# Science in the press
## Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth{{dated|May 6, 2006}} May 6, 2006 — Hospitals and medical experts are reporting a **disturbing rise in parents rejecting the standard vitamin K shot for newborns**, a trend largely driven by online misinformation and a growing distrust of medical interventions. Although all infants are born with a vitamin K deficiency, those who do not receive the injection are **81 times more likely** to experience vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), which can lead to permanent brain damage or death. {{figure|center|%picts/vit-k-screenshot.png|A doctor's dangerously misinformed social media post attacks this ProPublica article. Vitamin K is not a vaccine and does not contain vaccine components such as aluminum salts (in use for nearly a century) to stimulate an immune response.
Colostrum and breast milk DO NOT contain sufficient Vitamin K for newborns.|full}} Key points regarding this crisis include: * **Rising Refusal Rates:** In 2024, more than **5% of U.S. newborns** did not receive the shot, representing a 77% increase since 2017. Some hospitals have seen refusal rates as high as 20%. * **The Impact of Misinformation:** Parents often cite fears of "toxins" or debunked links to leukemia, fueled by social media algorithms and high-profile figures who question the necessity of the shot. * **Hidden Mortality:** While official data shows fewer than a dozen deaths annually, experts believe hundreds of deaths from "spontaneous" brain bleeds are likely undiagnosed cases of vitamin K deficiency. * **Lack of Tracking:** There is currently **no federal requirement** to report vitamin K refusals or subsequent bleeding, making it difficult for health officials to quantify the full scale of the problem. Medical professionals emphasize that the vitamin K shot has been a safe, effective standard of care since 1961, reducing the risk of life-threatening bleeds from approximately 1 in 14,000 to **less than 1 in 100,000**. {{full|https://www.propublica.org/article/more-parents-decline-vitamin-k-shot-newborns}} ## Trump’s Attack on Science Escalates With Firing of Entire National Science Board{{dated|May 7, 2026}} May 7, 2026 — The Trump administration's **relentless war on the U.S.'s scientific infrastructure** has accelerated. Over 1,500 top scientists at the EPA's Office of Research and Development have been laid off, pushed into early retirement, or reassigned to desk jobs unrelated to their expertise, such as an epidemiologist being moved to a job issuing permits for hazardous waste. **Less than 10 percent of these scientists remain at the agency**, where they will now work under a political commissar to "align with agency and administration priorities" and help end environmental regulations. On May 7, 2026, all 22 members of the **National Science Board**—the independent, nonpartisan body overseeing federal science grants—were fired "immediately" via a memo that provided no reason for their termination. This firing occurred despite the members being appointed for staggered six-year terms and coincides with broader attacks on advisory boards for the CDC, FDA, and EPA. Across various federal agencies, more than 10,000 Ph.D.s with over 100,000 years of combined experience have been severed from employment during Trump's second term. The administration has attempted to cut the NSF’s $9 billion budget by over 50 percent and has clawed back thousands of previously issued grants to educational organizations. Proposed cuts for the 2027 budget include billions of dollars from NASA, $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, and the elimination of the EPA’s $100 million “atmospheric protection program”. These actions risk marginalizing critical research, causing the world's "best and brightest" to seek opportunities outside the U.S. and allowing other nations to fill the research void. The **impact of the loss of knowledge and research will be felt for decades**—a legacy of this **war on science**. {{full|https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-attack-on-science-escalates-with-firing-of-entire-national-science-board/}} ## World-leading climate centre takes Trump administration to court{{dated|May 8, 2026}} May 8, 2026 — A legal battle has emerged in Colorado as the **University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)** sues to prevent the **Trump administration** from dismantling the **National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)**. The federal government intends to restructure the facility and redistribute its assets, such as its **supercomputing center**, claiming the institution promotes alarmist climate views. While the **National Science Foundation** argues that no final decisions have been reached, advocates for the center describe the reorganization as a **rushed and politically motivated** effort. Scientists warn that breaking up this "mothership" of climate science would result in the **permanent loss of vital institutional knowledge** and advanced weather modeling capabilities. The outcome of this **federal court case** will determine whether the center’s global research infrastructure remains intact or is handed over to various private and public entities. This conflict highlights a deep divide between the **American scientific community** and the executive branch over the future of **atmospheric and climate research**. {{full|https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01501-z}}
{{updated}}