"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

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.

"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

“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

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

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

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?

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

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

[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...

#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]

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?

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...

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.

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.

All this.

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

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.

Slashing 10,000 at HHS, including 2,000 at CDC and putting a bunch of once-top-level agencies all together? Where have we seen this before, #greysky? Oh, right... FEMA. I feel like every professional/education move I make is under attack, and I feel very discouraged today. :(

The documentary by Maryland Public TV on the Key Bridge collapse one year ago is important viewing for #greysky folks. It not only looks at response and recovery, but really examines the community impacts. youtu.be/EXNILKGtAWQ?...

#OnThisDay (3/26) in 2024, a ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, killing 6 bridge workers. The multi-agency response included search and rescue, clearing the bridge structure from the water, and opening new shipping channels. www.nab.usace.army.mil/Media/News-S...

I heartily recommend the recent episode of NOVA on PBS about the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge one year ago today. It looks at the event response, the engineering challenges, as well as the commitment to recovering those killed in the incident. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vi...

"[C]ommunities—especially in rural places—will struggle to rebuild, accelerating urbanization and migration out of disaster-prone states." Dismantling FEMA is not the answer. carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

#OnThisDay (3/25) in 1911, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory, located on the 8th-10th floors of NYC's Asch Building. Due to inadequate escape routes (including locked doors), 146 workers died, most young women -- many fell or leapt. trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/index.html

"By rethinking how Federal Emergency Management Agency and Incident Command System principles can address local challenges, or finding creative, unconventional solutions, we approach every problem with fresh ideas and an open mind."

"[F]oreign aid has always been a two-way street that benefits U.S. interests..." USAID has been leading the way on that street for more than 6 decades, but the nation's involvement in foreign aid goes back even further. wapo.st/4jNRBg7

I didn't think I could get angrier...but whaddya know? These idiots don't even fully understand USAID or its mission, because they don't believe in helping others. Complete lack of empathy or understanding of our role in the global community.

325 years ago tonight (9 p.m. Jan. 26, 1700) a M~9 Cascadia subduction earthquake rocked the west coast from #VancouverIsland to northern California. The Juan de Fuca Plate slipped up to 20 m, causing a large tsunami, strong shaking and landslides www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/historic-his... ⚒️🧪

Truly, this whole thread is such an important read. The global *and* domestic implications of this order are huge. The impact will be devastating and long term - but ultimately, we can choose to course correct 👇🏻

Happy 325th Cascadia Anniversary Day to all who celebrate! And by celebrate I of course mean dread the approach of the next Cascadia earthquake and tsunami, and dedicate so much energy and care to ensuring its inevitable impacts will be as least bad as possible. Ave Cascadia!

Public health folks: hey, so if you keep defunding us, we won’t be able to do critical work to keep people safe…. (Funding keeps getting cut, people leave the field, etc. Increasing outbreaks and health crises occur, causing entirely preventable damage.) Public health folks:

This is the worst cover of "Imagine" ever. 😑

The NIH stuff is crazy, and I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen with grants and whatnot, but none of that seems to matter when our best science already led to anti-HIV meds, and they’ve been saving the world like we all dream of, and yet those are being taken away from people. #savePEPFAR

TFW you have to revise a final paper for your health policy class at the last minute because SOMEBODY began vomiting executive orders this week... 🙄

Boosting this because.... -gesticulates-

I'm in the middle of writing a final paper on PEPFAR, because when I started the course, I just knew what would happen...and it has. Turning our backs on health diplomacy that saves people's lives is wrong no matter how they try to spin it.

So I was just sitting here, and started thinking about the TV show "Jericho" and the contractor that came rolling into the Midwest after the bombs: Jennings & Rall. I can't help but feel like that's what disaster relief will look like if the federal government decides the states are on their own.

The price of eggs in the US is spiking, mostly due to #H5N1 bird flu. Solving the problem requires urgent, important communications from the CDC & FDA* and rapid development of research by the NIH** * Currently paused by Executive Order ** Grant reviews now all canceled www.kcur.org/news/2025-01...