Latest news with #PresidentsDayWeekend
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Overcrowding and piles of rubbish: Elon Musk's Doge cutbacks plunge America's parks into crisis
On a cold morning on Feb 14 1862, a flotilla of Union ironclads slowly approached Fort Donelson in Tennessee with the hope of seizing the Confederate stronghold. Anticipating the attack, the South defended its base with a curtain of artillery fire, turning the gunboats' decks slippery with blood and forcing the Unionists to retreat. On the same day 163 years later, park ranger David Hatfield regaled visitors at Fort Donelson National Battlefield about the twists and turns of that momentous battle as they stood in the exact spots where the events unfolded. The anniversary was one of the busiest days of the year, for which Mr Hatfield had been preparing for months, and the scores of visitors appeared to have enjoyed their trip. Hours later, Mr Hatfield was fired. While Brigadier General Ulysses S Grant's men would return on February 15 and emerge victorious, in what was the first major victory for the North in the Civil War. Mr Hatfield would not finish the three-day program he had meticulously crafted to commemorate it. 'It was devastating and just infuriating... I definitely wound up crying a lot once I saw it and just angry as well,' he told The Telegraph. The 29-year-old was one of the 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) probationary workers sacked by the Trump administration in what has been dubbed the 'Valentine's Day massacre'. The mass layoffs were part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency's crusade to cut government waste and slash spending across federal agencies. But the axing of swathes of staff has sparked concern over overcrowding, rubbish build-up and long waits for the more than 325 million visitors who descend on the nation's parks and historic sites each year. Some of the effects were instant. At the Grand Canyon and Utah's Zion National Park visitors were hit with lengthy queues over Presidents Day Weekend after staff who worked in the entry booths were fired. Others were forced to cut their operations. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado announced on Facebook it would be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa said it would now close two days a week. Those fired this month also included the only pilot at Wrangell-St Elias National Park in Alaska, according to Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. Without a pilot he questions how it is possible to control the biggest National Park in the country, which spans 13.2 million acres. 'Now they don't have the ability to patrol the park, to protect the wildlife from poachers, to locate people who might be overdue in the backcountry, or climbers that might be in distress,' he said. The only plumber at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington was also let go, he said. Nate Vince, the only locksmith at Yosemite National Park in California, who said he trained for four years under his predecessor before taking on the job, was also sacked, raising concerns about what happens if a visitor gets stuck in the toilets. Mr Vince was among a group of fired workers who hung an upside down US flag – a sign of distress – over the park's iconic El Capitan rock formation to protest the job cuts. Following public outcry, last week the Trump administration gave the green light for NPS to hire up to 7,700 positions this year, higher than in previous years. It has also reinstated at least 50 fired workers in what has been seen as a U-turn to the unpopular policy. But Mr Wade, who worked for the National Park Service his whole life, said getting rid of experienced staff will have ramifications on protecting park resources, as well as visitor experience. 'We have heard that the two functions that are hit the hardest were the people who, in some parks, we're doing the fee collection, staffing the interest stations and that sort of thing,' he said. 'And then the other category that seems to be hit hard in some parks is the people who are doing the interpretation education, staffing visitor centres, giving school programs, giving ranger-led walks and talks.' He also criticised the email last weekend asking federal workers to explain what they did the previous week as 'heartless and cruel' after the layoffs. 'Those of us that worked for the park service for a long time, and even those that are working still, you know, recognise that their salaries and benefits are probably lower than many jobs that they could get into the private sector... we used to say that we got paid through sunsets,' he said 'But people are passionate about their jobs, they enjoy it,' he said. Jim Landahl had been moving willow trees from the nursery to the helipad at Grand Canyon National Park when he received the email saying he had been fired because of concerns over his performance. The biological science technician, 29, was in the middle of a project restoring privacy and shade hedges which had been ripped out at Phantom Ranch campground to make way for a water pipeline upgrade. It is now on hold and he fears the work won't be complete before the busy season. 'Phantom Ranch can get up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49C) in the summertime, so if those campers that are hiking down to the river get to their campsite and don't have shade, that's a potential safety issue,' he said. Mr Landahl had worked at the park since 2022, but accepted a promotion in July and was in his probation period. He said his position was funded by Mr Trump's 2020 Great American Outdoors Act. 