Judge blocks part of Trump admin’s effort to hurt Colorado research center

In a surprising turn of events, the Trump administration's plan to close the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), located in Boulder, Colorado, has been temporarily halted by a federal court. This decision comes after the administration's unexpected announcement in December regarding the potential shutdown of this vital research facility, which plays a crucial role in studies related to weather, climate, and atmospheric chemistry. This initiative raised eyebrows, particularly since the government had not previously cited any significant management issues with NCAR or its associated supercomputing center in Wyoming. The administration ordered the University Consortium for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which oversees NCAR under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, to facilitate the transition of the Wyoming facility to a new operator. In response, UCAR took legal action against the government, seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the transfer of the supercomputing center. The court ruled in favor of UCAR, essentially putting the transfer on hold. NCAR, established in the early 1960s, serves as a Federally-Funded Research and Development Center, providing essential resources and expertise for complex atmospheric research that individual scientists may struggle to tackle alone. The government's attempt to reallocate NCAR's resources, including its research aircraft and supercomputing capabilities, was met with strong opposition. UCAR’s legal team argued that the abrupt decision could lead to irreparable harm, and the judge, Brooke Jackson, acknowledged that the court had jurisdiction under the Administrative Procedures Act to review the case. Despite government claims that no final decision had been reached, evidence surfaced indicating that discussions about transferring stewardship had already begun before the public comment period had ended, demonstrating a lack of transparency in the process.