https://mashable.com/article/trump-adminsitration-bans-cdc-words/ The Trump administration has banned seven words from the Centers for Disease Control's upcoming budget documents, the Washington Post reports. The words are "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based." CDC analysts were not given a reason for the banned words, they were simply informed of the new policy. Some phrases can be replaced or retooled, like by saying "CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes" – an actual alternate phrase offered to CDC analysts in the first briefing about these words. But not all the words are as easy to work around. It's no secret that the current administration is anti-abortion and pushing back significantly in the fight for trans rights. Banning these words from CDC documentation directly affects communication around HIV/AIDS and the Zika virus, among others. This isn't the first attempt to curb the use of language that threatens the Trump administration's regressive policies. In March, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) removed questions about sexual orientation and gender identity from two surveys of elderly people. The department also archived a webpage containing resources for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Fake news strikes again. At least they had enough integrity to own up to it. UPDATE: May 26, 2019, 9:14 a.m. EDT This entire report is based on a 2017 story from The Washington Post that turned out to be not entirely accurate. As CNN confirmed in Jan. 2018, the words weren't banned, but rather highlighted as suggested terms to avoid to improve the chances of getting funding. Mashable shouldn't have covered this story. It was a mistake on the part of the assigning editor (hi). The best we can do now is offer this updated information and an apology to you, our readers. We set high standards for our coverage here, and on Saturday we fell far short of those standards. Please accept our sincere apologies.