'When you walk around the national parks everything looks so pristine. A lot of folks don't realise that that naturalised look is because there's restoration scientists and trails people and vegetation folks working directly to renaturalise disturbances,' he said. There is also a part of the park which looks like it has a 'two-lane highway' cutting across it because of the work to the pipeline, he said, adding that 'we're going to see that scar on the land for hundreds of years, potentially, because desert restoration takes years'. It is not just the NPS that has seen mass layoffs. Liz Crandall is one of thousands of US Forest Service employees who lost their jobs earlier this month. Ms Crandall, who was one of 16 workers fired from Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, fears there will be a spike in wildfires without field rangers like her patrolling remote areas of the parks. 'Any remote, weird, middle of nowhere forest road that you're driving on, that's my area. I kind of saw myself as the eyes of the forest... if people are going there it's because they want to get away from people... there's some good intentions, some bad intentions.' The 32-year-old was trained as a 'militia', which meant she was a qualified firefighter, and she estimates she called in over 100 abandoned campfires over the years. 'Wildfire incidents are going to be prolonged and probably more catastrophic because we're going to have less personnel that are able to work on them,' she said. And, unlike the NPS, the Forest Service has not been given the nod to hire thousands of seasonal workers to help the depleted workforce over the peak season, meaning facilities could remain locked and rubbish could build up. She had worked for the forest service for nine years and was coming towards the end of her two-year probationary period for her current role at the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District when she was told she was being sacked. Like the hundreds of others let go, Ms Crandall's dismissal included the claim that there were issues with her performance, despite having won several awards for her achievements. She has vowed she is not going to give up her 'dream job' without a fight and is looking to launch legal action. 'I'm not going to let somebody that I did not elect from Doge to kick me out of my own job for reasons that are totally false,' she said. A United States Department of Agriculture spokesman said Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, 'fully supports the president's directive to improve government, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen USDA's many services to the American people'. They added: 'As part of this effort, USDA has made the difficult decision to release about 2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service. To be clear, none of these individuals were operational firefighters. 'Released employees were probationary in status, many of whom were compensated by temporary IRA funding. It's unfortunate that the Biden administration hired thousands of people with no plan in place to pay them long term. Secretary Rollins is committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted.' A department of interior spokesman said the National Park Service is hiring seasonal workers to 'continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimisation and innovation in workforce management'. She added: 'NPS is working closely with the Office of Personnel Management to ensure we are prioritising fiscal responsibility for the American people. As always, NPS will continue to provide critical services and deliver excellent customer service. Our teams are dedicated to staffing to meet the evolving needs of our visitors, ensuring memorable and meaningful experiences for all.' Anna Kelly, the White House deputy press secretary, said: 'In his first term, president Trump proved that environmental stewardship and economic greatness can go hand-in-hand. 'Less than a month into his second term, president Trump turned on the water to prevent another tragedy like the recent California wildfires, and he has urged Democrats like Gavin Newsom to adopt policies that better maintain our nation's forests. He will continue to protect America's abundant natural resources while streamlining federal agencies to better serve the American people.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Overcrowding and piles of rubbish: Elon Musk's Doge cutbacks plunge America's parks into crisis
On a cold morning on Feb 14 1862, a flotilla of Union ironclads slowly approached Fort Donelson in Tennessee with the hope of seizing the Confederate stronghold. Anticipating the attack, the South defended its base with a curtain of artillery fire, turning the gunboats' decks slippery with blood and forcing the Unionists to retreat. On the same day 163 years later, park ranger David Hatfield regaled visitors at Fort Donelson National Battlefield about the twists and turns of that momentous battle as they stood in the exact spots where the events unfolded. The anniversary was one of the busiest days of the year, for which Mr Hatfield had been preparing for months, and the scores of visitors appeared to have enjoyed their trip. Hours later, Mr Hatfield was fired. While Brigadier General Ulysses S Grant's men would return on February 15 and emerge victorious, in what was the first major victory for the North in the Civil War. Mr Hatfield would not finish the three-day program he had meticulously crafted to commemorate it. 