Transcript

8.15.25 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the reading of The Washington Post for Friday,
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August fifteenth, twenty twenty five. As a reminder, RADIOI is
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a reading service intended for people who are blind or
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have other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
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Your reader for today is Roger Hamperian. Today's front page
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headlines from the Washington Post are as follows. Child vaccines
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will get review ahead of summit. Putin has his way,
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gop maps bet big on Latino vote, Federal efforts to
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last all day at d C hotspots, tent sites. Trump
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bends data to fit his agenda in risk to public trust,
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White House cutbacks put research labs on heels, imperil us
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status as scientific superpower. The first article from the front
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page of today's edition is titled HHS revives child vaccine
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safety panel sought by anti vaccine activists. Anti vaccine activists
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funded a May lawsuit to reconvene the defunct Task Force
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on Safer Childhood Vaccines and scrutinize the Childhood Immunization Schedule
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by Rachel Rubine and Lena Hson. The Department of Health
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and Human Services said Thursday it is reviving a long
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defunct task force aimed at improving the safety of childhood vaccines,
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fulfilling a demand of anti vaccine activists. The resurrection of
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the panel appears to be the first concrete step to
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achieve HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior's longtime goal of
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upending the current childhood immunization schedule, which recommends which shots
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children should receive and when. The task force will make
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recommendations focused on developing and refining childhood vaccines that result
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in fewer and less serious adverse reactions, improving the reporting
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of adverse reactions, and supporting research on vaccine safety. According
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to HHS, the first report will be sent to Congress
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within two years. By reinstating this task force, we are
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reaffirming our commitment to rigorous science, continuous improvement, and the
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trust of American families. Jay Bachichar, the head of the
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National Institutes of Health, who will lead a task force,
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said in a statement, nih is proud to lead this
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effort to advance vaccine safety and support innovation that protects
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children without compromise. Some vaccine and medical experts said they
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are concerned the task force will undermine trust in vaccines,
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even if the goal of improving vaccine safety is laudable.
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What I am concerned about is making sure that we
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don't overemphasize very small risks and under estimate the real
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risk of infectious diseases and cancers that these vaccines help prevent.
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On Zinc, Alaska's former chief medical officer. Congress mandated the
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creation of the task force in nineteen eighty six as
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part of legislation to address childhood vaccine safety. The Task
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Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines was disbanded in nineteen ninety
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eight and released a report that year recommending an expansion
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of research on vaccine safety and surveillance of injuries. Children's
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Health Defense, an anti vaccine group founded by Kennedy, funded
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a lawsuit filed by against Kennedy in May, seeking to
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compel him to reconvene the task Force and submit reports
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to Congress every two years. Dale Bigtree, head of the
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anti vaccine organization Informed Consent Action Network, said the return
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of the task Force has excited people in Kennedy's Make
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America Healthy Again movement. It's a great day for people
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who want safe vaccines and know that there are people
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that care in the government now finally looking at it.
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Said big Tree, the former communications director of Kennedy's presidential campaign.
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Walter Ornstein, a former member of the task Force, said
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reviving the panel isn't necessarily harmful and improvements can still
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be made to the country's really good vaccine safety monitoring system.
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But the revamped task Force could be a problem if
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HHS constitutes it with people who are extremely biased, who
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don't have accepted scientific credentials, who have conflicts of interest,
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said Ornstein, who led the US immunization program at the
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from nineteen ninet eighty
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eight to two thousand and four. For now, the task
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Forces membership is limited to officials from federal health agencies,
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including the NIH, CDC and Food and Drug Administration. According
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to HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon, the childhood immunization schedule includes
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more than a dozen routine immunizations, many required by states
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to attend public school, including measles, mumps and rubella, polio,
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and pertussis. Studies have found the cumulative effects of childhood
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immunization schedule to be safe. A White House Make America
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Health Again Commission, chaired by Kennedy, released a report in
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May that raised doubts about the immunization schedule, contending there
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has been limited scientific inquiry into the links between vaccine
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vaccines and chronic disease. In June, Kennedy ousted all members
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of a federal committee of independent vaccine advisors and replaced
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them with his own appointees, most of whom have criticized
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coronavirus vaccine policies. Weeks later, that committee announced plans to
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review the cumulative health effects of the entire childhood vaccination schedule.
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The new task force is another form Kennedy can populate
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with vaccine deniers, apparently to produce reports that fit his biases,
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said Dorrett Rice, a professor at the University of California
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College of Law at San Francisco, whose research focuses on
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vaccine law and policy. Vaccines undergo rigorous safety testing before
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they are licensed by the FDA and are continuously monitored
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for safety once they are in use. I am concerned
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that bringing this committee back implies to the public that
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we have not been looking at vaccine safety, said David Higgins,
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a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist at the University of
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Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The reality is we evaluate the
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safety of vaccines more than any other medication, medical intervention,
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or supplements available. While Kennedy said he supported the childhood
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immunization schedule during his Senate confirmation hearings, he has previously
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blasted the schedule as overburdened with too many shots and
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threatening to shorten lives and cause chronic disease. The may
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Laws aiming to re establish the task force, made similar
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claims that the schedule included too many vaccines and that
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the increase in vaccine dosage correlates with the rise of autism.
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Overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates no link between immunization and autism.
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Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, a physician who chairs
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the Senate's Health Committee, publicly grappled with whether to support
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Kennedy's nomination. He ultimately voted in favor of Kennedy after
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securing commitments that Kennedy would protect federal vaccine oversight that
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included a pledge that whoever chairs the Health Committee would
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get to choose a representative on any board or commission
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formed to review vaccine safety. A spokesman of FORR Cassidy
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did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The
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next article from the front page of today's edition is
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titled Even before Alaska's Summit, Putin is redrawing Global or Order.
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To his liking, the Alaska summit between President Donald Trump
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and Russian President Vladimir Putin represents a return to great
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power politics in which big countries call the shots. By
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Robin Dixon, Francesca Ebel and Catherine Belton Even before talks began.
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President Vladimir Putin's meeting with President Donald Trump at a U.
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S Military base in Alaska on Friday is advancing the
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Russian's goal of redrawing the global security order as the
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two men revive a great power system in which a
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few big countries call the shots. Putin set the scene
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last week after meeting Trump's envoy Steve Whitkoff, when he
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ruled out meeting Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky until certain conditions
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were met, conditions that he said remained far off. Trump
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agreed and dismissed the idea of Zelensky's attendants, even as
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the future of his nation and its forty million citizens
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hangs in the balance. Zelensky had been in many meetings
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in three and a half years since the start of
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Russia's invasion, Trump said, Monday, and nothing happened. I mean,
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do you want somebody that's been doing this for three
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and a half years? A tete a Tete's summit on
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US soil was not Putin's only important win. He also diverted,
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for now Trump's threat of tough economic sanctions against Russian
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oil and deflected Trump's calls for a cease fire. On Monday,
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Trump was back to blaming Zelensky for the war, echoing Putin,
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although Trump seemed more conciliatory in a video conference with
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Zelensky and European leaders Wednesday. The optics of the Alaska
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meeting reinforced Putin's long held goal of rebuilding Russia as
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one of a handful of major global powers with rightful
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spheres of influence, and it delivers on his short term
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tactical objective of a one on one meeting to woo
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and manipulate Trump. A former senior Kremlin official, speaking on
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the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy, called the
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Alaska summit a golden opportunity for Putin, adding and of course,
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a visit to the US is a massive victory. Another
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person with close ties to the Kremlin and who also
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spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the summit, which
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is set to begin at eleven thirty a m. Friday
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in Anchorage, was a real chance to put an end
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to this, and that the meeting had been designed to
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sue the Russian elites, for whom this war is a
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disgrace and want everything to get back to normal. Former
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senior Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev, who resigned over the twenty
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twenty two invasion of Ukraine, said Putin had offered so
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little that it was difficult to see why Trump agreed
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to meet. He said it appeared to be a Kremlin
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ploy to divert Trump from sanctions, just as Putin diverted
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Trump's call for a ceasefire in May by proposing peace
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talks an isanbul that delivered nothing. While Trump up has
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lately criticized Putin's attacks on Ukrainian cities, he has not
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imposed sanctions or any other pressure on Russia beyond rhetoric.
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Trump told reporters on Wednesday that there would be very
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severe consequences if Putin continued the war. After the Alaska meeting,
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although he has made similar threats before without following through.
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It's a bad idea for Trump to host this meeting,
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vandrovf said, questioning the purpose and benefit. First he said,
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I want to meet with Vladimir and we will make
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a deal somehow. But then he added, Trump and Secretary
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of State Marco Rubio said the meeting was to find
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out what Putin wants when it's totally visible what the
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other side wants. Putin has long made clear that he
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is demanding that Ukraine's surrender for resource rich regions and
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recognize Russia's twenty fourteen illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea.
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Putin also wants Ukraine barred from NATO membership and its
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military constraint to the point that it would have little use.
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Rubio said Tuesday that meeting Putin was not a concession,
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but a feel out meeting. A meeting is what you
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do to kind of figure out and make your decision,
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Rubio contended, adding an echo of Trump's assertion that the
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chances of success would be clear early on meetings between
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US and Russian presidents. Leaders of the nations with the
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world's largest nuclear arsenals are normally exquisitely choreographed, highly negotiated
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events in which concrete deliverables are agreed upon well in
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advance and nothing is left to chance. Putin's attack on
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Zelensky's legitimacy as recently as August first, and its depictions
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of Ukraine as a corrupt and artificial state firmly placed
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the Ukrainian on a lower plane, worthy of a meeting
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only when he accepts Russia's terms. Putin would like to
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present it to Trump like this, that with you, Donald,
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we know how things are done, and all these people
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from Europe and this Zelensky boy, this nasty boy, shouldn't
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be involved. Bondreff said. They don't know what to do,
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they don't know what they want. We know what we want,
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so let's agree. Maybe Trump can be flattered like this. Trump,
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perhaps unwittingly reinforces the narrative. At a news conference Monday,
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he seemed to portray two tough men working out a
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deal together, dismissing Zelensky's input and claiming that European leaders
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very much rely on me. If it wasn't for me,
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this thing would never get solved until the last person
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breathing is dead. Trump expressed strong dissatisfaction with Zelensky, whom
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he seemed to blame for the fighting. I get along
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with Zelensky, but I disagree with what he's done, very
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very severely disagree. This is a war that should have
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never happened, he said. He complained about Zelensky citing the
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barriers in Ukraine's constitution to changing borders. He's got approval
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to go into war, kill everybody, but he needs approval
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to do a land swap, Trump said. Trump, however, did
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not mention that Russia quickly wrote the invaded and illegally
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annexed Ukrainian regions into its constitution in a bid to
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prevent their return. Boasting that Putin told him how tough
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he was, Trump called Russia tough too, and he described
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Putin's invasion as a reflection of the Russian character. It's
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a warring nation, Trump said, that's what they do. They
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fight a lot of wars. Zelensky, he warned, had to
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accept some land swapping that would be for the good
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of Ukraine, but also some bad stuff for both. Roderick Keyswetter,
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a member of the German Parliament from Chancellor Fredrich Mersey's center,
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right Christian Democratic Union said the exclusion of Europe and
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Ukraine from the meeting in Alaska meant the end of
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the West in the sense of a collective alliance of
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the United States, European Union Nation and NATO allies the West.
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As an emotional or ethical term, It's over. Keiswetter said,
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that's my main concern. His other fear, he added, is
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the fate of Ukrainians. Putin has other opportunities in Alaska,
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with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ribakov stating Tuesday that
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a key Moscow objective is to normalize relations with the US,
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a reference to the Kremlin's goal of ending sanctions, restoring
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direct flights, and enabling US Russian business deals. Russia also
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wants to deflect blame onto Ukraine for Trump's failure so
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far to end the war, according to analysts, in the
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hope that the Trump administration could halt intelligence support Ukraine,
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just as it has slowed weapons deliveries. With recent Russian
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battlefield advances, Putin is confident that victory is within reach,
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according to Russian analysts, and he is disinclined to compromise
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despite huge Russian casualties. The Center for Strategic and International
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Studies estimates that the number of Russians killed or wounded
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will reach one million over the summer. But the former
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senior Kremlin official said that Putin no longer cares about
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the human cost of the war, calling him very thick skinned.
