NOAA Facing Cuts to Satellite Program

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could see a 17 percent budget cut under the Trump administration with serious reductions in several climate-related programs. The budget memo for NOAA, first reported by the Washington Post on Friday, includes a 26 percent budget cut for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and cutting a $73 million coastal research program. 90 percent of the country's weather data comes from NOAA satellites, which face serious cuts in the proposed budget. “Cutting NOAA’s satellite budget will compromise NOAA’s mission of keeping Americans safe from extreme weather and providing forecasts that allow businesses and citizens to make smart plans,” former Obama NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco told the Post. (Washington Post $, Politico, The Hill, Mashable, Christian Science Monitor. Commentary: Forbes, Marshall Shepherd column, ThinkProgress, Joe Romm column)