Stephanie M. Lee
@stephaniemlee.bsky.social
Senior writer at @chronicle.com, writing about scholarship, scholars, and society. [email protected] / Signal: stephaniemlee.07 / stephaniemlee.com / San Francisco
Pinned
Jonathan Haidt Started a Social-Media War. Did He Win?
When a study challenged his bestselling book’s thesis — that social media harms kids — the New York University psychologist fired back. That was just the beginning.
www.chronicle.com
Hi! I'm at The Chronicle of Higher Education, where I write about debates and interesting people in the world of academic research. I used to be an investigative science reporter at BuzzFeed News.
My latest story: www.chronicle.com/article/jona...
I'm always looking for ideas — DM/email me!
My latest story: www.chronicle.com/article/jona...
I'm always looking for ideas — DM/email me!
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
When former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers was pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee, he turned to a longtime associate for guidance: Jeffrey E. Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
As Summers Sought Clandestine Relationship With Woman He Called a Mentee, Epstein Was His ‘Wing Man’ | News | The Harvard Crimson
When former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers was pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee, he turned to a longtime associate for guidance: convicted sex offender…
www.thecrimson.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:45 AM
When former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers was pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee, he turned to a longtime associate for guidance: Jeffrey E. Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
New from me: Are the deals to save research funding good for research?
More and more scientists at Cornell, Columbia, and elsewhere are going back to work after their universities struck unprecedented—some say mistaken—arrangements with the Trump administration.
www.chronicle.com/article/are-...
More and more scientists at Cornell, Columbia, and elsewhere are going back to work after their universities struck unprecedented—some say mistaken—arrangements with the Trump administration.
www.chronicle.com/article/are-...
Are the Deals to Save Research Funding Good For Research?
More and more scientists are going back to work after their universities struck unprecedented — some say mistaken — arrangements with the Trump administration.
www.chronicle.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:49 PM
New from me: Are the deals to save research funding good for research?
More and more scientists at Cornell, Columbia, and elsewhere are going back to work after their universities struck unprecedented—some say mistaken—arrangements with the Trump administration.
www.chronicle.com/article/are-...
More and more scientists at Cornell, Columbia, and elsewhere are going back to work after their universities struck unprecedented—some say mistaken—arrangements with the Trump administration.
www.chronicle.com/article/are-...
"The report highlights a fundamental tension: If colleges that expand access to underserved students don’t have the capacity to adequately support them, are they setting up those students, and themselves, for failure?" www.chronicle.com/article/peop...
A ‘Steep Decline’ in Students’ Academic Preparation at UC-San Diego Struck a Nerve
Faculty members published a new report documenting the subpar math and writing skills of the first-year class at one of the nation’s most selective institutions.
www.chronicle.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:11 PM
"The report highlights a fundamental tension: If colleges that expand access to underserved students don’t have the capacity to adequately support them, are they setting up those students, and themselves, for failure?" www.chronicle.com/article/peop...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Amid an escalating debate over who exactly gets to decide who will lead Virginia's flagship, former president James E. Ryan -- who left amid DOJ scrutiny of UVA -- has decided now's the time to enter the fray.
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
‘Stunned and Angry’: James Ryan Gives First Detailed Account of His Ouster at UVa
In an expansive letter, the former University of Virginia president told the story of his resignation, blasting board members and saying the government had pledged to “bleed UVA white.”
www.chronicle.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Amid an escalating debate over who exactly gets to decide who will lead Virginia's flagship, former president James E. Ryan -- who left amid DOJ scrutiny of UVA -- has decided now's the time to enter the fray.
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
According to a source, Jenna Norton, who led a letter criticizing Trump's decimation of the NIH (see below), has been placed on administrative leave. She's the first at NIH to be put on leave, joining EPA officials who criticized Trump policies.
www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...
www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...
NIH scientists publish letter criticizing Trump's deep cuts in public health research
The letter addresses the termination of 2,100 research grants valued at more than $12 billion and some of the human costs that have resulted, such as cutting off medication regimens to participants in...
www.pbs.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:58 PM
According to a source, Jenna Norton, who led a letter criticizing Trump's decimation of the NIH (see below), has been placed on administrative leave. She's the first at NIH to be put on leave, joining EPA officials who criticized Trump policies.
www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...
www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
After a bruising 42-day shutdown, the government has finally reopened. We took a look at what's next for federal science—how quickly things will get back up to speed and whether there will be long-term consequences.
With Jeff Tollefson and @alexwitze.bsky.social:
With Jeff Tollefson and @alexwitze.bsky.social:
The US government shutdown is over: what’s next for scientists
Government researchers are heading back to work, but questions about the size of research-budget cuts will extend into next year.
www.nature.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
After a bruising 42-day shutdown, the government has finally reopened. We took a look at what's next for federal science—how quickly things will get back up to speed and whether there will be long-term consequences.
