South Florida's leading LGBTQ museum and archive says it's been effectively cut off from state, federal and corporate funding due to anti-LGBTQ policies from Tallahassee and the White House.

Why it matters: The Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library, which has been operating for more than 50 years, estimates that more than half of its $1 million operating budget is now at risk.

What they're saying: Robert Kesten, CEO of the Fort Lauderdale-based museum, tells Axios that government policies targeting the LGBTQ community and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs have spooked corporate donors.

• "This is stretching into places that we really have not seen before," Kesten said. "Our future is threatened now."

Catch up quick: Gov. Ron DeSantis struck the first blow last year when he vetoed grant funding for Florida arts and cultural organizations, including about $100,000 for the museum, Kesten says.

• President Trump's executive orders combatting DEI — including banning "equity-related" federal grants and investigating private companies' DEI policies — have put federal and corporate funding at risk, Kesten says. (A judge temporarily blocked Trump's DEI orders last week.)

Case in point: Two weeks ago, Kesten says, the museum received a $50,000 federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for educational programs and exhibits — but he doubts the museum will receive another grant given the NEA's new priority of celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence.

• The museum's annual gala fundraiser, which is Saturday, has only one corporate sponsor, compared with six to 10 in previous years, according to the Miami Herald. About a fourth of the seats remain unsold.
• The museum has four open positions it can't currently fill.
• Some prospective board members now hesitate to join the nonprofit because they need approval from their employers, he added.

What's next: Kesten says the museum will continue its mission of protecting, defending and sharing the resources in its archive and library because there's "never been a more important time to know your history."

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The Commerce Department has begun laying off potentially 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 federal agency 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 cuts, which included staff at the National Weather Service, come four months before the Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1.

The big picture: NOAA's missions require staff to work around the clock to monitor dangerous weather, earthquakes that could cause tsunamis and other hazards.

• In recent weeks, the NWS has issued warnings for deadly flooding in Kentucky, heavy snow, frigid temperatures and other hazards across the country.

The layoffs follow moves at other agencies across the government, and are hitting employees with less than two years of service.

• Others who were promoted recently or transferred agencies can also be considered to be on probationary status.
• Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told Axios about the layoffs.
• The cuts hit workers at NOAA headquarters, NOAA's satellites division, the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N.J., the office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research as well as divisions on the oceans side of the agency.
• Probationary employees and some supervisors in the Office of Space Commerce were let go as well.

Even before the layoffs, the Weather Service in particular was short-staffed. It isn't yet clear how many NWS forecasters and supervisors have been impacted by the cuts.

• NOAA had requested exemptions for many in the NWS on public safety grounds.

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👷 The Current at City Center, a 350-unit apartment complex, broke ground. It's the first step in the $1.5 billion transformation of Southland Mall into the mixed-use Southplace City Center.

🛬 Conservative influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, were permitted to fly into Fort Lauderdale yesterday after Romania lifted a travel ban against them. (Associated Press)

• The dual U.S.-British citizens and vocal Trump supporters face charges of human trafficking in Romania, while Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. (They have denied the allegations.)

⚖️ Former Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell filed Florida Bar complaints against Mayor Francis Suarez and former City Attorney Victoria Méndez, alleging "misconduct" related to the Inter Miami soccer stadium deal and proposed funding for city parks. (Miami Herald)

• Suarez called the complaint "baseless."

Miami International Airport's average domestic airfare is about $318 — below many other major airports around the country.

Why it matters: Of the nation's 50 largest airports, MIA ranks in the bottom 10 for cheapest average airfare, per the latest Transportation Department data.

• Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International was the cheapest, reporting an average domestic airfare of about $252.

Between the lines: This is a snapshot in time, and airfare for some destinations can rise and fall over the year. Plus, lots of factors affect airports' average fares.

• If an airport has more work travelers buying business- or first-class tickets, for example, that could drive up the average fare.
• Conversely, a heavy presence of budget airlines could reduce the average fare. (That's probably what's happening in places like Florida.)

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