President Trump's nominee to lead the agency that includes the National Weather Service said Wednesday it did a "great job" in Texas, but sees ways to improve forecasting technology and communicating hazards to the public.
Why it matters: Neil Jacobs, Trump's choice to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, appeared before a Senate panel days after fatal flooding in Central Texas killed over 100 people, with many more still missing.
There are four distinct varieties of autism, each linked to unique genetic profiles — a discovery that could offer new insights into the neurodevelopmental condition, according to a new study in Nature Genetics.
Why it matters: The findings come as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy is pushing federal efforts to identify an "environmental" cause for increased autism incidence by September.
New Mexico's flooding rains killed a man and two children in the Village of Ruidoso and prompted dozens of water rescues in the state's south over Tuesday night, officials said.
The big picture: N.M. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an emergency declaration late Tuesday "to get federal response teams and repair resources on the ground immediately," she said on Facebook.
President Trump's pick to head NOAA — which includes the National Weather Service — will tell Congress on Wednesday that he wants to make the U.S. a weather forecasting leader.
Why it matters: Neil Jacobs' nomination hearing arrives as Democratic critics question whether NWS staffing reductions hampered performance in the deadly Texas flooding — and whether proposed budget cuts will hinder the very forecasting improvements he's vowing.
Why it matters: The threats from bad actors harnessing quickly evolving voice-cloning technology stretch beyond the typical "grandparent scam," with a string of high-profile incidents targeting or impersonating government officials.
