Just to note. January 23, 2019 there was a vote to reopen government (HJ RES 28, roll call vote 46) when the govt had been shut down for 30 days. Mike Johnson voted “no” on that. They didn’t seem to mind shutdowns then

There are days I cry for higher education. But there are beautiful days, too. View from my office window as I get ready for class. I am finding it very, very hard to be grateful for anything right now but I will take this moment.

These bugs I drew on leaves aren't new, but I thought I'd share them for #InverteFest. #TradArt

A beautiful female hercules beetle.

Universities hold patents on 50% of FDA approved drugs, and research done at universities contributed to 90% of current medications. Think about what we stand to lose if federal funding is cut by 50% 🧪 www.statnews.com/2025/06/06/u...

I don’t know how to deal with the anger I feel.

FEMA is canceling plans to award states grants to help prepare against future disasters. Federal funds given to states after disasters strike could also be in jeopardy.

Hi folks: Facebook appears to be taking down my posts. Please remember they are available for free here (no paywall), and can be received by email (also free-- just don't put in your credit card information). I guess if I'm being banned I'm doing something right?

lol, from UK satirical magazine Private Eye

Escaping reality with beetles, real and imaginary.

Pass it on. #StandWithUkraine

So. It has officially happened. I have been officially let go from my position at CDC. I wasn’t a probationary employee. I had stellar performance reviews every year. I’ll be ok. But please understand that many worked HARD to get into these positions and were doing great public health work.

A tiny old loaf.

P is for Patagurus, a hermit crab known from only ONE SPECIMEN EVER! Instead of a snail shell, it wears a bivalve to cover its tiny abdomen. Is this how hermit crabs gave up their houses in carcinization? 🤔 (see king & coconut crabs, ALSO hermits) #CrabAZ 🦀🧪🦑 www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/arti...

Thunderstorms and rain at bedtime. Snowy yard in the morning. Happy Sunday! We can do this.

Spot on.

Don’t buy stuff on February 28. Money’s the only thing these dicks understand. #resist

If you support any of this, you’re honestly just a terrible person. People’s lives are being upended and destroyed. For every 1% increase in unemployment, 40,000 people die—yet some are celebrating.

One of our supporters shared this with us—people are getting creative tonight!

I just lost my job, along with most of my coworkers, due to the illegal grant freeze. I worked at an organization that -helped veterans who have lost a limb -Assisted elderly and disabled people -Helped hospitals better treat people who have lost limbs

*DOOMSCROLLING CHECKPOINT* Stop. Breathe. Take your mind off the collapse of US Democracy. Here's some baby giant springtails, aren't they cute? They don't understand human politics, they just eat fungi and logs and go to sleep. That must be nice for them. Okay, off you go. #Invertebrate 🧪

Crypsis at its finest! Thanks for sharing, Tom!

F*** you, sir.

My mood…

I was led to believe by R.E.M. that I would feel a lot better about this.

How. Is. This. Happening.

I love that a white guy was flying the plane, a white guy was flying the helicopter, and a white guy gutted the FAA last week but somehow the blame is too much diversity.

I’m sad to learn that my law school classmate, Kiah Duggins, died in the DC plane crash last night. Kiah was an exceptionally talented civil rights lawyer and aspiring legal scholar. I hope you’ll read about her work and the causes she cared about, some of which I’ll 🧵 below. What an immense loss

Elon Musk is locking government employees out of government systems and demanding access to the government's entire payment network. This is not legal, of course. www.reuters.com/world/us/mus...

The CDC has shut down its "Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons" web page. It now redirects to.."Sexually Transmitted Infections" page. 🤦‍♀️ All hail the Trump Administration! #HeilTrump

Considering how many thousands of planes take off and land every hour--and how many have done so safely in the last 16 years--two such accidents with 48 hours in the first 11 days of Trump's misrule is two accidents too many.

So, this is what happens when you fire a bunch of people for the sake of “efficiency.”

grandpa keeps forgetting he's the government

I'm contractually obligated to regularly post this picture of the smallest known jumping spider species in the world (Neonella camillae) on the head of a pin; so, here we are. #EmotionalSupportSpood Goodnight y'all 🖤

Reminiscing about a calm summer filled with bees and hope.

This is becoming absurd—federal employees are now being told to remove pronouns from their email signatures. We will always stand by our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, no matter how many things we’re asked to delete or change. Inclusivity is at the core of who we are.

PhD opportunity: I am looking for a PhD student to study taxonomy and systematics of labrid fishes and other coral reef taxa. Successful applicants will be jointly based at the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum Research Institute.

Updated list of companies committed to DEI Costco, Meijer, Kroger, Giant Grocery, Ben & Jerry’s, Ulta, Macy’s, Old Navy, Nordstrom’s, TJ Maxx, GoTo Foods (includes Moe’s Southwest Grill, Mcalister’s, Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, Cinnabon, and more…), Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Wegmans

Beautiful Bombus for a Friday. Taken at the Indiana Dunes Learning Center.

The price of eggs in the US is spiking, mostly due to #H5N1 bird flu. Solving the problem requires urgent, important communications from the CDC & FDA* and rapid development of research by the NIH** * Currently paused by Executive Order ** Grant reviews now all canceled www.kcur.org/news/2025-01...

Eggs were $6.99 today. Am I allowed to blame Voldemort?

As best you can, ignore him.

To celebrate the various shades of #Bluebugs Monday. From the Montreal Insectarium.

I cannot think about the world today. Instead, behold these beautiful insects from the Montreal Insectarium, sorted by color.

UK experiment shows that fertilizing grassland drastically drives down pollinator numbers. #science #pollination