1/ This is awful for so, so many reasons. Just to pick one: even if you thought it was lawful and appropriate to vet funded research for consistency with the government's priorities, *the president is not the government*.

I’m proud to have my work on governance at NIH with @markhisted.org so ably referenced here by Lowe to make the undeniable case that Trump’s policies are destroying US science.

"The plan is to kill off publicly funded academic science in this country." Correct. And that means killing off the whole US science and innovation industry. Because it's all built on a foundation of basic research—which. can. only. be. funded. by. public. dollars.

I spent 2+ years as part of a coalition that tried to stop Charlottesville City Schools from putting police back into our schools after they were removed in 2020. The board refused to read the literature showing their harms. This NYT story shows their human cost. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/b...

Not only is I Love Boosters a phenomenal exhibition of Boots Riley’s chaotic Black Marxist surrealist imagination, but I just found out about the LA promo and it was so completely on the nose

This could be very VERY BAD. It looks like a way to remove transparency of peer review, which would enable political apparatchiks to have much more power over decisions on where grant money goes.

We are running out of fire alarms to pull here, folks.

Back in 2013, Bruno Latour said Boomers’ questioning of institutions was well-meaning, but since they never replaced the institutions they subverted with new habits of democracy, the new generation can only fall back into fundamentalism in their search for truth. I think about that a lot these days.

Federal employees, speaking in their personal capacity on matters of public concern, have been a bulwark of transparency in this lawless administration. OPM’s proposed NDAs impose secrecy and the threat of retaliation to silence civil servants and further obscure agency actions from public scrutiny.

I find myself constantly mourning what we have lost to AI. It’s been a year since an undergraduate called a scholarly manuscript a “novel” in one of their essays 🥺

Geloë’s resting expression is permanently fixed in “I accidentally turned on my phone when the camera was flipped” mode

I talked to some people today about the Trump admin firing the Nat'l Science Board, and citing a recent Roberts Court decision as justification. Made me think of this essay from 2024. One title we tossed around was "This Supreme Court's Approach to Government Threatens US Science." ayup. 👍😬😡

This is a great thread. “A distributed system of deciding where research support goes is demonstrably best.” Yes. In a recent working paper @nataliebaviles.bsky.social and I profiled the US and EU BRAIN projects as an example of this, but the principle is what made NIH strong before 2025. 1/4

More on the RIFs and schedule F/ Career policy reclassifications at NIH that I mentioned previously: www.govexec.com/management/2...

Scoop: There has been a massive shakeup at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Eight of the top ten officials have now been pushed out since President Donald Trump took office. In @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...

If you are looking for a through line that connects seemingly distinct issues like federal office relocation and setting up funds to pay off supporters, its personalism. The government and its resources are mine, says Trump. I distribute them as I see fit. bsky.app/profile/greg...

And that’s why the mostly rightwing-aligned “metascience” science reform space in the US is dedicated to moving science funding away from universities. That’s what “NIH reform” and “centers of excellence” from the billionaire thinktanks- FAI, IFP, Paragon— are at root about.

Good explainer of the destruction of science funding under the billionaire space tourist “administering” NASA. Funding and publishing certain science would prove that the pro-petrochemicals agenda of Trump is destroying the environment—and we can’t have that proof out and about.

NEW: A serious staffing shortage — of the Trump admin's own making — is delaying the agency's ability to send billions to universities around the country, leaving labs reeling in the meantime. “I thought we were at rock bottom”, a senior NIH official said. “We are below rock bottom now.”

"For too long, the university has ignored the wisdom of the donor class and hired based on academic excellence. Regrettably, this has led to the underrepresentation of discredited viewpoints in elite higher education." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/wer...

This conversation between @holdenthorp.bsky.social and @timothysnyder.bsky.social is a must-watch for US scientists. Snyder’s position echoes the thoughts of sociologist Robert K. Merton as he witnessed the destruction of German science under the Nazi Party (1/2) youtu.be/IWNDMwimUP0

"The right never lost their faith that if they were patient and determined enough, the 1960s could be undone — and maybe some of the 1860s too. They knew that even after a statue of a slaveholding traitor is torn down, defeat is not permanent. In fact, that statue may *literally* be raised back up."

NEW: The FDA has started to rehire after losing thousands of employees last year. But it will be difficult to replace what was lost. Read our profile of six of the folks who left, featuring video portraits filmed by @alexhogan.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2026/05/07/f...

