These assholes back down when we push back. We should push back more often. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/c...

At the end of the term I asked my college creative wriing students to submit anonymous thoughts on AI. No real surprises: Mood ranges from resignation to despair, capitulation from embittered erosion of standards to total, feelings of betrayal from deep to furious. 1/

Quintessential Trump: In 2025, Trump axed the program to combat New World Screwworm, stating that they had "saved" $1.5 million a year. In 2026, the Trump announces a $1 billion emergency program to combat the Screwworm outbreak. $1 billion would have funded the old program for 667 years.

It's not the thing that's caused the most death and harm, but pointlessly and maliciously torching our deep-rooted relationship with our closest national friend and neighbor is, in terms of history and national character, one of the most depressing aspects of the broader catastrophe.

another day, another story about the administration's war on knowledge itself, all in service of allow its corporate patrons free rein to rob us blind and poison our world www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/c...

It’s truly astonishing to see how comprehensively the US government is tearing down every part of the system that has made it up until now a world-leading power in science, research, and technological development. The entire world will suffer from this wanton destruction.

An unapologetically angry post about what’s being done to US science:

science In this country will need to be built back up from the roots “We're now engaged in tearing all of that down, and it's a crime against this nation, against its people, and against the rest of the human race“ www.science.org/content/blog...

Of all the harm this administration has done to US science, today's proposed changes to the way federal grants are awarded and administered is the most damaging yet. The text of the federal register document is impenetrably tedious by design, so here's an excellent summary of what it says.

Your perpetual reminder that this is textbook fascism. It’s the “Us vs. them” play where the regime draws arbitrary lines everywhere they can in a society. (And yes, America has done this before…)

Lots of good stuff in here:

When federal agents came to the home of David Morens on Monday with an arrest warrant for allegedly concealing federal records related to the debate about the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, they behaved as if the 78-year-old retired scientist was a violent criminal. https://scim.ag/4cIEXhc

The Stand Up for Science Foundation (a nonpartisan 501c3) is launching a new Institute to craft and implement policy that will address the damage to federal agencies and institutions, recenter evidence-based decision making, and reestablish the United States as a global leader in science. 2/7

This is already an indelible stain on our national history, culture, consciousness, influence, standing And EVERY SINGLE member of the group that could STOP THIS immediately—the Republican members of the House and Senate—stands there in the dock of history's judgment, like quislings of other eras

“…our nation (and the globe) faces increasingly grave danger by allowing this man to continue to control the levers of America’s awesome power…the responsibility resides not just with Republicans but with every member of Congress…to remove Trump from power.” www.americaamerica.news/p/donald-tru...

Just a quick reminder that Ronald Reagan yanked the solar panels off the White House. If America had remained on the path Jimmy Carter set us on, nobody would be talking about the Strait of Hormuz or gas prices right now. Republicans have been fucking America and the world for decades.

Between January 20, 2025, and March 6, 2026, we tracked and categorized 562 unique attacks on science… and we’re still counting. UCS’s @jbd-phd.bsky.social breaks down the impact of these attacks and how you can help defend scientific integrity:

It's going to be impossible to regain all we have lost. Heart breaking. Gifted wapo.st/47wflRz

tl;dr: NIH is running at about 60% of pre-Trump levels and NSF is running at about 20% of pre-Trump levels of funding-outlays (some directorates far below even that). Utterly catastrophic. An unforced disaster for U.S. society, and the world

Shoot all these people into fucking space.

>10,000 STEM PhDs have left federal service over the past year (including 30% of the federal colleagues with whom I’ve worked closely). Those still left are holding federal science together with duct tape. What an extraordinary act of sabotage against the American people.

If we made the green energy transition this war would be unthinkable and these authoritarians wouldn’t be in power — not in the US, not in Iran, not in Saudi Arabia, not in Russia. Hydrocarbons are killing our freedom and just plain killing us.

This project started with results that made me go, “Huh…” & led me on a lil deep-dive into wolf ecology, behavior, & patterns of recolonization (I had fun 🤓). In the end, I can’t shake the impression of wolves keeping the deed to the homestead in the family link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Kudos and MUCH appreciation to my co-authors, Dave Ausband, Jennifer Adams, @phohenlohe.bsky.social, and Lisette Waits!!

