SpaceX wins NASA contract to launch ocean-surveying satellite

Technically that would be up to congress, since the executive branch does not set budgetary policy. Of course, they approve it, so YMMV.

while this sounds bad, its not really a fact... atleast not yet.

it was a proposal by one of Trumps advisers, guardian of course stating it that it will happen.

just saying... might not.

also there have been plans by republicans to cut funding in past (recent as last year) that was also shot down by support of republicans.

scientific american publish an article (now taken down?) that this guys proposal probably wont be trump's policy.

also maybe i dont know about the specifics, but arent NASA earth sciences (specifically climate research) overlapping NOAA efforts?

I try to dig a little bit deeper than the headlines these days and it does look like this will be for "new" earth science projects and that any money would not be removed from NASA budget but be allocated to other (hopefully science not pork) stuff.

Still not good as NASA is the best placed to do this (in the US)

Very Happy for someone to dig deeper and correct me of course as its a tangled mess of click-bait out there!