'It was devastating and just infuriating... I definitely wound up crying a lot once I saw it and just angry as well,' he told The Telegraph. The 29-year-old was one of the 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) probationary workers sacked by the Trump administration in what has been dubbed the 'Valentine's Day massacre'. The mass layoffs were part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency's crusade to cut government waste and slash spending across federal agencies. But the axing of swathes of staff has sparked concern over overcrowding, rubbish build-up and long waits for the more than 325 million visitors who descend on the nation's parks and historic sites each year. Some of the effects were instant. At the Grand Canyon and Utah's Zion National Park visitors were hit with lengthy queues over Presidents Day Weekend after staff who worked in the entry booths were fired. Others were forced to cut their operations. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado announced on Facebook it would be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa said it would now close two days a week. Those fired this month also included the only pilot at Wrangell-St Elias National Park in Alaska, according to Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. Without a pilot he questions how it is possible to control the biggest National Park in the country, which spans 13.2 million acres. 'Now they don't have the ability to patrol the park, to protect the wildlife from poachers, to locate people who might be overdue in the backcountry, or climbers that might be in distress,' he said. The only plumber at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington was also let go, he said. Nate Vince, the only locksmith at Yosemite National Park in California, who said he trained for four years under his predecessor before taking on the job, was also sacked, raising concerns about what happens if a visitor gets stuck in the toilets. Mr Vince was among a group of fired workers who hung an upside down US flag – a sign of distress – over the park's iconic El Capitan rock formation to protest the job cuts. Following public outcry, last week the Trump administration gave the green light for NPS to hire up to 7,700 positions this year, higher than in previous years. It has also reinstated at least 50 fired workers in what has been seen as a U-turn to the unpopular policy. But Mr Wade, who worked for the National Park Service his whole life, said getting rid of experienced staff will have ramifications on protecting park resources, as well as visitor experience. 'We have heard that the two functions that are hit the hardest were the people who, in some parks, we're doing the fee collection, staffing the interest stations and that sort of thing,' he said. 'And then the other category that seems to be hit hard in some parks is the people who are doing the interpretation education, staffing visitor centres, giving school programs, giving ranger-led walks and talks.' He also criticised the email last weekend asking federal workers to explain what they did the previous week as 'heartless and cruel' after the layoffs. 'Those of us that worked for the park service for a long time, and even those that are working still, you know, recognise that their salaries and benefits are probably lower than many jobs that they could get into the private sector... we used to say that we got paid through sunsets,' he said 'But people are passionate about their jobs, they enjoy it,' he said. Jim Landahl had been moving willow trees from the nursery to the helipad at Grand Canyon National Park when he received the email saying he had been fired because of concerns over his performance. The biological science technician, 29, was in the middle of a project restoring privacy and shade hedges which had been ripped out at Phantom Ranch campground to make way for a water pipeline upgrade. It is now on hold and he fears the work won't be complete before the busy season. 'Phantom Ranch can get up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49C) in the summertime, so if those campers that are hiking down to the river get to their campsite and don't have shade, that's a potential safety issue,' he said. Mr Landahl had worked at the park since 2022, but accepted a promotion in July and was in his probation period. He said his position was funded by Mr Trump's 2020 Great American Outdoors Act. 'When you walk around the national parks everything looks so pristine. A lot of folks don't realise that that naturalised look is because there's restoration scientists and trails people and vegetation folks working directly to renaturalise disturbances,' he said. There is also a part of the park which looks like it has a 'two-lane highway' cutting across it because of the work to the pipeline, he said, adding that 'we're going to see that scar on the land for hundreds of years, potentially, because desert restoration takes years'. US Forest Service layoffs It is not just the NPS that has seen mass layoffs. Liz Crandall is one of thousands of US Forest Service employees who lost their jobs earlier this month. Ms Crandall, who was one of 16 workers fired from Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, fears there will be a spike in wildfires without field rangers like her patrolling remote areas of the parks. 'Any remote, weird, middle of nowhere forest road that you're driving on, that's my area. I kind of saw myself as the eyes of the forest... if people are going there it's because they want to get away from people... there's some good intentions, some bad intentions.' The 32-year-old was trained as a 'militia', which meant she was a qualified firefighter, and she estimates she called in over 100 abandoned campfires over the years. 