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He is like a turtle. The former official said this
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does not touch him anymore. War fatigue appears to be
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setting in on all sides. The official said. Most people
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within the Kremlin oppose the war, but are afraid to
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tell Putin. Everyone is scared of Putin. People do not
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want to talk about compromising because they all need to
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show that they are patriots, he said. As for the summit,
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the former official said, I have low expectations. They will
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either have to give an ultimatum to Ukraine or walk
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away with very little achieved. The next article from the
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front page of today's edition is titled the GOP is
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betting Latino Trump voters will keep them in power. That's
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no sure thing. The congressional maps Republicans are drawing to
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boost their chances of keeping control of Congress depend on
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to varying degrees preserving their gains with Hispanic voters. By
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Sabrina Rodriguez. As Texas Republicans draw new congressional maps intended
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to boost their party's chances of keeping control of the
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US House next year. They're betting on Latino voters like
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Zana Quaar. Quaar, a forty eight year old middle school
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science teacher who was raised as a Democrat, broke with
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her family and voted last year for President Donald Trump.
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But that does not make her a Republican, she said,
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noting that she voted for Democrats in other races and
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may do so again next year. Am I going to
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say it's just Republicans from now on, no, Quaar said
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on Sunday evening at her partner's ranch near the US
17:56
southern border. I'm not going to be a shut door.
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I'm going to be open to both sides. Political leaders
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in Washington and Austin have assumed that the five newly
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drawn congressional districts, which Trump would have won by at
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least ten percentage points in last year's election, will be
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safe Republican seats if the Texas legislature approves them. The
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battle over altering the maps in Texas has escalated into
18:21
a broader national fight, with Texas Democratic lawmakers leaving the
18:25
state to delay a vote, and governors in blue states
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threatening to retaliate by redrawing their own maps. But the
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new maps in Texas, to varying degrees, depend on Republicans
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keeping voters like Kwayar and expanding on Trump's historic inroads
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among Latinos. In South Texas and across the country, three
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of the five newly drawn Republican districts will have a
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higher percentage of Hispanic voters. Nowhere is the GOP's bet
18:53
more on display than in the twenty eighth Congressional District,
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a border area currently represented by Representatives Henry Quaar, Democrat,
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who is not related to Azina Quaar. Under the new maps,
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nearly ninety percent of the twenty eighth district's voting age
19:09
population would be Hispanic, a significant increase from the seventy
19:13
two percent under the previous maps. Part of the change
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comes from Republicans having redrawn the district to include part
19:21
of Hidalgo County, which Trump flipped in twenty twenty four,
19:25
a first for a GOP presidential nominee in more than
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fifty years. But that same county, home to Mission, also
19:33
voted for the Democratic US House and Senate candidates, as
19:36
well as other Democrats down the ballot. It's clear that
19:40
Republicans have created an opening along the border, once a
19:44
Democratic stronghold that has shifted rightward in recent election cycles,
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but that doesn't mean they've locked down a new generation
19:52
of GOP voters. According to conversations with more than two
19:55
dozen Latino voters, elected officials, and strategists, many here expressed
20:01
disappointment in Trump's mass deportation policy, saying they thought he
20:05
was going to focus only on criminals, not hard working
20:09
undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for years.
20:13
Others said they didn't feel he was focusing enough on
20:16
bringing the cost of living down. Most had not made
20:19
up their minds about twenty twenty six, expressing a range
20:23
of openness to backing Republicans. Zena Quayar disagrees with Trump's
20:28
immigration enforcement policies. She's seen the fallout firsthand. Several of
20:34
her student's parents have been deported. Some stopped showing up
20:37
for class at the end of the last school year
20:40
because they were scared. One student at her school, she said,
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died by suicide after her parents were deported to Mexico.
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But she doesn't regret voting for Trump and remains open
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minded about next year's elections. She said. Quaar's partner Rick Salinas,
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also supported Trump last year, but believes the president is
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squandering that support. It was a question of trying something else,
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trying something new. Selena's fifty nine set on Sunday afternoon
21:08
as he eight menudo, a traditional Mexican soup at a
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Mexican restaurant here after going to Mass with his daughter.
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Selenas was frustrated with Democrats because he felt they had
21:19
moved too far to the left, focusing on social issues
21:23
such as trans rights and abortion at the expense of
21:26
jobs and the economy. Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley
21:30
tend to be more socially conservative and focused on getting
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ahead to support their families. He said. We voted for
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him because we want prosperity, said Selenas, a defense attorney
21:41
who is running in the nonpartisan race for mayor of Mission,
21:44
a town of roughly eighty eight thousand, But he's angry
21:48
about how Trump has cracked down so dramatically on immigration.
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He jokes that people in the Rio Grande Valley would
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be the first to help Trump round up and deport criminals,
21:58
but to deport people who are working hard and have
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been in the United States for many years, that's wrong,
22:04
he said. Some residents would be more open to accepting
22:08
the deportation tactics if they were boosting the economy, he said,
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but it's not. It's not helping anybody. The price of
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construction just went up, and I don't see a bunch
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of US citizens lining up to take those jobs, Selena said.
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And while he's not closed off to voting for Republicans
22:26
in the future, he feels that a lot of people
22:29
in South Texas who put their trust in Trump may
22:32
just go back to what they had before. You're counting
22:35
on a Mexican American to vote Republican again, That's a
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crazy bet, bro Selena said, because down here, what makes
22:43
a difference is dollars and cents. Matt Brownfield, a long
22:48
time Texas based GOP strategist and founder of the firm
22:52
Pelican Campaigns, argued that Republicans aren't banking solely on Trump's
22:57
twenty twenty four gains here or even other electoral trends
23:01
in their favor. The bet is that South Texas is
23:04
in play, Brownfield said, Republicans have been able to capitalize
23:09
on an opening after years of neglect from state and
23:12
national Democrats who assumed Latinos here would always vote for them.
