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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump officials plan to destroy a critical government program they probably know nothing about
Nearly two decades ago, scientists made an alarming discovery in upstate New York: Bats, the world's only flying mammal, were becoming infected with a new, deadly fungal disease that, in some cases, could wipe out an entire colony in a matter of months. Since then, the disease — later called white-nose syndrome — has spread across much of the country, utterly decimating North American bats that hibernate in caves and killing over 90 percent of three bat species. According to some scientists, WNS has caused 'the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America.' These declines have clear consequences for human populations — for you, even if you don't like bats or visit caves. Bats eat insect pests, such as moths and beetles. And as they decline, farmers need to spray more pesticides. Scientists have linked the loss of bats in the US to an increase in insecticide use on farmland and, remarkably, to a rise in infant deaths. Insecticide chemicals are known to harm the health of newborns. The only reason we know any of this is because of a somewhat obscure government program in the US Geological Survey (USGS), an agency nested within the Interior Department. That program, known as the Ecosystems Mission Area, is the biological research division of Interior. Among other functions, it monitors environmental contaminants, the spread of invasive species, and the health of the nation's wildlife, including bees, birds, and bats. The Ecosystems Mission Area, which has around 1,200 employees, produces the premier science revealing how animals and ecosystems that Americans rely on are changing and what we can do to keep them intact — or risk our own health and economy. This program is now at an imminent risk of disappearing. Are you a current or former federal employee with knowledge about the Trump administration's attacks on wildlife protections? Reach out to Vox environmental correspondent Benji Jones on Signal at benji.90 or at or at benjijones@ The Trump administration has asked Congress to slash USGS funding by $564 million in its preliminary 2026 budget request. And while the proposal doesn't specify cuts to Ecosystems Mission Area, an email obtained by Vox indicates that his administration had proposed eliminating funding for the program. (The email was originally reported by Science.) Such cuts are also in line with Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's conservative policy roadmap, which calls for the government to 'abolish' Interior's Biological Research Division, an outdated name for the Ecosystems Mission Area. USGS has requested that the White House maintain at least some funding for the program, according to a current senior Interior Department employee with knowledge of the Ecosystems Mission Area. Whether or not Trump officials heed that request will be made clear when the White House releases a more detailed budget proposal in the coming days. The employee spoke to Vox on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk with the press. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also reportedly trying to fire government employees in the Ecosystems Mission Area, though a federal judge has so far blocked those efforts. View Link Eliminating biological research is not good. In fact, it's very bad. For a decade now, EMA's North American Bat Monitoring Program, or NABat, has been gathering and analyzing data on bats and the threats they face. NABat produces research using data from hundreds of partner organizations showing not only how white-nose syndrome is spreading — which scientists are using to develop and deploy vaccines — but also how bats are affected by wind turbines, another known threat. Energy companies can and do use this research to develop safer technologies and avoid delays caused by wildlife regulations, such as the Endangered Species Act. The irony, another Interior Department employee told me, is that NABat makes wildlife management more efficient. It also helps reveal where declines are occurring before they become severe, potentially helping avoid the need to grant certain species federal protection — something the Trump administration would seem to want. The employee, who's familiar with Interior's bat-monitoring efforts, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration. 'If they want to create efficiencies in the government, they should ask us,' yet another Interior employee told Vox. 'The damage that can be done by one administration takes decades to rebuild.' In response to a request for comment, an Interior Department spokesperson told Vox that 'USGS remains committed to its congressional mandate as the science arm of the Department of the Interior.' The White House did not respond to a request for comment. In a Senate appropriations hearing last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum refused to commit to maintaining funding for EMA. 'There's no question that they don't know what EMA does,' said the senior Interior employee. Ultimately, it's not clear why the administration has targeted Interior's biological research. EMA does, however, do climate science, such as studying how plants and animals are responding to rising temperatures. That's apparently a no-go for the Trump administration. It also gathers information that sometimes indicates that certain species need federal protections, which come with regulations (also a no-go for President Donald Trump's agenda). What's especially frustrating for environmental advocates is that NABat, now 10 years old, is starting to hit its stride. 'We should be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of this very successful program that started from scratch and built this robust, vibrant community of people all collecting data,' said Winifred Frick, the chief scientist at Bat Conservation International, an environmental group. 'We have 10 years of momentum, and so to cut it off now sort of wastes all that investment. That feels like a tremendous loss.' Meanwhile, the cost of maintaining the program is less than 1 percent of Interior's overall budget. The government's wildlife monitoring programs are 'jewels of the country,' said Hollis Woodard, an associate professor of entomology at University of California Riverside who works with USGS on bee monitoring. 'These birds and bats perform services for us that are important for our day-to-day lives. Literally everything I value, including food, comes down to keeping an eye on these populations. The idea that we're just going to wipe them out is just terrifying.'
Vox
3 days ago
- Health
- Vox
Trump officials plan to destroy a critical government program they probably know nothing about
is an environmental correspondent at Vox, covering biodiversity loss and climate change. Before joining Vox, he was a senior energy reporter at Business Insider. Benji previously worked as a wildlife researcher. President Donald Trump stands on the South Lawn of the White House on May 22. Samuel Corum/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images Nearly two decades ago, scientists made an alarming discovery in upstate New York: Bats, the world's only flying mammal, were becoming infected with a new, deadly fungal disease that, in some cases, could wipe out an entire colony in a matter of months. Since then, the disease — later called white-nose syndrome — has spread across much of the country, utterly decimating North American bats that hibernate in caves and killing over 90 percent of three bat species. According to some scientists, WNS has caused 'the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America.' These declines have clear consequences for human populations — for you, even if you don't like bats or visit caves. Bats eat insect pests, such as moths and beetles. And as they decline, farmers need to spray more pesticides. Scientists have linked the loss of bats in the US to an increase in insecticide use on farmland and, remarkably, to a rise in infant deaths. Insecticide chemicals are known to harm the health of newborns. Related The astonishing link between bats and the deaths of human babies The only reason we know any of this is because of a somewhat obscure government program in the US Geological Survey (USGS), an agency nested within the Interior Department. That program, known as the Ecosystems Mission Area, is the biological research division of Interior. Among other functions, it monitors environmental contaminants, the spread of invasive species, and the health of the nation's wildlife, including bees, birds, and bats. White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease, has caused massive declines in a handful of bat species, including the tricolored bat, shown here in flight. J. Scott Altenbach/Bat Conservation International The Ecosystems Mission Area, which has around 1,200 employees, produces the premier science revealing how animals and ecosystems that Americans rely on are changing and what we can do to keep them intact — or risk our own health and economy. This program is now at an imminent risk of disappearing. Send us a confidential tip Are you a current or former federal employee with knowledge about the Trump administration's attacks on wildlife protections? Reach out to Vox environmental correspondent Benji Jones on Signal at benji.90 or at or at benjijones@ The Trump administration has asked Congress to slash USGS funding by $564 million in its preliminary 2026 budget request. And while the proposal doesn't specify cuts to Ecosystems Mission Area, an email obtained by Vox indicates that his administration had proposed eliminating funding for the program. (The email was originally reported by Science.) Such cuts are also in line with Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's conservative policy roadmap, which calls for the government to 'abolish' Interior's Biological Research Division, an outdated name for the Ecosystems Mission Area. USGS has requested that the White House maintain at least some funding for the program, according to a current senior Interior Department employee with knowledge of the Ecosystems Mission Area. Whether or not Trump officials heed that request will be made clear when the White House releases a more detailed budget proposal in the coming days. The employee spoke to Vox on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk with the press. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also reportedly trying to fire government employees in the Ecosystems Mission Area, though a federal judge has so far blocked those efforts. Eliminating biological research is not good. In fact, it's very bad. For a decade now, EMA's North American Bat Monitoring Program, or NABat, has been gathering and analyzing data on bats and the threats they face. NABat produces research using data from hundreds of partner organizations showing not only how white-nose syndrome is spreading — which scientists are using to develop and deploy vaccines — but also how bats are affected by wind turbines, another known threat. Energy companies can and do use this research to develop safer technologies and avoid delays caused by wildlife regulations, such as the Endangered Species Act. The irony, another Interior Department employee told me, is that NABat makes wildlife management more efficient. It also helps reveal where declines are occurring before they become severe, potentially helping avoid the need to grant certain species federal protection — something the Trump administration would seem to want. The employee, who's familiar with Interior's bat-monitoring efforts, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration. A northern long-eared bat with white-nose syndrome. Steve Taylor/University of Illinois A dead bat infected with white-nose syndrome under UV light. USGS 'If they want to create efficiencies in the government, they should ask us,' yet another Interior employee told Vox. 'The damage that can be done by one administration takes decades to rebuild.' In response to a request for comment, an Interior Department spokesperson told Vox that 'USGS remains committed to its congressional mandate as the science arm of the Department of the Interior.' The White House did not respond to a request for comment. In a Senate appropriations hearing last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum refused to commit to maintaining funding for EMA. 'There's no question that they don't know what EMA does,' said the senior Interior employee. Ultimately, it's not clear why the administration has targeted Interior's biological research. EMA does, however, do climate science, such as studying how plants and animals are responding to rising temperatures. That's apparently a no-go for the Trump administration. It also gathers information that sometimes indicates that certain species need federal protections, which come with regulations (also a no-go for President Donald Trump's agenda). What's especially frustrating for environmental advocates is that NABat, now 10 years old, is starting to hit its stride. 'We should be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of this very successful program that started from scratch and built this robust, vibrant community of people all collecting data,' said Winifred Frick, the chief scientist at Bat Conservation International, an environmental group. 'We have 10 years of momentum, and so to cut it off now sort of wastes all that investment. That feels like a tremendous loss.' Meanwhile, the cost of maintaining the program is less than 1 percent of Interior's overall budget. The government's wildlife monitoring programs are 'jewels of the country,' said Hollis Woodard, an associate professor of entomology at University of California Riverside who works with USGS on bee monitoring. 'These birds and bats perform services for us that are important for our day-to-day lives. Literally everything I value, including food, comes down to keeping an eye on these populations. The idea that we're just going to wipe them out is just terrifying.'
