Latest news with #Tubbs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Bracing for the heat: Santa Rosa announces wildfire season has begun
The Brief The Santa Rosa Fire Department on Monday announced the start of the city's wildfire season. The department will begin conducting weed abatement inspections to ensure properties are defensible against wildfires. SANTA ROSA, Calif. - On the heels of a 20-acre grass fire that threatened an RV encampment, the Santa Rosa Fire Department on Monday announced the official start of fire season in the region. In an effort to prevent more destructive fires in the months to come, the department will, in the next two weeks, begin conducting weed abatement inspections at properties throughout the city. Paul Lowenthal, the SRFD Fire Marshal, said he hopes announcing the start of fire season will help residents better prepare themselves and their homes. "We've seen really significant compliance, especially what's here locally. When you look at the Tubbs, Nuns, Glass and Kincade fires that either burned through the city or directly impacted the city and threatened the city, people have changed their behaviors," Paul Lowenthal, Fire Marshal with the Santa Rosa Fire Department, told KTVU. "We've seen an increase with compliance with weed abatement, compliance with defensible space and compliance with overall vegetation management, ultimately making our community safer." The department's weed abatement inspections are part of the city's vegetation management program, which requires property owners to maintain fire-defensible space around a structure. The ordinance requires grass to be cut to four inches or less, as well as the removal of dead plants, grass and weeds, maintaining trees so that no portion is closer than 10 feet from the chimney opening of a neighboring property, and removing the branches of trees up to 10 feet from the ground. Big picture view Santa Rosa has experienced or been threatened by several notable wildfires in recent years, including the Tubbs Fire, the fourth-most destructive blaze in California's history. That fire, which burned in October 2017, destroyed over 36,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma Counties. The Bay Area's wildfire season, as stated by the Western Fire Chief's Association, an organization made of the leadership of firefighting organizations across the western United States, starts in June and can run through November. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, climate change has caused the national window for wildfire season to peak earlier in the year. Between 2003 and 2021, fire season peaked in July, whereas between 1984 and 2002, most wildfires occurred in August. The impact of climate change on wildfires is becoming more and more evident. Two of the most destructive blazes in California's history swept through Southern California in January of this year, well outside the window of the region's wildfire season, May through October. The research organization World Weather Attribution, which studies the influence of climate change on extreme weather events, found that human-caused global warming made the conditions that drove those fires 35% more likely.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New book attempts to untangle the deep roots of sexism and racism in America
When Roe v. Wade was overturned in the summer of 2022, Anna Malaika Tubbs was in the middle of writing her second book about how fabricated hierarchies of race and gender have become deeply ingrained – and unnoticed – in the United States. When federal protections for abortion access were lost, Tubbs said people were so shocked, asking 'How did this happen?' and 'Why did this happen?' 'It just really felt like I had to get this book out there,' Tubbs said. 'It's a book on understanding the system of American patriarchy, how that came from the minds of the founding fathers, how they systemized their vision and how we still see traces of it.' Tubbs, who holds a doctorate in sociology and master's degree in multidisciplinary gender studies from the University of Cambridge, again felt urgency to publish this book one year later when the Barbie movie came out in the summer of 2023. The film grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing of all time and spurring widespread conversation about gender roles and societal norms. 'So many people saw this as sort of revolutionary, and there were so many people in the audience around me crying about this film,' Tubbs said. 'The only thing the film said was that women need to wake up to the fact that patriarchy exists, spread the word to each other and now everything's going to be just fine. And that is not the full picture. We're blaming the victim, especially mothers, and telling them they just need to become more empowered — and that's absolutely not the case.' The following year, as the presidential election was coming to a close, people around Tubbs, including her husband, were excited and hopeful for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. But Tubbs, still working on her book, was fairly positive that President Donald Trump was going to win. She saw connections between her research and the whispers about Project 2025, Trump's rhetoric around what it means to make America great again and how his campaign spoke about people of color and immigrants. 'I was so angry in the sense that I kept hoping and wishing that this book could be out right now,' she said. 'This could help so many people understand what's going on and why this is happening. I think we can understand who to turn to for solutions, how we need to vote differently and what kind of policies we need in place so that this doesn't repeat itself.' Tubbs' new book, 'Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden From Us,' hit the stands on May 20. In an interview with The 19th, Tubbs discussed how an unjust system has been perpetuated and outlined concrete steps for how to create a new more equitable country. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Mariel Padilla: You mention in the book that American patriarchy is distinct from other countries and cultures. Can you elaborate on how? Anna Malaika Tubbs: When I say American patriarchy, I'm not trying to say that it's the only patriarchal system by any means at all. I have seen patriarchy across the world — the premise being that men should hold more power over women. What I am saying is that one of the reasons we haven't been able to really challenge patriarchy in the United States is that we haven't contextualized it. American patriarchy is going to be different than Mexican patriarchy, for instance, because of our history with slavery. Who is defined as a man and woman and how we define that binary is largely connected with our history: The founding fathers wrote into the Constitution that to be a man was to have control over other people, to own land and to have the ability to vote. Women were completely left out of that. Black men certainly didn't have access to this and even some poor White men weren't included. I think one of the primary ways in which patriarchy has persisted is by tricking us into thinking that race and gender aren't intertwined with each other. When we go back to that breakdown of what it meant to hold power in the United States, we were talking about White, cisgendered, able-bodied, privileged men. It was a very specific, very limited group on purpose because they wanted to maintain their own power. And so we can't think about humanity in the U.S. without understanding race, and we can't think about that without understanding gender. Let's appreciate the gains we've made. But also ask ourselves why we're still so vulnerable. We're still coming up against a system that is at the core of our nation, and we're not challenging it. We're only kind of putting band-aids on some of its symptoms and not really addressing the disease where all of those are stemming from. The title of the book is 'Erased.' For me, it called attention to the fact that there are actors actively doing the erasing, something is being erased and therefore what's left is not the full picture. Can you walk through how you came to this title? I feel like American patriarchy is doing the erasure, but it also has purposely erased itself from the picture so that we think that everything happening to us is natural and unavoidable. We think things have to happen a certain way, and we continue to sort of be surprised because we can't actually trace it. In another way, it's like a pencil mark that you try to erase, but it is still there. You can't ever fully erase it, and that's where the recovery part comes in. Because while you try to take something away, we can always access it by retracing the lines and piecing things together. This is especially important at a time when books are being banned and really blatant erasure is happening — we have to reclaim. The last several parts of your book discuss solutions. How can people — particularly women and people of color — take action, resist unjust systems and create a more equitable society? It's a step-by-step process. I always say we have to start individually. Once you've gone through the book and you understand what has been so ingrained, how even maybe our parents have parented us and our teachers have taught us — ask yourself how you see yourself. Do you see yourself as someone who's supposed to dominate other people? Do you see yourself on this trajectory of needing more power to finally be treated the way you want to be treated? Do you feel the need to wield control over people around you? Or do you see yourself as somebody who's supposed to be silenced? The individual piece of this is just a general reflection on how the system has already influenced you. The second part is our relationships. How are we interacting with each other as a result of this system? How are we parenting our children? Are we trying to dominate them? Are we trying to make them fit into this social order because we're afraid of what might happen to them otherwise? How are we allowing American patriarchy and its ideals to infiltrate our closest relationships, our marriages, our ties to our parents? The third part is a community-level reflection. What are the ways in which we can start fighting against the system by meeting each other's needs? You don't have to wait for a national shift. We can start making shifts in our own families and our immediate communities. We can think about how someone else's pain is hurting me and start to find solutions together. This will change how we vote and who we vote for and the policies we support that bring us back to the things that American patriarchy has taken from us. The 19th has a relationship with If you make a purchase through the Bookshop links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The post New book attempts to untangle the deep roots of sexism and racism in America appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
LSUS students develop AI-powered weather app for Air Force
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Six LSU Shreveport students have created an artificial intelligence tool to help the Air Force Global Strike Command Center (AFGSC) better predict the weather. The tool helps AFGSC make medium-range weather forecasts (3-10 days) to improve mission planning. 'Students developed a user-friendly app that integrates GraphCast overlayed with global maps, predictions for temperature, precipitation and wind speed, comparative analysis between the AI model and traditional weather models, and traditional weather alerts, among other functions,' a press release stated. LSU Shreveport encouraging children to explore their passions According to U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Tubbs, the app delivered an instantaneous solution for Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, where it is being beta-tested as part of 'Project Airstorm.' 