Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 14h

If I’m going to burn this while preparing my own grant applications, it only seems fair to burn it while reviewing #NIHGrants, no?

A prayer candle for Grant Funding lit on a depressingly grey metal institutional windowsill, looking over a pleasant lawn.

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

Leslie Brick @lesliebrickphd.bsky.social · 7d

🚨 Position Alert! 🚨
I am looking for a full-time Research Scientist 1 to join my lab in Albuquerque, NM at the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addiction (CASAA). We will be studying how stress and trauma influence cannabis and substance use. 🧠🌿 (1/5)

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 3d

LOL these ads against Prop50. Tell it to Texas, dummies. If they weren’t doubling down on their gerrymandering we wouldn’t be here.

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 3d

Important observations about University cowardice in the face of assaults from the regime on academic science.

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 3d

I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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jeremymberg.github.io

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

bioRxiv Pharmacology and Toxicology @biorxiv-pharma.bsky.social · 3d

Exposure of male mice to nicotine leads to metabolic dysfunction in their male and female offspring https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.04.680466v1

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 3d

Yes. This El Cajon.

Watchdog Progressive @watchdogprg.bsky.social · Feb 12

Closer to home.....

El Cajon City Council approved a measure 3-2 Tuesday evening that affirms El Cajon is not a "sanctuary city" and absolves its police officers of punishment if they cooperate with federal immigration authorities such as ICE. www.cbs8.com/article/news...

El Cajon City Council passes controversial anti-sanctuary measure amid community backlash

Mayor Wells argued that most residents support the resolution, citing the 57% of El Cajon voters who backed Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

www.cbs8.com

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 3d

Good! Make them follow the law.

Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 3d

The only PD in the state which is violating the law. Presumably to help with deportation. Because it’s fucking El Cajon. Of course.

Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 6d

BREAKING: California Attorney General sues the El Cajon Police Department over illegal sharing of data from Flock Safety automated license plate readers. oag.ca.gov/news/press-...

Attorney General Bonta Sues El Cajon for Illegally Sharing License

SAN DIEGO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a lawsuit against the City of El Cajon over its refusal to comply with state law prohibiting the sharing of license plate data with

oag.ca.gov

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 5d

Started in Jan 2020 and haven’t caught a break since. But you can bet P&T committees don’t care - taking any world circumstances into account is “lowering the bar.” I’ve been told all standards for grants and publication remain the same. And I have too much service.

AZ Faust @azfaust.bsky.social · 6d

A couple of related-unrelated thoughts that have swirling in my head:

1. This is a bad time to become a new PI in the US. Probably the worst since WWII. If you're negotiating for a position, know your road is way harder than it was for the people on your TT committee. Negotiate accordingly.

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 5d

This doesn’t actually say she will ignore the regime’s threats though.

Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 5d

It appears that my employer, Dartmouth, one of the Trump 9, has said no to the compact. All the better given that our president is cited within it. But she’s saying no. Count the small victories when they come.

Office of the President
Dear Dartmouth community,

As many of you know, Dartmouth was one of nine universities asked by the White House to give feedback by Oct. 20 on a draft of its “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”

I am deeply committed to Dartmouth’s academic mission and values and will always defend our fierce independence.

You have often heard me say that higher education is not perfect and that we can do better. At the same time, we will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves.

Best,
Sian Leah Beilock
President

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 17d

Or Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 17d

this sweater is meant to commemorate duckhead's 160th anniversary as a brand but i might buy it as a "160th anniversary of appomattox and emancipation" www.duckhead.com/collections/...

1865 Intarsia Sweater - 160th Anniversary Edition

Description Inspired by our iconic preppy legacy, this intarsia sweater nods to the style’s rise in the ’80s, when bold, playful motifs defined the look. This version showcases our founding year, 1865...

www.duckhead.com

Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 17d

We certainly do now.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17d

Trump: "We've got a lot of stupid people in this country running things."

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 17d

From LA Times

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Federal judge orders Trump to restore $500 million in frozen UCLA medical research grants

A San Francisco-based federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to restore all National Institutes of Health grants to UCLA, roughly $500 million, that the government suspended in July.

www.latimes.com

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 17d

Delving into the analogue strategy in the e-cigarette market tlneuro.wordpress.com/2025/09/22/d...

