Hugh MacMillan
@hughbob.bsky.social
Applying math to accelerate discovery at Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
My new @science.org editorial on the role of scientists in defending democracy is out today. As authoritarianism takes hold in the US, we must fight for the democratic principles that enable a free society and scientists have a key role. I hope you'll join us.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Scientists’ role in defending democracy
The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...
www.science.org
August 14, 2025 at 6:36 PM
My new @science.org editorial on the role of scientists in defending democracy is out today. As authoritarianism takes hold in the US, we must fight for the democratic principles that enable a free society and scientists have a key role. I hope you'll join us.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
This is raw, ugly, lawless, violent racism and everyone with any power or voice should say so while they still can.
The White House’s official X account has a long thread in which they’ve posted pictures of people arrested during the feds’ occupation of the city. Every single person in the thread is a person of color.
August 15, 2025 at 5:27 AM
This is raw, ugly, lawless, violent racism and everyone with any power or voice should say so while they still can.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Bruce Harrell's campaign misleadingly sent out a text tonight that implies he's the only candidate endorsed by Democrats. In fact, our campaign has the SOLE endorsement of the King County Democrats and every single local Democrat group in Seattle.
August 5, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Bruce Harrell's campaign misleadingly sent out a text tonight that implies he's the only candidate endorsed by Democrats. In fact, our campaign has the SOLE endorsement of the King County Democrats and every single local Democrat group in Seattle.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
NSF and NIH cut off almost 300 grants to UCLA. Story by @dangaristo.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...
August 2, 2025 at 4:21 AM
NSF and NIH cut off almost 300 grants to UCLA. Story by @dangaristo.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Things are slowly coming full circle
July 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Things are slowly coming full circle
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
i think these people are in the grip of a genuine delusion www.nbcchicago.com/news/busines...
Bill Gates: Within 10 years, AI will replace many doctors and teachers—humans won't be needed ‘for most things'
Over the next decade, advances in artificial intelligence will mean that humans will no longer be needed "for most things" in the world, says Bill Gates.
www.nbcchicago.com
March 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
i think these people are in the grip of a genuine delusion www.nbcchicago.com/news/busines...
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Lelo Juarez Zeferino started organizing at 14, fighting for fair wages and protections for farmworkers in Washington. He helped secure heat protections, overtime pay, and basic dignity for those who put food on our tables. Now, ICE is trying to silence him. His crime? Defending his community.
ICE Detained Activist Farmworker Alfredo Juarez Zeferino
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained 25-year-old activist farmworker Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino Tuesday morning while he was driving his partner to work at a tu...
www.thestranger.com
March 27, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Lelo Juarez Zeferino started organizing at 14, fighting for fair wages and protections for farmworkers in Washington. He helped secure heat protections, overtime pay, and basic dignity for those who put food on our tables. Now, ICE is trying to silence him. His crime? Defending his community.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Video of a student in my town who wrote a political op-ed being grabbed off the street by government agents bsky.app/profile/pale...
Video of the international student at Tufts being arrested by "federal authorities" in Massachusetts has been released and it's terrifying.
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
March 27, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Video of a student in my town who wrote a political op-ed being grabbed off the street by government agents bsky.app/profile/pale...
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Not the main thing here, but EVERY TIME one of these white shoe lawyers comes in for criticism for representing evil or rapacious clients, they fall back on the cliche that everyone is entitled to vigorous representation, and the entire profession races to their defense. Now look:
Law firms refuse to represent Trump opponents in the wake of his attacks
The result is an extraordinary threat to constitutional rights of due process and representation and a far weaker effort to challenge Trump’s actions in court than during his first term.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Not the main thing here, but EVERY TIME one of these white shoe lawyers comes in for criticism for representing evil or rapacious clients, they fall back on the cliche that everyone is entitled to vigorous representation, and the entire profession races to their defense. Now look:
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Here's a letter to the American public from (anonymous, out of fear of retaliation) current & former employees of EPA, earnestly -- and somewhat heartbreakingly -- explaining how important their work is & what a tragedy is is that Trump's destroying it.
