The War on Science Continues

The War on Science Continues

                        Robert A. Levine   April 15, 2025

Under President Trump’s astute guidance, the federal government is working to destroy support for scientific research in all fields, ceding control of innovation and scientific advances to China. The People’s Republic of China produces significant multiples of STEM scientists than the U.S. and we are in the process of deporting foreign scientists and making our nation hostile to immigrants with scientific backgrounds. Actually, all immigrants.

Federal funding has been cut to universities that conduct most of our scientific research, forcing the universities to curb the studies being done and dismissing scientific personnel, both foreign and domestic. In addition, federal agencies and departments are firing scientific personnel and cutting back on the research that was under way or planned for the future by federal agencies. Much of this is under the direction of Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. In addition, HHS, The Department of Health and Human Services under Robert Kennedy Jr, is slicing his department by 20,000 personnel, from 82,000 to 60,000 or below.

HHS includes the (NIH) National Institutes of Health, the (CDC) Communicable Disease Center, and the (FDA) Federal Drug Administration under its control. The HHS is supposed to research all diseases and methods of prevention. However, the CDC and Kennedy failed miserably to blunt the measles epidemic mainly in Texas and New Mexico by convincing residents of these states to take the measles vaccine. Meanwhile, DOGE and Musk fired workers at the NIH whose research concentrated on Alzheimer’s and other dementias, a major problem in the U.S. with our aging population.

NOAA, which predicts the weather and any devastating storms that may hit the U.S. has also taken major cuts in personnel. Besides early warning for Americans of hurricanes and tornadoes, NOAA’s information is also necessary to ensure safety in aviation. NOAA does research on weather patterns and has done some research on climate change, a topic that’s forbidden on Trump’s agenda. In fact, all work on climate change by federal agencies has been discontinued, as Trump has claimed that global warming is a hoax. It is surprising that Musk, who is a scientist himself and knows about the dangers of global warming, has not spoken up and made Trump understand the dangers that climate change presents to America and the world. Personnel have also been dismissed from the EPA- Environmental Protection Agency. This agency is responsible for monitoring industrial plants, oil wells and pipelines along with any other facilities responsible for polluting the environment, particularly with substances that can be dangerous to human health.

Musk also shut down USAID, the United States Agency for International Development. Though this agency’s major goal is to provide medical and other assistance to nations that have epidemics or have suffered disasters, it also conducts some research on diseases. USAID was a projection of America’s soft power of which Trump and Musk are apparently ignorant.

The Department of Education is also being shut down. This federal department sets standards for education in science as well as other subjects. Currently, American students lag almost all advanced nations in international tests of reading, math and science. The Department of Education should be getting more personnel instead of being closed to make sure that all the states are meeting the standards in major subjects. We need more and more proficient students in STEM subjects if we hope to keep up with China. Trump’s moves so far are handing China leadership in science on a silver platter. This cannot be good for America.

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Downgrading America's Health Care System

Downgrading America’s Health Care System

Robert A. Levine, M.D.     March 29, 2025

Everyone knew before he was appointed head of HHS that Robert Kennedy Jr was a vaccine skeptic and a purveyor of alternative treatments for various diseases. But it was unclear how he would function as the head of America’s health care system. Now, we know. With our brilliant president’s approval and cooperation, RFK is in the process of downsizing and downgrading the crown jewels of America’s health care system; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH). Kennedy has a number of medically discredited ideas regarding the origin and treatment of diseases and does not trust medical science or the scientific method. He has said that he intends to fire 10,000 full-time personnel working in current health care agencies, including the above.

Kennedy is looking to reorganize the health department of the federal government which he claims contains redundant agencies. He has already hired an anti-vaccine analyst, David Geier, who continues to claim that vaccines are responsible for autism, a theory that has been thoroughly debunked. State authorities in Maryland cited Geier for practicing medicine without a license in 2012. He was hired by Kennedy to work on a study connecting vaccines and autism, a link that has already been proved to be false. Speak of wasting money! Public health experts have been stunned by Geier’s hiring and his assigned mission, believing that confidence in vaccine’s efficacy could be damaged even more, with immunization rates from vaccines dropping even further. Kennedy has recommended treatment of measles with Vitamin A and cod liver oil, instead of instead of prevention with vaccines.

