No matter what diluted truth corporate and billionaire media are proposing, make no mistake: Musk and PINO (President in Name Only) Trump are hurting everyday Americans, and Republicans are complicit
As a former USAID policy analyst, I've been a signatory to a letter to the Speaker of the House protesting the illegal closure of USAID by a band of misfits who don't have the faintest idea what USAID is and does, and never had any interest in learning. I'm under no illusions that Speaker Squirrelface will do anything, but it was important not to remain silent. Former colleagues of mine are trying to find housing for staff who've been ordered to leave their overseas posts -- their lives upended, their careers abrogated by the stroke of a pen. They are using encrypted apps to communicate with one another -- the same channels that ISIS and terrorists use -- because they all know they're under surveillance.
These people want our silence and acquiescence to illegality. We will not cooperate, will not be intimidated, will not be cowed. Thugs and bullies NEVER deserve to own the playground. I will be looking for lawsuits to help support fund, and demand Congress stop cooperating with an unconstitutional coup through shutdowns. Restraining injunctions, cease and desist orders -- anything to gum up the works. We are not powerless and they are incompetent. Wishing others well in their own acts of resistance.
Please encourage those people using encrypted apps to also use a VPN on their phones so their network connections don't give them away. They need to protect themselves beyond using Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp or whatever. It's good "security hygiene".
Those of us who have been paying attention will not be surprised when Musk’s chainsaw gang’s work causes disaster, but it will be a shocking moment for the price of eggs voters. More plane crashes, perhaps many more? Economic disaster? Health disaster? The same if Trump does something equally stupid and acts out one of his threats to Panama, Gaza or Greenland. Jen is right, too—put the pressure on the GOP by urging Democratic politicians to use every tool in their legislative tool chest to oppose the GOP. The GOP owns this but we cannot and must not stand idle. We can’t wait for the mid-terms to rectify things—we must do so now.
I do as well. And the Trump/Musk administration would seize such an attack to further their attempted dictatorship. This has to be spotlighted by the Dems as a real risk.
"Unless and until regular constitutional order is restored and Musk is sent packing, Democrats should offer no votes and no assistance."
^THIS^ should be the Democrats' Prime Directive until the Unelected Government Contractor is kicked to the curb, AND this thug administration adheres to federal court rulings. End of. The republicans keep claiming they have 'a mandate from the people', so MAKE THEM OWN IT.
The Musk cabal of youngsters are just tearing apart administrative functions, which they have no idea what that unit does nor do they care. PINO now believes he is dictator of the world between his tariffs, GAZA, threats to Greenland, Canada, Panama, Mexico and who knows what country or countries are next? We are living in dangerous times and Totalitarianism is coming rapidly.
I believe that, in the days, weeks, and months ahead, we need to tell these stories of the pain, heartbreak, and damage that is happening because of the Republican Administration. It is Republican leaders, representative, and senators who are doing this to US citizens and to people around the world. The Republicans are in power for the next 2 years.
Don't give in to this. Don't believe it. Trump says things and then waits for the fearful to acquiesce in fear. We will have midterms. Why because he says we won't would you believe it??
Appreciate your point. To clarify: I’m not giving in to anything. Trump is a pathological liar. He also has this weird quirk where he tells the biggest secret - he can’t help himself. He said this about elections and that Elon’s good with computers and helped in PA, and that he and Mike Johnson had a secret. He’s the front man. There are hundreds of people who have planned this for years on top of decades of FOX rage brainwashing of our military, law enforcement and our neighbors.
I don’t think two years is enough time to undo the damage. I think we will still be dealing with the authoritarianism for many years IF / Unless we can somehow head this off in the coming weeks.
I hear baseless rah rah (Chuck Schumer being a good example), devastatingly naive denial about where we are and what is coming, and angry calls for someone to stand up with no idea about how or when to stand up effectively. I’m guilty of the latter and am recalibrating.
There are no written instructions for how to deal with this. Since it's coming at us from many directions it will have many responses. But there are responses coming. Some will be more effective.
As for " hundreds of people" planning this we are 340 million people. I don't get a sense that these plans are well coordinated, coherent, or feasible nor that they will produce results that people will acquiesce to never mind get behind.
I agree the damage done so far in three weeks is great. But they are preparing their own graves once we get going against this. This blitz they may think is strategically working for them, but it's having it's opposite effect. This is a challenge we must meet though.
Authoritarianism is a threat that must be constantly countered with a more awake participatory (ongoing) electorate with (new) knowledge of what is at stake if we want democracy and to not wind up like Russia.
Everyone is calibrating to this.. asking what to do, waiting for things to come together. It's been only three weeks. But the negativism and despair, please save for when it is really a lost cause. It most certainly not. This is way too early for that.
I don’t equate realism with negativity. I believe accurately assessing conditions allows for better options. I am searching for the path through given what I see and anticipate - as the variables shift daily. That does not mean I am giving up or even giving in to despair.
We still have a big chunk of this country that doesn’t think there’s a problem - MAGA loves it, others are oblivious, and yet more are seeking “self care” by turning away and pretending it will magicallybe ok. Without a critical mass with a shared reality, there’s no coordinated action.
