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Rosa Lafer-Sousa

@rosalafersousa.bsky.social

2.1K followers 3.2K following 190 posts

🧠 Scientist | UW-Madison Asst. Prof 🦡 | | Former NIH Postdoc | Organizer & Advocate for Science, Democracy, and Labor 🧪🇺🇸✊ (opinions are my own)

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Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 10d

🇺🇸 These dedicated public servants risked their careers to deliver an urgent message. 🚨

While the 1st amendment grants them the right to speak on matters of public concern, their protection is not guaranteed under an administration hostile to free speech.

Please take the time to listen and boost 🔥

Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA @safa-science.bsky.social · 10d

Federal workers are speaking out on how the Trump regime is harming Americans:

"We stand here today at a moment of the greatest assault of our lifetimes on our freedoms. The US Constitution is being shredded... We are here to call on Congress to stand up and stop it."

youtu.be/uw1KwIBgrCw?...

Mark Histed, NIH Scientist *speaking in personal capacity

YouTube video by Civil Servants Coalition

youtu.be

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Matthew Segal @segalmr.bsky.social · 1d

Whatever you think of the propriety of their decision to talk to the NYT, the fact that federal judges did so — reportedly more than three dozen! — means they are pulling the proverbial fire alarm.

Leah Litman @leahlitman.bsky.social · 1d

More judges speak to the press (the NYT) about what a disaster the Supreme Court (specifically the shadow docket) has been - “incredibly demoralizing & troubling”; a “judicial crisis”; a “slap in the face to district courts.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 15h

An important piece from @walterolson.bsky.social at @cato.org on Trump’s extortionary compact for US colleges and universities.

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 1d

New from me at Cato: I go through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talk about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what I describe as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."

Universities Must Defend Their Independence by Rejecting Trump's "Compact"

The Trump administration has proffered a “compact” to universities that would require them to surrender their independence and academic freedom. How many First Amendment violations can we identify in ...

www.cato.org

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Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 18h

You can only really protect healthcare if you also rein in the lawless White House that is eviscerating our public health infrastructure.

Getting the ACA extensions in the CR only means something if you also have provisions that prevent them from being removed again with a simple majority vote.

Rep. Greg Stanton @repgregstanton.bsky.social · 1d

Now is the time to protect Americans’ access to health care.

We can’t afford to wait.

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Theresa Kim, PhD, MS @tyk314.net · 1d

1. My father's funeral was this week. This morning, I attended my first @nihvigils.bsky.social with my family. I shared my father's story. My father immigrated from South Korea. This was possible with #NSF funding. I know we are sister agencies, but science is under attack in multiple departments.

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Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 19h

Seeing a lot of celebration of this as a win.

But at NIH we have seen this exact play before.

It looks like it is the Vought strategy -and to stop the lawless firings we have to see the bigger picture.
A 🧵:

Trump Administration Will Rehire Scores of Experts Fired in Error

www.nytimes.com

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Sara Partridge, Ph.D. @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 1d

There are reports that the *entire* office of special education at the US Dept of Education has been cut. These hardworking folks ensure kids with disabilities get equal access to a quality education.

America’s children deserve better than this.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 2d

Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise

Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views

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Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 1d

They are building a Propaganda State.

They are cooking the books on job creation.

Now they are rigging death numbers so no one knows how many people die because of their attacks on vaccines and science.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 1d

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:

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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 1d

For more information about the Friday night massacre at CDC, I wrote up an analysis of who got terminated and what that means for public health.

Grateful to @saveamericamvmt.bsky.social for supporting and amplifying. We are in really terrible trouble.

rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/the-death-...

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 1d

They have fired the staff of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and 70 Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, who are disease detectives that respond to outbreaks around the world.

I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous it is to dismantle our disease surveillance infrastructure.

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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse @whitehouse.senate.gov · 1d

Before us are illegal and unnecessary Republican mass firings, which they will own; behind us, millions of Americans whose health care Republicans attack, and will own.

