Search

PFAS regulation. Should they stay, or should they go? Legislative insights offer answers to common questions. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyi substances (PFAS) are synthetic compounds with many societal uses. Applications from [...]

The typical applicant for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) waits up to 30 days for benefits and for up to 45 days for Medicaid. Despite years of massive investments [...]

The Aligned Customer-Centered Ecosystem of Supports & Services (ACCESS) Initiative is a two-year initiative led by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) in partnership with the National Association of [...]

We are living in a historic moment in which emerging technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the proliferation of Generative AI (Gen AI), are providing new opportunities for governments to [...]

In a transformational journey from replacement to reinvention, the New Mexico Medicaid Management Information System Replacement (MMISR) program is reimagining its Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) with a modular solution, [...]

Through machine learning (ML) developments, medical devices are gaining more autonomous functions and taking on more central roles in medical care. Many scholars believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize the healthcare industry, but the technology brings several concerns that implicate data privacy, patient security and safety, and professional responsibility. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledged this fact, publishing proposed guidance in 2023 on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) medical device approval that would tighten device regulation upfront and enhance supervision throughout the regulatory process. While some have addressed the premarket approval process or tort liability frameworks for artificial intelligence-enabled devices, this Note focuses on the regulatory concerns arising from off-label use of AI/ML-enabled medical devices. This Note agrees with FDA and other scholars that the current legal system does not support the proper use of AI/ML-enabled medical devices. To remedy that lack of systemic support, this Note considers which agencies, if any, have the proper regulatory authority to handle the matter and challenges the idea that nonbinding guidance is the proper regulatory vehicle for enforcement. Ultimately, this Note argues for a multilevel regulatory framework promulgated under the formal rulemaking process, state regulatory procedure, and private regulation., TABLE OF CONTENTS I. BACKGROUND 775 A. Artificial Intelligence in Medicine 776 B. Medical Device Regulation 778 C. Off-Label Use 781 III. ANALYSIS 784 A. Federal Regulators 785 1. The [...]

Every day, a K-12 school in the United States falls victim to a harmful cyberattack that can cost it millions of dollars and keep its doors closed for days or weeks. Schools are desperate for funding to purchase essential cybersecurity services and products to protect their school's networks from these cyberattacks. Such funding should be available through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) E-Rate program, which was established as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to provide discounts for connectivity services in K-12 schools across the country. During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and other telecommunications industry stakeholders submitted petitions asking the FCC to consider expanding the E-Rate program to include discounts for advanced firewall and network security services. While schools can currently utilize the E-Rate program to obtain discounts on telecommunications and internet services like cable modems, routers, and antennas, they are currently unable to use E-Rate program funding to purchase essential cybersecurity products and services, including advanced or next-generation firewalls, that would mitigate the impact of cyberattacks. With technological advancements, hackers are more capable than ever to devastatingly harm school networks; as such, the technological needs for achieving connectivity to schools have changed since the 1996 Act was passed. Advanced or next-generation firewalls and other network security services are now more essential than ever to obtaining safe and efficient connectivity for K-12 schools. This Note proposes that the FCC immediately expand the E-Rate program to include essential cybersecurity products and services in the program's eligible services list. The FCC has the requisite authority under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to expand the E-Rate program's eligible services list to keep up with changing technological needs. While different sectors of the federal government are working to resolve the cybersecurity problems schools are facing, what schools need most is immediate and accessible funding., While students and parents are back-to-school shopping and meeting new teachers, a potential cyberattack shutting down their schools or stealing their valuable student data should not be on their minds. [...]

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun using facial recognition technology (FRT) to screen passengers at airports. Although travelers can currently opt out, it is not clear that this will continue to be an option as the program expands. This raises significant concerns about the amount of personally identifiable information being collected by the agency, as well as the level of discretion the agency has to implement this increasingly invasive technology without input from Congress. This Note proposes that, in light of the United States Supreme Court's shift away from its deferential Chevron standard for reviewing agency action, litigators can and should argue that the TSA's program ought to be struck down. Furthermore, it concludes that, regardless of whether the TSA's program would be invalidated in court, Congress should step in and pass legislation guiding the agency's adoption of FRT. Although much has been written about the Court's evolving Chevron-deference jurisprudence, this Note contributes to the discussion by applying this analysis to the TSA's potentially problematic new FRT program., TABLE OF CONTENTS I. BACKGROUND 837 II. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TSA'S FACIAL RECOGNITION 841 PROGRAM III. HISTORICAL DEFERENCE TO AGENCY INTERPRETATIONS 845 IV. HOW THE COURT MIGHT REVIEW THE TSA'S [...]

