

Trump v. Tylenol. Plus, How Charlie Kirk Became a Martyr for the Christian Right.
55 snips Sep 26, 2025
John Tuthill, a neurobiology and biophysics professor, discusses the impact of funding cuts and political influences on biomedical research. Meanwhile, Josh Keating analyzes how the Trump administration intertwines the war on drugs with counterterrorism policies, raising concerns about legal justifications for military actions. Lastly, Matthew D. Taylor examines the memorialization of Charlie Kirk by the religious right, framing him as a martyr and exploring its implications for political polarization and Christian nationalism.
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Autism Research Experienced Abrupt Disruption
- The administration replaced existing CDC autism environmental research with a new initiative while firing staff.
- Longitudinal data and decades of work were disrupted just as scientists had progress.
Peer Review Powers American Biomedical Breakthroughs
- NIH peer review is the backbone of U.S. biomedical innovation and ensures quality research funding decisions.
- Undermining that system risks lower-quality science and huge waste of resources.
Why Scientists Volunteer To Review Grants
- John Tuthill described reading ~10 grants each and debating ~90 proposals over two 12-hour days on Zoom.
- Reviewers volunteer hundreds of hours for modest pay because they believe in the system.