The cuts of about 800 probationary employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sliced deep into the agency tasked with a range of safety missions.
Why it matters: The cuts spared "only some" specialists at its National Weather Service, according to a congressional aide speaking on condition of anonymity.
It'll be a long, uncertain road from Friday's signing of the U.S.-Ukraineminerals deal to development of resources and revenue that President Trump covets.
The big picture: The pact would create a joint reconstruction fund, partly used to reinvest in Ukrainian minerals, energy and infrastructure projects.
The Commerce Department has laid off hundreds of NOAA employees, many with specialized skills who work at one of the world's top climate science and weather forecasting agencies.
Why it matters: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is responsible for providing weather watches and warnings, monitoring and studying Earth's climate, as well as operating weather satellites and protecting marine life.
The Trump administration's reported determination to overturn the EPA's 2009 endangerment finding on climate change would be extremely difficult — but not impossible, experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: The EPA finding — long a target of conservatives —underpins a slew of regulations on cars, trucks and power plant emissions.
