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America’s military service members devote their very lives to the upholding of our fundamental freedoms, liberties, and more.

President Donald Trump’s executive order expelling trans service members without substantive legal cause is an appalling persecution and disservice to the very calling to serve, as well as a gross miscarriage of the most basic of human rights.

Whatever happened to the shared belief for judging citizens based upon the content of their character and unique abilities to serve, rather than solely based upon the narrowly limited measure of one’s sexual orientation or personage?

The executive order is not based upon merit or lack thereof, but rather blatant malice and intolerance of an entire group of currently serving American service members that the Republican administration doesn’t like.

Under any sensible moral or legal doctrine, this administration’s actions fail either measure miserably.

America’s trans service members are longstanding, already serving in a multitude of combat and non-combat support roles and doing so competently, according to peers and commanding officers. Let’s stop meddling with them while they do their best work on our behalf.

In the process of this unjust military service ban, the Trump administration is asserting the right to pick winners and losers across our democratic society. Throwing innocent service members from their hard-earned military careers out into the streets is the epitome of shamefulness by any moral, legal, or standards of common sense.

What’s next for this persecuted group of American patriots? Further denial of the right to work, to serve one’s country, to fair housing, education, or medical care?

Published June 2, 2025

Few television events choke me up as much as the annual Memorial Day concert in front of the nation's Capitol. Every year my heart fills as I hear the stories of veterans and their Gold Star families serving their country and serving other families who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedoms.

This annual concert isn't available on commercial television. Only PBS carries it.

It is one example of the thousand ways public broadcasting, PBS and NPR, freely available in every corner of this country, uniquely provides us with things that bind us all together: our service members, veterans, national concerts, our nation's history, nature and the environment, Big Bird, Ken Burns, All Things Considered, unbiased news, information, pespective that causes us to think, laugh, and cry.

NPR and PBS stations are locally owned and operated. Commercial media? Totally corporate.

President Donald Trump wants to cut federal funding to PBS and NPR, which costs each family less than $2 per year. We need to write to our members of Congress to keep support steady for public broadcasting.

Published June 2, 2025

Rare diseases are more common than one might think. One in 10 New Yorkers has one or more of more than 10,000 rare diseases such as muscular dystrophies, immunodeficiencies, and metabolic disorders. Though many of these diseases are unfamiliar, early diagnosis and proper care can improve the lives of 1.8 million affected New Yorkers.

To help, New York state should establish a Rare Disease Advisory Council by advancing Assembly bill A1296A. Senate Bill S1287A already passed that chamber unanimously.

More than 30 states created such councils to guide their legislatures, departments of health and governors. New York’s council will: identify best practices, assess treatment barriers, plan public health responses, survey rare disease needs, inform legislation, advise Medicaid on rare disease medications, and develop policy recommendations for better access to care, coverage, diagnostics, and treatments.

The council members, including the health commissioner or designee, lawmakers, healthcare experts, insurers, pharmaceutical reps, patients, and caregivers, will represent diverse perspectives. The council will allow public updates and comments and maintain a website about its activities.
With budget negotiations complete, the Assembly should advance Bill A1296A.

The writer is with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Published June 2, 2025

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