It feels like things are hitting a tipping point. Key debrief items:
- The Harvard letter
- FDA food safety inspection
- Financial devastation of NIH, NOAA, USGS
- DOGE hits NSF - grant terminations
- Doublespeak & disinfo
And more
This was Week 13 https://buttondown.com/liminalcreations/archive/week-13/
- The Harvard letter
- FDA food safety inspection
- Financial devastation of NIH, NOAA, USGS
- DOGE hits NSF - grant terminations
- Doublespeak & disinfo
And more
This was Week 13 https://buttondown.com/liminalcreations/archive/week-13/
Comments
Examples matter. And Harvard isn’t the first: remember community colleges, then Wesleyan, Georgetown, Princeton.
Find & share language that clarifies & galvanizes.
I had a split second where it felt like that movie moment.
But this isn’t about superheroes & wizards.
This scene always makes me cry. https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=45&utm_source=liminalcreations&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=week-13&v=cOeFhSzoTuc&feature=youtu.be
Especially because of the story behind it.
These actors are refugees fleeing the Nazis. It’s filmed in summer 1942. They have no idea how things will turn out.
So what are we defying? The suppression of speech and oppression of people. The hollowing out and weaponization of funding. Science is only one part of this, but definitely a part of it.
A few things that I wanted to brief you on this week:
New awards are frozen. Approved awards have been sent back for more review. https://www.science.org/content/article/nsf-halts-grant-awards-while-staff-do-second-review
Worse, starting yesterday afternoon, hundreds of active grants are being terminated, especially DEI & mis/disinformation work https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01263-0
I read @maddyjalbert.bsky.social’s thread this morning. https://bsky.app/profile/maddyjalbert.bsky.social/post/3ln6lf5dwxk23 for everyone in this situation, I’m so sorry.
FDA is planning to end routine food safety inspections work - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-food-safety-inspections-plans/
AND it is suspending the quality control program for food safety lab accreditation until at least end Sept. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-fda-suspends-food-safety-quality-checks-after-staff-cuts-2025-04-17
Why?
HHS has more than 20,000+ fewer employees right now.
Yes, FDA kept the actual food inspectors, but it fired their logistical, lab, & comms teams - the ppl who make the work possible.
So they are now scrambling to hire contractors https://apnews.com/article/fda-inspections-job-cuts-food-safety-rfk-4e288add2f33c70ecc38ca2319fb5cd7
Efficiency!
Great book on the making of Casablanca that really delves into the refugees who had small parts here but were stars in their home countries and seized the moment to perform
Brilliant beautiful vital art
Also “thank you very much” in this scene is one of the best lines ever and a great example of the casual acceptance of hypocrisy we are seeing today
Shows how real her conflict between loving two men is for her in one damn shot
She loves the hero but she also she loves the humble man
So good