LEAVE. ASHLEY AND JASON, A SPOKESMAN FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, TELLS 11 NEWS 140 WORKERS WERE PLACED ON THAT STATUS. TONIGHT WE HEAR FROM TWO OF THEM. ONE SAYS THIS IS CLEARLY AN ATTACK ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES. OUR EMOTIONS ARE MIXED AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TALK ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND CUTS MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY. PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY PANICKED. THEY’RE IN DISTRESS. THEY’RE PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKING POINTS. AND THIS IS SERIOUS. THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IS NOW ELIMINATED. 140 SSA EMPLOYEES PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. I’M GOING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET TO FIND ANOTHER JOB OR TO TO JUST MAKE ENDS MEET. ACCORDING TO THE SSA WEBSITE, THE NOW DISBANDED OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED OVERALL MANAGEMENT OF THE SSA WIDE PROGRAMS OF CIVIL RIGHTS, EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY, HARASSMENT PREVENTION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS AND DISABILITY SERVICES. SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF EXECUTIVE OVERREACH OF TRYING TO BAR EMPLOYEES THAT SERVE THE PUBLIC. AND WE ALL SERVE THE PUBLIC. WE ALL DO. FROM GOING SOMEWHERE IF THEY FEEL LIKE THEY’RE IN A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT. NOW, EMPLOYEES DON’T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO. THE ACTING SOCIAL SECURITY COMMISSIONER RELEASED THIS STATEMENT. OUR FOCUS IS SUPPORTING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PRIORITIES, WHICH INCLUDE STREAMLINING FUNCTIONS AND PRIORITIZING ESSENTIAL WORK. TERMINATING THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, AND REASSIGNING STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES PERFORMED BY THIS OFFICE. ADVANCES THE PRESIDENT’S GOAL TO MAKE ALL OF GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT IN SERVING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. THE ONLY LIBERATING PART ABOUT IT IS THAT YOU WON’T BE IN THAT THAT NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU’RE BEING WHERE YOU CONSTANTLY FEEL LIKE THAT. WHEN’S THE NEXT SHOE GOING TO DROP? THESE CUTS HURT THE VERY PEOPLE THAT PUT THIS ADMINISTRATION IN POWER. AND I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT. THE ACTING COMMISSIONER DID NOT SPECIFY WHICH SSA DIVISIONS WILL NOW HANDLE CIVIL RIGHTS RESPONSIBILITIES, OR WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO PENDING CASES. REPORTING FROM T
Hundreds of weather forecasters fired in latest wave of DOGE cuts
Updated: 9:57 PM CST Feb 27, 2025
Hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees on probationary status were fired Thursday, lawmakers and weather experts said.Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the country.Related video above: Federal workers speak on DOGE layoffs, cutsCuts at NOAA appeared to be happening in two rounds, one of 500 and one of 800, said Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist who said he got the information from someone with first-hand knowledge. That’s about 10% of NOAA’s workforce. The first round of cuts were probationary employees, McLean said. There are about 375 probationary employees in the National Weather Service — where day-to-day forecasting and hazard warning is done.The firings come amid efforts by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to shrink a federal workforce that President Donald Trump has called bloated and sloppy. Thousands of probationary employees across the government have already been fired.Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., released a statement saying: “Today, hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including weather forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS), were given termination notices for no good reason. This is unconscionable.”Meng added: “These are dedicated, hardworking Americans whose efforts help save lives and property from the devastating impacts of natural disasters across the country. This action will only endanger American lives going forward.”Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat who is the ranking minority member in the House Natural Resources Committee, also said “hundreds of scientists and experts at NOAA” were let go.Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said on social media that the job cuts “are spectacularly short-sighted, and ultimately will deal a major self-inflicted wound to the public safety of Americans and the resiliency of the American economy to weather and climate-related disasters.”
Hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees on probationary status were fired Thursday, lawmakers and weather experts said.
Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the country.
Related video above: Federal workers speak on DOGE layoffs, cuts
Cuts at NOAA appeared to be happening in two rounds, one of 500 and one of 800, said Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist who said he got the information from someone with first-hand knowledge. That’s about 10% of NOAA’s workforce.
The first round of cuts were probationary employees, McLean said. There are about 375 probationary employees in the National Weather Service — where day-to-day forecasting and hazard warning is done.
The firings come amid efforts by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to shrink a federal workforce that President Donald Trump has called bloated and sloppy. Thousands of probationary employees across the government have already been fired.
Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., released a statement saying: “Today, hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including weather forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS), were given termination notices for no good reason. This is unconscionable.”
Meng added: “These are dedicated, hardworking Americans whose efforts help save lives and property from the devastating impacts of natural disasters across the country. This action will only endanger American lives going forward.”
Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat who is the ranking minority member in the House Natural Resources Committee, also said “hundreds of scientists and experts at NOAA” were let go.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said on social media that the job cuts “are spectacularly short-sighted, and ultimately will deal a major self-inflicted wound to the public safety of Americans and the resiliency of the American economy to weather and climate-related disasters.”
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