John Markoff
@johnmarkoff.bsky.social
Once upon a Time New York Times science and technology writer. Stewart Brand biographer. Born and raised in (what would become) Silicon Valley.
Reposted by John Markoff
Not just a tragedy for America, but, given the central place the US occupies in the research ecosystem, a tragedy for the world.
“Thousands of very competitive projects in areas like cancer, diabetes, aging, neurological disorders and public health improvements most like went unfunded in 2025.
Similarly, at the National Science Foundation, the roughly 3,000 fewer new grants encompassed reductions to every area of science”
Similarly, at the National Science Foundation, the roughly 3,000 fewer new grants encompassed reductions to every area of science”
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
A quiet policy change means the government is making fewer bets on long-term science.
www.nytimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Not just a tragedy for America, but, given the central place the US occupies in the research ecosystem, a tragedy for the world.
Reposted by John Markoff
“The currently governing DOD Manual in Section 5.9 states clearly that persons ‘placed hors de combat may not be made the object of attack.’ The Manual defines ‘hors de combat’ to include ‘persons . . . otherwise incapacitated by . . . shipwreck.’”
November 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
“The currently governing DOD Manual in Section 5.9 states clearly that persons ‘placed hors de combat may not be made the object of attack.’ The Manual defines ‘hors de combat’ to include ‘persons . . . otherwise incapacitated by . . . shipwreck.’”
Reposted by John Markoff
Very strong piece by Jack Goldsmith:
“But there can be no conceivable legal justification for U.S. Special Operations Forces kill[ing] the survivors of a first strike on a drug boat off the coast of Trinidad who ‘were clinging to the smoldering wreck.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
“But there can be no conceivable legal justification for U.S. Special Operations Forces kill[ing] the survivors of a first strike on a drug boat off the coast of Trinidad who ‘were clinging to the smoldering wreck.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
November 29, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Very strong piece by Jack Goldsmith:
“But there can be no conceivable legal justification for U.S. Special Operations Forces kill[ing] the survivors of a first strike on a drug boat off the coast of Trinidad who ‘were clinging to the smoldering wreck.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
“But there can be no conceivable legal justification for U.S. Special Operations Forces kill[ing] the survivors of a first strike on a drug boat off the coast of Trinidad who ‘were clinging to the smoldering wreck.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
Reposted by John Markoff
That sound you heard was every GOP elected official with a lick of sense absolutely SHITTING themselves thinking about the visual of Mark Kelly back in uniform before a military court as Whiskey Pete's handpicked chucklefucks try to railroad him on bogus charges.
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 PM
That sound you heard was every GOP elected official with a lick of sense absolutely SHITTING themselves thinking about the visual of Mark Kelly back in uniform before a military court as Whiskey Pete's handpicked chucklefucks try to railroad him on bogus charges.
Reposted by John Markoff
Any speculator who bought Trump’s memecoin at its peak after it was announced inauguration weekend would have lost almost the entire value of their investment by this month.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Crypto Crash Is Eroding Wealth for Trump’s Family and Followers
In President Donald Trump’s second term, crypto assets transformed his family’s wealth. Now the Trumps — and their followers — are getting a crash course in the wild volatility ingrained in digital cu...
www.bloomberg.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Any speculator who bought Trump’s memecoin at its peak after it was announced inauguration weekend would have lost almost the entire value of their investment by this month.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by John Markoff
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Reposted by John Markoff
Oh it’s not appropriate for your program to air the president wearing a crown and shitting on American citizens?
You’ll talk about it in euphemisms? Maybe call it the “crown video” and ignore the shitting part? Because that’s appropriate?
Tell me, was it appropriate for the president to do it?
You’ll talk about it in euphemisms? Maybe call it the “crown video” and ignore the shitting part? Because that’s appropriate?
Tell me, was it appropriate for the president to do it?
October 19, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Oh it’s not appropriate for your program to air the president wearing a crown and shitting on American citizens?
You’ll talk about it in euphemisms? Maybe call it the “crown video” and ignore the shitting part? Because that’s appropriate?
Tell me, was it appropriate for the president to do it?
You’ll talk about it in euphemisms? Maybe call it the “crown video” and ignore the shitting part? Because that’s appropriate?
Tell me, was it appropriate for the president to do it?
