On 21 April, the Environmental Protection Agency notified hundreds of employees working on diversity, equity, and inclusion and environmental justice issues that they would be fired or reassigned to other positions.
Emily Dieckman
Emily Dieckman joined Eos as an associate editor in 2023, after nearly 6 years writing and editing at the University of Arizona College of Engineering. She has also won awards for her coverage of culture, human interest, and science stories at the Tucson Weekly. Her degrees are in journalism and sociology.
Posted inResearch & Developments
NSF Cancels Hundreds of DEI and Disinformation Grants
The National Science Foundation has cancelled hundreds of grants to researchers working on projects related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as misinformation and disinformation.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Executive Order Seeks to Revive “America’s Beautiful, Clean Coal Industry”
President Trump signed an executive order to drastically reduce restrictions on domestic coal production on 8 April. It lays out plans to enable coal mining on federal lands, identify and revise existing regulations and policies that seek to transition the country away from coal production, and identify regions where “coal-powered infrastructure” can be used to support artificial intelligence data centers.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Weather Alert Translations on Hold Until Further Notice
This month, the National Weather Service (NWS) announced that, until further notice, it will no longer be offering automated translation services for its severe weather alerts. These alerts warn U.S. residents about imminent dangers including thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, flooding, and extreme heat.
Posted inNews
A New 3D Map Shows Precipitous Decline of Ugandan Glaciers
A team of dozens spent weeks in the Rwenzori Mountains capturing drone photography, GPS coordinates, and ground-penetrating radar data to document glacial retreat.
Posted inResearch & Developments
DOGE and GSA Target Mine Safety Office for Cuts
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), which works to protect U.S. miners from injury, illness, and death on the job, is among the latest federal agencies targeted for cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Posted inResearch & Developments
Survey from Trump Administration Asks Researchers Abroad About Involvement in DEI, Environmental Justice, and Climate Projects
Various U.S. federal agencies sent a 36-point survey to researchers abroad who receive U.S. funding, asking questions related to the Trump administration’s priorities. The questions cover topics such as “eradicating anti-Christian bias” and defending against “gender ideology,” and asked researchers to disclose ties to “entities associated with communist, socialist or totalitarian parties.”
Posted inResearch & Developments
Hiring Freezes, Rescinded Funding, Cancelled Programs: How Federal Funding Cuts Are Affecting Universities
Universities across the United States are feeling the effects from a wave of policies the Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency say are aimed at making the government more productive.
Posted inResearch & Developments
United States and Ukraine Weigh Mineral Deal
When U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met to sign a minerals agreement on 28 February, their discussion devolved into a heated, and widely covered, exchange. The minerals agreement, if signed, would result in half of Ukraine’ future revenue from minerals and natural resources going to the United States, in exchange for U.S. military support.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Trump Administration Set to Backtrack on “Cancer Alley” Lawsuit
At AGU’s Annual Meeting 2024, activist Sharon Lavigne spoke about living in Louisiana, in what is commonly known as “Cancer Alley.” The 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River is home to more than 200 industrial facilities, including the Denka Performance Elastomer plant, which uses chloroprene to manufacture synthetic rubber for products such as automotive parts, adhesives, and construction materials.