Gloomy forecast for meteorologists: Musk’s cutbacks on the horizon

Hundreds of workers at the National Weather Service (NWS) were laid off Thursday as part of the cutback plan pushed by Elon Musk's DOGE. Most of the departures have fallen on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency responsible for weather forecasting, climate analysis and marine conservation.

Among the departures, estimated at 800, according to several sources, are numerous scientists and experts. The same people warn that a second wave of layoffs is expected through Friday, bringing the final number to more than 1,000 people without jobs.

Republicans point to NOOA as harbinger of climate sensationalism 

The NOOA was in the spotlight of the Republicans since long before the inauguration. Even before the campaign it was singled out as "one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry" and called for its complete dissolution.

While this agency may have borne the brunt, it was not the only one affected within the NWS. As CNN reports, between 350 and 375 employees were on probationary status (those who have been in their positions for a year or less, in most cases) and would have been affected by the DOGE's layoff of such employees. However, it is not clear that all of them have been let go, as there were exceptions relating to positions deemed "critical," including forecasters for life-threatening disasters like hurricanes and severe thunderstorms.

Unions prepare for legal battle

The NWS unions are trying to contact all those laid off and accuse the DOGE of leaving hardly any traces of this move on paper, which makes it difficult to make a count of those affected and rely in many cases on those directly affected to share information via word of mouth or with posts on social media regarding what happened. They have already announced that they are studying what legal action can be taken to block the measure.

Democratic politicians have not remained silent either. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) claimed in statements reported by AFP that this is a move that "will cost lives":

"Hundreds of NOAA scientists and experts have just received the news that all federal workers have been dreading. The government's purge of scientists, experts and career civil servants and the cutting of critical programs will cost lives."