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Mark Carney wins new term as Canada's Prime Minister on anti-Trump platform; Without key funding, Alabama faces new barriers to college access; MS could face steep postal privatization costs under Trump-Musk plan; New Hampshire's rail trails ensure accessibility for all.

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Major shifts in environmental protections, immigration enforcement, civil rights as Trump administration reshapes government priorities. Rural residents and advocates for LGBTQ youth say they're worried about losing services.

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Migration to rural America increased for the fourth year, technological gaps handicap rural hospitals and erode patient care, and doctors are needed to keep the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians healthy and align with spiritual principles.

NOAA employee cuts could curb forecasts of NM 'haboobs'

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Monday, March 24, 2025   

One of many federal agencies facing cuts by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In addition to winter storms, NOAA keeps New Mexicans updated on the giant dust storms known as haboobs. Staff layoffs could be up to 20%, or more than 1,000 jobs, and have already begun. Among other roles, NOAA's National Weather Service provides data used by most weather forecasters, including for warnings and advisories.

Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist and vice president of engagement for Climate Central, explained the importance of NOAA.

"Because of NOAA data, we know when to evacuate ahead of storms, fires," Woods Placky emphasized. "We know when not to evacuate, which is also really critical, because that saves a lot of money and a lot of time."

Haboobs can cause wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, blowing dust and sand and reducing visibility to near zero, forcing highway closures. Woods Placky added beyond short-term predictions, data from NOAA helps farmers understand what to plant and when to harvest, especially as crop hardiness zones shift due to climate change.

Some argued services NOAA offers can instead be privatized.

David Dickson, with the group Covering Climate Now, said it shows a misunderstanding.

"To argue against NOAA not being useful because we have private companies offering weather apps would be to argue against farmers because we have grocery stores," Dickson contended. "It really does fund the invisible backbone of virtually everything we consume."

NOAA's climate and storm data dates back to 1950 and reaches far beyond U.S. borders.


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