I’m beyond faulting anyone (except Trump & Co and those bringing us this coup). No one knows how to move through it but we do have to define the real “it”.
rereading what you wrote I cannot call it realism. It's negative projection. If the variables shift daily how can a path ( one path) be charted? You anticipate what they will do, but you have no faith in what the reaction will be or what we will do.
The point, as you say, a big chunk of the country has not felt this, ingested it. Yet. It's been three weeks and you are asking for critical mass.
Yet you, in the end here admit no one knows how to move through it. So you are just like everyone else. Some are negative and in despair, some more hopeful and positive. The negativity is a drag and that is a reality I feel.
I believe that PINO/DonElon will try to stop midterm elections. If they get the power they are seeking, they will succeed. Elections allow non-sycophants to have a voice, and that cannot be tolerated. We have to stop this somehow. I totally support the legal blocks that we have put up, but I don't think that they will hold, unfortunately. The new law of the land is whatever they want, and they will use terror, threats and violence to have their way. We are still playing on the baseball diamond and the other team has thrown us onto a football gridiron without us having time to don any protection gear. How can we subvert their attacks?
That is a reason to support Democracy Docket, which goes to court for voters and has been doing so since 2020. Check out their website and Marc Elias on You Tube.
Like many, I live in my own little corporate bubble in the middle of the country where none of this impacts my day to day life. (Although, yes, the DEI programs were closed down in December) It can be hard to measure what exactly is happening and how far reaching it is.
I spoke to a friend over the weekend who does research for a children's hospital. The hospital has stopped doing 'gender care' for fear of losing funds. NGOs that help can not access any funds because the website to apply for funds has been taken down at Musk's direction. The hospital is warning people that unless things change massive cuts are coming.
They moved fast, they broken things and many of us will have no idea until it is too late. Thank you for informing us!
Not only are Senators Cassidy and Ernst bowing to Trump; but Senator Kennedy of Louisiana says to "call someone who cares". Hopefully, his constituents have filled his voice mail and sent e-mails to his office. Louisiana is one of the States where the Federal Government provides greater funding to the State than the State pays in taxes. Much like Mississippi and Alabama.
I thin we can all just ignore Kennedy - he's a troll and a despicable person as well, one of a handful of Republican Senators I can say I actually hate. Mike Lee is another odious one but Kennedy often takes the cake.
What is the plan for dealing with Trump when he ignores Court rulings? I think this is coming. I don't think we can wait until the election.
It needs to be made clear this is unacceptable and an Impeachable offense. But I don't know how we can fight successfully against this until (hopefully) after the election.
Maybe, but the only way the Courts can implement that is with US Marshals ... controlled by the DOJ. Trump is not going to let the US Marshals jail anyone.
Thank you Jennifer for leaving the wasteland of the Post and coming here to stand tall for democracy!
As I see it, however, we have elected an Authoritarian Fascist into the White House. Worse, we have armed him with majorities in both houses to carry out the destruction we are now witnessing. The courts seem to me to be the only stop we have in preventing this country from becoming a Fascist state.
You, the faithful American patriots I see you to be, MUST put your harshest spotlight on the media of this country to make sure they are fighting this coup.
Your old boss does not seem to be doing much of a job at all in fighting this insurrection from within.
This email was received yesterday at 5:46PM EST from our administration. I am sharing it to show how large universities will be responding to the illegal reduction in previously agreed NIH indirect cost rates. If this stands, this is the end of American research universities as we have know them for 60+ years. Craig Peebles.AKA the OldePerfessser on WaPo.
University of Pittsburgh
Dear Members of the Pitt Community:
We want to bring to your attention the guidance announced at the close of business Friday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Pursuant to this guidance, which is scheduled to take effect Monday, Feb. 10, the NIH will cap “indirect costs” of research grants at 15%. These indirect costs provided for researchers and scientists (also called F&A) represent operational imperatives such as facilities (i.e., office, lab space) and administrative functions (grant, finance or administrative support). For reference, the Association of American Universities (AAU) has created an FAQ about F&A.
With the NIH serving as Pitt’s largest federal research sponsor at nearly $700 million (sixth nationally), funding that represents over half of the University’s $1.2 billion in research expenditures (17th nationally), primarily focused on the health sciences, we recognize the significant impact this guidance could potentially have across our entire Pitt community on our work and for the many people involved directly and indirectly. We’ve undertaken an immediate impact analysis of the overall financial consequences for Pitt in real time along with estimated forward-looking projections. In addition, we’re engaging closely with universities across the country, and with our national representative associations, as they consider the appropriate responses.
Ultimately, the full impact of this change in the short and long term remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that our collective scholarly impact could be harmed irreparably, as could our broader mission. We recognize time is of the essence, as is the importance of taking our next steps thoughtfully. We will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Sincerely,
Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
Dwayne Pinkney
Executive Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Rob A. Rutenbar
Senior Vice Chancellor for Research
Anantha Shekhar
Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences
John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, School of Medicine
In my field of education, 15% is a common limit for indirect costs on government research grants, so this isn’t a random figure, but it is the lowest possible. Education research is very different from health research in requirements for infrastructure/facilities/equipment, size of scientific teams and required expertise/access to expertise, etc. It makes no sense to hold health research to the same limits as education (worth noting that education research is terribly underfunded). Heather Cox Richardson tells me the average indirect cost rate on health research grants is about 26%, which does not seem unreasonable (I’m sure they can be much higher at the most prestigious institutions). She also outlines the considerable return on investment of health research.
