Story perspectives

Judge Blocks NSF Supercomputing Transfer, Threatening Weather Forecasts

6/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Judge R. Brooke Jackson issued an injunction blocking NSF from transferring stewardship of NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center, finding the action arbitrary and capricious because the agency skipped its public-comment process.
Jackson said plan seemed linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s dispute after Trump criticized Governor Jared Polis over clerk Tina Peters.
UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) warned the move could cause a brain drain, trigger layoffs and threaten weather forecasting.

History

Historical Context

In 1970 the Weather Bureau became the National Weather Service and joined NOAA under the Commerce Department. Later, privatization attempts like the 1983 satellite auction proposal that targeted a 30% staff cut and the 2025 Trump-era layoffs showed ongoing downsizing. In 2024 a judge blocked the NSF’s plan to move stewardship of the NCAR-Wyoming Center.

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Story summary

Judge R. Brooke Jackson issued an injunction blocking NSF from transferring stewardship of NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center, finding the action arbitrary and capricious because the agency skipped its public-comment process.
Jackson said plan seemed linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s dispute after Trump criticized Governor Jared Polis over clerk Tina Peters.
UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) warned the move could cause a brain drain, trigger layoffs and threaten weather forecasting.

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