Diabetes org apologizes for ejecting scientists over criticism of Trump

In a surprising turn of events, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has come under fire following the ejection of five prominent diabetes researchers from its annual conference. The incident has ignited a wave of criticism, leading ADA's CEO, Charles Henderson, to release a video apology addressing the situation. The scientists were removed for distributing copies of an editorial published in the ADA's own journal, Diabetes Care, which harshly critiques the Trump administration's impact on biomedical research. Among those ejected was Steven Kahn, the journal's editor-in-chief and a respected professor at the University of Washington, along with former ADA President Desmond Schatz from the University of Florida. The controversy escalated when the researchers handed out the editorial outside the event's opening speech, initially slated to be delivered by Jay Bhattacharya, who served as head of the National Institutes of Health under Trump. However, Bhattacharya canceled at the last moment, and senior NIH official Rick Woychik took his place. Law enforcement intervened shortly after the scientists began distributing the editorial, reportedly escorting them out of the venue and confiscating their conference badges. Authorities indicated that their actions were carried out at the request of the ADA. In his apology, Henderson expressed regret for the incident, stating, "What transpired is not reflective of who I am, the values I hold, or the way I was raised." He committed to working towards reconciling the organization with the scientific community, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in advancing diabetes research. The ousting of the scientists has shocked many within the diabetes research community, contrasting sharply with the ADA's earlier attempts to justify the actions of its security team, which had described the scientists' behavior as inconsistent with the conference's code of conduct.