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Straits Times
05-07-2025
- Science
- Straits Times
Outcry as Trump administration shutters two US government websites on climate change
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox This came a month after team was let go, in line with the Trump administration's broader budget cuts to science funding. SINGAPORE - The Trump administration has made moves in recent weeks to shutter two US government websites housing global resources on climate science. a website which supported public education in climate science, was the first to be taken down on June 24. This came a month after its entire team of employees was let go on May 31, in line with the Trump administration's broader budget cuts to science funding, the Guardian reported. The site, which was housed under the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), was run by a team of about 10 staff, who put out editorial content to educate the public about the climate, the Guardian's report added. One of its key features was the global climate dashboard, which tracked changes in climate change indicators – including sea and arctic ice levels, carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas levels, and average surface temperature – over time. Checks by The Straits Times on July 5 showed that keying in the website's URL now redirects users to , where a brief message informs users of the former site's closure. The social media pages affiliated with the site, through which bite-sized information on climate were shared, also uploaded their final posts on June 28. It had 340,000 followers on its Facebook page, while its Instagram page had 117,000. The site's closure has spawned a huge outcry in the global scientific community. Ms Rachel Brittin, an American science communicator and the former deputy director of external affairs at Noaa, criticised the move in a July 29 LinkedIn post which has since gone viral. As at July 5, the post has received over 2,900 reactions, and has been reposted over 700 times. Ms Brittin wrote: 'We lost the people who built and maintained one of the most trusted sources of climate information in the world. This wasn't just a budget cut, though. It was a deliberate dismantling of public access to climate science. 'For years, helped teachers explain climate change, journalists report on real-world impacts, farmers plan around drought, and coastal communities prepare for sea level rise.' Another US government website, went down a week later on June 30, reported the Los Angeles Times. The page, which was the gateway to the US Global Change Research Programme, was taken down alongside five iterations of the country's National Climate Change Report. The US Global Change Research Programme was established under a 1990 US law, which mandated that climate assessments be undertaken every four years. However, in April, the Trump administration dismissed hundreds of scientists who had begun to embark on the country's newest climate assessment report . Ramifications of the website closures have rippled beyond America's shores. Dr Ian Chan, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore's Department of Biological Sciences, was among those who expressed disappointment at the news. He had incorporated maps depicting historical, current and future global temperatures in his teaching, while students used temperature and rainfall data in their classroom projects. Dr Chan said: 'Both websites provided a lot of freely available data, which was extremely useful for educators teaching classes and scientists doing research at all levels – from primary schools to universities and beyond. 'Beyond data, the websites also housed other information, such as funding sources for educators, internships and fellowships for students, and news stories for the general public – all conveniently curated and easily accessible in one place.' In the wake of the news, some groups have been cobbling together resources to protect public data that could be at risk of being lost from cuts by the Trump administration. It includes the Data Rescue Project, which was founded in February 2025 in the hopes of coordinating 'data rescue-related efforts and data access points for public US governmental data that are currently at risk'.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bombshell report claims major US government website likely to be shut down after almost all staff fired
A major central US government website , NOAA 's portal to the work of their Climate Program Office, will likely soon shut down as most of the staff charged with maintaining it were fired on 31 May, The Guardian reported. The website that educates the public about climate science may soon cease to publish new material following a mass firing of its content team. will imminently no longer publish new content, according to multiple former staff responsible for the site's content whose contracts were recently terminated. ALSO READ: 2024 US Presidential election is under scrutiny as lawsuit claims discrepancies in Rockland County, New York by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Homeowners Are Turning to Solar to Lower Their Bills Solar Panels | Search Ads Learn More Undo US govt website shuts down is one of the most widely used climate science resources online, receiving hundreds of thousands of visits monthly, The Guardian noted in its report. 'The entire content production staff at (including me) were let go from our government contract on 31 May,' said a former government contractor who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. 