Latest news with #DougCollins
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: veterans affairs department muzzled after critical article
Senior officials at the US Department of Veterans Affairs have ordered VA physicians and scientists not to publish in medical journals or speak with the public without first seeking clearance from political appointees of Donald Trump. Veterans advocates say the decision fits into a pattern of censorship by the Trump administration, and came hours after the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a perspective co-authored by two pulmonologists who work for the VA in Texas. The article warned that cancelled contracts, layoffs and a planned staff reduction of 80,000 employees in the nation's largest integrated healthcare system jeopardizes the health of a million veterans who served in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Here are the key stories at a glance: The edict, laid down in emails on Friday by Curt Cashour, the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, and John Bartrum, a senior adviser to VA secretary Doug Collins, came hours after the article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 'We have guidance for this,' wrote Cashour, a former Republican congressional aide and campaign consultant, attaching the journal article. 'These people did not follow it.' Read the full story Russell Vought, the director of the office of management and budget (OMB), on Sunday cast doubt on the constitutional obligation of the White House to ask Congress to sign off on Donald Trump's massive cuts to the federal workforce spearheaded by Elon Musk. Vought indicated the White House preferred to rely on 'executive tools' for all but a 'necessary' fraction of the cuts instead of submitting the whole package of jobs and agency slashing that took place via the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge), to the congressional branch for its official approval. Read the full story The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed a list of 'sanctuary' states, cities and counties from its website following sharp criticism from a sheriffs' association that said a list of 'noncompliant' sheriffs could severely damage the relationship between the Trump administration and law enforcement. Read the full story A teenage transgender athlete in California, who has been at the center of widespread political attacks by rightwing pundits and the Trump administration, won in two track events over the weekend. The 16-year-old athlete, AB Hernandez, tied for first place alongside two other athletes in the high jump, and tied for first place in the triple jump. This comes as the Trump administration threatened to withhold federal funding from California for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. Read the full story The White House budget director Russ Vought on Sunday dismissed as 'totally ridiculous' fears expressed by voters that cuts to benefits in the huge spending bill passed by the House will lead to premature deaths in America. Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, now awaiting debate in the US Senate, will slash two major federal safety net programs, Medicaid, which provides healthcare to poor and disabled Americans, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), which helps people afford groceries, which will affect millions of people if it becomes law. Read the full story The is FBI investigating a multiple-injury attack in downtown Boulder, Colorado. One person died and 11 other were injured after 80 shots fired at North Carolina house party. A British businessman was accused of plotting to smuggle US military technology to China. Catching up? Here's what happened on Saturday 31 May.
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Exclusive: US veterans agency orders scientists not to publish in journals without clearance
Senior officials at the US Department of Veterans Affairs have ordered that VA physicians and scientists not publish in medical journals or speak with the public without first seeking clearance from political appointees of Donald Trump, the Guardian has learned. The edict, laid down in emails on Friday by Curt Cashour, the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, and John Bartrum, a senior adviser to VA secretary Doug Collins, came hours after the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a perspective co-authored by two pulmonologists who work for the VA in Texas. 'We have guidance for this,' wrote Cashour, a former Republican congressional aide and campaign consultant, attaching the journal article. 'These people did not follow it.' The article warned that cancelled contracts, layoffs and a planned staff reduction of 80,000 employees in the nation's largest integrated healthcare system jeopardizes the health of a million veterans seeking help for conditions linked to toxic exposure – ranging from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who developed cancer after being exposed to smoke from piles of flaming toxic waste. 'As pulmonologists in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), we have been seeing increasing numbers of veterans with chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, and other respiratory conditions,' doctors Pavan Ganapathiraju and Rebecca Traylor wrote. The authors, who practice at the VA in Austin, Texas, noted that in 2022 Congress dramatically expanded the number of medical conditions presumed to be linked to military service. 'But legislation doesn't care for patients,' they wrote, 'people do'. The article sparked an immediate rebuke from President Trump's political appointees, according to internal emails obtained by the Guardian. 'We have noticed a number of academic articles and press articles recently,' Bartrum wrote, attaching a copy of the journal article. 'Please remind the field and academic community that they need to follow the VA policy.' Cashour, the assistant secretary, wrote that approval for publication in national media was delegated to his office. Local and regional directors were to inform Washington 'as soon as possible' when situations exist 'that have the potential for negative national exposure'. Multiple inquiries to Cashour and VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz went unanswered by deadline. Ganapathiraju told the Guardian that the article was in full compliance with the VA regulations, which state that employees are encouraged to publish in 'peer-reviewed, professional or scholarly journals'. Coordination with public affairs officers is encouraged, but not required, when sharing personal or academic opinions, the rules say. Ganapathiraju said neither he nor his co-author had yet faced punishment. 