Trump Administration Reinstates Hundreds Of NIOSH Employees
Bloomberg reports that employees of the agency — which conducts and supports research on workplace safety and health — were informed that their layoff notices were "hereby revoked." Other administration news is on Planned Parenthood funding, the continuing wake of USAID, and more.
Bloomberg:
US HHS Reverses Deep Cuts To CDC Safety Research Agency Niosh
The Trump Administration is reversing its deep staffing cuts to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, reinstating hundreds of employees. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed the reversal in an email Tuesday. Niosh conducts or funds most research into US workplace health and safety. (Eidelson, 1/13)
Politico:
Lawsuit Dismissed After Trump Admin Quietly Restored Tens Of Millions To Planned Parenthood
The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration over tens of millions in Title X family planning funds that federal officials had withheld from Planned Parenthood and some other health clinics since last spring, after HHS quietly released the money in December. Though the Trump administration is still defending in court far bigger federal cuts to Planned Parenthood that Congress approved last summer, the release of the Title X funds gives the clinics a crucial lifeline. It is also likely to inflame existing tensions between the administration and anti-abortion conservatives who will rally in Washington later this month for the annual March for Life. (Ollstein, 1/13)
Axios:
Inside Trump's $11 Billion Health Plan To Replace "Neo-Colonial" USAID
The Trump administration is launching an unprecedented, $11 billion soft-power effort to remake foreign health assistance after its controversial decision to gut USAID. (Caputo, 1/14)
AP:
EPA Proposes Limits For States And Tribes To Block Major Infrastructure Projects
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed limiting states’ and Native American tribes’ power to wield the Clean Water Act to block major projects like natural gas pipelines, advancing the Trump administration’s goal of accelerating the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure and data centers. The agency said new constraints on local water quality reviews for federally regulated projects will still allow states to protect their environment while preventing unnecessary delays. Successive administrations have seesawed on the scope of states’ power. (Phillis, 1/13)
On 'Havana Syndrome' —
CNN:
Havana Syndrome: Pentagon Bought Device Through Undercover Operation Some Investigators Suspect Is Linked To A Series Of Mysterious Ailments
The Defense Department has spent more than a year testing a device purchased in an undercover operation that some investigators think could be the cause of a series of mysterious ailments impacting US spies, diplomats and troops that are colloquially known as Havana Syndrome, according to four sources briefed on the matter. (Lillis, Bertrand, Alvarez, Sclutto and Cohen, 1/13)
'Dilbert' cartoonist dies after asking President Trump to help him get a cancer medication —
The New York Times:
Scott Adams, Creator Of The Satirical ‘Dilbert’ Comic Strip, Dies At 68
In November, he wrote on the social media platform X that his health was “declining fast,” and that his insurer had not scheduled a time to administer a cancer drug, Pluvicto, which it had approved. He asked for help from President Trump. “On it!” the president responded on his social media outlet, Truth Social. Mr. Adams later confirmed on social media that he would be getting the drug but that its use had to be postponed because of scheduled radiation treatment. (Sandomir, 1/13)