I agree that an Indirect Cist Rate of 15% might be adequate in some situations, & that Indirect Cost Rates are already 15% in some places for some sorts of awards. The problem isn't simply the actual number of the Indirect Cost Rate; the problem is that the NIH IS CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME while the game is being played. Imagine if touchdowns were awarded 6 points during the first quarter but then were arbitrarily changed to 2 points during the 3rd quarter. Indirect Cost Rates are negotiated between the NIH & all the various institutions (universities, medical schools & research institutes) following some complicated formula & after quite lengthy discussions, and then the Indirect Cost Rate applies for some period of several years. Since the lead time on grants applications & awards is at least a year & in reality can often be much longer, the stability of the Indirect Cost Rates insures that the awards will be made to places that can accomplish the proposed research. The Facilities can be expensive, including everything from office supplies & administrative support staff to autoclaves & hazardous waste disposal contracts plus many, many other expenses borne by the institutions. The faculty award winners & the institutions both need Indirect Cast Rate funding stability to function at all.
The memo sent to the faculty of University of Minnesota is almost identical to the one you posted from Pitt. As you say, the indirect cost rates are negotiated with NIH far in advance, and the schools depend heavily on receiving the planned disbursements on time. This reduction, if it becomes permanent, will shut down thousands of research projects, especially into prevention and treatment of medical and psychological diseases.
Excellent elaboration, much more complete. Thank you for the points that the rates are negotiated and health research requires guarantees of stable funding over time to proceed. Trumsk is attempting to pull the rug out from under all this. If successful (a judge is currently getting in the way), Trumsk’s moves will also compromise the training of young scientists. I’m sure my sister is particularly concerned about this. As a professor of microbiology, she runs a lab where young scientists earn their PhDs.
Correct. Who needs to train more young scientists when the hiring of young faculty scientists will stop after this & funding for active research will halt.
This followup email arrived today (Tuesday February 11, 2025) at about 12:47PM.
University of Pittsburgh
Office of the Chancellor
Dear Pitt students, faculty and staff,
On Sunday, members of the University administration wrote to update you on guidance announced Friday that drastically reduced funding for existing and ongoing indirect costs for research awards granted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Yesterday morning, 22 state attorneys general filed suit against these cuts, and a federal judge granted the requested temporary restraining order (TRO) for the states that filed. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) also filed suit, and the court granted a national TRO for that action around midnight last night. Similarly, yesterday evening, the Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the American Council on Education (ACE) jointly filed suit, along with a number of impacted research university co-plaintiffs. Pitt is well represented at the leadership level of these associations and is providing supporting documentation for this effort.
The NIH represents Pitt’s largest federal research sponsor at nearly $700 million in funding, ranking us sixth in the nation. As a result, much is at stake with the proposed cuts to indirect costs, also known as F&A, which support the operations of our research enterprise — from the laboratory space, clinical facilities and highly sophisticated instruments for conducting the research where discoveries happen to the grant, finance or administrative support that enables the work of thousands of scientists, trainees and students. A significant reduction of these funds will result in irreparable harm for University operations: for our patients who receive treatments and cures, the students who become their best selves on our campuses, and the people whose livelihoods depend on our innovation economy. Nationally, research has shown that every dollar of NIH funding generates around $2.46 in economic activity, driving U.S. economic competitiveness.
We will continue to work collaboratively in support of this effort and to provide you with timely updates as more information becomes available.
I worked in higher ed as a fundraiser for a couple of decades. Big research universities have really big endowments and rarely spend more than the minimum required by non-profit law. They can cover these slashing cuts for a few years until Trusk is gone rather than let important research go stale.
Your comment plainly demonstrates your total lack of understanding about both endowments & research facility support. Endowments are constrained in their disbursement. Spending endowment funds for ongoing expenses COULD be authorized by University boards, of course, but this would be an extraordinary event. Research facility funding support provides heating, lighting, running water, cleaning services, building maintenance, office support staff, plus all the expensive facilities like advanced optical microscopes, machine shops, controlled temperature rooms, animal care facilities, autoclaves, hazardous & chemical waste management, internet support, software support, large scientific instruments like mass spectrometers & electron microscopes etc etc etc. An indirect cost rate of 15% would barely cover the heating, lighting & running water for the research buildings. Tuition income does not even cover the cost of paying the faculty who instruct the students. Research funding support subsidizes instructional activities. And uncertainty about indirect cost reimbursement rates ALONE will halt a lot of research. Already today people are making plans to shut down research projects because of this directive from NIH.
I agree with you about the way this normally works, and I do understand the terms of true endowment. This attack on university research is dreadful. I only suggest two options. One is that many universities ( and I was head of the review and approval of major gifts for one of the country's most prominent universities) have quasi-endowment funds that can legally be tapped if approved by their boards. The other move is what your excellent explanation suggests: this is a true emergency and could shut down longterm research and the president and board could vote to borrow significantly from the endowment to save something so critical from destruction. Of course it's a radical move, but you've detailed just why such a radical move may be necessary.