'Wildfire incidents are going to be prolonged and probably more catastrophic because we're going to have less personnel that are able to work on them,' she said. And, unlike the NPS, the Forest Service has not been given the nod to hire thousands of seasonal workers to help the depleted workforce over the peak season, meaning facilities could remain locked and rubbish could build up. She had worked for the forest service for nine years and was coming towards the end of her two-year probationary period for her current role at the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District when she was told she was being sacked. Like the hundreds of others let go, Ms Crandall's dismissal included the claim that there were issues with her performance, despite having won several awards for her achievements. She has vowed she is not going to give up her 'dream job' without a fight and is looking to launch legal action. 'I'm not going to let somebody that I did not elect from Doge to kick me out of my own job for reasons that are totally false,' she said. A United States Department of Agriculture spokesman said Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, 'fully supports the president's directive to improve government, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen USDA's many services to the American people'. They added: 'As part of this effort, USDA has made the difficult decision to release about 2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service. To be clear, none of these individuals were operational firefighters. 'Released employees were probationary in status, many of whom were compensated by temporary IRA funding. It's unfortunate that the Biden administration hired thousands of people with no plan in place to pay them long term. Secretary Rollins is committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted.' A department of interior spokesman said the National Park Service is hiring seasonal workers to 'continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimisation and innovation in workforce management'. She added: 'NPS is working closely with the Office of Personnel Management to ensure we are prioritising fiscal responsibility for the American people. As always, NPS will continue to provide critical services and deliver excellent customer service. Our teams are dedicated to staffing to meet the evolving needs of our visitors, ensuring memorable and meaningful experiences for all.' Anna Kelly, the White House deputy press secretary, said: 'In his first term, president Trump proved that environmental stewardship and economic greatness can go hand-in-hand. 'Less than a month into his second term, president Trump turned on the water to prevent another tragedy like the recent California wildfires, and he has urged Democrats like Gavin Newsom to adopt policies that better maintain our nation's forests. He will continue to protect America's abundant natural resources while streamlining federal agencies to better serve the American people.'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Despite strong performance reviews, Grand Coulee Dam workers fired in DOGE cuts told they 'failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications'
Feb. 26—When Stephanie Duclos reported to work at the Bureau of Reclamation's offices at Grand Coulee Dam last Tuesday morning after Presidents Day Weekend, she was called in to her supervisors' office. She was fired. It wasn't unexpected. She knew probationary employees hired in the last year or two were on the chopping block as part of the ongoing purge across the federal workforce by the Trump administration. What shocked her was seeing other employees fired who had worked there for much longer, but had recently changed jobs within the agency. One woman had worked there for over 20 years. "It was horrible," she said. "Basically, they were saying we were getting let go because of our performance." Duclos is not sure how many employees were terminated, since they were brought in individually, but she said she knows at least ten besides herself. More were fired this Monday, she said. The Spokesman-Review interviewed three women who were fired Feb. 18. Reclamation did not return multiple requests to clarify how many employees have been fired. The employees interviewed each received the same basic form termination letter, dated Feb. 14 and signed by Reclamation's acting deputy commissioner Sean Torpey, stating, "The Department has determined that you have failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment because your subject matter knowledge, skills, and abilities do not meet the Department's current needs." Duclos, 51, was hired last April as a project manager assistant. Her duties involved helping the project manager with administrative tasks like writing memos and training new employees. With her position gone, those tasks will likely fall on the project manager. People around town are now assuming Duclos was fired because of her performance. "That wasn't the issue," she said. Duclos received an overall "exceeds expectations" rating in her first six-month performance evaluation, which she shared with The Spokesman-Review. She also received an "outstanding" rating in some areas. Another employee interviewed shared a positive letter of recommendation her supervisor wrote for her after she was fired. Duclos said her direct superiors were apologetic about firing her and that the orders came from higher up. "You could see they cared about us, but there was nothing they could do," she said. Duclos, who grew up in the Grand Coulee area, used to be a bus driver for the school district and a tour bus driver for the dam, where she heard about the open position at Reclamation's Grand Coulee Power Office overlooking the dam. "When you live here all your life, there are only so many places you can work," she said. Duclos applied through the Schedule A non-competitive hiring process, which allows the government to hire people with disabilities without requiring them to compete for the job, since she has severe depression. Schedule A makes it easier for the government to hire employees, but they have a longer probationary period. Cutting her position and positions like it will dump more responsibilities on the workers left behind and lead to burnout, she said. There won't be enough people to run the dam efficiently. She said she might be "replaceable," but the only others who were trained in certain programs she needed to use were also fired. If firings continue along with other federal agencies like the Forest Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs, Duclos said it will have a big effect on the small town and its economy. "The whole thing is ridiculous," she said. James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Orlando Science Center Kicks Off Day One of Spark STEM Fest Today
