By Nathan Layne, Alexandra Alper and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government agency that provides weather forecasts is planning another round of mass layoffs as part of President Donald Trump's plan to thin the ranks of the U.

This is not government efficiency,” said former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. “It is the first steps toward eradication. There is no way to make these kinds of cuts without removing or strongly compromising mission capabilities.

A former NOAA official says another round of ‘malicious’ layoffs will affect more than 1,000 additional employee