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Weather with Tom: All about fog

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7 minutes ago

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www.ozarksfirst.com – Tom Schmidt – 2025-05-13 10:42:00

SUMMARY: The Ozarks often experience fog, a collection of water droplets formed when water vapor condenses. There are several fog types, including radiation, advection, steam, precipitation, valley, and freezing fog, each formed under different conditions. Radiation fog occurs when the Earth cools at night, causing moisture near the surface to condense. Advection fog forms when warm, moist air passes over cooler ground. Steam fog appears over warm water during cooler air in fall. Precipitation fog results from rain falling through warmer air. Valley fog occurs from cold air sinking into valleys, and freezing fog contains supercooled droplets that freeze on contact. Fog usually clears with sunlight, but it can reduce driving visibility, so caution is advised.

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Why cutting public broadcasting huts Missouri communities

Published

5 hours ago

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May 13, 2025

By

missouriindependent.com – Katerina Canyon – 2025-05-13 06:00:00


A proposal to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) threatens essential public media services like NPR, PBS, and local stations, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The proposed \$1.1 billion cut would impact vital resources for education, local journalism, and cultural programs. Public broadcasting serves as a crucial source of information, especially in places with limited broadband and newspaper closures. Advocates call for redirecting funds from militarism to support public media, which strengthens democracy and offers a cost-effective investment in public education, cultural enrichment, and community resilience. The proposal would harm communities already struggling with isolation.

by Katerina Canyon, Missouri Independent
May 13, 2025

When most Americans think of public broadcasting, they think of Sesame Street or All Things Considered — educational programs, in-depth journalism, and community storytelling that has shaped generations.

For many Missourians, especially in rural or low-income areas, public radio and television are far more than entertainment. They’re essential services. Now, those services are under threat.

The Trump administration has proposed eliminating all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting(CPB), which supports NPR, PBS, and hundreds of local stations across the country. This $1.1 billion cut would gut the infrastructure of public media, leaving many stations without the resources to continue serving their communities. If Congress approves, we are cutting off vital access to information for people who need it most.

Here in Missouri, we know the value of public broadcasting. In towns where broadband access is limited and local newspapers have shuttered, NPR affiliates are often the last remaining source of reliable news. For families navigating a fractured education system, PBS Kids programming offers a free and trusted learning tool. And for communities of color, immigrant populations, and other marginalized groups, public media has offered a rare platform to tell our stories and hear others like them.

I know the power of public broadcasting firsthand. In 2010, I was an intern at Nine PBS in St. Louis, where I saw how dedicated teams work tirelessly to deliver educational and cultural programming that reflects and serves our local communities. That experience continues to inform my belief in the role public media plays in strengthening democracy.

What’s most frustrating about this proposal is that it’s not taking place in isolation. At the same time that public broadcasting is vulnerable to losing needed funding, the federal budget for the Pentagon is on track to exceed $1 trillion. While billions are poured into weapons systems and defense contractors, pennies are being pinched from programs that inform, educate and unify.

At the Peace Economy Project, we advocate for a reallocation of public funds away from militarism and toward programs that strengthen our communities. That includes healthcare, education, climate resilience — and yes, public media.

When we spend more on missiles than on minds, we undermine both our security and our democracy.

Public broadcasting has proven to be one of the most cost-effective investments our government makes. The CPB costs each American about $1.35 per year. For the price of a candy bar, we receive educational programming, local journalism, cultural enrichment, and civic discourse. These are the building blocks of a healthy democracy. They are not luxuries.

Cutting federal funding would also disproportionately harm stations in rural and underserved communities. Unlike urban stations that can supplement their budgets with corporate sponsorship and philanthropy, many small stations rely heavily on federal support. Without it, they may be forced to shut down or dramatically cut services. That means fewer local voices on the airwaves, fewer educational programs for kids, and less access to emergency information when it’s needed most.

Defunding public broadcasting is shortsighted and dangerous. It weakens the flow of fact-based journalism at a time when disinformation is surging. It disconnects communities already struggling with isolation, and it sends a clear message that the voices of everyday Americans matter less than the interests of weapons manufacturers.

This administration would lead people to believe that public safety is about border walls and military bases. It’s actually more about social programs and access to reliable information, early childhood education, cultural expression, and civic participation. Public broadcasting supports all of these.

I urge Missouri’s congressional delegation—Democrats and Republicans alike—to reject this proposal. Stand up for the farmers tuning into Harvest Public Media. Stand up for the kids watching Mister Rogers reruns in the far reaches of the heartland. Stand up for the voters who depend on unbiased election coverage, and for the storytellers who bring our region’s history and hopes to life.

Public broadcasting has always been about the public good. Let’s make sure it stays that way.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com.

The post Why cutting public broadcasting huts Missouri communities appeared first on missouriindependent.com


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This content advocates for continued federal funding of public media, emphasizing the social benefits of educational programming, local journalism, and cultural representation. It criticizes budget priorities that favor military spending over public services, which is a typical perspective of center-left viewpoints that prioritize social programs and public goods. While supportive of bipartisan cooperation, it adopts a critical stance toward a conservative administration’s funding cuts, reflecting a moderate progressive perspective. The overall tone is balanced but leans toward protecting and expanding public services commonly championed by center-left politics.

