The Trump Administration Decides Against Posting Extensive Climate Change Report on NASA’s Website

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On Monday, the Trump administration advanced efforts to complicate access to a crucial legally mandated scientific evaluation regarding the risks climate change poses to the nation and its citizens.

Earlier this month, the official government website indicated its authority, stating that the peer-reviewed national climate assessment was moving offline. These platforms provide essential information for state and local governments and the public regarding what to expect from climate change and how to adapt accordingly. At that time, the White House stated that NASA would host the report to comply with the 1990 Act Requiring Reporting.

However, on Monday, NASA declared the cancellation of those plans.

According to NASA, “The USGCRP (the agency that oversaw and utilized the report) fulfills its statutory obligations by presenting the report to Congress. NASA has no legal requirement to host data from GlobalChange.gov,” meaning no coordinated assessments or data from governmental scientific offices will be routed to NASA.

On July 3, NASA released a statement affirming, “All existing reports will be accessible on the NASA website to maintain continuity in reporting.”

“This document was produced for taxpayers and includes vital information necessary for people to protect themselves in changing climates,” said the Chief Scientist of the Nature Reserve, a co-author of several previous national climate assessments.

Copies of past reports remain accessible at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s library, and you can view the latest reports and their interactive atlas here.

John Holden, a former scientific advisor to the Obama White House and a climate scientist, accused the administration of blatant misinformation regarding its intentions to censor or obscure the report.

“This new approach exemplifies a classic misunderstanding characteristic of the Trump administration,” Holden stated. “They initially aim to soothe outrage over the discontinuation of the GlobalChange.gov site and the disappearance of the national climate assessment, only to retract their reassurances without apology two weeks later.”

“They simply do not want the public to have access to detailed and scientifically validated information concerning climate change’s impact on agriculture, forests, fisheries, as well as storms, floods, wildfires, and coastal properties.

Holden emphasized the significance of these reports for state and local authorities and the general public, asserting that they “aid in understanding how climate change is affecting people’s lives, their loved ones, their properties, and their environments.”

“Trump is intentionally keeping people in the dark,” Holden asserted.

The most recent report published in 2023 revealed that climate change is impacting the safety, health, and livelihoods of individuals across the country in various ways, putting them at an increased risk.

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Source: www.nbcnews.com

The White House to Replace Covid Resources Page with Lab Leak Website

Visitors to Covid.gov, a federal website previously dedicated to Covid Resources, were met with a significant change on Friday.

The page now redirects to the White House Website, which proposes that Covid originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China before spreading to humans. This “lab leak theory” gained traction early in the pandemic and has since gained popularity among some right-wing media and conservative politicians.

Whitehouse.gov

Prior to this change, covid.gov served as a platform to provide information on Covid vaccines, treatments, tests, and long-term effects. The website assisted users in locating pharmacies and community health centers for Covid-related services including testing, medical consultations, and medications.

Its companion site, Covidtests.gov, allowed individuals to order free Covid tests for home delivery. Both sites now redirect to the White House Lab Leak website.

White House spokesperson Kaelan Dole emphasized transparency, innovation, and protection in a statement, citing the Trump administration’s commitment to these values in contrast to previous administrations.

The new website draws heavily from a House of Representatives report released in December. This report suggested that Covid likely originated from a laboratory or research-related accident, based on a two-year investigation by a Republican-led subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic.

Established in 2020 under Democratic control, the subcommittee initially scrutinized the Trump administration’s pandemic response. After Republicans gained a House majority in early 2023, the focus shifted towards investigating the lab leak theory and the efficacy of vaccine and mask mandates.

A separate December report from House Democrats contradicted the Republican findings, stating it did not definitively determine the virus’s origins or how it crossed to humans. The report acknowledged the possibility of lab leaks but also suggested natural transmission from animals as a potential source.

Both the Republican report and the White House website accuse Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of suppressing the lab leak theory. However, Democrats view these attacks as unfounded and politically motivated.

