Dave Levitan
@davelevitan.bsky.social
77K followers 850 following 11K posts
Journalist, looking for next thing. Bylines all over the place. Book: NOT A SCIENTIST: How politicians mistake, misrepresent, and utterly mangle science (WW Norton). Signal: @davelevitan.26 www.davelevitan.com Sign up: www.gravityisgone.com
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davelevitan.bsky.social
Okay quick thread of the sort of stuff you'll get if you pay a modest monthly or yearly amount to read Gravity Is Gone:

Today's newsletter, about the shutdown and RIFs and how employees are so in the dark that their bosses want them to email UP the chain if they get fired.
Federal Employees Have Been Asked to Tell Their Bosses if They Get Fired
Multiple people at multiple agencies said their bosses have told them to email up the chain if they hear about RIFs, because, per one source, "they probably won't be told if people are fired."
www.gravityisgone.com
Reposted by Dave Levitan
samthielman.com
If I am fired I assure you I will not be contacting my boss again
davelevitan.bsky.social
Okay quick thread of the sort of stuff you'll get if you pay a modest monthly or yearly amount to read Gravity Is Gone:

Today's newsletter, about the shutdown and RIFs and how employees are so in the dark that their bosses want them to email UP the chain if they get fired.
Federal Employees Have Been Asked to Tell Their Bosses if They Get Fired
Multiple people at multiple agencies said their bosses have told them to email up the chain if they hear about RIFs, because, per one source, "they probably won't be told if people are fired."
www.gravityisgone.com
davelevitan.bsky.social
Federal employees at ANY agency, I’m curious to hear from you about RIFs and whatever else is happening these days, Signal is davelevitan.26 and you can remain anonymous.
Reposted by Dave Levitan
sherylnyt.bsky.social
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
davelevitan.bsky.social
[pitching studio execs]

-but he’s the VISIBLE man!



-get out
davelevitan.bsky.social
I mostly want anyone responsible for a “Musk is trying to cut costs” headline to have their house egged once a week in perpetuity
Reposted by Dave Levitan
tonyromm.bsky.social
NEW: It looks like the number of federal layoffs -- so far -- is over 4,000, we've learned from court documents

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...
White House Signals Federal Layoffs Have Begun During Government Shutdown
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Dave Levitan
davelevitan.bsky.social
I have seen the memo that went out inside EPA about the oncoming RIF, to be done "pursuant to the President's priority programs, projects and activities."

It's light on details but it promises that RIF notices will have a 60-day window as required by law. There are, uh, other laws though.
davelevitan.bsky.social
A rant about the billion-dollar grift that is the Trump Presidential Library, a thing I wish more people were talking about

www.gravityisgone.com/what-even-is...
Imagine a historian ten years from now, wandering in some side door to the supposed archive to do a bit of research on what, exactly, happened with that whole hurricanes-and-sharpies thing, and needing to dodge hosts of Palm Beach car dealership owners paying $1,125 a night for rooms facing away from the bay on their way to a $25,000-a-plate dinner at which the former president who has not been seen without a ventilator in 18 months has promised to gladhand the donors. The documents our lonely historian requested will, of course, not be available.
davelevitan.bsky.social
Breaking news that I don't think anyone else had about the, uh, Department of Justice for some reason telling employees at the, uh, National Institutes of Health that they could not attend a major public health association's annual meeting.

Per one NIH source: "What the actual fuck?"
Why Is the DOJ Telling NIH Staff They Can't Attend a Public Health Conference?
Hello, welcome to my relaunched newsletter, read more about the deal here and please subscribe! On Wednesday, employees at various parts of the National Institutes of Health received an odd email. Sh...
www.gravityisgone.com
davelevitan.bsky.social
Some thoughts on what the real true believers in the administration—not "the strivers, the Pam Bondis or Marco Rubios or JD Vances, always oozing, slime-mold-like, into whatever ideological nooks and crannies get them closer and closer to power"—actually want.
What Do These Ghouls Even Want
Every week there is some cabinet member or other official or striving red state governor laying bare their grotesque yearnings to the world, or more likely to the television they hope the big guy is c...
www.gravityisgone.com
davelevitan.bsky.social
Okay quick thread of the sort of stuff you'll get if you pay a modest monthly or yearly amount to read Gravity Is Gone:

Today's newsletter, about the shutdown and RIFs and how employees are so in the dark that their bosses want them to email UP the chain if they get fired.
Federal Employees Have Been Asked to Tell Their Bosses if They Get Fired
Multiple people at multiple agencies said their bosses have told them to email up the chain if they hear about RIFs, because, per one source, "they probably won't be told if people are fired."
www.gravityisgone.com
Reposted by Dave Levitan
djangowexler.bsky.social
My boss: so how's our fourth quarter looking?

Me, the sales manager at the company that makes inflatable frog suits: well, you're never going to believe this, but
Reposted by Dave Levitan
schwanksta.com
I keep thinking about how this shutdown feels so different and I think it comes down to this — the administration is already basically ignoring laws and appropriations etc. A shutdown doesn’t feel as consequential when things are already bashed up and the plan is to do that more.
davelevitan.bsky.social
One fed employee told me the internal conversations feel very different from previous shutdowns.

www.gravityisgone.com/federal-empl...
"Every other fed I've talked to agrees how much it sucks to be furloughed, but also that this shutdown needs to continue until the administration starts respecting the rule of law," said a NOAA employee. "Even the conservative Republicans."
davelevitan.bsky.social
Lol yes it does, and thank you!
davelevitan.bsky.social
Though I've now turned on paid subscriptions you can also still sign up for the free version. I will adore you forever either way.

www.gravityisgone.com
Gravity Is Gone
Independent reporting and commentary on science, politics, and policy
www.gravityisgone.com
davelevitan.bsky.social
One fed employee told me the internal conversations feel very different from previous shutdowns.

www.gravityisgone.com/federal-empl...
"Every other fed I've talked to agrees how much it sucks to be furloughed, but also that this shutdown needs to continue until the administration starts respecting the rule of law," said a NOAA employee. "Even the conservative Republicans."