Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Puts Kibosh On Minority Biomedical Research Support Program
Stat: HHS Terminates NIH Program Aimed At Diversifying Biomedical Workforce
The Department of Health and Human Services is terminating a National Institutes of Health grant program that supports students from marginalized backgrounds in the biomedical sciences. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the elimination of the program — the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program — in a document posted to the Federal Register Monday. Kennedy cited the program’s failure to comply with the Trump administration’s executive orders that prevent federal agencies from supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion-related activities. (Paulus, 8/25)
More on funding cuts and DEI —
Los Angeles Times: GOP Widens UC Antisemitism Investigations, Hitting UCLA, UC San Francisco Medical Schools
The UCLA and UC San Francisco medical schools have been given two weeks to submit years of internal documents to a Republican-led congressional committee about alleged antisemitism and how the schools responded, widening the federal government’s far-reaching investigations into the University of California. The demands from House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) cited reports of Jewish people “experiencing hostility and fear” at each campus and that universities had not proved that they “meaningfully responded.” (Kaleem, 8/25)
The New York Times: Columbia Got Most Of Its Research Funding Back. The Damage Goes Deeper.
When Columbia University struck a deal with the Trump administration last month, the agreement came with the promise that the financial lifeblood of scientific research would start to flow again. But that was only part of the story. While hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen federal research funding has been restored, a smaller subset of grants in areas that are out of favor with the White House, including transgender health, have not. Columbia’s School of Public Health and medical center remain in austerity mode, with fewer slots for Ph.D. students and hiring delays caused by the original suspension of funding. (Otterman, 8/25)
NBC News: The 'Mozart Of Math' Rarely Speaks On Politics. The Wide-Ranging Cuts To Science Funding Made Him Change That.
Terence Tao, one of the world’s foremost mathematicians, who is often called the “Mozart of Math,” would rather not talk politics. “I do scientific research,” Tao said. “I vote, I sign a petition, but I don’t consider myself an activist.” But after the July suspension of $584 million in federal grants at UCLA, which he joined as a faculty member at age 20, Tao said he feels forced to speak out against what he views as “indiscriminate” cuts to science that could drive scientists away from the U.S., including himself, if trends continue. (Bush, 8/26)
KFF Health News: Blue States That Sued Kept Most CDC Grants, While Red States Feel Brunt Of Trump Clawbacks
The Trump administration’s cuts to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding for state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of a state, according to a KFF Health News analysis. Democratic-led states and select blue-leaning cities fought back in court and saw money for public health efforts restored — while GOP-led states sustained big losses. The Department of Health and Human Services in late March canceled nearly 700 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants nationwide — together worth about $11 billion. (Larweh and Pradhan and Bichell, 8/26)
On cuts to FEMA and public radio —
AP: FEMA Staff Calls Out Trump Cuts In Public Letter Of Dissent
More than 180 current and former employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency published a letter Monday warning that debilitating cuts to the agency charged with handling federal disaster response risks a catastrophe like the one seen after Hurricane Katrina. “Our shared commitment to our country, our oaths of office, and our mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters compel us to warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of decisions made by the current administration,” the letter states. (Aoun Angueira, 8/25)
The New York Times: Public Broadcast Cuts Hit Rural Areas, Revealing A Political Shift
Unalaska, Alaska, is home to about 4,200 year-round residents, but the town also boasts the largest fishing port in the United States by volume, and its population swells with seasonal workers in the high season. Even in the age of cellphones and Wi-Fi, residents said radios here were constantly tuned to KUCB, which brings them local news and emergency alerts as well as City Council meetings, high school basketball games and public health programs on topics ranging from the seasonal flu to suicide prevention. “None of that is political or trying to hurt Republicans,” said Greg Walter, a nurse practitioner at the only medical facility on the island. “It’s a necessary resource for a small, isolated community.” Mr. Walter said he relied on KUCB having him on the air to share medical advice to prevent conditions that are hard to treat on the island. (Mineiro, 8/26)
