There’s a fairly good chance that amid your perfunctory morning routine of tooth brushing and clothes-putting-on, you make a point of checking the forecast for the day to see if you should wear a sweater, or lather up in sunscreen, or pack an umbrella “just in case.” Perhaps you glance at an app on your phone, or maybe you flip on the TV to listen to a professional meteorologist offer advice on what to expect. No matter how you get your forecast, the simple act of wanting to know what’s ahead weather-wise is one of the longest-standing human experiences in history, dating back thousands of years and encompassing everything from farmers’ almanacs to ancient agrarian superstitions and rituals.
Now, with the 2024 presidential election looming, our modern meteorological facilities are bracing for a potentially seismic disruption thanks to the Heritage Foundation’s ultra-conservative Project 2025 initiative, and the candidacy of Donald Trump, upon which Project 2025 largely relies. “Project 2025 wants to get rid of NOAA, wants to get rid of the National Weather Service,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said during a recent House Oversight Committee hearing. Those are the “people that tell you the weather and help you prepare for hurricanes.”
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