23:15
He said. They also benefited as Democrats began criticizing law enforcement,
23:21
he said, noting that many Hispanics here see US border
23:24
patrol jobs as tickets to economic advancement. Carlos Odio, co
23:29
founder of Equous Research, a democratic Latino research and polling firm,
23:34
said Republicans are taking a big gamble with the twenty
23:37
eighth Congressional district. Representative Kwayar won his seat by a
23:41
comfortable margin, out performing Trump by thirteen percentage points in
23:45
the twenty twenty four election, but Democrats should not expect
23:49
Latino voters who backed Trump to return to the fold overnight,
23:53
even if many disapprove of Trump's mass deportation policy. Said,
23:57
some part of the Democratic vote is probably gone for
24:00
the foreseeable future, even with everything that's happening, Odeo said,
24:05
But then another big portion of it, and I don't
24:08
know the exact mix quite yet, is and will be
24:11
a persuadable voter. On Monday after noon, Representative Quaar was
24:16
already operating as if the redrawn maps were locked in
24:20
as he mingled in a room of roughly fifty Hidalgo
24:22
County elected officials at La Fugata restaurant. Quaar, an eleven
24:27
term congressman from Laredo and one of Texas's longest serving
24:31
Democrats in Congress, told attendees it was a reunion, noting
24:36
that he represented part of the county just a few
24:39
years ago before twenty twenty two changes were enacted. In
24:43
an interview, Quaar, who won re election last year despite
24:47
a federal indictment accusing thecumbent of bribery and money laundering,
24:51
expressed confidence that he would withstand any changes, pointing to
24:54
ticket splitters. Hispanics are conservative by nature, but that doesn't
24:59
mean automatically they're going to vote Republican, Quayar said. He
25:04
pulled in Everardo ever Villa Reale, a Hidalgo County commissioner
25:09
and a Democrat, as he continued to talk about how
25:12
national Democrats didn't understand the values of South Texas Democrats.
25:16
That's what allowed Trump to triumph in the valley last year.
25:20
They said, I would worry if you were running against Trump.
25:24
Billarreale said, but oh yeah, we know the difference. On
25:28
Sunday afternoons, Selinus and his partner Zena talked about politics
25:33
with Royal Benavides, who manages Salina's ranch, which has been
25:37
in the family for more than one hundred years and
25:39
is roughly thirty minutes west of Mission in neighboring Starr County.
25:43
They recalled how almost everyone here used to vote Democratic reflexively,
25:48
but said people have grown more politically diverse. Benavides, fifty two,
25:52
has been living in the US for about twenty years
25:55
and had never voted for president until he cast his
25:58
ballot for Trump in twenty twenty five. Before Benavides had
26:02
voted only in local races because he didn't feel he
26:05
knew enough about national politics to make a decision on
26:08
who should run the country. Typically, he voted for Democrats,
26:12
though not exclusively, he said, pointing out that he remembered
26:15
voting for Republican Rick Perry as governor of Texas. Trump
26:20
had convinced him with his brash style. Seven months into
26:24
Trump's second term, Benavides said he was largely pleased. He
26:28
felt for the families being affected by Trump's immigration crackdown,
26:32
but he thought many of Trump's policies particularly tariffs would
26:36
help cattle ranchers like him. Nothing bad is happening to me,
26:40
Benavite said. The truth is I think AS agenda will
26:44
be good for us economically in the long run. Ten
26:48
goo fey, he added, I have faith. Benavide said he
26:52
hasn't given much thought to how he'll vote in the midterms,
26:55
given that the election is more than a year away.
26:58
His vote will depend, in part, he said, on how
27:00
the economy is doing. Vamos avert, he said, we'll see.
27:06
The next article from the front page of today's edition
27:09
is titled crime Hotspots, targeted encampments cleared as FEDS expand
27:15
d C push. President Donald Trump promised to have the
27:18
crime situation solved in d C very soon, as White
27:22
House and Pentagon officials provided new details about the increased
27:26
presence in the Capitol by Paul Keefer, Kyle Swinson, Alex Wharton,
27:32
Tera Copp, and Michael Laris. President Donald Trump on Thursday
27:37
promised to have the crime situation solved in DC very soon,
27:42
as Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an order seeking to
27:45
strip senior police officials of their remaining power. Bondi directed
27:50
d C Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, Democrat, and the police
27:53
department to submit a new governing structure with Terry Cole,
27:57
a Trump appointee as emergency police Commissioner. Bondi said Cole,
28:02
who serves as the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration,
28:06
saw soon all the powers and duties vested in the
28:10
District of Columbia chief of Police. Earlier in the day,
28:14
White House and Pentagon officials provided some new details about
28:17
the increased presidents of federal law enforcement and National Guard
28:21
troops in the Capitol after Trump declared an emergency in
28:24
DC earlier this week and put the city's police department
28:28
under federal control. A White House official said federal operations
28:33
will run twenty four hours a day rather than focus
28:36
on night time hours, and will target high crime areas
28:39
and known hotspots. There were also signs of stepped up
28:43
efforts to address the tents and other visible signs of
28:46
homelessness that have long seized Trump's attention, but on what
28:50
was the first full day of National Guard operations in
28:53
the district, Trump also continued to face questions on the
28:57
practical impact of his extraordinary use use of federal power.
29:02
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he defended his
29:05
assertion that National Guard troops can make a meaningful difference
29:09
despite their lack of training in local police work. National
29:13
Guard troops are trained in common sense, and they're very
29:16
tough people, Trump said. He later added they're trained in
29:20
not allowing people to burn down buildings and bomb buildings
29:23
and shoot people and all the things. DC police data
29:27
shows violent crime after a historic spike in twenty twenty three,
29:31
is declining Bondi's order Thursday without evidence, cited apparent efforts
29:36
by some district employees to manipulate crime statistics. The eight
29:41
hundred National Guard members mobilized to protect d C are
29:45
not armed and will not be conducting law enforcement activities.
29:49
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters Thursday that is
29:54
the case, even though under Federal Title thirty two orders,
29:57
which is the authority Trump used to active them, they
30:01
could conduct law enforcement if asked. They will not be
30:04
arresting people, Wilson said. On homelessness, district officials were bracing
30:10
for the potential on Thursday night for the federal government
30:13
to expand efforts to clear homeless encampments. Federal agents wearing
30:18
FBI US Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations
30:23
vests gathered Thursday night at Washington Circle, where an equestrian
30:27
statue of George Washington a sword in his right hand,
30:31
stands on a pedestal. They drove from the circle about
30:34
nine pm without evicting several homeless individuals with tents there.
