2026-01-14 20:50:29
A SpaceX rocket explosion elicits images of spectacle and maybe thoughts of a lot of funds up in flames. But if you’re a pilot flying in an area suddenly defined by the FAA as a debris zone, you probably have other things on your mind. ProPublica analyzed flight data where a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded on January 16, 2025.
We compared the plane’s locations and maneuvers to the FAA’s debris zone, which was based on coordinates it released to air traffic personnel. We identified planes inside the zone during or just after the explosion in January, as well as others that appeared to take significant action to avoid the area. Planes that had just crossed the zone or flew in parallel to it were not included. This analysis may not be comprehensive of all evasive maneuvers or disruptions caused by the explosions.
Tags: explosion, ProPublica, SpaceX
2026-01-14 20:04:26
For Bloomberg, Molly Smith reports on the state of government data:
But Trump has made it clear that some data collection simply didn’t align with White House “priorities” that no longer include “woke” topics such as climate change (a “hoax”) or diversity, equity and inclusion. Many of the cuts have also been aimed at data that would reflect poorly on the administration’s policies.
The administration will no longer conduct an engagement and satisfaction survey of the federal workforce after gutting its ranks, and it tried unsuccessfully to disable a website on government spending. The Social Security Administration quietly stopped publicly reporting its live call-center wait times as it was experiencing significant customer service changes and staffing reassignments. The Environmental Protection Agency is moving toward ending a majority of reporting requirements under a “burdensome” greenhouse gas program as the administration rolls back emissions controls. The US Department of Agriculture canceled its food security survey just days before the government shutdown disrupted food aid for tens of millions of people. The USDA also released a delayed trade report that was stripped of its usual analysis, reportedly because the comments ran counter to the president’s messaging.
A lot of people who think these takedowns are a good thing are going to experience the effects of not having enough data to see properly.
Tags: Bloomberg, government, takedown
2026-01-13 19:04:23
Probability expressed as a percentage is a value between 0% and 100%. If there is a 0% probability that something happens, then the thing is impossible. If there is 100% probability that something happens, then the thing is definite. This uses words to describe a number.
Now turn it around. What probability do you use to describe the words? If something is unlikely, what are the chances that something occurs? Adam Kucharski made a quiz that lets you assign probability to common words used to express probability. Then compare against what others answered.
See also: the distributions of likelihood and the CIA rendition from the 1990s.
Tags: Adam Kucharski, uncertainty, words
2026-01-13 02:47:40
You know the standard word search setup. There’s a grid of letters, and within that grid are hidden words to search for. Now imagine that grid of letters can grow infinitely and many people can search the grid at the same time. Luke Schaef made that game, where people can find and submit words.
Make sure to zoom out and pan. The middle of the grid is a blob, but people started to use word-finding as a drawing mechanism towards the edges, because of course they have.
Tags: collaboration, game, Luke Schaef, words
2026-01-13 02:26:53
In efforts to understand the hiring and firing at the beginning of the DOGE havoc in 2025, for Bloomberg, Aaron Gordon and Jason Leopold review data requested through the FOIA.
One agency immediately stands out: the Internal Revenue Service. In January 2025, the IRS hired 1,313 people. Over the next two months the agency laid off 11,000 workers, or about 11% of its workforce. And it hired zero people in February and March. What happened at the IRS amidst the DOGE-slashing effort that swept through the federal government is an extreme case of how Musk and his wrecking crew gutted agencies. The IRS did not respond to a request for comment.
Also last January, the federal government hired slightly more than 10,000 people. That didn’t decrease much in February, but the composition of hiring changed dramatically. About half the hires in January were from departments scattered across the government. The IRS accounted for one out of every nine hires. That changed in February. About 80% of the new hires were from the departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
You can download the spreadsheet from Bloomberg, which includes names, agencies, and salaries.
Sadly, receiving data from the U.S. government almost feels like an anomaly at this point. This request took about a year to process.
Tags: Bloomberg, DOGE, FOIA, government
2026-01-13 00:43:33
Based on November data released by the Office of Personnel Management, the federal workforce is 220,000 workers fewer in this administration. For the New York Times, Emily Badger, Francesca Paris, and Alicia Parlapian provides a searchable table for how each agency was affected and the year-over-year change.
Of note:
Amid all the cuts, one agency has notably swelled: Immigration and Customs Enforcement expanded by about 30 percent through November, and more new hires have been announced since as the Trump administration continues to ramp up its deportation campaign.
Tags: government, layoffs, New York Times
