@mariomacis.bsky.social
Reposted
This is an illegal action by the US Administration. USAID is Congressionally mandated as an independent agency. It is not a small office of the State Department.
Those now choosing to ignore their duty to our laws, whether Conservative or Liberal, will miss them when they have lost meaning.
Those now choosing to ignore their duty to our laws, whether Conservative or Liberal, will miss them when they have lost meaning.
Currently: Letter by letter, crews remove the "U.S. Agency for International Development" signage from its HQ — a striking visual of the abrupt dismantling of USAID, which was est. by JFK in 1961 & delivered humanitarian aid around the world for decades (a small fraction will be folded into State)
February 7, 2025 at 8:43 PM
This is an illegal action by the US Administration. USAID is Congressionally mandated as an independent agency. It is not a small office of the State Department.
Those now choosing to ignore their duty to our laws, whether Conservative or Liberal, will miss them when they have lost meaning.
Those now choosing to ignore their duty to our laws, whether Conservative or Liberal, will miss them when they have lost meaning.
Reposted
2. While NSF and NIH indeed have a mission to fund specific research innovations via grantmaking, they do a lot more than that.
Their principal role is support a scientific ecosystem in the United States, that includes everything from education and training to infrastructure and communication.
Their principal role is support a scientific ecosystem in the United States, that includes everything from education and training to infrastructure and communication.
February 8, 2025 at 12:18 AM
2. While NSF and NIH indeed have a mission to fund specific research innovations via grantmaking, they do a lot more than that.
Their principal role is support a scientific ecosystem in the United States, that includes everything from education and training to infrastructure and communication.
Their principal role is support a scientific ecosystem in the United States, that includes everything from education and training to infrastructure and communication.
Reposted
The NIH overhead cut doesn't just hurt universities.
It's deadly to the US economy.
The US is a world leader in tech due to the ecosystem that NIH and NSF propel. It drives innovation for tech transfer, creates a highly-skilled sci/tech workforce, and fosters academic/industry crossfertilization.
It's deadly to the US economy.
The US is a world leader in tech due to the ecosystem that NIH and NSF propel. It drives innovation for tech transfer, creates a highly-skilled sci/tech workforce, and fosters academic/industry crossfertilization.
2. While NSF and NIH indeed have a mission to fund specific research innovations via grantmaking, they do a lot more than that.
Their principal role is support a scientific ecosystem in the United States, that includes everything from education and training to infrastructure and communication.
Their principal role is support a scientific ecosystem in the United States, that includes everything from education and training to infrastructure and communication.
February 8, 2025 at 2:03 AM
The NIH overhead cut doesn't just hurt universities.
It's deadly to the US economy.
The US is a world leader in tech due to the ecosystem that NIH and NSF propel. It drives innovation for tech transfer, creates a highly-skilled sci/tech workforce, and fosters academic/industry crossfertilization.
It's deadly to the US economy.
The US is a world leader in tech due to the ecosystem that NIH and NSF propel. It drives innovation for tech transfer, creates a highly-skilled sci/tech workforce, and fosters academic/industry crossfertilization.
February 8, 2025 at 3:46 AM
“What Trump wants you to see in all this activity is command. What is really in all this activity is chaos.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/o...
Opinion | Don’t Believe Him
Look closely at the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s second term and you’ll see something very different than what he wants you to see.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2025 at 3:19 AM
“What Trump wants you to see in all this activity is command. What is really in all this activity is chaos.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/o...
Not exactly a great start: President Trump begins his second term with a 47% approval rating—the second lowest for any elected president starting a new term since 1953 (his own first-term rating was the lowest at 44%).
news.gallup.com/poll/203198/...
news.gallup.com/poll/203198/...
February 5, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Not exactly a great start: President Trump begins his second term with a 47% approval rating—the second lowest for any elected president starting a new term since 1953 (his own first-term rating was the lowest at 44%).
news.gallup.com/poll/203198/...
news.gallup.com/poll/203198/...