In the wake of Judge Frank Easterbrook's critique of the development of specific laws for cyberspace, Lawrence Lessig's 1998 proposition of 'code-as-law' framed the internet's regulatory landscape through the interplay of four modalities--law, norms, market, and architecture. Today, at the start of the era of spatial computing, also known as extended reality (XR), it is timely to reassess Lessig's insights for this burgeoning digital frontier. This Article seeks to (1) update Lessig's framework to suit 3D computing, (2) envision governance for these novel systems, and (3) reimagine technological governance amidst failing traditional institutions. Revisiting code-as-law, the dynamic interplay of Lessig's modalities in digital governance shows how norms have played a central role. The internet's formative years echo today's nascent XR landscape in terms of legal ambiguity and technical volatility, as the parallel between the 1990s internet and current XR statistics underscores. Leading corporations' large investments in XR suggests that immersive technology will dominate future computing. XR demands new governance models due to its layering of digital environments onto real spaces, its profound sensory and psychological impact on users, and the commercial drive for content within virtual worlds, contrasting with the origins of the internet, with the impetus coming from outside the private sector. The uniqueness of XR, and more explicitly the differences from traditional flat screen computing, presents new governance challenges. When traditional modalities fail, society often reverts to hard law for intervention. This Article ponders the inflection points that could lead to such demands within XR pertaining to privacy concerns and the reemergence of online harms in a new medium. It questions the adequacy of Lessig's model in addressing systemic inefficiencies and the renegotiation of modalities in light of power imbalances. In sum, the study of cyberspace--and by extension, spatial computing--should transcend technical specifics and consider how emerging technologies can become inclusive or exclusionary. Drawing parallels with the early internet, this Article advocates for deliberate creation of networked spaces that embrace new modes of governance, thereby shaping a more equitable digital future., TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 657 II. 'THE LAW OF THE HORSE' 660 III. COMPUTING SYSTEMS OF THE 1990S AND TODAY 662 A. Internet of the 1990s-2000s 663 B. Spatial [...]

The data scraping and data collection that Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) enable are ubiquitous means of automatically and instantaneously gathering large amounts of online data. Anyone can leverage the capabilities of internet infrastructure to engage in data collection, yet the subjects of the data collection are often unaware of the full extent to which this personal data harvesting occurs. The accessibility and discreetness of large-scale automated online data collection test the overall fitness of the European data protection framework, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), to provide control to individuals over their personal data while promoting innovation and ensuring legal certainty for all parties concerned. This Article explores the extent to which the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the guidance of data protection authorities have accommodated this technological transformation. Data controllers have been the apparent focal point of institutional responses. Absent further clarification, however, an approach focused on data controllers is likely both insufficient and unsustainable. This Article outlines areas for further clarification and additional focus--namely, the concept of 'public accessibility' of online data, the notion of 'reasonable expectations,' the capacity of the 'fairness' principle, and an increased emphasis on technological infrastructure and rights-respecting AI development., TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 708 II. DEFINING 'PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE ONLINE DATA' 714 A. On a Baseline of Public Accessibility 715 B. Public Accessibility as a Technological Construct: 718 Automating [...]

The eligibility of inventions for patent protection under 35 U.S.C. Section 101 was altered substantially by the Supreme Court's decisions in Alice v. CLS Bank and Mayo v. Prometheus. These decisions and their progeny have expanded application of the implicit 'judicial exceptions' to patent eligibility for laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas. The resulting uncertainty has proven untenable for many stakeholders in the patent system, impeding innovation. With the Supreme Court steadfastly declining to provide clarity by granting certiorari in recent cases raising Section 101 questions, many are calling for Congress to act. While policy debate around Section 101 reform is alive and well, much of the scholarship on the issue focuses on the principles that ought to guide reform. This Note seeks to further the conversation by comparing justifications for subject matter restrictions against specific statutory language. Using the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2023 (PERA) as a case study, this Note compares PERA with the theory and recommendations provided by patent law scholars and finds it is strikingly consistent with utilitarian and other normative justifications for subject matter restrictions. This reformulation of Section 101 may alleviate much of the uncertainty harmful to stakeholders in the patent system. Recognizing imperfections in PERA, this Note concludes by proposing two amendments that would provide greater clarity and restrict eligibility for patents that are unlikely to provide societal value., TABLE OF CONTENTS I. ELIGIBLE SUBJECT MATTER DOCTRINE 807 A. Section 101 and Methods of Interpretation 808 1. The 1980's: Section 101 as a 'Coarse Filter' 808 2. The 2010's: [...]

