Thermohaline

Page 2 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: constructive suggestions regarding how the already remarkable institutional efficiency and societal impact of NCAR could be further enhanced through increased (not decreased) federal support in the years to come. Please note: To ensure the highest level of technical rigor, this response focuses exclusively on the core atmospheric and natural hazard science topics within the author’s primary domain of expertise; for this reason, I have omitted a response to Topic 4 (Space Weather)." NCAR weather modeling and atmospheric observing capabilities a) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as a stand-alone activity. The proposed management of weather-related research as a stand-alone activity is a scientifically regressive path that ignores the fundamental physical reality of the Earth system. Modern atmospheric science has demonstrated (largely, it is worth noting, due to groundbreaking researc

Page 3 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: b) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as combined with other NSF investments/facilities. The highly specialized nature of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) infrastructure represents an extraordinary value proposition that cannot be replicated by combining it with more generalized NSF programs. The NWSC is not a generic high-performance computing (HPC) facility; it is a laboratory uniquely optimized for atmospheric science workflows, with a hardware and storage architecture specifically designed to handle the massive, high-bandwidth data demands of Earth system modeling. Furthermore, its model of providing an excellent, free-at-point-of-use technical support team ensures that the focus remains on the science rather than the overhead of systems administration. This centralized expertise allows individual researchers, smaller labs, and even entire universities—who would otherwi

Page 4 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: NCAR Mesa Lab (located in Boulder, Colorado) a/b) Ownership of the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab building for public and private use. Far more than just an office building, NSF NCAR Mesa Lab is an iconic and purpose-built facility designed specifically for the study of atmospheric science. Its position at the physical interface of the Rocky Mountain foothills and the Great Plains is a deliberate reflection of its mission, serving as a visible symbol—in an iconically American setting—of the federal government's enduring commitment to science in service of society. For many in the field, including myself, the Mesa Lab holds singular importance as a focal gathering point for the global atmospheric science community. My own early career exposure to weather and Earth system modeling, in fact, occurred within these walls, and I have long felt that the facility’s architecture and location inspire a necessary sense of awe regarding the atmosphere’s complexity a

Page 1 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: Dear Acting Director Stone and the NSF NCAR restructuring team: I am writing to provide a formal response to the Request for Information (RFI) regarding the proposed restructuring of the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and its critical weather science infrastructure contained within the January 23, 2026 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) entitled “NSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure.” I submit these comments in my professional capacity as an atmospheric research scientist within the University of California, where my research focuses on the physics and dynamics of atmospheric processes related to extreme weather events and their role in shifting natural hazard and disaster risk. My perspective is informed by a public-sector career dedicated to bridging the gap between fundamental atmospheric research and real-world application in an academic context, with a particular focus on understanding and mitigating

I just submitted my letter to NSF responding to its proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). I argue that doing so would be an astonishing and avoidable misstep, and that federal support for the institution should in fact be *increased.* [1/4]

Jenks Spring Cultural Burn YouTube video by SLU GIS

The yak titiʸu titiʸu yak tithini (ytt) Northern Chumash Tribal Council partnered with the CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit and Sequoia Riverlands Trust to complete a cultural burn, reducing invasive species and heavy fuels.

youtu.be/QSRMC4gb21c?...

The civil contempt hearing Judge Tunheim ordered US Atty Dan Rosen to attend today, concerning late or no return of detainees' property in ~5 cases, should not be confused with the one Judge Bryan ordered Rosen to attend Tuesday concerning the same issue in ~25 other cases. ...
1/2

'Complete Nightmare': Voting Rights Advocates Slam Chaos And Confusion In Texas Primaries 'Complete Nightmare': Voting Rights Advocates Slam Chaos And Confusion In Texas Primaries

Voters in two Texas counties faced long wait times and had questions about polling locations.

Trump helps MAGA influencers flee Middle East war zone on private jet Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, dogwalker Sarah Daither, former lobbyist Jay Footlik, and others managed to escape on a private plane thanks to the White House.

The White House has helped MAGA influencers escape the Middle East on a private jet while more than a million ordinary Americans are still trapped with no way out.

Congressman Dan Crenshaw has been defeated in the GOP primary by Steve Toth, per Dave Wasserman

Breaking:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Roy Cooper wins Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in North Carolina primary election.

U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military

EXCLUSIVE: At more than 30 installations, U.S. commanders told troops the war on Iran is a Christian war.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been “inundated” with more than 110 complaints.

