Why are we privatizing a public good?

This should be a no-brainer

Pamela, Saving lives shouldn't be a for-profit business. But if Trump has his way, it will be. It's being reported that Trump wants to turn the National Weather Service (NWS) into a for-profit subscription scheme. That means that Americans might be paying out of pocket for life-saving weather forecasts, even amid worsening climate-related disasters. This is just yet another example of Trump trying to get his rich friends even richer. Since the late 1800s, the NWS has provided weather data, forecasts and critical alerts to the public. But now, Trump wants to make it difficult for everyday Americans to get this potentially life-saving information. All of this was written out in Project 2025, which called for breaking up the agency behind the NWS and fully commercializing its operations. And now that Trump has cut every federal agency to bare bones, it's going to be even harder to get reliable, lifesaving information to those who need it. If the NWS is privatized, it will make it harder for everyone to access it. From people checking the weather for a pool day to climate scientists' ability to access reliable weather information. If Trump gets his way, this is yet another opportunity for a private company to price-gouge in an emergency. Imagine a hurricane is barreling down and you're trying to get the latest updates on its progress, but you have to pay a fee to protect your family. That's what Trump wants. We've seen worse and worse weather patterns and climate disasters and if the NWS is privatized, lives are at stake. Tell your representatives that they must protect the National Weather Service and keep it a public good. Protect the National Weather Service → Thank you, Mike Phelan Progress America Paid for by Progress America, a project of Strategy & Hustle   Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progress America, please click here.