Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
@safa-science.bsky.social
An organization of scientists and allies, incl @ NIH NSF affected by the Great Science Collapse of 2025.
We work to chart a new course for vibrant US science and academia, backed by democracy and supported by the public.
www.scienceandfreedomalliance.org
We work to chart a new course for vibrant US science and academia, backed by democracy and supported by the public.
www.scienceandfreedomalliance.org
Pinned
Jenna Norton, PhD - (NIH, Bethesda Declaration organizer, mom) *speaking in her personal capacity
YouTube video by Civil Servants Coalition
youtu.be
"As a federal worker, I am here to tell you that every awful thing that would happen in a shutdown—shuttering programs that Americans rely on, damaging our economy, firing federal workers—all of this is already happening."
youtu.be/jw93RKKreqY?...
youtu.be/jw93RKKreqY?...
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Great article from @virginiagewin.bsky.social showing that across the Federal science ecosystem, research that benefits the American public is being delayed or completely halted, and remaining programs are being consolidated under close partisan political control. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Dismantling of US federal agencies will ‘destroy science’
From NASA to the National Institutes of Health, federal agencies conduct research that universities cannot. Agency scientists speak out about the irreplaceable facilities, institutional knowledge and ...
www.nature.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Great article from @virginiagewin.bsky.social showing that across the Federal science ecosystem, research that benefits the American public is being delayed or completely halted, and remaining programs are being consolidated under close partisan political control. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Every person in science I talked to yesterday brought up the filibuster. (!!)
So I recorded a video explainer on it.
Should we be worried about getting rid of the filibuster?
In short, no. Though there are a few wrinkles.
So I recorded a video explainer on it.
Should we be worried about getting rid of the filibuster?
In short, no. Though there are a few wrinkles.
Should we be worried about getting rid of the filibuster?
YouTube video by Mark Histed
youtu.be
November 1, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Every person in science I talked to yesterday brought up the filibuster. (!!)
So I recorded a video explainer on it.
Should we be worried about getting rid of the filibuster?
In short, no. Though there are a few wrinkles.
So I recorded a video explainer on it.
Should we be worried about getting rid of the filibuster?
In short, no. Though there are a few wrinkles.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Happy Halloween!
Monach butterflies remind us migration is beautiful.
Let's keep each other safe today and keep standing up for our communities and our right to migrate.
Monach butterflies remind us migration is beautiful.
Let's keep each other safe today and keep standing up for our communities and our right to migrate.
October 31, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Happy Halloween!
Monach butterflies remind us migration is beautiful.
Let's keep each other safe today and keep standing up for our communities and our right to migrate.
Monach butterflies remind us migration is beautiful.
Let's keep each other safe today and keep standing up for our communities and our right to migrate.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Sad day for the folks who staked their reputations on lab leak conspiracy theories.
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
October 31, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Sad day for the folks who staked their reputations on lab leak conspiracy theories.
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Yep! “Don’t let them win” sums it up for me.
They want you to be angry and cynical and to close yourself off from everyone and do nothing. Do not let them win! Donate a little money, time, or durable foodstuff if you can, research and vote in your upcoming local election, engage with and help grow your local community!
A thread about keeping one’s head above water under the current conditions and not being incapacitated by rage, fear, despair or some mixture of those (1/11)
October 31, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Yep! “Don’t let them win” sums it up for me.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
The thing that really kills me is that all these ghouls are vaccinated. They're gonna be fine. They just wanna kill our kids and elders.
FL is moving forward w/ plan to end all childhood vaccine mandates. Starting with hepatitis B, chickenpox, and the bacteria causing meningitis and pneumonia. Then next year GOP FL legislature is expected to revisit 1977 law re: whooping cough, measles, polio, rubella, mumps, diphtheria, and tetanus.
October 31, 2025 at 11:30 AM
The thing that really kills me is that all these ghouls are vaccinated. They're gonna be fine. They just wanna kill our kids and elders.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Goddard Space Flight Center is where the ozone hole and global warming were discovered, and they have the largest concentration of earth systems scientists. It’s not just planetary and astrophysics work.
And it’s being demolished.
And it’s being demolished.
NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown — and may be breaking the law in the process, critics say
"There is just a general acknowledgement that a lot of what is happening is illegal…"
www.space.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Goddard Space Flight Center is where the ozone hole and global warming were discovered, and they have the largest concentration of earth systems scientists. It’s not just planetary and astrophysics work.
And it’s being demolished.
And it’s being demolished.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
I am neither a more skilled nor a more committed civil servant than those who were wrongfully terminated. Reinstate them. We have created more waste by firing them. #NIH #statssky #publichealthsky #FEDStrong
I wrote an explainer about the mass firings—the RIFs.
