Notices by James Gleick (gleick@mas.to)

Federal judge rules that Trump violated the law and abused his power when he sent armed agents to seize the U.S. Institute of Peace—a nonprofit organization established by Congress.

He is guilty of "a gross usurpation of power," "contrary to statute established by Congress."

Seems like news.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/federal-judge-doge-institute-of-peace

Trump’s first trip abroad. Why Saudi Arabia? Why Qatar? Why UAE?

“Donald Trump is going to these three countries because these are the countries that have agreed to pay Donald Trump money. Donald Trump is going to collect tribute. And it’s all out in the open.” https://journa.host/@lolgop/114502487901242495

DOGE violated the law when it canceled grants authorized by Congress and awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Authors Guild is suing, and if your grant was canceled, you may be part of the class.

https://authorsguild.org/news/ag-files-class-action-lawsuit-to-reverse-unlawful-neh-grant-terminations/

"In exchange for getting nothing from China, we agreed to remove the gun we had pointed at our own head. We will continue to aim the gun at our own foot, however. Masterful negotiating."

—Matthew Miller

Maybe Trump could beseech Qatar for a gift of some air traffic controllers, to go with his spiffy new jet.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/nyregion/newark-airport-flight-disruptions-duffy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.GU8.jg6x.m8ofFo8O4sXJ&smid=url-share

"No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States] shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."

Maybe some parts of the Constitution are fuzzy or ambiguous. This isn't one of them. https://mas.to/@gleick/114489803866392093

In a sane world, the government would be trumpeting this triumph of medical science—a great victory for public health.

But we live in Trump world now, so we won't be able to get the Moderna Covid+flu vaccine this year. People will get sick needlessly, and people will die.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/modernas-combo-covid-flu-mrna-shot-outperforms-current-vaccines-large-rcna205242

Europeans getting annoyed by American demands that they, too, embrace racism, discrimination, and bigotry.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-dei-france-2052936

https://www.newsweek.com/european-city-reacts-trumps-dei-ultimatum-2068974

Here's how the Trump crypto racket works:

In four months, 58 "wallets" have made at least $10 million each—more than $1 billion in total gains.

At the same time, 764,000 wallets have lost money. Because that billion dollars had to come from somewhere.

That's 58 big winners and 764,000 losers. A metaphor for the Trump economy, too.

https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/may-6-2025?r=g7z5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

#crypto

They’re bringing back measles, they’re bringing back Covid, so why not tooth decay while they’re at it?

https://flip.it/f4pxUH

What has Trump fueled, packaged, monetized, and embodied above all else? What is his brand now?

Hate.

https://www.salon.com/2024/09/23/the-downside-to-selling-hatred-as-a-maga-commodity/

So, credit to the Biden administration?

No! The whole thing is just a big mystery: “researchers and federal and state health officials have puzzled over the exact reasons for the decrease, including why overdoses have fallen so much in recent months.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/us/politics/drug-overdose-deaths-decrease.html?unlocked_article_code=1.MU4.z6HD.18lQGD0Xcuyo&smid=url-share (2/2)

Across species and even domains of living organisms, cells seem to be exchanging information, sending messages encoded in RNA. Microbiologists are probing a molecular communications system that was invisible till now. From @quantarss:

https://www.quantamagazine.org/cells-across-the-tree-of-life-exchange-text-messages-using-rna-20240916/

#information

The Biden administration made the overdose epidemic a priority and took a series of actions to control it, including:
—expanded access to addiction treatment, including methadone and buprenorphine,
—created a National Response Plan to combat fentanyl and xylazine,
—permitted Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment services.

Now the NY Times reports a sharp decrease in overdose deaths and a dramatic reversal in the spread of fentanyl. (1/2)

I don’t know how the Secret Service can be expected to have done any better. Trump made an unscheduled visit to his 27-hole golf club, where he rides hither and yon in a open golf cart at his pleasure. A disgruntled former Trump supporter with a semiautomatic rifle never got anywhere near him. The only shots fired were fired by the Secret Service. The guy was quickly arrested.

I’d say they protected him successfully.

#SecretService

@dangillmor Clearly there is a paper-wide written policy. There must be a memo to staff. They owe it to readers to explain.

#lies

The NY Times has a blockbuster story here. Somebody at the Supreme Court is LEAKING. The court is truly in crisis.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/us/justice-roberts-trump-supreme-court.html?unlocked_article_code=1.K04.Hw-C.FVxaHPVlsDTE&smid=url-share

#SCOTUS

The man is breaking down before our eyes.

Imagine if, say, Joe Biden recounted a conversation he had with “Abdul,” who he claimed was and still is “the head of the Taliban.”

Only there was no such conversation, and there is no such person. It’s a fantasy from his addled brain.

Wouldn’t we need to get to the bottom of this?

https://masto.ai/@Nonilex/113121366913582917

This is a persuasive demolition of the fantasy of humans settling on Mars. Though I resent the snark aimed at the much-maligned Ian Malcolm, for whom I have a place in my heart.

https://defector.com/neither-elon-musk-nor-anybody-else-will-ever-colonize-mars

#Mars