Delving into the analogue strategy in the e-cigarette market

tl;dr: We’ve posted a new pre-print which describes some initial studies on the effects of 6-methyl nicotine (6-MN), an analogue of nicotine. This has been showing up in retail products such …

tlneuro.wordpress.com

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 18d

The analog strategy has arrived in the e-cigarette market. As with prior similar strategies in illicit markets, the idea is to stay ahead of government regulation. We’re taking steps to investigate 6-methyl nicotine. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Effects of 6-methyl nicotine in middle aged female rats with a history of nicotine vapor self-administration

Rationale: The nicotine analog 6-methyl nicotine (6-MN) has recently appeared in non-tobacco nicotine delivery products, including oral pouches and e-cigarette liquids, in an apparent ploy to evade re...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

bioRxiv Pharmacology and Toxicology @biorxiv-pharma.bsky.social · 18d

Effects of 6-methyl nicotine in middle aged female rats with a history of nicotine vapor self-administration https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.15.676338v1

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 18d

Any implicit or explicit claims to reduced harm are very unlikely to be correct based on these very initial studies.

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 18d

tl;dr: So far, 6-MN is looking a lot like nicotine.

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Michael Taffe @effatma.bsky.social · 18d

The analog strategy has arrived in the e-cigarette market. As with prior similar strategies in illicit markets, the idea is to stay ahead of government regulation. We’re taking steps to investigate 6-methyl nicotine. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Effects of 6-methyl nicotine in middle aged female rats with a history of nicotine vapor self-administration

Rationale: The nicotine analog 6-methyl nicotine (6-MN) has recently appeared in non-tobacco nicotine delivery products, including oral pouches and e-cigarette liquids, in an apparent ploy to evade re...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · 23d

Robert Redford (RIP) survived a childhood bout of polio though bedridden for 2 weeks

In 2014, he directed a short film on the architecture and mission of La Jolla's Salk Institute—honoring founder Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine that has saved countless lives, and architect Louis Kahn

CATHEDRALS OF CULTURE - Clip ROBERT REDFORD: Salk Institute -- La Jolla, California, USA - HD

YouTube video by neueroadmovies

youtu.be

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

bioRxiv Pharmacology and Toxicology @biorxiv-pharma.bsky.social · 22d

Methamphetamine and α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP) Intravenous Self-Administration in Female and Male Rats https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.12.675933v1

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

Mike the Mad Biologist and Tsar of All the Antifas @mikethemadbiol.bsky.social · 22d

One Bad Thing About Fighting Fascists Is What You Have to Do to Stop Them: Thoughts on a Possible Shutdown

I hope I'm wrong, but I think this is correct (boldface mine): Much of what I’m about to explain comes from general reporting and observation over recent weeks but also a report this morning…

One Bad Thing About Fighting Fascists Is What You Have to Do to Stop Them: Thoughts on a Possible Shutdown

I hope I'm wrong, but I think this is correct (boldface mine): Much of what I’m about to explain comes from general reporting and observation over recent weeks but also a report this morning from Punchbowl. The gist is that Senate Democrats may make their ask a short-term extension of the Obamacare subsidies which were cut as part of the President’s budget bill.

mikethemadbiologist.com

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 23d

A reporter just asked the U.S. president a perfectly legitimate question about his attorney general's vow to prosecute people for constitutionally protected speech.

He responded by threatening to prosecute the reporter.

The threat itself is an abuse of power. It ought to be an impeachable offense.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23d

JON KARL: What do you make of Pam Bondi saying she's gonna go after hate speech? A lot of your allies say hate speech is free speech

TRUMP: We'll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. You have a lot of hate in your hate. Maybe they'll have to go after you.

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Reposted by Michael Taffe

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 23d

As an aside, the contrast between "Deep Throat" (who turned out to be FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt) who stood up for the rule of law through the press and Dan Bongino is striking.

Perhaps Bongino should be "Shallow Brain"...

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