Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 22h

www.axios.com/2025/10/07/t...

Congress erupts over "lawless" Trump threat not to pay back furloughed federal workers

"Congress will make this call," said one House Republican. "We will pay the workers."

www.axios.com

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 22h

Shared with permission from Carl Stahle, Retired, Vice President of Goddard Retirees and Alumni Association, NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center

Link in the document text: www.commerce.senate.gov/services/fil...

(Original LinkedIn post: www.linkedin.com/posts/carl-s...)

@roguenasa.altgov.info

1 21 37

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 22h

To be clear, deleting the reference to a law doesn't mean the law ceases to exist.

Read the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-1) here: www.congress.gov/116/plaws/pu...

www.congress.gov

1

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 22h

@altfws.altgov.info @altfda.altgov.info @alt-ssa.altgov.info @altcdc.altgov.info @alt-dol.altgov.info @alt-irs.altgov.info @altspaceforce.altgov.info @altscalesofjustice.altgov.info @roguenasa.altgov.info @roguenoaa.bsky.social and certainly others.

1

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 23h

To be clear, deleting the reference to a law doesn't mean the law ceases to exist.

Read the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-1) here: www.congress.gov/116/plaws/pu...

www.govexec.com/pay-benefits...

#Feds #OMB #ShutdownShowdown #backpay
#Vought #furlough

www.congress.gov

2 12 44

Reposted by Shea (she/her)

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

MADELEINE DEAN: The president is unhinged. He's unwell

JOHNSON: A lot of folks on your side are too

D: Oh my god, please. That performance in front of the generals?

J: I didn't see it

D: It's so dangerous! Our allies are looking elsewhere. Our enemies are laughing. You have a POTUS who's unwell.

3.6K 11K 36K

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 6d

Dear ALL #Colleges and #Universities,

Now is the time for a united front. Just say no.

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

(That means you too, @stanford.edu)

#SaveHigherEd #UnitedFront #StrongerTogether

www.wsj.com

1 2

Reposted by Shea (she/her)

RogueNOAA @roguenoaa.bsky.social · 6d

@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@democrats.senate.gov

Feds are sacrificing for you. Hold the line. Fight. Do what we elected you to do. Fight for our democracy.

6 56

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 6d

@indivisible.org sent out this email re: a mass call TONIGHT, but here's a wiped shareable image version.

None of the links work in the png of course, but here's the registration link: www.mobilize.us/HealthcareNo...

If anyone wants any of the other links, I'm happy to share them in the comments.

Reposted by Shea (she/her)

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · 7d

📣 Calling 2nd-year grad students and their mentors:

You just abruptly lost the ability to apply for the NSF grad research fellowship.

Join ~900 others (and growing!) in signing @omfishient.bsky.social's petition to reverse that.

[Or reshare this petition if you're not directly impacted]

Petition to NSF to Restore Eligibility for the 2026 Graduate Research Fellowship Program Competition

laurenkuehne.github.io

1 17 17

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

@chrismurphyct.bsky.social and @warren.senate.gov making an immediate call to action and advertising for #nokings2 on Oct 18 ❤️❤️❤️

#nokings #resist #mobilize
@indivisible.org
@50501movement.bsky.social
@womensmarch.com
@standupforscience.bsky.social

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

A longish video but EXCELLENT execution. This is what democracy looks like. Thank you @sanders.senate.gov and others ❤️

@indivisible.org
@indimidpen.bsky.social

youtu.be/ZjAZJk-z-jg?...

Bernie Sanders Leads Roundtable On Government Shutdown With Democratic Senators

YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News

youtu.be

1 1 3

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

What in the actual F*CK?!?! The Housing and Urban Development homepage right now.

www.hud.gov

Somebody sue them for violating the Hatch Act.

#HUD #HatchAct #illegal
@indivisible.org
@indimidpen.bsky.social
@briantylercohen.bsky.social

1 2

Reposted by Shea (she/her)

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 7d

Similar/identical language for NSF. Here's my transcription of an email shared with me by staff.

President Trump opposes a government shutdown and strongly supports the enactment of H.R. 5371, which is a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government through November 21, and already passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking the Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands. If Congressional Democrats maintain their current posture and refuse to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded before midnight on September 30, 2025, federally appropriated funding will lapse.

A funding lapse will result in certain government activities ceasing due to a lack of appropriated funding. In addition, designated pre-notified employees of this agency would be temporarily furloughed. P.L. 116-1 would apply.

