John Paul Helveston
@jhelvy.bsky.social
Systems Eng Prof @ GWU 🦛 | Director, Data Analytics MS Program | EVs 🔋🚗 | Low Carbon Tech | Choice Modeling | Survey Research | China | US-China Policy | #rstats | #reproducibility | #opensource | Father | opinions own
Pinned
John Paul Helveston
@jhelvy.bsky.social
· Sep 25
Hi everyone! 👋
I didn't really give a great intro when joining, so here's a short introductory thread to folks who want to connect here. Quick summary:
- #Rstats dev
- Choice modeling
- Global EV industry
- Consumer preference modeling
- China
- Industrial Policy
Details in a 🧵... (1/6)
I didn't really give a great intro when joining, so here's a short introductory thread to folks who want to connect here. Quick summary:
- #Rstats dev
- Choice modeling
- Global EV industry
- Consumer preference modeling
- China
- Industrial Policy
Details in a 🧵... (1/6)
There I fixed it
February 2, 2026 at 4:06 PM
There I fixed it
I teach my students to always start the y-axis at 0 when making a bar chart for a reason
x.com/WhiteHouse/s...
x.com/WhiteHouse/s...
February 2, 2026 at 3:37 PM
I teach my students to always start the y-axis at 0 when making a bar chart for a reason
x.com/WhiteHouse/s...
x.com/WhiteHouse/s...
Incredible self own for the US. The damage being done to the US scientific enterprise is generational. We will look back on this as a tipping point where the US chose all on its own to stop leading the world in science.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
January 28, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Incredible self own for the US. The damage being done to the US scientific enterprise is generational. We will look back on this as a tipping point where the US chose all on its own to stop leading the world in science.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Now channel your inner Mitch McConnell and stick to it
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
January 25, 2026 at 1:31 PM
Now channel your inner Mitch McConnell and stick to it
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
Defund ICE or shut the government down. This is the moderate position.
January 24, 2026 at 8:14 PM
Defund ICE or shut the government down. This is the moderate position.
People are holding on to hope with "but the Generals wouldn't obey that order right?" and 1) that says a LOT about where we are right now and 2) you better believe they 100% would follow that order, and if not there are hundreds in line who would I mean look at who they put in charge of DoD ffs
January 21, 2026 at 1:40 AM
People are holding on to hope with "but the Generals wouldn't obey that order right?" and 1) that says a LOT about where we are right now and 2) you better believe they 100% would follow that order, and if not there are hundreds in line who would I mean look at who they put in charge of DoD ffs
For the record, as an American, I think threatening tariffs on our closest European allies and fellow NATO members because they are standing up to US threats to forcibly annex Greenland is bad.
January 19, 2026 at 12:14 PM
For the record, as an American, I think threatening tariffs on our closest European allies and fellow NATO members because they are standing up to US threats to forcibly annex Greenland is bad.
Most Americans have no idea how immensely pissed Canadians are at the US. I'm not Canadian, but have family there, and the damage from the US's betrayal will last a generation or more. There's no returning to the prior relationship regardless who takes power in the US.
"Trade is not fundamentally about competition. It's not us versus Canada. It's us and Canada." It's really about cooperation. And if the United States won't cooperate reliably with Canada, we shouldn't be surprised when Canada looks for new friends to cooperate with. And Americans miss out.
January 19, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Most Americans have no idea how immensely pissed Canadians are at the US. I'm not Canadian, but have family there, and the damage from the US's betrayal will last a generation or more. There's no returning to the prior relationship regardless who takes power in the US.
It begins. Canadians will soon experience the vast superiority of Chinese EVs, and the US will lose its largest vehicle export market. The transition will happen much faster than people think.
Breaking with the U.S., Canada will slash its 100% tariffs on Chinese electric cars, opening the doors to imports that cost less than $25,000 (or $35,000 Canadian).
insideevs.com/news/784657/...
insideevs.com/news/784657/...
Canada Just Opened The Door To Cheap Chinese EVs
Breaking with the U.S., Canada will slash 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars, opening the doors to imports that cost less than $25,000.
insideevs.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:07 PM
It begins. Canadians will soon experience the vast superiority of Chinese EVs, and the US will lose its largest vehicle export market. The transition will happen much faster than people think.
Updated my LLM / AI policy for my intro to #Rstats programming course this semester:
p4a.seas.gwu.edu/2026-Spring/...
Largely inspired by @andrew.heiss.phd post: lnkd.in/e_Sr2D-5
p4a.seas.gwu.edu/2026-Spring/...
Largely inspired by @andrew.heiss.phd post: lnkd.in/e_Sr2D-5
January 15, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Updated my LLM / AI policy for my intro to #Rstats programming course this semester:
p4a.seas.gwu.edu/2026-Spring/...
Largely inspired by @andrew.heiss.phd post: lnkd.in/e_Sr2D-5
p4a.seas.gwu.edu/2026-Spring/...
