For the hundreds of meteorology students at the University of Missouri, working for the National Weather Service was the dream, until the Trump administration's federal job cuts hit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last week. Plus: Firings at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have impacted research facilities across the Midwest.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, fired 800 employees last month. Experts are warning that cuts to the agency could have serious impacts on weather forecasts and climate research. As Harshawn Ratanpal reports, University of Missouri students are grappling with what cuts to the agency mean for their careers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also sharply cut its workforce. Although the agency has not said just how many employees it’s laid off, employees and researchers across the Midwest have lost their jobs, including in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas.

Among the impacted facilities is the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. Commonly called the Ag Lab, it’s where government scientists discovered the process to mass produce penicillin. And as Harvest Public Media contributor Collin Schopp reports, current and former employees say the layoffs will cripple research efforts that help farmers.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez, Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate