NEW: ALA salutes Dr Carla Hayden for her exceptional service to the nation as the Librarian of Congress. We are deeply disappointed in Dr Hayden's abrupt & unjust dismissal last night, an insult to the scope & breadth of her work. Read ALA Pres. Cindy Hohl's statement: www.ala.org/news/2025/05...

NEW: ALA was in court today for the first hearing in ALA v. Sonderling, our lawsuit aimed at halting the dismantling of the Institute of Museum & Library Services. We urge the court to immediately enjoin the Administration from further damaging America's libraries. Learn more: ala.org/IMLS-lawsuit

NEW: ALA is going to court to stop the President’s attempts to illegally dismantle the Institute of Museum & Library Services. The President does not have the authority to destroy a federal agency. That's why we're taking action with our co-plaintiff @afscme.bsky.social. #ForOurLibraries (1/3)

Today 21 states' Attorneys General filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the dismantling of the Institute of Museum & Library Services. ALA applauds this legal action by state officials who know how much these cuts would hurt their communities. Tell Congress to show up #ForOurLibraries: ala.org/showup

ALA is deeply concerned by reports that IMLS is sending notices to libraries claiming to cancel grants that are required by law. This harmful action will disrupt libraries' ability to serve their communities. Tell Congress to protect library funding: bit.ly/CallCongressForLibraries #ForOurLibraries

With 80% of Institute of Museum and Library Services staff now on administrative leave, ALA President Cindy Hohl spoke with PBS NewsHour’s Jeffrey Brown about the agency’s vital role and the importance of federal library funding—especially for small and rural libraries. www.pbs.org/video/defund... 📚

PBS News Hour | Library and museum support agency faces massive cuts | Season 2025

Library and museum support agency faces massive cuts after Trump order

pbs.org

The Humanities as Canary: Understanding this Crisis Now scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/04/02/t...

The Humanities as Canary: Understanding this Crisis Now - The Scholarly Kitchen

The Humanities have always been the canary in the coal mine of the full knowledge industry. What information can help us understand this crisis and its implications?

scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org

Trump Administration Moves to Shutter Library Agency www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/a...

Trump Administration Moves to Shutter Library Agency

The staff of the independent Institute of Museum and Library Services, the largest source of federal funding for museums and libraries, were put on leave.

nytimes.com

Museums and libraries are the main places where members of the public engage in lifelong learning outside of any formal school. Call your legislators. Tell them to protect library funding. bit.ly/CallCongressForLibraries www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/a...

Library Advocates Rally as Trump Targets Federal Funding (Gift Article)

An executive order has demanded that the Institute for Museum and Library Services be eliminated to the maximum extent allowed by law.

nytimes.com

As a curator at a natural history museum, I'm gutted to learn about the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. If anything, we need to fund, protect and preserve museum collections and uphold institutions of scientific and cultural knowledge now more than ever.

One of our few support systems, IMLS helped countless Natural History Museums modernize and care for collections and libraries. One of the most respectable government entities, IMLS is to be eliminated... really fucking stupid. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1.  Purpose.

whitehouse.gov

so grateful to have one of my favorite murals, this San Francisco garter snake by Sonny Behan (sonnysundancer on IG), on my morning run. ✨ 🧪🌎

One of my best friends and a brilliant scientist, literally one of the most creative thinkers that I know, was sacked today from the NSF. He will prevail, but the world just became a slightly dimmer place. As I sit crying in my office

Colleagues, including my partner, with years of service at the agency. Some Permanent POs reclassified as Probationary. Exceptional scientists who were former professors at major institutions, and came to NSF to serve the community and ensure science thrives in the US.

NEW: NSF confirmed that they fired 168 employees today, out of their staff of ~1,500 feds. This includes some people who'd finished their 1-year probationary periods, which were extended to 2-years last month without explanation. More to come.

🌎🧪🌡️🐍 www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/s...

Rain-Collecting Rattlesnakes Give New Meaning to ‘Thirst Trap’ (Gift Article)

A new study reveals the surprising ways rattlesnakes have evolved to collect water in the desert.

nytimes.com

Words out... Biden is flying to Coachella Valley today to designate Chuckwalla National Monument in California. With the rate of land conversion happening in the Southern California deserts, I'm happy to have some of it set aside. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/c...

Biden to Designate Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments in California

With these two new monuments, Mr. Biden has protected more federal land and waters than any other president, about 674 million acres.

nytimes.com

I'm featuring CA herps this week and guess what? A new field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of California comes out in January. In this recent episode I talk with both co-authors about process, challenges, and most importantly, what's in the book! #herps 🌿 www.somuchpingle.com/2024/10/19/e...

Episode 103: New California Field Guide with Bob Hansen and Jackson Shedd - So Much Pingle

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode One Hundred and Three!  And while we’re at it, I hope you all remain safe and healthy out there, including all the folks who are recovering in the aftermath of hu...

somuchpingle.com

🎵Time Has Come Today🎵 ssbbulletin.org/index.php/bs...

Spent the day listening to John Lennon and enjoying every song. Also read David Corn's older article about the senseless gun violence that took his life.

David Corn@davidcorn.bsky.social · 2y ago

Today is the anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon. A sad day. Here’s a piece I wrote a few years ago about his murder —and an anti -NRA rally I organized in response. www.motherjones.com/criminal-jus...

New study: amphibians among most at-risk for climate change induced extinctions. Also island, mountain, freshwater, and parts of global south. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Climate change extinctions

Climate change is expected to cause irreversible changes to biodiversity, but predicting those risks remains uncertain. I synthesized 485 studies and more than 5 million projections to produce a quant...

science.org

This free PBS documentary about San Diego's wild urban jungle is stunning ! #UrbanEvolution #UrbanWildlife www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/...

Public Trust in Scientists and Views on Their Role in Policymaking 🧪🌎 from @pewresearch.org www.pewresearch.org/science/2024...

Public Trust in Scientists and Views on Their Role in Policymaking

Americans’ trust in scientists is slightly higher than it was last year, but remains lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

pewresearch.org

Our seaturtle skulls were first put on display as part of the exhibit "What's this?", which included a blackboard for visitor feedback. They were so popular they became foundational to our Skulls exhibit.

Just finished touring our new docents through the collections. On the floor, the museum uses our specimens at every turn.

Years ago on Twitter I blocked Musky-man-child for his stupidity, today I deactivated from his app. Another good day.

A good day… returned home from a field visit to our study site at Rancho Ancon