NASA fires chief scientist, US Department of Education cuts staff by nearly half

Federal agencies in the US continue to cut staff under the direction of US President Donald Trump, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Education .

NASA Chief Scientist Katherine Calvin to Leave

AFP news agency on March 12 quoted an announcement from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) saying that the agency had just fired its chief scientist and many others to comply with President Donald Trump's orders.

NASA is cutting a total of 23 jobs in this round. A NASA spokesman said there will be more cuts.

Notable among the cuts is the resignation of scientist Katherine Calvin, a renowned climatologist who contributed to important UN climate reports.

In the 'stronghold' supporting Mr. Trump, voices of dissatisfaction have been heard.

Last month, she and other US delegates were blocked from attending a major climate science meeting in China.

"To optimize its workforce and comply with the executive order, NASA is beginning a phased approach to force reduction," said NASA spokeswoman Cheryl Warner.

NASA logo at Kennedy Space Center in Florida

So far, NASA has not been cut too much, reportedly thanks to the last-minute intervention of Jared Isaacman, Trump's nominee to lead NASA.

Mr. Isaacman (42 years old) is the CEO of the payment processing company Shift4 Payments (USA). Mr. Isaacman is also the co-founder and leader of Draken International - a private fighter jet manufacturer and contractor for the US Department of Defense . He is known as a close associate of billionaire Elon Musk and a regular customer of the aerospace corporation SpaceX (USA).

In another development related to the US government's federal staff reduction, NBC News reported on March 12 that the US Department of Education has just announced a staff cut of nearly half.

The agency has about 3,000 people working at its headquarters and about 1,000 people in 10 regional offices across the country.

About 1,300 employees will receive termination notices and be given the opportunity to return to the office to turn in government property and clean up their desks on March 12. Previously, 600 others had accepted voluntary resignations or early retirement.

Education Minister Linda McMahon said the layoffs reflected the department's "commitment to efficiency, accountability and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents and teachers".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nasa-sa-thai-nha-khoa-hoc-truong-bo-giao-duc-my-giam-gan-nua-nhan-su-185250312110129999.htm