Stephanie M. Lee

Opinion | Six surgeons general: RFK Jr. is a threat to the health of Americans It was our duty in office to warn of dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.

“Secretary Kennedy is entitled to his views. But he is not entitled to put people’s health at risk.”

Six former surgeons general condemn RFK Jr.

It's pub day for my book, "Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley," which chronicles the rise of the tech right and their role in the 2024 election. Thanks to everyone who helped along the way.
linktr.ee/gildedrage

We still can’t predict much of anything in biology Biology is hard. Yes, even for AI.

Biology is much more complicated than most non-biologists can imagine. And AI is not going to change this anytime soon.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/we-still-c...

Nobel committee unable to reach prize winner who is ‘living his best life’ hiking off grid Fred Ramsdell was among those honoured with a 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine but might not know because he is somewhere in Idaho and uncontactable

when you try and get your PhD advisor to review your manuscript 😂

happy birthday!!

I’m deeply honored to have been named as the recipient of the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting from the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. It recognizes my work on scientific integrity for Science Magazine over the last five years. 1/7 tinyurl.com/zz54fzyr

Do Journalists Update Retracted Science News? In recent years, retractions of scientific papers have been rising. Most retractions invalidate scientific claims and should not be used as sources of information. Retractions may directly affect k...

Do Journalists Update Retracted Science News?

"Results show that retractions, and formal expressions of concern issued to scientific papers, serve as impetus for the update of news, but that this is still a rare journalistic practice."

Connector Chats are back! Join us 10/9 for a discussion about covering chaos in federal science funding, with
@stephaniemlee.bsky.social, @katherinejwu.com, and @scott-delaney.bsky.social.

Can't make it? Register to get the recording and tipsheet after the event.

bit.ly/casw-funding

Week 37 Sept 27-Oct 2, 2025 - hold the door

Each Friday, I summarize what is happening to American science & higher ed. 🧪
This was Week 37:
- 9 universities face loyalty oath (“compact”)
- government shutdown - impact on services & fear of further RIFs
- four NIH directors officially fired

& so much more buttondown.com/liminalcreat...

What It’s Like to Be an Autism Scientist Funded by the Trump Administration The government is funding respected scholars to study autism’s causes, at a time when experts say it’s also sowing misinformation about the same topic.

Great article from @stephaniemlee.bsky.social at @chronicle.com on the NIH Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI) www.chronicle.com/article/what...

ADSI funding went to reputable scientists because and only because dedicated NIH civil servants fought hard to ensure a rigorous, science-based process.

U.S. deports journalist Mario Guevara to El Salvador, family says Mario Guevara, an independent journalist, was arrested while covering a protest of the Trump administration in a case that has alarmed free speech groups.

Mario Guevara, an Emmy-award winning reporter, was deported to El Salvador — a nation he fled more than two decades ago. He was arrested while covering a protest of the Trump administration in a case that has alarmed free speech groups.

The Trump Administration’s ‘Compact’ Is a Trap Choose independence. Refuse to sign.

"To the presidents and trustees of those nine universities: This decision will define you. You can be remembered as leaders who defended higher education’s independence against attack, or as those who surrendered it. There is no middle ground. Choose independence." www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

CASW Connector Chat: How To Cover Ongoing Chaos in Science Funding - CASW Connector CASW Connector's next Chat comprises top reporters discussing funding cuts and reinstatements, related lawsuits plus database Grant Witness.

On Thursday 10/9, I'll be talking about how I'm covering (or trying to cover!) the chaos in federal research funding, in a webinar hosted by @sciencewriting.bsky.social. In conversation with the brilliant @katherinejwu.com and @scott-delaney.bsky.social. Join us! connector.casw.org/event/casw-c...

What It’s Like to Be an Autism Scientist Funded by the Trump Administration The government is funding respected scholars to study autism’s causes, at a time when experts say it’s also sowing misinformation about the same topic.

NEW: What's it like to be an autism scientist funded by the Trump administration? The government is funding respected scholars to study autism's causes, experts say, while also sowing misinformation. In the wake of *that* press conference, I talked to the grantees. www.chronicle.com/article/what...

The White House’s New ‘Compact’ Would Offer Universities an Edge in Grant Funding. What’s In It? We’ve seen what the Trump administration’s stick looks like. Let’s look at its carrot.

This is an incredibly helpful and context-rich breakdown of the "compact" that the Trump administration has sent to nine universities, offering them an edge in federal funding. Written by many of my brilliant colleagues www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

What It’s Like to Be an Autism Scientist Funded by the Trump Administration The government is funding respected scholars to study autism’s causes, at a time when experts say it’s also sowing misinformation about the same topic.