US citizens enjoy strong protection against criminal searches pursuant to the Fourth Amendment, but they must produce a diary entry from a bedroom drawer or a text message to a romantic partner if it is relevant to a civil case and not privileged. The reason for this paradox, long a mystery to outsiders, is a complex mixture of history and culture. Understanding the paradox is particularly important now. In the absence of any other check on discovery, federal and state courts have relied on persuasive sources to protect privacy in pretrial practice, none of which are reflected in the discovery rules. The Supreme Court gutted one of those sources, the federal constitutional right to privacy, in Dobbs. At the same time, technological advancements and increasingly intrusive discovery requests push the boundaries of the rules. It is time to strengthen individual privacy rights in the context of civil discovery requests that implicate intimate and even incriminating details. The early history of discovery rules in the federal system shows no intent that parties to a civil lawsuit waive any privacy rights they might otherwise possess. Rather, the breadth of discovery--intended to prevent secrecy before trial--resulted from grafting equity procedures onto legal claims without retaining equitable guardrails. As technology changed the discovery landscape from designated paper documents to broad categories of electronic databases, broad disclosure became akin to a constitutional right. While digital invasions of privacy were a primary issue for legislative protection and Fourth Amendment concern, no concomitant change occurred in the discovery rules. Instead, courts protected against discovery into private matters by reference to persuasive privacy laws and by use of protective orders, which are increasingly ineffective. This Article proposes a revision to the civil discovery rules that would give explicit protection to information when it is subject to a reasonable expectation of privacy. The revolution initiated by the broad discovery rules did not result in transparency and justice but instead provided tools for abuse. Simply because sensitive information housed in a database or on the cloud is potentially relevant to broad issues in litigation does not mean that it should be presumptively discoverable. Instead, courts should require production only based on a showing of substantial need. Given the erosion of constitutional protection in Dobbs and its intimations for other rights, the legal system must prevent the use of broad discovery to harass, embarrass, and deter access to the courts., TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION: CIVIL INVASIONS OF PRIVACY 616 II. THE HISTORY OF PRIVACY IN DISCOVERY 620 A. Early Focus on Depositions and 'Blackmail': The 1930s 623 B. Attorney [...]

Flexible packaging enhances our daily lives by protecting the food and goods we buy However, as new trends emerge, sustainability remains crucial in film-layer packaging. Layering multiple materials - PE, [...]

Numerous changes to information technology and media consumption over the last 2 decades have facilitated a fundamental shift in how people receive information, including weather forecasts. Historically, weather information was generally vetted through experts (often broadcast meteorologists) to members of the public in a relatively top-down system. Now, with the availability of internet websites, phone applications, and social media, people have an increasingly diverse set of sources from which to get weather forecasts. In this piece, we present results from CONUS-wide surveys that show this diversification of weather sources for nonroutine weather events. While older respondents still tend to get weather information from television, younger respondents are increasingly reliant on less traditional sources, including phone notifications, internet websites, social media, and family and friends. This shift to nontraditional sources means that a more diverse set of actors will have the opportunity to provide weather information to users, which could impact the quality, reliability, and accessibility of the weather information in the future. KEYWORDS: Social Science; Communications/ decision making, 1. Introduction Weather influences our daily lives. From minor choices (like deciding to wear a coat) to more significant choices (like cancelling sporting events and concerts), almost everyone relies on [...]

KEYWORDS: Ocean; Arctic; Sea ice; Ocean dynamics; Small scale processes; Atmosphere-ocean interaction Inaugural Workshop and Early Career School of the Consortium for the Advancement of Marine Arctic Science (CAMAS) What: [...]

