home.social

#publicgood — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #publicgood, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Reuters: Trump administration threatens to cut federal agencies’ support for Smithsonian. “President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to cut federal agencies’ ‌support for the Smithsonian, marking its latest escalation against the institution.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/06/reuters-trump-administration-threatens-to-cut-federal-agencies-support-for-smithsonian/
  2. Reuters: Trump administration threatens to cut federal agencies’ support for Smithsonian. “President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to cut federal agencies’ ‌support for the Smithsonian, marking its latest escalation against the institution.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/06/reuters-trump-administration-threatens-to-cut-federal-agencies-support-for-smithsonian/
  3. Reuters: Trump administration threatens to cut federal agencies’ support for Smithsonian. “President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to cut federal agencies’ ‌support for the Smithsonian, marking its latest escalation against the institution.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/06/reuters-trump-administration-threatens-to-cut-federal-agencies-support-for-smithsonian/
  4. Reuters: Trump administration threatens to cut federal agencies’ support for Smithsonian. “President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to cut federal agencies’ ‌support for the Smithsonian, marking its latest escalation against the institution.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/06/reuters-trump-administration-threatens-to-cut-federal-agencies-support-for-smithsonian/
  5. Reuters: Trump administration threatens to cut federal agencies’ support for Smithsonian. “President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to cut federal agencies’ ‌support for the Smithsonian, marking its latest escalation against the institution.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/06/reuters-trump-administration-threatens-to-cut-federal-agencies-support-for-smithsonian/
  6. The Journal (Ireland): Meta, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn didn’t act on 77% of misinformation reported during Áras race. “SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES failed to act on the vast majority of electoral disinformation reported by researchers ahead of last year’s presidential election, a new report shows. The report also criticised the companies for not demonstrating an understanding of the context […]

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/27/the-journal-meta-tiktok-youtube-and-linkedin-didnt-act-on-77-of-misinformation-reported-during-aras-race/
  7. A quotation from Bertrand Russell

    All the governments of the world adopt elaborate methods of concealing truths which they consider undesirable, and inflict various forms of penalty upon those who spread knowledge which is thought bad for the population This applies especially to knowledge of the kind which is considered seditious, and the kind which is considered obscene. I shall not give instances, since, if I did, I should myself fall under the ban of the law.

    Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
    Education and the Social Order [Education and the Modern World], ch. 1 “The Individual versus the Citizen” (1932)

    More about this quote: wist.info/russell-bertrand/853…

    #quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bertrandrussell #censorship #control #freepress #freespeech #government #knowledge #obscenity #pornography #publicgood #sedition #suppression #treason #truth

  8. Cal Matters: White House admits it used keywords to kill billions worth of California research grants. “Federal agencies that terminated more than a thousand research grants at the University of California last year admitted that they used keywords related to diversity, gender, vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 to screen for projects that ran afoul of the Trump administration’s priorities.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/07/22/cal-matters-white-house-admits-it-used-keywords-to-kill-billions-worth-of-california-research-grants/
  9. Watching A #NOAA #Webinar on Flash Droughts
    --
    noaaresearch.webex.com/wbxmjs/ <-- shared NOAA Summer Science Series individual webinar
    --
    drought.gov/what-is-drought/fl <-- shared NOAA overview technical article
    --
    star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/NOAA <-- subscribe to the NOAA Summer Science Series
    --
    doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-006 <-- shared paper
    --
    communities.springernature.com <-- shared technical article (derived from paper above)
    H/T @Jeffrey Basara PhD, MBA | Chair and Professor - Department of Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell | Co-Founder - American Prime Sustainable Solutions
    [Flash floods? not TOO hard to conceptualise.
    Flash drought? harder to 'get my head around', but H/T / presenter does an excellent job!]
    "Not all droughts are the same. In some cases, drought rapidly intensifies at subseasonal to seasonal scales with significant impacts to agriculture and water resources along with the increased propensity for heatwaves and wildfires. Like all droughts, flash drought begins with a precipitation deficit. However, both evaporative demand and soil moisture are critical flash drought variables, and identifying and monitoring the desiccation of the terrestrial surface is key for determining flash drought development and associated impacts. While recent advances in knowledge and monitoring of flash drought have occurred, fundamental questions remain in the state of the science. What are the overall mechanistic relationships between atmospheric demand, evaporative stress, terrestrial desiccation, and precipitation that drive the progression of flash drought? Do regional characteristics of the environment impact the evolution of flash drought? What are the scales of predictability for flash drought? Finally, how will flash drought frequency and intensity evolve in a changing climate system"
    --
    "Flash drought intensifies rapidly due to changes in precipitation, temperature, wind, and radiation. These changes in the weather increase evapotranspiration and lower soil moisture. Flash droughts can cause extensive damage to agriculture, economies, and ecosystems if they are not predicted and discovered early..."
    #water #hydrology #fedscience #publicgood #hydrologicdrought #waterdeficit #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #watersecurity #risk #hazard #humanimpacts #streamflow #riverflow #groundwater #surfacewater #climate #weather #climatechange #extremeweather #atmosphere #metrology #regional #global #farming #agriculture #fluvial #pluvial #rainfall #precipitation #cloudcover #energy #heat #temperature #ET #evapotranspiration #farming #agriculture #foodsecurity #waterresources #dynamicsystems #watermanagement #flashdrought #drought #susceptibility #monitoring #prediction #model #modeling
    @noaa

