I wrote about the Epstein files and what they tell us about men in academia.

In a field where climbing the career ladder is only possible through a combination of luck, mentorship and networking — the files show the ways sexism and misogyny still hold women back.

19thnews.org/2026/02/epst...

A broad group of National Institutes of Health (NIH) public servants have taken action with the "Bethesda Declaration" that targets the NIH and HHS Leadership. Join these courageous and committed professionals by adding your name now. actionnetwork.org/forms/add-na...

This week’s main story is about the budget and staffing cuts being made to public health agencies in the U.S. under RFK Jr.’s leadership, how those cuts will impact all of us, and some foolproof ideas for what scientists can do in the absence of totally superfluous stuff like, y’know, centrifuges.

💯.
US science is so powerful because public dollars are spent, by the government, on fundamental research that the private sector will not support. If NIH goes away, US biomedical science will collapse.

This is so heartbreaking and makes nothing better and no one safer. It is the punitive act of an administration that values fealty over human health.

Is DOGE cutting the size of the federal government? No. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpNg...

“the resurgence of preventable disease is not a law of nature — it's literally a choice we, as a society, are making.”

Innovative new personalized immunotherapy treatments for GI cancers at NIH are in jeopardy from the layoffs, purchasing restrictions, interruptions to clinical trials, and general chaos that the administration and DOGE have caused.

🧪 Nature is a British-based publication that’s widely considered the most prestigious, highest-impact scientific journal in the world. It’s hardly prone to dramatic statements.

In case anyone wonders if the world is watching, here is this week’s headlines

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

I remember the anxiety that led up to my termination as a probationary employee during the Valentine’s Day Massacre… I don’t envy the Feds currently waiting to hear if they’ve been RIFd. Be nice to any Feds you know today 😞 (and call your reps!)

The cruel and chaotic dismantling of NIH is going to impact people’s health for decades www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Hearing that there’s lots of chaos on NIH campus today- doge people roaming around checking offices and demanding to see badges, and rumors of new high level firings.

Bhattacharya’s first day at NIH!

Hold on everyone, we will get through this.

We (I) have no idea what the extent of the mass termination of grants for LGBT or DEI reasons is, but I know the impact is immediate and deep.
A few examples highlighted here:
abcnews.go.com/Health/scien...

#academicsky

AOC: I want to live in an America that guarantees healthcare to every person.

I want to live in an America that has a living wage for every person

I want to live in an America where you have free speech to express yourself and not be afraid of being put on a list or deported.

Tuberculosis, the deadliest infectious disease on the planet, kills more than 1.25M people a year. New infections are expected to surge by 30% as a result of closing USAID, a memo says. The increase will inevitably lead to cases in the U.S.

Important:
Most people in America do not know that Musk is shredding the government, stopping cancer cures for a generation, killing people, ending consumer protections, and enriching himself at our expense.

Our job now is to get the word out to all Americans. Because they don’t support this.

Firing probationary employees is senseless. Probationaries are:
-New to their position
-Make lower salaries
-Recruited to bring in new talent
-Far LESS likely to be dogmatic

They're being fired because they have fewer protections. Not because this will improve government efficiency or cut costs.