Federal workers urge Democrats to stand up to White House Employees are asking lawmakers for actions ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government.

My full quote to Axios:

“We are calling on all Congress people—regardless of party—to pass a CR that ends executive overreach and protects the American people…

www.axios.com/2025/09/18/t...

A cover labeled "Fifty Shades of 'Jay' by Jeremy M Berg

Several people have suggested that I compile my emails to Bhattacharya and I am delighted to do so.

Announcing the first cut of "Fifty Shades of 'Jay'

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

This contains just the first few exchanges. I will be adding more as time permits.

a dog is sitting in the back seat of a car with a question mark on it . ALT: a dog is sitting in the back seat of a car with a question mark on it .

I read the words that were there, but I didn't think about the words that were absent.

Cancer, diabetes, heart, basic, fundamental, opioid, lung, eye, women, vitamin, gene, genetic, personalized, precision, rehabilitation, trauma, systems, etc.

This is a unified strategy, but for what?

In reflecting on the NIH "priorities" document (www.nih.gov/about-nih/ni... ), I realized something striking that I had missed through all of the other issues.

1/2

*many of us at NIH want this. Don’t claim to speak for everyone.

Yes, we at NIH want Dems to boycott the budget process, and refuse to do anything to help R’s, until Trump stops the crime and ends the fascist takeover.

Covid Contrarianism Has Crossed the Aisle The Great Barrington Declaration, criticized by scientists and libertarians in 2020, is now a playbook for those on the right and the left.

New article from @gregggonsalves.bsky.social

www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Did You Work on a Terminated NIH Grant? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You. The National Institutes of Health is canceling grants that are seen as conflicting with the Trump administration’s priorities. We want to hear from researchers who have been affected.

Related to our previous post- if you had a grant terminated, Pro Publica wants to hear from you. Your work was funded because it was good, important science meant to help Americans. Reach out, and make your voice heard.

www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...

Important- if you had an illegally terminated grant that was reinstated, you might not be safe. Staff are being told that grants *may* be canceled after October 1st, 2025 if not "in line with agency priorities". POs are being muzzled and can't tell grantees directly.

#NIH #NIH_funding

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

As we embark on a new week (and more chaos), remember that every day is new. And we’re with you along the way. 🤍✊

Fraction of grant budget, just competitive renewal awards.

4/5

Updated funding curves (new format)

(Data through July 18)

Fraction of grant budget, all awards

1/5

Yes. Typo fixed. Also, this is NIH data. New plots to follow. Also updated in dashboard.

1/5

Same

Support the NASA Voyager Declaration Now! — STAND UP FOR SCIENCE Your solidarity with the NASA heroes helps their fight to preserve NASA's vital missions.

The Voyager Declaration from courageous NASA staff members was just sent. Please take a look and sign on in support.

@standupforscience.bsky.social

www.standupforscience.net/nasa-voyager...

Litigation update

The appeal for a stay in the APLU and AG NIH grant termination cases is DENIED.

Next stop...likely SCOTUS.

“When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.”

-Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Judge rules against NIH grant cuts — and calls them discriminatory The decision means that the US biomedical agency has to restore funding to hundreds of research projects, but the government will likely appeal.

After ruling the NIH grant cuts were illegal yesterday, Judge Young, a Reagan appointee on the bench since 1985, ended the hearing with a blistering 15-minute speech.

I've cleaned up my notes — here are his remarks in full. 🧵

Part 2

(This part is even more compelling as he notes that no one in power at NIH stepped up to stop actions that he views as clearly illegal and unconstitutional)

This is a SIMULATION based on the transcription of Judge Young's closing statement by @maxkozlov.bsky.social .

This is voice synthesized, not a recording (which are forbidden in the courtroom).

But I wanted to try to convey the power of his statement. Even this does not do it justice.

Part 1.

BREAKING: Judge denies NSF's 15% indirect rate plan. Like the DOE and NIH attempts, it too has now been rejected by courts. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

🚨 BREAKING: Nearly 4 months the NIH cut its first grants, a judge has ruled that the directives and process that led to cuts are arbitrary and capricious.

"The explanations are bereft of reasoning — virtually in their entirety... unsupported by [facts]."

Each of them are VOID and ILLEGAL, he says.

NIH grant cuts will axe clinical trials abroad — and could leave thousands without care US agency’s new policy could abruptly end studies of infectious diseases and cancer, leaving researchers scrambling for funds.

Researcher Amita Gupta has spent more than a decade planning and running a $70-million trial to study a new tuberculosis drug, enrolling ~6,000 participants in 13 countries. It might all have been for nothing.

That's because a new NIH policy has abruptly cut off billions to trials abroad. 🧪

Glad to see this, but I have another idea...Hear me out here...

Why doesn't NIH just reinstate the effing awards since they are ongoing and already made it successfully through a competitive process?

Seems like this would actually be "efficient" (and also fair and just)...

My quote of the day

E' più facile resistere all'inizio che alla fine.

(It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.)

Leonardo Da Vinci

Grant freezes versus terminations feel different, but they have the same practical effect.

We should start treating freezes as terminations, both of which can be undone by HHS / NIH whenever they want—or by court order if they refuse. They’re all illegal.

DOGE: prosecute, jail time

This is horrific. the DOGE boys are not just doing destruction of biomedical research, they're doing fundamental attacks against humanity.