Reposted by John Markoff
October 18, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Reposted by John Markoff
Wore it to No Kings in Paris. #NoKings #IndivisibleParis
October 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Wore it to No Kings in Paris. #NoKings #IndivisibleParis
Reposted by John Markoff
Again, @warren.senate.gov got here several days ago (unsurprisingly).
But this is ALSO a story that is just as easily pushed by lefties -- by progressives, by tankies, by populists -- bc the way you make this story go viral is play on the suspicions of people who use the term "globalist."
But this is ALSO a story that is just as easily pushed by lefties -- by progressives, by tankies, by populists -- bc the way you make this story go viral is play on the suspicions of people who use the term "globalist."
Democrats need to jump on the Argentina bailout – and tie it to cuts in health care for Americans. It's not "America First." It's "Suck Up to Trump First."
If you’re an incompetent foreign leader who sucks up to Trump, you can get $20 billion from U.S. taxpayers while Trump is cutting Americans’ health care.
September 25, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Again, @warren.senate.gov got here several days ago (unsurprisingly).
But this is ALSO a story that is just as easily pushed by lefties -- by progressives, by tankies, by populists -- bc the way you make this story go viral is play on the suspicions of people who use the term "globalist."
But this is ALSO a story that is just as easily pushed by lefties -- by progressives, by tankies, by populists -- bc the way you make this story go viral is play on the suspicions of people who use the term "globalist."
Reposted by John Markoff
You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger Star Wars fan than me - but I can do without while Disney is actively capitulating to this unprecedented assault on free speech. Fuck you, Bob.
September 20, 2025 at 4:53 PM
You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger Star Wars fan than me - but I can do without while Disney is actively capitulating to this unprecedented assault on free speech. Fuck you, Bob.
Reposted by John Markoff
Who could have imagined that a guy who uses the moniker “Ka$h” would take over the FBI and shut down the bribery investigations of his buddies?
September 21, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Who could have imagined that a guy who uses the moniker “Ka$h” would take over the FBI and shut down the bribery investigations of his buddies?
I propose a thought experiment. How would the Republicans in Congress react if this set of events had been orchestrated by the Biden Administration? www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches.
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I propose a thought experiment. How would the Republicans in Congress react if this set of events had been orchestrated by the Biden Administration? www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Reposted by John Markoff
austerity is theft@x
Normally, when a civil rights leader dies, their supporters spend days reciting their greatest quotes and preachings. So, it's notable that the right has devoted the past two days trying to get Olive Garden waitresses fired for critical TikToks, while avoiding his body of work.
Normally, when a civil rights leader dies, their supporters spend days reciting their greatest quotes and preachings. So, it's notable that the right has devoted the past two days trying to get Olive Garden waitresses fired for critical TikToks, while avoiding his body of work.
Charlie Kirk once said, "I can't stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that — it does a lot of damage."
We have a medical diagnosis for people who feel no empathy: we call them psychopaths.
We have a medical diagnosis for people who feel no empathy: we call them psychopaths.
September 13, 2025 at 8:42 PM
austerity is theft@x
Normally, when a civil rights leader dies, their supporters spend days reciting their greatest quotes and preachings. So, it's notable that the right has devoted the past two days trying to get Olive Garden waitresses fired for critical TikToks, while avoiding his body of work.
Normally, when a civil rights leader dies, their supporters spend days reciting their greatest quotes and preachings. So, it's notable that the right has devoted the past two days trying to get Olive Garden waitresses fired for critical TikToks, while avoiding his body of work.
Reposted by John Markoff
FBI agents are not trained to patrol streets. And every agent that is assigned to do that is NOT investigating:
*foreign spies stealing gov’t and trade secrets
*foreign and domestic terrorist threats
*crimes like fraud, corruption, trafficking, and violent crimes (among others)
Do you feel safer?
*foreign spies stealing gov’t and trade secrets
*foreign and domestic terrorist threats
*crimes like fraud, corruption, trafficking, and violent crimes (among others)
Do you feel safer?
August 11, 2025 at 2:35 AM
FBI agents are not trained to patrol streets. And every agent that is assigned to do that is NOT investigating:
*foreign spies stealing gov’t and trade secrets
*foreign and domestic terrorist threats
*crimes like fraud, corruption, trafficking, and violent crimes (among others)
Do you feel safer?
*foreign spies stealing gov’t and trade secrets
*foreign and domestic terrorist threats
*crimes like fraud, corruption, trafficking, and violent crimes (among others)
Do you feel safer?
