If it helps, next time I see you (which has been too long) I can just yell “Nina!!” and leave it at that. Deal?

(the sentiment for both is there of course ❤️)

Firefighters battle 4-alarm fire in Pittsburgh, multiple displaced Smoke from the fire in the 4000 block of Penn Avenue could be seen for miles Saturday evening.

www.wtae.com/article/pitt...

A house on fire with firefighters on scene.

A house on fire with firefighters on scene.

A house on fire with firefighters on scene.

A house on fire with firefighters on scene.

A few more photos. It looks like they’re making good progress on getting it under control, there’s a lot less smoke than earlier and it looks mostly contained to the attic.

A house surrounded by heavy smoke, with a fire ladder truck in front.

A house surrounded by heavy smoke, with a fire ladder truck in front.

A house surrounded by heavy smoke, with a fire ladder truck in front.

The smoke is terrible. I hope no one was caught inside. I also saw some flames on the roof.

Intracortical microstimulation in humans: a decade of safety and efficacy Background Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) of somatosensory cortex can restore a sense of touch to people with spinal cord injury (SCI). In this early-feasibility clinical trial, we evaluate the...

The most recent CBRG preprint on intracortical microstimulation is now available! Over 24 combined years across 5 participants, we delivered 168 million!!! pulses of stimulation and recorded everything that happened.

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

Timeline: How Pittsburgh universities responded to Trump orders As Pitt's faculty senate weighs effects of a hiring freeze amid federal funding uncertainty, see how Pitt, CMU, Duquesne, La Roche & CCAC have responded.

UPDATE: More than 900 Pitt students, faculty and staff have signed an open letter calling Pitt to more firmly address visa revocations, federal research grant terminations and funding cuts, plus proposing creation of a University Crisis Task Force. buff.ly/BAGNmns

Tariffs xkcd.com/3073

Man holding a protest sign reading “ELIMINATE FATAL DISEASES NOT FEDERAL AGENCIES DEFEND THE NIH”

Thousands of people turned out in Pittsburgh today to demand Trump and Musk take their hands off our democracy.

Definitely more than hundreds

This open letter will be published tomorrow on the AAUP blog. Signatures will be accepted after that, but a high # of signatures in advance will help the organizers gain media attention that could benefit the effort. Share in ways you believe will get results!

sites.google.com/view/we-must...

The end of my speech at #StandUpForScience in Pittsburgh yesterday
(in 6 parts)

1/6

American scientists take to the streets to protest Trump's cuts As Donald Trump guts the programs and agencies behind some of America's greatest scientific achievements and fires the people responsible for those achievements and working on new ones, scientists acr...

Here's the only national TV coverage I've seen of #StandUpForScience. What a surprise to see Pittsburgh, @hunterschone.bsky.social and myself featured from the beginning! www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

Disappointed to learn that Sen McCormick & staffers will not talk to constituents despite their repeated attempts to communicate through all legitimate channels #TaxationWithoutRepresentation

Pittsburgh scientists rally in face of federal funding turmoil Once quiet in the face of federal science funding curbs, researchers have begun to speak out. Science writers, though, won’t be convening in Pittsburgh.

Local researchers and scientists are speaking out and calling for support to counter threats from Washington D.C. that jeopardize their funding and work. A planned gathering of science writers, however, has been cancelled after Pitt and CMU pulled funding.

Pittsburgh scientists, doctors fill Schenley Plaza to protest federal research funding cuts Hundreds of people gathered at Schenley Plaza near the University of Pittsburgh Friday to protest federal spending cuts that could impact medical research.

Pittsburgh researchers, doctors, and supporters filled Schenley Plaza Friday to speak out against government research funding cuts. Similar demonstrations were held across the country as part of a nationwide “Stand up for Science” movement.

Hundreds stand up for science in Oakland This afternoon several hundreds of people gathered at Schenley Plaza to show their support for science and the importance of scientific research. Stand up for Science organized nationwide protests cal...

This afternoon several hundred Pittsburghers gathered at Schenley Plaza to show their support for science and the importance of scientific research:

@standupforscience.bsky.social in Pittsburgh with @jeffweiss.bsky.social and Brian Dekleva

Join us for the Stand Up for Science local rally in Pittsburgh on March 7, 2025, from 11 AM to 1:30 PM at Schenley Plaza

#StandUpforScience local rally in Pittsburgh is confirmed!

📅 March 7, 2025
⏰ 11 AM-1:30 PM
📍Schenley Plaza, Pittsburgh

Follow the local rally’s Instagram @savesciencepgh for updates

Spread the word 🔥

@standupforscience.bsky.social
#StandUpForScience2025
#ScienceForAll
#ScienceNotSilence
#STEM

Call your elected reps, get your neighbors, friends, co-workers. Calling is better than email. Call once a day. Volume and immediacy is important.

www.senate.gov/senators/sen...

www.house.gov/representati... (use both home and work address)

www.usa.gov/state-governor (governors can file lawsuits)

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%.

I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

They tried this 💩 in the first admin, proposing cuts of indirects to 10%, and it was resisted by Congress

Call your congresspeople, and remind them they have defended health research before, and they can do so again

list of banned keywords

🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.

Fantastic movie! I highly recommend it.

It just occurred to me the reason there are so few people at this international student career fair is that they are probably very unsure about their future in this country and if they will be able to find employment. Especially because so many of them are in STEM fields that rely on NIH grants. 😩

The trickle down effects from the NIH are almost immeasurable. According to United for Medical Research, the NIH supported 21,784 Pennsylvania jobs in 2023. I have to imagine that’s a big underestimate especially when you consider jobs indirectly supported like yours.

Thank you for this, TK. Senator John Fetterman has a short character limit on his contact form, so I sent him this abbreviated letter based on yours (continued in 🧵)

NIH Investments yield unmatched returns—scientifically, economically, and socially. I urge you to take action to safeguard this agency, ensuring its mission can continue.

Restore NIH Operations: Advocate for swift resumption of grant reviews, advisory council meetings, and communications to minimize delays in research funding.
Preserve Economic Benefits: Work to exempt NIH from hiring freezes and travel bans, allowing the NIH to sustain its role as an economic driver

The recent restrictions threaten this ecosystem. Without correction, the effects could lead to loss of jobs and delays in health advancements. I urge Congress to take immediate action:

In 2023, NIH invested more than $2B of funding in PA, yielding $5B of economic activity and supporting 22,000 PA jobs—more than Sheetz! Disruptions to research will delay efforts to combat diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and strokes.