The erosion—and deliberate erasure—of government data bythe Trump Administration threaten both public safety and the US economy, says former US chief data scientist Denice Ross.

Federal data are more than jobs numbers and the Census Bureau's tallies of Americans. Government data undergird everyday essentials like the weather forecasts Americans rely on, including tornado and hurricane warnings. Federal data keep track of crime and public safety, give us early warning of epidemics and help farmers plan their crops.

But all of that is under threat.

Denice W. Ross, former Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officerand U.S. Chief Data Scientist under President Joe Biden, is sounding the alarm on the degradation of America’s federal data infrastructure and the myriad risks that presents. She’s also spearheading an effort, EssentialData.us, to track and preserve disappearing data.

Host: Anne Kim

Guest: Denice Ross, former US Chief Data Scientist

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction and Importance of Federal Data
• 03:00 The US Geological Survey's Bat Monitoring Database
• 06:00 Disappearing data - SNAP Program
• 09:00 Challenges in Data Collection and Integrity
• 12:00 Public Awareness and Advocacy for Data Preservation