April 1, 2020 5:58 PM EDT
Today, we’re taking action to let the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) know that the public should hear from experts about this ongoing pandemic. We’ve filed a letter to the CDC saying that restricting scientists and public health officials from speaking directly to the public on the coronavirus pandemic constitutes a violation of their scientific integrity policy. Read more >
March 12, 2020 9:06 AM EDT
Just yesterday, we learned that the White House has held dozens of meetings on coronavirus that were considered “classified,” meaning that federal health officials, including experts, were unable to enter the room. Without experts in the room, how can we expect our government to follow the best available science on this rapidly developing issue and enact science-based policies that protect our health and safety during this pandemic?
March 11, 2020 3:33 PM EDT
This is President Trump’s approach to nearly every public health and environmental threat: find some way to exclude the experts, stop them from speaking publicly, and make decisions in a vacuum. The deliberate sidelining of public health experts and science leads to bad policy, and ultimately, to more sickness and death. Read more >
March 10, 2020 3:03 PM EDT
Regular readers will know that I take a pretty dim view of the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture and many of its anti-science, anti-farmer, and just plain mean-spirited actions over the past three years. The administration is also getting a lot of things (very) wrong in its response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). But last week, the USDA got something right when it moved to help two states facing serious virus outbreaks ensure that schoolchildren can access free and reduced-priced meals even when schools are closed during this emergency. Unfortunately, schools and the children they serve across the nation are likely to need a lot more of this support in the weeks and months ahead. Read more >
February 27, 2020 9:27 AM EDT
The novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, may be the most intense international public health crisis seen in the last few years. In the coming days, as COVID-19 inches towards becoming a full-on pandemic, it will become more important than ever to listen to the scientists and public health professionals advocating for disease control and prevention measures based on the best available science. But the unfortunate truth is that the Trump Administration has carried out actions that appear to leave the US less prepared to face the threat of this disease. Read more >