NEW: What's it like to be an autism scientist funded by the Trump administration? The government is funding respected scholars to study autism's causes, experts say, while also sowing misinformation. In the wake of *that* press conference, I talked to the grantees. www.chronicle.com/article/what...

Exclusive: Meet Richard Frye, who studies leucovorin for autism Frye has led two placebo-controlled trials of the folate supplement in autistic people; the first was suspended by regulators, and the other has yet to be published.

Meet Richard Frye, whose research record on leucovorin traces the gulf between promise and proof.

By Brendan Borrell

www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/exc...

BREAKING: Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, delivers the most scathing legal rebuke of the Trump era, ruling that Trump and his cabinet illegally targeted pro-Palestinian students for deportation to "strike fear" into First Amendment protesters. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

How a major DOE report hides the whole truth on climate change

ICYMI: Our team dug deeper into the Trump administration's misleading climate science report. It's more than a fact check. We show the sleights of hand they employ - fake debates, manipulated data, reliance on fossil fuel-funded experts - to reach a desired outcome. www.politico.com/interactives...

A graph showing the fraction of annual grant funding committed for NIH for fiscal years 2015 to 2025. The fiscal year 2025 lagged behind but then caught up over the last two months.

The fiscal year ends tomorrow.

Here are results from NIH Reporter downloaded an hour ago.

The total amount of funding committed for FY2025 at this point is 99.0% of that for FY2024. The same difference could be due to a variety of technical factors.

1/3

"Of the 557 drug approvals in our sample, 331 (59.4%) have a patent that cites a research publication acknowledging NIH support. Indeed, more than half of approved drugs (286, or 51.4%) are linked to at-risk research—research funded by grants that would have been cut under a 40% budget reduction." 🧪

All year long I've ben reporting on the decimation of federally funded research. It's been distressing for many scientists, and on the latest College Matters podcast, I tried to break it all down in conversation with the great @jackstripling.bsky.social. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Trump’s Tylenol warning cited a Harvard dean’s research. But a judge called his shifting conclusions ‘unreliable’ A Harvard dean whose work was cited as justification for curtailing Tylenol use provided what a judge called 'unreliable' expert testimony against the drug’s maker

Trump, Kennedy say the data show that Tylenol use during pregnancy causes autism.

It doesn't, but the PACER files show that the researcher whose data is fueling their conclusions was paid $150,000 to testify in a case against Tylenol.

www.statnews.com/2025/09/23/r...

A table of the percentage of fiscal year 2025 funding compared to fiscal year 2024 for 25 NIH institutes and centers (and the Office of the Director).

Here are data on the percentage of FY2024 appropriation committed to date in FY2025. Most ICs are well on track, but four ICs (NIMHD, NINR, NHLBI, NHGRI) still appear to be under 80%.

Note that values >100% reflect either a higher appropriation for FY25 or an increased % devoted to grants.

WIRED's The Politics Issue

Big Tech's embrace of President Trump has left many of us wondering: What the hell happened to Silicon Valley?

In our new politics issue, we're getting into it.

Also, we're taking this cover across the US in billboards, posters and a mural. Clues to find us in the 🧵: www.wired.com/politics-iss...

The ACIP vote was tied 6-6 for requiring everyone to get a prescription for the COVID19 vaccine.

The chair broke the tie by voting NO.

Prescriptions will NOT be required.

A federal judge has thrown out President Trump's lawsuit against The New York Times.

The suit, he says, "stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements" of federal court rules.

It is "decidedly improper and impermissible."

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Teachers' punishment for social media posts on Charlie Kirk's death prompts free speech debate More than three dozen professors, teachers and school staffers have left or been removed over allegations they made disparaging or mocking comments about Charlie Kirk.

NEW: I tracked three dozen teachers, professors and other school staff who've been forced from their job or stepped away due to their comments on Charlie Kirk and his killing

Republican lawmakers are increasingly getting involved, pushing for firings

www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Publisher investigating DNA contamination paper that authors say CDC vaccine committee will consider The publisher Taylor & Francis is investigating concerns raised on PubPeer about a paper claiming to find DNA contamination in COVID-19 vaccines beyond regulators’ recommended amounts.  Th…

The move comes as the U.S. body tasked with making recommendations for vaccine use is scheduled to consider the safety of COVID-19 shots, and two of the study’s authors say their findings will be discussed.

Breaking: Jimmy Kimmel is the latest late-night host to be pulled from a major network after the comedian made remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, amid pressure from Donald Trump’s administration.

Details: www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv...