Multiple FEMA staff who signed an open letter criticizing the Trump administration's budget cuts to disaster preparedness were placed on leave Tuesday, the Washington Post first reported.

The big picture: Among the workers who signed the letter are "individuals who were directly helping relief efforts in Kerr County, Texas" following July's deadly floods, said a spokesperson for Stand Up for Science, the nonprofit that publicized the declaration, in a Tuesday night email that called the administration's action "illegal."

Driving the news: The letter warns against cuts to FEMA, opposes administration moves to end climate change research and criticizes officials including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees the agency, for their leadership decisions. • A to

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