"A generation of the unteachable hanging upon us like a necklace of corpses"
This week's links, which Orwell would've absolutely hated.
Another week of the Trump second term, another week of disappearing people, data, and essential services.
Grateful as always to Lyn for putting this week’s The Topline together.
Here they are, this week’s…
Headlines
Health data, research, and resources at risk
How Trump 2.0 is slashing NIH-backed research — in charts, Max Kozlov and Chris Ryan, Nature, 4/10/2025 (Archive)
Nature has analyzed hundreds of projects whose funding has been terminated by The US National Institutes of Health.
Of the cancelled grants, more than 28% were HIV/AIDS related, more than 24% were transgender health related, and more than 17% were COVID-19 related; more than half of previously active projects on LGBT topics were also cancelled.
“You cannot eliminate a segment of the population by executive order, but you can harm them greatly.” - Shirley Tilghman, molecular biologist, former president of Princeton University.
See also: After April Fools’ Day purge, U.S. health agencies spiral into chaos (Archive) – cuts and reorganization to several leadership and researcher positions at NIH, FDA, CDC, and HHS are highly criticized and questioned, as many were removed without due process, with some removals unintentional supposedly due to “coding error” and thus reversed.
Milwaukee faces lead crisis without CDC experts RFK Jr. fired, Ariel Wittenberg, E&E News by Politico, 4/4/2025 (Archive)
As part of the reduction-in-force (RIF) measures, the entirety of CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program had been terminated, effectively ending the ongoing monitoring of contamination and screening for childhood lead poisoning.
These cuts either demonstrate a severe misunderstanding of federal health research roles, or indicate a dangerous re-prioritization of efforts under the guise of efficiency.
“CDC is the expert. If they can’t answer your question, you are in trouble. And the people who were answering our questions are just gone.” - Milwaukee City Health Commissioner Michael Totoraitis
Trump administration plans to remove all members of HIV advisory council, Dan Levine, Reuters, 4/9/2025 (Archive)
All current members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS are planned to be removed by the administration, with no estimated timeline for replacement.
Replacement would be handled by RFK Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services. However, the growing crusade against diverse healthcare and research – including cuts to HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS – does not make for an optimistic forecast for the future of HIV/AIDS resources.
RFK Jr. Doesn’t Know About His Own Agency’s $11 Billion Health Cuts, Ed Cara, Gizmodo, 4/10/2025 (Archive)
And here’s the punchline.
The role of data, immigration, and deportation efforts
Migrants who entered the U.S. via CBP One app should leave 'immediately,' DHS says, Joel Rose and Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 4/8/2025 (Archive)
The strategy for “national security” increases pressure for migrants to self-deport as thousands receive a notification from the CBP One App (renamed to CBP Home) that their parole has ended and they must leave the country.
These orders are also confusing, as many that have entered the country who have made appointments through the app are still legally protected from deportation – including those that have pending applications and court proceedings, and those that have attained legal work authorizations.
The conditions of these alerts add to the ongoing questions around privacy and data protections across mobile devices and growing concerns for surveillance under this administration.
The IRS finalizes a deal to share tax information with immigration authorities, Joel Rose, NPR, 4/8/2025 (Archive)
The IRS has agreed to sharing information of immigrants without legal status who are under under criminal investigation, setting a new and ominous precedent for the use of tax information with an added side of economic ramifications.
Mistaken deportations stoke concerns over Trump’s aggressive immigration push, Priscilla Alvarez, Katelyn Polantz and Evan Perez, CNN, 4/4/2025 (Archive)
Mistaken detainment and deportations are adding up, fueling criticisms of efficacy as already-shaky trust in administration agencies erodes with the increasing frequency of “errors.”
Environmental data and research risks
Nearly half of National Weather Service offices have 20% vacancy rates, and experts say it’s a risk, Seth Borenstein, Associated Press, 4/4/2025 (Archive)
Staffing shortages continue to negatively impact health and safety services as the cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sustain high vacancy rates at National Weather Service offices.
