The War on Science Under the Current Administration
Celine Gounder, a professor of medicine and infectious disease expert at New York University, has raised concerns about the current administration’s stance on science. In a keynote speech in May to graduates of Harvard’s School of Public Health, she warned that the administration is waging a war on science. This conflict seems to have taken a new turn following a recent Supreme Court decision that gave health and human services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a known vaccine skeptic, more power to implement mass firings. This move has effectively allowed for the politicization of science.
Kennedy recently canceled a scheduled meeting of the US Preventive Services Task Force, a key healthcare advisory panel. Additionally, he removed a panel of over a dozen vaccine advisers. These actions signal that his efforts to dismantle science-based policymaking are far from over.
Making Viruses Great Again
In her Week in Patriarchy column, Arwa Madhawi questions whether people enjoy getting sick from preventable diseases or want to see once-declining viruses rise again. She points to the U.S. health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, and his anti-vaccine allies as working to reverse decades of medical progress.
Measles cases in the U.S. have reached their highest rate in 33 years, and while not entirely to blame, Trump’s officials don’t seem concerned. RFK Jr has downplayed the numbers, and he has announced that the federal CDC will stop recommending Covid-19 booster shots for healthy children and pregnant women. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) stated that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability. As a result, leading medical associations are suing the Trump administration.
Two recent surveys published in Jama Network Open found that only 35% to 40% of U.S. pregnant women and parents of young children intend to fully vaccinate their children. This means the majority of pregnant women and parents do not plan to accept all recommended vaccines for their children.
Attack on the Heart and Brain of the EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the elimination of its office of research and development (ORD) and the cutting of thousands of staff. A union leader described these moves as “devastating” for public health, as the ORD is considered the heart and brain of the EPA. The ORD’s work supports the agency’s mission to protect the environment and human health.
The EPA is replacing the ORD with a new office of applied science and environmental solutions, which it claims will focus more on research and science than ever before. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, a close Trump ally, said the changes would ensure the agency is better equipped to deliver on its mission of protecting human health and the environment while promoting the Great American Comeback.
Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House science committee, called the elimination of the research office “a travesty.” She criticized the Trump administration for firing hardworking scientists and employing political appointees who lie to Congress and the American people. The removal of the ORD, she argued, will have generational impacts on Americans’ health and safety.
Ten More Gaza Hostages May Be Released
Donald Trump announced that ten more hostages will be released from Gaza “very shortly.” This news comes as the president continues to push for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Trump stated during a dinner with Republican senators that they will have another 10 coming soon and hope to finish quickly. The current ceasefire proposal includes the return of 10 hostages and the remains of 18 others, in exchange for Israel releasing an unspecified number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Arbitrary and Completely Groundless
The U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, reportedly stripped eight of Brazil’s 11 supreme court judges of their U.S. visas as the White House escalates its campaign to help former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro avoid justice over his alleged attempt to seize power with a military coup. Supporting Bolsonaro, Trump also placed tariffs on Brazil, angering millions of Brazilians who want to see their former leader held accountable.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won the presidency from Bolsonaro, denounced what he called “another arbitrary and completely groundless measure from the U.S. government.” While the Bolsonaros have praised Trump’s actions, they have also realized how the announcement of tariffs backfired, allowing Lula to pose as a nationalist defender of Brazilian interests and paint the Bolsonaro clan as self-serving “traitors.” Even influential right-wing voices in Brazil have criticized Trump’s interference in one of the world’s most populous democracies.
What Else Happened Today
The White House is attempting to remove the Federal Reserve chair, who refuses to comply with the president’s demands to cut interest rates. The Fed is waiting to see how prices respond to Trump’s tariffs. Critics warn that deposing Jerome Powell would be a costly bid to pass the buck, according to Callum Jones.
In post-2024 election polling, defense of democracy was a top issue for Democrats but much lower for those who voted for Donald Trump, whose main concerns were inflation and the economy. Democrats lost the popular vote, and if they are to win back voters who abandoned them in the last election, their messaging needs to change, writes Joan C Williams.