As a European-American, it’s striking to see the lack of coordinated opposition from the Democratic Party to President Trump’s actions. Every congressperson seems to be on their own—no clear leadership, no unified strategy. It’s hard to wrap my head around this.
February 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM
As a European-American, it’s striking to see the lack of coordinated opposition from the Democratic Party to President Trump’s actions. Every congressperson seems to be on their own—no clear leadership, no unified strategy. It’s hard to wrap my head around this.
Reposted
If not price-increasing, why price-increasing shaped?
The National Association of Home Builders explains what happens if we make inputs for home construction, such as Canadian lumber, more expensive.
February 1, 2025 at 10:46 PM
If not price-increasing, why price-increasing shaped?
It’s hard to tell which is worse—a politician who doesn’t keep his promises or one who does.
“For the typical American household, the tariffs will mean a loss of about $1,200 in purchasing power, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University, a nonpartisan research center.” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Trump signs order imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China
American importers will pay a new 25-percent tax on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10-percent levy on products from China.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 1, 2025 at 10:44 PM
It’s hard to tell which is worse—a politician who doesn’t keep his promises or one who does.
Reposted
Hard to argue with the WSJ editorial page.
February 1, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Hard to argue with the WSJ editorial page.
Happy Tariff Day to all who celebrate!
(This, of course, excludes the countless economists who’ve repeatedly warned that tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China etc. are a terrible idea for the U.S. economy… but who’s listening to them anyway?Maybe one day we’ll need a holiday to celebrate them.)
(This, of course, excludes the countless economists who’ve repeatedly warned that tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China etc. are a terrible idea for the U.S. economy… but who’s listening to them anyway?Maybe one day we’ll need a holiday to celebrate them.)
February 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Happy Tariff Day to all who celebrate!
(This, of course, excludes the countless economists who’ve repeatedly warned that tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China etc. are a terrible idea for the U.S. economy… but who’s listening to them anyway?Maybe one day we’ll need a holiday to celebrate them.)
(This, of course, excludes the countless economists who’ve repeatedly warned that tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China etc. are a terrible idea for the U.S. economy… but who’s listening to them anyway?Maybe one day we’ll need a holiday to celebrate them.)
Another example of government ignoring expert advice for performative action. The opposite of "efficiency".
Trump Officials Release Water in California That Experts Say Will Serve Little Use
nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/…
Trump Officials Release Water in California That Experts Say Will Serve Little Use
nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/…
https://nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/…
February 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Another example of government ignoring expert advice for performative action. The opposite of "efficiency".
Trump Officials Release Water in California That Experts Say Will Serve Little Use
nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/…
Trump Officials Release Water in California That Experts Say Will Serve Little Use
nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/…
Reposted
An oligarch’s minions are hacking into the source of trillions of government payments. Terrifying.
January 31, 2025 at 11:20 PM
An oligarch’s minions are hacking into the source of trillions of government payments. Terrifying.
Suspending salary payments at the NSF is absurd. It's the opposite of government efficiency! It feels like sabotage. How do you expect to support innovation and scientific progress when you’re actively undermining the very people responsible for it?
www.statnews.com/2025/01/30/t...
www.statnews.com/2025/01/30/t...
National Science Foundation suspends salary payments, leaving researchers unable to pay their bills
An NSF online payment system remained down after the federal funding freeze was lifted, leaving early-career scientists scrambling to pay bills
www.statnews.com
January 31, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Suspending salary payments at the NSF is absurd. It's the opposite of government efficiency! It feels like sabotage. How do you expect to support innovation and scientific progress when you’re actively undermining the very people responsible for it?
www.statnews.com/2025/01/30/t...
www.statnews.com/2025/01/30/t...