30:39
Megan Abraham, thirty seven, who has lived in a furnished
30:43
tent near Washington Circle Park, said she and her boyfriend
30:47
planned to pack and move their tent to a new
30:49
location in DC this weekend, as long as federal agents
30:53
don't evict them before then, but she said she's unhappy
30:57
with other options presented by the Trump administration for unhoused
31:00
people in the city. City officials spent the day continuing
31:04
to press people living outside to swiftly enter shelters so
31:08
they could avoid being caught up in federal clean up campaigns.
31:12
The Trump administration has threatened to find or arrest any
31:15
individuals who refused to be removed or placed in shelters.
31:20
Local advocacy groups asked city officials to prepare for a
31:24
possible increase in those seeking shelter, including those who have
31:28
long objected to the strictures that can come with the
31:30
services provided in such places. The National Park Service has
31:35
regularly cleared homeless encampments on federal land in the district
31:39
in past years. Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary
31:44
Carolyn Levitt told reporters that seventy homeless encampments had been
31:48
removed by the U. S. Park Police since March. In
31:51
the same briefing, Levitt said only two encampments remained in
31:54
National Park Service jurisdiction in DC. The removal of those
31:59
two remained in camps is scheduled for this week. Levitt said.
32:03
Members of d c's Health and Human Services team began
32:07
clearing an encampment Thursday morning on a grassy no man's
32:10
land near the Kennedy Center after giving residents a day's
32:13
notice to remove their belongings. By eight a m. Three
32:17
people had already packed their belongings and scattered. Six more
32:21
were busy wiping down their tents and folding tarps to
32:24
meet at ten a m. Deadline set by the district.
32:28
Several residents said they had been at the encampment for months.
32:32
The district usually posts notices for clearing fourteen days in advance,
32:37
and the site had not been on the district's list
32:39
for clearings. Rebecca Dooley, a spokesperson for the Deputy Mayor
32:43
for Health and Human Services, said the encampment's proximity to
32:46
the highway qualified it for expedited removal, which requires only
32:51
twenty four hours notice. Duly said the decision to clear
32:55
the site was made Wednesday by the city's Health and
32:57
Human Services agency. When asked if the White House was
33:01
involved in the decision, she referred questions to the Mayor's
33:05
communications team. A White House official said on background that
33:10
they were unable to confirm specific locations or details on
33:13
operational efforts and the interest of the safety and security
33:17
of all involved. About half a dozen outreach workers from
33:21
nonprofits helped residents pack up. Duly said they made effort
33:26
offers of shelter to the people who were leaving the encampment,
33:30
but she was unsure if anyone had taken them up
33:32
on it. Were following our own protocol, she said, noting
33:37
that there are no plans to arrest people who turned
33:39
down shelter referrals. She said it was the only clean
33:42
up scheduled for Thursday. William Wilson, sixty six, dragged his
33:47
card of clothes and camping gear up the hill. I'd
33:51
like to invite the President to spend some time here
33:53
in a tent with us. He said, We're nice people,
33:56
We're a family here. We get along. The council member
34:01
Brian K. Nadeaux, Democrat ward I, said she was deeply
34:05
concerned about federal encampment clearings. When this kind of dramatic
34:09
action is taken, it erodes the trust we have built
34:12
with folks living outside and diminishes our ability to bring
34:15
them into permanent housing and get them stabilized. She said.
34:20
The National Park Service and Park Police did not immediately
34:23
respond to requests for comment. The clearings come as the
34:27
presence of federal law enforcement has become more visible in
34:30
portions of the district. The actions have sparked mixed reactions
34:34
among residents, with some outraged by Trump's decision and some
34:38
offering varying levels of support. In Northwest Washington, a checkpoint
34:43
with local and federal law enforcement officers on Wednesday evening
34:47
drew protesters and other onlookers who shouted at the officers.
34:51
On Thursday, a group of seventeen former elected officials from
34:55
the district circulated a joint statement, warning that Trump's strong
34:59
mantac were dangerous for the city and the nation. There
35:03
is no emergency that warrants this action, they wrote, adding
35:07
that the President and Congress can further cut crime by
35:10
appointing judges to fill critical vacancies. After Trump declared the
35:15
emergency earlier this week, Bowser decried the president's actions as
35:19
an authoritarian push, while also seeking to work constructively with
35:23
federal authorities. While acknowledging the president's power over the city,
35:28
She and other top officials at times framed the federal
35:31
involvement as a sort of partnership, raising the prospect of
35:35
federal agents helpfully addressing holes that needed filling. Bondi's order, however,
35:41
made clear the Trump administration's view of whose boss. It
35:44
says the city's police leadership must receive approval from Commissioner
35:48
Coal before issuing any further directives to the department. Bowser
35:53
pushed back late Thursday, saying on social media there is
35:57
no statute that conveys the district's personality authority to a
36:00
federal official. DC Attorney General Brian Swab advised her that
36:05
the Bondi order is unlawful and that you are not
36:08
legally obligated to follow it. Bowser said she was out
36:12
of the district Thursday to pick up her daughter from camp,
36:15
but had remained in constant contact with key officials. The
36:19
federal presence has been aggressive at times, including with immigration enforcement.
36:25
The National Guard, meanwhile, has had a somewhat relaxed posture.
36:29
Their initial mission is to provide a visible presence and
36:32
key public areas, serving as a visible crime deterrent, The
36:36
Army said on social media. While they will not conduct arrests,
36:42
they have the authority to temporarily detain individuals to prevent
36:46
imminent harm, ensuring that custody is promptly transferred to law
36:49
enforcement authorities. The Pentagon's Wilson said the troops will also
36:54
carry out area of beautification without offering elaboration. Of beautification
37:01
is military parlance for trash collection, landscaping, and other tidying
37:05
up on military installations. Though they are not armed, the
37:10
troops are wearing body armor. Some have been seen around
37:13
the city wearing soft caps instead of helmets as they
37:16
take selfies with passers by. Weapons are stored miles away
37:21
at their armory, ready if needed, the Army said. On Wednesday,
37:25
Trump said the administration intends to ask for an extension
37:29
of the emergency declaration beyond thirty days. Such a move
37:33
would require congressional approval. At the same time, some federal
37:37
officials indicated that they continue to operate on a timeframe
37:41
of about a month. National Guard troops are on orders
37:45
lasting for thirty days, a defense official told reporters on
37:48
the condition of anonymity to provide details that have not
37:52
yet been discussed publicly. The next article from the front
37:57
page of today's edition is titled Trump's answer to numbers.
