Amanda Black, M.S., M.A.T.

A photo of Edward Abbey in front of a saguaro cactus. The quote is “I despise my own nation most. Because I know it best. Because I still love it, suffering from Hope. For me, that’s patriotism.”

Have you ever wondered what radical conservation might look like?

Edward Abbey helped me imagine that world with books like “The Monkey Wrench Gang” and “Desert Solitaire.”

He is an #AltCitizen.

It will take #AllofUs. What will you do?

All of Us/Alt Citizen: Ruth L. Kirschstein. Quote: “I have felt, and still feel, that there is no more worthy endeavor than to serve the country, its people, and the science which has given me so much joy.”

#AltCitizen Ruth L. Kirschstein left an indelible mark on the National Institutes of Health. She served as NIGMS Director, NIH Principal Deputy Director, and Acting NIH Director (twice). Her advocacy for the training of future scientists led to Congress renaming training awards in her honor.

Something I can’t stop thinking about with all of these cuts is the halting of studies and clinical trials. Some of these trials are years in the making. Instead of cutting future spending, they shut down the trials, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars that have already been invested.

Senator Cory Booker joins Rachel Maddow to reflect on his historic, record-setting speech YouTube video by MSNBC

youtu.be/6G4mxBiEKQA?...

Twenty-four hours into his time, Sen. Booker just passionately defended public science and universities-- which, at their best, are cornerstones of democracy and a powerful tool for collective liberation (which is why they've been so aggressively attacked).

Thank you, Senator.

And at this high traffic moment he's talking about cuts to science. Thank you @corybooker.com!!

IF YOU'RE IN LINE TO PISS ON STROM THURMOND'S GRAVE, LET CORY BOOKER GO PAST YOU. HE REALLY NEEDS TO GO. IT'S VERY URGENT

Quite moving hearing Booker just now saying why he started this and referring to his constituents asking him to do more, do things differently, to take risks, and then referencing John Lewis. Sounds like he took the advocacy to heart.

I have wept so much in the past hour for this exact reason.

After 24 hours on his feet, Cory Booker is defending the scientific research establishment of this country - calling out an experience like the one that drives me and SO MANY of my fellow scientists to do the work we do - that maybe we can do for others what we couldn't for our own loved ones.

Booker’s action isn’t about “oh the democrats are good now”

This is a testament to the People demanding a new direction and Booker staking that demand with a BODILY SACRIFICE

This is a win for the people, and sets a new tier of seriousness for all his colleagues to now meet

“Rugged individualism didn’t beat the Nazis.” —Corey Booker, just now

The rhetorical victory is this: the proposal that we can and will outlast them.

Booker telling the story of his father's experience with Parkinson's and using it to speak about the importance of funding research on science and health.

Booker, after speaking for more than 24 hours and breaking Thurmond's record, is still standing and still speaking--using his time to warn his colleagues and his country about the dangers of defunding universities and defunding scientific research.

And, to be clear, it's almost certainly happening *because* the base has been screaming for action from elected Democrats.

This isn't "relax, they've got this." This is "keep yelling, it's working."

This is simultaneously giving me hope and breaking my heart. I don’t know any other way to say it.

He’s defending scientific research and NIH 😭

He’s talking about biomedical research again. Thank you for #standingupforscience @booker.senate.gov !

Cory Booker breaks the record of the longest senate filibuster ever, and they choose to CONTINUE the record to specifically talk about the importance of biomedical research funding. This quite literally directly ties to my job. 😭Thank you @booker.senate.gov and thank you @chrismurphyct.bsky.social

"There's a room here in the Senate named after Strom Thurmond... I'm here despite his speech, I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful." -Cory Booker as he eclipses Thurmond's record for the longest filibuster in US history.

Cory Booker has just broken Strom Thurmond's record for longest Senate filibuster ever, which stood for 68 years.

Thurmond set it objecting to the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Booker set it arguing against authoritarianism.

May Strom's name be forgotten and his memory erased.

Just so everybody understands, Booker has been speaking cogently about the issues the entire time and Strom Thurmond famously spent hours reading from the encyclopedia, because segregationists were and are dumbshits

We are very close to a near cure for two of the highest-mortality cancers we know: glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer. These are both mRNA based treatments which are losing their funding during stage I and II trials. Thousands will die needlessly because of this motherfucker and his lies.

Hope the Mississippi twitter refugees are staying safe today!!

Screenshot of tweet from @AlecStapp “Too many people take biomedical innovation for granted.” Below this is a screenshot from an article on the Atlantic.com. Highlighted is the text: “A child born with cystic fibrosis in the 50s could expect to live until age 5. In the 70s, age 10. In the early 2000s, age 35. With Trikafta came a quantum leap. Today those who begin taking the drug in early adolescence, a recent study projected, can expect to survive to age 82.5 - an essentially normal lifespan.”

I remember the cystic fibrosis patients I took care of 20 years ago.

I also remember the dedicated HIV wards in the hospitals, and that Princess Diana made headlines for shaking hands with AIDS patients.

Progress has been incredible.

Miracles are where you choose to see them.

NIH Grants Fueled $95 Billion In FY 2024 Economic Activity, Finds New Report National Institutes of Health grants generated almost $95 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY 2024 according to a new report by United for Medical Research.

New report shows that NIH grants fueled $95 billion in economic activity and 407,782 jobs in 2024.

That's not to mention the countless lives that biomedical research has saved.

Show me a better investment than that.
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

The number of “I will never get rich but I will like what I’m doing and it’s meaningful work” jobs under attack right now is staggering.

A few years ago I was in Malaysia and there were “danger: saltwater crocodiles” signs at a marina we were visiting.

I asked our guide how many people were killed by saltwater crocs.

He said “one.”

I said that didn’t sound so bad.

He said “at this marina, today.”

I need sweatshirts to be considered appropriate workwear in academia bc if I have to live through these attacks on higher ed, I at least want to be in comfortable clothes