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Laguna Beach Democratic Club @lagunabeachdems.bsky.social · 1d

Northwest Chicago Suburb: ICE Agents Rip 15-Year-Old Girl from Car, Slam Her to Ground She Screams “I’m 15!” as Man Kneels on Her Neck

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Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 2d

WaPo also gets it wrong: www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
How about:
"MIT Rejects Trump Administration's Offer to Lose Everything"

MIT rejects Trump administration deal for priority federal funding

MIT is one of the nine schools that were asked to agree to adopt conservative priorities and policies in exchange for funding perks.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 2d

Framing @nytimes.com is all wrong.

How about this: “Trump admin threatened 9 universities with withdrawal of critical things to which they’re legally entitled if they decline to align with the administration’s ideological agenda for higher ed.”

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

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you MIT.

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 2d

MIT President Sally Kornbluth just issued a statement to the campus community saying NO to Trump’s authoritarian compact

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

Dear Madam Secretary,
I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters.
I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education.
As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples:
• MIT prides itself on rewarding merit.
Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute
was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions.

• MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available
to any American with an internet
connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly
10%.
• We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree.

These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law.
The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific
funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that tree marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences.
Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.

As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the
U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people.
We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation.
Sincerely,
Sally Kornbluth
CC
Ms. May Mailman
Mr. Vincent Haley

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 2d

This is the genius of the Portland protests - they make the claims of lawlessness look not just wrong, but comical

The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 3d

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

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Mike Boylan-Kolchin @mbkplus.bsky.social · 4d

This is the strongest response against “the compact” that I’ve seen. There’s no way for a u over with to give up guaranteed state funds for the promise of possible access to (unknown) federal funds. cc @profmarkovic.bsky.social

CBS19 News: Charlottesville News First @cbs19news.bsky.social · 4d

#JustIn: Democrats in the state Senate say "future budget considerations" could impact UVA if it signs onto the Trump administration's education compact.

State Senate Democrats tell UVA to not consider education compact

Democrats in the state Senate write that if UVA signs the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, “there will be significant consequences in future Virginia budget cycles.”

www.cbs19news.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 5d

These criticisms are predictable but problematic. The guy was forced out under dubious (to be generous) circumstances. It was not a case of someone looking to leverage his FDA position for his next big thing.

STAT @statnews.com · 5d

Peter Marks, the former top vaccine regulator at the FDA, has joined Eli Lilly — a move likely to rile up critics of the revolving door between FDA and industry
www.statnews.com/2025/10/07/p...

Peter Marks, FDA vaccine regulator ousted by RFK Jr., joins Eli Lilly

Peter Marks, the former top vaccine regulator at the FDA, has joined Eli Lilly — a move likely to rile up critics of the revolving door between FDA and industry

www.statnews.com

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 5d

My new op-ed with @lkfazio.bsky.social:

Trump sent a 'compact' to our universities. They should reject this devil's bargain.
Any institution that yields to these broad and intrusive demands would forever be subservient to the whims of the government.
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 7d

Agreeing to this would be similar to the deals that so many law firms cut.

The main difference was that the law firms were clearly responding to a threat, whereas this "compact" is cleverly – but misleadingly – framed as an offer.

Don't fall for it.

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 7d

The linked blog post is a must-read.

Speaking only for myself: any university that signs this "deal" agrees to be taken hostage by the administration.

Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 8d

I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

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Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 9d

Read the "compact": www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/u...

Then this spot on analysis: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

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Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 9d

It "offers an edge" like a gun wielding mugger offers "an edge" on staying alive if you hand over your $. We're talking about student loans, grants, contracts, visas, nonprofit status - those are the benefits Trump says schools are free to "forego" if they reject the compact. Try surviving w/o them!

Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 9d

More poor framing from @chronicle.com.

Critical to recognize that memo is a sticks not carrots.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 9d

More poor framing from @chronicle.com.

