Trump's impact on Science

 Opinion | US can’t isolate itself from the world of science

In Boston Globe, Feb 2, 2026

ICE cruelty

 Mr. Trump's free fall in his approval ratings surely means that he is desperately searching for some favorable headlines. May I suggest an area where he could act decisively to improve his ratings and our situation. 

Before the election, he did not tell us that we could expect six months of unrestrained ICE thuggery. The arrests and processing have often been violent. US citizens and lawful immigrants have sometimes been arrested and detained without due process. Non-violent undocumented immigrants have often been deported without due process.

It is time for Mr. Trump and his ICE chiefs to back off. It is time for them to investigate and arrest in a polite and civilized way. Ask first, detain later. Ask politely, only rough up if the suspect resists and becomes unruly. Finally, only arrest and detain those suspects with serious criminal records – in fact they should only target these people rather than doing random sweeps in court-houses, churches, schools, and car washes (Immigration agents raid Allston car wash and detain several workers. Boston Globe, November 4, 2025)..

This after all, is what Mr. Trump promised in his campaign.

Sent to Boston Globe

Bureau of Labor Statistics data

 

I hope that the Bureau of Labor Statistics will present accurate unemployment statistics in the next few days. I do not want them influenced by Mr. Trump’s optimistic expectations. We all know how much he is prone to pressure agencies to conform with his views.

These data and those for future months provide information that the Federal Reserve, international banks, and American businesses rely on. I do not believe that absent accurate data, the country can chart a viable path forward.

Sent to the  Washington Post

Trump, Tariffs, and the Supreme Court

 

I hope that the Supreme Court decides quickly in the case of Mr. Trump’s claim to be able to make unilateral decisions on the imposition and removal of tariffs (Highlights of the Supreme Court Argument of Trump's Tariffs, New York Times, November 5th, 2025) . I hope that it will deny hm that right.

America, its businesses, and its supply chains cannot long survive Mr. Trump’s volatile, uninformed, unpredictable, and arbitrary decisions.

Even a temporary stay, signed by a majority of the whole Court, would be useful.

Sent to New York Times

Tit-for-Tat

 

I appreciate Mr. Brooks' lamentation of the loss of give and take in our political system at the federal level (David Brooks, The Rot Creeping Into Our Minds. New Yourk Times, October 24, 2025: A20),.

However he fails to appreciate that  the Democratic minority  are engaged in a game of tit-for-tat with the Republicans. Republicans have not even tried to constrain Mr. Trump's failure to adhere to the budgets passed by Congress. His recissions have decimated agencies and programs supported by Congress. The Republican majority have just accepted his cuts. 

This is the Repubican "tit," the refusal  to support a continuing resolution is the Democrats "tat."

Research has shown that tit-for tat is the best strategy  for re-establishing a cooperative relationship. Not that I am holding my breath.

Sent to New York Times

Traditional marriage

 I must query one phrae in your columnist's piece (Carine Hajjar.  A new era at Harvard: Once shunned, conservative students are now welcome to share their views, Boston Globe, October 10, 2025:A9)

In her description of Michael Knowles, she comments that he "supports traditional marriage."

What does this mean? Is it that he opposes marriage between two persons of the same sex? Or does it mean that he believes that wives should not enter the paid workforce?

In both cases I vehemently oppose his view.

All persons deserve the right to marry persons of their choice and all coouples deserve the right to make the domestic arrangements that suit them.

Sent to Boston Globe

Basic Research

 Scroll down

Opinion | Trump’s cuts threaten to rip research up by the roots