Undark Magazine

The numbers are staggering: 59% of U.S. counties lack air quality monitoring sites, leaving more than 50 million Americans in "monitoring deserts." These gaps disproportionately affect rural areas and communities with higher poverty rates.
🔗https://undark.org/2025/07/04/wildfires-aqi-infrastructure/

Safety of Foreign-Made Medications in Question After FDA Layoffs Loss of support staff has slowed critical investigations of drug manufacturers. Little relief has materialized.

The FDA was already struggling with inspector retention. Between 2022-2024, the agency hired 105 inspectors but lost about the same number. Of the remaining ~230 inspectors, one-third lack experience for independent foreign inspections.

Transhumanism Should Focus on Inequality, Not Living Forever Opinion | Instead of trying to extend the lives of a privileged few, we should invest in improving the lives of all people today.

Opinion: Instead of trying to extend the lives of a privileged few, we should invest in improving the lives of all people today.

Uri Manor's lab used $1.5M over two years to develop imaging tools for hearing loss research. When his grant was terminated in April, he worried about four trainees "whose careers now hung on a political whim."

🔗: https://undark.org/2025/07/11/interview-hearing-loss-grant/

Safety of Foreign-Made Medications in Question After FDA Layoffs Loss of support staff has slowed critical investigations of drug manufacturers. Little relief has materialized.

More than 3,500 FDA employees were laid off in April but while inspectors kept their jobs, the support staff who make overseas drug safety inspections possible didn't. Nearly 70 coordination staff were cut, with only 1/3 brought back.

Wildfires Are Challenging Air Quality Monitoring Infrastructure The U.S. has one of the world’s most advanced systems to monitor air pollutants. Can it keep up with a changing climate?

Ten years ago, atmospheric scientist Tracey Holloway would have called U.S. air pollution a huge success story. Then wildfire smoke from Canada turned Wisconsin's air hazardous in June 2023, erasing decades of progress.

Safety of Foreign-Made Medications in Question After FDA Layoffs Loss of support staff has slowed critical investigations of drug manufacturers. Little relief has materialized.

"Things will be missed. We are going to have a lot less safe drugs," said former FDA inspector Patrick Stone about the impact of the layoffs on drug safety inspections.

Safety of Foreign-Made Medications in Question After FDA Layoffs Loss of support staff has slowed critical investigations of drug manufacturers. Little relief has materialized.

"It's difficult to get inspections done. The pace has slowed down. You can't inspect as many sites," said a veteran drug inspector about the impact of support staff layoffs on overseas drug factory inspections.

Interview: How a Hearing-Loss Grant Got Cut in the Fight Over DEI “It felt like the floor dropped out,” researcher Uri Manor said after the sudden suspension of his lab’s award.

Uri Manor, who has severe hearing loss, studies inner ear biology at UC San Diego. His federal research grant was canceled as part of DEI elimination efforts, forcing him to lay off staff from his dozen-person lab.

59% of U.S. counties lack air quality monitors, creating "monitoring deserts" mostly in rural South/Midwest. Counties with higher poverty rates and more Black/Hispanic residents are more likely to lack monitors.

🔗: https://undark.org/2025/07/04/wildfires-aqi-infrastructure/

Interview: How a Hearing-Loss Grant Got Cut in the Fight Over DEI “It felt like the floor dropped out,” researcher Uri Manor said after the sudden suspension of his lab’s award.

UC San Diego scientist Uri Manor received a 5-year federal grant in 2023 to study hearing loss. After using $1.5M over two years, his funding was terminated this spring in DEI crackdown. He's now laying off trainees.

Just 10 years ago, U.S. air pollution was a success story. Now wildfires are "erasing the gains" from decades of emission controls, pushing air quality to hazardous levels hundreds of miles away. 

🔗: https://undark.org/2025/07/04/wildfires-aqi-infrastructure/

The Gates Foundation’s Global Reach Expands, to Mixed Reviews As the U.S. and other countries cut funding for global health initiatives, what role will philanthropy take?

As the U.S. and other countries cut funding for global health initiatives, what role will philanthropy take?