The agencies that Kennedy wishes to downsize have been responsible for many significant advances in medical care, saving millions of American lives and those of people globally. American medical research is considered the best in the world, constantly coming up with new discoveries that extend life and improve quality of life. Polio and smallpox have been virtually eradicated from the United States because of research funded by federal health agencies. Aside from the development of vaccines and their dissemination throughout the nation, the CDC is responsible for overseeing America’s response to any new communicable diseases, epidemics or pandemics. In this day and age with worldwide transportation and possible bioterrorism, its role is essential.

The NIH itself, along with its dozens of satellite research centers in universities, has fashioned new techniques to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias along with various treatments. They have also discovered new ways to diagnose different cancers and develop novel treatments for some cancers, saving untold numbers of lives. Their researchers have found drugs and other methods to lower cholesterol, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and strokes. However, with genetic engineering and CRISPR techniques now available, their work may be just in its infancy. The FDA is responsible for vetting all medications used in the U.S. for safety and efficacy, an enormous task that may be able to be aided by AI.

Cutting funding and personnel at federal health agencies and satellite research centers at this time would be devastating for the nation and those in the midst of research projects. Their work on identifying viruses, both new and old, and finding appropriate treatments is vital to the nation’s well-being. Immune-mediated diseases and their treatment and using immune techniques to eradicate cancer are just in the initial stages but making rapid progress. Slashing basic medical research to save money is foolish, as care of patients with the diseases being studied will be much more expensive in the long run. Unfortunately, the people in charge of medical care in America are biased against science and some of the basic tenets of medicine. They present a danger to America’s health.

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Discounting Veterans and Other Americans

Discounting Veterans and Other Americans

                    Robert A. Levine   March 25, 2025

President Trump denigrated Senator John McCain for being captured by the North Vietnamese and called soldiers who served in Vietnam suckers and losers. This is the way Trump thinks about those who serve in our military and protect our country. Now this great patriot with his DOGE sidekick is in the process of gutting the Veterans Administration which provides medical and psychological care for our veterans.

Actually, America’s entire health care system is in trouble under the direction of President Trump, Robert Kennedy, Jr, and Elon Musk. They are not only attacking the VA but the National Institute of Health, the CDC and the FDA. And in addition, the Environmental Protection Agency is being neutered, the agency that monitors pollution and its impact on Americans’ health. All of these agencies are vital in keeping Americans healthy, with the NIH, CDC and FDA responsible for developing medical innovations that benefit all Americans. In addition to past discoveries, these agencies fund new research on cancer, cardiovascular and infectious diseases. But aside from these health agencies having their personnel cut, the VA and veteran’s health is particularly affected by the unholy trio mentioned above.

Trump’s axman, Elon Musk, who came to America from South Africa, and has no emotional connections to our veterans, has already fired some 1000 VA employees. But the Trump administration would like to get rid of 80,000 VA personnel, which would absolutely cripple the organization. Even currently, there appears to be a shortage of VA employees, with long waits for medical appointments. At the start of 2025, the VA had a workforce of 473,000 personnel, of which 30 percent were veterans themselves. Apparently, about 40,000 of total personnel were probationary employees.

Musk and DOGE would like to drop VA personnel to under 400,000. According to Rep. Mark Takano, a Democratic Congressman from California and the ranking member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the cuts to the VA would not just affect health care for veterans. They would cause chaos and impact every aspect of the VA. Benefits would be delayed along with claims processing. Student veterans and their schools would have great difficulty getting the assistance they needed. Physical therapy, mental health services, delayed surgery, transportation services would all be affected.

Veterans are also employed in many different departments of the Federal government in various positions, and we don’t know how many of them would be fired. But Trump and Musk don’t care. We’re only talking about suckers and losers. We have our billionaires and multi-millionaires to think about and we need money so that they can have tax cuts enabling them to take home even more money. This isn’t a government for the people and by the people. It’s a government for the wealthy with billionaires in charge. Isn’t that what Americans want?

We need the VA to be kept whole, with perhaps even more personnel hired. And we need the NIH, CDC and FDA to be fully funded. The health of our veterans and all Americans is more important than providing tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.

