NOAA Employees Told to Pause Work With ‘Foreign Nationals’
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Summary
News outlet Wired has seen communication within the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ordering employees to refrain from interacting with overseas contacts, including government officials and researchers.
The ban encompasses “all international engagements”, whether written or face-to-face, and extends to collaborations on projects with US government personnel based overseas.
Employees have been told to describe all existing partnerships to senior management within the agency, which is under the US Department of Commerce.
It is unclear how long the ban will be in place, and the reasoning behind it is not yet known.
However, it is thought that the Trump administration is attempting to hamper the agency’s environmental work focusing on international collaboration, which includes climate and renewable energy research.
Prosecutors are examining the agency’s interaction with Musk’s DOGE taskforce.