NCAR sues its partners to to block Trump administration’s “arbitrary and capricious” selloff of Boulder lab - The Colorado Sun

The National Center for Atmospheric Research has filed a lawsuit against its partner institutions to block the Trump administration's planned sale of its Boulder laboratory, challenging the divestment as "arbitrary and capricious." NCAR, a federally funded research facility, operates the Boulder lab through a cooperative agreement with universities and has warned that privatization could compromise decades of climate and atmospheric science work. The Trump administration has moved to divest federal real estate and research facilities as part of its efficiency agenda, but NCAR argues the sale lacks proper justification and threatens critical long-term scientific missions. The litigation pits the research community directly against the administration's broader asset-reduction strategy and could determine whether the government can unwind long-standing partnerships in federal science infrastructure. The outcome will likely influence how quickly the White House can reshape its portfolio of research facilities.