Today marks the first day of the Orlando Science Centers Spark STEM fest, for children and families alike. Presented by the UCF Office of Research, Spark STEM Fest inspires all ages through shows, exhibits, competitions, and interactive experiences with researchers, engineers, and other professionals. Read: FAA releases updates for missing plane found by officials near Volusia County Regardless of your background, this event will engage your mind, spark your curiosity, and ignite a passion for STEM learning throughout Presidents Day Weekend. Featured exhibitors include: Check out robot dogs and other robots from UCF's Disability, Aging & Technology Faculty Cluster. Have you ever wanted to control robots just by your thoughts or by moving your fingers or wondered how robot dogs work and how they can do things together, including dancing? Here's your chance! Meet Team Witch Doctor from the Battlebots TV show. Don't miss your opportunity to drive a robot during a robo smackdown in the Camp Witch Doctor Battle Arena. Kits will be available so you can also learn how to build your own robot at home. Discover if you have what it takes to make it as a Demigod at Camp Half-Blood with our friends from the Walt Disney Company as you explore the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Experience cutting-edge flight simulators firsthand with Lockheed Martin. Enjoy various simulator-based activities that showcase the latest advancements developed by Lockheed Martin. Engage with their team of experts to learn about STEM career paths! Immerse yourself in marine biology with Minorities in Shark Science. Come learn all about sharks! You'll take a deep dive into shark anatomy, learn about their role in the marine ecosystem, and find out ways you can help protect them! Encounter a VR shark, a shark tooth identification activity, artifacts, and shark trivia. Exercise your brains with hands-on activities developed by UCF's Neuroscience Alliance! Explore the Frontiers of Space with the Florida Space Institute. Get a first-class ticket on a journey through the cosmos with hands-on learning experiences, displays, and simulations for exploring space, Mars, and the Moon. Dive into the future of architecture while exploring design tools that harness artificial intelligence with this workshop facilitated by Black Architects in the Making. Get a full list of exhibitors here: Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Miami Herald
14-02-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
Miami has a long holiday weekend to play. The weather? Expect sun, and then some change
Steppin' out with my baby/Can't go wrong 'cause I'm in right/Never felt quite so sunny/And I keep on knockin' wood. If you're talking Valentine's Day and Presidents Day Weekend weather and all of the outdoor things you may want to do Friday night and through the long South Florida weekend, you won't have to knock on wood to ensure sunny days like songwriter Irving Berlin once set to music. 'A warm hug from Mother Nature,' said CBS News Miami meteorologist Shane Hinton in his weather forecast Friday. Just a 10% stray shower chance around dinnertime activities in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Warm and cooling A weakening frontal boundary has stalled out to the north so that warm, sunny weather you're feeling Friday — with highs in the low-80s and the night dropping to the low- to mid-70s — is expected to last through Monday's federal holiday, meteorologists with the National Weather Service said. A minor cold front rolling in Sunday night could bring a bit of a cool change, CBS Miami's Hinton said, dropping evening temperatures Monday through Thursday to about 70. Events in town All of this still means the ongoing Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show spread between downtown Miami and Miami Beach through Sunday, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Saturday through Monday and Art Wynwood Saturday through Tuesday will all be clear sailing, says forecasters with the weather service. MORE: How to navigate Miami boat show, Grove arts fest by road, water Rain chances Steppin' out with your baby for a Valentine's Day dinner and stroll around Miami or a sunset cruise in Key West? Go for it. The only rain in the forecast is a 30% chance around Lake Okeechobee on Friday. You're not cruising there. Presidents Day Monday has a 20% chance of showers in the afternoon, according to the weather service. Tuesday could see 30% in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area but that's the highest chance we're seeing. The temperature around sunset in Key West Friday, Saturday and Sunday should be 77, according to Weather Underground's hourly outlook. Monday's holiday in the Keys looks to be 73 come nightfall. South Florida follows suit in the daytime with boat show and arts fest feeling the sun at 80 Saturday, 82 on Sunday and 77 Monday, which is a bit cooler if the slight chance of showers arrive around 1 p.m.
