Latest news with #Newsmax
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
JD Vance botches defense of the MAGA 'brain drain' Trump has caused in academia
Vice President JD Vance showed some mind-numbing ignorance in a recent attempt to downplay reports that his administration has caused a 'brain drain' — or an exodus of expertise leaving the United States' scientific fields — by suspending research grants and targeting student visa programs. Reputable voices in academia have highlighted the Trump administration-fueled crisis and its potential to inflict lasting damage on the future of American science. But in an interview Thursday with the right-wing outlet Newsmax, Vance waved off those concerns with some jingoism and what appears to be thinly veiled racial bigotry: First of all, I've heard a lot of the criticisms, the fear that we're going to have a brain drain. If you go back to the '50s and '60s, the American space program, the program that was the first to put a human being on the surface of the moon, was built by American citizens — some German and Jewish scientists who had come over during World War II, but mostly by American citizens who had built an incredible space program with American talent. This idea that American citizens don't have the talent to do great things, that you have to import a foreign class of servants and professors to do these things, I just reject it. I just think we should invest in our own people. We can do a lot of good. Vance, who previously delivered a speech framing universities as 'the enemy' in American society, went on to suggest that U.S. colleges may not be producing 'good science' because, according to him, many schools discriminate against white and Asian people. This was an especially ironic claim given it's his administration that is currently threatening to pull student visas from thousands of Chinese students. But let's sit with his 'why can't Americans do this' question for a moment, shall we? Because it sounds patriotic — but it's fundamentally idiotic. For one: Vance's comments were surprisingly dismissive of contributions from the more than 1,500 German scientists, some of them Nazis, brought to the United States as part of an operation known as 'Project Paperclip' (the vice president isn't exactly known for giving accurate lessons on American history). But to be clear: There's an illustrious history of immigrant scientists coming to the United States and making tremendous contributions to the American way of life. But aside from that, Trump's crackdown on science is also causing American scientists and aspiring scientists — the ones Vance claims to care about — to reconsider their career path. The Boston Globe highlighted that trend in a recent report sourced from more than two dozen young scientists, who said they're considering going abroad to find jobs or, potentially, abandoning scientific research entirely due to the Trump administration's actions. Per the report: Across New England and the country, thousands of budding scientists have awoken to a stark new reality, one they never could have imagined just six months ago. Funding for laboratories that focus on everything from the genetic causes of aging to cancer is drying up. Jobs in biomedicine are vanishing. Medical schools are rescinding offers of admission and once-thriving scientific internship programs are shutting down for lack of money. In university hallways, cafes, and cafeterias, from Cambridge to Providence, students are commiserating and strategizing over their increasingly precarious futures. And other nations see opportunity in the United States pursuing an anti-science agenda under Donald Trump. As I wrote in a recent Tuesday Tech Drop, foreign science organizations are licking their chops at the chance to poach American scientists who may be looking to take their expertise elsewhere. All of this highlights the ignorance in Vance's idea that American science will chug along undeterred as Trump's administration cracks down on academic freedom. The notion that American scientists will be eager to work in an increasingly repressive environment — one in which their research can be irreparably quashed and their foreign-born colleagues can be unceremoniously booted from the country —seems utterly detached from reality. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
White House holds going-away party for Elon Musk, even if little is really changing
On Friday, the Trump administration made a big show of what they were calling Elon Musk's last day as a special government employee — even as few seem to believe Elon Musk is actually leaving for good. And that includes the president and vice president. Trump posted on his Truth Social account Thursday night that Musk is 'not really' leaving and that the his top campaign contributor 'will, always, be with us, helping all the way.' Vice President JD Vance said much the same thing in an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, when he claimed it's 'totally wrong' for media outlets to suggest 'the Elon era is over' as far as the administration is concerned. 'Now, he has, obviously, a day job, and he's got to go back to his day job to run his companies, but the DOGE effort will continue,' Vance said, adding, 'Elon will continue to be an important adviser for both me and the president. And most importantly, the job of making the government more efficient, of not wasting people's money, that has to continue.' It's worth noting that the White House hasn't been fully transparent about Musk's role at DOGE in the past — telling courts that he wasn't really in charge, even as they told the public something else — so it's hard to take their word about his departure now. Even if Musk is no longer there in an 'official' capacity, it sounds they want to keep Musk involved in the administration's decision-making, just as some Democrats like Texas Rep. Greg Casar have warned. Of course, there are plenty of reasons why the administration — and Musk — may want to give the impression that they are parting ways in some substantial degree. Recent polling suggests that Musk is widely unpopular with Americans, as are many of the cuts he's sought to federal programs. And his self-described mission to slash trillions of dollars in so-called government waste have fallen far short of that goal. Even by Musk's own metrics, his stint as a special government employee was a failure. For his part, Musk's dubious foray into politics has also done a great deal of harm to the brand — and bottom line — of his company Tesla, whose investors are demanding he spend more time on his company to stop the bleeding. One wonders if Musk's recent press tour and his airing of criticisms of House Republicans' budget is part of this public relations maneuver. What we do know is that Musk's involvement with the administration has coincided with some tremendous perks for him: It has given his team unprecedented access to Americans' data, which at least one Democratic senator fears could be used to further his business ambitions. It appears to have given him a platform to try to derail federal investments and investigations that don't benefit his private companies, all while the Trump administration has pressured foreign countries to do deals to boost Musk. It's not common practice for billionaires (much less the richest man on earth) to give up such power and influence freely and completely. And as it turns out, hardly anyone seems to think that's what's going on with Musk's 'last day.' This article was originally published on