Several independent scientists argue against the lab leak theory, favoring natural zoonotic spillover events as the likely origin of the virus. These findings align with a survey of 168 scientists conducted by a nonpartisan think tank last year.

Similarly, a 2023 article in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the most scientifically supported scenario for the virus’s emergence is natural spillover from animals. The article highlighted the political entanglement of the issue and the likelihood that the true origin may remain elusive.

In 2023, a declassified report by the Director of National Intelligence acknowledged the plausibility of both lab leaks and natural animal origins. While the CIA expressed “low confidence” in favor of a lab leak in January, the conclusion remains uncertain.

The closure of covid.gov by the Trump administration coincides with significant budget cuts to Covid-related programs, including an $11.4 billion reduction in CDC funding and the discontinuation of NIH Covid research grants. This includes a $577 million initiative for developing oral antiviral drugs against potential pandemic pathogens.

The administration justified these cuts by asserting that “the pandemic is over,” according to a closing letter reviewed by NBC News.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

This website conducted a survey: Celebrities who are not honest about their height | Culture

Experiencing physical anxiety due to height is not something I’ve ever encountered, unlike the frustration I feel when my legs are cramped in a plane seat. This realization dawned on me after stumbling upon celebheights.com, which sparked a mix of excitement and anger.

In 2019, while working as a cadet journalist in Hasting, I found myself banned from a brewery tour for lacking size 13 protective boots. Sitting alone in the rest room, cursing my oversized feet, I came up with a wild theory involving an aspiring prime minister hoarding the last size 13s. That’s when I turned to celebheights.com and discovered a whole new world.

The site’s strict mission statement, promising height estimates based on various sources like quotes, resumes, photo comparisons, and face-to-face encounters, deeply impressed me.


The most popular page grid at celebheights.com – “A thriving community of keyboard warriors wrapped in height.” Photo: celebheights.com

celebheights.com isn’t just a database of celebrities’ heights; it’s a lively community of height-obsessed keyboard warriors.

At its core is Admin Rob, the self-appointed judge who meticulously assesses and debates celebrities’ heights, down to the quarter-inch for some.

Launched in 2004, the site gained prominence after being featured in the (Criminally Short-Lived) Mystery Show Podcast in 2015, revealing the passion and dedication of its users.

The debates on the site can get intense, especially when it comes to celebrities like Mariah Carey, whose height listing has attracted over a thousand comments over the years.

Rob’s commitment to personally verify celebrities’ heights by comparing them to his own 5’8″ stature is a testament to his dedication.

Even celebrities whose heights have been confirmed by Rob can still spark debates among users on the site.


The furious debate is furious at Mariah Carey’s height. Photo: celebheights.com

The speculation and arguments about heights continue unabated on the site, with Rob’s firm belief that these debates can go on indefinitely.


Often, moderators on this site conduct field research in the form of celebrity encounters and gifts. Photo: celebheights.com

When not engaged in heated debates online, the site’s moderators undertake field research, often interacting with celebrities to verify their heights.

The height controversies even extend to celebrities with verified measurements, as seen in the case of actor Brendan Fraser, whose height listing underwent revisions despite Rob’s personal verification.

Commenters on the site provide diverse perspectives, with some offering valuable insights based on personal encounters with celebrities.

Even celebrities like Danny DeVito, who humorously downplays his height, find themselves embroiled in debates over their true measurements, making the height discussions a truly engaging saga.

Source: www.theguardian.com

GPT-4 Developer Tools Allows for Autonomous Website Hacking

Some AIs may be able to hack websites without human assistance

Ole.CNX/Shutterstock

Researchers have discovered that OpenAI’s artificial intelligence model GPT-4 has the ability to hack websites and steal information from online databases without any human assistance. This suggests that individuals and organizations without hacking expertise could unleash AI agents to carry out cyberattacks.

“You literally don’t have to understand anything; you just let the agent hack your website on its own,” he says. Daniel Kang At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “We believe this will significantly reduce the required expertise…

Source: www.newscientist.com