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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz
@joshuasweitz.bsky.social
9.5K followers 2.8K following 1.8K posts

Professor of Biology & Institute for Health Computing, U of Maryland; explores how viruses impact human and environmental health; 'Asymptomatic' (JHU Press, 10/2024) & 'Quantitative Biosciences' (Princeton U Press, 3/2024) & 'Science Matters' substack. .. more

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Joshua S. Weitz is an American biologist. He is both a professor of biology and the Clark Leadership Chair in Data Analytics at the University of Maryland. Previously, he was a professor at Georgia Tech, where he was the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences. In 2017, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. .. more

Biology 28%
Environmental science 26%
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 17d
New from #SCIMaP - analysis of the White House’s Proposed FY 2026 National Science Foundation Budget.

Take-home: Slashing NSF by >50% will lead to ~$11 billion in economic loss and extensive job loss and reduced training opportunities in communities nationwide.

Report: osf.io/e8rnc

a 🧵
Economic loss from the White House's NSF FY 2026 Proposed Budget
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 1h
New post:

With Malice Toward All and Charity for None:
Oct. 10-11 CDC (Un)Firing Edition

joshuasweitz.substack.com/publish/post...
The RIFs have begun (at the CDC)
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 1h
And for the moment, ever downwards.
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 2h
"We want to put them in trauma"

(with laughter from the audience at the Center for Renewing America)

Article:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...

Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBH9...
“We Want the Bureaucrats to Be Traumatically Affected”
YouTube video by ProPublica
www.youtube.com
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 2h
Give them time.

joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 2h
Equal parts malice and incompetence, but the incompetence ends up being a form of malice, so it's mostly malice.
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 2h
One more note: there were many more RIFs on Friday night.

Perhaps the administration does not think of these as 'errors', and will claim that some RIFs were 'correct'.

We should assume otherwise: these RIFs are a form of political retribution that do not serve federal agency missions.
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 2h
Correct.
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 3h
New reporting: many apparently fired at CDC in 'error'. This is a failure by design given that the admin does not care about fulfilling agency missions. This is the kind of error that should have political consequences.

Unserious people cause real-world harm.

🎁
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
Trump Administration Will Rehire Scores of Experts Fired in Error
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Will Jennings, Joshua S. Weitz, Mary Feeney , and 8 more

sarapartridge.bsky.social
Sara Partridge, Ph.D. @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 8h
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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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 11h
One week from today, in front of NIH, 10am-12pm

Rally to Defend Medical Research

NIH/Medical Center Metro stop
Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20814

www.mobilize.us/mobilize/eve...
NO KINGS NIH --Defend Medical Research · Mobilize
**In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.** Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Bo...
www.mobilize.us
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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz

Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz, Scott L. Greer, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 7 more

lenasun.bsky.social
Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 12h
NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4
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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 13h
"Roughly 70 Epidemic Intelligence Service officers — the so-called “disease detectives” who respond to outbreaks around the globe — received layoff notices"

There is no 'make healthy' objective here, but there will be costs and consequences, to readiness, safety, and lives.
sherylnyt.bsky.social
Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 20h
FULL STORY HERE: Emails began flooding CDC inboxes late Friday night announcing dozens of layoffs. HR people brought back from furlough to oversee the RIFs. Disease detectives, entire Washington office, global health, injury prevention, MMWR staff among those hit.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz, Laia Balcells, Andrew Rudalevige

sherylnyt.bsky.social
Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 20h
FULL STORY HERE: Emails began flooding CDC inboxes late Friday night announcing dozens of layoffs. HR people brought back from furlough to oversee the RIFs. Disease detectives, entire Washington office, global health, injury prevention, MMWR staff among those hit.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Timothy Snyder, David Brady, Joshua S. Weitz , and 5 more

elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 21h
The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.

The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.

We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 23h
Word is rippling out. The US is intentionally dismantling expertise that took decades to build, firing CDC staff (and beyond) late on a Friday amidst a government shutdown.

Knowing less will make us sick.

Investing less will cost us more.

Nihilism is no way to lead.

bsky.app/profile/sher...
sherylnyt.bsky.social
Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 23h
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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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 23h
🚨
sherylnyt.bsky.social
Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 23h
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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Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Lisa W. Fazio, Nandita Sharma , and 35 more

sherylnyt.bsky.social
Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 23h
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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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz

aniloza.bsky.social
anil oza @aniloza.bsky.social · 1d
Trump admin plans to RIF 1100-1200 HHS employees according to court filing
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 1d
Visitors to DC next week are likely to find a change.

www.si.edu
Smithsonian closed starting Sunday October 12th... Zoo home page with one panda crying...
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 1d
bsky.app/profile/cdel...
cdelawalla.bsky.social
Colette Delawalla @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 1d
I can confirm EPA
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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz

cdelawalla.bsky.social
Colette Delawalla @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 1d
I can confirm EPA
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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz

joshtpm.bsky.social
Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d
Here's my take on Vought's mass layoffs announcement talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/new-m...
New Mass Layoffs?
You’ve probably seen that Russ Vought went on Twitter today and said...
talkingpointsmemo.com
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 1d
Via @statnews.com, the administration has apparently begun to fire HHS employees during a shutdown even as health care premiums are slated to double; it seems the administration cares very little about our present or future health.

www.statnews.com/2025/10/10/h...
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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz

markhisted.org
Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 1d
Russell Vought has announced that "mass firings [RIFs] have begun."

Lawless. The RIFs in the spring were illegal, as Judge Illston outlined. Yes, the conservative SCOTUS supermajority lawlessly signed off. But the Calvinball Court is not doing law.

Congress can stop this. A thread: 1/
'RIFs have begun.' Vought announces start of mass firings during government shutdown
The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
www.pbs.org
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joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 1d
As Vought tweets out 'The RIFs have begun', it will be crucial to speak up in support of the mission-driven folks all across this country who are being targeted precisely because they dedicated their professional careers to serving the public.

apnews.com/article/gove...
Firings of federal workers begin as White House seeks to pressure Democrats in government shutdown
The White House budget office says that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
apnews.com
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