@rheasood.bsky.social
Interested in genetics, gene editing, and immunology. LSRP1 at the Schumer Lab @ Stanford
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12.11.2025 22:55 — 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Insertion of an invading retrovirus regulates a novel color trait in swordtail fish https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.07.687308v1
11.11.2025 15:51 — 👍 4 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0![Case 3:25-cv-03698-SI Document 85 Filed 05/09/25 Page 1 of 42
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO,
et al.,
Case No. 25-cv-03698-SI
Plaintiffs,
v.
ORDER GRANTING TEMPORARY
RESTRAINING ORDER AND
COMPELLING CERTAIN
DISCOVERY PRODUCTION
Re: Dkt. No. 37
DONALD J. TRUMP, et al.,
Defendants.
United States District Court
Northern District of California
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The new presidential administration has made clear that it intends to change the way the
federal government operates. An Executive Order issued on February 11, 2025 seeks to
“commence[] a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy” by “eliminating waste, bloat, and
insularity[.]” Exec. Order No. 14210, 90 Fed. Reg. 9,669 (Feb. 11, 2025). It is the prerogative of
presidents to pursue new policy priorities and to imprint their stamp on the federal government. But
to make large-scale overhauls of federal agencies, any president must enlist the help of his co-equal
branch and partner, the Congress. Federal courts should not micromanage the vast federal
workforce, but courts must sometimes act to preserve the proper checks and balances between the
three branches of government. As a group of conservative former government officials and advisors
have written to the Court, “Unchecked presidential power is not what the Framers had in mind.”
Dkt. No. 69-1 at 1.
The plaintiffs in this case—a collection of unions, non-profit organizations, and local
governments—contend that the executive branch cannot lawfully implement large-scale reductions
in the federal workforce without the participation of Congress. They bring this suit against President
Trump, numerous federal agencies, and their respective agency heads. Specifically, plaintiff](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:et2wciooy67fjldjcvls34c6/bafkreib542du556nwj5en7ajpqw3kbwzjnj7v6rggvnermh4lw3ehxekdu@jpeg)
Case 3:25-cv-03698-SI Document 85 Filed 05/09/25 Page 1 of 42 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, et al., Case No. 25-cv-03698-SI Plaintiffs, v. ORDER GRANTING TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND COMPELLING CERTAIN DISCOVERY PRODUCTION Re: Dkt. No. 37 DONALD J. TRUMP, et al., Defendants. United States District Court Northern District of California 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 The new presidential administration has made clear that it intends to change the way the federal government operates. An Executive Order issued on February 11, 2025 seeks to “commence[] a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy” by “eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity[.]” Exec. Order No. 14210, 90 Fed. Reg. 9,669 (Feb. 11, 2025). It is the prerogative of presidents to pursue new policy priorities and to imprint their stamp on the federal government. But to make large-scale overhauls of federal agencies, any president must enlist the help of his co-equal branch and partner, the Congress. Federal courts should not micromanage the vast federal workforce, but courts must sometimes act to preserve the proper checks and balances between the three branches of government. As a group of conservative former government officials and advisors have written to the Court, “Unchecked presidential power is not what the Framers had in mind.” Dkt. No. 69-1 at 1. The plaintiffs in this case—a collection of unions, non-profit organizations, and local governments—contend that the executive branch cannot lawfully implement large-scale reductions in the federal workforce without the participation of Congress. They bring this suit against President Trump, numerous federal agencies, and their respective agency heads. Specifically, plaintiff
Breaking: 🚨
Federal district court in California grants a temporary restraining order in AFGE v Trump.
This TRO stops Musk/Trump/DOGE from taking any further actions on RIFs for now. 1/3
Here’s everything you need to know about the FDA’s latest appointee.
Prasad’s pick-me energy—boosting and defending Kennedy, justifying Trump’s cuts—paid off.
Now, the admin has another doctor with a history of casting doubt on COVID mitigations and mRNA vaccines in a critical public health role.
This Friday there is a major court hearing about NIH. Judge Susan Illston in the Northern District of California will hear arguments and decide whether to grant a restraining order against the DOGE RIFs.
It’s a big deal!
1030am Pacific/1:30pm Eastern on Fri 5/9.
Two brown bunnies cuddle on a patterned rug by a wall.