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Mystery of ‘Man in £100 Walking Boots' whose identity STILL unknown 18 months after dogwalker found his body on UK beach
Police have been able to determine he was a white man, and stood around six feet tall DEATH PROBE Mystery of 'Man in £100 Walking Boots' whose identity STILL unknown 18 months after dogwalker found his body on UK beach Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MYSTERY man wearing "£100 walking boots" washed ashore 18 months ago - but his identity is still unknown. A dog walker made the grim discovery on a beach near a caravan park on the Gower Peninsula in Wales in December 2023. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A mystery man whose body was washed ashore on a British beach 18 months ago has not yet been identified Credit: WNS Cops have still not been able to identify the body despite trawling through DNA archives, dental records and missing person reports. The man was wearing distinctive size nine Magnus walking boots, a black leather belt and black socks. Police have been able to determine he was a white man, and stood around six feet tall. An inquest has been set for the John Doe in November this year. A spokesman for South Wales Police said: "On December 16, 2023, South Wales Police received a report of man's body having been washed up in the shore in the Gower area of Swansea, between Slade Bay and Green Meadow Leisure Park. "Since that time, officers have been unable to identify him. "The man had a black leather belt on and a pair of black socks and size nine Magnum walking boots. "There are no other distinguishing marks to assist police with the identification of this man. "South Wales Police has worked with other forces within and outside of the UK and to date there has been no matches on the DNA obtained from the body. "The body has been described as a white man, six foot in height and with a shoulder width of 20 inches. "South Wales Police are appealing for any new information in relation to the identity of this man."
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Mystery of ‘Man in £100 Walking Boots' whose identity STILL unknown 18 months after dogwalker found his body on UK beach
A MYSTERY man wearing "£100 walking boots" washed ashore 18 months ago - but his identity is still unknown. A dog walker made the grim discovery on a beach near a caravan park on the Gower Peninsula in Wales in December 2023. 2 A mystery man whose body was washed ashore on a British beach 18 months ago has not yet been identified Credit: WNS Cops have still not been able to identify the body despite trawling through DNA archives, dental records and missing person reports. The man was wearing distinctive size nine Magnus walking boots, a black leather belt and black socks. Police have been able to determine he was a white man, and stood around six feet tall. An inquest has been set for the John Doe in November this year. Read More A spokesman for South Wales Police said: "On December 16, 2023, South Wales Police received a report of man's body having been washed up in the shore in the Gower area of Swansea, between Slade Bay and Green Meadow Leisure Park. "Since that time, officers have been unable to identify him. "The man had a black leather belt on and a pair of black socks and size nine Magnum walking boots. "There are no other distinguishing marks to assist police with the identification of this man. Most read in The Sun "South Wales Police has worked with other forces within and outside of the UK and to date there has been no matches on the DNA obtained from the body. "The body has been described as a white man, six foot in height and with a shoulder width of 20 inches. "South Wales Police are appealing for any new information in relation to the identity of this man." 2 The body was found by a dog walker in December 2023 Credit: WNS
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
UK's ‘worst seaside town' where drug gangs run rampant and locals ‘don't feel safe outside' set for massive revamp
The town's main shopping centre is currently 80 percent empty SEA SPREE UK's 'worst seaside town' where drug gangs run rampant and locals 'don't feel safe outside' set for massive revamp Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE UK's 'worst seaside town' where drug gangs run rampant and the locals 'don't feel safe outside' is now set for a huge revamp. The Welsh resort town of Bangor was hit with the unfortunate title following a survey by the consumer champion Which? where it was described as being 'drab' and 'run down'. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Bangor has been dubbed Britain's 'worst seaside town' Credit: WNS 6 Debenhams closed its doors for good in 2021 Credit: WNS 6 The Menai Centre is now for sale with a £4.2m price tag Credit: WNS Bangor scored just 42 percent approval rating in the Which? survey with a lack of shopping highlighted. It scored one-star ratings for food and drink, tourist attractions, and shopping. For everything else, Bangor received just two stars. However, it was praised as a good base for visiting the 'fabulous' scenery and coast of North Wales. Nestled less than an hour away from Snowdonia national park, overlooking the Menai Strait, the North Wales city has been ravaged in recent years by rampant drug gangs and a high street battling to stay afloat. The 700 people quizzed by Which? gave the town an approval rating of just 42 percent. Nathan Griffiths, 25, a tyre technician, told The Sun last year: 'It's a s***hole. It's gone downhill massively for years. It's a dump in the city centre. 