We stand our ground.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

Trump’s Shutdown Layoffs Deepen Impasse, Angering Democrats

www.nytimes.com

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RebelFema @rebelfema.altgov.info · 1d

People. CDC is Literally being decimated right now. Our hearts are breaking for our colleagues at @altcdc.altgov.info.

You can check out their page to see the growing list of departments affected. They don’t deserve this and America doesn’t deserve this.

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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

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Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 1d

We know he’s in Louisiana now. Sen Alsobrooks’ office has been assisting with trying to get his case escalated, to expedite his court hearing. It’s just awful.

Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 2d

MIT President Sally Kornbluth has rejected Trump’s University Compact—a political loyalty pledge disguised as a funding agreement.

This is what leadership looks like: courage, integrity, and clarity of purpose. Every university president should follow her lead.

Proud to be an #MIT alum 🧪

Regarding the Compact

links.mit.edu

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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 2d

If you want to know about Trump's compact for higher education read these pieces. 4/ www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

A Compact for Control (opinion)

No self-respecting institution of higher education should accept the Trump administration’s unconstitutional terms, Robert Post and Tom Ginsburg write.

www.insidehighered.com

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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you @nytopinion.nytimes.com for publishing this rot. Marc Rowan has run hundreds of companies into the dust to extract profits from their failure and bankruptcies. Now he wants to do the same to American higher education. Do not believe a word this man says. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...

Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Badly Needed

www.nytimes.com

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Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 2d

“What kind of person would I be if I went with what works best for me versus what works best for the collective?”

Spoken like a true civil servant.

www.huffpost.com/entry/govern...

Federal Workers Have A Request Of Democrats As The Shutdown Drags On

Furloughed federal employees are about to start missing paychecks, but they aren't ready to give in yet: "We are willing to take some temporary pain."

www.huffpost.com

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Rachael Sirianni, PhD @docsirianni.bsky.social · 3d

It’s just so catchy

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 4d

🎵 They did the Monster Slash 😭 @ellecordova.bsky.social

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Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 4d

The Trump White House is exceptionally weak at this moment. We see it in the insane illegal threats he’s making at fed workers right now (they aren’t buying it!).

People are banding together all over the country to resist his hostile authoritarian take over. And it’s working. 💪

Keep it up 👏👏👏

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

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Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA @safa-science.bsky.social · 4d

This is a legitimately amazing video from @schumer.senate.gov

Please watch.

Thank you, Chuck Schumer!

youtube.com/shorts/Bl01O...

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Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 5d

This is a scare tactic.

But most feds I know aren’t scared or traumatized.

We are just that much more passionate and committed to our missions.

Theresa Kim, PhD, MS @tyk314.net · 5d

@jenna-m-norton.bsky.social is right. You don't just delete laws. And drawing sharpie marks over it doesn't legitimize claims.
#FEDSTRONG

OMB deletes reference to law guaranteeing backpay to furloughed feds from shutdown guidance

An Office of Management and Budget FAQ document now states that only excepted employees forced to work without pay are guaranteed backpay at the conclusion of a lapse in appropriations.

www.govexec.com

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Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 5d

His wife is deeply distressed and just wants her husband back.

Thank you to @alsobrooks.senate.gov and @vanhollen.senate.gov teams for responding within minutes to our request for help.

Let’s get him home before he’s moved to Louisiana. 🙏

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Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 5d

Over the weekend ICE abducted an NIH contractor when he showed up to a courthouse for his green card hearing. He is documented. His wife is a citizen.

He is also member of the skeleton crew of animal care staff that works through a shutdown, to ensure the health and wellbeing of research animals.

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Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 5d

“No self-respecting institution of higher education should accept the Trump administration’s unconstitutional terms”

Thank you, @insidehighered.com

A Compact for Control (opinion)

No self-respecting institution of higher education should accept the Trump administration’s unconstitutional terms, Robert Post and Tom Ginsburg write.

www.insidehighered.com

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