Melissa Birchard

Rhodium Group on the House budget bill: Will raise energy costs as much as 7% in 2035, stifle energy technology innovation, increase pollution, and put half a trillion dollars of new manufacturing, industrial, and clean electricity investments across the country at risk. rhg.com/research/way...

How a House GOP Proposal Would Essentially Gut the IRA’s Biggest Tax Credits It’s not early phase-out. These 3 changes could overhaul the law’s clean electricity supports.

The GOP might argue their bill merely phases the tax credits for clean electricity out a little early. What's the big deal?
Here, @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social explains why 3 key changes would essentially make these credits worthless. heatmap.news/politics/hou...

There Is No ‘Energy Emergency,’ a New Lawsuit Claims

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/c...

The Suspension Clause:

1) Doesn't allow the President to unilaterally suspend habeas, especially when Congress is in session;

2) Applies only to cases of invasion or rebellion (this is quite clearly neither); and

3) *Even then,* applies only "when the public safety may require it." (It doesn't.)

Stephen Miller says they are “actively looking at” suspending the writ of habeas corpus, which is only allowed when the US has been invaded or during an insurrection, which would not allow people to challenge their incarceration in court if they are arrested and detained.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. 1 in 5 American adults have some kind of mental health challenge. It's okay to need help and people should be able to get the support they need. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by text, call, or chat: www.988lifeline.org.

Take a minute from your day and read this chilling story about how quickly we've gotten to where we are.

I too have wondered if there is an answer to this question.

MI Department of Ed. would like to inform you of a multistate lawsuit filed today by Michigan AG Nessel and AG’s in 18 other states challenging the U.S. Department of Ed’s threat to withhold federal funding from state & local agencies refusing to abandon diversity, equity, inclusion in pre-K-12.

They had lawyers, trials, most were given pretrial release, allowed to testify in their own defense, got discovery, could call witnesses, could cross-examine witnesses, could present mitigation at sentencing, and had a right to appeal.

Pope Francis showed the world how to lead with empathy and humility.

Extending a hand to help anyone in need, "the People's Pope" inspired millions who drew strength and compassion from him to embrace peace.

May his memory be a blessing.

NSF Grant Termination Information Collection Form Please use this form to submit information identifying specific NSF grants that have been cancelled for any reason after January 20, 2025. We are tracking these grants to increase transparency, organize affected PIs, and facilitate responses, including via litigation. Please share the form as widely as possible with your networks. We are actively building a pipeline to organize these terminations and will soon have a tracker akin to our NIH grant tracker at https://airtable.com/appjhyo9NTvJLocRy/shrNto1NNp9eJlgpA WE WILL NOT DISCLOSE THE IDENTITY OF ANYONE WHO USES THIS FORM TO PROVIDE INFORMATION. We will keep your identity confidential. These resources are maintained by Noam Ross of rOpenSci and Scott Delaney of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with input and support from additional volunteers. For any questions, please contact Scott Delaney on Signal (sdelaney.84). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE!

🚨Report your NSF grant terminations! 🚨

We are starting to collect information on NSF grant terminations to create a shared resource as we have for NIH. The more information we collect, the more we can organize, advocate, and fight back! Please share widely!

airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni...

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF VERMONT RUMEYSA OZTURK, Petitioner， V . DONALD J. TRUMP, in his official capacity as President of the United States; PATRICIA HYDE, in her official capacity as the New England Field Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; MICHAEL KROL, in ) his official capacity as HSI New England Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; TODD LYONS, in his official capacity as Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; KRISTI NOEM, in her official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security; and MARCO RUBIO, in his official capacity as Secretary of State, Case No. 2:25-cv-374 Respondents. OPINION AND ORDER

The instant matter concerns the government's motion to dismiss this case. The parties dispute whether this Court has jurisdiction to grant Ms. Ozturk the relief she requests. The matter also concerns Ms. Ozturk's motion for an order of immediate release pending the adjudication of her habeas claims or, in the alternative, an order transferring Ms. Ozturk back to the District of Vermont. For the reasons set forth below, the Court finds that it has jurisdiction to consider Ms. Ozturk's habeas petition. The Court further finds that Ms. Ozturk has raised significant constitutional concerns with her arrest and detention which merit full and fair consideration in this forum. Accordingly, the Court denies the government's request to dismiss the Petition and orders that Ms. Ozturk be transferred to ICE 2 2:25-cv-00374-wks Document 104 Filed 04/18/25 Page 3 of 74 custody within the District of Vermont pending further hearings on this matter.