What if MAGA Has a Point About Science? Opinion | Conservative distrust of science helped set the stage for its dismantling. Can scientists bridge the partisan divide?

Opinion: What if MAGA Has a Point About Science?

Uncovering the Exposome: An Emerging Field Casts a Wide Net Researchers have long advocated for a more systematic approach to environmental health, but funding may not hold.

Researchers have long advocated for a more systematic approach to environmental health, but funding may not hold.

Opinion: Conservative distrust of science helped set the stage for its dismantling. Can scientists bridge the partisan divide?

🔗: https://undark.org/2025/06/19/opinion-maga-science-divide/

Do you have information about administrative holds at universities that you’d like to share? Email tips@undark.org or contact Sara Talpos on Signal: saratalpos.64. All communications are treated as confidential unless permission is given otherwise.

Via the False Claim Act, NIH Puts Universities on Edge A funding pause at the University of Michigan illustrates the uncertainty around new language in NIH grant awards.

For weeks, a major university quietly froze incoming NIH funding. The details — reported for the first time — show how universities are struggling with Trump administration policies and False Claims Act threats.

Cannabis Could Be Bad for Your Heart A new study offers more evidence linking frequent marijuana use to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

A new study offers more evidence linking frequent marijuana use to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The Ripple Effects of Shrinking U.S. Science Opinion | Severe cuts in research funding will cause a complex cascade of effects across the United States and the world.

Opinion: The Ripple Effects of Shrinking U.S. Science

What the Science Says About Food Additives RFK Jr. has said the U.S. should rid its food supply of synthetic ingredients. How would that affect public health?

RFK Jr. has said the U.S. should rid its food supply of synthetic ingredients. How would that affect public health?

The Chilling Effect of DEI Crackdowns in Scientific Publishing Trump’s executive orders are affecting how federally funded journals operate. Some researchers have raised alarms.

After a federal journal asked researchers to remove demographic data from their tobacco use study, the scientists withdrew it entirely. One consequence of executive orders affecting scientific publishing.

‘A New Era’ of Cancer Therapies Following immunotherapy treatments in the last decade, new therapeutic strategies for cancer are beginning to emerge.

Following immunotherapy treatments in the last decade, new therapeutic strategies for cancer are beginning to emerge.

A Possible SNAP Soda Ban Gains Momentum from MAHA For years, health advocates have tried to stop SNAP funds from being spent on soda. Will MAHA push the change through?

Health advocates and some states have for years tried to have the federal government approve state waivers to stop soda from being purchased with SNAP benefits. But the movement has new life thanks to an agenda spearheaded by HHS Secretary RFK Jr.

Facing Cuts, a Grim Future for America's HIV Response Recent years have seen a 12 percent decline in new HIV infections. Cuts to federal funding could upend that progress.

While HHS Sec. Kennedy aims to do "a lot more with less" on chronic diseases, critics note HIV itself is a chronic disease affecting 1.2M Americans.

Cutting Edge: The Cautious Optimism for Psychiatric Brain Surgery For some patients, removing brain tissue can help treat OCD and other disorders. But ethical concerns remain.

For some patients, removing brain tissue can help treat OCD and other disorders. But ethical concerns remain.

‘A New Era’ of Cancer Therapies Following immunotherapy treatments in the last decade, new therapeutic strategies for cancer are beginning to emerge.

Following immunotherapy treatments in the last decade, new therapeutic strategies for cancer are beginning to emerge.

The Weight of Numbers: Air Pollution and PM2.5 Undark and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting visited seven countries on five continents to document a global killer. Here's what we found.

Across the globe, particulate air pollution kills millions of people each year. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Forensic Science Faces an Identity Crisis Opinion | To avoid bias, should scientists direct evidence collection from a crime scene or stay removed from it?

Opinion: To avoid bias, should scientists direct evidence collection from a crime scene? Or should they stay removed from it?

A Culture War is Brewing Over Moral Concern for AI Opinion | As AI systems increasingly display emotion — genuine or not — public opinion will split around calls for their rights.

Opinion: As AI systems increasingly display emotion — genuine or not — public opinion will split around calls for their rights.