What are the GOP's ACTUAL goals? To extend the tax cuts (for the morbidly wealthy) and to take a machete to cut down the laws that protect everyone (don't call them regulations). Everything else is noise meant to scare and distract. Why are we waiting to beat the drum AGAINST the tax cut extensions? They should not be extended a single day! No compromise. The pain MUST be shared.
I think it's a consortium with different goals. The religious right wants to make the country into a "Christian dominion" according to their ideals. (Do see the documentary Bad Faith if you haven't.) The filthy rich want tax breaks and the elimination of any guardrails like safety rules that would negatively affect their profits. The racists are gleeful at all the racism this regime is fostering. Trump just likes dominating people and exercising power, and he wants revenge against anyone who tried to stop him before. So they don't actually share the same goals, but they're united in pursuing the means. It hurts to realize how many truly evil people there are in this country.
I think the goal is to essentially destroy as much as possible to make it nearly impossible to fix. If they can occasionally then get one of their chosen people to win the presidency, they can govern as an autocrat.
I don't think there is any kind of practical plan for making things better. Honestly it looks to me that their goals are to suppress the US population and, wherever needed, bring in trained talent from abroad. It is cheaper than paying to train here.
The rest of the population will be low paid wage slaves.
Mostly due to Gerrymandering, I believe. Many many red states populate their congressional districts so that Dems have no chance to win. Then, as a GOP voter you have a choice between an ordinary ignoramus and a Trump/MAGA loyalist nipping at her heels from the far right. The OI has little choice but to move his/her positions further to the right. The Dems have been neutered by lines on the electoral map and cannot provide any meaningful counterweight to extreme GOP positions. This is the case in purple states as well. In places like NC and GA where Dems are perhaps half the voters or more, they are only able to win 1/3 of the congressional seats. I've read that of the maybe 220 GOP House seats only 50 are competitive due to Gerrymandering. That means basically that Republicans never have to modify their positions and can never be held accountable for them. Gerrymander also infects the districts for the state legislatures. Since SCOTUS has punted on the constitutionality of political gerrymandering, most of the red states are able to thwart any reforms to the process of designing districts. They vote against independent commissions in order to retain the power they have achieved by suppressing votes through Gerrymandering.
I worked with the OneVirginia2021 group that pushed for a constitutional amendment that would set up an independent commission to draw political boundaries in the commonwealth. We collected signatures, manned tables at county fairs and on election days, and worked to get out our message that gerrymandering hurts everyone. The question appeared on the 2021 ballot (we vote in off years in Virginia) and passed with more than 70% of the vote. While the devil has been in the implementation of the commission, the resulting redistricting is a damn sight better than what is was in the past.
Great article, Jen. I think you left out something essential - we must work with Democrats and with their most tech-savvy people to spread real information, not the lies that the repugs are so expert at spreading. When I see the normalization of the insanity of the moment is by the legacy media I can feel my blood pressure go up. Can't watch it anymore. Even the PBS newscasters are too tentative about expressing horror and pain when showing us what the PINO administration is doing, and what will be the result. Can the Fairness Doctrine at least be reinstated for the radio? I know that people living in rural areas listen to the liars on the radio - some of them are only using this form of social media. And they vote. The reason that republicans keep winning elections is due largely to disinformation and an ill or uninformed population.
I hardly know where to start. Re Republicans who go along to get along, I'm sure they would justify it because not doing so would cost them their jobs, and they can't do their important work (eye roll here) if they aren't in power. But they are already refusing to do their most important work, so shouldn't they move aside for someone who will do the work?
I don't understand how people can fail to understand that it isn't 'us vs them', because all of us depend on millions of others to make our lives possible. Until everyone does well, nobody will be safe or protected from the consequences of selfish, short-sighted scoring off their perceived enemies. Yes, even those in the MAGAsphere must be helped to thrive, or nobody will thrive.
Agree completely. So tired of hearing that it's up to the Dems to stop this crazy when they're in the minority in the House and in the Senate. Yes Dems need to do their bit but the Republicans are responsible on soooo many levels. Just sickening.
As a former USAID policy analyst, I've been a signatory to a letter to the Speaker of the House protesting the illegal closure of USAID by a band of misfits who don't have the faintest idea what USAID is and does, and never had any interest in learning. I'm under no illusions that Speaker Squirrelface will do anything, but it was important not to remain silent. Former colleagues of mine are trying to find housing for staff who've been ordered to leave their overseas posts -- their lives upended, their careers abrogated by the stroke of a pen. They are using encrypted apps to communicate with one another -- the same channels that ISIS and terrorists use -- because they all know they're under surveillance.
These people want our silence and acquiescence to illegality. We will not cooperate, will not be intimidated, will not be cowed. Thugs and bullies NEVER deserve to own the playground. I will be looking for lawsuits to help support fund, and demand Congress stop cooperating with an unconstitutional coup through shutdowns. Restraining injunctions, cease and desist orders -- anything to gum up the works. We are not powerless and they are incompetent. Wishing others well in their own acts of resistance.
Thank you! Let us (those who support you) know what we can do to help.
