Trump Budget Chief Targets Climate Lab for Closure

The White House has proposed dismantling a leading U.S. atmospheric science laboratory. The administration's budget director, Russell Vought, labeled the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) a source of "climate alarmism." The proposal is part of the president's budget request for the next fiscal year. It calls for ending federal funding for NCAR. NCAR is a major research center. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and operated by a nonprofit consortium of universities. Its scientists study climate, weather, and solar storms. The lab's work is used to improve weather forecasts and understand climate change. The administration's budget must be approved by Congress, which has previously rejected similar proposals to cut climate science funding.