Romagna, said that the rainfall had been a “catastrophic event that has never been registered before.” His deputy, Irene Priolo, said on Wednesday that the death toll had risen to eight people. Scenes of dramatic rescues from flood-struck towns have dominated national news broadcasts over the past two days: helicopters airlifting residents from the roofs of homes submerged in water; rescue workers wading through chest-high waters carrying older people on their backs; volunteers in rubber dinghies transporting residents from their homes as belongings floated from open doors.

☆ Formula 1 Cancels Grand Prix Amid Deadly Floods in Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Andrew Das | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is unclear if the canceled event can be rescheduled; Formula 1’s packed schedule has little flexibility given the time and trouble it takes to move it from country to country. If the race at Imola is not rescheduled, Formula 1 will have 22 races this year instead of the record 23 it had planned. The entire Emilia-Romagna region faces the threat of more rains, and more flooding, this week. “It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in,” said Stefano Domenicali, the chief executive of Formula 1. “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected.”

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, scheduled for this weekend, has been canceled and the site evacuated. An aerial view of flooded houses in Cesena, where residents had to climb onto rooftops to escape high water levels. Water levels on northern Italy’s Lake Garda fell to record lows in February, with Venice experiencing unusually low tides. Formula 1 race canceledFormula 1 has announced the cancellation of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix because of heavy flooding in the region, citing safety concerns. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is the first event of the Formula 1 season in Europe and was scheduled to take place this weekend.

☆ Three dead and thousands evacuated as floods hit northern Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Firefighters and rescuers are seen next to boats during rescue operations in Faenza, Italy after floods hit Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, in this handout image released May 17, 2023.... Read moreROME, May 17 (Reuters) - At least three people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as devastating floods hit Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, authorities said on Wednesday, warning that worse may be yet to come. Emilia-Romagna officials said three dead bodies had been found in the towns of Forli, Cesena and Cesenatico, while three people were missing. Those who live in areas close to watercourses should move to higher floors," regional chief Stefano Bonaccini said on Facebook. The northern city of Ravenna, close to the Adriatic coast, was also badly affected. The torrential rains followed months of drought which dried out the land, reducing its capacity to absorb water and worsening the impact of the floods, meteorologists said.

☆ Topless Italian climate protesters block Rome traffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, May 4 (Reuters) - Topless climate activists on Thursday blocked traffic on a busy street in central Rome to protest over the Italian government's climate policy after torrential rains killed two people. The stunt marked a change of tactics by the Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) group after Rome's right-wing executive introduced stiff fines against protesters who target monuments and heritage sites. On Thursday, Last Generation released footage showing a small group of activists kneeling on zebra crossings in Rome and taking off their tops or - in one case - stripping naked. Activists blame the extreme weather on climate change due to fossil fuels. Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; editing by Alvise Armellini, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turn Your Pasta Primavera Into a Lasagna
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Melissa Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In the United States, lasagna almost universally entails tomato sauce, mozzarella and ricotta. However, a recent visit to Italy reminded me that the lasagna family is, in fact, vast and varied. There are hard-boiled egg and meatball-stuffed lasagnas from Naples; chicken liver studded ones from Le Marche; Bolognese and béchamel-swathed examples from Emilia-Romagna. But there was one version that made me run to pull out my lasagna pan as soon as I got home: white lasagna. Made with a béchamel sauce and often meatless, white lasagnas are plush, creamy showcases for seasonal vegetables — artichokes in spring, zucchini in summer, mushrooms in the fall, radicchio in winter — layered between thin sheets of pasta, then baked until golden.

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