alt.hn

6/18/2026 at 11:41:48 PM

Update on Ocean Observatories Initiative

 https://www.nsf.gov/news/update-ocean-observatories-initiative

by andsoitis

6/19/2026 at 12:13:40 AM

On Wednesday, June 17th the Senate passed the Saving the OOI Act with unanimous consent. This bill prohibits dismantling the OOI. The bill had not yet passed the House.

by bnm04

6/19/2026 at 12:44:07 AM

For those unfamiliar, this implies they would have been able to override a presidential veto, so the administration backtracking is just saving the president the embarassment of a defiant congress/disunified party.

by 63

6/19/2026 at 6:09:17 AM

When Trump vetoed a drinking water project for Colorado that had passed both the House and Senate by unanimous consent they failed to override it. Don’t underestimate how afraid Republicans in Congress are of angering Trump.

by tzs

6/19/2026 at 11:23:00 AM

> Don’t underestimate how afraid Republicans in Congress are of angering Trump.

Or his armed insurrectionists^W supporters.

by throw0101a

6/19/2026 at 12:55:05 AM

If the administration cares about embarrassment, I've got some bad news.

by daveguy

6/19/2026 at 1:00:50 AM

Trump cares about winning, and appearing invincible, a lot. That’s why in close races, he only endorses near the end when he’s sure who’s going to win.

by tedd4u

6/19/2026 at 1:12:53 AM

Right, the operative word is less "embarrassment" than "impotence".

by Terr_

6/19/2026 at 5:56:28 AM

[flagged]

by ornornor

6/19/2026 at 7:46:04 AM

Please don't do this here.

by tomhow

6/19/2026 at 10:08:38 AM

So many close races, so many near misses.

by emsign

6/19/2026 at 1:03:08 AM

The administration cares about itself feeling embarrassment.

What it feels embarrassment about doesn't necessarily have much to do with what a normal healthy adult would feel embarrassment about.

Think of him like an emotionally damaged child.

by colechristensen

6/19/2026 at 1:22:54 AM

The context behind this is head of OMB Russell Vought thinks impoundments - not paying out congressionally authorized funds - is constitutional. So this seems like a legitimate retreat on one of many impoundment issues. It required real pressure from Congress as they try to harden appropriations against an OMB willing to use almost every tactic to not disburse funds.

But impoundment issues persist in NASA and other science agencies in particular.

Still, it’s a hopeful sign that the constitutional system is not broken completely

by softwaredoug

6/19/2026 at 1:26:32 AM

Related (I think). Have there been others?

U.S. pulling ocean sensors a 'shock' for Canadian research as El Niño nears - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48560847 - June 2026 (271 comments)

U.S. to dismantle system tracking Atlantic currents that are at risk of collapse - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48392232 - June 2026 (487 comments)

by dang

6/19/2026 at 12:32:29 AM

Widespread worldwide outrage can bring about change.

This seems to be good news without a catch. Am I missing something?

by cadamsdotcom

6/19/2026 at 12:36:03 AM

The catch is they’re still the administration.

by fnordpiglet

6/19/2026 at 1:38:33 AM

The only small catch is that NSF did not acknowledge it was illegally withholding funds Congress authorized for the array. And so who knows what might change in the future.

Still Congress seemed willing to pressure the administration on the issue and was about to pass a law directly earmarking the project.

by softwaredoug

6/19/2026 at 1:23:55 AM

I agree. This is a most unexpected ray of hope.

by adonovan

6/19/2026 at 12:47:22 AM

Hahaha I felt the same way, im like now way this is just a clean nice win, im starting to feel .... hopeful??

by Johnny_Bonk

6/19/2026 at 2:24:58 AM

oh to be young again

by 0ckpuppet

6/19/2026 at 12:34:09 AM

This is fantastic. Glad to see we’ll be keeping the sensors.

by arjie

6/19/2026 at 1:04:56 AM

Would it not make sense for the non US funding to rise matched by an independent commission to manage the data harvesting costs and maintenance?

by ggm

6/19/2026 at 4:47:40 AM

That’s such a big movement, keep going

by alfienightshift

6/19/2026 at 1:56:39 AM

I ran into this lovely cross-survey paper three months ago, and was so thankful: an amazing incredible view of reality, a depth of understanding. It was such a horror to think of ripping up such amazing science!

Past, present and future of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation Josep L. Pelegrí

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.05592.109

by jauntywundrkind

6/19/2026 at 12:12:09 AM

positive news?

by Avicebron

6/19/2026 at 1:39:51 AM

In the sense that the arsonist who has set the building on fire has been stopped from also lighting a wooden bucket on fire right now, sure, positive news.

by GolfPopper