  10. If Acts Happened Today, Would We Call It Communism?

    For many, "communism" has become less a political philosophy and more a conversation stopper. But is every effort to use our shared resources to care for the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable really communism? This article examines the difference between political labels and biblical principles, comparing the teachings of the early Church with today's political rhetoric.

    polymathchristian.wordpress.co

  11. Ars Technica: Trump’s plan to redesign every .gov website leads to AI-designed horrors. “Last August, Trump created the National Design Studio, or NDS, by executive order. A temporary DOGE-like entity that answers only to the president, NDS was tasked with creating new standards to update the US Web Design System (USWDS) and overhaul 27,000 dot-gov websites in just three years…. Most people […]

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/07/01/ars-technica-trumps-plan-to-redesign-every-gov-website-leads-to-ai-designed-horrors/
  12. American Library Association: American Library Association launches national advocacy campaign to fight FCC attack on library funding. “The American Library Association (ALA), along with Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition partners, announced a national advocacy campaign today after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to advance a proposal that asks whether the […]

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/06/28/american-library-association-american-library-association-launches-national-advocacy-campaign-to-fight-fcc-attack-on-library-funding/
  13. PsyPost: Updating Wikipedia pages boosts public trust in scientific organizations, study finds. “A recent study published in the journal Anatomical Sciences Education has found that updating Wikipedia pages for scientific organizations improves public access to accurate information.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/17/psypost-updating-wikipedia-pages-boosts-public-trust-in-scientific-organizations-study-finds/
  14. Influence Of Modeling Assumptions On Pedestrian Evacuation Success For Non-Eruptive Lahar Hazards At Mount Rainier, Washington
    --
    doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2026.1 <-- shared paper
    --
    sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/6 <-- shared, related open data source
    --
    [I still remember working on and being fascinated by lahars being an engineering geologist in Washington State (and from my time studying in New Zealand), although (of course) not to this level of detail/focus]
    #volcano #lahar #evacuation #exposure #model #modeling #engineeringeology #risk #hazard #naturalhazard #MountRainer #Washington #USA #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #emergencymanagement #GIS #spatial #mapping #publicsafety #hazardzone #vulcanism #downstream #debrisflow #massmovement #monitoring #detection #geostatistics #demographics #atrisk #fedscience #publicgood #fedservice #opendata
    @USGS

  15. A quotation from John Adams

    Virtue and Simplicity of Manners, are indispensably necessary in a Republic, among all orders and Degrees of Men. But there is So much Rascallity, so much Venality and Corruption, so much Avarice and Ambition, such a Rage for Profit and Commerce among all Ranks and Degrees of Men even in America, that I sometimes doubt whether there is public Virtue enough to support a Republic.

