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[Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring SystemThe $368 million network of instruments collecting data in both the Atlantic and Pacific has been critical to climate and ocean research.]

#1

Off the Record / Re: Climate Change/Mass Extinc...

Last post by Syt - Today at 10:07:10 PM

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html

Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System
The $368 million network of instruments collecting data in both the Atlantic and Pacific has been critical to climate and ocean research.

network. The Trump administration repeatedly tried to shutter it, proposing to cut its funding by 80 percent in both 2025 and again in 2026. Congress pushed back, restoring the money.

To try to reduce costs, managers turned off some of the instruments and collected less data, according to a December 2025 presentation about the observatories at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, a nonprofit organization of scientists.

Still, the science foundation moved ahead to decommission the observatory network.

Hilary Palevsky, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Boston College, has been using data from the Irminger instruments for the past decade to better understand how the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Scientists have benefited from downloading data from remote ocean instruments, rather than making difficult, dangerous and expensive trips to sea each year. Pulling up the instruments without a plan to store them or to continue collecting data "is very hasty," she said.

"One of the real tragedies here is that collecting data effectively at this site was a huge engineering challenge, and it's not the kind of thing where you can just leave your notes for the next person who comes in," Dr. Palevsky said. "There's a lot of expertise that has the potential to be lost."

The $48 million annual budget for the observation network was small compared with the value of the data it collected for understanding the oceans and the climate, Dr. McLean said.

The observation station off Cape Hatteras, N.C., collected data about coastal currents that influence the weather and commercial fisheries along the U.S. East Coast.

Mike Muglia, professor of coastal studies at East Carolina University, used the data to understand waves, currents and sea life for a marine renewable energy test site in Nags Head, N.C., that was funded by the Energy Department.

Moorings that stretch west off the coast of Newport, Ore., and Grays Harbor, Wash., captured temperature, acidity, and oxygen content data that is key to predicting climate-related environmental changes as well as the health of the region's commercial fishing industry. Another station is anchored 620 miles offshore in the central Gulf of Alaska.

#2

Off the Record / Re: Iran War

Last post by Darth Wagtaros - Today at 07:00:11 PM

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump sought to downplay the potential collapse of peace talks with Iran, saying the negotiations "started to get very boring" and that he "couldn't care less" if the talks are over.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/01/trump-iran-peace-talks-over-israel-lebanon/90356859007/

I guess the Iranians have enough attention span to eventually win this war by outlasting Trump's interest.

The people serving in the American Armed Forces must be thrilled that their lives are being put in danger because their president is too bored to discuss peace terms.

The ongoing purges of the officer corps will make sure their pleasure is irrelevant. 

#3

Off the Record / Re: Iran War

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 06:08:33 PM

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump sought to downplay the potential collapse of peace talks with Iran, saying the negotiations "started to get very boring" and that he "couldn't care less" if the talks are over.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/01/trump-iran-peace-talks-over-israel-lebanon/90356859007/

I guess the Iranians have enough attention span to eventually win this war by outlasting Trump's interest.

The people serving in the American Armed Forces must be thrilled that their lives are being put in danger because their president is too bored to discuss peace terms.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Iran War

Last post by Valmy - Today at 04:50:42 PM

WTF kind of response is that?

Ending the war? BORING.

#5

Off the Record / Re: Iran War

Last post by Zanza - Today at 04:48:11 PM

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump sought to downplay the potential collapse of peace talks with Iran, saying the negotiations "started to get very boring" and that he "couldn't care less" if the talks are over.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/01/trump-iran-peace-talks-over-israel-lebanon/90356859007/

I guess the Iranians have enough attention span to eventually win this war by outlasting Trump's interest.

#6

Off the Record / Re: Scandinavian Thread

Last post by Valmy - Today at 04:36:53 PM

I remember reading an article about 10-15 years ago from a young journalist just noting that somewhere in Oxford is our future PM who has shared loads of nudes and her tits are on many people's phones and this is going to be a social adjustment we're just going to have to face at some point

government communication via OnlyFans instead of X or TruthSocial (cause shit can always be worse)...

Somehow less controversial than what many of the candidates end up saying on X or TruthSocial.

#7

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Zanza - Today at 04:20:44 PM

Trump reduces number of embassies that can process visa application in Africa from 50 to 20. 2 of which in South Africa.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-africa-visas-embassies-cutbacks-973e4458cc0770a0a7e83acf51e74df0

So not a single embassy offering visa services in the Maghreb or Egypt? Or is that somehow not considered "Africa" in the United States? 

Edit: Might follow these areas as defined by State Department:
https://www.state.gov/countries-and-areas-list
Still strange from AP to not clarify that.

#8

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Syt - Today at 03:58:47 PM

Trump reduces number of embassies that can process visa application in Africa from 50 to 20. 2 of which in South Africa.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-africa-visas-embassies-cutbacks-973e4458cc0770a0a7e83acf51e74df0

#9

Off the Record / Re: Scandinavian Thread

Last post by Jacob - Today at 03:23:13 PM

After 69 days of negotiation, Denmark has a government again.

#10

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 02:28:39 PM

Some perspective for us from someone who came here from Ukraine

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZBC2OdRj1r/?igsh=cXc3bm5vMWFmNjF0