Science, Policy, and Other News that Caught My Eye

Or blew my mind the week of May 25th - May 31st

Greetings, SciLight readers,

I’ll start with a couple of items that are really disturbing.

· RFK Jr. could ban U.S. scientists from publishing in leading journals - The Washington Post – Calling prestigious journals -- the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA [published by the American Medical Association] “corrupt.” More here

· It’s called the Library of Congress. But Trump claims it’s his. - The Washington Post Will the Congress object, or just roll over?

Per usual, below is a smattering of other news items that caught my attention or disrupted my equanimity this past week. What caught your eye? Tell us in the comments.

And be sure to scroll down for some fun news. Because we can all use some levity in these challenging times.

· Covid vaccine recommendation ended for healthy children, pregnant women - The Washington Post RFK,Jr.’s unprecedented move bypassed the traditional system of vaccine advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And then the CDC steps in: Covid vaccines still in childhood immunization schedule, reversing RFK Jr. - The Washington Post

· The Global Public Health Imperative—Where Do We Go From Here? | Public Health | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network. “Once realized, the full effects of the federal stop-work orders, USAID and PEPFAR funding cuts, discontinuation of US participation in the WHO, and reductions in the CDC workforce will severely impact the broader global health ecosystem; even if these cuts were reversed, the loss of experience, institutional memory, and infrastructure may not be easily remedied in the future.”

· As Trumps Monetize Presidency, Profits Outstrip Protests [Ironically, the NYT Wordle on the same day of this front-page article was “grift.”]

· Protesters decry 'crypto corruption' as Trump fetes top investors in his crypto meme coin - ABC News

· Trump Pardoned Tax Cheat After Mother Attended $1 Million Dinner - The New York Times

· Trump administration tells federal agencies: Stop doing business with Harvard

· Trump's Crackdown on Universities, International Students Threatens Economic Blow. International students comprise “a group that has long driven scientific innovation in the United States and pumped tens of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy.”

· Harvard’s public health school faces layoffs and funding chaos after federal grant freeze - EHN

· State Dept. pauses new student visas, plans tougher social media review - The Washington Post

· NPR sues Trump over May 1 executive order targeting federal funding - The Washington Post

· Opinion | Trump just loves a good military parade, those who fought not so much

· Rubio’s claim that it’s ‘a lie’ that people have died from foreign-aid cuts - The Washington Post – and that’s a lie.

· Documents Show E.P.A. Wants to Erase Greenhouse Gas Limits on Power Plants - The New York Times

· Supreme Court curbs scope of environmental reviews required by NEPA - The Washington Post

· Supreme Court allows Trump to end parole for 500,000 migrants for now - The Washington Post and Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to End Biden-Era Migrant Program for Now - The New York Times

· Judge orders ‘some protection’ for Harvard international students

· Judge Says Government Should Release Russian Scientist - The New York Times

· Democratic troubles revive debate over left-wing buzzwords - The Washington Post

· Majority of U.S. workers say job security has significant impact on their stress

· Trump’s safety research cuts heighten workplace risks, federal workers warn | Business | The Guardian and more here

And Just for Fun Or Entertainment

· ‘Supergiant’ sea creature lurks in more than half the ocean

· Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 1 | Merriam-Webster

· 19 Words for the Cranky and Disagreeable | Merriam-Webster

That’s it for today - Thank you so much for reading SciLight!

If you enjoyed today’s post, please like it or share it with others. You can also support the work we do to shine a light on the politicization of science by becoming a paid subscriber!

If you want to share today’s post as a web page with your network, click this button:

If you have suggestions, questions, comments, or want to drop us a line - send it all to scilightsubstack@gmail.com