read @dminovi.bsky.social for more: blog.ucs.org/dminovi/how-...

The authoritarian, violent, and anti-science actions of the Trump admin over the past week show clear contempt for democracy and the public good, endangering people in the US and around the world. Congress must uphold its constitutional responsibility and hold the administration accountable.

To counter the Trump administration's ongoing assault on science and public health, we need courageous scientists to follow the lead of groups like @ameracadpeds.bsky.social and @cidrap.bsky.social and ensure that the best available science remains accessible to the public.

RFK Jr. must go. Our nation needs a qualified scientist to lead the agency entrusted to keep us all safe and healthy, not an anti-science, misinformation-peddling conspiracy theorist.

We’ve said it since the beginning: RFK Jr. is unfit to lead the federal agencies responsible for protecting our health.

It is unacceptable that more infants and young children will almost certainly suffer from life-threatening and preventable disease as the consequences of this dangerous decision unfold over the coming months and years.

Even Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor who cast the deciding vote to confirm RFK Jr., says that the decision was “based on no scientific input.”

When science is sidelined, children get hurt. In his latest anti-science move, RFK Jr. ignored overwhelming scientific evidence, bypassed the established review process for vaccine recommendations, and all but guaranteed that more children will get sick.

Parents everywhere want to do everything possible to protect their kids and help them thrive. Secretary Kennedy just robbed us of one of the easiest ways to keep our kids safe, through routine science-based vaccine schedules. I'm angry about the kids that will suffer because of this cruel decision.

TSCA requires EPA to determine if existing or new chemicals should be regulated (banned or limited) or if they pose no unreasonable risk to the public.

The US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will hear from only chemical industry representatives this Thursday about the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), the primary federal law safeguarding the public from exposures to toxic chemicals.

Divorced from reality: Trump and his appointees are gutting the very scientific institutions needed to support the Genesis Mission—a planned AI-driven federal research platform stacked with potential risks. UCS analyst @jbd-phd.bsky.social weighs in:

This year, Jetelina found herself collaborating with some unlikely partners on public health projects. Follow her @kkjetelina.bsky.social and explore the full 2025 #ScienceDefenders lineup here:

It has not been an easy year for science, but there are bright spots worth celebrating. We are honoring our 2025 #ScienceDefenders, inspiring people using science to help communities and protect it from political or other interference. Meet Katelyn Jetelina, founder of Your Local Epidemiologist.

"It is impossible for science to thrive in an environment that silences experts or manipulates findings to fit political agendas, which is why the Scientific Integrity Act, reintroduced this year in Congress, is needed now more than ever before." -Joseph Reed, @ucs.org blog.ucs.org/joseph-reed/...

This past week, we released a map detailing the Trump admin's legally dubious Clean Air Act exemptions for coal plants, chemical manufacturers & other facilities emitting toxic air pollutants. These exemptions will harm overburdened communities across the US. Here's how this interactive tool works:

Applications are still open! The Science for Public Good Fund offers up to $1500 to support community-driven science advocacy projects. From workshops to local campaigns, you can help spark change. Apply here now: act.ucsusa.org/3KVR9Qo

Join me and @ucs.org at the @agu.org Annual Meeting next week. I'll be presenting Wednesday along with @carlonimbus.bsky.social and others. You can see our scientific sessions listed here and visit us at booth # 684. See you then! #AGU25 www.ucs.org/science-netw...

As a devoted @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social reader, I'm thrilled @ucs.org named Katelyn Jetelina as one of our 2025 Science Defenders, alongside @marc-alessi.bsky.social and two other incredible climate and environmental justice advocates. www.ucs.org/resources/20...

Yesterday @ucs.org released a new interactive map I co-authored detailing the Trump admin's legally dubious Clean Air Act exemptions for coal plants, chemical manufacturers, and other facilities emitting toxic air pollutants. These exemptions will harm overburdened communities across the nation.

the Trump administration is literally telling companies that emit toxic chemicals that they don’t have to abide by the Clean Air Act. Read more from @dminovi.bsky.social here: blog.ucs.org/dminovi/how-...

Demand that your members of Congress ensure the EPA complies with the Clean Air Act and implements science-based rules to protect communities.