'I don't feel safe coming out here.' Dewi Rees, 55, said: 'It's been declining for 20 years. It's a shame it has gone downhill.' Dewi added: 'There's a lack of investment, the retail park is outside the town and tariffs on the properties are too high. Inside UK's 'worst seaside town' where shuttered restaurants are turned into drug farms But the high street is a mess, with boarded-up buildings and most national retailers long disappeared. Since the pandemic, the shopping centre has incredibly been 80 per cent vacant as the high street struggles to get back on its feet. The closure of Debenhams in 2021 sounded the death klaxon for the main shopping road. Drug gangs have seized the vacant lots to brazenly run secret cannabis factories. There have also been complaints of drug dealing in nearby Caernarfon Road, where many well-known high street names have relocated to new stores. In 2024, two men were jailed for their role in running a cannabis farm, claiming they had been forced into the work after being brought over illegally. The factory they were caught in was estimated to be worth £730,000, with Albanian nationals Fatjon Tarja, 32, and Indrit Balliu, 31, caught trying to escape out the back. The property used to have a restaurant on the ground floor, but it had been turned into a four-story operation housing 700 cannabis plants and all the equipment needed to grow them. Both men were jailed each for a year and eight months, with a ten-month minimum time served inside. But now the town is having new life breathed into it with its main shopping centre – the Menai Centre – being put on the market. The "shopping dream" precinct was developed in 2007 and cost £18.5million to build - but is listed for auction with a guide price of just £4.2million. The centre once housed High Street fashion retailers such as Debenhams and H&M but they left during the pandemic and is now 80 percent vacant. Among the shops left include a Greggs, The Original Factory Shop, and Hays Travel opening, as well as a cocktail bar. History of Bangor The city's name is Welsh for 'wattled enclosure', meaning it takes its name from the fenced area that originally surrounded the cathedral site. In 973 the city became the site of peace talks between Iago, ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and Hywel who had usurped him. The talks were facilitated by Edgar, King of England, who persuaded the warring kings to share ruling the realm. Bangor remained a relatively small settlement until the beginning of the 18th century, when it was designated a postal town on the route to Ireland. It then developed a shipbuilding industry and tourism via steamboats from Liverpool docks. In 1826, the Menai Bridge was built, connecting the isle of Anglesey to the mainland physically for the first time. By 1848, the city had a train station, allowing tourists to visit it more easily. In 1893, the Garth Pier opened. It's the second-longest pier in Wales and is now Grade II listed. During World War II, Bangor was used to rehouse parts of the BBC to avoid the blitz in London. The corporation still retains facilities in the city to this day. A health centre is set to open in the former Debenhams store funded by the Welsh Government, which is hoped will attract footfall but that unit is not part of the sale. The 130,000 sq ft building was bought by Bearmont Capital - run by Rob Lloyd - in 2023 and is listed for auction with property giant Savills in a two-stage bidding process. Savills said: "The property is arranged over ground and one upper floor and arranged as 19 separate units. It comprises 64,321 sq ft of retail and leisure space. "Tenants include JD Sport, Cafe Nero, Hays Travel, 3 mobile, Superdrug and Greggs amongst others. "Each shop benefits from their own street frontage. 'The Shopping Centre has no communal atrium, thus minimising the common parts. 'To the rear is a service yard." Savills say the current annual rents paid by tenants add up to £508,000. Explaining the bidding process, they said: "In stage 1 potential purchasers will be invited to place bids via a set deadline. 'These offers will then be considered by the client and a best and final offers may be called. "Should an offer meet the client's requirements a successful bidder will be selected and a sale will take place via an auction contract, which will be signed immediately along with receiving a 10 per cent deposit. 'The property will be deemed as 'sold prior to auction'. "If no stand out bids are received or bids received are of a similar value then a reserve price will be set on the property and it will be sold via a live online auction (date to be determined subject to Stage 1 of the process)." The stage one bids close on June 10. After receiving the title, Bangor City Council said: "It's disappointing to see Bangor City named as one of the UK's worst seaside towns. 'Such rankings often fail to capture the full picture and the unique charms that make Bangor City so special." 6 Once a bustling hub of the city, the high street is now full of shuttered shops Credit: 6 Residents say the shopping district has been in decline for decades Credit:
