Trump's NOAA pick vows strong weather forecasting amid criticism
Why it matters: Neil Jacobs' nomination hearing arrives as critics wonder if NWS staffing reductions hampered performance in the deadly Texas flooding — and whether proposed budget cuts will hinder the very forecasting improvements he's vowing.
Driving the news: "If confirmed, one of my top priorities is to return the United States to the world's leader in global weather forecast modeling capability," he plans to tell the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee tomorrow, per prepared testimony obtained by Axios.
"As a matter of public safety, national security, and national pride, we will restore American technological superiority for this vital service for the country and our military serving around the world," it states.
This requires new tech, "novel" approaches, and partnering with industry, it states.
The big picture: NWS issued multiple flood warnings and watches well ahead of the storm. But it faces questions about other aspects of the tragedy.
Miami-based meteorologist John Morales said on X the vacancies did not impact the warning process, but may have affected coordination.
Friction point: Trump officials have defended NWS' performance.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson in a statement to outlets including Axios called criticism of the NWS' action and funding cuts accusations "shameful and disgusting" and accused critics of seeking to politicize a disaster, Axios' Rebecca Falconer reports.
State of play: The Trump administration is proposing deep cuts to NOAA's fiscal year budget and nixing some research areas altogether, and the recently signed budget law rescinds some FY '25 funding.
The proposed cuts would thwart R&D into new forecasting technologies, including efforts to forecast flash floods, CNN reports.
Catch up quick: Jacobs, a meteorologist, is up for the role he held in an acting capacity during Trump's first term.
He has a background in computer modeling and could help bolster the agency's weather forecasting and AI capabilities.
He would, however, come with some baggage, having been reprimanded by Commerce's Inspector General — along with others — for his role in the episode known as "Sharpiegate."
What they're saying:"I worry about Dr. Jacobs' ability to be the leader the country needs, especially as climate change is supercharging extreme weather across the United States," said Carlos Martinez, a senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Carrying Out Indiscriminate Immigration Raids In Los Angeles
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Donald Trump administration from carrying out broad immigration raids and arrests in Los Angeles that target individuals solely based on their race, location, language or type of work. U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong also ordered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other administration figures to provide detainees access to legal representatives. More from Deadline David Gergen Dies: CNN Political Analyst & Presidential Adviser Was 83 White House's "Trump As Superman" Meme Quickly Draws Gavin Newsom's Response: Man Of Steel "Was An Undocumented Immigrant" Lena Dunham Says She Wasn't Surprised By MAGA's Rise As She Experienced "Angry" & "Incredibly Conservative" Backlash For 'Girls' In her order, the judge granted two temporary restraining orders requested by the plaintiffs, who include detainees, immigration rights groups and United Farm Workers. The TRO remains in place for the next 10 days as attorneys seek a preliminary injunction. 'There are really two questions in controversy that this court must decide today,' the judge wrote. 'First, are the individuals and organizations who brought this lawsuit likely to succeed in proving that the federal government is indeed conducting roving patrols without reasonable suspicion and denying access to lawyers? This court decides — based on all the evidence presented — that they are.' 'And second, what should be done about it? The individuals and organizations who have brought this lawsuit have made a fairly modest request: That this court order the federal government to stop.' The ICE raids, some captured on iPhones and by TV news crews, have seen masked agents arriving at car washes, bus stops, restaurants, Home Depots and other sites, taking away suspected undocumented immigrants. The Trump administration has focused its attention on Los Angeles as it has stepped up its efforts for mass deportations, with Trump federalizing the National Guard in response to protests. Governor Gavin Newsom, who has condemned Trump's actions and those of his administration, wrote on X following the ruling, 'Justice prevailed today. The court's decision puts a temporary stop to federal immigration officials violating people's rights and racial profiling. California stands with the law and the Constitution — and I call on the Trump Administration to do the same.' U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement, 'We strongly disagree with the allegations in the lawsuit and maintain that our agents have never detained individuals without proper legal justification. Our federal agents will continue to enforce the law and abide by the U.S. Constitution.' The judge's ruling prohibits the Trump administration from conducting the raids unless they have reasonable suspicion. In forming the basis of reasonable suspicion, they also cannot rely solely on a person's race or ethnicity, whether the person speaks Spanish or English with an accent, the person's presence at a particular location, or on the type of work they do. The plaintiffs noted the tactics of the raids, in which agents arrived in military clothing and gear, heavily armed and masked. They have shouted commands at individuals, and some have been pushed to the ground and even beaten, and then taken away, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs not only argued that the raids and arrests violated the Constitution, but also cited conditions of the downtown federal building where the detainees have been taken, noting that they are deprived of food and basic hygiene, for what is supposed to be a temporary holding facility. Best of Deadline 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Trump rally shooting survivors turn attack into motivation year later: ‘go out there and live life'
PITTSBURGH – A year has passed since an attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's life left two men severely injured and a third dead at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. James Copenhaver, David Dutch, and family members of the late Corey Comperatore still have many unanswered questions about July 13, 2024, the day that changed their lives forever. "You missed Trump, but you got my big brother," Dawn Comperatore Schafer, Comperatore's sister, told Fox News Digital of gunman Thomas Crooks, who died when responding officers at the rally returned fire. "My brother was assassinated that day. Not Donald Trump, but Corey Comperatore was assassinated that day. You did not miss." Comperatore, 50, was the former fire chief for the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, a husband, and a father to two daughters. "He was so perfect that we called him Golden Boy," Comperatore's sister, Kelly Comperatore Meeder, said alongside Schafer, her sister, and their mother, Karen Schafer Bird. WATCH: Corey Comperatore's mother, sisters still have questions year later Comperatore enjoyed fishing alone or with his wife in the mornings, which his sisters described as his time with God, when "he devoted his morning to prayer." They also described him as the "ultimate girl dad," who took pride in dressing his daughters and attending their every event. Since the assassination attempt on Trump that left the 50-year-old father dead, the Comperatore family has grappled with lingering and unanswered questions about what led to Comperatore's death that day. It is negligence on a level that I've yet to see, and I'm an insurance agent. "I know about negligence," Comperatore Schafer said. "There were so many morale hazards and moral hazards. I was looking at it and thinking to myself, 'my God.'" Comperatore Meeder similarly asked why then-presidential candidate Trump was allowed to walk on stage that day. "When they were saying that there's someone on the roof and he has a gun … why did they march President Trump out on that X? Why didn't they hold him?" she asked. "We know that there was inadequate security. That's a given … but why did they do that? Why did they think it was safe to walk him out on the X? They knew that the threats were there." David Dutch, 58, and James Copenhaver, 75, have similar questions about the day that left them with life-altering injuries. Dutch, a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Gulf War, was struck in the abdomen. Bullet fragments hit his liver and remain there to this day. Copenhaver, who served in the U.S. National Guard, was struck once in the arm and again in his colon. Both are still receiving treatment for physical and psychological trauma. It felt like somebody hit me with a sledgehammer in my chest. "When I felt my ribs all broke up, all I tried to do was get out of the line of fire because there was a lot of shrapnel just flying all over the bleachers," Dutch told Fox News Digital. "And I was yelling at the other people … telling them, 'Get down, get down.'" Copenhaver inadvertently captured video footage of what appears to be Crooks walking over the roof of a nearby American Glass Research (AGR) building, which was technically not part of the official rally perimeter and was not manned by law enforcement at the time of the shooting. The 74-year-old remembers turning his head to see a chart showing immigration-related statistics that had just appeared on a projection screen when he heard the first bullet zip by him. Trump has credited that same projection with saving his life because he, too, turned his head when the gunfire began, and he walked away from the rally with his life—and a nicked ear—as a result. WATCH COPENHAVER'S POV: "I turned around and I got a shot here in my left tricep, and then I turned around and there was another bullet that entered into my solar plexus area," Copenhaver said. "I like to jest a little bit and say that the bullet that grazed me here was the one that hit Trump in the ear because I thought I saw a little earwax on my arm." "Obviously, it wasn't," he added. "I mean, it's just some of the dry humor that comes along from being in a traumatic situation." Ironically, neither Copenhaver nor Dutch were assigned to the bleacher area where they were shot; Copenhaver was invited by personnel, and Dutch was initially told he was sitting in the wrong location when he and a friend asked for permission to sit in the bleachers. "The only requirement, you got to be loud," Dutch recalled the official telling him. He and his friend responded: "We can do that." Since the shooting, Copenhaver has not been able to lay on his stomach for a year, and he has trouble walking up and down stairs. His wife and son have dedicated much of their own time to helping him. Dutch can't do home maintenance work like he used to; even mowing the lawn takes days because he has to take frequent breaks. The two men have been surrounded by conspiracy theories about the rally and why it happened; they even email each other some of the more wild takes they see on social media, but neither of them give much air to the theories. They are more focused on their recoveries, spending time with family, and living life after coming so close to death. "I would like to spend more time with my grandchildren. And get to a point where if I want to throw a ball or something like that with them, I can," Copenhaver said. He also wants to get back to riding his motorcycle, which he began riding in 1969, and he hasn't been back on his bike since being shot. Dutch said he just wants to "get back to healthy." I try to remind everybody, you never know when your time's gonna come. "I try to remind everybody, you never know when your time's gonna come, so don't dwell in the past, and don't live your life just to go to work and come home and go to work and come home. It's too short. Go out there and live life. You never know when it's gonna end," he said. The Independent Review Panel tasked with investigating the July 13 assassination attempt published its final report in October of last year, which found that the United States Secret Service (USSS) "has become bureaucratic, complacent, and static even though risks have multiplied and technology has evolved" and called for new leadership, training, and updated review processes. The report also found that "[t]here were insufficient, and, in fact, no personnel from the Secret Service or other federal, state, or local law enforcement specifically tasked with securing the AGR building, the AGR roof, or its environs." Certain lines of sight to Trump were unprotected, and the rally "was plagued by various communications issues which... inhibited the effective, timely dissemination of information about Crooks." The report further noted "ambiguity among personnel at the site regarding who had overall command of the site's security." Prior to the shooting, a Beaver County sniper took a photo of the suspicious male near the AGR building and a photo of the shooter using a range finder pointing toward the stage, who was later identified as Crooks. The sniper reported that information to the Pennsylvania State Police. The FBI previously said this sighting occurred around 5:10 p.m. on July 13, one hour and one minute before Crooks began shooting. Crooks began firing at 6:11 p.m. Soon afterward, when it became clear that a threat was on the roof of the AGR building, an operator with Butler County ESU exited the red barn from behind the stage where Trump was speaking and monitored the AGR building area, Adams Township Police Department Sgt. Edward Lenz testified in September of last year. The operator "quickly identified" where the shots were coming from, located the shooter, and fired one round at Crooks with his rifle, "which caused the shooter to recoil and briefly fall out of sight," the Adams Township officer testified. "He did this less than six seconds after shots began… at a distance of approximately 110 yards," Lenz said. A Secret Service counter sniper then fired the fatal shot that neutralized Crooks on the roof of the AGR building, where he was perched with a direct line of sight to Trump. Witnesses largely suggested that the Secret Service's lack of direction given to local agencies ultimately led to the security failures that allowed 20-year-old Crooks to position himself on a nearby rooftop and fire at the former president. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23, 2024. On the day of the rally, Crooks parked his vehicle and flew a drone between approximately 3:50 p.m. and 4 p.m. about 200 yards from where the former president would be speaking. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified during a July 17 congressional hearing that Crooks had been at the rally site for about 70 minutes the morning of the assassination attempt. Investigators located eight casings on the roof where Crooks fired from.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
ICE Agents in Despair Under Stephen Miller's Impossible Orders
A new report from The Atlantic's Nick Miroff finds morale at Immigration and Customs Enforcement is suffering as the agency, under the direction of President Trump and Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller, targets undocumented immigrants who haven't committed crimes. While the Trump administration may claim its deportation campaign prioritizes violent criminals and gang members, in reality, it has focused on arresting noncriminals, evidently to hit quotas passed down by Trump and Miller. And while the administration may claim ICE agents are happier than ever, Miroff's report—based on conversations with 12 current and former ICE personnel—shows that the change is frustrating many agents and officers. One ICE veteran finds the job so 'infuriating' that the agent is considering quitting. 'No drug cases, no human trafficking, no child exploitation,' said the agent, who complained about having to focus instead on 'arresting gardeners.' A former agent told Miroff that 'morale is in the crapper,' and 'even those that are gung ho about the mission aren't happy with how they are asking to execute it—the quotas and the shift to the low-hanging fruit to make the numbers.' Another former ICE official suggested that this shift is vindicating criticisms the agency has faced in the past, observing, 'What we're seeing now is what, for many years, we were accused of being, and could always safely say, 'We don't do that.'' One of Miroff's interviewees was Adam Boyd, a young attorney who resigned from the agency's legal department because it's no longer focused on 'protecting the homeland from threats.' Instead, he said, 'It became a contest of how many deportations could be reported to Stephen Miller by December.' Boyd told Miroff: 'We still need good attorneys at ICE. There are drug traffickers and national-security threats and human-rights violators in our country who need to be dealt with. But we are now focusing on numbers over all else.' One former ICE official said that there are now 'national-security and public-safety threats that are not being addressed,' as the agency moves staff from its Homeland Security Investigations division, focused largely on transnational crime, to its Enforcement and Removal Operations division—a move that many perceive as retaliation for HSI in recent years distancing itself from the agency's deportation arm. When Miller issued his demand for 3,000 arrests per day, he reportedly steamrolled any veteran officials who dared to speak up about its impracticality, which has led many to keep silent since then for fear of drawing his ire, Miroff writes. This means that 'no one is saying, 'This is not obtainable,'' an ICE official told him. 'The answer is just to keep banging the [ICE rank-and-file] and tell [them] they suck. It's just not a good atmosphere.'
