Elio Abbondanzieri
banner
abbondanzieri.bsky.social
Elio Abbondanzieri
@abbondanzieri.bsky.social
Dad, Husband, Biophysicist, Tinkerer
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.

Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
“Indeed, for much of the 2010s and likely before and since, it appears the crime rate of CBP agents and offices was higher PER CAPITA than the crime rate of undocumented immigrants in the United States.”
I testified Friday before Gov. Pritzker's commission studying abuses of ICE and CBP and tried to explain how the agencies went so far off track. It's actually way worse than I ever realized. Please read and share my testimony as Congress considers reform: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
Accountability for ICE and CBP
However bad you think the corruption and misconduct at ICE and CBP is — the reality is far far worse.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
February 3, 2026 at 11:41 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Great to see our Science Review on emerging multiplexed single-molecule methods that use libraries to link sequence to dynamics. A fun collaborative writing project! From sequence to function: Bridging single-molecule kinetics and molecular diversity | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
From sequence to function: Bridging single-molecule kinetics and molecular diversity
Biological function is fundamentally determined by nucleic acid and protein sequence. Beyond encoding genetic information, nucleic acids also display complex physicochemical parameters that shape stru...
www.science.org
January 30, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
The Trump admin already failed to get an arrest warrant on him—magistrate judge refused so DOJ went to appeals court, prompting that letter from the chief district judge torching the DOJ, and appeals court denied too—so God knows what this new one is, or if they even bothered to get a warrant.
Don was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles.
January 30, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
"In theater" is a military term that refers to a wartime theater of operations. ICE and CBP agents are in Minnesota, which is one of the United States. The enemy in this military operation are citizens of Minnesotans and the United States.
Q: Can you be specific about how many ICE and CBP agents are currently operating in the state?

HOMAN: 3,000. There's been some rotations. They've been in theater a long time. Day after day, can't eat in restaurants, people spin on you, blowing whistles at you. But my main focus now is draw down
January 29, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
"I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me."
--Homan in February

"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March

"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
Homan: "I begged for the last two months on TV for the rhetoric to stop. I said in March -- if the rhetoric doesn't stop, there is gonna be bloodshed. And there has been. I wish I wasn't right. I don't want to see anybody die."
January 29, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now
January 24, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Non-protesting dad just trying to hustle his kids, as young as 6mo, out of the neighborhood. ICE threw a flash-bang INTO HIS car, all 6 kids in the hospital now.

If anyone wondered how things turn against occupying armies there's a case study playing out in front of you.
That is what was relayed
January 15, 2026 at 4:27 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Now published in Protein Science: Dan used single-molecule and SOFI microscopies to visualize curli fibers (the major component of E. coli biofilms) on living cells! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
January 15, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
This is the sort of statement that was expected from every university president and law firm partner over the last year. That those statements weren’t made played a huge part in where we are now and people will remember.
Jerome Powell: "This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation."
January 12, 2026 at 1:45 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
At last night’s candlelight vigil for Renee Nicole Good, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire announced he had asked the clergy of the diocese to get their affairs in order and to make sure they have their wills written ...,
January 11, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
That's what's happening. We're a nation at the mercy of our president's rogue private police force..
I hate to break it to you, but heavily-armed government militias are roaming unchecked through US cities and shooting human rights observers dead in the streets. That's happening in our country.
January 7, 2026 at 11:57 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
So here’s to making 2026 a better year. For science. For our country. For the American people.

We have the momentum. The resistance is growing. Let’s make 2026 the year we turned the tide.
January 1, 2026 at 3:06 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
New, from me: The NYT reporter who specializes in profiles of beleaguered right-wingers on campus went to New College...and found out that things were going ok!

So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
The NYT Recruiting Brochure for New College
A failing Ron DeSantis higher ed experiment gets a boost
donmoynihan.substack.com
December 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
what else is there to say
December 29, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
There will come a time when people of good faith are empowered to uphold the law.

When that time comes, Illinois will have the testimony and records needed to pursue justice to its fullest extent.

The truth of what Trump and his masked agents are doing in Chicago will be told.
"They had done nothing wrong. They were not protesting. They were not chasing ICE vehicles. They were simply shopping."

Matt DeMateo recounts how three U.S. citizens, including a toddler, were tear gassed in Cicero by federal agents.
December 18, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Per @garretthaake.bsky.social, the extremely tacky "presidential wall of fame" that lines the colonnade to the West Wing now has obviously-Trump-penned plaques insulting or praising the presidents.
December 17, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
This NYT story failed the reader by not digging deeper. One subject dropped out of college after one year (five years ago) and lists "Windows" as his skillset. Story should be: young conservatives who blame immigrants for their personal failures and whose lives won't be improved w/ fewer immigrants
December 15, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Two victims of previous school shootings — Mia Tretta, who was shot in the stomach in 2019 at Saugus High School, and Zoe Weissman, who survived the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — are now at Brown. Gun violence is out of control in this country.
December 14, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Today, I spoke with Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife, Jennifer. In April, when I met with him in El Salvador, Trump said he would never set foot in the U.S. again.

This case has never been about one man alone; if the govt can violate the constitutional rights of one, all our rights are threatened.
December 13, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
America is a mafia state running a protection racket in the interest of the boss, not the people www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1... bsky.app/profile/john...
December 12, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Every part of this is bonkers. The intro is bonkers. The transition to his health is bonkers. The mention that other presidents didn't need cognitive exams is bonkers. The claim that this screening test is somehow hard is bonkers. The idea that criticism of him is treason is bonkers. All of it.
December 10, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara issued a stern warning to his officers on Thursday: Intervene when you see Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents using unlawful force or lose your job.
Minneapolis police chief warns officers: Stop unlawful force by ICE or lose your job
Chief Brian O’Hara says he’ll fire city police officers if they don’t intervene when immigration agents use unlawful force.
www.ms.now
December 6, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Reposted by Elio Abbondanzieri
I would not get in a car if Hakeem Jeffries was driving. We can’t continue to let him and those like him “lead” a milquetoast opposition to overt fascism.

Primary appeasers.
Elect fighters.
Jeffries: "The border is secure. That's a good thing. It happened on his watch. He wants to claim credit for it, of course he'll get credit for that. In terms of making sure that we actually deal with the issues that matter, including on immigration, there's a lot that's left to be desired."
December 3, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Jefferies and Schumer always seem to be competing for who can do the worst job of opposing fascism. Trump did not secure anything and his efforts to terrorize immigrants trying to navigate our system legally means we are encouraging immigrants to break the law to avoid ICE
Jeffries: "The border is secure. That's a good thing. It happened on his watch. He wants to claim credit for it, of course he'll get credit for that. In terms of making sure that we actually deal with the issues that matter, including on immigration, there's a lot that's left to be desired."
December 3, 2025 at 7:36 PM