Please encourage those people using encrypted apps to also use a VPN on their phones so their network connections don't give them away. They need to protect themselves beyond using Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp or whatever. It's good "security hygiene".
i'm with you, but can we please stop making fun of people's looks?
"We will not cooperate, will not be intimidated, will not be cowed."
Isn't showing everyone what USAID is spending taxpayer dollars on the best way to defend the institution?
Those of us who have been paying attention will not be surprised when Musk’s chainsaw gang’s work causes disaster, but it will be a shocking moment for the price of eggs voters. More plane crashes, perhaps many more? Economic disaster? Health disaster? The same if Trump does something equally stupid and acts out one of his threats to Panama, Gaza or Greenland. Jen is right, too—put the pressure on the GOP by urging Democratic politicians to use every tool in their legislative tool chest to oppose the GOP. The GOP owns this but we cannot and must not stand idle. We can’t wait for the mid-terms to rectify things—we must do so now.
I fear a terrorist attack due to the gutting of the FBI and other intelligence agencies.
I do as well. And the Trump/Musk administration would seize such an attack to further their attempted dictatorship. This has to be spotlighted by the Dems as a real risk.
Oh, the PINO will say it was the fault if DEI hires.
I fear an attack because of the possibility that some people who entered the country illegally and not apprehended could be actual terrorists.
Well he just turned loose 1500 domestic terrorists so there’s that.
Were they verified as dangerous criminals or terrorists?
Words fail me.
"Unless and until regular constitutional order is restored and Musk is sent packing, Democrats should offer no votes and no assistance."
^THIS^ should be the Democrats' Prime Directive until the Unelected Government Contractor is kicked to the curb, AND this thug administration adheres to federal court rulings. End of. The republicans keep claiming they have 'a mandate from the people', so MAKE THEM OWN IT.
The Musk cabal of youngsters are just tearing apart administrative functions, which they have no idea what that unit does nor do they care. PINO now believes he is dictator of the world between his tariffs, GAZA, threats to Greenland, Canada, Panama, Mexico and who knows what country or countries are next? We are living in dangerous times and Totalitarianism is coming rapidly.
I believe that, in the days, weeks, and months ahead, we need to tell these stories of the pain, heartbreak, and damage that is happening because of the Republican Administration. It is Republican leaders, representative, and senators who are doing this to US citizens and to people around the world. The Republicans are in power for the next 2 years.
I do not believe we will have midterms. He told people they would have everything “fixed so good, you’ll never have to vote again”.
Don't give in to this. Don't believe it. Trump says things and then waits for the fearful to acquiesce in fear. We will have midterms. Why because he says we won't would you believe it??
Appreciate your point. To clarify: I’m not giving in to anything. Trump is a pathological liar. He also has this weird quirk where he tells the biggest secret - he can’t help himself. He said this about elections and that Elon’s good with computers and helped in PA, and that he and Mike Johnson had a secret. He’s the front man. There are hundreds of people who have planned this for years on top of decades of FOX rage brainwashing of our military, law enforcement and our neighbors.
I don’t think two years is enough time to undo the damage. I think we will still be dealing with the authoritarianism for many years IF / Unless we can somehow head this off in the coming weeks.
I hear baseless rah rah (Chuck Schumer being a good example), devastatingly naive denial about where we are and what is coming, and angry calls for someone to stand up with no idea about how or when to stand up effectively. I’m guilty of the latter and am recalibrating.
There are no written instructions for how to deal with this. Since it's coming at us from many directions it will have many responses. But there are responses coming. Some will be more effective.
As for " hundreds of people" planning this we are 340 million people. I don't get a sense that these plans are well coordinated, coherent, or feasible nor that they will produce results that people will acquiesce to never mind get behind.
I agree the damage done so far in three weeks is great. But they are preparing their own graves once we get going against this. This blitz they may think is strategically working for them, but it's having it's opposite effect. This is a challenge we must meet though.
Authoritarianism is a threat that must be constantly countered with a more awake participatory (ongoing) electorate with (new) knowledge of what is at stake if we want democracy and to not wind up like Russia.
Everyone is calibrating to this.. asking what to do, waiting for things to come together. It's been only three weeks. But the negativism and despair, please save for when it is really a lost cause. It most certainly not. This is way too early for that.
I don’t equate realism with negativity. I believe accurately assessing conditions allows for better options. I am searching for the path through given what I see and anticipate - as the variables shift daily. That does not mean I am giving up or even giving in to despair.
We still have a big chunk of this country that doesn’t think there’s a problem - MAGA loves it, others are oblivious, and yet more are seeking “self care” by turning away and pretending it will magicallybe ok. Without a critical mass with a shared reality, there’s no coordinated action.
I’m beyond faulting anyone (except Trump & Co and those bringing us this coup). No one knows how to move through it but we do have to define the real “it”.
rereading what you wrote I cannot call it realism. It's negative projection. If the variables shift daily how can a path ( one path) be charted? You anticipate what they will do, but you have no faith in what the reaction will be or what we will do.
The point, as you say, a big chunk of the country has not felt this, ingested it. Yet. It's been three weeks and you are asking for critical mass.
Yet you, in the end here admit no one knows how to move through it. So you are just like everyone else. Some are negative and in despair, some more hopeful and positive. The negativity is a drag and that is a reality I feel.