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Addressing Cognitive Impairment in Federal Officials

Addressing Cognitive Impairment in Federal Officials

                                    Robert A. Levine, M.D.   3-12-25

The cognitive status of federal officials needs to be addressed. Too many of them manifest some degree of impairment and are not fit to serve in government. There is little question that our last president, Joe Biden, was intellectually diminished, and may have been suffering from a neurologic disorder. His speech was hesitant and slow when he wasn’t reading, he had difficulty answering questions, and his gait was abnormal. When he ran for president in 2020, he was more intact and deteriorated over the four-year course of his term. Biden is now 82 years old. Our current president, Donald Trump, is 78 and will be 82 when he finishes his term. Trump at times misnames people and places when speaking and uses the wrong words occasionally. Some of his actions are impulsive, like his idea to take over Gaza, and some appear contradictory. It is unclear at this point whether he is mildly cognitively impaired, has a personality disorder, or possibly both. As people age, personality quirks, present when younger, tend to become more pronounced, particularly if cognitive difficulties have emerged.

Some journalists have labeled Congress as an old age home. The recent Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, will be 83 this month. John Thune, the current Senate Majority Leader is 64 years old. The median age of Senators in the 118th Congress was 65.3 years. In 2024, 30 Senators were from 70 to 79 years of age, with 5 over age 80. Chuck Grassley of Iowa was 93. Diane Feinstein of California, retired from the Senate at age 89 and died the next year at 90. During her last years in the Senate, she was in poor health and her mental acuity was compromised. The House of Representatives on average is younger than the Senate. With 437 members in the 118th Congress, the average age was 58 years old, 3 years less than the previous Congress. 12 members were 80 or older and 62 members were in their 70s.

Age itself should not exclude people from political office. Unfortunately, however, as people age their memories fade and problems arise with cognitive function. Though common, this is not universal and there are people in their 80s and 90s who are cognitively intact. But with age, many people develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and many of these progress to frank dementia.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s are not synonymous, though Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Other disorders that can result in dementia are cerebro-vascular disease (multiple small strokes or a few big strokes), Lewy Body Disease, Fronto-temporal Dementia, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy CTE), Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral anoxia of any etiology, and a number of less frequent disorders. Sometimes, cognitive impairment can result from the adverse effects of medications in older people.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in 6 people in the United States in the 2020 census were 65 or older. The National Institutes of Health reports that approximately 2 out of three Americans note some level of cognitive impairment at an average age of about 70. This can mean age related memory loss, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia itself. The older a person becomes, the greater the chances he or she will develop MCI or dementia. The lifetime risk of exhibiting dementia is 37 percent for women at a mean age of onset of 83. For men, the lifetime risk for dementia is 24 percent with a mean age of onset of 79.

People with MCI can often disguise their disability in social situations and may seem quite normal to most observers. But do we want officials with any degree of cognitive dysfunction in leadership roles in our nation. Our health, social and economic well-being is in their hands as well as the possibility of war and the chances of using nuclear weapons. But how do we sort out impairment in our elected leaders before they attain office. The answer is simple but would undoubtedly be opposed by most elected officials.

Before any person over 65 is allowed to run for a federal office, he or she should have to undergo a battery of cognitive tests, administered by a three-person panel of independent neurologists, neuropsychologists, or other trained personnel. These would not be ordinary screening tests, but more detailed testing that would pick up minor abnormalities. If a person were found to be borderline impaired, greater diagnostic evaluation would be ordered, and cognitive testing would be repeated in a year. Anyone who was impaired would be prohibited from running for federal office. Since elected officials would never agree to this testing voluntarily, this would have to be passed in individual states through referenda. It is likely that some states would agree to cognitively test candidates for federal elected offices and others would not. For presidential candidates to get on the ballot in states that mandate cognitive testing, they would have to be tested.

If cognitive testing were shown to be effective in removing impaired candidates for federal office, more states might adopt this strategy. It is a commonsense solution for an aging nation with aging officials and advanced technology that many older people do not understand. In fact, if testing were successful, older state and municipal candidates for office might also be subject to cognitive testing in the future.

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The Empathy Deficit in Washington

We constantly hear politicians in Washington moaning about the budget deficit and the rising national debt and what should be done about them. But even more important is the empathy deficit in our nation’s capital, particularly manifested by President Trump and his chief enforcer, Elon Musk. However, virtually the entire Republican Party is in thrall to these bosses, afraid to challenge them despite their lack of empathy for the working and middle classes and frank cruelty at times. The actions of Trump and his coterie to fire government workers and lower costs is being carried out simply so the president can provide tax cuts for billionaires and other wealthy supporters with minimal if any benefits for most Americans.

