Overview
- An open letter signed by nearly 2,000 members of the National Academies warns that the Trump administration's actions are decimating U.S. science and threatening global leadership in innovation.
- Recent layoffs at federal agencies, including the NIH, CDC, and FDA, are expected to impact up to 10,000 employees, severely disrupting public health and research efforts.
- The administration has slashed research funding, pressured scientists to alter or abandon projects, and implemented executive orders banning terms like 'climate change' in federal research.
- The letter describes a 'climate of fear,' with researchers removing their names from studies and rewriting grant proposals to avoid political retaliation.
- Scientists are urging the public to advocate for independent scientific inquiry by contacting their representatives and raising awareness about the long-term risks to U.S. innovation.