News from the USA, United States of America


Has Your Scientific Work Been Cut? We Want to Hear.​

For a new series, Times journalists are speaking with scientists whose research has ended as a result of policy changes by the Trump administration.
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The Times has been asking dozens of scientists from across the country to describe what has been lost as a result of these changes. Their first-person accounts for this series will appear regularly over the coming weeks.
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arstechnica.com

Proposed new US funding rules: We can cancel any grant at any time

Peer review now optional, political staff would screen grants for forbidden topics.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com

Proposed new US funding rules: We can cancel any grant at any time​

Peer review now optional, political staff would screen grants for forbidden topics.
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www.cbsnews.com

"The power of the internet:" How a Chicago writer founded an international literary magazine from her bedroom

After experiencing Long COVID, Madeline Blair is building a global poetry community rooted in disability justice.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com

A pwLC founded a literary magazine:

"The power of the internet:" How a Chicago writer founded an international literary magazine from her bedroom​

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There is a growing number of COVID-cautious, more accessible nightlife spaces in Chicago, from concerts to film screenings. But Blair never found one dedicated to poetry.

"I need to do more if I want to see any change," she said. So she decided to make her own, and Sabr Tooth was born.

Her online call for submissions went worldwide — from Canada to Ghana, Norway, India, Japan, and of course, the Windy City.

"It was unbelievable," she said. "Literally because of Twitter, the power of the internet."

But Blair didn't just want a poetry magazine. She wanted to create an inclusive community around it.

"A lot of literary magazines don't really do community stuff. It's really just about the writing and getting published," Blair said. "I wanted a literary magazine that's also a community space, and to make sure that space is accessible."

Blair partners with disability justice organizations that have already laid the groundwork in Chicago for building more accessible events. Clean Air Club provides HEPA air purifiers, and Save the Night Chicago delivers high-quality masks. Blair said she feels a moral responsibility to keep it as safe as possible.
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The magazine's first issue included a poem called "Double Lines," written by a self-described ex-convict. The poem is about the similarities of grief he felt after catching COVID despite taking precautions, and his experience of being incarcerated.
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From the June 2026 email bulletin of the Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association


Defend US Science: Please Comment on Proposed OMB Regulations​

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued proposed new regulations about how scientific research proposals to all US funding agencies will be handled. Among the more alarming proposals are 1) requiring proposals to pass a review by political appointees before they will be considered for peer review, 2) requiring proposals to align with the current administration's political priorities, 3) being able to cancel contracts at any time for no reason, 4) not allowing funding for conference attendance or paper publication.

Elizabeth Ginexi has a summary of these and other changes here. These regulations will destroy US scientific research. We need everyone who cares about the integrity of science to voice their opposition during the public comment period (until July 13th). Please enter your comment by clicking on the blue Comment button on this page.
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"Scientists ejected from diabetes conference for distributing journal reprints"

arstechnica.com

Scientists ejected from diabetes conference for distributing journal reprints

Those ousted included ADA journal editor-in-chief Steven Kahn and former ADA president Desmond Schatz...
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
Five leading scientists were ousted from the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in New Orleans on Friday. Their crime: handing out copies of an editorial, published in the journal Diabetes Care on April 29, sharply criticizing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on scientific research.
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Some questioned how handing out reprints of an editorial published in the ADA’s own journal, at the ADA’s own annual conference, could be construed as a violation of that code. The scientists were not disruptive or disorderly in their conduct, based on the videos posted by MedPage Today, although the fact that they were handing out reprints just before an NIH representative was scheduled to speak might be construed as a form of protest. But it could just as easily be argued that such actions fall under valid scientific dissemination and discussion, the conference’s stated objective.
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ahimsa said:
"Scientists ejected from diabetes conference for distributing journal reprints"
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Dystopian times we‘re living in, innit?

