Chad Harris

It's progressive trivia, so we've got two rounds left -- but I'm hoping for a good haul!

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.

I just can't imagine. This is madness. Thank you for what y'all do!

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.

5 big collisions between RFK Jr. and CDC scientists before director was fired In the months before Director Susan Monarez was fired, the CDC faced mass firings, changing vaccine advice and a shooting at its headquarters in Atlanta.

This one from the Washington Post this morning talks about how the shooting galvanized many employees even more against Trump and RFK. I also read another earlier where employees say that the director showed real.compasdion and leadership after the shooting.

wapo.st/45GN5LG

Public Broadcast Cuts Hit Rural Areas, Revealing a Political Shift

"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

This is yet ANOTHER reason to wrest FEMA out from under the DHS umbrella...

DHS moves to bar aid groups from serving undocumented immigrants Disaster-aid groups said the new contracts would make it harder for nonprofits to help the most vulnerable Americans in the aftermath of a disaster.

“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

American Experience | Trailer | Clearing the Air: The War on Smog | Season 37 | Episode 4 Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.

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

In this still from the movie "Jaws", Sheriff Brody, played by Roy Scheider, and oceanographer, Dr. Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, angrily confront the mayor, who looks none too pleased. They're standing in front of a billboard extolling the fun to be had in the town of Amity. The white meme text says "The mayor from Jaws is still the mayor in Jaws 2. It is so important to vote in your local elections."

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

I'd heard the term before, but I didn't know that until I saw an ad for a local hotpot place yesterday. 😳

A screenshot from the Washington Post's website shows a picture of President John Tyler, next to an obituary blurb about Harrison Tyler, who, until his recent death, was the 10th president's last surviving grandson.

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.

White House proposes shutting down chemical safety agency Since 1998, the Chemical Safety Board has played a key role in probing the causes of major chemical accidents.

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

Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning | FRONTLINE How Hurricane Helene became an ominous warning about America’s lack of preparedness.

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

The Shipwreck That Led Confederate Veterans To Risk All For Union Lives On April 27, 1865, a steamboat named the Sultana exploded and sank while transporting Union soldiers up the Mississippi. An estimated 1,800 people died, but few today have heard of this disaster.

[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...

YouTube video by KARK 4 News Special Report: The Sultana Shipwreck

#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.

Annnd done! Been meaning to dive into it!

a man wearing headphones is looking at a laptop computer with the scaler logo in the background ALT: a man wearing headphones is looking at a laptop computer with the scaler logo in the background

#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's Vanishing Native Villages | FRONTLINE A look inside Alaska Native villages fighting for survival against climate change.

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...

If you haven't been introduced yet, wait until I post about the Sultana in 11 days.