Climate change is a global existential threat with far-reaching implications for natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and human societies. Adapting to and mitigating climate change require global cooperation and participation from all mindsets and belief systems, including the traditionally western weather, water, and climate enterprise (WWCE), faith-based understandings (FBUs), and Indigenous Knowledges (IKs). Epistemological differences and language barriers between knowledges and the historical marginalization and exploitation of IKs by western ideologies and some FBUs make coproduction and relationship building challenging. Acknowledging their historical tensions and distinctions, there is meaningful overlap between the WWCE, FBUs, and IKs on environmental stewardship, justice, and mental health. This article highlights three themes at the intersection of FBUs, IKs, and environmentalism: 1) increasing faith- based and Indigenous community resilience to weather extremes; 2) developing kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) and collegiate weather, water, and climate education that weaves FBUs and IKs; and 3) increasing communication flows between weather, water, and climate science, and faith-based and Indigenous communities. These initiatives aim to foster relationships and trust between the WWCE, faith-based, and Indigenous communities; transform the WWCE into a multiknowledge enterprise; and promote a climate-resilient society. The American Meteorological Society's Committee on Spirituality, Multifaith Outreach, and Science (COSMOS) plays a pivotal role in facilitating dialogue and collaboration on these themes while acknowledging distinctions and historical tensions between FBUs, IKs, and the WWCE. Collaborative efforts between the WWCE, faith- based, and Indigenous communities hold immense potential for addressing climate challenges, fostering resilience, and building a more inclusive and sustainable future grounded in mutual respect and understanding. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This article addresses how weaving faith-based understandings (FBUs) and Indigenous Knowledges (IKs) into the weather, water, and climate enterprise (WWCE) can effectively tackle climate change, extreme weather, and other environmental challenges. Emphasizing the need for a shift in mindset and community dialogue, the path to adaptation begins with raising awareness and fostering discussions that bridge science and societal values. This includes acknowledging the historical tensions that exist between FBUs, IKs, and western science and being honest about the challenges and distinctions that arise from these tensions. Through partnerships highlighted between the American Meteorological Society (AMS), Indigenous groups, and multifaith organizations, we see practical outcomes: enhanced weather preparedness, improved mental well-being, holistic environmental solutions, and informed policymaking. These collaborations are crucial for building a resilient and sustainable future by connecting community strengths through a multiknowledge scientific and cultural approach. KEYWORDS: Climate change; Adaptation; Communications/ decision making; Education; Indigenous knowledge; Resilience, 1. Introduction Our changing climate presents an urgent, global, and existential threat with profound implications for natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and human societies worldwide (IPCC 2022). The urgent need to confront [...]

On 5 March 2023, Professor Lev Gutman would have been 100 years old. This article describes Professor Gutman's legacy in the field of dynamic mesoscale meteorology and numerical weather prediction. Gutman developed his career as a mathematician and meteorologist in the Soviet Union, where he built a school of specialists in mesoscale meteorology from the 1950s through the 1970s. He primarily worked on analytical methods to solve complex nonlinear problems, such as the structure of sea breezes, mountain-valley circulations, and thermal convection over heated terrain. Gutman pioneered the development of theories of cumulus clouds, tornadoes, and other atmospheric phenomena. In the 1960s, he carried out numerous research investigations on these topics with his doctoral students and collaborators at the High- Altitude Geophysical Institute in Nalchik in the northern Caucasus and later at the Siberian Scientific Center near Novosibirsk. Gutman compiled the results from these studies into a monograph titled 'Introduction to the Nonlinear Theory of Mesoscale Meteorological Processes,' which was published in Russian in 1969 and later translated into English, Chinese, and Japanese. This monograph became a major textbook for specialists in mesoscale meteorology, remaining relevant to this day. After Professor Gutman immigrated to Israel in 1978, his collaborations expanded to include Israeli and western scientists from Europe and the United States. Gutman did not receive the recognition he deserved due to the political realities of the time. His book and his seminal analytical solutions should still be useful for early career scientists in mesoscale meteorology and atmospheric dynamics. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: During the Cold War, Soviet and western scientists were disconnected, working often in parallel without knowing about relevant achievements on either side of the Iron Curtain. Professor Gutman's 1969 monograph Introduction to the Nonlinear Theory of Mesoscale Meteorological Processes, which was translated and published in English in 1972, is not well known. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the meteorological community with Professor Gutman's seminal works in mesoscale meteorology and to draw attention to the importance and usefulness of analytical solutions in problems such as vortices, fronts, orographic winds, and convection. Exploring Gutman's methodology may trigger interest in its validation with recent observations and bridge the gap between past and present modeling and numerical methods. It also documents an important historical time period, which is often overlooked in atmospheric science research. KEYWORDS: Convection; Downslope winds; Mesoscale processes; Sea breezes; Vortices; History, 1. Early life and science in the USSR Lev Gutman was born on 5 March 1923 and grew up in Moscow. His birthdate coincided with the date of Soviet Premier [...]