    John Adams (1735-1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797-1801)
    Letter (1776-01-08) to Mercy Otis Warren

    More about this quote: wist.info/adams-john/12527/

    #quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #johnadams #ambition #America #avarice #class #corruption #democracy #dishonesty #greed #humancondition #humannature #manners #profit #publicgood #publicvirtue #rank #republic #selfishness #virtue

  16. A quotation from John Adams

    Public Virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics. There must be a possitive Passion for the public good, the public Interest, Honour, Power, and Glory, established in the Minds of the People, or there can be no Republican Government, nor any real Liberty. And this public Passion must be Superiour to all private Passions. Men must be ready, they must pride themselves, and be happy to sacrifice their private Pleasures, Passions, and Interests, nay their private Friendships and dearest Connections, when they Stand in Competition with the Rights of society.

    John Adams (1735-1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797-1801)
    Letter (1776-04-16) to Mercy Otis Warren

    More about this quote: wist.info/adams-john/28404/

    #quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #johnadams #citizen #citizenship #civicduty #civicvirtue #commongood #commonwealth #democracy #goodcitizen #politician #publicgood #publicvirtue #republic #virtue

  17. FEMA Mobile App [free] [USA]
    --
    ready.gov/ <-- shared Ready-iness FEMA web site
    --
    “Download the newly updated FEMA App to get preparedness strategies and real-time weather and emergency alerts…”
    --
    “Launched in February 2003, Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies and disasters...
    Ready… ask individuals to do four key things:
    • Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses
    • Make a family emergency plan.
    • Build an emergency supply kit.
    • Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies…”
    #risk #hazard #geohazard #flood #fire #winter #extremeweather #fedscience #fedservice #publicgood #publicservive #taxpayer #safety # #preparedness #emergencies #disasters #app #phone #hazardreadiness #readiness #free #FEMA
    @FEMA

  18. FEMA Mobile App [free] [USA]
    --
    ready.gov/ <-- shared Ready-iness FEMA web site
    --
    “Download the newly updated FEMA App to get preparedness strategies and real-time weather and emergency alerts…”
    --
    “Launched in February 2003, Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies and disasters...
    Ready… ask individuals to do four key things:
    • Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses
    • Make a family emergency plan.
    • Build an emergency supply kit.
    • Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies…”
    #risk #hazard #geohazard #flood #fire #winter #extremeweather #fedscience #fedservice #publicgood #publicservive #taxpayer #safety # #preparedness #emergencies #disasters #app #phone #hazardreadiness #readiness #free #FEMA
    @FEMA

  19. FEMA Mobile App [free] [USA]
    --
    ready.gov/ <-- shared Ready-iness FEMA web site
    --
    “Download the newly updated FEMA App to get preparedness strategies and real-time weather and emergency alerts…”
    --
    “Launched in February 2003, Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies and disasters...
    Ready… ask individuals to do four key things:
    • Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses
    • Make a family emergency plan.
    • Build an emergency supply kit.
    • Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies…”
    #risk #hazard #geohazard #flood #fire #winter #extremeweather #fedscience #fedservice #publicgood #publicservive #taxpayer #safety # #preparedness #emergencies #disasters #app #phone #hazardreadiness #readiness #free #FEMA
    @FEMA

  20. FEMA Mobile App [free] [USA]
    --
    ready.gov/ <-- shared Ready-iness FEMA web site
    --
    “Download the newly updated FEMA App to get preparedness strategies and real-time weather and emergency alerts…”
    --
    “Launched in February 2003, Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies and disasters...
    Ready… ask individuals to do four key things:
    • Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses
    • Make a family emergency plan.
    • Build an emergency supply kit.
    • Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies…”
    #risk #hazard #geohazard #flood #fire #winter #extremeweather #fedscience #fedservice #publicgood #publicservive #taxpayer #safety # #preparedness #emergencies #disasters #app #phone #hazardreadiness #readiness #free #FEMA
    @FEMA

  21. FEMA Mobile App [free] [USA]
    --
    ready.gov/ <-- shared Ready-iness FEMA web site
    --
    “Download the newly updated FEMA App to get preparedness strategies and real-time weather and emergency alerts…”
    --
    “Launched in February 2003, Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies and disasters...
    Ready… ask individuals to do four key things:
    • Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses
    • Make a family emergency plan.
    • Build an emergency supply kit.
    • Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies…”
    #
    @FEMA