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Items tagged with: USPol
Scientists and engineers ask questions that lead to discoveries we can’t yet imagine, sometimes even trillion-dollar breakthroughs. And yet today, we're systematically undercutting their work.
National #Science Foundation to Be Requisitioned as Mansion for HUD Secretary (And Also HUD Office)
“There appears to be no plan for where the NSF staff will go.” talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/n… #uspol
National Science Foundation to Be Requisitioned as Mansion for HUD Secretary (And Also HUD Office)
I’m still trying to find out more about this. But as I do I just wanted to put it on your radar because it’s completely crazy and epitomizes the Trump…Josh Marshall (TPM - Talking Points Memo)
Analysis: “A New Line Crossed”: The U.S. Provokes Iran
"It's not clear if Trump himself understands this, but everyone around him knows they did not verifiably destroy the nuclear program last night."
Re "actually impacting Iran’s capabilities, the strike was largely symbolic."
But "it's the first time we're bombing a state [with] the capacity to inflict serious harm on Americans in the region.”
~Harrison Mann, fmr US army major
dropsitenews.com/p/iran-united…
#US-IranWar #USPol #EuroPol #UKPol .
“A New Line Crossed”: The U.S. Provokes Iran With Attacks on Nuclear Sites
Iran has now been forced to decide how to respond to U.S. attacks on its sovereignty.Murtaza Hussain (Drop Site News)
Interview: "Stop the War on Iran": 1,000+ academics Sign Petition Saying Iran War Deflects Attention from Gaza
"After Trump’s attack on Iran over the weekend, civil society leaders are organizing to demand an end to the violence."
"What this is doing is immiserating further the lives of ordinary people" ~Iranian-American scholar Kaveh Ehsani, DePaul U, Chicago
democracynow.org/2025/6/23/ira…
#US-IranWar #USPol #UKPol #EuroPol #AntiWarProtests .
Stop the War on Iran: 1,000+ Sign Petition Saying Iran War Deflects Attention from Gaza Genocide
After President Trump’s attack on Iran over the weekend, civil society leaders are organizing to demand an end to the violence.Democracy Now!
Interview: "Israel Seeks Chaos in Middle East"
Although UN inspectors & U.S. intelligence assessments say Iran was not building nuclear weapons, Netanyahu wanted to drag Trump into its war on Iran.
"The danger now is that, having brought the U.S. into this, Israel will seek to go further up the escalatory ladder. It wants the chaos.”
~Daniel Levy, fmr Israeli peace negotiator
democracynow.org/2025/6/23/isr…
#US-IranWar #USPol #UKPol #EuroPol #Trump #Israel .
Ex-Israeli Peace Negotiator Slams U.S. Bombing of Iran, Says Israel Seeks Chaos in Middle East
“Netanyahu’s purpose was to drag Trump in,” Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator, says of the U.S. attack on Iran. Over the weekend, the U.S.Democracy Now!
Interview: "They Cooked Up Their Own Intelligence" Israel’s war on Iran
"The war on Iran feels eerily familiar – from justifications that hold no water to the uncritical reporting in the media."
Unpacking the unsettling parallels with the 2003 Iraq War:
chrishedges.substack.com/p/the…
#Israel-IranWar #US #USPol #UKPol #EuroPol #USImperialism #iraqWar #boughtMedia .
'They Cooked Up Their Own Intelligence' Chris Hedges on Israel’s war on Iran | The Listening Post
The war on Iran feels eerily familiar – from justifications that hold no water to the uncritical reporting in the media. Chris Hedges joins us to unpack the unsettling parallels with the 2003 Iraq WarChris Hedges (The Chris Hedges Report)
Netanyahu the opportunist
Netanyahu is living out the Zionists' (incl his daddy's) dream of expelling the Palestinians, wiping out all enemies, & fulfilling the "Greater Israel" project (see map ).
Zionists have been doing ethnic cleansing, slow genocide & stealing Palestinian land since imperial Britain gave them the go-ahead in the 1920s.
Pappé on Nakba
youtube.com/watch?v=vx0QUTui6G…
#Zionism #Nakba #Netanyahu #GazaGenocide #USPol #UKPol #EuroPol #BDS #EthnicCleansing #USEnablement @palestine .
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.www.youtube.com
Where to go for a PhD? Change of interest from non-US students.
Source: Economist, 2025 economist.com/science-and-tech… #science #uspol
America is in danger of experiencing an academic brain drain
Other countries may benefit. Science will sufferThe Economist
Bottom line: the proposed NIH & NSF cuts alone would eventually strip at least $10 billion per year from U.S. output.
forbes.com/sites/johndrake/202… #uspol #science
Trump’s NIH And NSF Cuts Estimated To Cost The U.S. Economy $10 Billion Annually
Economists find public R&D drives U.S. productivity growth — and pays for itselfForbes
A few takeaways from my research:
1 - Not one staffer said they’d turn to scientists first when facing a science-related question.
