Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 1h

Sipping a Negroni while prepping ma po tofu #FridayEvening

Boulevardier in a tumbler with a sphere ice cube and the makings for ma po tofu in the background

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · 2h

He tried everything else and now he's going to put on a frog costume and dance like Gene from Bob's Burgers okay

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

TK (Takashi DY) Kozai @bioniclab.bsky.social · 1h

NIH cuts save $9-10B short-term, but they’re killing 202K jobs & $46B in red-state economies (TX, FL, OH). $8T healthcare disaster loom, no cancer/Alzheimer’s cures, pricier drugs. Scientists fleeing to China? Bad deal. Fight for NIH!
www.the-scientist.com/nih-leadersh...

#AmericaFirst

NIH Leadership Is Failing Early Career Researchers

Halted training programs, funding chaos, and hiring freezes jeopardize advancement options for early career researchers.

www.the-scientist.com

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Adam Harris @adamhsays.com · 2h

This story is a feat. I hope you read it. @nicolechung.bsky.social

www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/...

When Adoption Promises Are Broken

Many birth mothers hope to maintain contact with their child. But their agreements with adoptive parents can be fragile.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Ben Casselman @bencasselman.bsky.social · 1d

Full story coming. Live coverage on our blog here:
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

Update from Ben Casselman

www.nytimes.com

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Ben Casselman @bencasselman.bsky.social · 1d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Labor Statistics is preparing to release the September C.P.I. report despite the shutdown. (Exact date still unclear -- almost certainly not the original Oct. 15 date.) #EconSky #NumbersDay

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Lauren McKenzie @themckenziest.gay · 7h

Seeing Ms. Rachel say exactly what needs to be said to Obama is so damn refreshing

Dear President Obama,
I saw in your statement you said "Israeli families" & "the people of Gaza."
Palestinians have families, too.
This kind of language contributes to dehumanization. Dehumanization is part of what caused so many to stay silent as 20,000 children were killed in this genocide.
I've sat with wonderful Palestinian families from Gaza. They look at their children just like we look at ours - with all the love & hope in the world.
Love,
Ms Rachel

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anil oza @aniloza.bsky.social · 7h

HHS confirms to @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social that it will be impacted by the RIFS promised earlier today by Russel Vought

If you or your colleagues have been impacted, please reach out

www.statnews.com/2025/10/10/h...

HHS employees to be fired as White House enacts mass terminations it blames on shutdown

Federal health employees are being fired as the White House makes good on a promise to terminate federal employees en masse because of the shutdown.

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Namnezia 🥑 @namnezia.bsky.social · 3h

Um…

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Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 2h

“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 8h

A response from MIT rejecting "The Compact"...

orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart

orgchart.mit.edu

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 3h

Ah, okay—details seem to be from sworn OMB declaration for AFGE lawsuit. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Agency termination details from lawsuit. Numbers are same as in above screenshot of tweet: Commerce: 315 employees
- Education: 466 employees
- Energy: 187 employees
- HHS: Between 1,100 and 1,200 employees
- HUD: 442 employees
- DHS: 176 employees
- Treasury: 1,446 employees
- EPA: 20-30 employees

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

tony romm @tonyromm.bsky.social · 3h

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

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Nikolai Slavov @slavov-n.bsky.social · 18h

These molecular changes contribute to reduced cellular senescence, delayed organ aging, and life-span extension.

A cGAS-mediated mechanism in naked mole-rats potentiates DNA repair and delays aging

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A cGAS-mediated mechanism in naked mole-rats potentiates DNA repair and delays aging

Efficient DNA repair might make possible the longevity of naked mole-rats. However, whether they have distinctive mechanisms to optimize functions of DNA repair suppressors is unclear. We find that na...

www.science.org

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Nikolai Slavov @slavov-n.bsky.social · 18h

Changing 4 amino acid residues confers longevity benefits across different species.

The changes maintain cGAS at a low level of ubiquitination, which facilitates DNA repair.

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 @judiciarydems.senate.gov · 4h

BREAKING: Sens. DURBIN, DUCKWORTH were just denied entrance to the Broadview ICE Facility in Illinois, unable to conduct constitutional role of oversight.

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Chemjobber @chemjobber.bsky.social · 2h

apropos of nothing, one of my favorite songs is "Drunk on a Plane" by Dierks Bentley*

youtu.be/QrM39m22jH4?...

Dierks Bentley - Drunk On A Plane (Official Music Video)

YouTube video by DierksBentleyVEVO

youtu.be

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Soni Lacefield @lacefieldlab.bsky.social · 2h

The Lacefield Lab won second place in the great pumpkin derby! @dartmouthbcb.bsky.social @mcbdartmouth.bsky.social

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

SPARC @sparcopen.bsky.social · 10h

We just posted an impact story on policies at HHMI, Gates & Astera promoting #OpenAccess #OpenScience #OpenData. Powerful signals to other funders to accelerate discovery in science. Well done @madubs.bsky.social @openaccessmaven.bsky.social @pracheeac.bsky.social! sparcopen.org/impact-story...

Funders Roll Out Next Gen Open Policies - SPARC

sparcopen.org

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Prachee Avasthi @pracheeac.bsky.social · 8h

Waiting for incentives to change in scientific publishing? We’ve got you!

I hope other funders follow suit to make the most of their research dollars

SPARC @sparcopen.bsky.social · 10h

We just posted an impact story on policies at HHMI, Gates & Astera promoting #OpenAccess #OpenScience #OpenData. Powerful signals to other funders to accelerate discovery in science. Well done @madubs.bsky.social @openaccessmaven.bsky.social @pracheeac.bsky.social! sparcopen.org/impact-story...

Funders Roll Out Next Gen Open Policies - SPARC

sparcopen.org

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Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 2h

Congratulations to you and all the authors, Kara! 🥳

Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Çağrı Çevrim @cagricevrim.bsky.social · 12h

Last but not least, a huge thanks to all co-authors and collaborators.
This was truly a team effort that brought together many people with different expertise.

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Çağrı Çevrim @cagricevrim.bsky.social · 12h

In short, we developed the first transgenic menstruating mouse and discovered a new principle of endometrial layering and regeneration.
X-Mens opens the door to studying menstrual biology and pathologies with precision and help closing the longstanding gap in women’s health research.

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

Kara McKinley @karalmckinley.bsky.social · 12h

Lab’s 1st preprint!

Menstruation is understudied due to societal taboos + a biological challenge: mice (a key system for research + drug discovery) don’t menstruate.

@cagricevrim.bsky.social made menstruating mice + used them to discover early events in menstruation.

He is on the job market!

Çağrı Çevrim @cagricevrim.bsky.social · 12h

I’m thrilled to share my postdoc work and the first paper from the McKinley Lab! 🎉
@karalmckinley.bsky.social
We built the first transgenic model of menstruation in mice.
We used it to uncover how the endometrium organizes and sheds during menstruation. 🧪
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵

Induction of menstruation in mice reveals the regulation of menstrual shedding

During menstruation, an inner layer of the endometrium is selectively shed, while an outer, progenitor-containing layer is preserved to support repeated regeneration. Progress in understanding this co...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽

turrigiano.bsky.social @turrigiano.bsky.social · 7h

Thank You MIT. Now who's next?

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

www.nytimes.com

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Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 2h

Congratulations to you and all the authors, Suzanne! 🥳