In fact, virtually all the cost cutting by Trump and Musk will harm citizens who are not rich. Medicaid benefits will be reduced, and the Affordable Care Act section of Medicaid will likely be abolished, leaving tens of millions of people with diminished or no health care coverage. It would be up to the states to compensate for the funding that the federal government takes away, in order for health care coverage to continue. The states for the most part do not have the necessary sums available and would have to raise taxes on the wealthy and middle classes to provide health care for the poor. This is an option that most politicians would reject out of hand.

And under the House Republican budget plan, approved by Trump, millions of low-income households would lose food aid, as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and food stamps would be cut. To accomplish this, benefits would be reduced significantly, or people’s eligibility taken away. At least $230 billion through 2034 is expected to be cut by the House Agriculture Committee on this program. The bill has not yet gone to the Senate, but any decrease in SNAP would literally take food off the table of low-income people. More than 40 million Americans are aided by SNAP including 1 in 5 children. Lawmakers are currently looking at different options to lower funding for SNAP, but all the choices would harm American families.

Personnel are being fired or have been fired by Musk at every federal regulatory agency to save money for tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations. Firings have come without prior warnings for probationary workers, but also for people who have been in their jobs for ten, twenty or more years. They are suddenly given 15 minutes to get their belongings and get out of their offices. This includes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which monitors pollution from industries that can damage the environment and injure or kill workers or residents. Some of the chemicals monitored are carcinogens or affect specific organs like the brain, liver, lungs or kidneys. Also being reduced are personnel at all health agencies including the NIH, CDC and the FDA. Research grants for all these agencies and for universities are all being lowered or cut completely, disregarding possible advances in treatment of cancers, infectious diseases, dementia, etc. Precautions for possible pandemics like avian flu are also being disregarded with new vaccines not being developed.

In addition, people put in charge of the nation’s health are incompetent. For example, Robert Kennedy, Jr, a vaccine skeptic with bizarre theories about various diseases was appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services. There’s an outbreak of measles in Texas and New Mexico now, with hospitalizations and deaths among unvaccinated children whose parents have succumbed to disinformation about vaccines. Will Polio come back? Smallpox? It can only get worse with poor leadership and fewer personnel at health agencies.

Disability programs are being reduced along with supplemental security income for disabled people. Money for education is being cut, and the Department of Education may be closed. This is despite American students performing poorly on tests of science, math and reading, worse than students of any other advanced nation. And we don’t have enough teachers because the pay is so bad. The Federal government is abandoning education and leaving it to the states. NOAA is also being cut to the disadvantage of farmers, fisherman and weather forecasters. Ignoring recent plane accidents and aviation safety, the Federal Aviation Agency personnel are being reduced as well.

The examples given of what the new administration is doing to the federal government and the nation are merely a small portion of the actions taken that will hurt ordinary Americans. But Trump, Musk and Republican officials don’t give a damn. They just want tax cuts for the rich without raising the national debt. They show no feelings for the people they are firing or the work that will no longer get done. Empathy is not a word in the Republican lexicon.

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Trump's Billionaires with No Balls!

Trump's Billionaires With No Balls

            Robert A. Levine, M.D.  February 18, 2025

It is amazing to see the lack of courage manifested by some of the wealthiest men in our nation. They made their fortunes because of their intelligence, technical expertise, scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit- because they were willing to take risks. Now, they have lined up behind President Trump and are afraid to challenge him on his policies that are bad for the nation and could be devastating for the world.

I am thinking about Trump’s moves that will accelerate climate change which is already a danger to the planet, and his rhetoric and plans to demolish American science and the scientific establishment along with research on health care. Men like Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg and their ilk are smart enough to realize what Trump has done and is continuing to do but have been afraid of criticizing him or suggesting alternatives. They know that Trump has the power and are unwilling to speak truth to power.

