Archive for Trump administration
[defunct] Radio Free Europe
Posted in Books, Kids, pictures with tags free press, Iron Curtain, LP, R.E.M., Radio Free Europe, Trump administration, Voice of America on April 18, 2026 by xi'an
Nature squeakbits [26 February 2026]
Posted in Books, pictures, Running, Travel with tags Antarctica, basketball shoes, book review, China Initiative, Chinese Government, climate change, climate science, COVID-19, EPA, ERC Advanced Grant, ERC Consolidator Grant, ERC Starting Grant, France, French politics, greenhouse-gas emissions, Indonesia, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeffrey Epstein, large language models, London, London calling, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, measles, Nature, nuclear weapons elimination day, perspective, rock art, SARS-CoV-2, snippet, START treaty, Sulawesi Island, The Clash, Trump administration, UKRI, unilateral nuclear disarmament, US Government, US politics, West Antarctica Ice Sheet, WHO on April 16, 2026 by xi'an
And another coverage of the deplorable Trump administration dismantling the biodefense and pandemic preparedness branches of the US NIAID, presumably a late under-the-belt jab at the national institute Anthony Fauci directed for 38 years. Meaning one of the forefronts for pandemic research and vaccine development has been dismantled. Plus the US EPA revoking the 2009 statement that climate change is endangering the US population and removing greenhouse-gas emission rules. In tune with the Drill, baby, drill! motto of the Trump supporters more interested in their short-term profits than in the long-term (no-)future of the country. Paradoxically sitting in the same issue as a comment calling for a policy-making assessment of avoidable climate-change risks. Illustrated by London’s drownin’ below
And a summary of their conclusions from 23 of the 27 members (from 27 countries) of the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origin of Novel Pathogens for the WHO. After 3.5 years of debate on the origin of COVID-19! Four hypotheses are examined and other hoaxes and conspiracies are debunked.
Another political entry about the EU and its Horizon Europe programme (that is funding my ERC Synergy grant) baring (researchers from) Chinese research organisations from applying for its grants in sensitive methodologies, in order to prevent “the undesired transfer of IP”. Following similar and earlier actions in the US with the (newspeak!) China Initiative launched by Trump 1.0 that turned into a witch hunt.
An exciting 228 metres of rock and mud providing a window on the past 23 million year weather. Obtained from the West Antarctica Ice Sheet.
Civilians in Lebanon are already paying an unbearable price with children, health workers and journalists amongst those killed—the latest attacks will only escalate this devastating human toll
Posted in Kids, pictures with tags Agent Orange, Amnesty International, Beirut, ceasefire, civilian deaths, freedom of press, Hezbollah, international humanitarian law, Israeli bombardments, Israeli government, Lebanon, Stop the War, Trump administration, war crimes on April 11, 2026 by xi'an
We are gravely concerned that the conduct and threats outlined here are causing serious harm to civilians in the Middle East, and that they also contribute to escalating the conflict, damaging the environment and the global economy, and that they risk degrading the rule of law and fundamental norms that protect every nation’s civilians
Posted in Books, Kids, Travel, University life with tags civilian deaths, civilization, Geneva Conventions, ICRC, International Committee of the Red Cross, international humanitarian law, international law, Iran, Israel, Israeli government, jus ad bellum, jus in bello, Just Security, nuclear power plant, protection of civilians, rules of engagement, stone ages, Trump administration, UN, United Nations Charter, United States, war crimes on April 8, 2026 by xi'an
Nature likes official statistics
Posted in Books, Statistics, University life with tags Argentina, budget cuts, Demographic and Health Survey Program, Gates Foundation, India, INSEE, Malakoff, National Statistician, Nature, Office for National Statistics, official statistics, ONS, tribune, Trump administration, UK, United Nations, US politics, USA on April 5, 2026 by xi'an
Nature is (rightly!) concerned about official statistics around the World and ran a feature article on the topic in its issue of 12 March 2026. It stresses the multiple reasons for supporting a sound, independent, trustworthy national statistic office. The article explores the issues with four national statistic bureaux, for the US, the UK, India, and Argentina. (As my whole career has been associated with the French official statistics institute, INSEE, first as a student, then as a researcher, I would have liked to hear some external views on this institute, albei methinks the situation is not as dire here, despite a permanent reduction in staff over the past decade, to the point the landmark INSEE building in Malakoff has now been dismantled.)
The issue with the US system is predictably mixing political interference à la Trump and budget cuts again à la Trump. Referring to a 2025 ASA report. Longitudinal surveys have been terminated after running 30 years. While preserving its famous independence, the UK Office for National Statistics is facing mistrust from the public that in turn reduces the reliability of its labour survey, with a response rate of 13% in 2023! The UK Government has responded by creating a National Statistician…. Concerning India, well-known for its love of official statistics, the concern is again with the government interventions against NSC, and Argentina suffers from the same woes, Milei refusing an update of the way inflation is calculated by the national institute NDEC, leading to the departure of the current director (whose remote predecessor was put on trial by an earlier government!)
“Decisions based on incomplete or incorrect knowledge are invariably bad, even harmful. That is why the statistics that governments collect need to be as accurate and as verifiable as possible.”
In what appears (now?) as a common trend in Nature, a tribune on the same topic appeared in the following edition of 19 March 2026. With the call to “fix surveys”, in part battered by systemic underfunding and sapped by low answer rates. And the somewhat paradoxical complaint that private philanthropies like the Gates Foundation is supporting less worldwide surveys like the Demographic and Health Survey Program, which should be the responsibility of governments.
