Blog.ucsusa.org

Last week, the President issued a new Executive Order designed to greatly politicize the federal civil service. Falsely couched as holding civil servants “accountable”, the order creates a new category “F” for employees in positions that influence...

On Tuesday, October 13, the Supreme Court ruled that the Census Bureau could end the 2020 census count early, marking an abrupt end to a months-long tussle over the Bureau’s census timeline. Then, only a few days later, the Court announced that it...

Ideally, experts, including scientists, provide the facts and the voice of the people weighs in on values. In real life, particularly now, it’s become far more complicated, demonstrated most clearly in the dilemmas of leadership in confronting...

After decades of public denial, ExxonMobil now acknowledges that “the risk of climate change is real” and says it is “committed to being part of the solution,” at least according to the company’s website and statements.

On Thursday, October 22nd, the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet to discuss the development of COVID-19 vaccines and the FDA expects tens of thousands of people to attend virtually. I’ve studied and attended a good...

The consequences of a 6-3 supermajority extend beyond hot-button social issues.

Are you looking for reliable and trustworthy information about COVID-19 and the pandemic? Here at the Union of Concerned Scientists, we’ve assembled a team of scientists, researchers, and public health and communications experts from across the...

Today is Children’s Environmental Health Day— a day organized by the Children’s Environmental Health Network and supported by a long list of organizations committed to advocating for policy change that prioritizes children. Earlier this year, our...

Editor's note: This post has been revised to reflect the most accurate data on fire acreage in the 1980s. The original relied on data from the NIFC for 1980-1983 and the updated version excludes this period, as the data are less reliable. The 1980s...

Well, here we are. The place where no one wanted to be. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have surpassed 200,000 Americans. Black Americans continue to experience the highest COVID-19 mortality rates nationwide, are almost five times more likely than...

Disinformation is like a deadly virus. It originates from an initial source, replicates and spreads outwards, and can result in harm and death. Disinformation—false statements and images that have been intentionally manufactured—is a particularly...

For a variety of reasons, ballots can be or rejected or “spoiled” if they are not filled out correctly or if verification protocols are not followed. This year, there is a great deal of concern over the surge of mail ballots that have been requested...

We are scientists and engineers from immigrant families. Over the past year, we have watched as these identities have increasingly intersected amid federal attempts to end the DACA program, restrictions on Chinese researchers, and attacks on...

This month, news broke alleging that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Georgia is performing medically unnecessary hysterectomies in immigrant women. A whistleblower has come forward claiming that a doctor at the facility is...

About a week ago, I got a call from some scientists at Princeton and Columbia and the Federation of American Scientists. These scientists have been watching the actions of our leaders in this unusual election year, and like many others—myself...