Jonathan Lambert

Some professional news: I'm permanently joining NPR's Science Desk! (My last gig was temporary). I'm covering global health, with a special focus on what comes next after the US withdrawal from foreign aid, as well as environmental determinants of health. Reach out with tips!

@dino_grandoni I’m so sorry to hear this Dino, I’m a big admirer of your work.

I was told today my Washington Post job is being eliminated It's just a job, but it's one that I was proud to do for 8+ yrs alongside the best in the business I'm here for opportunities to tell stories about the natural world and how we impact it dino.grandoni@gmail.com

I had the privilege of being edited by Lauren at both Nature and Grid. I’ve never worked with an editor as adept across science, policy and politics as she is — and she’s a joy to work with! Just gutting news, any publication would be lucky to have her.

I’m too heartbroken over impending Washington Post layoffs to bother arguing why a region of 6 million needs a metro staff, let alone its foreign coverage and its elite sports department. But for those asking if there’s something to do, here you go: actionnetwork.org/letters/save-t…

What if Democracy dies in indifference? Deep cuts at behest of Bezos. Exec Editor Matt Murray announces: Sports desk killed. Metro desk down to about a dozen (previously 40+) Hope to keep presence in 12 foreign bureaus (currently 70+ staffers) My story: npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-…

"We have a newspaper that's printed once a week, so without the radio station, we're kind of in the blind here, locally." NPR's Frank Langfitt's richly observed story on Allegheny Mountain Radio - which relies heavily on federal $. (Not an NPR station) npr.org/2025/07/20/nx-…

NPR's internship program is coming back! Apply by June 30 to work with the Science Desk and Short Wave this fall/winter. I was an intern in 2019, and it set me on the path towards coming back for a staff job! job-boards.greenhouse.io/nationalpublic…

Last week, Marco Rubio said no one has died from USAID cuts and "No children are dying on my watch." This mother begs to differ, and researchers suspect there are tens to hundreds of thousands more stories like hers. npr.org/sections/goats…

NEW: NSF is REINSTATING the 86 probationary staff who were terminated last month, in response to Friday's Federal court order. The 84 "intermittent experts" who were fired are still fired.

Know any kids in your life who want to be a doctor or scientist, with ambitions to cure cancer or find a cure for Alzheimer's that's afflicting a loved grandparent? No exaggeration, what's happening right now means that many, many, many fewer of them will have an opportunity for a summer internship at a hospital or university, be able to do research as a college student, get accepted into a masters program or PhD program. Pitt made the news, but this is already happening everywhere, and it's not just PhD students. Bright, young researchers being laid off, or having job or internship offers rescinded, job postings being pulled... There's a reason this country has been in the lead for so long in biomedical sciences - we train our best and brightest who then go on to do what they dreamed of - finding cures, developing new medicines, inventing new technology to make lives better - all the while boosting the local and national economy. The gutting of NIH will impact everyone in this country, at all income levels, in red/blue states, in all types of jobs - scientists and janitors, food prep workers and lab techs, bus drivers and high school interns.

"I don't know what NSF is going to be now, but it's not more efficient. It's just a mess." My story on today's firings and their impact. npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-…

NEW: NSF confirmed that they fired 168 employees today, out of their staff of ~1,500 feds. This includes some people who had recently finished their 1 year probationary period, but their probationary status was extended to 2 years without explanation last month.

Dear NSF scientists and staff: If you're looking to talk to a journalist about what's going on at the agency, please reach out (from a non-governmental phone/computer) via signal jonlambert.12

I’m at the #AAASmtg, vibes are tense at the opening plenary. AAAS CEO Sudip Parikh says the next month is among the most important months in the history of U.S. science, referencing budget talks in Congress. Science “is fragile and powerful.”

Ted Cruz’s “woke” science list contains a lot of basic, fundamental research that got flagged for simply addressing broader impacts (as Congress requires). Still, it’s making scientists uneasy. My latest: npr.org/2025/02/13/nx-…

My effort to make some sense of what the Trump administration's moves to exert more control over research could mean for the future of American science. npr.org/sections/shots…

FYI: USAID has been one of the world's largest and most important funders of global biodiversity conservation — a chronically underfunded area. It has supported efforts to protect forests, reduce illegal wildlife trafficking, and end violence towards environmental defenders.

NSF’s cash management service is now back up and running. Seems like they responded to the court order. new.nsf.gov/executive-orde…

Update: On Friday, a second federal judge ordered federal agencies, including NSF specifically, to resume payments to existing grants. As of now, funds are still frozen.