38:01
He doesn't like, change them or throw them away. From
38:06
DC crime rates to census collection to labor statistics, the
38:10
administration has suppressed inconvenient data and conjured inaccurate statistics to
38:15
bolster policy objectives. By Kat Zakruski, David Oval, Scott Dance,
38:21
and Laura Meckler. President Donald Trump presented inaccurate crime statistics
38:26
to justify a federal takeover of DC police. He announced
38:30
plans for the Census to stop counting undocumented immigrants, and
38:34
he ordered the firing of the official in charge of
38:37
compiling based statistics about the US economy After a week
38:41
jobs report this month marked an escalation in Trump's war
38:45
on data as he repeatedly tries to undermine statistics that
38:49
threaten his agenda and distorts figures to bolster's policies. Latest
38:54
instances come on top of actions the administration has taken
38:58
across federal health, climate, and education agencies to erase or
39:02
overhaul data collection to align with the administration's agenda and worldview.
39:08
The president's manipulation of government data threatens to erode public
39:12
trust in facts that leaders of both parties have long
39:15
relied on to guide policy decisions. A breakdown in official
39:19
government statistics could also create economic instability, restrain life saving
39:24
health care, and limit forecasts of natural disasters. Trump has
39:29
routinely spread misinformation since the start of his political career,
39:33
but his efforts in his second term to bend data
39:36
to support his agenda have invited comparisons to information control
39:40
in autocratic countries. What he's trying to do is to
39:43
present the best possible picture of what he's doing, even
39:47
if that means he has to cook the numbers, even
39:50
if that means he has to distort the data, said
39:52
Robert Kropp, a political science professor at Saint Louis University.
39:57
It's basically a page from the authoritarian playbook. Trump has
40:01
also tried to use his social media megaphone to influence
40:04
data produced by private companies. On Monday, he called for
40:08
Goldman Sachs to replace a veteran economist who produced reports
40:12
that warned that tariffs could cause inflation, but he may
40:15
find himself in a game of whack a mole. On Thursday,
40:18
a benchmark that measures the prices of producers get for
40:22
goods and services showed hotter than expected inflation, partly because
40:26
of tariffs. Trump has not commented yet on the report.
40:31
Other countries have demonstrated the risk of undermining statistics, which
40:35
can erode citizens trust in their government and nations standing
40:38
in the international community. China has been widely accused of
40:42
inflating economic figures, prompting other countries to seek alternative data
40:47
sources for a more trustworthy picture of the nation's financial situation.
40:52
In Greece, the government produced false deficit numbers for years,
40:56
and the government repeatedly sought to criminally prosecute the status
41:00
Titian who produced accurate budget figures. Argentina manipulated economic statistics
41:06
for years to minimize the extent of inflation even as
41:09
consumers paid for significantly more expensive groceries and goods. The
41:14
false deficit numbers in Greece contributed to the country's debt crisis.
41:18
The cook numbers in Argentina made it more difficult for
41:21
the government to enact policies that could limit inflation, and
41:25
citizens lost faith in the ability to trust the government
41:28
data to inform major purchases. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers
41:34
said that the President's actions are intended to restore Americans
41:37
trust in data so they can make their own decisions.
41:41
President Trump is preserving, not eroding democracy, by ensuring that
41:45
the American people can rely on government data that actually
41:49
reflects reality, Rogers said in a statement. Government statistics have
41:54
traditionally been considered more reliable and comprehensive than those collected
41:58
by private sector companies motivated by profits, said Paul Schroeder,
42:02
the executive director of the Council of Professional Associations on
42:06
Federal Statistics, the data is needed to provide an accurate
42:10
picture of what is happening. Without it, governments, corporations, and
42:14
individuals lack information that can inform decisions about everything from
42:18
mortgage rates to weight loss. It's almost like an airline
42:22
pilot losing his instrument panel when driving the plane, Schroeder
42:25
said of the erosion. Trump's decision to fire Bureau of
42:29
Labor Statistics Commissioner Erica Macintarfer was widely condemned by statisticians
42:35
and economists, who warned that the move could have a
42:38
chilling effect on the work of federal number crunchers who
42:40
produce reports the president doesn't like. Trump claimed without evidence
42:46
that the nation's job statistics were rigged following a revision
42:49
to the May and June job figures that showed the
42:52
labor market was weaker than previously known. Revisions to job
42:56
reports are common that many economists have acknowledged. The falling
43:00
response rates to government surveys and long standing budget strains
43:04
have made it harder for economic agencies to collect and
43:07
analyze reliable data. President Trump believes that businesses and households
43:12
and policy makers deserve accurate data to inform their decision making,
43:17
and he will restore America's trust in the BLS. Rogers
43:20
said Trump's attempts to change how the government collects data
43:24
have invited backlash, especially his proposal to overhaul the census
43:29
amid a fight over redistricting. Civil liberties groups have said
43:33
they would challenge any attempt to change the census, warning
43:36
that the president's proposal to eliminate undocumented immigrants from the
43:40
count could erode to political power and financial resources of
43:44
diverse communities. The census is used not only to determine
43:48
congressional seats, but also to distribute federal funding and decide
43:53
where to build schools. Trump justified his decision to deploy
43:57
federal law enforcement and the National Guard on DC streets
44:01
with claims that crime is surging in Washington, but violent
44:05
crime in d C has been on the decline since
44:08
twenty twenty three. The White House has cast doubt on
44:11
the accuracy of local statistics, citing a July NBC News
44:15
report that said that the district suspended a police commander
44:19
accused of manipulating crime numbers in his district. Rogers added
44:24
that the data doesn't change the on the ground reality
44:26
that many DC residents and visitors have experienced on our streets.
44:31
In other instances, the administration has halted the collection of
44:34
data that advocates and experts warrant is essential for americans
44:38
well being and safety. At the Centers for Disease control
44:42
and prevention. Scientists are now forbidden to collect gender data
44:46
on any programs that includes abortion data and information for
44:50
sexually transmitted disease prevention, violence prevention, and mental health programs.
