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Loss of key US satellite data could send hurricane forecasting back 'decades'

(www.theguardian.com)
312 points trauco | 5 comments | 29 Jun 25 17:39 UTC | HN request time: 0.832s | source
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schiffern ◴[29 Jun 25 18:52 UTC] No.44415391[source]▶

  >The loss of DMSP comes as Noaa’s weather and climate monitoring services have become critically understaffed this year as Donald Trump’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) initiative has instilled draconian cuts to federal environmental programs.
Translation:

"We can't actually say this was DOGE, so we're going to imply it using emotionally charged words, and 90% of folks with bad media literacy will come away thinking it was DOGE (just check the reddit comments)."

This in-vogue method of "lying without lying" is shockingly common nowadays, but apparently it's okay for media to lie because Bad Man Bad.

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1. JumpCrisscross ◴[29 Jun 25 19:17 UTC] No.44415552[source]▶
> We can't actually say this was DOGE

The article is saying it was DOGE. DOGE directly attacked our hurricane-forecasting capacity [1]. OMB, i.e. Vought, continues that attack [2].

Given the top three states by hurricane risk voted for Trump in ‘24 [3][4] this should make for an entertaining hurricane season. (Particularly if both a red and blue state get hit and request federal assistance.)

[1] https://apnews.com/article/national-weather-service-layoffs-...

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOAA_under_the_second_presid...

[3] https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/states-most-at-risk-for-...

[4] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_president...

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2. JumpCrisscross ◴[29 Jun 25 20:06 UTC] No.44415970[source]▶
> "Entertaining" in that red states will get their requests approved

Between the cost of the damage (and us blowing the card preëmptively on this big, beautiful bill), reduction in state capacity to respond to disasters as a result of DOGE and an increasingly-fracturing Congressional GOP I'm not sure they will.

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3. ars ◴[29 Jun 25 20:45 UTC] No.44416286[source]▶
> The article is saying it was DOGE

Yah, but it's the guardian. They aren't exactly reliable.

For it to be DOGE would require a time machine, because this project was shut down in 2015.

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4. JumpCrisscross ◴[29 Jun 25 21:31 UTC] No.44416600[source]▶
> but it's the guardian. They aren't exactly reliable

This is valid and I'm open to someone calling out the reporting as non-factual with evidence.

Pretending The Guardian is trying to imply this was DOGE when it straight out says as much, on the other hand, is closer to a reading-comprehension issue.

5. mindslight ◴[29 Jun 25 22:45 UTC] No.44417294{3}[source]▶
A reduction of state capacity doesn't mean an elimination though - eg the military isn't going anywhere, and can always be sent in to "keep order" and distribute supplies (regardless of how long the highest-briber actually takes to deliver the supplies). More money can always be printed, regardless of the inflationary effects later (like the big ugly spending bill, it's only something to complain about when the democrats might do it). If Congress really does manage to stop rubber stamping, then money can be diverted from elsewhere or maybe we'll just the hear "full faith and credit" argument trotted out not just about the debt ceiling, but the financial commitments of the executive.

(Also I don't know why my original comment was flagged. I guess the autocracy enthusiasts not appreciating me openly calling it autocracy rather than sparkling unitary executive theory or whatever? Or maybe they're in denial that we now have a concentration camp?)