Rachel Gabor
@riverchem.bsky.social
Chemist turned hydrologist/biogeochemist - all things carbon and water.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
May 16, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
1. Far right federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk has just vacated all EEOC protections for gay and trans people in the work place.
He says protections from "being fired" do not mean they are protected from harassment by Title VII.
I cover this insane ruling here.
Subscribe to support my journalism.
He says protections from "being fired" do not mean they are protected from harassment by Title VII.
I cover this insane ruling here.
Subscribe to support my journalism.
Far Right Federal Judge Rules Gay And Trans People Can Be Discriminated Against In Workplaces
Judge Kacsmaryk, a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas, ruled on the EEOC's treatment of Title VIII employment discrimination claims on gay and trans people.
www.erininthemorning.com
May 16, 2025 at 5:06 PM
1. Far right federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk has just vacated all EEOC protections for gay and trans people in the work place.
He says protections from "being fired" do not mean they are protected from harassment by Title VII.
I cover this insane ruling here.
Subscribe to support my journalism.
He says protections from "being fired" do not mean they are protected from harassment by Title VII.
I cover this insane ruling here.
Subscribe to support my journalism.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
What happens to science under autocracy? The rise of the National Socialist Party in 1930s Germany provides an (admittedly extreme) example. Prior to the early 1930s, scientists at German institutions won a third of Nobels. 10 years later, that number was 5%, and has never recovered.
May 16, 2025 at 6:17 PM
What happens to science under autocracy? The rise of the National Socialist Party in 1930s Germany provides an (admittedly extreme) example. Prior to the early 1930s, scientists at German institutions won a third of Nobels. 10 years later, that number was 5%, and has never recovered.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
"Imagine the auto industry without 3D printing. NSF funded that. Artificial intelligence? NSF. MRI machines that help doctors diagnose you? NSF. Doppler radar technology that makes aviation safer by conquering wind shear? NSF. Duolingo‘s underlying programming? NSF. The internet itself? NSF."
The National Science Foundation was established 75 years ago this week, but as Professor Scott L. Greer writes in this commentary, it’s “been a bit of a rough birthday party.”
michiganadvance.com/2025/05/13/a...
michiganadvance.com/2025/05/13/a...
A troubled birthday for the National Science Foundation • Michigan Advance
Happy 75th birthday, National Science Foundation! On May 10, 1950, Congress established one of the world’s best value, highest impact, and, frankly, coolest science agencies. The NSF finances federal ...
michiganadvance.com
May 14, 2025 at 3:12 AM
"Imagine the auto industry without 3D printing. NSF funded that. Artificial intelligence? NSF. MRI machines that help doctors diagnose you? NSF. Doppler radar technology that makes aviation safer by conquering wind shear? NSF. Duolingo‘s underlying programming? NSF. The internet itself? NSF."
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
I am thinking a lot today about how heavy things feel in my world of faculty doing scientific research. There's the immediate chaos and panic about our ability to pay people and continue our research. But there's also a deeper grief at watching everything get bulldozed for no reason
May 15, 2025 at 2:35 AM
I am thinking a lot today about how heavy things feel in my world of faculty doing scientific research. There's the immediate chaos and panic about our ability to pay people and continue our research. But there's also a deeper grief at watching everything get bulldozed for no reason
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
Nearly every higher ed-related provision in the House’s proposed reconciliation bill will make higher ed more expensive for students. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Assessing What Reconciliation Means for Higher Ed
House committees put the finishing touches on their sections of the reconciliation megabill early this week. Now, all the pieces of the puzzle are laid out, and higher ed experts say the picture is gr...
www.insidehighered.com
May 15, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Nearly every higher ed-related provision in the House’s proposed reconciliation bill will make higher ed more expensive for students. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
On a day when all research grants at Harvard were terminated, and in a context where Congress seems to broadly accept the notion that destroying science and health research in the US is fine, it’s worth noting that this is not what the public wants.