An open letter from EPA staff to the American public
"This is not about defending our paychecks. This is about protecting the health of our communities."
www.ehn.org
March 21, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Here's a letter to the American public from (anonymous, out of fear of retaliation) current & former employees of EPA, earnestly -- and somewhat heartbreakingly -- explaining how important their work is & what a tragedy is is that Trump's destroying it.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
People need to be crystal clear about something: The requirement that the government ANSWER to a court on the legal basis for detaining someone is literally the core liberty right (habeas corpus). If the government says they don’t have to do that bc “national security,” YOU can be disappeared.
March 18, 2025 at 4:51 AM
People need to be crystal clear about something: The requirement that the government ANSWER to a court on the legal basis for detaining someone is literally the core liberty right (habeas corpus). If the government says they don’t have to do that bc “national security,” YOU can be disappeared.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
250 Venezuelans have been disappeared into one of the worst prisons in Central America based on Trump’s invocation of a law only used 3 times in our history - the last time resulted in the Japanese-American internment. These men have had no due process. It’s monstrous.
nypost.com/2025/03/16/u...
nypost.com/2025/03/16/u...
First 250+ migrant gang members from US arrive in El Salvador — where they’ll be held in a notorious mega-prison
The US has flown more than 250 accused migrant gang members to El Salvador, where they were sent to a notorious mega-prison — in direct defiance of a federal judge’s ruling against the Trump admini…
nypost.com
March 17, 2025 at 3:17 AM
250 Venezuelans have been disappeared into one of the worst prisons in Central America based on Trump’s invocation of a law only used 3 times in our history - the last time resulted in the Japanese-American internment. These men have had no due process. It’s monstrous.
nypost.com/2025/03/16/u...
nypost.com/2025/03/16/u...
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
We are only 19 sign-ups away from the highest number of paid subscribers we've ever had: 35,000. It's a great time to read everything we publish and support our dogged, hard-working team! talkingpointsmemo.com/memberships?...
Talking Points Memo | Breaking News and Analysis
Much to the base’s chagrin, a handful of Senate Democrats voted to advance the...
talkingpointsmemo.com
March 16, 2025 at 12:52 AM
We are only 19 sign-ups away from the highest number of paid subscribers we've ever had: 35,000. It's a great time to read everything we publish and support our dogged, hard-working team! talkingpointsmemo.com/memberships?...
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Young scientists see career pathways vanish as schools adapt to federal funding cuts
Young scientists see career pathways vanish as schools adapt to federal funding cuts
Reductions to federal support for research at universities and other institutions under President Donald Trump are dimming young scientists’ prospects, cutting off pathways to career-building projects and graduate programs.
www.seattletimes.com
March 16, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Young scientists see career pathways vanish as schools adapt to federal funding cuts
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
We've heard a lot about DOGE canceled contracts with the Fed govt. But hearing increasing number of example of non-payment of outstanding bills owed to contractors. There's a law that's supposed to keep govt on 30 day payable regime. But this sounds like DOGE-force freeze on payments past work.
March 11, 2025 at 4:23 PM
We've heard a lot about DOGE canceled contracts with the Fed govt. But hearing increasing number of example of non-payment of outstanding bills owed to contractors. There's a law that's supposed to keep govt on 30 day payable regime. But this sounds like DOGE-force freeze on payments past work.
Pair w/ story that cuts are subject to individual exceptions clawed back by senators and members of congress through back room phone calls to Musk.
2/ who do this work as culture/political enemies. So they want to destroy the ecosystem where that community exists. Destroy the ecosystem, destroy the community. Once that's done you can figure out what the plan is about helping people not die of cancer. Maybe.
