Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Patrick Jackson @pehjackson.bsky.social · 7d

UVA Faculty Senate passed a resolution strongly opposing the Trump “Compact.” We, at least, remain committed to the historic values and mission of the university.

Resolution Opposing the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education"
WHEREAS the United States Secretary of Education has requested that the University of Virginia enter into a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”, and
WHEREAS the Compact contains provisions antithetical to the mission and traditions of the University, and
WHEREAS the Compact contains provisions which endanger the independence and integrity of the University, and
WHEREAS the compact likely violates state and federal law, and infringes upon the constitutional rights of members of the University community, and
WHEREAS the University of Virginia exemplifies American academic values of the highest standard, including universal right to free speech and the cultivation of academic freedom; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate of the University of Virginia firmly opposes this Compact as written and calls upon Interim President Mahoney and the Board of Visitors to also reject this Compact outright as well as any similar proposal compromising the mission, values, and independence of the University.

4 65 200

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · 6d

Are you an alum from one of the 9 schools Trump just attacked? Sign this alumni petition now to support your school, defend democracy, and build a grassroots movement for campus freedom across America. alumni.controlshift.app/petitions/tr...

STAND WITH YOUR SCHOOL: Trump attacks 9 universities. Sign the alumni petition now.

Are you an alum from one of the 9 schools Trump just attacked? Sign this alumni petition now to support your school, defend democracy, and build a grassroots movement for campus freedom across America...

alumni.controlshift.app

8 4

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · 6d

Rachael, This is funny …. But is it real? Was the video posted by Trump? … No ! …. but … was it? …. No …. (!) … (?) Am I going nuts?

Rachael Sirianni, PhD @docsirianni.bsky.social · 7d

Yes but also amidst this <surreal nightmare that is the collapse of our formerly free society> - and really gimme a break for a bit of humor bc it’s 24/7 misery at the moment - all I can think about this video is “More Cowbell” and I REALLY hope Christopher Walken has something to say about this

George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 7d

Signs of psychosis. No biggie

1 1

Reposted by Victor Ambros

The Company of Biologists @biologists.bsky.social · 7d

You can read Mark's 2024 @dev-journal.bsky.social Review article here: doi.org/10.1242/dev....

40 years since the Heidelberg genetic screen that revolutionized developmental and cell biology

ABSTRACT. Our current understanding of the molecular basis of embryonic development and the shared machinery underlying this remarkable process has its roots in three papers published 40 years ago, wh...

doi.org

1 10 19

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Colette Delawalla @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 8d

Our officials statement on the Compact.

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 8d

READ ⬇️ Stand Up For Science Statement on Compact Corrupting Higher Education.

10/2/2025: Stand Up For Science Statement on Compact Corrupting Higher Education.

Washington, D.C. — Today, the administration has unveiled their proposed "compact" for higher education. This document is antithetical to the free academic inquiry that forms the foundation of American excellence in higher education. Further, while the compact is framed as a way to promote fairness in higher education, this compact runs counter to the scientific method by prioritizing federal grant funding to go to universities who have signed, rather than proposals that have been selected by experts.
We call on university leaders to unite and reject this overreach of executive power by the White House.

The compact lies in the context of an ongoing and multi-pronged attack on the integrity of the American scientific ecosystem, but this also tangibly represents the President seizing control of public spaces and higher education. Each university represents a beacon of free thought, vibrant educational empowerment, and public enrichment, and we must demand President Trump stay out of dictating universities.

"Trump's compact is yet another form of attack on the American institutions that provide evidence that counter's the core belief of MAGA — racism, misogyny, and regression of the human race to name a few. If universities agree to these terms, academic freedom in America will be over," says Colette Delawalla Founder and Director of Stand Up For Science. She continues "when the White House takes over what is defined as 'truth' regardless of scientific evidence, we are no longer in a free nation. Universities must understanding the seriousness of this moment and respond accordingly."

Stand Up For Science will reliably sound the alarm when science and scientists are under attack, and our platform empowers scientists to speak out and organize against corruption of American science. The proposing of this document represents an extreme authoritarian escalation for American higher education. It is crucial that university leaders, congress and the public stand together to protect higher education from this attack.

14 19

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Rachael Sirianni, PhD @docsirianni.bsky.social · 26d

I am not a political pawn. I am a living, breathing human being who has dedicated her life to a scientific problem that I believe matters for human health. The article below tells our story; I hope you will read it and share it www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/m...

Trump Is Shutting Down the War On Cancer

www.nytimes.com

13 190 440

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 26d

Powerful new article in NYT Magazine on cancer research

[Gift Link]

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/m...

Trump Is Shutting Down the War On Cancer

www.nytimes.com

3 43 52

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Sep 9

Went for a run, lovely voice of Patty Scialfa in my ears, the singer-songwriter’s gorgeous album, ‘Rumble Doll’ — my favorite solo album by a member of the E Street Band (other than Bruce).