The American public is broadly supportive of maintaining federal science and medical research funding, and against punishing universities by taking their funding away, according to a new poll:
Few support punitive funding cuts to colleges and universities - AP-NORC
Most of the public believes that colleges and universities make significant contributions to scientific and technological advancement and think their federal research funding should be maintained.
apnorc.org
May 15, 2025 at 9:54 PM
On a day when all research grants at Harvard were terminated, and in a context where Congress seems to broadly accept the notion that destroying science and health research in the US is fine, it’s worth noting that this is not what the public wants.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
This report from @sanders.senate.gov didn't get enough attention yesterday. It tracks how much funding from science Trump has killed.
www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
May 14, 2025 at 1:57 PM
This report from @sanders.senate.gov didn't get enough attention yesterday. It tracks how much funding from science Trump has killed.
www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, two weeks ago: "I have long been concerned about PFAS. We are tackling PFAS from all of EPA's program offices, advancing research and testing, stopping PFAS from getting into drinking water systems, and holding polluters accountable."
EPA today:
EPA today:
EPA Moves to Weaken Biden-era PFAS Limits for Drinking Water (2)
The EPA will rescind limits on several groups of PFAS in drinking water and extend the time for water systems to comply with limits for two other groups of “forever chemicals,” the agency said.
news.bloomberglaw.com
May 14, 2025 at 7:27 PM
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, two weeks ago: "I have long been concerned about PFAS. We are tackling PFAS from all of EPA's program offices, advancing research and testing, stopping PFAS from getting into drinking water systems, and holding polluters accountable."
EPA today:
EPA today:
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
🧪 National Science Foundation update alert ⚠️⚠️
NSF just made a **lot** of updates to its "priorities" page.
It's mixed news. Some good. Some bad.
❌ Not welcome: NSF is now also terminating "environmental justice" awards.
The highlighted text here is new: www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
1/8... 🧵
NSF just made a **lot** of updates to its "priorities" page.
It's mixed news. Some good. Some bad.
❌ Not welcome: NSF is now also terminating "environmental justice" awards.
The highlighted text here is new: www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
1/8... 🧵
May 14, 2025 at 10:12 PM
🧪 National Science Foundation update alert ⚠️⚠️
NSF just made a **lot** of updates to its "priorities" page.
It's mixed news. Some good. Some bad.
❌ Not welcome: NSF is now also terminating "environmental justice" awards.
The highlighted text here is new: www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
1/8... 🧵
NSF just made a **lot** of updates to its "priorities" page.
It's mixed news. Some good. Some bad.
❌ Not welcome: NSF is now also terminating "environmental justice" awards.
The highlighted text here is new: www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
1/8... 🧵
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
BREAKING: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced he has ordered the FDA to consider new nationwide restrictions on medication abortion — and that President Trump, not scientists or doctors, will make the final decision.
May 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
BREAKING: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced he has ordered the FDA to consider new nationwide restrictions on medication abortion — and that President Trump, not scientists or doctors, will make the final decision.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
we have a secretary of
-transportation making it more dangerous to travel
-education making kids stupider
-defense making us more vulnerable to attacks
-homeland security making us feel less secure than ever
-health and human services trying to spread illness
everything’s fine.
-transportation making it more dangerous to travel
-education making kids stupider
-defense making us more vulnerable to attacks
-homeland security making us feel less secure than ever
-health and human services trying to spread illness
everything’s fine.
May 12, 2025 at 12:24 AM
we have a secretary of
-transportation making it more dangerous to travel
-education making kids stupider
-defense making us more vulnerable to attacks
-homeland security making us feel less secure than ever
-health and human services trying to spread illness
everything’s fine.
-transportation making it more dangerous to travel
-education making kids stupider
-defense making us more vulnerable to attacks
-homeland security making us feel less secure than ever
-health and human services trying to spread illness
everything’s fine.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
Holy shiitake! Trump fired Shira Perlmutter, the Director of the US Copyrights Office apparently because she refused to let Elon Musk raid the place to steal author’s intellectual property rights
democrats-cha.house.gov/media/press-...
democrats-cha.house.gov/media/press-...