As these offices handle forecasts, severe weather warnings, and critical preparedness coordination services, the short-staffing poses alarming risk for the safety of residents nationwide. Researchers and policymakers raise flags for the compounding risk as these offices see no incoming relief, likely to be stretched thin for the foreseeable future.
See also: National Weather Service no longer translating products for non-English speakers (Archive) – a pause in third-party translation services, likely in response to ongoing budget cuts at federal agencies, may place millions of non-English speakers at risk as NWS no longer can provide translations of critical weather alerts.
Trump moves to hobble major US climate change study, Zack Colman, Politico, 4/9/2025 (Archive)
The administration has ended the contract with consulting firm ICF International and terminated several US Global Change Research Program officials, dealing a possibly fatal blow to the National Climate Assessment–a comprehensive and crucial report on climate change, its effects, and guidance for policymakers.
Though Congress mandates a new assessment by 2027, this termination of this contract likely means dissolution of the report.
At minimum, climate research will be significantly hampered as ICF International and USGCRP coordinated immense research efforts across a variety of agencies and institution networks.
Unsurprisingly, this move aligns with Office and Management and Budget Director Russ Vought’s intentions to reorganize and/or dismantle USGCRP as originally envisioned in Project 2025 – which he helped draft.
See also: Meet The Government Consultants Raking In Millions To Spread Climate Doom – Daily Wire presents the role of ICF International as a suspect institution wielding “undue” power over policy decisions and a black box of spending – also criticizing the agency for caring about “environmental justice;” questioning partisan ties for members donating to Democrat candidates and no Republican contributions (riveting hypocrisy); and slamming a staffer for (checks notes) having pronouns in her Instagram bio.
How Trump’s war on climate and equity is impacting ‘woke investing’, Joseph Winters, Grist, 4/9/2025
Climate matters certainly add up to an incredibly nuanced economic impact as shareholders hold, pause, and reposition their proposals.
The contention: economic democracy. ESG detractors (environmental, social, and governance) view these ESG-mindful decision-making as interference of the capitalist free market (a viewpoint certainly supported by the current administration). ESG proponents suggest that the regulations that restrict ESG-motivated decision-making are the true market manipulators.
As it stands now, increased pressure from the administration and recent policies put forth by the SEC make resolutions – both currently filed and future proposals – more complicated. Some companies may be more willing to discuss ESG-related matters privately with investors to avoid public scrutiny, while others may be encouraged to shirk negotiation altogether.
Data the administration actually cares about (spoiler: it’s a surveillance state!)
Trump officials to monitor immigrants’ social media for antisemitism, Maya Yang, The Guardian, 4/9/2025 (Archive)
Remember when Republican representative Keith Self directly quoted Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, “it is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion,” in a hearing last month? Despite the phrase being used against American Sunlight Project CEO Nina Jankowicz–implying her mission and acts as a disinformation researcher likened to that of Goebbels–it looks like the shoe is now on the other foot.
Migration protections continue to be revoked as US Citizenship and Immigration Services will now monitor social media accounts for antisemitic activity, serving as grounds for denying immigration benefits.
The new guidelines apply to those applying for permanent residency, as well as international students and foreign nationals affiliated with “educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity,” with officials explicitly denying the right to Free Speech for possible targets. Just in time to be used as legal justification for numerous abruptly revoked visas, student detainment, and increased border control activity.
See also: The original release from US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Labor Leaders Fear Elon Musk and DOGE Could Gain Access to Whistleblower Files, Caroline Haskins, Wired, 4/10/2025 (Archive)
OSHA leaders flag concerns over DOGE’s possible access to critical and sensitive information, especially that of whistleblowers and investigators of Musk’s multiple holdings, fearing possible retaliation for those that participated in several open investigations.
While there is no current public evidence that confidential records have been accessed, DOGE is still poised to pursue access – and at the very least, DOGE is highly able to escalate barriers for OSHA investigations (such as cancelling OSHA office leases, which it has already done).
See also: ICE director envisions Amazon-like mass deportation system
See also: DHS Now Allows for Surveillance based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
Don’t forget to back up your data.