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.
Look to the sky Friday night for the rare chance to see seven planets lined up.
The big picture: Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars will appear together in a "planetary alignment" or "parade of planets" shortly after sunset Friday, according to the astronomy website and app Star Walk.
CBS anchor Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez, fiancé of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, are heading to space on a Blue Origin flight this spring with four other women, King announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The all-women crew will be the highest-profile mission yet for Blue Origin, which has become one of the foremost players in the commercial space industry.