May 11, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Holy shiitake! Trump fired Shira Perlmutter, the Director of the US Copyrights Office apparently because she refused to let Elon Musk raid the place to steal author’s intellectual property rights
democrats-cha.house.gov/media/press-...
democrats-cha.house.gov/media/press-...
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
The cost of Grok: "I can't breathe at home, it smells like gas outside. How come I can't breathe at home and y'all get to breathe at home?"
May 10, 2025 at 4:25 PM
The cost of Grok: "I can't breathe at home, it smells like gas outside. How come I can't breathe at home and y'all get to breathe at home?"
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
Many of my federal scientist friends are unwilling to speak to journalists, even on background, because they fear the consequences of speaking out. We've got a nice constitution here. It would be amazing if someone actually followed it.
Federal workers spoke to reporters after DOGE fired them. Now they face investigation.
At least half a dozen USAID employees are facing threats of "disciplinary action" for speaking to reporters after they thought they had been fired.
www.cbsnews.com
May 10, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Many of my federal scientist friends are unwilling to speak to journalists, even on background, because they fear the consequences of speaking out. We've got a nice constitution here. It would be amazing if someone actually followed it.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
“The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas — hardly a partisan institution — finds that nondefense government R&D yields long-run economic returns of 150% to 300% …“Our findings therefore point to a misallocation of public capital, and substantial underinvestment in nondefense R&D.”
The NSF Is Being Dismantled — With Broad Implications For The American Economy
The economic consequences of cuts to the National Science Foundation and restricting scientific inquiry on this scale could be far-reaching.
www.forbes.com
May 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
“The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas — hardly a partisan institution — finds that nondefense government R&D yields long-run economic returns of 150% to 300% …“Our findings therefore point to a misallocation of public capital, and substantial underinvestment in nondefense R&D.”
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
Listen to this segment. They *entrapped* Mayor Baraka and someone explicitly told ICE to arrest him, an American citizen standing on public ground, in front of sitting members of Congress who tried to stop it. This was already very bad and is now holy shit bad.
Please watch THIS particular interview, shared by @prisonculture.bsky.social to get the play by play on what happened. Getting arrested for protesting is a king move, but that's not what happened here. This was a goddamned grab and sack.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUjf...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUjf...
'Never seen anything like it in my life': New Jersey congressman reacts to Newark mayor arrest
YouTube video by MSNBC
www.youtube.com
May 9, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Listen to this segment. They *entrapped* Mayor Baraka and someone explicitly told ICE to arrest him, an American citizen standing on public ground, in front of sitting members of Congress who tried to stop it. This was already very bad and is now holy shit bad.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
“I asked chatGPT-“ ok, and I asked Tinsel, and she said you’re an uninspired, vapid dork who needs a computer to think for them.
May 10, 2025 at 2:17 AM
“I asked chatGPT-“ ok, and I asked Tinsel, and she said you’re an uninspired, vapid dork who needs a computer to think for them.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
A victory for the federal scientific workforce! We could not stand by while this irreparable harm continues at NSF, NOAA and all our scientific agencies.
TODAY the judge granted our request to temporarily HALT the mass firings at federal agencies under Trump’s Executive Order.
TODAY the judge granted our request to temporarily HALT the mass firings at federal agencies under Trump’s Executive Order.
May 10, 2025 at 2:03 AM
A victory for the federal scientific workforce! We could not stand by while this irreparable harm continues at NSF, NOAA and all our scientific agencies.
TODAY the judge granted our request to temporarily HALT the mass firings at federal agencies under Trump’s Executive Order.
TODAY the judge granted our request to temporarily HALT the mass firings at federal agencies under Trump’s Executive Order.
Reposted by Rachel Gabor
1. After getting some further insight into changes at NSF (thanks to those who reached out), I deleted a previous post where I tried to make sense of Cheatham's memo as reported in the Science story below.
NSF slashes number of ‘rotators’ and well-paid managers as part of restructuring
Smaller future budgets will require fewer people, NSF official tells staff
www.science.org
May 10, 2025 at 1:58 AM
1. After getting some further insight into changes at NSF (thanks to those who reached out), I deleted a previous post where I tried to make sense of Cheatham's memo as reported in the Science story below.