Arctic Sea Ice Melting Fast or Not?

There appears to be nothing on the NSIDC Web site about this report in today's Seattle Times:

Scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center say strong, southerly winds from the North Slope have devoured a huge swath of Arctic ice larger than the state of Texas in the heart of the Beaufort Sea.

Combining that loss with the overall decline in sea ice in recent years should leave this year's end-of-summer Arctic ice pack close to its lowest measurement on record.

Since the latest NSIDC report was released on Friday, August 1, the graph has been updated to show a straight-line decline in Arctic ice extent that is faster than the mean rate. On the graph as of August 1, the line was curving up toward the mean very slightly.

At "The Chryosphere Today," there doesn't appear to have been a change in the rate of melting.

My quick Google news search for National Snow and Ice Data Center turned up only the Seattle Times article with the claim of faster melting. For example, the Barents Observer today summarizes the NSIDC report of August 1, which does not support the statements in the Seattle Times article.

So, is the ice disappearing at a faster rate, or what?