US science under Trump, in 7 charts

Plus: Can F1 truly go net zero? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

US Edition - Today's top story: Self-censorship, more stress, tougher recruiting – we asked US researchers how the Trump administration's science policies have affected them View in browser   US Edition | 19 May 2026 Top headlines Ebola emergency has no treatments, no vaccines So many primaries, so little competition in this swing state University bans all study of gender and sexual orientation Lead story Since Donald Trump’s second inauguration, The Conversation has published plenty of articles about all the ways his administration has affected the scientific enterprise in the United States. Cuts to federal research funding. Attempts to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Slashed agency staffs and budgets. Restrictions to immigration. We’ve published wide views, researchers’ personal stories, and it felt like everything in between. But when Eric Welch and Timothy P. Johnson, of Arizona State University and University of Illinois Chicago, respectively, got in touch, I was intrigued by their unique angle. They work on SciOPS, ASU’s ongoing scientist opinion panel survey, and had collected rich data about how U.S.-based researchers are grappling with evolving science policy. Welch, Johnson and their team surveyed 280 scientists and engineers from 131 American universities to find out how researchers had been directly affected. How has their funding changed? What about their workload, or stress levels? Have they altered how they do their work to avoid negative consequences? Was I shocked that 93% of respondents had a negative opinion of all the federal policy changes? Hardly, especially given, as Welch and Johnson write, “the perceived level of threat these actions represent to the research community.” But I bet you will find at least a data point or two in their article that does surprise you. [ Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with expert perspectives from around the world. ] Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor 93% of surveyed researchers have negative opinions of federal science policies since January 2025. Cavan Images via Getty Images Self-censorship, more stress, tougher recruiting – we asked US researchers how the Trump administration’s science policies have affected them Eric Welch, Arizona State University; Timothy P. Johnson, University of Illinois Chicago What do US researchers make of all the Trump administration science-related policy changes? A survey of 280 academic scientists asked them. 💬 Comments open Education Texas Tech’s new limits on how faculty teach gender identity and sexual orientation challenge more than free speech Henry F. Fradella, Arizona State University A new memo blocks graduate students from writing theses or dissertations on certain topics, raising questions about academic freedom and the purpose of higher education. Science + Technology AI interviewers can’t connect with people the way human researchers can – they can produce only data, not meaning Kelley Cotter, Penn State; Ankolika De, Penn State; Priya C. Kumar, Penn State Anthropic developed an AI interviewer it claims can help social scientists conduct research at scale. But AI models lack the human qualities that make qualitative research unique. How a shifting Nile landscape shaped the rise of the ancient empire of Kush in Sudan Geoff Emberling, University of Michigan The ancient Kush city of Jebel Barkal rose up in the Nile River Valley starting around 2000 BCE. New research dug deep to learn more about what this landscape was like over the past 4,000 years. 💬 Comments open Politics + Society Battleground state with few combatants – why Pennsylvania’s primaries lack competition Kristin Kanthak, University of Pittsburgh Despite Pennsylvania’s status as a fiercely contested swing state, many local and state primary races in the 2026 primaries draw little competition at all. Health + Medicine Ebola strain spreading in Congo and Uganda has no approved vaccine Klinger Soares Faico Filho, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Tests for Ebola don’t detect this strain, so it took the WHO extra time to confirm the cause of the outbreak. Economy + Business New SNAP rules requiring that benefits be used at stores selling healthier food could backfire Benjamin Chrisinger, Tufts University Many convenience stores, corner markets, bodegas and other small stores will have to make changes if they want to continue to accept SNAP benefits. Environment + Energy Formula 1 racing shows the hard part of reaching net-zero carbon emissions isn’t the engineering Caitlin Grady, George Washington University; Sachi Nandurkar, George Washington University Many Formula 1 innovations have made their way from the racetrack to regular roads. But technological improvements can only go so far toward limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Hurricane forecasts have improved dramatically, saving lives, but federal cuts threaten to stretch NOAA to the breaking point Brian Tang, University at Albany, State University of New York A hurricane scientist explains the technology forecasters rely on to keep people safe and help communities all along the Atlantic coast know when to evacuate. Trending on site The Cherokee Bible, one of the language’s first books, is a window between worldviews From beef ribs to a ‘heavenly’ walk: Xi-Trump summit symbolism underscored American power and Chinese tradition What makes a good teacher? Ask a Republican and a Democrat, and they are likely to agree Today's graphic 📈 From the story, A ‘super El Niño?’ Why it’s too early to forecast one with certainty, but not too soon to prepare More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other emails: • The Afternoon Story (A new daily Substack) • Weekly Highlights• Science Editors' Picks • Artificial Intelligence• Giving Today • This Week in Religion • Politics Weekly • Global Perspectives • Global Economy & Business Follow us on social media: • Bluesky • Mastodon • Threads • TikTok • LinkedIn • Instagram • Facebook • Or get a daily text from us Tell your friends about us! Forward this email to them so they can sample our journalism. About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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