Since I'm sure you're all just dying to comment in the federal register about the new OMB proposed rules for federal funding of grants (including NIH & NSF) here is the link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance

two things to keep in mind

1. the comment period is unusually short (45 days, it closes July 13th)
2. they have explicitly stated that since they do not discuss the indirect costs situation in this proposal for rule changes they will throw out comments that mention it and I don't know if that means comments which only talk about that or if it's even mentioned in passing your comment will be thrown out

No one has a letter template up that I'm aware of yet.

So far the best complete summary I've found of changes is at substack (boo, hiss, ugh): https://elizabethginexi.substack.com/p/summary-of-key-changes-in-ombs-proposed if you find a comparable one elsewhere let me know and I'll edit this post (the scientific american and inside higher ed articles are not nearly as thorough)

#uspol #StandUpForScience

For years I've been hearing that "One day AI will be smarter than humans and we'll all be doomed."

"Nonsense," I said. "AI is very stupid, and not getting noticeably smarter." And I was right.

But I didn't think about the fact that there were two ways that prophecy could be fulfilled.

Human scientists trounce the best AI agents on complex tasks
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01199-z
State-of-the-industry report finds that, despite the limitations of artificial-intelligence systems, researchers have embraced them.

Fuck.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/13/texas-terrorism-trial

"I also, for the record, like the fact that Anthropic is trying to draw lines...That said, I’m not honestly sure that the company is drawing the right lines here, or even that it’s drawing lines whose meaning can be easily discerned," writes Benjamin Wittes in The Situation. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-situation--thinking-about-anthropic-s-red-lines

"President Donald Trump’s Truth Social bid, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), has burned through an alarming amount of cash.

The company, which owns the president’s struggling far-right social media platform, issued an alarming financial report earlier this month, revealing that it had lost a staggering $712.1 million last year — while earning a pitiful $3.7 million."

https://futurism.com/future-society/trump-truth-social-company-rock-bottom

NASA Astronauts can now carry their smart phones into space.

Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nasa-astronauts-now-personal-mobile-143811843.html

My best joke:

Republicans are red

Democrats are blue

Republicans want to kill you

Because they want to sell more fossil fuel

"Streaming" is just "downloading" with the "save file" button removed.

Well said by @pluralistic in today's essay -
https://pluralistic.net/2026/02/07/aimsters-revenge/

The Real Threat Isn't Trump. It's the MAGA Apparatus. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/opinion/trump-nationalize-elections.html
http://www.memeorandum.com/260207/p26#a260207p26

@randahl "The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations." (David Friedman)

#Machado added that #EdmundoGonzález, who the #US has recognized as Venezuela’s President-elect, must “immediately” take office & be recognized as the country’s commander of the armed forces.

“Today we are prepared to enforce our mandate & take power,” Machado said. “We are going to restore order, release the political prisoners, build an exceptional country, & bring our children back home.”

#law #Congress #WarPowers #Trump #abduction #Venezuela #oil #LandGrab #WarCrimes #InternationalLaw

WaPo - ICE plans $100 million ad campaign targeting gun-rights supporters and military enthusiasts as part of a “wartime recruitment” strategy. https://wapo.st/44QrP5j

Taiwan can't afford to hike its defense budget to more than 3% of gross domestic product, the new leader of the democratic island's biggest opposition party said, which could derail the government's spending plans. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/01/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-kmt-defense-spending/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #pla #china #us #chengliwun

Firing liberals over stuff right-wingers get away with every day is truly honoring Charlie Kirk's legacy.

I'm so infuriated. I was trying to get the covid vaccine before they come out with their new "guidelines", which I've read is that they're going to limit them to age 75+ (previously they set it at 65+ which *should* still be in effect until they change it).

But the pharmacies are saying "We have them in stock but we can't give you one yet, we have to wait until they come out with the new guidelines." !!!
😠 😡 🤬 🔥 🔥 🔥

So since at this point I'd have to get it through the doctor's office anyway (assuming THEY will let me have one), I might as well wait and see if they actually do limit them or not. If they don't, I can go to the pharmacy then, and if they do, I'll have to make an appointment and go to the doctor's office which is ridiculous --and who knows how long it will take to get in.

[This section of expletive-filled ranting and name-calling has been redacted but may be tooted in the future]

#USpol #covid #vaccines

As I stood by the steps, I was thinking that several people must have passed this way before...

#Photography #MonochromeMonday #Stairs #Church #History #Psychogeography

🚨 ALABAMA: Preliminary avg. 2026 #ACA rate changes: +21.6%; ~478,000 enrollees likely facing MASSIVE rate hikes starting in January:

https://acasignups.net/rate_changes/2026/al

Sometimes I wonder if I’m too pessimistic about current economic trends then I remember Warren “never bet against America” Buffett is just sitting on a third of a trillion dollars in cash instead of buying assets.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2025/05/12/warren-buffett-348-billion-terrible-news-wall-st/