Krystal Vasquez

Reintroduction time! I'm Krystal, a science policy reporter at @cenmag.bsky.social. These days, I mostly report on the chaos happening at the NSF, but I also write about STEM education and equity issues within science. Any tips? Reach me on Signal at kvasquez.12 or via email at k_vasquez@acs.org

The Chemical & Engineering News Guild has overwhelmingly won its union election, with 96% of participants voting in favor of unionization! @wbng.org @newsguild.org

Earlier this month, a research institute in Venezuela was damaged by US air strikes, marking the latest blow to a research sector already battered by funding and supply shortages. Read more at @cenmag.bsky.social: cen.acs.org/policy/US-ai...

I'd like to chat with people who have applied for grad school in chem or biochem for fall 2026 for an article in C&EN (@cenmag.bsky.social) about how funding changes in the US are impacting admissions. If this is you, please fill out this form. forms.office.com/r/5xUxaqEnfX #chemsky #chemchat

Hope that one day my capable colleagues will have a say in the direction that C&EN is headed. Here we go …

I've been at C&EN for over four years and I can genuinely say our staff is some of the most thoughtful, dedicated people I've ever worked with. With @cenguild.bsky.social, we can make sure we're all supported in our effort to keep putting out our unique brand of high-quality science journalism!

Happy New Years! Here's to making sure that everyone at C&EN---from reporters to copyeditors to production staff---has a voice in the direction of our magazine!

We are proud to announce the formation of the Chemical & Engineering News Guild. We represent staffers across the editorial and operations teams at C&EN. 1/6

In October 2025, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month #NDEAM. Meet the 2025 C&EN Trailblazers, chemists with disabilities who rethink how we do science: cen.acs.org/people/profi... #DisabledInSTEM #chemsky 🧪

"Inclusive design doesn’t just widen participation; it expands the very structure-function relationship of science itself. We all stand to gain from that." #NDEAM #DisabledInSTEM #chemsky 🧪 cen.acs.org/careers/dive...

We saw big disruptions to science during the 2018-19 shutdown, but this one could bring with it a new threat: further reductions in the federal workforce. cen.acs.org/policy/resea...

I admit that when i started working on this project with @kvasquez.bsky.social, i didn’t think i knew any chemists with disabilities 🧵1/ cen.acs.org/people/profi... @cenmag.bsky.social

And be sure to read through the rest of the package, ably edited by my colleagues @mannyfoxmorone.bsky.social and @kvasquez.bsky.social, featuring how chemists with disabilities are reimagining the discipline: cen.acs.org/people/profi...

Artur Mylin was unfazed when his friend called him in the middle of the night to tell him that the war had begun.

Many hands make light work! At the @acs.org Chemists With Disabilities (CWD) Braille Periodic Table activity at the #ACSFall2025 Member Lounge, over 100 people have helped glue braille dots for element symbols so far. One is almost done! Aiming to finish both Tuesday, so come join us to help out!

Discover the redesigned C&EN online. The site is built to help you stay informed about chemistry, with a streamlined layout, smarter navigation, and curated selections from our editorial team. cen.acs.org?sc=250723_sc...

NSF staff release their appeal—slightly different format than the declarations of dissent from EPA/NIH/NASA; a more formal petition to Congress to redress attacks on the agency and its employees. 149 signatories (48 named) democrats-science.house.gov/imo/media/do...

Gutting the National Climate Assessment is just one way the Trump administration is undermining the legal justification to limit greenhouse gas emissions. cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪

🧪 For those following indirect rates (not normally an issue with so much drama!): Senate bill, out today, seeks to block the admin from making abrupt changes to indirect rates at NSF, NASA, and NOAA: www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

📰 Save NSF has another newsletter coming out this week. Sign up for our mailing list, so you don't miss out on any important updates or resources. www.savensf.com/join-our-list #SaveNSF #stayuptodate

19 ayes and 10 nays on the bill, so the it passes and will be reported to the broader Senate.

Some NSF-related news from Rebecca Trager at @chemistryworld.com: NSF employees were working on their own version of a dissent declaration, but have since paused the effort after EPA employees faced retaliation for releasing a similar document. www.chemistryworld.com/news/nationa...

🧪 CRITICAL UPDATE: The House draft version is now out. ✅ Like the Senate's version, there's no cut to NASA's budget. ❌ There's a 23% proposed cut to NSF's budget. 8-page summary: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su... Draft bill: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

BREAKING: Judge rules that during its large-scale enforcement operation in LA, DHS/ICE has been arresting people without probable cause -- based on factors like accent and line of work. She orders the agencies to stop. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

The Senate Committee on Appropriations gave the first signs Congress will push back on Trump's proposed budget cuts to science and instead keep funding flat, though an unrelated issue (the location of the FBI headquarters) stalled any vote today. @alexwitze.bsky.social and I report:

Short summary of Senate Appropriations hearing: Bipartisan agreement to keep funding at FY '24 levels for NASA/NSF passes 21-6 Van Hollen adds an amendment on FBI HQ which passes thanks to Murkowski Republican members change votes to no, threatening the bill. Now in... indefinite recess 🤷‍♂️

No. The OBBA covers mandatory spending, taxes, and some policy issues with budget implications. Discretionary spending is handled through appropriation bills now in the works. It is confusing. And Google AI (at least) gets it wrong.

Baldwin (D-WI) offers amendment reinstating over 1500 terminated NSF grants. "Every member of this committee has had research grants terminated for universities in their states." Moran: Appreciate Sen. Baldwin to make sure NSF is fulfilling its mission. Opposes amendment b/c overly broad.

Senate committee on appropriations markup meeting is starting now. They'll be discussing a lot of stuff, but in particular, science agencies like NSF & NASA. Yesterday Sen. Moran indicated funding would be 33.9 billion, preserving FY '24 numbers. www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/ful...

"An absolute moral failure." Around one in three disabled people are on Medicaid. I spoke to disability advocates about how devastated they are that the House passed the budget bill that will slash close to a trillion from Medicaid at @motherjones.com. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

NEW: In more court-related science policy news, there's now a final decision in AAU v. DOE, on the 15% indirect rate policy, which had been frozen by a restraining order since April. Judge Burroughs now vacates the policy. Assume DOE will appeal. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Amid the Trump administration's attacks on science, the National Academies are undergoing upheaval—a 30% reduction in its 1200-person staff by year's end, and possibly a vote of no confidence for its leader, Marcia McNutt. Jeff Tollefson & I report: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

This is just from the University of California, it seems. Still, a substantial amount of terminated grants there.

Science folks: The Big Brutal Bill is 💩💩💩 and needs to be opposed as: -massive transfer of $ from poor to rich -turbocharging of ICE -major cuts to Medicaid and SNAP But it’s also *completely separate* from later appropriations bills that will set FY26 levels for NSF, NIH, NASA, etc (see below)