Harvard astronomer tapped to lead White House UFO council says US government ‘baffled by what they are seeing’

Avi Loeb, the Harvard astronomer who was chosen last month by the White House to lead a UFO advisory council, believes he was brought on because federal officials are “baffled” by the many unidentified objects the U.S. military has captured over the past several decades. Loeb, known for arguing that alien spacecraft may have already … Read more

Trump rushed Kennedy Center renovations for Fifa peace prize ceremony, whistleblowers say

Letter from Democratic senator outlines more no-bid contracts and second botched reflecting pool redo The US senator Sheldon Whitehouse has sent a letter to the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts detailing allegations from whistleblowers that some renovations were “rushed” and federal contracting laws “were ignored” to get the center ready for events, … Read more

Trump-appointed judge permanently ends Proud Boys Jan. 6 case, says Constitution left him no choice

A Trump-appointed federal judge on Friday reluctantly dismissed the Jan. 6 prosecution of four Proud Boys members, saying the law left him no authority to block the Justice Department’s request. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice against Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic … Read more

Is the US trying to make scientists’ work so difficult that they simply give up? | Daniel Malinsky

New Trump administration rules would undermine longstanding research practices. It’s death by a thousand cuts A politician who aims to gradually privatize and ultimately destroy an institution funded by tax dollars – say, a public school system or public transportation network – may choose to do so by strategically disinvesting resources from that institution until … Read more