04.05.2025 11:30 — 👍 8955 🔁 611 💬 70 📌 25
"It’s like I have to choose between my life and my career." The personal stories of 5 scientists affected by Trump's assault on science. www.science.org/content/arti...
05.05.2025 11:24 — 👍 74 🔁 40 💬 3 📌 3
How this case may play out What should we expect to happen now? While it seems clear that the President does not have the right to destroy via RIF the capacity to execute Congressionally-mandated agency functions via RIF, much will turn on which courts and which judges are weighing in on this case. The case was filed in the Northern District of California, and assigned to Judge Susan Illston, a liberal appointee. You can find the docket here. A motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) was filed on May 1. It asks for, amonst other things, to block or enjoin “…execution of any existing reduction in force (“RIF”) notices.” Most of the NIH RIFs would be finalized in early June. So if the judge grants the order, it will make the NIH RIF notices invalid and put people back to work supporting US science and universities and sending out funds that scientists have won for excellent proposals. The hearing on the motion is set for this Friday, May 9, at 10:30am Pacific. That’s the big hearing. Will the judge grant a TRO? Let’s hope.
What comes after any TRO will be big. Republicans would almost certainly call for the judge’s impeachment — an entirely laughable situation, as the judges that do deserve impeachment are those like Clarence Thomas who have accepted payments from Trump-allied billionaires. (Not kidding. We should laugh in the face of anyone who proposes impeaching judges who decide against Trump.) After the district court acts, Trump and his minders like Stephen Miller and Russ Vought will try to get any TRO up to the Supreme Court as quickly as possible, where a majority of justices have issued political decisions to protect Trump. What would happen at the Supreme Court? It’s hard to predict with certainty. But it seems likely from here that the Supreme Court will find a way to use its shadow docket to in effect overturn the TRO, perhaps by “playing fast and loose with terminology to obscure what it is actually doing,” as even far-right Federalist Society lawyer Josh Blackman said about the SCOTUS order in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case.
As so often with Trump and Republican party action, the way for us to beat their deception is to get out in front of it. We should start saying now that the Supreme Court must let any TRO stand — and not just stand “in part” while the order actually overturns the TRO, but actually let the effect of the TRO stand. If the district court judge stops the RIFs with a TRO, we must demand the Supreme Court shadow docket decision on the TRO must also stop the RIFs. Spread the word to your friends and colleagues. We should start talking about what the Supreme Court will do in this case now. This case deserves a lot of our attention. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
Here’s the status of the case, from the piece.
05.05.2025 15:25 — 👍 14 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 1
Thread with an email being sent to @asn-amnat.bsky.social @sse-evolution.bsky.social @systbiol.bsky.social members today calling for a Tri-society week of action for NSF:
Dear members:
The tri-societies (ASN, SSE,SSB) are running a ‘Week of Action for NSF’. Your engagement is crucial.
New England scientists are in the House (literally) advocating for #NSF #NIH #NOAA funding with @aibsbiology.bsky.social #AIBS2025CVD
30.04.2025 13:40 — 👍 150 🔁 12 💬 1 📌 1
The Spencer Foundation is offering rapid response bridge funding for those who lost NSF research grants.
www.spencer.org/grant_types/...
🚨HEY DORKS, WE NEED YOUR HELP🚨
We preparing for a BIG fight against Trump's attack on science and we won't stop until we win!
We are grassroots and run on donations. Whether it's $5 or $500, every little bit counts in the fight to save science.
#standupforscience
actionnetwork.org/fundraising/...
Welcome to Save The U.S. National Science Foundation A Girl Looking at a Physics Model TAKE ACTION Save NSF is a coalition of concerned scientists and allies who are working to save funding for scientific grants through the U.S. National Science Foundation. Our mission is to support and advocate for the continuation of vital research and innovation in various scientific fields. NSF funding is critical to this work. Join us in our endeavor to ensure a sustainable future for scientific exploration and discovery.
I am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!!
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
🔔BREAKING🔔
The NSF has frozen all research grant awards—cutting off life-saving science midstream and demanding ideological screenings for future funding.
This is censorship disguised as oversight.
Here’s how you can help us spread the word ➡️🧵(1/3):
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Tax Day next up: NSF!
🛰️ $40 a year. That’s what the average U.S. taxpayer pays annually to fund the National Science Foundation.
💡 Science isn’t luxury - it’s infrastructure.
From disaster prediction to cybersecurity to the tech in your phone, NSF powers the systems that keep society running.