Critical to recognize that memo is a sticks not carrots.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

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Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 9d

Terribly pernicious framing from @washingtonpost.com:

"A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities."

It's not a funding advantage, it's utter destruction of schools that refuse.

www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Colleges weigh whether to sign onto Trump plan or forgo federal benefits

A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Aaron Schwartz @aschwartz.bsky.social · 17d

Few topics in health care policy can incite passions like insurer prior authorization. What do researchers know about this practice? I spoke with @dgorenstein.bsky.social and @lesliemwalker.bsky.social for the latest @tradeoffs.org podcast.

tradeoffs.org/2025/09/25/a...

A Closer Look at a Widely Despised Health Insurance Policy

Every year, millions of people’s medical care runs into the roadblock known as prior authorization, which requires a patient’s health insurer to sign off before chemotherapy, surgery or countless othe...

tradeoffs.org

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 19d

Apropos of yesterday's announcements about autism.

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 19d

Sum: pseudoscience, lies, and fearmongering nonsense.

Those with a science background - Makary, Bhattacharya, Oz, etc - MUST know this is harmful BS. They MUST know they are enabling authoritarian BS.

Integrity black hole.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump attacks Tylenol as officials unveil highly contentious conclusions on autism

President says acetaminophen – also known as paracetamol - increases risk when taken by pregnant women, assertion contradicted by research

www.theguardian.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 20d

Hopefully intravenous leucovorin, which is where the shortages have been, will be protected from any new surge in demand driven by this announcement.

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 21d

Leucovorin is essential for preventing toxicity in cancers like certain leukemias and osteosarcoma (bone cancer).

It's also used in treatment, like some colon cancers.

It's been in critical shortage at various times in the recent past.

Endorsement for use in autism makes me very nervous.

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Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 21d

New: inside Trump’s “very important” autism announcement for Monday

— new warnings on tylenol’s risk for pregnant women

— new endorsement of leucovorin’s potential as autism treatment

— new NIH data science initiatives underway

Trump administration set to tie Tylenol to autism risk, officials say

The Trump administration plans to tie Tylenol to autism risk while touting another drug, leucovorin, as a potential autism treatment.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Alicia Ault @aliciaault.bsky.social · 27d

@sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social it is what I would call fact-free drivel.
Pretty insulting to the dedicated therapists and psychiatrists who try to do more with less.

#Medsky #Psychsky #pediatrics #mentalhealth

Sarah Karlin-Smith @sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social · 27d

The head of HHS and the Ed Department have an interesting approach to childhood mental health.... Would love to read any evidence-based responses to this....

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | Linda McMahon and RFK Jr.: Children need natural sources of mental health

Overzealous use of therapy can cause the crises it claims to cure.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Sep 11

Adding: the attack on the CDC.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · Sep 10

👇🏽

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Sep 7

This amazing article makes it real. gizmodo.com/the-last-of-...

The Last of the Iron Lungs

Martha Lillard spends half of every day with her body encapsulated in a half-century old machine that forces her to breathe. Only her head sticks out of

gizmodo.com

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Ronit Stahl @ronitstahl.bsky.social · Sep 5

2) Ken Stern via @knightcolumbia.org: "To my great chagrin, most Jewish organizations & leaders, w/some notable exceptions, have cheered on the Trump admin’s assault on universities, not acknowledging the larger agenda of the administration or its impact on democratic norms & thus Jewish security."

A Bad Deal: By Adopting the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, Universities are Sacrificing Academic Freedom

knightcolumbia.org

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Sep 5

Grateful for this recognition, from the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities, of Penn Bioethics's three decades of excellence.

PennMEHP @pennmehp.bsky.social · Sep 5

Delighted to share our Medical Ethics Division is the 2025 recipient of the ASBH Cornerstone Award! For more than 30 years, Penn Bioethics has been a leader in bioethical scholarship, teaching and training, public policy and engagement, and service. We look forward to carrying on this tradition!

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