You are more optimistic than I am about mid-term elections at this point.
I agree! it's that business of giving in before something has actually happened.
There will be an election, and it will be fair. We will not let Trump & Co. deny us.
I worry about this as well. And, even if there are elections, I have very little confidence they will be "open and fair."
I believe that PINO/DonElon will try to stop midterm elections. If they get the power they are seeking, they will succeed. Elections allow non-sycophants to have a voice, and that cannot be tolerated. We have to stop this somehow. I totally support the legal blocks that we have put up, but I don't think that they will hold, unfortunately. The new law of the land is whatever they want, and they will use terror, threats and violence to have their way. We are still playing on the baseball diamond and the other team has thrown us onto a football gridiron without us having time to don any protection gear. How can we subvert their attacks?
This is too negative. You are already defeated! I understand you are overwhelmed. We have barely begin to fight this.
They will have elections, but they will be a sham. Opposition candidates will suddenly be accused of tax evasion or something and arrested
That is a reason to support Democracy Docket, which goes to court for voters and has been doing so since 2020. Check out their website and Marc Elias on You Tube.
This negativism is a drag.
I agree. Let's see if the mainstream media do that.
Like many, I live in my own little corporate bubble in the middle of the country where none of this impacts my day to day life. (Although, yes, the DEI programs were closed down in December) It can be hard to measure what exactly is happening and how far reaching it is.
I spoke to a friend over the weekend who does research for a children's hospital. The hospital has stopped doing 'gender care' for fear of losing funds. NGOs that help can not access any funds because the website to apply for funds has been taken down at Musk's direction. The hospital is warning people that unless things change massive cuts are coming.
They moved fast, they broken things and many of us will have no idea until it is too late. Thank you for informing us!
Not only are Senators Cassidy and Ernst bowing to Trump; but Senator Kennedy of Louisiana says to "call someone who cares". Hopefully, his constituents have filled his voice mail and sent e-mails to his office. Louisiana is one of the States where the Federal Government provides greater funding to the State than the State pays in taxes. Much like Mississippi and Alabama.
Kennedy said the quiet part out loud. I sure hope the citizens of Louisiana heard him.
I thin we can all just ignore Kennedy - he's a troll and a despicable person as well, one of a handful of Republican Senators I can say I actually hate. Mike Lee is another odious one but Kennedy often takes the cake.
What is the plan for dealing with Trump when he ignores Court rulings? I think this is coming. I don't think we can wait until the election.
It needs to be made clear this is unacceptable and an Impeachable offense. But I don't know how we can fight successfully against this until (hopefully) after the election.
I believe the heads of the agencies involved can be held in contempt of court, fined and jailed. Can anyone amplify or correct this?
Maybe, but the only way the Courts can implement that is with US Marshals ... controlled by the DOJ. Trump is not going to let the US Marshals jail anyone.
That's my question too! Norm Eisen, what do you say?
Thank you Jennifer for leaving the wasteland of the Post and coming here to stand tall for democracy!
As I see it, however, we have elected an Authoritarian Fascist into the White House. Worse, we have armed him with majorities in both houses to carry out the destruction we are now witnessing. The courts seem to me to be the only stop we have in preventing this country from becoming a Fascist state.
You, the faithful American patriots I see you to be, MUST put your harshest spotlight on the media of this country to make sure they are fighting this coup.
Your old boss does not seem to be doing much of a job at all in fighting this insurrection from within.
This email was received yesterday at 5:46PM EST from our administration. I am sharing it to show how large universities will be responding to the illegal reduction in previously agreed NIH indirect cost rates. If this stands, this is the end of American research universities as we have know them for 60+ years. Craig Peebles.AKA the OldePerfessser on WaPo.
University of Pittsburgh
Dear Members of the Pitt Community:
We want to bring to your attention the guidance announced at the close of business Friday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Pursuant to this guidance, which is scheduled to take effect Monday, Feb. 10, the NIH will cap “indirect costs” of research grants at 15%. These indirect costs provided for researchers and scientists (also called F&A) represent operational imperatives such as facilities (i.e., office, lab space) and administrative functions (grant, finance or administrative support). For reference, the Association of American Universities (AAU) has created an FAQ about F&A.
With the NIH serving as Pitt’s largest federal research sponsor at nearly $700 million (sixth nationally), funding that represents over half of the University’s $1.2 billion in research expenditures (17th nationally), primarily focused on the health sciences, we recognize the significant impact this guidance could potentially have across our entire Pitt community on our work and for the many people involved directly and indirectly. We’ve undertaken an immediate impact analysis of the overall financial consequences for Pitt in real time along with estimated forward-looking projections. In addition, we’re engaging closely with universities across the country, and with our national representative associations, as they consider the appropriate responses.