The RIFs all year have been clearly illegal. Russell Vought is using them to lawlessly clean out federal agencies. Lower court judges have said so. But the Calvinball Supreme Court has allowed them. 1/
The RIFs all year have been clearly illegal. Russell Vought is using them to lawlessly clean out federal agencies. Lower court judges have said so. But the Calvinball Supreme Court has allowed them. 1/
The mass firings have been lawless: now and all year
The first step in stopping a lawless Supreme Court is being clear about what it’s doing
scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I am neither a more skilled nor a more committed civil servant than those who were wrongfully terminated. Reinstate them. We have created more waste by firing them. #NIH #statssky #publichealthsky #FEDStrong
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
I wrote an explainer about the mass firings—the RIFs.
The RIFs all year have been clearly illegal. Russell Vought is using them to lawlessly clean out federal agencies. Lower court judges have said so. But the Calvinball Supreme Court has allowed them. 1/
The RIFs all year have been clearly illegal. Russell Vought is using them to lawlessly clean out federal agencies. Lower court judges have said so. But the Calvinball Supreme Court has allowed them. 1/
The mass firings have been lawless: now and all year
The first step in stopping a lawless Supreme Court is being clear about what it’s doing
scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:02 PM
I wrote an explainer about the mass firings—the RIFs.
The RIFs all year have been clearly illegal. Russell Vought is using them to lawlessly clean out federal agencies. Lower court judges have said so. But the Calvinball Supreme Court has allowed them. 1/
The RIFs all year have been clearly illegal. Russell Vought is using them to lawlessly clean out federal agencies. Lower court judges have said so. But the Calvinball Supreme Court has allowed them. 1/
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Check this out: After the shutdown, Trump’s approval fell.
The shutdown was and is bad in many ways. But this shows some important upsides.
This seems to validate the “pick big fights” theory of fighting authoritarianism.
The shutdown was and is bad in many ways. But this shows some important upsides.
This seems to validate the “pick big fights” theory of fighting authoritarianism.
Donald Trump's approval rating in our tracker has fallen to -18, the lowest it has ever been (lower than any point in his first term) www.economist.com/interactive/...
October 28, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Check this out: After the shutdown, Trump’s approval fell.
The shutdown was and is bad in many ways. But this shows some important upsides.
This seems to validate the “pick big fights” theory of fighting authoritarianism.
The shutdown was and is bad in many ways. But this shows some important upsides.
This seems to validate the “pick big fights” theory of fighting authoritarianism.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
For more information about the march, which @accountabilityji.bsky.social is supporting, go here:
www.911forhealthandscience.org
www.911forhealthandscience.org
March For Health & Science
www.911forhealthandscience.org
October 28, 2025 at 6:40 PM
For more information about the march, which @accountabilityji.bsky.social is supporting, go here:
www.911forhealthandscience.org
www.911forhealthandscience.org
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Jenna, as a retired Federal employee, I am inspired by your leadership in speaking out and by the action you are taking. Keep the flame, connect and build alliances, and know that you are making the kind of difference that matters. If you were running for offices, you would have my vote
October 6, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Jenna, as a retired Federal employee, I am inspired by your leadership in speaking out and by the action you are taking. Keep the flame, connect and build alliances, and know that you are making the kind of difference that matters. If you were running for offices, you would have my vote
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
This, from @angierasmussen.bsky.social , is the best single takedown of the Casey and Calley Means grift I've seen. The Means siblings are crucial cogs in the RFK machine to make us less healthy. open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
A Means to an End for Public Health
The Surgeon General might kill you with snake oil, but at least your mitochondria will be optimized
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:29 PM
This, from @angierasmussen.bsky.social , is the best single takedown of the Casey and Calley Means grift I've seen. The Means siblings are crucial cogs in the RFK machine to make us less healthy. open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
The actual finding here is that a huge percentage of the population believes things that are not true. Democrats objectively did not spend significant time on climate change or LGBTQ issues in the last election campaign.
Duh. Those of us on the ground last year actually speaking with middle class/working class voters and who heard from these voters every single day the same - “Trump is an asshole, but Democrats are out of touch” - could’ve saved my new political party a lot of time & money producing this “report.”👇
October 28, 2025 at 12:52 PM
The actual finding here is that a huge percentage of the population believes things that are not true. Democrats objectively did not spend significant time on climate change or LGBTQ issues in the last election campaign.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
My reax to the big planned NIH shutdown firing news from @politico.com:
The Project 2025 ppl didn’t do big (illegal) NIH firings because they know there would be public outcry.
Keep speaking up!
The Project 2025 ppl didn’t do big (illegal) NIH firings because they know there would be public outcry.
Keep speaking up!
October 25, 2025 at 10:30 PM
My reax to the big planned NIH shutdown firing news from @politico.com:
The Project 2025 ppl didn’t do big (illegal) NIH firings because they know there would be public outcry.
Keep speaking up!
The Project 2025 ppl didn’t do big (illegal) NIH firings because they know there would be public outcry.
Keep speaking up!
We’ve been hearing about this for months. Departments are looking for *private sponsors* for their PhD programs. It’s full-on destruction of STEM opportunities for students.