As I say here, there is no scientific justification to revoke the engagement finding. In fact, over the last 15+ yrs, the evidence of how climate change affects our health has only grown. Higher risk of allergies, dementia, fertility, heart disease, and death: that’s what’s on the line. @nature.org

You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.

A reminder that the Kennedy Center is the literal and legal and congressional designated presidential memorial to JFK. This would be like Trump tearing down the Lincoln Memorial to build something “better.”

We have compiled a special issue for @evolappjournal.bsky.social on Effective population size in Conservation and Biodiversity Monitoring, dedicated to the late Michael W. Bruford. This SI is a must read for everyone who struggles with what "effective population size" means. #consgen

Today we won. A U.S. District Court ruled that the administration violated federal law when it secretly convened a group of climate contrarians to produce a thoroughly debunked report to overturn the Endangerment Finding. The science still matters. We won't stop. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/c...

Wise words from WEB DuBois to gird us today: "It would be shame and cowardice to surrender this glorious land and its opportunities for civilization and humanity to the thugs and lynchers, the mobs and profiteers, the monopolists & gamblers who today choke its soul and steal its resources."

This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

The Carney speech is worth reading in full: globalnews.ca/news/1162087...

I fear for this country. Not because the president is a madman, but because the people who could stop him aren’t.

For some reason, very few people these days will stand up and say it, but: the US federal bureaucracy is one of the great wonders of the world, staffed with incredibly diligent people who do their jobs well and care deeply. Trump's destruction of the federal apparaus was a historic crime.

If you are a Republican, I do not think you are a fascist. I *observe* that you are a fascist.

The most pathetic man alive.

It is a blow but US climate scientists will stay engaged. We have to.

The “prosecute the former regime at every level” candidate has my vote in 2028.

The American people electing Trump after he staged a coup attempt 5 years ago was a nail in the coffin of our democracy. You can rationalize it all you want - But inflation! But wokeness! - but ultimately it was a societal suicide attempt and probably the dumbest collective voting decision ever made

NONE in Life science?! NONE?!

This plan is utterly insane and would cause catastrophic environmental degradation and loss of outdoor opportunities throughout the west — it would accelerate the decline of forests and wildlife, and seriously restrict hiking, camping, fishing, birding, hunting, etc.

If you have experienced direct harm to your work/lab/job due to recent changes at US NSF, & are willing to share this on behalf of the Am. Society of Naturalists and NSF, please DM/ email me ASAP (this is time-sensitive) or submit story here sites.google.com/view/scienti... Please share widely

Briefly putting on my hat as @asn-amnat.bsky.social President: The ASN Council has just distributed an updated message to the American Society of Naturalists members with information about actions that can be undertaken to advocate for science, and scientists, within the US:

I made this collage of federal environmental workers fired, just from photos on my feed this morning. It is a tiny fraction of the terminations. 1/3

In case folks are interested in contacting their congresspeople about the NIH indirect cuts with some estimates of what they would mean for institutions in their state, here are some estimates based on published F&A rates and funding ... let me know if you want a particular state

I usually reserve this account for my personal views; but today I want to represent my position as President of @asn-amnat.bsky.social to post a message that will shortly go out to the membership of the American Society of Naturalists from the ASN Executive Council

NSF FUNDING FREEZE UPDATE I received this email from the NSF about 45 minutes ago. Attached are the links. I believe this should restore trainee funding but await confirmation on that. nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/TRO-NY... new.nsf.gov/executive-or...

Yes, this administration is dangerous and cruel, but they are also shockingly dim and incompetent. Opportunities are everywhere. Make everything as hard as possible. Resist every demand. Refuse entry without a warrant. Don’t take the buyout. Their problem solving skills are 📉

Academic Skyers: I am compiling a list of policies and statements from various universities about how they are handling the "pause" in terms of stopping expenditures (or not). Please respond to this post with your institution and materials. THANK YOU!