Last year was the hottest year on Earth on record and each month appears to be hotter than the corresponding month the previous year. We have already bypassed the 1.5 degree C rise for the planet above pre-industrial levels that nations agreed at a past Paris Climate Conference would indicate danger for the planet. Many countries are not meeting their pledges of lessening their production of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of coal is continuing as a major fuel. Methane is continuing to escape from natural gas lines and production sites, the strongest global warming gas. Yet Trump has labeled global warming as a hoax and has refused to take measures to reduce climate change. He rejects scientific data that proves that global warming is real.

Trump has taken the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord and any leadership role in the fight against climate change. He wants to increase the use and dependence on fossil fuels and stop supporting renewable energy like wind and solar. He is cutting subsidies for EVs and charging stations and is not supporting the auto industries pivot to electric vehicles. He also wants to drill for oil and gas in the Alaska wilderness. Whether Trump’s stance on global warming is just political or whether he is just not smart enough to understand the validity of global warming and what it is doing to our planet is not clear. Surely, he must be aware of the unusual heat waves we are having along with the weird weather. But he is ignoring the weather changes, and his billionaire buddies are not speaking up and challenging him.

Scientific and medical research are also receiving short shrift from Trump and his administration. He appointed Robert Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic as Secretary of HHS with the NIH, FDA and CDC under his control. While Kennedy may have some good ideas about unhealthy foods, he has scant knowledge about medicine and health care and his bias against medications and vaccines could be deadly for the country, particularly if there is another pandemic like Covid, possibly Avian flu. However, Kennedy was approved by a Republican Congress also afraid of Trump, with not a word of dissent from Trump’s billionaire ensemble. And Trump is also cutting support money for scientific and medical research at American universities which is vitally needed.  At least Trump has made China happy!

In the past, many tech entrepreneurs have been activists in the fight against climate change. Now with Trump in charge, they have all gone silent on what is probably the biggest threat to human survival on the planet. Musk and Bezos want to put colonies on Mars to ensure human survival. Why don’t they open their mouths to convince Trump of the threat to survival that climate change presents on Earth and try to get him to do something about it.

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Trump's Disdain for Ordinary Americans

Trump’s Disdain for Ordinary Americans

                        Robert A. Levine   February 3, 2025

Within the first two weeks of President Trump’s 4 year term, his disdain for ordinary citizens and preference for billionaires and wealthy people is already evident. We can’t say that we didn’t know it was coming, as throughout his campaign he associated mainly with affluent contributors and tech gurus instead of ordinary citizens. But his messages castigated the liberal elites (his elites weren’t liberal) and promised to improve the lives of average citizens. These rants attracted less educated white men, some Blacks and Hispanics, religious extremists and those who were disgruntled with the state of American society. Trump constantly emphasized the two I’s – inflation and illegal immigration, which greatly appealed to the working classes.

But once attaining office, Trump’s early executive orders have hurt the middle classes and the poor, benefiting his billionaire buddies and corporations. His playbook is Project 2025 from the Heritage Foundation which he disowned during the campaign but is now following after the election. Another lie. He wants to continue or expand the tax cuts he gave the rich in his first term which did nothing for ordinary Americans. We can expect more of the same in the future.

And his obsession with tariffs will hurt ordinary Americans who will pay more for imported products and raise inflation further. Trump says the exporting countries will be paying for the tariffs but the rise in costs will be shifted to Americans. Trump also wants to cut health care benefits to poor people by slashing Medicaid. This will not only result in worse medical care but will also hurt the many nursing home residents who cannot afford to pay the costs of the nursing home. Trump has made an offer to 2 million federal workers to resign and receive a severance package that includes about eight months of pay and benefits. It remains to be seen how many federal workers will take this package and quit their jobs, but the offer is not dependent on a worker’s competency or performance. Trump just wants to cut federal spending so he can give out those tax cuts to his high earner friends. It may make the federal government even less efficient, but Trump doesn’t seem to care. He also wants to make the government bureaucracy more politically oriented and loyal to him, rather than neutral.

Trumps Office of Management and Budget under the president’s direction has frozen spending of as much as $3 trillion related to federal aid programs. This again would hit the poor and middle class the most. Head Start and food programs for the poor were frozen. (A temporary hold on this order came from a federal judge.) Spending is supposed to be under the purview of Congress, but Trump is trying to usurp its powers to make the presidency stronger. Among the programs that would be affected would be school meals for low-income students, a nutrition program for pregnant women, mine inspections, and programs for homeless veterans. And the Department of Education is supposed to be abolished along with aid to schools. Also, inspector generals in a number oof Departments were fired and top FBI officials have been told to resign. Should make the country safer! Foreign assistance for health and nutrition would also be gutted putting millions of poor Africans and Asians at risk of HIV, TB and malaria. And Trump has withdrawn America from the WHO- World Health Organization.

