3+ hour, 24+ min ago (473+ words) I'm angry at a really weak outcome," Brandon Wu, ActionAid USA's director of policy and campaigns said after COP30. I'm angry at the fossil fuel lobbyists roaming the venue freely, while the Indigenous activists were met with militarized repression. I'm angry at all the governments that aren't standing up for their people." Earlier this morning, we were informed by the presidency (of COP30) that there are about 80 countries who have put a red line on any mention of fossil fuels in the outcome from this meeting, this UNFCCC process, this COP." Two camps emerged: About 80 nations, including the world's major oil producers, rejected a roadmap from fossil fuels. Another group, also with about 80 countries, including Vanuatu, demanded its inclusion. With two conflicting red lines, consensus seemed impossible. Over 1,800 scientists who make up the'IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's leading…...

2+ week, 22+ hour ago (945+ words) A few weeks ago, NOAA announced the cancellation of a contract with the Alaska Earthquake Center to operate nine seismic stations that feed data directly to the two U.S. tsunami warning centers. After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is finally over. The impacts have been far-reaching, especially on government employees, businesses with government contracts, and the many people and organizations that rely on government programs. I'll focus on the areas I am most familiar with, the earthquake and tsunami program. The proper name for a shutdown is "lapse in appropriations." It means a cessation of non-essential services; employees deemed not directly related to the protection of human life and property are furloughed. During the 2025 shutdown, 670,000 workers were furloughed and 730,000 continued to work. Regardless of which classification, no federal employees get paid during a lapse. We've been fortunate that the…...