1

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Nicholas Southern @neuroscinikolai.bsky.social · Sep 8

Been having a lot of fun lately listening to the Night Science Podcast after stumbling on it from the article series by @itaiyanai.bsky.social and Martin Lercher, definitely recommend it if you have a passing interest in the creative aspects of how the scientific process is conducted 😄

1 2 10

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Sep 7

Sad to hear that David Baltimore died. I am one of hundreds of scientists that David generously mentored, supported, and inspired. His influence on each of us was deep and lasting, and his impact on the world immeasurable. Arguably David Baltimore is one of the greatest scientists of any generation.

5 30 120

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Sep 7

I am one of many hundreds of scientists that David generously mentored, supported, and inspired. His influence on each of us was deep and lasting, and his impact on the world immeasurable. Arguably David Baltimore is one of the greatest scientists of any generation.

2 17

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Sep 5

fb.watch/BX4G9O8w8t/?

fb.watch

1

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Sep 5

“A scheduler for rhythmic gene expression”
Gaidatzis, Graf-Landua, Woelk, Brancati, Hauser, Meeuse, Nahar, Braun, van der Does, Aluri, Kohler, Smallwood and Helge Grosshans
bioRxiv. 4 September 2025, , 10.1101/2025.09.04.674194
biorxiv.org/content/earl...

3

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Sep 3

New York Times on COVID vaccine evidence

[Gift Link]

nyti.ms/46k17Tq

Trump Wants Proof That Covid Vaccines Work. It’s Easy to Find.

www.nytimes.com

2 20 48

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · Sep 3

thanks for this, but it does not matter if Cassidy is "livid" privately.

Put up or shut up, Bill Cassidy.

Take action, risk Trump's anger, help the country and save people's lives.

Or do not. But don't whine about being livid in private.

🇺🇸🇨🇿🇺🇦⚫ @czeckmate2024.bsky.social · Sep 3

Kennedy made a fool of Cassidy who had rec’d promises he announced when he cast his fateful vote.Kennedy DENIES he ever said that
I’m told Cassidy’s livid. As a Dr, vaxx’s were a huge matter: he even set up a system to get poor ppl Hepatitis vaxx.
Keep calling him w the msg Kennedy makes him a fool

1 4 23

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Sep 3

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees www.statnews.com/2025/08/08/t... via @statnews.com

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees

A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants

www.statnews.com

1

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Adam Kucharski @adamjkucharski.bsky.social · Sep 1

Results so stunningly clear they inspired this classic xkcd (xkcd.com/2400/):

16 1.4K 4K

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Aug 22

Certain extramural investigators have received NOAs this week listing the indirects at 15%. What's happening at your institution?

2 9 9

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Simon Rosenberg @simonwdc.bsky.social · Aug 19

2 bits of data from new Economist/YouGov poll.....

13% support for cutting research funding to universities. 24% among Republicans. Polling on this continues to be catastrophic for the Rs, suggests Dems should be learning far harder into standing up for science and our universities. 1/

56 880 2.2K

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Aug 14

Enough is Enough! We are pressuring Congress to impeach RFK Jr. Sign the petition here (and forward the link to your friends.)

www.standupforscience.net/rfk-impeachm...

Sign the IMPEACH RFK Citizens' Petition to Congress — STAND UP FOR SCIENCE

Join with us to sign our Citizens' Petition to the US Congress to choose the people over Trump and Impeach RFK Jr Now!

www.standupforscience.net

3 10

Reposted by Victor Ambros

Thiago Krause @thiagokrause.bsky.social · Aug 14

As always, Ted Chiang is great in this interview.
cdh.princeton.edu/blog/2025/08...

12 480 1.6K

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Aug 6

I just registered a public comment expressing my opposition to the proposed repeal of the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which empowered the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Here's where you can comment: www.regulations.gov/commenton/EP...

Regulations.gov

www.regulations.gov

4

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Jul 30

Joanne Chory (1955–2024): Plant geneticist extraordinaire | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Joanne Chory (1955–2024): Plant geneticist extraordinaire | PNAS

Joanne Chory (1955–2024) was a pioneering biologist whose research transformed our understanding of plant growth and development. Her groundbreakin...

www.pnas.org

5

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Jun 30

What is the level of funding for NIH and NSF in the current version of the budget bill?

1 1 2

Victor Ambros @vambros.bsky.social · Jun 6

May 8 & 12 National Town Hall Webinars by the Joint Associations Group (JAG) on Indirect Costs-Toward a New Indirect Costs Funding Model
www.cogr.edu/may-8-12-nat...

May 8 & 12 National Town Hall Webinars by the Joint Associations Group (JAG) on Indirect Costs-Toward a New Indirect Costs Funding Model | Council on Governmental Relations

    Slide Presentation (May 8 & May 12, 2025)

www.cogr.edu

1