Ultimately, the full impact of this change in the short and long term remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that our collective scholarly impact could be harmed irreparably, as could our broader mission. We recognize time is of the essence, as is the importance of taking our next steps thoughtfully. We will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Sincerely,
Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
Dwayne Pinkney
Executive Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Rob A. Rutenbar
Senior Vice Chancellor for Research
Anantha Shekhar
Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences
John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, School of Medicine
In my field of education, 15% is a common limit for indirect costs on government research grants, so this isn’t a random figure, but it is the lowest possible. Education research is very different from health research in requirements for infrastructure/facilities/equipment, size of scientific teams and required expertise/access to expertise, etc. It makes no sense to hold health research to the same limits as education (worth noting that education research is terribly underfunded). Heather Cox Richardson tells me the average indirect cost rate on health research grants is about 26%, which does not seem unreasonable (I’m sure they can be much higher at the most prestigious institutions). She also outlines the considerable return on investment of health research.
I agree that an Indirect Cist Rate of 15% might be adequate in some situations, & that Indirect Cost Rates are already 15% in some places for some sorts of awards. The problem isn't simply the actual number of the Indirect Cost Rate; the problem is that the NIH IS CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME while the game is being played. Imagine if touchdowns were awarded 6 points during the first quarter but then were arbitrarily changed to 2 points during the 3rd quarter. Indirect Cost Rates are negotiated between the NIH & all the various institutions (universities, medical schools & research institutes) following some complicated formula & after quite lengthy discussions, and then the Indirect Cost Rate applies for some period of several years. Since the lead time on grants applications & awards is at least a year & in reality can often be much longer, the stability of the Indirect Cost Rates insures that the awards will be made to places that can accomplish the proposed research. The Facilities can be expensive, including everything from office supplies & administrative support staff to autoclaves & hazardous waste disposal contracts plus many, many other expenses borne by the institutions. The faculty award winners & the institutions both need Indirect Cast Rate funding stability to function at all.
The memo sent to the faculty of University of Minnesota is almost identical to the one you posted from Pitt. As you say, the indirect cost rates are negotiated with NIH far in advance, and the schools depend heavily on receiving the planned disbursements on time. This reduction, if it becomes permanent, will shut down thousands of research projects, especially into prevention and treatment of medical and psychological diseases.
Excellent elaboration, much more complete. Thank you for the points that the rates are negotiated and health research requires guarantees of stable funding over time to proceed. Trumsk is attempting to pull the rug out from under all this. If successful (a judge is currently getting in the way), Trumsk’s moves will also compromise the training of young scientists. I’m sure my sister is particularly concerned about this. As a professor of microbiology, she runs a lab where young scientists earn their PhDs.
Correct. Who needs to train more young scientists when the hiring of young faculty scientists will stop after this & funding for active research will halt.
I hope the "appropriate responses" are fiercely against this. This must be stopped.
This followup email arrived today (Tuesday February 11, 2025) at about 12:47PM.
University of Pittsburgh
Office of the Chancellor
Dear Pitt students, faculty and staff,
On Sunday, members of the University administration wrote to update you on guidance announced Friday that drastically reduced funding for existing and ongoing indirect costs for research awards granted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Yesterday morning, 22 state attorneys general filed suit against these cuts, and a federal judge granted the requested temporary restraining order (TRO) for the states that filed. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) also filed suit, and the court granted a national TRO for that action around midnight last night. Similarly, yesterday evening, the Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the American Council on Education (ACE) jointly filed suit, along with a number of impacted research university co-plaintiffs. Pitt is well represented at the leadership level of these associations and is providing supporting documentation for this effort.
The NIH represents Pitt’s largest federal research sponsor at nearly $700 million in funding, ranking us sixth in the nation. As a result, much is at stake with the proposed cuts to indirect costs, also known as F&A, which support the operations of our research enterprise — from the laboratory space, clinical facilities and highly sophisticated instruments for conducting the research where discoveries happen to the grant, finance or administrative support that enables the work of thousands of scientists, trainees and students. A significant reduction of these funds will result in irreparable harm for University operations: for our patients who receive treatments and cures, the students who become their best selves on our campuses, and the people whose livelihoods depend on our innovation economy. Nationally, research has shown that every dollar of NIH funding generates around $2.46 in economic activity, driving U.S. economic competitiveness.
We will continue to work collaboratively in support of this effort and to provide you with timely updates as more information becomes available.
Best wishes,
Joan Gabel
I worked in higher ed as a fundraiser for a couple of decades. Big research universities have really big endowments and rarely spend more than the minimum required by non-profit law. They can cover these slashing cuts for a few years until Trusk is gone rather than let important research go stale.
Your comment plainly demonstrates your total lack of understanding about both endowments & research facility support. Endowments are constrained in their disbursement. Spending endowment funds for ongoing expenses COULD be authorized by University boards, of course, but this would be an extraordinary event. Research facility funding support provides heating, lighting, running water, cleaning services, building maintenance, office support staff, plus all the expensive facilities like advanced optical microscopes, machine shops, controlled temperature rooms, animal care facilities, autoclaves, hazardous & chemical waste management, internet support, software support, large scientific instruments like mass spectrometers & electron microscopes etc etc etc. An indirect cost rate of 15% would barely cover the heating, lighting & running water for the research buildings. Tuition income does not even cover the cost of paying the faculty who instruct the students. Research funding support subsidizes instructional activities. And uncertainty about indirect cost reimbursement rates ALONE will halt a lot of research. Already today people are making plans to shut down research projects because of this directive from NIH.