1/ 🧪
1/ 🧪
Fewer grad students means less science, but many STEM PhD programs in the US are cutting back on admissions this year due to federal funding uncertainties. Words by me for @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@emsque.bsky.social @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social @julieposselt.bsky.social 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@emsque.bsky.social @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social @julieposselt.bsky.social 🧪
US PhD admissions shrink as fears over Trump’s cuts take hold
Some doctoral programmes are admitting no students at all amid uncertainty about federal science funding.
www.nature.com
October 21, 2025 at 9:57 PM
We’ve been hearing about this for months. Departments are looking for *private sponsors* for their PhD programs. It’s full-on destruction of STEM opportunities for students.
1/ 🧪
1/ 🧪
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
On 20 March 2025, Trump’s NIH terminated a grant exploring structural racism as a second hit on APOL1 in kidney disease.
The majority of the patients on the study’s stakeholder advisory board heard this as: ‘Your life does not matter to us’.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The majority of the patients on the study’s stakeholder advisory board heard this as: ‘Your life does not matter to us’.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Harms of terminating NIH grants for kidney disease - Nature Reviews Nephrology
In early 2025, nearly 2,100 research projects funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) were terminated. Numerous calls for depoliticization of the NIH’s scientific mission culminated in th...
www.nature.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:01 AM
On 20 March 2025, Trump’s NIH terminated a grant exploring structural racism as a second hit on APOL1 in kidney disease.
The majority of the patients on the study’s stakeholder advisory board heard this as: ‘Your life does not matter to us’.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The majority of the patients on the study’s stakeholder advisory board heard this as: ‘Your life does not matter to us’.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This is an inspired sign. 😃😃
Stay for the fine print.
From the NIH rally.
Stay for the fine print.
From the NIH rally.
October 20, 2025 at 4:20 AM
This is an inspired sign. 😃😃
Stay for the fine print.
From the NIH rally.
Stay for the fine print.
From the NIH rally.
🔥✊🇺🇸
The energy at the #NIH rally today was amazing and contagious.
Huge turnout, huge pro-science energy.
1/ 🧪#NoKings
Huge turnout, huge pro-science energy.
1/ 🧪#NoKings
October 19, 2025 at 3:04 AM
🔥✊🇺🇸
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
This is bad.
When the Vought/Trump people start making NIH institute directors political it is a VERY BAD SIGN for all of US science, which stands on NIH/public funds.
Institute directors have always been serious scientists selected by other scientists— not political appointees.
When the Vought/Trump people start making NIH institute directors political it is a VERY BAD SIGN for all of US science, which stands on NIH/public funds.
Institute directors have always been serious scientists selected by other scientists— not political appointees.
VERY TROUBLING NEWS REGARDING NIH INSTITUTE DIRECTORS
A new appointment for NIEHS
1/3
A new appointment for NIEHS
1/3
October 17, 2025 at 8:22 PM
This is bad.
When the Vought/Trump people start making NIH institute directors political it is a VERY BAD SIGN for all of US science, which stands on NIH/public funds.
Institute directors have always been serious scientists selected by other scientists— not political appointees.
When the Vought/Trump people start making NIH institute directors political it is a VERY BAD SIGN for all of US science, which stands on NIH/public funds.
Institute directors have always been serious scientists selected by other scientists— not political appointees.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Imagine being the second choice for a shakedown
October 17, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Imagine being the second choice for a shakedown
The conservative legal “unitary exec” theory makes kings. There is no unitary king in America: not 250 years ago and not now.
And it’s not just the conserv Supreme Court majority that believes in unitary king theory. They have some lower court judges too, like Ryan Nelson on the 9th Circuit.
And it’s not just the conserv Supreme Court majority that believes in unitary king theory. They have some lower court judges too, like Ryan Nelson on the 9th Circuit.
One Appeals Court Gave Us a Taste of the Deference Trumpified Courts Want to Give the President
District judges, including those appointed by President Trump, have been remarkably scrupulous...
talkingpointsmemo.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:02 PM
The conservative legal “unitary exec” theory makes kings. There is no unitary king in America: not 250 years ago and not now.
And it’s not just the conserv Supreme Court majority that believes in unitary king theory. They have some lower court judges too, like Ryan Nelson on the 9th Circuit.
And it’s not just the conserv Supreme Court majority that believes in unitary king theory. They have some lower court judges too, like Ryan Nelson on the 9th Circuit.
Reposted by Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
Good morning! Today would be a great day to call your local TV and radio stations to ask them to please make sure they have a crew covering the No Kings protest on Saturday. Tell them the locations in case they don't know. And tell them you'll be watching for the coverage.
October 16, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Good morning! Today would be a great day to call your local TV and radio stations to ask them to please make sure they have a crew covering the No Kings protest on Saturday. Tell them the locations in case they don't know. And tell them you'll be watching for the coverage.