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Bill expanding radioactive waste investigations unanimously sent to Missouri governor

Published

17 hours ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

missouriindependent.com – Jason Hancock – 2025-05-12 18:03:00


A bill to expand Missouri’s ability to investigate radioactive contamination in the St. Louis region has passed unanimously through the Missouri House and Senate. The measure, which authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to obtain search warrants for investigations on government land, removes a \$150,000 annual cap on funding, and ensures unused funds are retained for investigations. The bill focuses on long-standing radioactive waste from the World War II atomic bomb development. The contamination has caused health risks for residents, and the legislation aims to provide further data for cleanup efforts. Federal agencies are overseeing cleanup efforts, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Coldwater Creek and the EPA at the West Lake Landfill.
 

by Jason Hancock, Missouri Independent
May 12, 2025

A bill expanding the state’s ability to find radioactive contamination in the St. Louis region that dates to World War II development of the atomic bomb is on its way to the governor after unanimously clearing the Missouri House Monday.

The measure, which passed unanimously out of the Senate last week, would authorize the Department of Natural Resources to seek a search warrant to conduct investigations on otherwise off-limits government land. The bill also removes a $150,000 annual cap on how much the state can spend on an investigation and changes the rules governing the fund so that unspent money is not moved to another fund.

Money transferred to the fund could not be used for clean-up of any contamination found in the investigation. The waste was spread by federal contractors and should be cleaned up by federal authorities, state Sen. Nick Schroer, a Defiance Republican, said during last week’s debate.

“Let’s give them the data. Let’s see where that goes,” Schroer said. “And if they’re not willing to clean the mess up, I think we’re going to have a lot of lawsuits on our hands. But I think we’re gonna be back in this building, talking about it and if they’re not going to do it, we need to step up and protect our people.”

Records reveal 75 years of government downplaying, ignoring risks of St. Louis radioactive waste

St. Louis has struggled for decades with remnant radioactive waste from the World War II-era effort to build the world’s first atomic bomb.

While the presence of radioactive contamination in suburban St. Louis was known for years, an investigation by The Independent, MuckRock and The Associated Press revealed in 2023 that the federal government and companies handling the waste were aware of the threat to the public long before informing residents.

Uranium was refined in downtown St. Louis for use in the development of the bomb. After the war, it was trucked to St. Louis County, often falling off of trucks along the way. It was dumped at the airport, susceptible to the wind and rain, and contaminated the adjacent Coldwater Creek.

As suburban neighborhoods sprung up along Coldwater Creek, generations of children and families were exposed to the radioactive waste, elevating residents’ risk of certain cancers.

The waste was sold and moved to a site in Hazelwood, also along Coldwater Creek, so that a company could extract valuable metals. Eventually, the remnant radioactive material was dumped in the West Lake Landfill where it remains today.

“This has been a long time coming,” state Rep. Raychel Proudie, a Ferguson Democrat, said of the radioactive waste investigative fund legislation passed Monday. 

Coldwater Creek is being cleaned up by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers while the Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the cleanup of the West Lake Landfill.

The EPA announced earlier this year that it expanded the area of the West Lake Landfill that requires remediation by 40 acres after discovering contamination was more widespread than the agency previously thought. The cost of the project is now nearly $400 million, up from $229 million.

State Rep. Doug Clemens, a Democrat from St. Ann, said Monday that his community is ravaged by rare cancers that he attributes to the radioactive contamination left behind by development of the atomic bomb. 

“We played our part in World War II,” he said. “This weapons project left waste behind. That waste is incredibly harmful.”

The Independent’s Rudi Keller contributed to this story. 

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com.

The post Bill expanding radioactive waste investigations unanimously sent to Missouri governor appeared first on missouriindependent.com


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The content highlights environmental and public health concerns tied to historical government actions and current legislative efforts. It emphasizes the need for accountability, stronger state intervention, and federal cleanup responsibility, which aligns with a center-left perspective prioritizing environmental justice and government oversight. The inclusion of quotes from mostly Democratic lawmakers, along with criticism of federal inaction, also suggests a lean toward progressive environmental and public health advocacy without strong partisan rhetoric.

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Illinois governor is first in US to block federal access to personal data on autism

Published

19 hours ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

fox2now.com – JOHN O’CONNOR, Associated Press – 2025-05-12 16:06:00

SUMMARY: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a pioneering executive order blocking the federal government from collecting personal health data related to autism, responding to a plan by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to use National Institutes of Health data for autism research. Pritzker’s order aims to protect individuals’ privacy and prevent discrimination. The executive order limits the disclosure of autism-related data without consent, except in certain legal and service-related cases. Autism advocacy groups, like Autism Speaks, support the move, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding privacy in light of evolving data analysis capabilities.

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