March 6, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Pair w/ story that cuts are subject to individual exceptions clawed back by senators and members of congress through back room phone calls to Musk.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Everybody (me included) is getting bogged down on the details of events at NIH et al. Fatal mistake. The big picture is Musk/Trump are trying to shut down all gov-funded Medical/Disease research in the US. Have to understand that to have any hope of stopping it. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/act-now
Act Now
I may do a longer, maybe several longer versions of this post....
talkingpointsmemo.com
March 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Everybody (me included) is getting bogged down on the details of events at NIH et al. Fatal mistake. The big picture is Musk/Trump are trying to shut down all gov-funded Medical/Disease research in the US. Have to understand that to have any hope of stopping it. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/act-now
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
They’re forcing federal workers back to offices that are going to disappear.
Why?
Because they’re shutting the government down. Permanently. People made fun of me for saying this a month ago. But here we are.
www.politico.com/news/2025/03...
Why?
Because they’re shutting the government down. Permanently. People made fun of me for saying this a month ago. But here we are.
www.politico.com/news/2025/03...
GSA prepares to sell over 400 federal properties
A new list of “non-core assets” includes the FBI and DOJ headquarters in Washington.
www.politico.com
March 5, 2025 at 12:58 AM
They’re forcing federal workers back to offices that are going to disappear.
Why?
Because they’re shutting the government down. Permanently. People made fun of me for saying this a month ago. But here we are.
www.politico.com/news/2025/03...
Why?
Because they’re shutting the government down. Permanently. People made fun of me for saying this a month ago. But here we are.
www.politico.com/news/2025/03...
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Nervous Musk, Trump, Vance have all been outclassed in public arguments these last few days. Government failure, stock market crash, and dictatorial alliances are not popular. People are starting to realize that there is no truth here beyond the desire for personal wealth and power. (2/2)
February 22, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Nervous Musk, Trump, Vance have all been outclassed in public arguments these last few days. Government failure, stock market crash, and dictatorial alliances are not popular. People are starting to realize that there is no truth here beyond the desire for personal wealth and power. (2/2)
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
I want to address a related point to the one I raised in this thread. A couple years ago the Times did a really strong package about the power of SpaceX. Not only is SpaceX. Not only is it now one if not the preemptive orbital delivery company in the world it also has a fleet of ...
In the era that I studied when I was still part of the academic world one recurrent topic was that of "over-mighty subjects". This referred to subjects of the Crown who were themselves so powerful that they threatened the sovereign power of the Crown itself. In the US we have no sovereign, or ...
February 23, 2025 at 1:41 AM
I want to address a related point to the one I raised in this thread. A couple years ago the Times did a really strong package about the power of SpaceX. Not only is SpaceX. Not only is it now one if not the preemptive orbital delivery company in the world it also has a fleet of ...
From the U.S. Department of No Sense of Irony, JD Vance goes to Europe. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... @us.theguardian.com
February 14, 2025 at 10:13 PM
From the U.S. Department of No Sense of Irony, JD Vance goes to Europe. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... @us.theguardian.com
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
There’s a real chance that we staring down a new pandemic in the form of bird flu. It could never happen or happen in the coming months. And we are in the process of decimating our core national public health and infectious disease service.
February 14, 2025 at 9:54 PM
There’s a real chance that we staring down a new pandemic in the form of bird flu. It could never happen or happen in the coming months. And we are in the process of decimating our core national public health and infectious disease service.
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
Happening Wednesday Feb 19:
February 13, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Happening Wednesday Feb 19:
Reposted by Hugh MacMillan
There is no such thing as left.
There is no such thing as right.
There is only good analysis and bad analysis,
Correct facts, errors, and lies,
And moral and immoral instincts.
There is no such thing as right.
There is only good analysis and bad analysis,
Correct facts, errors, and lies,
And moral and immoral instincts.
February 13, 2025 at 3:48 AM
There is no such thing as left.
There is no such thing as right.
There is only good analysis and bad analysis,
Correct facts, errors, and lies,
And moral and immoral instincts.
There is no such thing as right.
There is only good analysis and bad analysis,
Correct facts, errors, and lies,
And moral and immoral instincts.