Hello friends,
It rained overnight—the first we’ve had since May. This was hardly a thunderstorm, in fact it was more of a thorough misting than a proper drench. And yet my little corner of the world looked, smelled, and felt totally different during our morning walk. Everything was just a bit cleaner and lusher thanks to the magic happening underground. We are still seven or eight weeks away from when the dry season will end here, but I appreciate the reminder of all that is lying dormant.

This one is for everyone waiting for the rains to return.
This was Year 2, Week 33.

What’s happening in science & higher ed

• CDC Director Erica Schwartz was confirmed last Wednesday and sworn in yesterday. In the meantime, the White House dropped a new executive order offering “Gold Star Vaccine Recommendations” as opposed to pediatric consensus. It calls for dropping seven standard childhood vaccines and splitting up the MMR dose, which would force parents to make three separate doctor’s visits instead of one. Now we’ll see whether Schwartz has any ability to carry through on that promise of “radical transparency and unwavering scientific integrity.“
• More of our critical monitoring abilities are at risk of going dark. NOAA's Arctic Report Card is being stripped of support and the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System is running out of funding. Meanwhile, the FDA is catastrophically missing food supply inspection targets. This week, the agency has finally sent a team out to the Taylor Farms location linked to the cyclospora outbreak. The site had not been inspected since 2019. Please note: this a separate issue from the Taylor Farms location linked to the salmonella outbreak. Please also note that the Taylor Farms jalapeño-linked salmonella situation is a totally separate issue from the urgent recall of more than 1.5 million cartons of eggs because of salmonella. Anyway, where were we? Oh right, the FDA has only been conducting 5% of the international food production facility inspections that they are required to, despite rising import rates. Domestic facility inspections have not met targets since 2018 either and the FDA laid off 20% of its workforce in April 2025. Much of what I know about the food safety beat is thanks to the Unbreaking team. I encourage you to read our latest briefing and bookmark our timeline for ongoing updates.
• The NIH is narrowing eligibility criteria for K99/R00 awards to exclude international scholars on visas. If you hear someone say this is just “bringing the K99 into alignment with the rest of the NIH career development portfolio” they are technically correct, but it really means closing off the only transition funding some international postdocs can pursue. STAT broke this story based on internal agency documentation; no official announcement has yet been made. This joins the latest duration-of-stay limitations on the long and growing list of anti-immigrant policies that weaken science.
• And finally, there are a number of responses to the Compact 2.0 (AKA National Call to Action) that are worth your time. I recommend starting with a reminder of the rhetorical strategies the administration is deploying, then appreciating the clarity of the ACLS’s statement, and finally, getting familiar with the Call for Unity.

And what’s next

Just like the light rain that reinvigorated my neighborhood, modest actions can matter. One example that caught my eye this week is that California is launching a new Environmental Youth Advisory Council after the EPA quietly snuffed out the national version. If you have 14-20 year olds in your life who are residents and want to get involved in climate policy, encourage them to apply before the September 21st deadline.

I am profoundly unwilling to pretend that things are fine or will inevitably get better. The grief and fury of it is a heavy, constant pressure and I spend a lot of effort trying to shield other people from it. I find balance in also refusing to ignore the incredible, near-miraculous reality that we also share. I’m singularly lucky to have a partner who writes gorgeously about life’s hidden wonders, and this latest book has given me the ballast I so desperately need. You can preorder it (I hope you do!) but it’s still months away, so in the meantime, I recommend spending a few minutes really savoring the small project called Ordinary Abundance.

And if you’re looking for a cozy, meditative game to come back to over and over again, I cherish A Gentle Rain.

For all that is, and will yet be, lost,
For the extraordinary, near-impossible things we can and have done,
For what it all could have been and might yet be,
Don’t give up.

Liz