Once of Trump’s worse moves for Americans and the world at large is his total disbelief and disinterest in climate change which he has called a hoax. Trump took America out of the Paris Accord on Climate again and has been pushing for greater use of fossil fuels including coal. He has stopped spending for wind farms to generate electricity and taken away subsidies for electric vehicles. Without American leadership, global warming will continue unabated, causing more disasters in the U.S. and worldwide. These impact the poor and middle classes more than the wealthy. Various regulatory programs to cut pollution as well as emissions have also been halted by Trump who placed restrictions on the EPA to suck up to big business. Highway funding has been stopped. Health research and development has been stopped. Perhaps it would be easier if Trump gave America away to his billionaire friends. At least then, he wouldn’t have to put on a show for ordinary Americans who make up most of his base.

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Trump's War on Science and Scientific Expertise

The first Trump administration, from January 2017 to January 2021, was characterized by disregard of science and denigration of scientific expertise, discordant with past American policies. There was a significant departure from evidence-based policymaking, an inclination towards deregulation, and a strong alignment with industry interests. We can expect similar actions in his new administration, already manifest by withdrawal from the Paris Accord and the World Health Organization after Trump’s inauguration. He has also pushed for greater use of fossil fuels, withdrawn support for electric vehicles and banned windmills that produce electricity on federal lands. If Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tobert Kennedy Jr, is confirmed by the Senate, medical care and its scientific backings will take a major hit.

We are in a major battle with China for world leadership for our economy, science, and military, as well as the respect and admiration from other nations. By withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on Climate, we have lost our standing as a leader in meeting the challenge of climate change. The goal of keeping the world’s temperature to a maximum of 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels by reducing greenhouse gas emissions has already been bypassed. Trump’s decision to go all out in the production of fossil fuels by the U.S. completely ignores scientific data on climate change and shows a lack of caring about how the world is impacted. Or perhaps Trump and his government lackeys are not smart enough to understand the scientific basis of climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases.

Trump also intends to gut the EPA and roll back numerous environmental regulations because they are burdensome for some industries. He does not seem interested in the effects of pollution on workers in various plants or the American public in general. He is more concerned with making sure American industries are profitable and can compete with others globally. Trump proposes to loosen fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and power plant emissions. These actions are widely opposed by scientists and environmentalists, who argue that they will lead to increased pollution and enhance global warming.

In the first Trump administration, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic was marked by a series of missteps and a disregard for scientific advice. Despite early warnings from health experts, the administration downplayed the severity of the virus, leading to delays in implementing crucial mitigation measures. This was compounded by mixed messaging on mask usage and social distancing, undermining public trust in health guidelines. There were also many instances of interference with health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This included pressuring these agencies to approve untested treatments and altering guidelines to align with the administration's narrative. The administration's promotion of unverified treatments also contributed to public skepticism about the Covid-19 vaccines.

The first Trump administration proposed significant budget cuts to key scientific agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). While not all proposed cuts were enacted, the attempts signaled a lack of support for scientific research. Additionally, there were restrictions placed on research funding, especially in areas like climate science and public health. The administration also disbanded or reconstituted several scientific advisory committees, replacing expert members with industry representatives or political appointees. This move was seen as an effort to align advisory bodies with the administration's policy goals rather than relying on independent scientific advice.

We can anticipate similar actions in the current Trump Administration as were seen in the preceding one. A particularly dangerous action by Trump is the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr as the head of Health and Human Services. Kennedy denies the efficacy of vaccines and has promoted conspiracy theories about their dire effects, including the causation of autism, though this has been scientifically disproved. In general, he decries modern medicine and disputes various treatment modalities. If Kennedy is confirmed by the Senate, it will be an absolute disaster for medical care.

Thus, we can see that global warming will intensify unless Trump changes his policies supporting the fossil fuel industry. And America health care will be driven into the dark ages if Trump’s choice for HHS Secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr is confirmed.

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