This paper describes the vision and objectives for evaluation and quality control of datasets available on the Climate Data Store (CDS) of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The CDS is a cloud service providing reliable, open, and free access to climate datasets from many different sources, including observations and derived climate data records, global and regional reanalysis products, and output from global and regional climate models. CDS data and information are widely used to monitor climate change, for policy development, environmental impact studies, business plans, public awareness, and many other purposes. CDS users include policymakers, technical consultants, and data scientists who are climate literate but not necessarily specialized in climate science. A key objective for C3S is to simplify data discovery and access and to ensure that all information provided is fit for purpose. The role of evaluation and quality control is to generate useful statements about the technical and scientific quality of the datasets available on the CDS, presented in a form that can be mapped directly to user requirements associated with specific application contexts. The ambition is to enable users to select, locate, access, and process climate data that are fit for purpose, simply by expressing their requirements in their own words. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This article is about making it easier for nonspecialists to use climate data effectively for purposes that extend beyond scientific analysis, such as policy development, environmental impact studies, business plans, and public awareness. In addition to simplifying access to the wealth of climate data available today, we need to provide more information about data quality that users can understand and use to determine fitness for purpose. KEYWORDS: Climate change; Data quality control; Quality assurance/ control; Climate services, 1. Introduction Imagine a dialog between an engineer working in the wind energy sector and ChatC3S, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed to provide guidance on the use of climate [...]

The Year of Polar Prediction in the Southern Hemisphere (YOPP-SH) held seven targeted observing periods (TOPs) during the 2022 austral winter to enhance atmospheric predictability over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. The TOPs of 5-10-day duration each featured the release of additional radiosonde balloons, more than doubling the routine sounding program at the 24 participating stations run by 14 nations, together with process- oriented observations at selected sites. These extra sounding data are evaluated for their impact on forecast skill via data denial experiments with the goal of refining the observing system to improve numerical weather prediction for winter conditions. Extensive observations focusing on clouds and precipitation primarily during atmospheric river (AR) events are being applied to refine model microphysical parameterizations for the ubiquitous mixed-phase clouds that frequently impact coastal Antarctica. Process studies are being facilitated by high-time-resolution series of observations and forecast model output via the YOPP Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (YOPPsiteMIIP). Parallel investigations are broadening the scope and impact of the YOPP-SH winter TOPs. Studies of the Antarctic tourist industry's use of weather services show the scope for much greater awareness of the availability of forecast products and the skill they exhibit. The Sea Ice Prediction Network South (SIPN South) analysis of predictions of the sea ice growth period reveals that the forecast skill is superior to the sea ice retreat phase. KEYWORDS: Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Numerical weather prediction/ forecasting; Cloud microphysics; Numerical analysis/ modeling, 1. Introduction The Polar Prediction Project (PPP) was a 10-yr (2013-22) initiative of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) aimed at significantly improving weather and environmental [...]

The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was above normal, producing 20 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 major hurricanes, and seasonal accumulated cyclone energy that exceeded the 1991-2020 average. Hurricane Idalia was the most damaging hurricane of the year, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Florida, resulting in eight direct fatalities and 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in damage. The above-normal 2023 hurricane season occurred during a strong El Nino event. El Nino events tend to be associated with increased vertical wind shear across the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic, yet vertical wind shear during the peak hurricane season months of August-October was well below normal. The primary driver of the above-normal season was likely record warm tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs), which effectively counteracted some of the canonical impacts of El Nino. The extremely warm tropical Atlantic and Caribbean were associated with weaker-than-normal trade winds driven by an anomalously weak subtropical ridge, resulting in a positive wind-evaporation-SST feedback. We tested atmospheric circulation sensitivity to SSTs in both the tropical and subtropical Pacific and the Atlantic using the atmospheric component of the Community Earth System Model, version 2.3. We found that the extremely warm Atlantic was the primary driver of the reduced vertical wind shear relative to other moderate/strong El Nino events. The concentrated warmth in the eastern tropical Pacific in August- October may have contributed to increased levels of vertical wind shear than if the warming had been more evenly spread across the eastern and central tropical Pacific. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season produced above-normal activity despite strong El Nino conditions. The season had 20 named storms, along with 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. Normally, El Nino decreases Atlantic hurricane activity due to increases in vertical wind shear. In 2023, vertical wind shear was below average, likely driven by the record warm tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea surface temperatures which led to tropical circulation patterns that were considerably different from the atmospheric flow typically observed during El Nino events. This manuscript also uses a state-of-the-art climate model to investigate the impacts of Atlantic and Pacific SST configurations on Atlantic vertical wind shear patterns. KEYWORDS: El Nino; Hurricanes/ typhoons; Tropical cyclones; Atmospheric waves; Seasonal forecasting, 1. Introduction The 2023 North Atlantic (hereafter Atlantic) hurricane season was classified as above normal based on NOAA's definition, (1) with 20 named storms [e.g., a tropical cyclone (TC) or [...]