With Jeff Tollefson and @alexwitze.bsky.social:
With Jeff Tollefson and @alexwitze.bsky.social:
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
RFK Jr. has said he does not want to take vaccines away from Americans. But at a closed-door meeting of vaccine scientists in September, a top official at the FDA suggested doing just that. Here's how Vinay Prasad and Tracy Beth Høeg are reshaping vaccine regulation:
www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/f...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/f...
How two top FDA officials are quietly upending vaccine regulations
Vinay Prasad and Tracy Beth Høeg mix skepticism with new ways to define risk in pursuing sweeping changes to vaccine policy at the FDA.
www.statnews.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
RFK Jr. has said he does not want to take vaccines away from Americans. But at a closed-door meeting of vaccine scientists in September, a top official at the FDA suggested doing just that. Here's how Vinay Prasad and Tracy Beth Høeg are reshaping vaccine regulation:
www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/f...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/f...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
A new “California Foundation for Science and Health Research” would become the state-run equivalent of the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation.
Scientists and state Democrats seek $23 billion bond to backstop Trump research cuts
A new “California Foundation for Science and Health Research” would become the state-run equivalent of the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation.
bit.ly
November 11, 2025 at 10:30 PM
A new “California Foundation for Science and Health Research” would become the state-run equivalent of the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation.
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Three German universities offering post-docs for researchers "who cannot conduct or continue their work in the USA appropriately because of actual political pressure. "
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Early Career Rescue Fellowship
www.uni-konstanz.de
November 11, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Three German universities offering post-docs for researchers "who cannot conduct or continue their work in the USA appropriately because of actual political pressure. "
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
I like how the caption on this photo reads as if he's making a claim that could not be independently verified.
November 6, 2025 at 8:19 PM
I like how the caption on this photo reads as if he's making a claim that could not be independently verified.
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
I spoke to CNN about how demoralizing it was to watch Stanford leadership stay silent while contrarians on campus launched unscientific attacks to stifle Stanford researchers. Now, those attacks have gone nationwide and much of MAHA leadership have ties to Stanford.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
The Trump-MAHA-Stanford nexus of US health policy | CNN Politics
In early 2022, Stanford medical student Santiago Sanchez set out to organize a campus debate with Jay Bhattacharya — a professor at the university whose outspoken denunciations of pandemic lockdowns m...
www.cnn.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I spoke to CNN about how demoralizing it was to watch Stanford leadership stay silent while contrarians on campus launched unscientific attacks to stifle Stanford researchers. Now, those attacks have gone nationwide and much of MAHA leadership have ties to Stanford.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
now they've done it www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Italian Pasta Is Poised to Disappear From American Grocery Shelves
The Trump administration is set to impose duties of 107% on Italian pasta imports, among most punitive of the tariffs it has levied.
www.wsj.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:51 PM
now they've done it www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
James Watson has died. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
James Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
James Watson has died. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
"Cornell is the fourth institution to achieve an agreement with the Trump administration to restore federal money, following Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University." www.chronicle.com/article/corn...
Cornell Will Pay $60 Million and Provide Admissions Data in Deal to Restore Federal Funding
The university, which had seen hundreds of millions of dollars frozen, said the deal “will enable us to return to our teaching and research in restored partnership with federal agencies.”
www.chronicle.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:28 PM
"Cornell is the fourth institution to achieve an agreement with the Trump administration to restore federal money, following Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University." www.chronicle.com/article/corn...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Denver Post confirms what we’ve been hearing: nearly all federal HSI agents with expertise on cultural property crimes have been reassigned to immigration duties in recent months.
Major loss of law enforcement capabilities in the world’s largest art market.
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/06/u...
Major loss of law enforcement capabilities in the world’s largest art market.
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/06/u...
The U.S. was a leader in cultural heritage investigations. Now those agents are working immigration enforcement.
Homeland Security Investigations, the department’s investigative arm, once had as many as eight agents in its New York office investigating cultural property cases.
www.denverpost.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Denver Post confirms what we’ve been hearing: nearly all federal HSI agents with expertise on cultural property crimes have been reassigned to immigration duties in recent months.
Major loss of law enforcement capabilities in the world’s largest art market.
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/06/u...
Major loss of law enforcement capabilities in the world’s largest art market.
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/06/u...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Every faculty member should read this @bethmcmurtrie.bsky.social story on how faculty are and aren’t using AI www.chronicle.com/article/ai-h...
AI Has Joined the Faculty
More instructors are teaching with it. Is it making their courses better or dragging the profession down?
www.chronicle.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Every faculty member should read this @bethmcmurtrie.bsky.social story on how faculty are and aren’t using AI www.chronicle.com/article/ai-h...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Breaking News: Late last night Conde Nast illegally fired 4 union organizers who asked company execs to explain the downsizing of Teen Vogue and continued layoffs. We’ve filed a grievance.
