USDA Scientists Have Been Put On Lockdown Under Trump

[workinclasszero]

USDA Scientists Have Been Put On Lockdown Under Trump
“Starting immediately and until further notice” the department’s main research division “will not release any public-facing documents,” according to an internal memo.
posted on Jan. 24, 2017, at 4:25 a.m. Dino Grandoni BuzzFeed News Reporter

The US Department of Agriculture has banned scientists and other employees in its main research division from publicly sharing everything from the summaries of scientific papers to USDA-branded tweets as it starts to adjust to life under the Trump administration, BuzzFeed News has learned.

According to an email sent Monday morning and obtained by BuzzFeed News, the department told staff — including some 2,000 scientists — at the agency’s main in-house research arm, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), to stop communicating with the public about taxpayer-funded work.

“Starting immediately and until further notice, ARS will not release any public-facing documents,” Sharon Drumm, chief of staff for ARS, wrote in a department-wide email shared with BuzzFeed News.

“This includes, but is not limited to, news releases, photos, fact sheets, news feeds, and social media content,” she added.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/dinograndoni/trump-usda?utm_term=.auK9yR8RD#.bxYRYL0Ll

[Ilsa]

1. WTF? Why? I don't understand why they'd do something so

Controversial over this.

[workinclasszero]

6. Republican war on science

Its real.

The know nothings are in control and they will silence all the truth they can.

I bet America will suffer a "brain drain" soon of scientists and researchers fleeing to other countries where science is not suppressed.

Dear Leader and the republicans wanted to take back America...to the Dark ages apparently.

[NightWatcher]

2. So if there's a ton of tainted meat in stores they can't tell anyone?

If investigators find toxic conditions at a food processor can they shut it down and report?

[Glassunion]

11. Thankfully that is not the function of the ARS

That function falls to the FSIS.

[eleny]

3. omg.

g-d it. we pay for all this and should have the right to know. if there's a lawsuit that can be perused then i hope it's imminent.

[Kali]

4. I work with a watershed group that depends on the ARS for a lot of info.

Not to mention other Ag related work the USDA does...man I hope the farmers and ranchers that voted for these clowns are happy with this. Holy shit.

[LeftInTX]

9. Agree!!!!!!!!!!!!! 100%

I volunteer with our local county Ag extension.
Many of the agents are right wingers.

ETA: Agricultural research is already hurting.
I've seen what budget cuts have done to projects like oak wilt suppression.

[Generator]

5. Shit like this is why I think my kids gotta get out of this country

To start their lives. We are going backward to the dark ages. This country won't be safe. Trump says he's going to make us safe-like everything it's the opposite.

[workinclasszero]

8. See? We will have a "brain drain" in the USA

As long as these Luddites are in control.

Just another way that Trump will weaken and destroy this country.

Einstein fled Nazi Germany too along with lots of other scientists...just sayin.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. This sort of thing scares me more than almost anything

der Trumpenführer has done so far - gag orders preventing agencies from communicating with the public. Taxpayers fund their work but we're not allowed access to it? Why? As to the USDA and the EPA it's probably so Trump can gut all research related to climate change without anybody finding out about it. But the last time a president pissed off federal agencies (during the Reagan administration in particular), the agencies began leaking like sieves. Look for all kinds of suppressed information to start coming in over the transom at media outlets like the NY Times...

[workinclasszero]

10. Hope you are right

"Look for all kinds of suppressed information to start coming in over the transom at media outlets like the NY Times..."

[Qutzupalotl]

12. Time for some FOIA requests,

no?