Unexplainable No data, just vibes
23 snips
Jan 26, 2026 
Umair Irfan, Vox science and environment reporter, and Dylan Scott, Vox health policy reporter, probe a future with shrinking federal data. They discuss what lost climate monitoring and halted health surveys mean for detection, research, and public warnings. Conversation covers satellites, EPA research cuts, gaps in federal health surveys, and who can or cannot replace government data.
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Political Drive To Suppress Climate Data
- The administration has pursued a deliberate effort to diminish climate references and remove public data.
- That political choice directly reduces climate research visibility and undermines public understanding.
Cuts Narrow What Gets Measured
- Cuts and restructuring affect which populations and topics get measured, like LGBTQ+ health and drug use.
- Reduced NIH grants and survey capacity will shrink research on treatments and interventions over time.
Data Loss Delays Problem Detection
- Loss of data often causes delayed recognition of emerging health problems, sometimes years later.
- That delay makes interventions slower and magnifies harms before corrective action occurs.