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Experts Say US Weather Forecasts Will Degrade as DOGE Cuts Lead to Fewer Balloons (Maria)
The author writes, “With massive job cuts, the National Weather Service is eliminating or reducing vital weather balloon launches in eight northern locations, which meteorologists and former agency leaders said will degrade the accuracy of forecasts just as severe weather season kicks in. The normally twice-daily launches of weather balloons in about 100 locations provide information that forecasters and computer models use to figure out what the weather will be and how dangerous it can get, so cutting back is a mistake, said eight [NOAA-affiliated] scientists.”
How Undocumented Immigrants Contribute to Our Economy & Pay Higher Tax Rates Than Many Major Corporations (Sean)
From Americans for Tax Fairness: “In 2022 America’s 10.9 million undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in taxes. That included $19.5 billion in federal income taxes and $32.3 billion in federal payroll taxes. On a state and local level, undocumented immigrants contribute $37.3 billion in taxes, and in 40 of 50 states, they pay a higher effective state/local tax rate than the top 1% of households. The top 1% of highest-income households paid an average effective state/local tax of 7.2% in 2023, while the average undocumented immigrant paid a 10.1% effective tax rate to state/local governments.”
Trump Demands Maine Governor Apologize — Or the State Will Face Consequences (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “The Trump administration has sparred with Maine and singled out its governor in recent weeks over his order banning trans athletes from playing in women’s sports.”
Trump Halted an Agent Orange Cleanup. That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk for Poisoning. (Laura)
From ProPublica: “Diplomats in Vietnam warned Washington that halting USAID’s efforts to clean up the massive deposit of postwar pesticides would be a catastrophe for public health and relations with a key strategic partner in Asia.”
23andme Users Told to Consider Deleting Their Data by California Attorney General as the Company Files for Bankruptcy (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging 23andMe users to ask the company to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material as it files for bankruptcy. … Users can request 23andMe delete their genetic data in the ‘settings’ section of their profile under the ‘23andMe Data’ at the bottom of the page. Users can also download a copy of their genetic data for personal storage.”
We Were Badly Misled About the Event That Changed Our Lives (Bethany)
The author writes, “You’d think that by now we’d have learned it’s not a good idea to test possible gas leaks by lighting a match. And you’d hope that prestigious scientific journals would have learned not to reward such risky research. Why haven’t we learned our lesson? Maybe because it’s hard to admit that this research is risky now and to take the requisite steps to keep us safe without also admitting it was always risky.”
Several Law Enforcement Agencies Have Stopped Reselling Guns (Dana)
From Reveal: “More than a dozen law enforcement agencies have stopped reselling their used guns or pledged to reconsider the practice after an investigation by The Trace, CBS News, and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. The investigation, published last year, revealed that more than 52,000 former police guns had resurfaced in robberies, domestic violence incidents, homicides, and other crimes between 2006 and 2022. Many of those guns found their way into civilian hands after agencies traded them to retailers for discounts on new equipment or resold them to their own officers.”