This isn’t about government efficiency—it’s sabotage. Locking out career civil servants from critical systems, sidelining oversight, and installing loyalists with no transparency are the hallmarks of a hostile takeover, not a reform. This undermines institutions, not improves them.
January 31, 2025 at 11:10 PM
This isn’t about government efficiency—it’s sabotage. Locking out career civil servants from critical systems, sidelining oversight, and installing loyalists with no transparency are the hallmarks of a hostile takeover, not a reform. This undermines institutions, not improves them.
A competent government, one that values efficiency and accountability, starts an investigation and waits for the facts before assigning blame. Blaming DEI for what happened isn’t just irrational, it’s a distraction from real problem-solving. This is no way to run a government.
Trump is, without any evidence, blaming DEI efforts at the FAA for the DJ jet crash. But experts and investigators say open minds are critical to finding out what really happened.
What's Next in the DC Jet Crash Investigation
President Donald Trump blamed DEI efforts at the FAA for the tragedy. But experts and investigators say open minds are critical to finding out what really happened.
wrd.cm
January 31, 2025 at 11:09 PM
A competent government, one that values efficiency and accountability, starts an investigation and waits for the facts before assigning blame. Blaming DEI for what happened isn’t just irrational, it’s a distraction from real problem-solving. This is no way to run a government.
Transparency is essential for public trust in health institutions. If the CDC is removing scientific data from public view, it only fuels skepticism and weakens confidence in public health decisions.
January 31, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Transparency is essential for public trust in health institutions. If the CDC is removing scientific data from public view, it only fuels skepticism and weakens confidence in public health decisions.
This is not a good look for traditional media—manipulating an OpEd’s title and content in a way that distorts the author's intent only provides further ammunition to its critics. Journalism is already under attack, often unfairly, and actions like this only make it harder to defend its credibility.
January 31, 2025 at 11:05 PM
This is not a good look for traditional media—manipulating an OpEd’s title and content in a way that distorts the author's intent only provides further ammunition to its critics. Journalism is already under attack, often unfairly, and actions like this only make it harder to defend its credibility.
Reposted
Can’t believe we are here
If you conduct research with federal data of any kind I strongly suggest you spend this weekend downloading copies of everything you use.
January 31, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Can’t believe we are here
Before enacting a policy, it’s a good (non-stupid) idea to sit down and think through what will happen next. Freezing all grant spending without considering the consequences? Predictably disastrous. NOT A GOOD START FOR THE IDEA OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/o...
January 31, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Before enacting a policy, it’s a good (non-stupid) idea to sit down and think through what will happen next. Freezing all grant spending without considering the consequences? Predictably disastrous. NOT A GOOD START FOR THE IDEA OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/o...
Reposted
US real investment in "alternative" power generation (solar, wind, geothermal, etc) continues to reach new record highs this quarter
January 30, 2025 at 1:59 PM
US real investment in "alternative" power generation (solar, wind, geothermal, etc) continues to reach new record highs this quarter
Wow, 27 spots filled and 17 on the waitlist? I’m absolutely certain this overwhelming demand is all about my teaching and definitely not because the course includes a week in Milan and Bologna. Nope, no way. Just pure academic enthusiasm.
January 30, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Wow, 27 spots filled and 17 on the waitlist? I’m absolutely certain this overwhelming demand is all about my teaching and definitely not because the course includes a week in Milan and Bologna. Nope, no way. Just pure academic enthusiasm.
Reposted
The prosperity and competitiveness of the United States hinge on research and innovation, which draw lifeblood from our globally recognized universities.
Taking a numb sledgehammer to those universities is reckless self-destruction.
Taking a numb sledgehammer to those universities is reckless self-destruction.
January 28, 2025 at 9:12 PM
The prosperity and competitiveness of the United States hinge on research and innovation, which draw lifeblood from our globally recognized universities.
Taking a numb sledgehammer to those universities is reckless self-destruction.
Taking a numb sledgehammer to those universities is reckless self-destruction.