Here’s some good news for the brave souls still visiting this thread from time to time:
www.cbsnews.com

The first-ever dedicated Mister Rogers' Neighborhood YouTube channel launches globally

The iconic, Pittsburgh-based children's show now has a dedicated YouTube channel honoring the legacy of Fred Rogers.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
Beginning today, for the first time ever, the iconic Mister Rogers' Neighborhood will be available to watch on YouTube.
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"We hope this channel will become a place where families can slow down together," added Kristin DiQuollo, creative director, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood YouTube Channel, Fred Rogers Productions.
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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers#Legacy
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster", I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.
—Fred Rogers
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Whenever a great tragedy strikes—war, famine, mass shootings, or even an outbreak of populist rage—millions of people turn to Fred's messages about life. Then the web is filled with his words and images. With fascinating frequency, his written messages and video clips surge across the internet, reaching hundreds of thousands of people who, confronted with a tough issue or ominous development, open themselves to Rogers' messages of quiet contemplation, of simplicity, of active listening and the practice of human kindness.
—Rogers biographer Maxwell King
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Their crime: handing out copies of an editorial, published in the journal Diabetes Care on April 29, sharply criticizing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on scientific research.
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Misguided Brushes of a Pen Continue to Dismantle and Destroy Biomedical Research in the United States: We Can No Longer Afford Complacency and Fear. We Must All Act Now! (2026) —

While one would think that this congressional action to preserve the NIH budget was a clear repudiation, it has not stopped President Trump from requesting a 2027 budget that now seeks a $5 billion reduction to NIH (6). These proposed cuts would […] Other vital cores of the NIH that would be scaled back are the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Library of Medicine; the latter’s charge includes providing searchable access to the worldwide medical literature for scientists, clinicians, and patients around the world.
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newhampshirebulletin.com

Miss Wheelchair New Hampshire hopes her crown can help others the same way it helped her • New Hampshire Bulletin

Today, Nenia Ballard is 2026’s Miss Wheelchair New Hampshire, but her early days using the chair were filled with shame.
newhampshirebulletin.com newhampshirebulletin.com

Miss Wheelchair New Hampshire hopes her crown can help others the same way it helped her​

Ballard had been a police officer in Canaan for about a decade when she contracted COVID-19 in 2021. However, unlike most people infected by the virus, Ballard’s symptoms never seemed to go away.
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One day her occupational therapist suggested she use a wheelchair.

“And I was completely against it,” Ballard said.
“I didn’t want anybody who knew me as the strong independent police officer to see me in a wheelchair because I thought that they would think less of me.”
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“I started having this slow acceptance of, like, this is actually helping,” she said. “I’m actually going places. And I was able to start going to my kids’ sporting events. I was able to start experiencing life again, and it finally clicked in my head: The whole reason I’m able to do these things is because of the wheelchair, not despite it.”

And a big part of that acceptance came through advocacy she was able to do.

“I didn’t actually set out to do advocacy,” she said. “I just saw a problem and saw something that I was dealing with, and didn’t see a lot of people talking about it, and I was just getting on and complaining.”
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One of the first things Ballard noticed when she started using a wheelchair was how different her clothes fit. Even her favorite outfits became difficult to wear.

So Ballard started reviewing clothes on TikTok with a wheelchair user in mind, and through those reviews she found a community of wheelchair users to connect with.
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“I didn’t see it as advocacy,” she said. “Even though now looking back, and now that I’m doing it more regularly, I see that that’s what I am doing. But it’s not what I set out to do.”

It was through those videos that she was discovered by Miss Wheelchair America, which was founded in 1972 to empower women “to lead as advocates for accessibility, inclusion, and disability rights.”
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She attended a Boston Fleet hockey game representing the organization and wearing her sash this past season. The team put her on the Jumbotron and spoke about her advocacy. She said a woman came up to her between periods to tell her about her own son who was just diagnosed with long COVID. The woman was encouraged to hear that Ballard was eventually able to get out of the house again.

“She said she called him right away to tell him that I was there,” Ballard said. “To just hear that, and to hear that there are people that need that representation. I was like, ‘OK I did the right thing, like, I’m glad that I’m doing this.’”
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The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed new rules that
would change how the federal government awards and manages every
research grant in the country. This includes the federal grants that
fund ME/CFS and Long COVID research. Before these rules can go into
effect, there is a window for anyone to submit a comment telling the
government what they think. You do not need to be a scientist, a lawyer,
or an expert. If this disease affects your life, your voice counts.

