10/3/25: Trump charts path to total control amid government shutdown (Axios) President Trump is seizing on the government shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to consolidate control in the Oval Office, accelerating a trend toward unchecked power. Why it matters: Many Democrats see the shutdown as a necessary evil to halt — or at least slow — Trump’s steamrolling of democratic norms and independent institutions. So far, the standoff is only emboldening the White House. https://www.axios.com/2025/10/03/trump-government-shutdown-firings-executive-power
See also: The Project 2025 Shutdown Is Here (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/10/government-shutdown-weaponized/684441/
See also: This US government shutdown is different: what it means for science (Nature) https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03192-4
See also: What to know about Russ Vought, the shutdown’s quiet power broker (Axios) https://www.axios.com/2025/10/02/russ-vought-omb-director-government-shutdown
10/3/25: White House Floats Compact for Preferential Treatment (Inside Higher Ed) Advocates condemned the proposal, which asked nine universities to overhaul admissions, hiring and speech policies and to suppress criticism of conservatives in exchange for more federal money. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2025/10/02/white-house-floats-compact-preferential
See also: Trump’s Proposed ‘Compact’ Asks Colleges to Show They’re ‘Pursuing Federal Priorities’ (The Chronicle) https://www.chronicle.com/article/trumps-proposed-compact-asks-colleges-to-show-theyre-pursuing-federal-priorities
10/2/25: Newsom says he’ll ‘instantly’ cut funding at California colleges that sign Trump pact (The Hill) California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) hit back at President Trump’s university compact introduced Thursday , which says higher education institutions that agree to certain changes will receive priority in federal funding. https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5535904-newsom-california-colleges-trump-pact/
10/3/25: Institutions, Faculty Oppose Plan to Limit Foreign Students’ Time in U.S. (Inside Higher Ed) Commenters from across numerous sectors say they fear that the new rule, which would require international students to get extensions to stay in the U.S. more than four years, would be a barrier for the vast majority of students. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/10/03/duration-status-rule-prompts-opposition-commenters
10/3/25: NIH Directors Fired Months After Being Put on Administrative Leave (Inside Higher Ed) The ousted leaders led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Institute of Nursing Research. Tara Schwetz, the deputy director for program coordination, planning and strategic initiatives, was also fired. The directors were put on leave in the spring around the same time that the administration laid off thousands at the Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/10/03/nih-fires-4-directors-after-putting-them-leave#
10/3/25: NIH temporarily restores UC grants under court order (Higher Ed Dive) But the federal agency reported some difficulties identifying which of the researcher grants it canceled needed to be reinstated. https://www.highereddive.com/news/nih-temporarily-restores-uc-grants-under-court-order/801855/
10/2/25: Scientific Journals in the Hot Seat (Inside Higher Ed) Federal officials are raising long-standing concerns with research journals and the academic incentive structures propping them up. But experts say the government alone can’t overhaul the industry. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2025/10/02/scientific-publishing-industry-faces-federal
9/30/25: Assessing Research Security Efforts in Higher Education (NASEM, Proceedings of a Workshop, *COGR Participation) To consider the impacts of current and potential research security requirements, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on May 22-23, 2025, in Washington, DC. The event focused on potential measures of effectiveness and performance and the data needed to assess research security and protection efforts in higher education by a range of federal agencies. This proceedings describes the presentations and discussions at the workshop. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/29241/assessing-research-security-efforts-in-higher-education-proceedings-of-a?utm_source=National+Science%2C+Technology%2C+and+Security+Roundtable&utm_campaign=e7964d9ddb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_04_26_01_40_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a27b03a48e-e7964d9ddb-129357911
