Trump administration fires hundreds at agency that forecasts weather, hurricanes
What's the story
The Donald Trump administration has laid off hundreds of employees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a major climate research agency in the Department of Commerce.
The layoffs were announced over email on Thursday afternoon, with immediate effect by the end of the day.
Most of the affected employees were probationary employees, new hires, or recently promoted, making up 10% of NOAA's workforce, the Guardian reported.
Letter
Agency finds you not fit for continued employment: Mail
The email that the laid-off staffers received read in part, "OPM has advised that '[p]robationary periods are an essential tool for agencies to assess employee performance and manage staffing levels.' (4)."
"In light of that guidance, the agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and/or skills do not fit the agency's current needs."
Backlash begins
Layoffs at NOAA spark widespread criticism
The agency joins several others across the federal government to have their staff reduced lately.
The move is part of the Trump administration's aim to shrink the size of the federal government.
The enormous layoffs have affected thousands of scientists, doctors, administrative personnel, grant managers, and others.
The cutbacks impacted 880 NOAA personnel, a congressional source told CBS News.
Legal dispute
Political figures and scientists condemn NOAA layoffs
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen called the mass layoffs "flatly illegal" in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The Union of Concerned Scientists also wrote a letter signed by over 2,500 experts urging NOAA to keep its funding and staff.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren warned these firings could "cost American lives," while Congressman Gabe Amo accused President Trump and Elon Musk of jeopardizing national security and public safety.
Impact
Impacts of the cuts could be profound
The cuts to NOAA will have far-reaching consequences, experts told NPR.
NOAA monitors and forecasts the country's weather and hurricanes, administers oceanic fisheries, protects coastal resources, and creates and updates nautical maps used for global shipping.
Disruptions in NOAA's employment base may result in, among other things, less accurate weather forecasts, experts warn, or delays in updating marine maps critical to safe transit through the United States' oceanic seas.