One NCO said they were told the U.S. war is to bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus…

The recent report that outdated information might have led to the strike on a girls' school in Iran is a sobering reminder that "intelligence" is only as good as the oversight governing it. This wasn't just a tactical error; it represents a systemic failure of leadership and process. 

Exclusive: U.S. Marines fired on protesters storming consulate in Karachi, officials say U.S. Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two U.S. officials said on Monday—a rare use ​of force at a diplomatic post that could sharply ...

Exclusive: US Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two US officials said — a rare use of force at a diplomatic post that could sharply escalate tensions in the country amid protests over the killing of Iran's leader reut.rs/4u6iscA

Bibis wife in Maralago too

"Aside from the internment camps used to incarcerate Japanese Americans in the 1940s, such facilities have no precedent in American history..."

US Conference of Catholic Bishops statement on Trump's new mass prison camps.

Full statement at the link:

www.usccb.org/news/2026/th...

“Second or third place is dead.”

Trump returned to the WH and admired new statues installed in the Rose Garden, but won’t answer a reporter’s question about the three U.S. troops who died in combat.

Reporter: “What’s your message to the families of the service members who were killed?”

Trump: walks away.

Priorities noted.

Comment here:

President Obama had a deal with Iran that trump ripped up without replacing, and now we're in an unnecessary war with Iran that he started without Congress, because he's a small, petty, envious punk.

Email Me Constituents, please put your zip code below to be directed to our email form. If you do not know the four digit +4 extension for your ZIP code, please check the U.S. Postal Service website for more i...

NY-14 constituents abroad can also contact my office for support⬇️

ocasio-cortez.house.gov/contact

Oh btw ICE activity today at Whipple was fucking nuts. Large convoys of masked agents leaving every so often with a constant stream of single ICE vehicles in between.

This 'drawdown' was clearly just a brief hiatus to pacify liberals and get bourgeois media/politicians to completely lose interest.

Classified with curtains you can pull back, an open section in the ceiling and above the curtains through the wood trusses. Electronics equipment seen hanging from ceiling as well.

Susie Wiles is wearing an Apple Watch during a highly classified meeting on Iran.

Unreal.

Lost in the noise over Trump cutting off Anthropic is the basic idea that autonomous weapons are a horrible turn in warfare. They are inhumane and undemocratic. They are also catastrophically ineffective at this point, slaughtering civilians by the thousands in Ukraine, Gaza, and now Iran.

Sadly, this is about the next election. He’s laying the groundwork to declare his election “emergency” to change rules and argue to courts they can’t question his national security judgment in war time. And if the Court does, he’s preparing to say that’s beyond their constitutional powers.

Airspace in the Middle East on the Flightradar24 map as of 0645 UTC 28 Feb.

Israel says it has launched a pre-emptive attack on Iran.

· Iranian airspace is now closed by NOTAM until at least 1200 UTC
· Flights are also diverting away from Tel Aviv and Amman.
www.flightradar24.com/29.85,50.29/6

They said that if I voted for Kamala Harris the president would end free enterprise and folks…

Exclusive: Read the draft executive emergency order for Trump to take control of elections Lawyers and legal experts explicitly said that such an order is blatantly unconstitutional.

🚨BREAKING: Democracy Docket has obtained a draft of the executive order being circulated with the White House that would allow Trump to take unprecedented control over voting. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Just thinking about the County Clerks who are largely Republican (fewer voters, but in rural and smaller counties) will go apeshit over this. They aren't geared up for this and it will require wholesale changes in their processes and they generally don't have large staffs.

Map depicting predicted departures from average of temperatures later on Friday across the U.S. Southwest from the ECMWF model. Highly anomalously warm values are depicted nearly everywhere.

Map from NOAA NWS depicting specific locations expected to approach or exceed high temperatures today. Many such locations are noted in southern CA, AZ, NV, and adjacent regions.

Exceptionally warm-to-hot late winter conditions expected across the Southwest through the weekend, peaking Fri and Sat. Numerous daily record highs (and record warm overnight minimums) will be set, along with some Feb monthly records possible. [Thread] #CAwx #AZwx #NVwx

So I just got a statement from California AG Bonta's office:
"Paramount/Warner Bros is not a done deal. These two Hollywood titans have not cleared regulatory scrutiny — the California Department of Justice has an open investigation, and we intend to be vigorous in our review"

PSA for Wisconsin folks… but the underlying issue applies all around the country.