Sam Brash

NCAR was founded in 1960 to improve weather predictions and better understand Earth's atmosphere.

It now employs more than 800 people.

But in a post on X This Week, White House Budget Director Russ Vogt promised to break it up, saying the center is now a major source of, quote, climate alarmism.

Dan Powers leads CoLabs, a group supporting federal research in Colorado.

He says the news has left scientists frustrated and disillusioned.

Colorado's Democratic congressional leaders blasted the move and promised to use every tool available to save the research center.

For NPR News, I'm Sam Brash in Denver.