The agency has contingency plans in place for executing an orderly shutdown of activities that would be affected by any lapse in appropriations forced by Congressional Democrats.

Brian Stone
Performing the Duties of the Director

2 8 16

Reposted by Shea (she/her)

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 7d

SCOOP/UPDATE — The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed *all* federal agencies to send out the shutdown email with NO modifications permitted, a federal source confirmed. Leadership received these orders via email at 1:30pm ET and then reinforced on a 3pm intra-agency call.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 7d

BREAKING — Employees at multiple government agencies have received an email from their leadership with text clearly dictated by The White House regarding a potential government shutdown.

So far HHS, Interior, and Social Security have gotten this message, the text of which was shared with me:

Subject: Planning for Potential Lapse in Funding

President Trump opposes a government shutdown, and strongly supports the enactment of H.R. 5371, which is a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government through November 21, and already passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands. If Congressional Democrats maintain their current posture and refuse to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded before midnight on September 30, 2025, federal appropriated funding will lapse.

A funding lapse will result in certain government activities ceasing due to a lack of appropriated funding. In addition, designated pre-notified employees of this agency would be temporarily furloughed. P.L. 116-1 would apply.

The agency has contingency plans in place for executing an orderly shutdown of activities that would be affected by any lapse in appropriations forced by Congressional Democrats. Further Information about those plans will be distributed should a lapse occur.

31 350 880

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

📢‼️ACTION ITEM: KEEP CALLING AND EMAILING YOUR #Senators AND #Representatives TO PUSH FOR THE SENATE APPROPRIATED BUDGET TO BE PASSED! As a reminder, the Senate budget fully funds science and stem education.

2

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

The House Appropriations CR has 180M$ reduction in NASA Helio budget, and that's not accounting for inflation.

1 2

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

It is unclear what "the guidance given about a month ago" was, since multiple different directives have been given.

E.g., it's unclear if SDO is getting 15% cuts or 30% cuts. Again, still better than the near 50% cuts from the PBR but still some uncertainty.

1 1

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

No missions are set to be fully cancelled, at least in the short term.

1 1

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

STEM Education is slated to be cut 100% (completely zeroed out)

1 1

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

Currently no news regarding the DRIVE Science Centers, which is hopefully a good thing??????

1 1

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

- #Heliophysics Missions continuing as planned: Wind, Parker, Solar Orbiter
- Will continue at reduced operations: ACE, IBEX
- Will continue at reduced funding levels: THEMIS/ARTEMIS, MMS, TIMED, Hinode
- Will follow the guidance given ~ a month ago:
SSMO, SDO, AWE, PUNCH, GOLD, IRIS, SOHO, STEREO

1 1

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

@roguenasa.altgov.info , NSF and DOE are being told to align shutdown spending with the @ushouseofreps.bsky.social #appropriations CR. Not nearly as bad as the PBR cuts, but still significant. Outlining key #heliophysics points in the comments.

@aas.org has a good summary: aas.org/posts/news/2...

House FY2026 Appropriations Report: NASA, NSF, and DOE Details | American Astronomical Society

The House released its Commerce, Justice, and Science spending bills and reports for FY2026. Here we break down the provisions related to the astronomical sciences for NASA, the National Science Found...

aas.org

1 3 10

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

SOME GREAT NEWS! ngGONG is on track! 🤩🥳🌞🔭🎉

#NSFfunded #nggong #heliophysics

nso.edu/press-releas...

NSO Receives Funding from NSF to Design the Next-Generation Solar Observing Network to Advance Solar Science and Space Weather Forecasting - NSO - National Solar Observatory

The U. S. NSF National Solar Observatory will design a Next-Generation Ground-based Solar Observing Network (ngGONG) advancing space-weather forecasting.

nso.edu

1 4

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

Unilateral decisions are neither #negotiations nor #deals.

@indivisible.org
@indimidpen.bsky.social

Shea (she/her) @solarshea.bsky.social · 7d

"Negotiating" #peace btw Israel and Gaza w/o a Palestinian rep is not negotiation and is unacceptable. "Negotiating" #peace btw Russia and Ukraine w/o a Ukrainian rep is not negotiation and is unacceptable. "Negotiating" an FY26 #budget in #Congress w/o Dems is not negotiation and is unacceptable.