Cuts, which affect projects focused on issues including early identification of autism, made without prior notice to AAP

The US department of health and human services (HHS) has terminated several multi-million-dollar grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics following the association’s criticisms of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s policies.

The funding cuts, which affect projects focused on issues including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and early identification of autism, were first reported by the Washington Post and made without prior notice to the AAP.

In a statement to the Guardian, AAP CEO, Mark Del Monte, said: “AAP learned this week that seven grants to AAP under the US Department of Health and Human Services are being terminated.

“This vital work spanned multiple child health priorities, including reducing sudden infant death, rural access to health care, mental health, adolescent health, supporting children with birth defects, early identification of autism, and prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, among other topics.”

  • AlexLost@lemmy.world
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    19 hours ago

    You want high school politics, you got high school politics. Bunch of bullies and losers that never grew up.

  • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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    3 days ago

    Looks like it’s lawsuit time. Criticism of the government is protected speech…and any retribution by the government over said speech, is a violation of the 1st amendment. Case closed.

    • Doomsider@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      Actually it isn’t since this administration doesn’t care about free speech unless they are the ones talking.

      The whole free speech thing they were getting so upset about was a lie all along. Who would of thought people who promote hate under the guise of freedom were being disingenuous.

      • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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        19 hours ago

        It doesn’t matter if this administration doesn’t care about the Constitution…it still applies.

        • Doomsider@lemmy.world
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          19 hours ago

          I hate to break it to you but the current administration has repeatedly violated the constitution without a slap on the wrist so far. Laws are only as good as they are enforced and we are seeing that there are no consequences for violating the law or constitution for this administration.

          I do agree it still applies, it is just the consequences are not happening anymore.

          • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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            17 hours ago

            The justice system doesn’t move quickly, and unfortunately when it’s the president breaking the law, there’s only so much that can be done as long as they’re in office.

            But that doesn’t mean there will be no consequences for what they’re doing. Trump himself, may avoid some of those consequences by hiding behind presidential authority…but the people who are breaking the law on his orders, will not be so fortunate. Almost no one from his 1st administration got out without scars. The only difference this time around, is the scale of the crimes being committed. Make no mistake, it’s definitely worse…and the consequences will be much steeper. It’s basically legal suicide to work for this administration. The bell will toll for all of them.

            As for Trump himself, he’s still facing the same legal challenges that got put aside when he won the election. Those trials will start up again as soon as he’s out of office. And new charges are definitely going to be added to the pile. The only way he doesn’t wind up in prison, is if he dies before they convict him.

            I just hope they don’t drag their feet again, like they did after 2020. They can’t afford to waste time. Every single loophole that he’s using to push his agenda through, needs to be closed before the following election cycle, or some other fascist asshole is just going to try it all over again.

            • Doomsider@lemmy.world
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              16 hours ago

              I think you make a lot of good points. Justice does move slowly and I am pretty impatient at this point.

              I think classism is one of the biggest issue we face and not holding the President accountable creates a blatant two tier justice system where politicians and are rarely held accountable and the President is never held accountable.

              We also see this with wealthy people and our society even has clever names like “fuck you” money where you no longer have to listen to anything or follow the rules if you have enough money.

              The thing is, we should be holding people in power to a higher level of accountability not lower or even worse not at all. Until our culture changes in this regard we will see people taking advantage of their privilege with impunity.

              Trump and company are actually playing by the rules of their class and just taking this privilege to its logical conclusion. If you can’t be stopped, why stop.

          • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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            17 hours ago

            Of course it does. Just because someone breaks the law, doesn’t mean the law no longer exists.

              • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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                16 hours ago

                Oh. Did the entire judicial system disappear recently? Or, do Republicans suddenly have control over more than 2/3rds of state legislatures? Has the administration started mass executions of lawmakers, judges and military officials that disagree with them?

                Because unless some or all of those things happen, there is still a system in place to push back on whatever Trump is doing. And there are still people in positions of power to keep that system from collapsing.

                What people need to do, now more than ever, is vote in the next mid-terms. It would be even better if good people who oppose what Trump is doing, chose to run for office in local and state elections, as well. That way folks have better options to vote for.

      • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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        3 days ago

        It’s a big ask to have them toss the actual Constitution out the window. Legally speaking, they don’t have that authority. They can get away with grey area “interpretations”…but to overturn the Bill of Rights, is civil war level fuckery.

        • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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          16 hours ago

          It may be civil war fuckery, but they very much have the authority to decide how they want. They’re the final arbiter of constitutionality and the way things are written they wouldn’t be overturning the bill of rights but just telling us what it actually means. There’s no one to correct them. No further appeal inside the law.

          • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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            16 hours ago

            Except that nullifying the 1st amendment isn’t exactly just a reinterpretation…it would be a complete reversal of its core meaning. That’s why I said it’s “civil war level fuckery”. This was literally what the Founders started the war of independence over…the right to criticize the government, among other things detailed in the Bill of Rights. It’s a pretty foundational concept.

            If the Supreme Court just decides the 1st amendment doesn’t mean that anymore, then the 2nd amendment should be invoked.

            • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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              13 hours ago

              Oh, I entirely agree with the severity and the “they are not supposed to do that”-ness of it. It’s far from right.
              I’m just saying that there’s nothing in the law or constitution that says they can’t.

              In this case they’d just say something about the government having an overriding interest in financial management, and without direct evidence that funding was pulled as retaliation the claim doesn’t pass the threshold for consideration.
              The court has used related reasoning to say that removal of books is speech by the government, and so you have no recourse when the government censors information in libraries.
              Or “ice needs to be racist to do their job, and that’s more important than equal protection under the law”.

              It’s a fucked situation, but it’s not new, and it’s not illegal.

        • Rothe@piefed.social
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          2 days ago

          A big ask? That is what their supreme court has being doing for quite som time now.

          • FundMECFS@anarchist.nexus
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            2 days ago

            Yeah I don’t get how people have convinced themselves despite all evidence that the US is still based on “laws” as the final authority, (not just laws as a tool of power).

            • Doomsider@lemmy.world
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              15 hours ago

              The US is based on class not laws. When you realize rich people don’t have to follow the laws your eyes start to open to the truth.

            • StupidBrotherInLaw@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              It’s like watching someone in an abusive relationship.

              “Don’t worry guys, they’ll follow the rules this time. Did they say they’ll change? Well no, but I just know this time will be different.”

              • Doomsider@lemmy.world
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                19 hours ago

                So true, the US government has become an abusive partner we can’t leave and will likely kill us if we try.

  • Makeitstop@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told the Washington Post that the grants were terminated because they no longer align with departmental priorities.

    Yeah, they’re trying to save lives and protect children’s health. The CDC no longer supports those goals.