"We are now witnessing what the historian Richard Rhodes termed 'public man-made death,' which, he observed, has been perhaps the most overlooked cause of mortality in the last century." #publichealth #USAID

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 12mo ago

One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc

I'm on vacation, and during trivia this morning, the host asked a question that he has never gotten a correct answer for: "In medieval England, what was used for currency for rental agreements?" His unbroken streak ended today, all because I follow @greenleejw.bsky.social That's right... Eels.

Dealing with ANY one of the onslaughts against the CDC in recent weeks would be trying enough. I can't imagine being so squarely in the crosshairs -- literally and figuratively -- and still trying to do your job for the health of the American people every day.

Aaron Stewart-Ahn@badideas.bsky.social · last yr.

Fucking losing it how little of the reporting I’m reading about the CDC not mentioning how an anti-vaxxer gunman killed a police officer and fired hundreds of rounds at the building 2 weeks ago. An end to end ouroborous of delusional mania. The GOP will probably give the shooter a posthumous medal.

"With KUCB down to just one reporter on the island full time, Ms. Adams said she did not know how the station would continue doing so in the event of a possible tsunami, flood or even volcanic ash fall." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/u... #greysky #emergencymanagement #publicbroadcasting

Public Broadcast Cuts Hit Rural Areas, Revealing a Political Shift

nytimes.com

“The notion that the federal government would use these operations for surveillance is entirely new territory.” DHS, FEMA grant award process aims to stop disaster aid to undocumented immigrants. wapo.st/3Jy4ptv #greysky

DHS moves to bar aid groups from serving undocumented immigrants

Disaster-aid groups said the new contracts would make it harder for nonprofits to help the most vulnerable Americans in the aftermath of a disaster.

wapo.st

Tonight, a new PBS documentary -- the attempts to deal with smog in LA and elsewhere across the nation over the last 80 years. TRAILER: www.pbs.org/video/traile... #greysky #wxhistory #LA

American Experience | Trailer | Clearing the Air: The War on Smog | Season 37 | Episode 4

Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.

pbs.org

The Netflix documentary on the Whakaari (White Island), New Zealand, volcanic eruption of 2019 was powerful. A great look at an unfolding crisis and the response to it. #greysky #emergencymanagement

Tonight, I'll be watching two of the finest cinematic examples of what happens when elected officials don't pay heed to those who deal with public safety and emergency management: "Jaws" and "Jaws 2" #greysky #emergencymanagement

Playing @washingtonpost.com's one-question news quiz today, I was reminded of one of my favorite bits of presidential trivia. John Tyler, 10th president of the United States, was born in 1790. Until last week, he had one living grandson.

I wish I could say I'm shocked. wapo.st/4dHupNU #greysky

White House proposes shutting down chemical safety agency

Since 1998, the Chemical Safety Board has played a key role in probing the causes of major chemical accidents.

wapo.st

How on earth can we do 3 1/2 more years of this? And what about the time and money to undo all the damage?

NPR@npr.org · last yr.

Some of the CDC's main channels for communicating urgent health information to the public have gone silent.

Sobering watch this morning. Lessons not learned -- and unlearned, preparedness underfunded... Ugh! #greysky

FRONTLINE@frontlinepbs.bsky.social · last yr.

FRONTLINE and @npr.org investigate why the U.S. is more vulnerable than ever to climate change-related storms and how Hurricane Helene became an ominous warning about America’s lack of preparedness. Premieres Tues., May 20 on PBS and online. to.pbs.org/4jfXfGE

New "Frontline" tonight (5/20, on PBS looks at the state of disaster response through the lens of Hurricane Helene. www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli... #greysky

Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning | FRONTLINE

How Hurricane Helene became an ominous warning about America’s lack of preparedness.

pbs.org

[2/2] The sinking of the Sultana is the deadliest U.S. maritime disaster. Though casualty figures vary widely, most estimates put the toll above that of RMS Titanic in 1912. The capture and killing of Lincoln assassin J.W. Booth the day before overshadows the accident. www.npr.org/2015/04/27/4...

The Shipwreck That Led Confederate Veterans To Risk All For Union Lives

On April 27, 1865, a steamboat named the Sultana exploded and sank while transporting Union soldiers up the Mississippi. An estimated 1,800 people died, but few today have heard of this disaster.

npr.org

#OnThisDay (April 27) in 1865, a boiler explosion aboard the paddle steamer S.S. Sultana sank the overloaded ship north of Memphis; an estimated 1,800 die -- many recently released POWs from Confederate camps. The ship had been designed to carry at most 400. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI2q... [1/2]

Special Report: The Sultana Shipwreck

YouTube video by KARK 4 News

youtube.com

Today's anniversary of the tornado outbreak that included tornadoes near Andover and El Dorado, Kansas, is a good time for a reminder: DON'T SHELTER UNDER AN OVERPASS! That TV crew got lucky.

