The secretary of commerce is personally reviewing all contracts with commitments above $100,000 at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, causing backups and uncertainty in the agency that is responsible for the country’s weather forecasts, marine fisheries management and coastal management. NOAA is housed within the Department of Commerce. Howard Lutnick is reviewing all NOAA contracts above $100,000, according to three agency employees who spoke anonymously out of fear of retribution at work. There are hundreds of such contracts across the agency that need to be reviewed each year and several that have been paused or otherwise impacted by the secretary’s review, according to an agency employee familiar with the contracting process.

Other NOAA news:

• The New York Times: NOAA staffing cuts threaten years of salmon harvests
• Scientific American: NOAA reverses plan to defer upkeep of key weather satellites
• Arizona Mirror (Phoenix): NOAA cuts could hamper forecasts for haboobs, monsoon rains and wildfires in Arizona
• The Santa Barbara Independent (Calif.): Central Coast representatives call on Trump administration to halt government facility closures