The Trump administration has fired more than 2,000 probationary employees at the Interior Department, part of a sweeping effort to reduce the federal workforce across multiple agencies.
Coral Davenport and Chris Cameron report for The New York Times.
In short:
- The Interior Department dismissed about 2,300 employees, including staff from the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Geological Survey.
- Other agencies, including the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, have also seen large cuts, affecting scientists and researchers in fields like biology, engineering and climate science.
- The Food and Drug Administration’s food science lab lost key personnel, disrupting studies on food safety, heavy metals in infant formula and bacterial contamination in processing facilities.
Key quote:
“U.S.G.S. touches American lives everyday, they just don’t know it, because so much of it is operating in the background.”
— Mark Sogge, former U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist
Why this matters:
The mass firings could weaken federal oversight of public lands, environmental protections and scientific research. The U.S. Geological Survey, for example, provides critical data on earthquakes, floods and climate patterns, while the FDA's food safety lab monitors contaminants in the nation’s food supply. The cuts may also disrupt long-term research on artificial intelligence, public health and energy technology. With layoffs extending to the IRS and Defense Department, the impact of these reductions could be felt across multiple sectors of government and daily life.
Read more: FDA layoffs target food safety, medical device and tobacco oversight