'We have received emails and messages from other VAs across the country (including doctors, department chiefs, chief of medicines, and chief of staff) supporting our article,' he wrote in an email. 'No communication from our local VA or from National.' Still, VA workers and veterans advocates say Friday's warnings fit a pattern of censorship by the Trump administration, which critics say is waging a 'war on science'. Since taking office, Trump administration officials have cancelled billions of dollars in grants funding medical research at the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. Nearly 2,000 leading scientists, including dozens of Nobel Prize winners, signed an open letter released in April saying science was being 'decimated' by cuts to research and a growing 'climate of fear' that put independent research at risk. Trump issued an executive order on 23 May titled 'Restoring Gold Standard Science.' It accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of misusing scientific evidence when crafting policies on climate change, public health during the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues. Thousands of academics signed a new open letter that protested the move, arguing it opens the door to political interference. On 28 May, the secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr, said he was considering barring government scientists from publishing in top journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine, calling these publications 'corrupt'. The Department of Veterans Affairs has long been one of the nation's most important centers of medical research. Funded by Congress with nearly $1bn annually, VA scientists operate at 102 research sites and are engaged in 7,300 ongoing projects, while publishing more than 10,000 papers in scientific journals last year. VA scientists invented the nicotine patch and the pacemaker and developed the CT scan. The agency runs the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which has pioneered mental health treatments that benefit not only veterans but also rape victims and other survivors of natural disasters and violent crime. Harold Kudler, a psychiatrist and researcher who served as national mental health policy lead for VA under the Obama and first Trump administrations said the rebuke to the pulmonologists' article was 'powerful in its impact and frightening in the threat it represents'. It was 'another attack on freedom of speech', he said. 'Veterans will suffer because of it. Plus, all research programs will take note.'
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Thousands of Veterans to March on DC Over Benefits Cuts-'Will Not Stand By'
Thousands of veterans are expected to march on Washington, D.C., to protest expected cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA is the second-largest U.S. government department, employing around 470,000 people. There are some 6.2 million veterans in the United States who receive disability benefits from the VA. In its budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, the Trump administration called for a 4 percent discretionary spending increase at the VA, largely targeting improvements to medical care and records technology. However, that number is expected to decrease after VA Secretary Doug Collins recently informed Congress that, to offset costs, 15 percent of the VA workforce will be reduced in the coming years. The Trump administration is arguing that technology advances will help the agency function despite staffing cuts. The cuts come amid a broader effort to reduce costs and streamline government services. Earlier this month, Federal News Network reported that over 14,000 VA employees in health care positions applied to leave their jobs through separation incentives offered by the federal government. However, veterans have expressed concerns that job cuts will compromise their ability to access benefits due to the reduced staffing levels. The rally will take place at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 6 at 2 p.m. ET. It coincides with the 81st anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces launched the invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II. The campaign website said it expected "thousands of veterans, military families, and their allies" to attend the march. Rally leaders described themselves as the "Bonus Army of 2025," referencing the 1932 protest in which World War I veterans and their supporters marched on Washington to demand payment of their promised bonuses amid the Great Depression. The Unite For Veterans website said: "America made a promise to its veterans. It's a promise we intend to keep." It added: "We are coming together to defend the benefits, jobs, and dignity that every generation of veterans has earned through sacrifice." Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, at a Senate hearing in early May: "We have been emphatic that we will not be cutting benefits and health care, only improving them." Margaret Cooney, senior campaign manager at the nonpartisan Center for American Progress, wrote on May 23: "Overall, these cuts to staffing and funding will damage public health and safety; harm economic interests and programs, such as like the VA's Armed to Farm program that support veterans' transition into faming; and leave U.S. veterans without the support they were promised for serving their country." The cuts are expected to take place in August, according to a memo from the VA chief of staff, seen by The Wall Street Journal. Whether the administration reacts to the backlash remains to be seen. Related Articles Veteran's Daughter Living in US 48 years Locked Up by ICEVA Disability Benefits: Payment Worth up to $4,544 Due This WeekVeteran Spent 40 Years Looking for Friend He Served With-Then Gets SurpriseVeterans Group Attacks Trump Cuts in Memorial Day Message 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Thousands of Veterans to March on DC Over Benefits Cuts—'Will Not Stand By'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Thousands of veterans are expected to march on Washington, D.C., to protest expected cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Why It Matters The VA is the