44:55
Lack of data could undermine efforts to prevent the spread
44:58
of STDs and und prevent school shootings and suicides. Federal
45:03
collection of abortion data stopped on April one, following widespread
45:07
layoffs across the Department of Health and Human Services. Most
45:11
states put out their own abortion data, but no other
45:14
federal agency collects abortion data. According to a former CDC
45:18
employee familiar with those programs, the government uses the data
45:22
to predict birth rates, a crucial statistic the governments and
45:26
businesses used to make decisions about the health system, education,
45:30
and the economy. CDC staff members are also no longer
45:34
collecting concussion data for the creation of a concussion surveillance system,
45:39
which has had strong bipartisan congressional support. The agency is
45:43
also no longer analyzing data to prevent drowning, the leading
45:48
cause of death and children aged one to four, because
45:51
all of those staff members were laid off. Researchers have
45:55
warned about the diminishing of data programs that are key
45:58
to understanding the ever of involving drug crisis in the
46:01
United States and to building the best prevention and treatment programs.
46:06
In June, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
46:10
stopped updating the Drug Abuse Warning Network, a nationwide surveillance
46:14
system of drug use trends and insights drawn from emergency
46:18
department visits. The loss of that data will make it
46:22
more difficult for researchers such as Daniel Cicarone, a professor
46:26
at the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine,
46:29
to track street drugs and overdoses. Cicarne studies trends in
46:34
the fentanyl supply, which kills tens of thousands of Americans
46:37
each year, as well as new synthetic drugs seeping into
46:41
regional supplies. We need surveillance data at a historic time
46:45
of an undulating drug supply. We don't know what's going
46:49
to happen next, sicar Own said. Public health advocates have
46:53
raised concerns about the future of the National Youth Tobacco Survey,
46:57
an annual report that measures how young people are using
47:00
nicotine products. The report helped alert the country to the
47:04
epidemic of teen vaping and led to stricter controls on
47:07
the industry. The program has long been run through the
47:10
Food and Drug Administration and the CDC's Office on Smoking
47:14
and Health, which was shut down in the spring. An
47:18
HHS spokesperson did not respond when asked about the future
47:22
of the survey, saying only that the CDC remains deeply
47:25
committed to tobacco prevention and control and continues to support this
47:30
critical public health priority through a range of efforts, including outreach, education,
47:35
and surveillance. The Trump administration has also discontinued dunzens of
47:40
climate databases and government funded studies, including efforts to quantify
47:45
the damage caused by natural disasters and to understand how
47:49
the heaviest rainfall will intensify as the planet warms. Officials
47:53
have removed key climate data and reports from the internet.
47:57
The administration took down the website of the U S
47:59
Global Change Research Program, which shared congressionally mandated reports about
48:04
climate change impacts across the country, and it deleted climate
48:08
dot gov, a repository for research and forecasts, though it
48:12
said such information would continue to be posted on a
48:15
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. Trump's budget proposal for
48:20
NOAA would eliminate nearly all of the agency's labs focused
48:25
on climate, weather, and oceans institutions whose studies are key
48:29
to weather and climate forecasting and improving our understanding of
48:32
everything from summer thunderstorms to the al Nino climate pattern.
48:37
Businesses rely on this data to inform plans for tourism, fisheries,
48:41
and shipping. The changes reflect the administration's commitment to eliminating
48:46
bias and producing gold standard science research driven by verifiable data,
48:51
Rogers said in a statement. As the Trump administration attempts
48:55
to shutter the Education Department, its ability to publish accurate
48:59
and timely DAYTA was thrown into question after deep cuts
49:02
to the department's staff. Virtually the entire staff of the
49:06
National Center for Education Statistics was laid off, and while
49:09
much of the work is done by contractors, researchers worry
49:13
that there were no longer enough government workers to check
49:15
and disseminate collected data. The center's work is critical to researchers, policymakers,
49:21
and journalists, with a wide range of data, including the
49:24
demographics of students and schools courses offered crime on campuses
49:29
and school spending. Already, the Education Department missed its June
49:33
deadline to publish the annual Condition of Education Report, the
49:37
authoritative source for education data from preschool through university. The
49:42
agency has continued to publish some data tables, but far
49:45
fewer than in past years. The Trump administration has also
49:49
called for more information about the consideration of applicants race
49:52
and college admissions. Greater transparency is essential to exposing unlawful
49:57
practices and ultimately ridding societiety of shameful, dangerous racial hierarchies,
50:03
Trump said in a memorandum issued last week as he
50:06
ordered the Education Department to begin collecting detailed data from
50:10
all colleges that receive federal financial aid that includes grades
50:14
and test scores for both applicants and students, broken down
50:17
by race. The White House has argued that a lack
50:21
of data has hindered enforcement of a twenty twenty three
50:23
Supreme Court ruling that the use of race conscious admissions
50:27
is unconstitutional, but a higher education leader argued that the
50:32
information requested won't provide good data. Applicants don't disclose their race,
50:37
while colleges do survey students who enroll participation is voluntary,
50:42
and even those who respond may choose not to disclose
50:45
their race. They're going to gather a bunch of information
50:48
and try to make sense of it, said Ted Mitchell,
50:50
president of the American Council on Education. I worry that
50:54
they're not going to be able to make much sense
50:56
of it. The impact of these changes could affect the
50:59
nation long after Trump leaves office. Kropp said, even if
51:03
the government resumes collecting data, there will be gaps from
51:07
the Trump era and the public may view the figures
51:09
as more politicized. It taints the waters, he said. It
51:13
seriously undermines faith in our institutions if we can't have
51:17
any guarantees the institutions are providing us with reliable data,
51:22
or that they're making decisions based on reliable data. The
51:25
next article from the front page of today's edition is
51:28
titled Inside Science Labs Trying to Survive in the Trump Era.
51:34
Anastasia Corova's lab at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical
51:38
School shows the unraveling of an eighty year partnership between
51:42
the federal government and universities that made the US scientific superpower.
51:47
By Carolyn Y. Johnson. Anastasia Carova is perched at the
51:52
edge of a massive scientific opportunity. Her laboratory at the
51:56
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School deploys cutting edge RNA
52:01
biology with one aim to solve diseases, the ones that
52:05
rob people of their memories or endanger pregnant women. Lately,
52:09
she sees peril all around her. In the hallway, she
52:13
bumps into one world class chemist, then another whose salaries
52:17
are supported by federal funding. The Trump administration has proposed
52:21
to drastically slash Many are immigrants like herself, who can
52:26
no longer be sure America is the best country in
52:28
the world to do science, or that they are welcome.