'Collaborating with LSUS students on 'Project Airstorm' through STRIKEWERX and the LSUS Collaboratory has been exceptional,' said Tubbs, 377th Test Support Squadron flight chief of mission weather operations, who serves as the Air Force's primary point of contact for the project. 'The students, including those in the National Security Fellowship Program, brought technical expertise in computer science, mathematics, and AI along with enthusiasm for addressing real-world Air Force challenges. 'Their work – from coding and integrating GraphCast to designing a user-friendly interface – has delivered a practical tool for Kirtland's immediate needs. The LSUS team's creativity and adaptability shone in design sprints and collaborative efforts, making them invaluable partners.' LSU Health Shreveport celebrates its largest graduation ever While GraphCast is the app's foundation, the students switched to other services for different app areas because of budget and time constraints. 'We needed a different AI model to do the map imaging, and we found Media Source map data to generate our map tiles,' said Antonio Mata, a senior from Shreveport. 'We needed more time and money to use GraphCast for this, but we were able to integrate Media Source into the app. We definitely had to learn how to communicate with each other, with our points of contact, and solve problems.' One tweak to the app included map files that made lightning strike points available to view. 'That's useful to the Air Force because they can see if it's safe for a plane to go into this area or tell them to avoid this area,' Mata explained. Shreveport and LSUS launch GIS training for local residents LSUS computer science faculty member Keyvan Shahrdar added that experimental learning is integral to the curriculum. 'This kind of project gives students practical experience working in a collaborative software development environment and helps bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application,' Shahrdar said. 'They're not only writing code but also managing timelines, understanding budgets, selecting tools, and adapting to evolving requirements – skills that are critical in any professional tech role. 'The real strength of AI lies in its ability to analyze vast datasets and uncover trends that would be difficult or impossible for humans to detect manually.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Miami Vice: new movie on the way from Top Gun: Maverick director
Detectives Crockett and Tubbs are in line for a new look with 80s cop show Miami Vice set to make a big screen comeback. The Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski has been set as director of a new take on the NBC series which followed two undercover cops trying to dismantle the world of illegal drugs in Miami. The script will come from Dan Gilroy, the Oscar-nominated writer and director of Nightcrawler. As screenwriter, he is also known for The Bourne Legacy and Kong: Skull Island. Most recently, he has also written multiple episodes of acclaimed Star Wars series Andor. The original show ran from 1984 to 1990 and starred Don Johnson and Philip M Thomas as leads. It was executive produced by Michael Mann who later relaunched it on the big screen with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. The 2006 film made $164m worldwide from a $135m budget and initial mixed reviews soon turned into a stronger re-appreciation in the subsequent years. 'It is operatic and grandiose – but gripping and exhilarating in a way no other film-maker could manage,' the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw wrote. Farrell later spoke negatively about the film in an interview with Total Film. 'I didn't like it so much – I thought it was style over substance and I accept a good bit of the responsibility,' he said. 'It was never going to be Lethal Weapon, but I think we missed an opportunity to have a friendship that also had some elements of fun.' Kosinski made his feature film debut with 2010's Tron: Legacy and went on to direct sci-fi adventure Oblivion and firefighter drama Only the Brave before making the smash hit Top Gun sequel which made $1.4bn worldwide. This summer sees the release of his Brad Pitt-starring action drama F1 and he was also recently attached to a UFO conspiracy thriller which he is set to make for Apple.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Gamble for Montana's future:' Report says transferring federal lands to state would cost billions
Emigrant Peak in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest (Photo by Jacob Frank | National Park Service | Flickr). In Montana, where land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management comprises 30 million acres — roughly a third of the state — the notion of turning swaths of terra firma to state control could be costly, according to a newly published report. The report, written by longtime natural resources manager John Tubbs, calls the financial implications of federal lands transfer 'staggering and disproportionately impactful for a rural state with large swaths of national public lands.' 'The costs associated with maintaining national public lands at the state level — ranging from wildfire operations to the loss of essential federal funding for rural counties — would be far too great for Montana to bear per capita,' the report states. It amounts to an $8 billion 'gamble on Montana's future.' Tubbs, who authored the report with support from the Montana Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Mountain Mamas and the Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund, is the former director of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation under Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. The long simmering dispute over whether the federal government should relinquish lands managed by the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to individual states has been turned up at all levels, from the halls of Congress to Montana's capitol. The estimated roughly $8 billion increase to Montanan's balance sheet would be primarily driven by the costs of managing the land, according to the report, including for wildfire, deferred maintenance backlogs, and abandoned mine reclamation. Citing reports by the Legislative Fiscal Division, the report states that during the last 20 years, Montana has paid more than $2.3 billion in wildfire mitigation costs on federal land — comprising just 25% of total cost, as the federal government covers 75% of costs. A transfer of federal lands to state management would shift the cost of future wildland fire suppression to state taxpayers to the tune of $5.5 billion — the bulk of the total. On a press call about the report, Tubbs pointed to the essential partnerships with federal agencies — including the large fleets of firefighting aircraft operated by the Forest Service — and the difficulty in replicating that from the state or private industry. 