Tuesday, August 5, 2025
All civic learning topics for this day
Today's Topics
RFK Jr terminates 22 mRNA vaccine projects, calls them ineffective against flu
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr announced August 5, 2025, that BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments, claiming "the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections." Kennedy shifted the funding toward other treatments, despite mRNA vaccines' proven success against COVID-19. The decision reverses years of pandemic preparedness and hands future health crises to other countries' pharmaceutical industries.
Appeals court orders UC to reconsider hiring ban
On August 5, 2025, the California Court of Appeal ruled that the University of California’s policy barring undocumented students without federal work authorization from campus jobs discriminates under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and ordered UC to revisit and justify its hiring criteria to comply with state law. The court highlighted that UC employs students under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals but excludes other undocumented students based on speculative federal enforcement risks—a justification the court found insufficient. Advocates filed the suit in October 2024; it was reinstated by the California Supreme Court before the appellate panel’s decision. UC says it is reviewing the ruling while reiterating its commitment to equitable student opportunities. (sfchronicle.com, law.ucla.edu)