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We must be able to trust weather agencies are giving us life-saving information, not political propaganda. If Secretary Ross can't meet that standard, he's got to go.
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Dear friends,
Hurricanes are not a joke. Just look at the Abaco and Grand Bahama islands, both of which were flattened by hurricane Dorian this month. Or ask everyone in Puerto Rico, who are still rebuilding after Hurricane Maria slammed into the island last year. Or you could look to New Orleans, which, 14 years later, has fewer people living in city than before Hurricane Katrina.
These massive storms — only growing stronger and more frequent with climate change — destroy lives. The warnings issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) help people plan and survive. That's what makes Trump's politicization of the path of Hurricane Dorian so dangerous. What's worse, his cabinet secretary, who's supposed to be the "adult in the room," went along with it.
A quick recap: Trump erroneously claimed Hurricane Dorian threatened Alabama. He was wrong, which prompted the local NOAA office in the state to correct the record and stem any panic. But Trump doubled down, not only altering a forecast image to show he was right, but coercing his administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees NOAA, to corroborate the lie.
Now that Dorian is gone, the news cycle has moved on. But the fading attention belies the seriousness of what happened. Government officials whose job it is to provide accurate information about life-threatening extreme weather were forced to lie. It completely undermines the entire system, which could put more lives at risk in the future. We must demand accountability.
Thank you,
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| P.S. It's a federal crime to tamper with a weather forecast because it could put lives at risk, but Secretary Ross just let the president do it without consequences. Demand he resign now. |
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