2 - Party leadership, lobbyists, and trusted friends-of-friends often have more influence than peer-reviewed studies.
3 - Scientists are unintentionally sidelining themselves by only engaging with one side of the aisle.
sheril.substack.com/p/what-sci… #science #politics #uspol
What Scientists Get Wrong About Congress
In policy conversations, relationships—over research—shape outcomes.Sheril Kirshenbaum (Unelected Representative)
“I listened to NSF staff say DOGE had the authority to give thumbs up or down to grant applications which had been systematically vetted by layers of subject matter experts.
Our closed-to-the-public deliberations were observed by Zachary Terrell from the DOGE team. Through his Zoom screen, he showed more interest in his water bottle & his cuticles than the discussion. Terrell..accessed the NSF awards system to block the dispersal of approved grants.“
time.com/7285045/resigning-nat… #science #uspol
Why I’m Resigning from the NSF and Library of Congress
I cannot participate in systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging.TIME
How do we make scientific voices more impactful in policymaking? Read my new article out today ⬇️
issues.org/information-flows-c… #science #uspol
“R&D” Means Something Different on Capitol Hill
Scientists need to learn how information flows to congressional staffers—and the crucial role they play in setting policy.Jay Lloyd (Issues in Science and Technology)
This week's comic: A dangerous invasion of warblers, orioles, and hummingbirds
#immigration #birds #cartoon #uspol #comic
The NSF Is Being Dismantled — With Broad Implications For The American Economy
“This isn’t about merit or budgets because NSF has a tiny imprint on the federal budget. This is all about controlling information and knowledge.”
forbes.com/sites/johndrake/202… #uspol
US is choosing to cede leadership in #science and innovation. On purpose.
The NSF Is Being Dismantled — With Broad Implications For The American Economy
The economic consequences of cuts to the National Science Foundation and restricting scientific inquiry on this scale could be far-reaching.Forbes
By ‘Kennedy’, the #FailingTimes means #RFKjr who is known in the #Kennedy clan as ‘Rat Fucker’ Kennedy. Or so I hear…
#Resist. #DoNotComply and #DoNotCollaborateWithFascists in #USpol.
Given the White House wants U.S. women to have more babies, my talk “Rethinking Population” from 2014 seems particularly relevant.
The key theme is that all around the world, women with an education, the ability to enter the workforce & access to healthcare & medicine choose to have fewer children.
youtu.be/JtyAQ2JK6E8?si=PmQz48…
Where do fertility rates remain high? In places where child mortality is high, health conditions are poor & women don’t have as much autonomy & opportunity. #uspol #Trump
Chalk added to milk was the least of it.
While researching a story on this for radio, I learned they also used plaster of paris and pureed calf brains.
A lot of people, including children died. #Food safety regulation is critical. theatlantic.com/magazine/archi… #health #uspol
Calf Brains and Other Disgusting 19th-Century Ingredients
A very short book excerptDeborah Blum (The Atlantic)
The Trump Administration Is Turning Science Against Itself
In addition to firing researchers and pulling funds, the Trump administration is also inverting science.
"Cuts of 30 to 70% are rumored at USDA next week. NIH & NSF funding is being destroyed & the agencies themselves facing cuts.
About 3,500 nonfederal entomologists depend on these agencies. We're🚨risking research that protects #ecosystems & #foodsecurity."
It's difficult to keep up with all the atrocities, but we amplify the gravity of the losing these experts, the firings, existential threats... of the #TrumpMusk admin.
#DOGE #Firings #Science #USDA #NIH #NSF #USPol govexec.com/management/2025/04…
Some USDA RIF plans take shape as department warns employees of major cuts
Some regional offices are expected to be cut as some headquarters offices will be "hollowed out."Eric Katz (Government Executive)
So well put by George Monbiot. Applies to our tepid Labor government here in Australia too. People don’t want to be regarded only as economic units, and if you block leftist reform they reach for hard-right chaos.
"The democratic recession does not begin when a far-right party takes office. It begins when a centrist party crushes hope in democracy. When Keir Starmer’s government takes a chainsaw to people’s aspirations for a fairer, greener, kinder country, he cuts off not just faith in the Labour party but faith in politics itself. The almost inevitable result, as countries from the US to the Netherlands, Argentina to Austria, Italy to Sweden show, is to let the far right in."