Go to,
https://solvecfs.org/how-to-submit-a-public-comment-on-the-proposed-federal-grant-rule/
 
Sharing a 27‑minute audio interview, with details below

The Sick Times (Still Here Podcast): “How is Minnesota Addressing Long COVID?”

Episode description: 'As many governments shutter and defund their Long COVID programs, Minnesota is ramping up. In this episode of Still Here, co-host Betsy Ladyzhets talks to Kate Murray (Minnesota Dept. of Health) and Terri Wilder (#MEAction) about Minnesota’s recently launched Roadmap to address Long COVID and other post-viral conditions, and how their broad coalition led to a human-centric plan forward.’

Spotify (link) & Apple (link)
 
I've typed three different sentences trying to describe my reaction and then deleted them.

I'm truly at a loss for words.

"Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines"

www.theguardian.com

Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines

Reports say Texas recruits ill from outbreak, which comes weeks after defense secretary made flu vaccine optional
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

The Guardian said:
An influenza outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 150 recruits in training at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas.

The outbreak comes just weeks after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers.

“We’re seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our war fighting capabilities,” said Hegseth in an April social media video. “In this case that includes the universal flu vaccine and the mandate behind it.

“Your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable,” said Hegseth.
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Yeah, because having a big chunk of your personnel off sick with easily preventable diseases is a well known method for improving the fighting capacity of a military, ain't it, Pete.

The man is an utter fool.

That said, the individuals who chose not to get vaccinated under the new optional policy have to take a big chunk of the blame for the outcome too. It is not like the efficacy and success of vaccines is some secret hidden knowledge.
 

Statewide Roadmap to Address Long COVID and Post-Viral Chronic Conditions - MN Dept. of Health

www.health.state.mn.us www.health.state.mn.us

Statewide Roadmap to Address Long COVID and Post-Viral Chronic Conditions​

IN MINNESOTA

This roadmap represents a coordinated, cross-sector effort to improve the quality of life for Minnesotans living with long COVID and other post-viral infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs). Grounded in health equity and principles of disability justice, the roadmap recognizes that post-viral IACCs are shaped by social and structural inequities that contribute to stigma, bias, barriers to care, and poor outcomes.

Developed through listening sessions, workgroups, and collaboration with people living with post-viral IACCs, healthcare professionals, community representatives, public health leaders, and others, the roadmap identifies opportunities to ensure people experiencing these conditions are seen, believed, diagnosed, receive the medical care they deserve, and get the support they need.

The roadmap serves as a starting point for coordinated action across healthcare, public health, education, employment, social services, government, and community systems to create more integrated, equitable, and responsive support for Minnesotans living with post-viral IACCs.
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PDF
 

Exclusive: NSF slashes research programs to support new tech initiative, insiders say​

Unexpected shift in funds has meant sharp drop in grants this fiscal year

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is trimming this year’s budgets for hundreds of its traditional basic science programs by roughly 20% to 30% even though its overall budget is down just 3%, Science has learned.
NSF has not publicly explained the drastic cuts. But sources within and outside the agency, who did not want to be named, say they suspect the goal is to free up funds for a new $1.5 billion initiative, launched last month, meant to turn NSF-funded discoveries into new products and industries.

Last month, when NSF announced plans to give perhaps a half-dozen “X-Labs” as much as $300 million each over 6 years, it did not explain where the money would come from.
Rumors have circulated for months that NSF was withholding $1 billion or more of the $8.1 billion Congress approved earlier this year for its eight research directorates.
An internal memo obtained by Sciencedocuments, for the first time, the extent of those cuts in some fields.
NSF declined comment.
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NSF is moving swiftly to stand up the X-Labs initiative. Applicants must prepare and submit proposals by mid-July, barely 2 months after being notified of the opportunity.
Sources tell Science that X-Labs could make the first awards as early as this fall.
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