UCS analyst Darya Minovi explains how the map works and breaks down President Trump’s #DirtyDeeds: Using legally dubious exemptions to give hazardous polluters a two-year free pass from their Clean Air Act responsibilities.

Check out the map—you can zoom in and out to see where facilities and clusters are located and click on the circles to learn more about each facility and the surrounding communities. 🗺️ 👉 act.ucsusa.org/DirtyDeedsMap

The Trump administration has given free rein to some of the most polluting industries in the country. We created an interactive map showing 546 industrial sites across the US and Puerto Rico deemed eligible for exemptions from their Clean Air Act requirements. #DirtyDeeds (🧵)

Remember, the Trump administration is doing everything they can to limit public comments on policies like this – take a look at UCS’ resources for enhancing public participation in decisions that impact our health and safety.

This is yet another example of the agency eroding scientific integrity and suppressing the science that keeps us safe. Comment on the risk assessment by February 2 and have your voice heard.

Nancy Beck, a longtime lobbyist for the chemical industry who now leads EPA’s chemical safety office, continues to serve the interests of the industry, not public health.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, EPA's toxicity assessment for formaldehyde affirmed that low-level exposure is harmful, in part because nearly all Americans encounter low levels of the chemical so often.

The toxic behavior of Trump’s EPA continues. In a move that will further endanger public health and result in greater cumulative exposure to cancer-causing formaldehyde, the agency is now proposing to gut the methods they use to evaluate the health risks of this harmful chemical.

We, the people, deserve an EPA that will protect our children’s health, that will uphold our interests, instead of boosting the profits of polluters. UCS will continue to fight for that alongside many others.

Science-based pollution standards implemented over decades have helped clean up our air, water and soil, and need continued support.

On the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it’s important to remember its core mission to protect public health and the environment, even as the Trump administration is actively harming both.

When science is sidelined, people get hurt. As Louisiana's surgeon general, Ralph Abraham put the lives of children at risk. Now RFK has installed him — and his dangerous anti-science views — as deputy director of CDC.

When the government fails to provide trusted scientific information, people get hurt. This is why we need independent science outside of government right now. (🧵)

Join us on the National Mall on Wednesday, Nov. 5 from 2:30-4 p.m. to rally for critical public health issues and initiatives. Whether you’re visiting Washington, D.C. for the Annual Meeting or you are a local public health advocate, this rally is for you!

This week, the Trump administration issued a memo to fast-track rollbacks of public protections, adding to the growing number of executive orders and actions that cut the public out of government decision-making. That puts us all in greater danger. @publiccitizen.bsky.social has more:

7/ The comment period for the rule is open until 11/7. Make your voice heard! 👇

1/ Last month, the EPA proposed a rule that will significantly weaken safety reviews for toxic chemicals used in the U.S. Weakening these reviews can open the door to more exposure to toxic chemicals, including PFAS and formaldehyde.

"federal science agencies are routinely and inappropriately bypassing notice and comment when updating or removing regulations." - @dminovi.bsky.social blog.ucs.org/dminovi/pres...

Evidence for Democracy (E4D) recently completed a review of scientific integrity (SI) policies in the US & Canada. Its analysis revealed key criteria of SI (protections for scientists, transparent research, enforcing/normalizing SI policies) have suffered in the US since Inauguration.

Join us this Thursday to hear about our report on the Trump administration's ever-growing attacks on science. Register at the link below!

Join the webinar “Science in a Shifting Political Landscape,” where UCS’s Dr. Kristie Ellickson & @dminovi.bsky.social will discuss findings from our recent report documenting how attacks on science have undermined scientists’ work & how this affects public health. 📍Thursday, 10/23, 10 am PT. RSVP:

6/ Former CDC director Tom Frieden warned: “Even if [facts] are denied and suppressed and misused and misquoted and cherry-picked, facts are still facts. The plain truth is that most people want to be healthy and safe, and what’s being done now is putting that very much at risk.”

5/ Just one result: the CDC is no longer tracking data for one of the most important surveys on the health and nutrition of Americans.

4/ The CDC has lost at least a quarter of its workforce since President Trump came into office. This means fewer scientists to study diseases and prevent outbreaks, fewer researchers collecting and reporting health data, and fewer experts communicating scientific findings to the public.