Difficulty in using observations to isolate the impacts of aerosols from meteorology on deep convection often stems from the inability to resolve the spatiotemporal variations in the environment serving as the storm's inflow region. During the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Tracking Aerosol Convection interactions Experiment (TRACER) in June-September 2022, a Texas A&M University (TAMU) team conducted a mobile field campaign to characterize the meteorological and aerosol variability in air masses that serve as inflow to convection across the ubiquitous mesoscale boundaries associated with the sea and bay breezes in the Houston, Texas, region. These boundaries propagate inland over the fixed DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites. However, convection occurs on either or both the continental or maritime sides or along the boundary. The maritime and continental air masses serving as convection inflow may be quite distinct, with different meteorological and aerosol characteristics that fixed- site measurements cannot simultaneously sample. Thus, a primary objective of TAMU TRACER was to provide mobile measurements similar to those at the fixed sites, but in the opposite air mass across these moving mesoscale boundaries. TAMU TRACER collected radiosonde, lidar, aerosol, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and ice nucleating particle (INP) measurements on 29 enhanced operations days covering a variety of maritime, continental, outflow, and prefrontal air masses. This paper summarizes the TAMU TRACER deployment and measurement strategy, instruments, and available datasets and provides sample cases highlighting differences between these mobile measurements and those made at the ARM sites. We also highlight the exceptional TAMU TRACER undergraduate student participation in high-impact learning activities through forecasting and field deployment opportunities. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The environment influencing storms often varies across scales that are not always adequately captured by measurements collected at fixed locations. This paper describes our strategy for collecting mobile measurements of the aerosols and meteorology that influenced convection initiated by the sea breeze across the Houston, Texas, region. We show several examples of the local variations in aerosols and meteorology influencing storms that were captured by our mobile platform that were different from those sampled at fixed observation sites. We also highlight potential future studies and science questions that could be addressed using our dataset. KEYWORDS: Deep convection; Sea breezes; Aerosols; Cloud microphysics; Soundings; Aerosol-cloud interaction, 1. Motivation and goals Deep convective systems play a significant role in a number of critical components of the climate system through their large contribution to the hydrological cycle, feedback [...]

Tabletop exercises examining weather-related hazards are not uncommon but are often built around somewhat generic scenarios that only touch on the meteorological communication environment at a very shallow level. A recent exercise in central Oklahoma sought to change that. A local emergency manager, personnel from a National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office, and a severe weather researcher with a background in exercise design and facilitation worked together to create and deliver a realistic severe weather simulation. Exercise participants were exposed to detailed forecast information via NWSChat--a dedicated communication tool used to connect NWS forecasters, emergency managers, and media members for real-time information sharing. NWS forecasters were able to both actively play in the exercise due to the use of NWSChat and observe how local decision-makers interpreted and utilized the impact-based decision support service (IDSS) graphics and short-term forecast updates. The collaborative approach of developing a detailed scenario with numerous real- world IDSS graphics, along with the use of NWSChat for real-time delivery, resulted in overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants. The local emergency management office identified numerous areas for improvement in communicating real-time forecast information across their jurisdiction, along with gaps in current plans and resources. Meanwhile, the NWS forecast office had the opportunity to experiment with using the new NWSChat platform in a high- impact severe weather environment before a real-world event took place. Forecasters also gained insight into current IDSS graphic interpretation, noting areas for improved messaging to end users, such as adding storm motion to existing severe weather graphics. KEYWORDS: Communications/ decision making; Emergency preparedness; Emergency response, 1. Introduction Tabletop exercises are an important tool for emergency managers to ensure jurisdictional readiness for future incidents. These exercises often involve multiple agencies or stakeholders representing various parts of [...]