I agree with you about the way this normally works, and I do understand the terms of true endowment. This attack on university research is dreadful. I only suggest two options. One is that many universities ( and I was head of the review and approval of major gifts for one of the country's most prominent universities) have quasi-endowment funds that can legally be tapped if approved by their boards. The other move is what your excellent explanation suggests: this is a true emergency and could shut down longterm research and the president and board could vote to borrow significantly from the endowment to save something so critical from destruction. Of course it's a radical move, but you've detailed just why such a radical move may be necessary.
What are the GOP's ACTUAL goals? To extend the tax cuts (for the morbidly wealthy) and to take a machete to cut down the laws that protect everyone (don't call them regulations). Everything else is noise meant to scare and distract. Why are we waiting to beat the drum AGAINST the tax cut extensions? They should not be extended a single day! No compromise. The pain MUST be shared.
I don't think the Repubs KNOW what their end goal is. They are destroying their own country! They are astoundingly ignorant!
I think it's a consortium with different goals. The religious right wants to make the country into a "Christian dominion" according to their ideals. (Do see the documentary Bad Faith if you haven't.) The filthy rich want tax breaks and the elimination of any guardrails like safety rules that would negatively affect their profits. The racists are gleeful at all the racism this regime is fostering. Trump just likes dominating people and exercising power, and he wants revenge against anyone who tried to stop him before. So they don't actually share the same goals, but they're united in pursuing the means. It hurts to realize how many truly evil people there are in this country.
I think the goal is to essentially destroy as much as possible to make it nearly impossible to fix. If they can occasionally then get one of their chosen people to win the presidency, they can govern as an autocrat.
I don't think there is any kind of practical plan for making things better. Honestly it looks to me that their goals are to suppress the US population and, wherever needed, bring in trained talent from abroad. It is cheaper than paying to train here.
The rest of the population will be low paid wage slaves.
Since congressional Republicans seem to be useless, why don't we just fire them all and see how they like being out of a job??
If only people would not vote these incompetents into office. I don't understand why they do. It's mind-boggling!
Mostly due to Gerrymandering, I believe. Many many red states populate their congressional districts so that Dems have no chance to win. Then, as a GOP voter you have a choice between an ordinary ignoramus and a Trump/MAGA loyalist nipping at her heels from the far right. The OI has little choice but to move his/her positions further to the right. The Dems have been neutered by lines on the electoral map and cannot provide any meaningful counterweight to extreme GOP positions. This is the case in purple states as well. In places like NC and GA where Dems are perhaps half the voters or more, they are only able to win 1/3 of the congressional seats. I've read that of the maybe 220 GOP House seats only 50 are competitive due to Gerrymandering. That means basically that Republicans never have to modify their positions and can never be held accountable for them. Gerrymander also infects the districts for the state legislatures. Since SCOTUS has punted on the constitutionality of political gerrymandering, most of the red states are able to thwart any reforms to the process of designing districts. They vote against independent commissions in order to retain the power they have achieved by suppressing votes through Gerrymandering.
I worked with the OneVirginia2021 group that pushed for a constitutional amendment that would set up an independent commission to draw political boundaries in the commonwealth. We collected signatures, manned tables at county fairs and on election days, and worked to get out our message that gerrymandering hurts everyone. The question appeared on the 2021 ballot (we vote in off years in Virginia) and passed with more than 70% of the vote. While the devil has been in the implementation of the commission, the resulting redistricting is a damn sight better than what is was in the past.
Thank you for all that work!
Exactly. You nailed it.
Great article, Jen. I think you left out something essential - we must work with Democrats and with their most tech-savvy people to spread real information, not the lies that the repugs are so expert at spreading. When I see the normalization of the insanity of the moment is by the legacy media I can feel my blood pressure go up. Can't watch it anymore. Even the PBS newscasters are too tentative about expressing horror and pain when showing us what the PINO administration is doing, and what will be the result. Can the Fairness Doctrine at least be reinstated for the radio? I know that people living in rural areas listen to the liars on the radio - some of them are only using this form of social media. And they vote. The reason that republicans keep winning elections is due largely to disinformation and an ill or uninformed population.
This is such an important point that I wish to amplify it.
Thank you, Anne!
I hardly know where to start. Re Republicans who go along to get along, I'm sure they would justify it because not doing so would cost them their jobs, and they can't do their important work (eye roll here) if they aren't in power. But they are already refusing to do their most important work, so shouldn't they move aside for someone who will do the work?
I don't understand how people can fail to understand that it isn't 'us vs them', because all of us depend on millions of others to make our lives possible. Until everyone does well, nobody will be safe or protected from the consequences of selfish, short-sighted scoring off their perceived enemies. Yes, even those in the MAGAsphere must be helped to thrive, or nobody will thrive.
Dark thought in my mind: Evil Elon's goal is to replace fired civil servants with a massive A I platform which will run the US governmant.
A I provided, of course, by Evil, who will charge modest royalty fees to US taxpayers.
Given he just launched a bid to take over Open AI this may not be too far fetched.
Agree completely. So tired of hearing that it's up to the Dems to stop this crazy when they're in the minority in the House and in the Senate. Yes Dems need to do their bit but the Republicans are responsible on soooo many levels. Just sickening.