I've been scooped (in a good way). I was working on a piece along these lines. This is better. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Important new study out today highlighting unequal impact of NIH grant terminations. “If the NIH is to serve the health of all Americans, it requires urgent course correction to ensure all scientific careers are sustained without targeted discrimination.” www.thelancet.com/journals/TLR...

It’s true and along the way, the Republican Party embraced Dixie. The Dixification of rural areas in the north threatens to end the American experiment.

Texts from my kid whose special interest has recently shifted from Tolkien to abolition

"Too many scientists are willing to collaborate with Trumpism in the mistaken assumption that obedience will save their own necks." www.thenation.com/article/soci...

I'm really sad to report that #YousofAzizi was denied bond this week. You can learn more about the case, donate to his legal fund, or sign a petition on his behalf at the link below. And CAIR has set up a quick way for you to contact your elected officials, here. secure.ngpvan.com/dzJnYbjss0KC...

In which we learn Radical Republicans of the 1850s had a suite of court reforms that had they been implemented would have ensured enforcement of the Reconstruction amendments&prevented Jim Crow. These are, of course, as relevant today as 170 years ago because Reconstruction is USA’s Groundhog Day.

Nice try, Michel Callon!

The temptation to embed the security state in schools is only growing.

The VRA was reauthorized in 2006 by 390–33 in the House and 98 - 0 in the Senate and signed by GWB. I don’t people know the extent to which the Roberts court is substituting its judgement for Congress’.

Many thanks to Legal AF @legalafmtn.bsky.social for having me and @markhisted.org on to talk about what’s happening at NIH and the separation of powers issues it presents. We talk about how these issues threaten both our scientific and democratic future. youtu.be/5Y11O2rgfII

All over our federal science agencies, expert advisory boards are being decimated. This not only eliminates a crucial quality check on the science, but a long-standing mechanism for the democratic inclusion of members of civil society. Absent these boards, political appointees call all the shots.

Hey folks I'm at UVA next Monday - in conversation about writing with Alia Habib (an incredible literary agent). Look for "Public Writing, Public Scholarship with Alia Habib and David Perry." I'm very excited! ihgc.as.virginia.edu/other-events...

Pardon the flex, but I just learned that my comment article with @markhisted.org made the COVER of Nature!!

This report came out today by minority staff of the House science committee on how three NASA missions were aborted due to NASA illegally following the FY26 president's budget request instead of congressionally approved budget. Very important reading. 🔭🧪 democrats-science.house.gov/staff-report...

Charlottesville: we are rallying TOMORROW at 4:00pm at CHS to ask the School Board to revote on SROs. Last year they agreed to put police back in schools, returning to a policy that peer-reviewed research overwhelmingly suggests does more harm than good to our children and community.

A whole lot of recent US converts are about to learn a hard lesson: play Catholic games, win Catholic prizes.

you, a naive fool: i do believe there are some things the nytimes won’t both sides the nytimes:

I hope you all have as much fun reading about the public torture of Vannevar Bush’s legacy at CPAC as I did being interviewed by @aniloza.bsky.social on the subject.

I want to thank our community for showing up tonight to the Charlottesville City School Board meeting. This incredible coalition brought broad domain expertise and lived experience to ask the Board to rethink a rushed decision to put armed police officers back in city schools. I’m blown away, truly.

Restoring legislative supremacy is not just a nerdy legal thing. Saving US science and innovation depends on it. The core change killing NIH, NSF, and cancer research and cures this year is the president taking control of these agencies. @nataliebaviles.bsky.social and I wrote abt this: 1/

Charlottesville: join our community coalition tomorrow as we make signs for Tuesday’s school board meeting. We are asking the board to reconsider their decision to bring armed police back to Charlottesville City Schools, and we need you to help make our voices heard!

Saturday morning with the couch kaiju

Only 23% of government workers believe they “can report a suspected violation of a law, rule, or regulation without experiencing retaliation.” That's way down form the share the prior year (72%) who said they could report suspected illegal activity without fear www.thebulwark.com/p/two-more-g...

I cannot stress enough that the Trump Admin is only surprised by how this war has gone because they fired the intelligence folks who knew *exactly* how Iran planned to respond.

cville! the legal aid justice center & a bunch of local orgs have launched a campaign asking the school board to revote on SROs. click here to sign the petition, c.org/SPNzfPVyGZ and here www.justice4all.org/rethinkrevote/ to instantly email every member of the board!