Amazing!! Congrats, Jay. Can't wait to read this.

The Senate markup included $400 million increase to NIH funding for FY26. Still a ways to go, of course, but a good sign.

One danger, it seems, is that the Senate/House will fail to sort out the FY26 appropriations before the deadline this fall, which would mean a likely Continuing Resolution scenario, which would give the WH more power over the budget (through rescission or other shady stuff).

Grim. But when the Senate committee marked up the CJS bill, they kept NSF and NASA funding basically flat—rejecting the White House proposal of significant cuts. The House committee then proposed more substantial cuts, but still way less than the WH proposal. Hopefully NIH will play out similarly?

My exact thought. Horrifying!

I mean—use endowment funds to reinforce research investment, not, of course, to pay off the administration (who will simply demand more down the line, etc.).

I agree. Wealthy institutions like Harvard and UVA should aggressively draw from endowment resources, to whatever extent is possible (I confess that I'm sort of ignorant of how liquid those funds are). And perhaps even more crucially, fight the DEI question in court, where the law is on their side!

Solid list. Perhaps the Vieux Carré, a close cousin of a couple of these, warrants an honorable mention?

I haven't read Turbulence but will check it out; the one other thing I've read by him is All That Man Is, which I thought was extraordinary.

Another example of this—David Szalay's Flesh. I found it really compelling, anyway.

Not sure this is the answer, but because it hasn't been invoked yet: Manchester by the Sea. Some amazing performances, at any rate.

All of these books are great.