Largely inspired by @andrew.heiss.phd post: lnkd.in/e_Sr2D-5
It's a DS workshop by @andrew.heiss.phd, what more do you need to know? You should check it out #rstats #positron
TOMORROW! (Tuesday)
@andrew.heiss.phd is gonna be on the DS Lab showing us how he makes his life easier: #Positron extensions he loves, OS tools he uses, and #duckdb + Connections pane 👀
Bonus, we'll def share the "moving the activity bar" thing live, too 👏🏻
Register: pos.it/dslab
#rstats #databs
@andrew.heiss.phd is gonna be on the DS Lab showing us how he makes his life easier: #Positron extensions he loves, OS tools he uses, and #duckdb + Connections pane 👀
Bonus, we'll def share the "moving the activity bar" thing live, too 👏🏻
Register: pos.it/dslab
#rstats #databs
January 13, 2026 at 12:38 AM
It's a DS workshop by @andrew.heiss.phd, what more do you need to know? You should check it out #rstats #positron
🤌
January 12, 2026 at 10:37 PM
🤌
It's all too obvious why any regime as unpopular as the current one would work so hard to silence public data infrastructure
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
America’s Statistical System Is Breaking Down
Canceled surveys, missing datasets and staffing cuts are leaving the US with growing blind spots — and weakening trust in official numbers.
www.bloomberg.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:29 PM
It's all too obvious why any regime as unpopular as the current one would work so hard to silence public data infrastructure
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Federal Agents Shoot 2 During Traffic Stop in Portland, Ore.
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:19 PM
I swear to God if the shoe were in the other foot there is NO WAY the Rs would have let this obscene level of lawlessness go on. The Ds need to grow a pair and start pulling from the old Mitch McConnell playbook.
Here’s some things that can be done by a party out of power
- file impeachment articles every day in the House
- withhold unanimous consent in the senate and filibuster every nominee
- be everywhere with comms saying this is lawless and impeachable
- file impeachment articles every day in the House
- withhold unanimous consent in the senate and filibuster every nominee
- be everywhere with comms saying this is lawless and impeachable
January 8, 2026 at 4:52 AM
I swear to God if the shoe were in the other foot there is NO WAY the Rs would have let this obscene level of lawlessness go on. The Ds need to grow a pair and start pulling from the old Mitch McConnell playbook.
If they're murdering people in broad daylight with cameras rolling, imagine what they're doing to the thousands being held in the camps.
January 7, 2026 at 9:26 PM
If they're murdering people in broad daylight with cameras rolling, imagine what they're doing to the thousands being held in the camps.
They're literally murdering us
Video taken by a witness shows the moment an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in a vehicle in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Follow live updates: https://cnn.it/4qbzgwg
Follow live updates: https://cnn.it/4qbzgwg
January 7, 2026 at 8:57 PM
They're literally murdering us
For those too young to remember the lead up to the invasion of Iraq, this is actually nothing like that. The Iraq invasion (though built on lies) was approved by Congress. This is much more like Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine, or Germany into Poland, etc.
January 4, 2026 at 2:18 PM
For those too young to remember the lead up to the invasion of Iraq, this is actually nothing like that. The Iraq invasion (though built on lies) was approved by Congress. This is much more like Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine, or Germany into Poland, etc.
Please please please EV designers, bring back buttons and just make normal cars that are electric nobody wants to turn on their wipers with a touch screen! 🙏
January 4, 2026 at 2:48 AM
Please please please EV designers, bring back buttons and just make normal cars that are electric nobody wants to turn on their wipers with a touch screen! 🙏
Every person who voted for this criminal because they wanted to get the US out of foreign wars will now cheer and justify this with all kinds of BS. Call them out every time.
January 3, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Every person who voted for this criminal because they wanted to get the US out of foreign wars will now cheer and justify this with all kinds of BS. Call them out every time.
And people weren't taking his threats about annexing Canada or Greenland seriously
January 3, 2026 at 5:24 PM
And people weren't taking his threats about annexing Canada or Greenland seriously
Polestar EVs are wonderful. They're the closest thing you can get to a proper Chinese EV in the US...if only people knew how much better EVs can really get
That feeling when someone else understands why you bought a Polestar 2 EV and would never even consider a Tesla Model 3.
January 3, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Polestar EVs are wonderful. They're the closest thing you can get to a proper Chinese EV in the US...if only people knew how much better EVs can really get
TidyTuesday and the DSLC have both been amazing resources for years. This is a great cause to support to keep it alive and sustainable for years to come!
Happy 2026! 🎆
My resolution: put @dslc.io on a sustainable footing.
I’m soft-launching our Patreon to cover costs (Zoom, hosting, etc). If you love #TidyTuesday, our Slack help, or our book clubs, you can be an early supporter before the official launch Monday!
patreon.com/DSLC
#RStats #DataBS
My resolution: put @dslc.io on a sustainable footing.
I’m soft-launching our Patreon to cover costs (Zoom, hosting, etc). If you love #TidyTuesday, our Slack help, or our book clubs, you can be an early supporter before the official launch Monday!
patreon.com/DSLC
#RStats #DataBS
Data Science Learning Community | Patreon
Tools to learn data science, e.g. weekly TidyTues.day dataset
patreon.com
January 2, 2026 at 1:04 PM
TidyTuesday and the DSLC have both been amazing resources for years. This is a great cause to support to keep it alive and sustainable for years to come!
Elections have consequences
Jim Beam, America’s largest bourbon distiller, is closing its flagship facility for 2026 after more than two decades of rapid growth. The move underlines the immense challenges facing the country's whiskey industry.
Jim Beam Halts Production at Flagship Distillery as Whiskey and Bourbon Markets Struggle
The bourbon giant is closing its flagship distilling operation for all of 2026.
nyti.ms
December 22, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Elections have consequences
I can simulate fake data for you for a lot less $
Did you know that from tomorrow, Qualtrics is offering synthetic panels (AI-generated participants)?
Follow me down a rabbit hole I'm calling "doing science is tough and I'm so busy, can't we just make up participants?"
Follow me down a rabbit hole I'm calling "doing science is tough and I'm so busy, can't we just make up participants?"
December 16, 2025 at 6:46 PM
I can simulate fake data for you for a lot less $