52:32
Korova built her career by thinking boldly, but if slow
52:35
downs and cuts to federal science funding continue, shall be
52:39
forced to winnow her ambitions. What is happening right now
52:43
is absolutely suicidal, said Korova, speaking softly in Russian accent
52:48
at English. I will stop making drugs. I will reduce
52:51
my lab from thirty people to five. I will stop
52:54
training scientists with stunning speed. The Trump administration has over
52:59
the past six months, cut research dollars, terminated grants, and
53:03
hit the brakes on federal funding, destabilizing an eighty year
53:07
old partnership between the government and universities that has made
53:11
the United States as scientific superpower. The policy twists may
53:15
sound ourcane, but to researchers, everything is at stake. Day
53:20
to day. Corova's lab is bright and buzzing. Scientists are
53:23
trying to develop cures for Huntington's disease or halt the
53:27
muscle loss that comes with aging longer term. I have
53:31
no clue, Keroovas said. The Trump administration portrays its changes
53:36
as a targeted correction. Officials say grants are being terminated
53:40
because they touch on topics with which the administration disagrees,
53:44
such as increasing diversity in science. Funding to special specific
53:49
universities has been frozen because they haven't protected Jewish students,
53:53
according to the administration, fundamental research, Trump officials vow will thrive.
53:59
The money that goes to basic and blue sky science
54:02
must be used for that purpose, not to feed the
54:04
red tape that so often goes along with funded research,
54:07
Michael Kratzio's, the director of the White House Office of Science, Technology,
54:12
and Policy, said in a speech at the National Academy
54:15
of Sciences in May. In contrast, a recent report from
54:19
the American Association for the Advancement of Science found that
54:23
President Donald Trump's budget requests for twenty twenty six, including
54:27
a forty percent cut to the National Institutes of Health,
54:30
would cut the nation's basic research portfolio by about a third.
54:35
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office found that
54:37
a ten percent cut to the NIH budget would result
54:41
in two fewer drugs invented per year, a gradual decline
54:45
that will go into full effect in thirty years. The
54:49
Trump Administration's science agenda is getting pushed back in courts,
54:53
in Congress and at the state level, but the impacts
54:56
are being felt in research institutions across the country. As
55:00
of August first, the chan Medical School had a thirty
55:03
seven million dollars shortfall in funding due to long delays
55:07
at the National Institutes of Health. Karova is no stranger
55:11
to doing science under challenging conditions. She trained at Moscow
55:14
State University in the waning days of the Soviet Union,
55:18
when there was sometimes no hot water, no reagents for experiments,
55:22
no salaries. But even that has not prepared her for
55:25
the abrupt policy swings that threaten the unique American research system.
55:31
We are working on developing cures which are not politically oriented.
55:34
Krova said, Democrats age and Republicans age disruptions will ripple
55:40
over decades since no one can predict what science breakthroughs
55:43
in the lab will turn into world changing innovations. Korova's
55:47
work built off years of federally funded research into the
55:50
soil dwelling microscopic roundworms that revealed short strands of RNA
55:55
performed like symphony conductors controlling the activity of genes, and
55:59
turned their volume down. Worcester, a gritty former mill city
56:04
in central Massachusetts, is home to two Nobel laureates and
56:07
an RNA therapeutics institute that has spawned twelve startups on
56:12
a LAMB Pharmaceuticals, a company based on the phenomenon originally
56:16
discovered in roundworms, and labs at shann Medical School and
56:20
the Carnegie Institution of Washington, has has covered six drugs
56:24
now approof for diseases that include rare genetic conditions and
56:27
high cholesterol. The company's market capitalization has soared to more
56:32
than fifty billion, and it has two two hundred employees.
56:37
Basic research is almost like the starter when you bake
56:40
sourdough bread. You can't make the bread without it, said
56:43
John Marriganor, who led Alma Lamb for nearly two decades
56:47
before he stepped down in twenty twenty one. Under sterile Hoods,
56:51
they grow millions of mouse liver cells for experiments, and
56:54
a small room called the wormhole, decorated with colorful worms
56:58
hanging from the door jam like I bicycles, Victor Ambrose
57:02
and Nobel Prize winning worm biologists zooms in on mutant
57:06
roundworms wriggling across a yellowish agargel. Unlike Harvard University, which
57:11
has had billions of dollars in funding choked off by
57:14
the Trump administration, Chan hasn't been targeted, but it is
57:18
not untouched. Like hundreds of other institutions across America, it
57:22
has been thrown off stride day to day and week
57:25
to week by the Trump administration's unprecedented efforts to downsize
57:30
and reshape the agencies that support science. Uncertainty looms over
57:35
nearly every experiment. In conversation, slogans not scientific sketches are
57:40
scrawled on the frosted glass wall of one office. We
57:43
want scientific data, not alternative facts. Girls just want to
57:47
have nih funding, science, not silence. More than a dozen
57:52
NIH grants out of several hundred have been terminated, though
57:56
they are tangled up in lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's action.
58:00
About two hundred employees have been laid off or furloughed,
58:03
about three percent of the medical School's sixty five hundred employees.
58:08
A hiring freeze has been in place since March. Graduate
58:12
school offers to nearly ninety young biomedical scientists were rescinded,
58:16
though thirteen spots were salvaged for a next year's class.
58:20
We have this feeling of extreme uncertainty in a context
58:23
where previously we could depend on a robust system, a
58:27
merit based system that was predictable. For the right reasons,
58:30
the best science will get funded, said Ambrose, who shared
58:33
the Nobel in Medicine last year. Jesse Lahman, a graduate
58:38
student who focuses on understanding the speed and dynamics of
58:41
imman defenses against pathogens, became hooked on science when he
58:45
first felt the rush of discovering things no one else knew.
58:50
Due to time constraints, we'll need to end this article
58:53
at this time. This concludes the reading of the Washington
58:57
Post for Today, Friday, August fifteenth, twenty twenty five. Your
59:01
reader for today has been Roger Hamperion. If you have
59:05
any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning this program, please feel
59:09
free to call us at eight five nine four two
59:11
two sixty three nine zero. Thank you for listening, and
59:15
now please stay tuned for continued programming on Radio I