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Key US Weather Monitoring Offices Understaffed as Hurricane Season Starts (Maria)
The author writes, “More than a dozen National Weather Service forecast offices along the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico coast are understaffed as the U.S. plunges into an expected active season for ruinous storms, data seen by the Guardian shows. There is a lack of meteorologists in 15 of the regional weather service offices along the coastline from Texas to Florida, as well as in Puerto Rico — an area that takes the brunt of almost all hurricanes that hit the U.S. … Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center, the Miami-based nerve center for tracking hurricanes, is short five specialists, the Guardian has learned.”
Homeland Security Cops Handcuff One of Rep. Nadler’s Aides in Chaotic Day at NY Fed Building (DonkeyHotey)
From Gothamist: “In a dramatic incident captured on video, U.S. Department of Homeland Security police Wednesday handcuffed one of Rep. Jerry Nadler aides in the congressmember’s Manhattan office, which is in the same federal office building as an immigration courthouse. In the video, which was shared with Gothamist and filmed by a person who was monitoring activity in immigration court, DHS officers entered Nadler’s district office and accused staff members of ‘harboring rioters.’ A Nadler staffer is seen crying and being handcuffed. Another officer is at a door trying to enter a private area of the office while a staffer asks for a warrant.”
An Astonishing Raid Deep Inside Russia Rewrites the Rules of War (Sean)
From The Economist: “The fact that Ukraine was able to damage or destroy such a large number of Russia’s most advanced aircraft deep inside the country reflects the development of its deep-strike program, as well as the remarkable extent to which Ukraine’s undercover operatives are now able to work inside Russia. Since the start of the Kremlin’s all-out invasion, Ukraine’s operations have expanded in range, ambition and sophistication. Western countries have provided some assistance to Ukraine’s deep-strike program — on May 28th Germany promised to finance Ukrainian long-range drones — but much of the technology and mission planning is indigenous.”
Federal Job Seekers Will Be Quizzed on Trump’s Executive Orders (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The Trump administration is adding four essay questions to applications for civil service jobs, asking applicants about their favorite executive orders and their commitment to government efficiency. The essay requirements apply even to relatively lower-level jobs starting at the GS-5 pay scale or above — positions that can begin at base salaries as low as $32,357. Those jobs include nursing assistants, park rangers and firefighters. The new questions, outlined in a memo from the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday, include ones that could give insight into the applicant’s political philosophy for civil service jobs that are supposed to be nonpartisan.”
Chinese Students Do Pose Security Threat, Former Top CIA Counterspy Says (Russ)
From SpyTalk: “Sue Miller, the agency’s former chief mole hunter, tells how a 15-year-old spy debacle hangs over the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on Chinese espionage.”
Climate Crisis Threatens the Banana, the World’s Most Popular Fruit, Research Shows (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “The climate crisis is threatening the future of the world’s most popular fruit, as almost two-thirds of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean may no longer be suitable for growing the fruit by 2080, new research has found. Rising temperatures, extreme weather and climate-related pests are pummeling banana-growing countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia, reducing yields and devastating rural communities across the region.”
Cocaine Hippos, Monkey Copyrights, and a Horse Named Justice: The Debate Over Animal Personhood (Dana)
From Reason: “Over the past decade, the Nonhuman Rights Project and several other animal rights groups have waged a novel campaign to extend legal ‘personhood’ to animals, which would allow them to be plaintiffs in civil lawsuits. Many of these cases have attempted to free large, charismatic animals such as elephants and chimpanzees from zoos under the great writ of habeas corpus, which allows individuals to challenge unlawful imprisonment. Other courts around the world have recognized fundamental rights for animals.”
