WEATHER FORECASTERS are among those fired on Thursday (National Weather Service)/
The latest wave of mass firings in the federal government o Thursday hit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – the agency that tracks and forecasts the weather.
No official announcement was made, but the terminations are believed to be demanded by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
“This is unconscionable,” said Rep. Grace Meng of New York, saying that the employees were fired for no good reason other than to reduce the federal work force.
Judge: Mass firings “likely unlawful”
A FEDERAL JUDGE said that mass firings were “likely unlawful” (Shutterstock).
The mass firings of probationary federal employees were “likely unlawful,” a federal judge in San Francisco ruled on Thursday.
The New York Times is reporting that U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to tell “certain federal” agencies that is has no legal authority to order the termination of probationary employees, including those at the Defense Department.
“OPM does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statue in the history of the universe,” said Alsup, to fire any workers other than its own.
Attorneys for the government claimed the order from OPM was a request, not a requirement.
Deaths of Hackman, wife ‘suspicious’
The deaths of actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, are considered to be “suspicious.”
United Press International is reporting that investigators from the Santa Fe (New Mexico) Sheriff’s Department have determined that the two “had been deceased for quite a while,” and there was no sign of foul play, they had not ruled it out, pending an autopsy.
Weather: Now, it gets cool
After a week or so of warm-ish weather, our West Orange County area will be taking a turn for the cool. The forecast for Friday is for a daytime high of 67 and an overnight low of 53 with partly cloudy skies.
On Sunday the thermometer drops to 63 (54) with clouds and an 11 percent chance of rain. The odds of precipitation rise to 40 percent on Monday with a high of 64 (49).
