NEW THREATSThe Beginnings of a U.S. Science Brain Drain | America’s Pro-Disease Movement | The Cost of Defunding Harvard, and more

A Nature Analysis Signals the Beginnings of a U.S. Science Brain Drain  (Laurie Udesky and Jack Leeming, Nature)
A trawl of job views and application data suggests jobseekers are looking abroad as the Trump administration’s cuts to science take hold.

DOGE Put a College Student in Charge of Using AI to Rewrite Regulations  (David Gilbert and Vittoria Elliott, Wired)
A DOGE operative has been tasked with using AI to propose rewrites to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s regulations—an effort sources are told will roll out across government.

America’s Pro-Disease Movement  (David Frum)
How the Trump administration is worsening a public-health crisis.

In the Middle of a Hepatitis Outbreak, U.S. Shutters the One Atlanta-Based CDC Lab That Could Help  (Chiara Eisner, NPR)
On April 1, the outbreak investigation was brought to a halt. All 27 of the lab’s scientists received an email from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services informing them that they were losing their jobs. Like thousands of other employees who received similar emails that day, the scientists were told they would be placed on administrative leave until June 2, after which they would no longer work for the CDC.

Count the Dead by the Millions  (Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone)
A new study projects Trump cuts to global health aid would kill millions; abortions would also soar.

The Cost of Defunding Harvard  (Atul Gawande, New Yorker)
If you or someone you love has cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or diabetes, you have likely benefitted from the university’s federally funded discoveries in care and treatment.

Scientists Reel as Turmoil Roils National Science Foundation  (Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR)
The Trump administration is sharpening its attacks on the National Science Foundation, the government agency that is a major funder of basic science, math and engineering, especially at colleges and universities across the United States.
The latest salvo: a preliminary budget request from the White House that would cut $4.7 billion, or more than half the agency’s $9 billion budget.

These Judges Ruled Against Trump. Then Their Families Came Under Attack.  (Ned Parker, Mike Spector, Peter Eisler, Linda So, Nate Raymond, Reuters)
As federal judges rule against the Trump administration in dozens of politically charged cases, the families of at least 11 of the jurists have been targeted with threats and harassment. The intimidation campaign has strained judges and their relatives – and legal scholars fear it could have a chilling effect on the judiciary.