skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, February 7, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Former Soldiers Battle Administration Over Climate Change

play audio
Play

Monday, March 11, 2019   

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Hurricane Florence left approximately $3.6 billion of damage at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. And a group of former military leaders and advisers say the partisan battle over climate change could harm our troops and national security in the future.

Retired Rear Admiral David Titley will testify before a Congressional panel on Wednesday. He is one of 58 who penned a letter pushing back against what they say is the administration's attempt to downplay the impact of climate change.

The review by the 12-member panel will be led by climate-change critic William Happer. The administration's official position is that climate change is a threat to national security. But Titley and his comrades say the appointment of Happer to the National Security Council and a leaked document say otherwise.

"The internal documents that were leaked show, in the administration's own words, that this so-called review is meant to be adversarial in nature and to undermine the well-established fundamental scientific underpinnings of climate science which have been established for well over a century,” Titley said.

Titley provided training and recommendations for a U.S. Army tactical unit based in Fort Bragg while others toured damage to Camp Lejeune caused by Florence last September. The former meteorologist said it's important to prepare soldiers for extreme weather events that are impacting bases and installations in a number of ways, including increased damage from flooding.

Extreme weather events and warmer temperatures have the potential to affect base training and testing by causing more "black flag" days when outdoor training is suspended, Titley said. He said a lack of training and preparation presents dangerous conditions for troops, and it's important for national security that U.S. military installations are prepared for severe weather.

"Do you have the right training? Do you have the right equipment, the right tools to be successful in a region where it may be seeing rainfall like they've never seen before, or you may be having many more high heat-stress days?” Titley questioned. “These types of disasters, be they hurricanes or floods or something like that, that becomes a tremendous distraction."

He said a lack of preparation for severe weather also has an impact on military families. Last year, up to 70 percent of the housing at Camp Lejeune was damaged by Florence and nearly 5,000 military personnel and their families reportedly were displaced.

Titley will testify before Congress as research is presented from a peer-reviewed National Climate Assessment from more than 80 independent scientific bodies.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Opponents of a South Dakota bill that would require the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms say it would be an unfunded mandate. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A South Dakota House committee takes up a controversial bill today that would require all school districts in the state to display the Ten Commandment…


play sound

Virginia ranks third behind only Maryland and Delaware among the worst states for the average amount of back wages companies owe to their workers…

Environment

play sound

Some North Dakota school districts are part of a movement that has embraced electric school buses, but the federal funding shakeup carried out by the …


Florida immigrant advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to help undocumented individuals navigate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. (David Peinado/Pexels)

Social Issues

play sound

Immigrant advocates in Florida are ramping up efforts to help families navigate President Donald Trump's new immigration orders, which have increased …

Social Issues

play sound

The rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing, according to research from Lumina Foundation. Although Hoosier …

Gov. Kathy Hochul's free community college proposal would apply to people pursuing first-time associate degrees for jobs in high-demand fields, including nursing, teaching, technology and engineering. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

New York State is making historic higher education investments. As part of the 2026 budget proposal, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes free community …

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget includes a significant increase for public education to address Pennsylvania's school funding issues and …

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama nonprofits are coming together to tackle challenges that may threaten their survival, from declining donor support to shifting federal …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021