BREAKING: Federal judge in Vermont denies the government's motion to dismiss Rumeysa Ozturk's habeas petition in Vermont — and orders that she be transferred to Vermont from Louisiana for further proceedings.

Judge William Sessions stayed the effect of his ruling for four days to allow any appeal.

JUST IN: Lawyers for Venezuelan nationals say they’re being loaded onto buses this hour in anticipation of a new wave of Alien Enemies Act deportations, w less than 24 hours notice. They’re asking Judge Boasberg for an immediate restraining order requiring 30 days notice.

I heard something like that yesterday. I couldn’t quite make it out either but it was cute.

The cryptocurrency sector has responded enthusiastically to our study. The constructive engagement is appreciated, and at the same time, it's important to clarify a few key points made in this latest media coverage. 🧵 🔌💡

Read a Federal Appeals Panel’s Sharp Rebuke of the Trump Administration A federal appeals court in Virginia issued a striking opinion on Thursday, reaffirming that the Trump administration had to take a more active approach in seeking the release of a Maryland man, Kilmar...

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump Threatens Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students The administration targets hosting of international students after Harvard resisted sweeping demands earlier this week

"The Homeland Security Department letter said hosting international students was a privilege not a guarantee and because Harvard had 'created a hostile learning environment for Jewish students' the administration was requesting information about visa holders by April 30."

Tackling the PJM Electricity Cost Crisis Electricity customers in the PJM region (which spans all or parts of 13 Mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C.) are facing a looming cost crisis stemming from two major issues: (a) worsening barrier...

www.synapse-energy.com/tackling-pjm...

If the IRS deprives Harvard of its tax-exempt status, that's very bad for Harvard but it's also a catastrophe for the IRS. Instead of a neutral agency that enforces tax law, it will become a tool of partisan warfare. It may never recover.

boston globe editorial board: harvard is making the right decision, and universities should band together to fight.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/o...

That's not rhetoric. That's outright lying and propaganda. She shouldn't hold that position and she doesn't deserve to wear that cross.

Chief Judge Boasberg's probable cause ruling is *not* an appealable order.

DOJ can ask the D.C. Circuit for an extraordinary writ of mandamus, but that requires showing that the district court ruling both (1) was clearly wrong; and (2) is not otherwise capable of being remedied on a future appeal.

Greens on edge over rumors Trump may target nonprofit status Speculation is rampant that environmentalists could be targeted in an Earth Day move by the president.

www.eenews.net/articles/gre...

Trump administration asks IRS to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status The directive to the IRS is a significant escalation of President Donald Trump’s feud with Harvard University and other Ivy League institutions and other nonprofit groups.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

DOGE wanted to assign staff to the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice because it got federal funds The nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice says staff from Elon Musk’s DOGE contacted them to “assign” a team to the organization and said DOGE staff told them they intended to “assign” teams to all nonp...

apnews.com/article/doge...

US Army engineers decide to fast-track Great Lakes tunnel permits under Trump energy emergency order The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will fast-track permits for building a protective tunnel around an aging Enbridge oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes.

apnews.com/article/enbr...

Trump Admin Halts New York Offshore Wind Project, Orders Review of All Existing Biden-Era Wind Permits The Trump administration on Wednesday took action to halt construction of a massive offshore wind project being built in federal waters off the coast of New York and ordered a sprawling review of exis...

freebeacon.com/energy/trump...

Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards Scientists, with expertise in fields that include mental health, cancer and infectious disease, typically serve five-year terms and were not given a reason for their dismissal.

www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...