#greysky folks, I don't listen to many audiobooks, but I've got some credits for free books I'm trying to use up. I've already grabbed a couple that are staples on my shelf in book form, but seeking more. Are there any disaster-related books you'd recommend specifically for the audiobook version?

a man wearing headphones is looking at a laptop computer with the scaler logo in the background

ALT: a man wearing headphones is looking at a laptop computer with the scaler logo in the background

media.tenor.com

Alaska Native villages face the dire future of climate change's impacts to their livelihoods, traditions, and very communities. A couple of years ago, i did a paper on this for an EM class. Tonight, "Frontline" on PBS looks at the topic. #greysky www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli...

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages | FRONTLINE

A look inside Alaska Native villages fighting for survival against climate change.

pbs.org

I know there's a lot to be mad about right now, and I've got a list...but amid things this president HAS done to disrespect this nation, one he didn't do was also disrespectful today. Not one mention of the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the deadliest act of domestic terrorism.

[2/2] Still finding my path, but I carry lessons and memories from Oklahoma City every step. Journalism, social work, public health, emergency management...I've gained much in each sphere as I continue to work to bring it all together, learning how to be part of healing, growth, & lessons learned.

[1/2] For me, April 19, 1995, was a turning point. I had long been fascinated by disasters and looked up to those who would rush to help. But on that day, this wasn't a world away -- it was up the interstate. In my dorm room less than 20 miles from where 168 people died, my path began to change.

FEMA does a lot. Our 28 USAR Task Forces are located throughout the U.S. This capability is critical during disasters.

Pícara@apowhichiapi.bsky.social · 2y ago

Good folks here - if Trump decides to get rid of the FEMA USAR teams - the American people will lose this capability to respond to disasters - natural and man-made

The town of West, Texas, is just north of Waco. With a population of 2,500, it's not known for a lot other than a proud Czech heritage. #Onthisday in 2013, the tiny burg was rocked by tragedy when an explosion at a fertilizer factory killed 15, including 12 firefighters. www.csb.gov/videos/dange...

#OnThisDay (4/16) in 1947, an explosion aboard a cargo ship carrying ammonium nitrate killed more than 580 people in Texas City, Texas. Among the dead were all but 1 member of the local volunteer fire department. It's the nation's deadliest industrial accident. www.texascitytx.gov/458/1947-Tex...

An article for all the #greysky folks who took the "fascinated by the Titanic" to disaster-work pipeline. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/05/s...

Tomorrow (4/11) at 7pm EDT, the Clinton Center commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Speakers will include panelists looking at the response and recovery, as well as the search for justice and the memorialization of the event. www.clintonfoundation.org/events/clint...

Gonna revisit "Top Secret!" and "Real Genius" to pay homage to Mr. Kilmer. Rest in peace.

a man is talking to another man and the words it 's a moral imperative are visible

ALT: a man is talking to another man and the words it 's a moral imperative are visible

media.tenor.com

All this.

Mika McKinnon@mikamckinnon.bsky.social · 2y ago

Ready for your disaster notes? 1. Stay off hashtags. Don’t drown life-safety info in goodwill. 2. Be mindful when boosting traumatic imagery & vids. Disaster porn of suffering isn’t helpful. 3. Be diligent. You can be a firebreak for AI fakes & misinformation.

Very important scicomm note -- amplifying for those in the back. #wordsmatter

Celeste Labedz@celestelabedz.bsky.social · 2y ago

This goes for everyone, but scientists sometimes especially need to hear it. Respect for human life and loss must underlie what we do as scientists AND how we share our science with others. Seismologists are some of the people the world is looking to now, and we need to respect those affected.

A smooth transition for PEPFAR is what staffers were working toward, but does this administration care? No. They don't care how they look to the world...just their reflections in their own funhouse mirrors.

Jonathan Dushoff@jdushoff.bsky.social · 2y ago

PEPFAR was a great idea, and great diplomacy. But it's not something the US owes to the world. What the US _does_ owe to the world is promise-keeping and a smooth transition, rather than a train wreck driven by ideological malice. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...