November 6, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Breaking News: Late last night Conde Nast illegally fired 4 union organizers who asked company execs to explain the downsizing of Teen Vogue and continued layoffs. We’ve filed a grievance.
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
BREAKING: California voters have approved a new U.S. House map designed to boost Democrats in 2026, aiming to blunt GOP changes elsewhere.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Live updates: US voters head to the polls in first general election since Trump's return to power
One year after Donald Trump retook the presidency, 2025 Election Day includes closely watched races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor and California's Proposition 50.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 4:13 AM
BREAKING: California voters have approved a new U.S. House map designed to boost Democrats in 2026, aiming to blunt GOP changes elsewhere.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race, NBC News projects. nbcnews.to/4nIzNUC
November 5, 2025 at 2:33 AM
BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race, NBC News projects. nbcnews.to/4nIzNUC
"More than 60 professors and others up and down the state say they are suppressing their work and feel anxious about causing political problems for their campus, or that their own teaching will lead to hostility against themselves. Some say it’s already happened." www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...
UC professors censor their own classes waiting for Trump’s crackdown, court filings show
New court filings reveal University of California professors are altering lessons, canceling talks and avoiding sensitive topics as the Trump administration’s crackdown intensifies.
www.sfchronicle.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:55 PM
"More than 60 professors and others up and down the state say they are suppressing their work and feel anxious about causing political problems for their campus, or that their own teaching will lead to hostility against themselves. Some say it’s already happened." www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Story has more details now about Tidmarsh's feud with biotech investor Kevin Tang. Tang's company sued Tidmarsh today, accusing him of a "longstanding personal vendetta":
BREAKING: FDA’s top drug regulator George Tidmarsh has been placed on leave after being accused of abusing his regulatory authority - but also after he questioned the commissioner's plan to speed approvals, and clashed with Vinay Prasad. More here:
www.statnews.com/2025/11/02/f...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/02/f...
FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation
George Tidmarsh, the FDA's top drug regulator, has been placed on leave after being accused of abusing his regulatory authority, STAT has learned.
www.statnews.com
November 2, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Story has more details now about Tidmarsh's feud with biotech investor Kevin Tang. Tang's company sued Tidmarsh today, accusing him of a "longstanding personal vendetta":
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
🚨 EXPLOSIVE NEW investigation: We uncovered previously undisclosed details about an 18-month money laundering investigation into Jeffrey Epstein that took place alongside the 2007 sex crimes probe, according to emails obtained from Epstein's personal Yahoo account
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Jeffrey Epstein Went to War Over Money Laundering Probe in 2007 Sex Case
Federal prosecutors opened a financial-crimes investigation into Jeffrey Epstein in 2007 amid their larger sex-trafficking probe. The financier and his legal team waged a war against them, his emails ...
www.bloomberg.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:34 PM
🚨 EXPLOSIVE NEW investigation: We uncovered previously undisclosed details about an 18-month money laundering investigation into Jeffrey Epstein that took place alongside the 2007 sex crimes probe, according to emails obtained from Epstein's personal Yahoo account
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Alejandro Juarez was supposed to be transferred to an ICE facility in Arizona.
He has a court hearing in October.
Instead, DHS put him on the wrong plane -- and deported him to Mexico.
One of the craziest stories I've reported w/
@luisferre7.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
He has a court hearing in October.
Instead, DHS put him on the wrong plane -- and deported him to Mexico.
One of the craziest stories I've reported w/
@luisferre7.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
How a Former Trump Golf Club Worker Was Mistakenly Deported to Mexico
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Alejandro Juarez was supposed to be transferred to an ICE facility in Arizona.
He has a court hearing in October.
Instead, DHS put him on the wrong plane -- and deported him to Mexico.
One of the craziest stories I've reported w/
@luisferre7.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
He has a court hearing in October.
Instead, DHS put him on the wrong plane -- and deported him to Mexico.
One of the craziest stories I've reported w/
@luisferre7.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
Covering federal science funding? Check out the tipsheet from our Connector Chat with @stephaniemlee.bsky.social, @katherinejwu.com, and @scott-delaney.bsky.social, which includes a recording, tips for navigating Grant Witness, and lots of online resources.
connector.casw.org/tip-sheet-ho...
connector.casw.org/tip-sheet-ho...
Tip Sheet: How To Cover Ongoing Chaos in Science Funding - CASW Connector
CASW Connector hosted a Chat, Oct. 9, 2025, on how journalists can cover science funding freezes, cuts and reinstatements during Trump 2.0.
connector.casw.org
October 30, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Covering federal science funding? Check out the tipsheet from our Connector Chat with @stephaniemlee.bsky.social, @katherinejwu.com, and @scott-delaney.bsky.social, which includes a recording, tips for navigating Grant Witness, and lots of online resources.
connector.casw.org/tip-sheet-ho...
connector.casw.org/tip-sheet-ho...
Reposted by Stephanie M. Lee
October 30, 2025 at 2:46 AM