Kauai struck with record-breaking rainfall over the weekend, more expected this week

Unusually intense rainfall pummeled Hawaii’s island of Kauai over the weekend. The National Weather Service reported Monday that, in just 48 hours, some parts of the island were hit with upwards of 32 inches of rain. In Wainiha, the 24-hour rainfall total measured 19.54 inches, smashing the previous record of 16.7 inches set in January of 1969. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri contextualized that figure, explaining, “That amount of rainfall would climatologically take nearly 18 months to fall in London and over 24 months to fall in Los Angeles.” As the University of Hawaii at Manoa illustrates, Kauai is not unaccustomed to rain, but such heavy precipitation in such a short period of time proved disastrous for the island

Jordan: prospects for economic resilience

On the heels of the highest unemployment rates in 25 years, the Jordanian government announced in late February that it would create 3,300 job opportunities for youth across all Jordanian governorates. Encouraging economic development and activity outside of Jordan’s main metropolis, Amman, the Jordanian government seeks to re-enfranchise educated Jordanian youth, who currently face an overwhelming unemployment rate of 24.1%. A response to broad social discontent over slow economic growth and IMF austerity measures,  job creation is crucial to reopening overcrowded career fields and attracting women’s participation in the labor market.