'We were told that our positions within the contract were being eliminated.' The layoffs are the latest in the wave of cutbacks taken by the Trump administration that have already fired several federal government employees and agencies, including the Department of Education, Food and Drug Administration, and NOAA. Live Events The content production team at operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was abruptly terminated at the end of May, a former contractor among those terminated told the paper anonymously. Noaa has been contacted for comment. It is unclear whether the website will remain visible to the public. ALSO READ: Air India plane crash: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'heartbroken' over fatal tragedy that left over 200 dead Rebecca Lindsey, the website's former program manager, who was fired in February as part of the government's purge of probationary employees, told The Guardian, "'I had gotten a stellar performance review, gotten a bonus, gotten a raise. I was performing very well. And then I was part of that group who got the form letter saying, 'Your knowledge, skills, and abilities are no longer of use to Noaa' – or something to that effect.' "It was a very deliberate, targeted attack," Lindsey said the site's funding was stripped during contract negotiations due to pressure from higher-level officials. The 10 or so content staff were supported by NOAA scientists. The site was housed in the agency's science wing rather than its public affairs division, and was designed to maintain political neutrality and scientific accuracy, she told the outlet. "We operated exactly how you would want an independent, nonpartisan communications group to operate," Lindsey said. ALSO READ: US Open 2025: Where to watch golf coverage online for free, live schedule, coverage and other details "It does seem to be part of this sort of slow and quiet way of trying to keep science agencies from providing information to the American public about climate." The fired staff believe the changes to were targeted by political appointees within the Trump administration and specifically aimed at restricting public-facing climate information. Tom Di Liberto, a former spokesperson for the NOAA who was fired earlier this year told the outlet: "It's targeted, I think it's clear." "They only fired a handful of people, and it just so happened to be the entire content team for I mean, that's a clear signal."
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Major US Government Website Could be Shut Down After Mass Layoffs
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A central U.S. government website that educates the public about climate science may soon cease to publish new material following a mass firing of its content team, says The Guardian. Newsweek contacted the NOAA for comment on The Guardian's report via email, outside of standard working hours on Thursday. Why It Matters is one of the most widely used climate science resources online, receiving hundreds of thousands of visits monthly, The Guardian noted in its report. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) logo is seen during a NOAA media day at the Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, Florida, on May 6, 2025. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) logo is seen during a NOAA media day at the Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, Florida, on May 6, 2025. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images The reported layoffs are the latest in a wave of cutbacks by the Trump administration that have already targeted numerous government departments and agencies, including the Department of Education, Food and Drug Administration, and NOAA. What To Know The content production team at operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was abruptly terminated at the end of May, a former contractor among those terminated told the paper anonymously. Newsweek has not verified the anonymous sources. Other former staff said decisions to eliminate their positions appeared not to be based on performance but rather were targeted by political appointees within the Trump administration. "It was a very deliberate, targeted attack," Rebecca Lindsey, the former program manager of the website, told The Guardian. Lindsey, who was fired in February despite receiving what she described as "stellar" performance reviews and a bonus, said the site's funding was stripped during contract negotiations due to pressure from higher-level officials. The 10 or so content staff were supported by NOAA scientists. The site was housed in the agency's science wing rather than its public affairs division, and was designed to maintain political neutrality and scientific accuracy, she told the outlet. "We operated exactly how you would want an independent, nonpartisan communications group to operate," Lindsey said. "It does seem to be part of this sort of slow and quiet way of trying to keep science agencies from providing information to the American public about climate." Tom Di Liberto, a former spokesperson for the NOAA who was fired earlier this year told the outlet: "It's targeted, I think it's clear." "They only fired a handful of people, and it just so happened to be the entire content team for I mean, that's a clear signal." What People Are Saying Former NOAA spokesperson Tom Di Liberto told The Guardian: "My bigger worry, long-term, is I would hate to see it turn into a propaganda website for this administration, because that's not at all what it was." What Happens Next While the site may continue to host some prescheduled updates through June, there are no confirmed plans for future content, The Guardian reported.