'That is untenable,' he said. Tubbs also focused on Payment in Lieu of Taxes funds the federal government disseminates. The PILT program channels money to rural counties with swaths of untaxable federal land to support vital services such as public safety, housing, social services and transportation. In fiscal year 2023, Montana counties received more than $40 million in PILT funds — and another $16 million from the similar Secure Rural Schools program — a loss the state likely couldn't make up. Tubbs said such a loss would result in the largest 'unfunded mandate' in state history, and 'several of Montanaʼs counties would be bankrupt—- in particular, the 11 counties in which more than half of the acreage is owned by the federal government.' The report also states that Montana would be on the hook for $623 million in deferred maintenance and repairs on current federal lands; between $474 million and $1 billion for reclamation work on the state's 5,000 abandoned mines; and a 1,600% increase in grazing fees. 'The state simply cannot afford the responsibility of managing such vast swaths of land without significant financial strain,' the report concludes. Tubbs said the value of public lands goes far beyond the numbers, and supporters need to strengthen efforts. 'The core value I think most of us find in public lands is there's some landscape that means something to each of us,' he said on the press call. Discussions about the federal lands transfer came to the forefront in Washington D.C. and nationwide following statements by the Trump administration that federal lands are part of the nation's 'balance sheet' and could be utilized to help pay off the national debt. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate passed a federal budget in a series of late night votes, and one particular budget amendment saw Montana's two Republican Senators buck their party. The amendment, brought by Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, would have prevented the sale of public lands to lower the federal deficit. Montana Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy joined all Democrats in supporting the amendment, but it was defeated 51-49. In a similar vein, Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, Montanan's western representative, reintroduced his 'Public Lands in Public Hands Act,' earlier this year with a Democratic senator from New Mexico. The provision would ban the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Forest Service from selling or transferring 'most public lands' except in specific circumstances. It also would require Congressional approval for disposals of publicly accessible federal land tracts over 300 acres and for public land tracts over 5 acres if accessible via a public waterway. 'In Montana, public lands are our way of life. It's not just Yellowstone and Glacier, it's also the BLM and Forest Service areas where a kid fills their first tag, a lake in the Beartooths that is the perfect picnic spot, and the trail just down the road that helps you clear your head after a long workday,' Zinke, a former Secretary of the Interior during Trump's first term, said in a press release. 'Public lands must remain public, and the federal government has a responsibility to manage and ensure access to those lands.' Earlier this month, Montana's eastern representative, Republican Troy Downing, signed on as a cosponsor to the legislation, as did Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson. In Helena this legislative session, Montana's state lawmakers also got to offer their own takes on the issue thanks to a lawsuit filed by the State of Utah against the federal government in favor of land transfer. The suit, which claimed federally-managed land infringed on the state's sovereignty and sought a return of millions of acres, was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite that, freshman Rep. Tom Millett, R-Marion, introduced a resolution supporting Utah's position. While Millett stated House Resolution 24 did not concern Montana's federal public lands, his comments were broadly applicable to all states. 'Nothing in the U.S. Constitution authorizes the federal government to hold vast unreserved swaths of unreserved territory in perpetuity over the states' express objection,' he told the House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee during a hearing. 'The U.S. generates significant revenue from these unappropriated lands — millions of dollars annually that would go toward our counties and schools. But instead, we get but a pittance, leftover crumbs from what should be our lands.' The bill passed out of committee on partisan lines, but saw broad bipartisan opposition on the floor. 'Montanans have overwhelmingly rejected transfer time and time again,' Rep. Debo Powers, D-Whitefish, told her colleagues during the debate. 'In fact, 87 percent of Montana voters considered the conservation — not the transfer, but the conservation — of public land to be influential in their voting decisions. That's why so many political candidates in Montana from every political party pledged to keep public lands in public hands.' The bill failed to pass the House floor in a bipartisan 33-66 vote.