second-largest U.S. government department, employing around 470,000 people. There are some 6.2 million veterans in the United States who receive disability benefits from the VA. In its budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, the Trump administration called for a 4 percent discretionary spending increase at the VA, largely targeting improvements to medical care and records technology. However, that number is expected to decrease after VA Secretary Doug Collins recently informed Congress that, to offset costs, 15 percent of the VA workforce will be reduced in the coming years. The Trump administration is arguing that technology advances will help the agency function despite staffing cuts. The cuts come amid a broader effort to reduce costs and streamline government services. Earlier this month, Federal News Network reported that over 14,000 VA employees in health care positions applied to leave their jobs through separation incentives offered by the federal government. However, veterans have expressed concerns that job cuts will compromise their ability to access benefits due to the reduced staffing levels. VA Secretary Doug Collins testifies during a Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs on May 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. VA Secretary Doug Collins testifies during a Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs on May 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr. What To Know The rally will take place at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 6 at 2 p.m. ET. It coincides with the 81st anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces launched the invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II. The campaign website said it expected "thousands of veterans, military families, and their allies" to attend the march. Rally leaders described themselves as the "Bonus Army of 2025," referencing the 1932 protest in which World War I veterans and their supporters marched on Washington to demand payment of their promised bonuses amid the Great Depression. What People Are Saying The Unite For Veterans website said: "America made a promise to its veterans. It's a promise we intend to keep." It added: "We are coming together to defend the benefits, jobs, and dignity that every generation of veterans has earned through sacrifice." Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, at a Senate hearing in early May: "We have been emphatic that we will not be cutting benefits and health care, only improving them." Margaret Cooney, senior campaign manager at the nonpartisan Center for American Progress, wrote on May 23: "Overall, these cuts to staffing and funding will damage public health and safety; harm economic interests and programs, such as like the VA's Armed to Farm program that support veterans' transition into faming; and leave U.S. veterans without the support they were promised for serving their country." What Happens Next The cuts are expected to take place in August, according to a memo from the VA chief of staff, seen by The Wall Street Journal. Whether the administration reacts to the backlash remains to be seen.
Epoch Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Epoch Times
The VA Has the People—Now It Needs the Infrastructure
Commentary The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stands alone in purpose and scale—tasked with caring for millions who've served. For all its significance, the VA is hobbled by a truth no one in Washington wants to say: it was built for the last century, not this one. The cracks are deeply human. A Marine needs to see a cardiologist. The nearest hospital has openings, but he's routed to a facility hours away. Across the country, a doctor has openings but no way to reach patients. In the private sector, gaps like these would raise alarms. At the VA, it's all too common. Committed professionals fill the ranks, but even the best can't outrun the system around them. The VA's regional structure is a patchwork of networks, each with its own priorities and patchy methods to move care where it's needed most. A VA schedulers navigate legacy platforms, often unable to see the full network of available providers. And clinicians, trained for everything from combat trauma to mental health, are caught in a system where access depends more on geography than on need. Washington's answer? Spend more or cut deeper. Related Stories 5/18/2025 5/16/2025 The latest budget sets a goal to reduce the VA workforce by The data's there. What's missing is the ability to read it, act on it, and move the supply of care dynamically. Today, some facilities are crowded, others underused, and too often, they're miles apart. The capacity exists yet goes untapped without the infrastructure to shift care across regions, professionals, or venues. Private health systems faced a similar reckoning. They now use data to anticipate patient demand and surface availability across markets. Scheduling a quick check-up is a tap away online. Kaiser Permanente built a national virtual care network, offering round-the-clock care by phone, video, or email —no in-person visit required. What's stopping the VA from creating a single virtual network where a doctor in Arizona can meet the needs of a veteran in Florida? For years, the solution to access gaps was to expand referrals outside the system. The MISSION Act opened more doors through Community Care. By 2022, But even with more options, delays persist. In 2023, veterans referred to outside providers waited, on average, The fix starts with strengthening the VA's digital foundation. Healthcare now generates nearly The same approach can restore the VA by reactivating capacity and rebuilding trust with veterans. But that demands more than austerity measures, as real innovation builds smarter and connects what's already there to create a network that's digital and borderless. The Dole Act—recently signed into law—gives the VA Secretary the runway to build a plan that books appointments during the first call, aims for same-day access, and puts veteran preferences at the center of every decision. The law gives the new administration a concrete target to move on and upgrade how veterans get care. VA Secretary Doug Collins . No more wasted capacity. No more isolated regions. No more digital vacuums swallowing up care. The VA has the scale and people. Now, it needs the infrastructure—and the will—to deliver. From Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