#UKpol #USpol #auspol theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
How has fascism in Britain got this far? Neoliberalism has opened the door for it
We need a new politics of belonging, not Labour’s craven appeasement of capital, says Guardian columnist George MonbiotGeorge Monbiot (The Guardian)
This week's comic: Zero dimensional chess
#cartoon #comic #uspol #media #journalism #authoritarianism #democracy
This week's comic: Playing the wealth card
#cartoon #comic #billionaires #uspol #oligarchy #authoritarianism #economy
Our top story: If the voucher bill were to pass, select private companies could soon be reeling in tens and even hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars per year. We took a closer look at who stands to gain the most. texasobserver.org/school-vouch…
#education #politics #USpol #vouchers #news #schools #TXlege #Texas #GregAbbott
How Voucher Vendors Could Make Millions from ‘School Choice’ in Texas
The Legislature’s current proposals put a handful of private contractors in the driver’s seat. Other states have already seen problems.Justin Miller (The Texas Observer)
Musk’s #DOGE purge is causing more harm than the #firings -that needlessly upend lives, they’re devastating communities & reducing the GDP.
“For every $1 spent by the Parks, they produce $15 in economic activity. It’s <0.067% of all fed spending.
Parks have a huge economic multiplier. They create platforms for substantial pvt sector activity (tourism, REC bus’…) while preserving public assets that appreciate in value over time -an incredible investment for the economy.”
-K Scanlon
Senator Schiff’s early votes to confirm some cabinet-level nominees have caused great concern among constituents. However, we haven’t been able to reach the senator or his staff in person or by phone to voice those concerns. We’ve only been able to leave voicemails, and some of us have received boilerplate responses to email.
Please contact Senator Schiff and tell him: improve your communications & stop voting for the Trump agenda!
nature.com/articles/d41586-025…
After all, this is what he and his ilk have been pushing for all along, since 2016: to abolish publicly funded science. Just one example from back then:
“Do we really need government-funded research at all?”
vox.com/science-and-health/201…
There are plenty more. #Science is the antithesis to #fascism, so one of them must go.
1/8
#USpol
Trump’s budget director pick: “Do we really need government-funded research at all”
Mick Mulvaney suggested Zika science is uncertain, so we shouldn’t bother to fund it.Julia Belluz (Vox)
"I think for the first time in 90 years, we’re going to see an interruption of #SocialSecurity benefits. I hope it doesn't happen, but I believe it will. You're going to see wait times skyrocket.”
-M O’Malley -fmr SS COMR
He said the current admin’s efforts to shrink the WF will send away essential personnel & jeopardize the agency’s most basic functions.
>73M ppl, incl. 56M seniors, rely on the #SSA for monthly benefit checks.
#USPol #DOGE #Musk #Trump #Coup #Resist
huffpost.com/entry/social-secu…
Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O'Malley Says DOGE Cuts Could Interrupt Benefits
Donald Trump's purge of the federal workforce could cause a system failure at the Social Security Administration, the agency's former leader warned.Arthur Delaney (HuffPost)
This week's comic: "Protecting the children"
#uspol #comic #cartoon #children #education #lgbtq #climate #health #healthcare #transgender
"The Trump admin got Andrew Tate & his brother released. This really feels like a moral watershed. Everything else MAGA does has some kind of twisted moral logic that maybe you can see if you squint really hard. This time it's just "we love pimping." We keep reaching new lows."
-R Hanania
The brothers are charged with human trafficking, forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women +Andrew faces a charge of #rape. They're fanboys of #TrumpMusk.
#USPol #Misogyny #Evil apnews.com/article/romania-and…
"DOGE says it's now saved $65B in federal funds, but that's still impossible to verify. It only provides records for $9.6B in savings from contract terminations."
Neither Trump, nor Musk, can keep track of their egregious lies that are destroying public servants' livelihoods & lives.
#Trump #Musk #Grift #DOGE #USPol #Resist
abcnews.go.com/US/doge-now-sav…
DOGE says it's now saved $65B in federal funds, but that's still impossible to verify
It only provides records for $9.6 billion in savings from contract terminations.Soo Rin Kim (ABC News)
Widespread protests across the US this weekend, even in some very conservative areas
wdbj7.com/2025/02/22/we-are-no…
‘We are not going silently.’ Dozens of protesters chant in Downtown Christiansburg
Layoffs, education, healthcare, national security, affordable housing and the price of eggs were a few topics for dozens of protesters Saturday in downtown Christiansburg.Taylor Locke (WDBJ)
Latest comic: What's the point of an economy that no longer serves the interests of human beings?
#labor #workers #economy #oligarchy #technology #automation #uspol #uspolitics #plutocracy
Bernie tells it straight. Let's hope his videos gain traction.
Absolutely mind-boggling that the president of the United States has to be refuted and fact-checked in this way.
youtube.com/watch?v=rKBM2kS6B8…
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.www.youtube.com
scientificamerican.com/article… #science #uspol
Government Agencies, Universities, Nonprofits Pause Critical Work Over Trump Administration Executive Orders
America's status as a global science leader is in doubt as the administration freezes funding and targets research that references climate or diversityChelsea Harvey (Scientific American)