“The more you study crypto, the more it looks like a Carl Hiaasen novel full of colorful grifters staying one step ahead of the authorities”
Excerpt From
The End of Reality
Jonathan Taplin
books.apple.com/us/book/the-...
This material may be protected by copyright.
Excerpt From
The End of Reality
Jonathan Taplin
books.apple.com/us/book/the-...
This material may be protected by copyright.
The End of Reality
Business & Personal Finance · 2023
books.apple.com
August 11, 2025 at 4:15 AM
“The more you study crypto, the more it looks like a Carl Hiaasen novel full of colorful grifters staying one step ahead of the authorities”
Excerpt From
The End of Reality
Jonathan Taplin
books.apple.com/us/book/the-...
This material may be protected by copyright.
Excerpt From
The End of Reality
Jonathan Taplin
books.apple.com/us/book/the-...
This material may be protected by copyright.
Reposted by John Markoff
The cop's family should file a wrongful death suit against RFK (for stuff he said before Bill Cassidy confirmed him) and the NGO that has made RFK rich.
The Emory shooter was a regular visitor to right-wing social media accounts which persuaded him that the Covid-19 vaccine was to blame for all his personal medical problems. So he took his gun to shoot up the CDC, killing a policeman in the process.
Suspect and Officer Are Dead After Shooting Outside C.D.C. in Atlanta
www.nytimes.com
August 9, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The cop's family should file a wrongful death suit against RFK (for stuff he said before Bill Cassidy confirmed him) and the NGO that has made RFK rich.
Reposted by John Markoff
BREAKING: A police officer has died after he was shot by a Anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist, who opened fire near the CDC complex and Emory University in Atlanta.
Your stupid conspiracy theories are literally killing people.
Your stupid conspiracy theories are literally killing people.
August 9, 2025 at 2:11 AM
BREAKING: A police officer has died after he was shot by a Anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist, who opened fire near the CDC complex and Emory University in Atlanta.
Your stupid conspiracy theories are literally killing people.
Your stupid conspiracy theories are literally killing people.
Reposted by John Markoff
mRNA tech is some of the coolest, most powerful, most promising scifi shit humans are currently doing. They are being investigated to help with cancers, autoimmune diseases, M.S., stroke recovery, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and high cholesterol.
August 6, 2025 at 3:59 AM
mRNA tech is some of the coolest, most powerful, most promising scifi shit humans are currently doing. They are being investigated to help with cancers, autoimmune diseases, M.S., stroke recovery, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and high cholesterol.
Reposted by John Markoff
President Trump didn't like the jobs numbers, so he fired the person responsible for producing them.
It's a move that has been tried before, by leaders of countries from Argentina to Greece to the Soviet Union. It rarely ends well.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/b... #EconSky
It's a move that has been tried before, by leaders of countries from Argentina to Greece to the Soviet Union. It rarely ends well.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/b... #EconSky
Trump Fired America’s Economic Data Collector. History Shows the Perils.
www.nytimes.com
August 3, 2025 at 5:21 PM
President Trump didn't like the jobs numbers, so he fired the person responsible for producing them.
It's a move that has been tried before, by leaders of countries from Argentina to Greece to the Soviet Union. It rarely ends well.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/b... #EconSky
It's a move that has been tried before, by leaders of countries from Argentina to Greece to the Soviet Union. It rarely ends well.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/b... #EconSky
A bit of (my) Silicon Valley history… youtu.be/Jn4__qhM9Ro?...
The Rise of the Cyberocracy (with John Markoff and Grant Slater)
YouTube video by Berggruen Institute
youtu.be
July 24, 2025 at 5:39 PM
A bit of (my) Silicon Valley history… youtu.be/Jn4__qhM9Ro?...
Reposted by John Markoff
Reposted by John Markoff
GOP Rep. Robert Bresnahan of Pennsylvania voted for Trump’s budget on Thursday, conveniently after he dumped his shares of stock in a Medicaid provider.
https://trib.al/lFGDEk2
https://trib.al/lFGDEk2
Republican Votes for Budget After Dumping Medicaid-Related Stock
Representative Robert Bresnahan has some explaining to do.
trib.al
July 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM
GOP Rep. Robert Bresnahan of Pennsylvania voted for Trump’s budget on Thursday, conveniently after he dumped his shares of stock in a Medicaid provider.
https://trib.al/lFGDEk2
https://trib.al/lFGDEk2