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Harvard graduates slam Trump's international student crackdown
Harvard University graduates have slammed President Donald Trump 's crackdown on international students, although some admitted there is racial bias and antisemitism on campus. The alumni spoke with Newsmax about the controversies which have engulfed the prestigious college in recent months and placed it at war with the president. Trump has threatened to clampdown on international students amid accusations the institution fostered racial bias through DEI policies and allowed antisemitism to go unchecked. A Jewish student who graduated Thursday was among those who criticized the college's response to protests following the Hamas attack of October 7. 'My personal feeling was that the administration is trying to do things to get us more, feel more comfortable and be more safe in our place,' he told Newsmax. 'Having said that, there were many events that were held during the year that were always concentrating on one side of this hard discussion, and it wasn't the Israeli side'. Other students who reportedly expressed similar views told the outlet they were too afraid of a 'backlash ' to appear on camera, but told Newsmax's Sarah Williamson that there is racial bias and discrimination against Jewish students at Harvard. Other students were less reticent when it came to expressing their outrage over Trump's proposals to block international students from obtaining visas to study at the college. The president was hit with a temporary blow Thursday after a federal judge blocked the State Department from enacting the policy. 'You don't control Harvard. It's not a dictatorship,' one student fumed. 'This is education at its highest form. So this needs to be accessible to everyone.' 'I fully believe that we need to protect our diversity and make sure that international students are welcome and supported here at Harvard,' another added. A third said a ban on international students, 'would be a disservice to education' and 'a disservice to what Harvard offers to the world.' Trump said this week that the school should cut its population of foreign students — a fifth of whom are Chinese — from nearly 30 percent to 15 percent. He also accused university leaders of fostering a breeding ground for antisemitism, making Jewish students feel uncomfortable and unsafe. The State Department has now instructed US consulates and embassies to begin reviewing foreign student visa applicant's social media for antisemitic content, Politico reports. A large encampment of pro-Palestine students protesting the Israel-Hamas war formed on Harvard Yard during the 2024 spring semester and lasted for three weeks. The students wanted the university to divest from the Israeli government and Israeli businesses, but the administration did not acquiesce. Even before the encampment in April and May of 2024, there were widespread protests at Harvard immediately following the Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. One such protest descended into a confrontation where pro-Palestine demonstrators surrounded a Harvard MBA student and repeatedly shouted 'shame' at him . Claudine Gay, Harvard's president during much of this turmoil, resigned in January 2025 after she refused to condemn students calling for the genocide of Jews when pressed by members of Congress. Gay presided over billions of dollars in lost potential donations from wealthy Jewish families appalled by what took place on campus. And since Trump has retaken the White House, he has inflicted even more financial damage on the ailing college, freezing about $3.2 billion in federal grants and contracts . On top of that, Trump has cut $100 million in remaining contracts with Harvard. Harvard sued the Trump administration for the federal funding freeze and denies accusations of alleged bias against Jewish students. Lawyers for Harvard also argue that the attempted revocation of foreign student visas violates its free speech and due process rights under the US Constitution as well as the Administrative Procedure Act, a law that constrains what federal agencies are allowed to do. The letter demanded university leaders adopt merit-based admissions policies, stop admitting students who are 'hostile to American values', enforce viewpoint diversity in all academic departments, and immediately end all DEI programs. Officials explained that they wanted what amounted to progress reports on these goals sent to them so they could ensure that their orders were being followed. approached Harvard University for comment.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Harvard graduates reveal how they REALLY feel about Trump's international student crackdown and antisemitism
Harvard University graduates have slammed President Donald Trump 's crackdown on international students, but some admitted there is racial bias and antisemitism on campus. The alumni spoke with Newsmax about the controversies which have engulfed the prestigious college in recent months and placed it at war with the president. Trump has threatened to clampdown on international students amid accusations the institution fostered racial bias through DEI policies and allowed antisemitism to go unchecked. A Jewish student who graduated Thursday was among those who criticized the college's response to protests following the Hamas attack of October 7. 'My personal feeling was that the administration is trying to do things to get us more, feel more comfortable and be more safe in our place,' he told Newsmax. 'Having said that, there were many events that were held during the year that were always concentrating on one side of this hard discussion, and it wasn't the Israeli side'. Other students who reportedly expressed similar views told the outlet they were too afraid of a 'backlash ' to appear on camera, but told Newsmax's Sarah Williamson that there is racial bias and discrimination against Jewish students at Harvard. Other students were less reticent when it came to expressing their outrage over Trump's proposals to block international students from obtaining visas to study at the college. The president was hit with a temporary blow Thursday after a federal judge blocked the State Department from enacting the policy. 'You don't control Harvard. It's not a dictatorship,' one student fumed. 'This is education at its highest form. So this needs to be accessible to everyone.' 'I fully believe that we need to protect our diversity and make sure that international students are welcome and supported here at Harvard,' another added. A third said a ban on international students, 'would be a disservice to education' and 'a disservice to what Harvard offers to the world.' Trump said this week that the school should cut its population of foreign students — a fifth of whom are Chinese — from nearly 30 percent to 15 percent. He also accused university leaders of fostering a breeding ground for antisemitism, making Jewish students feel uncomfortable and unsafe. A large encampment of pro-Palestine students protesting the Israel-Hamas war formed on Harvard Yard during the 2024 spring semester and lasted for three weeks. The students wanted the university to divest from the Israeli government and Israeli businesses, but the administration did not acquiesce. Even before the encampment in April and May of 2024, there were widespread protests at Harvard immediately following the Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. One such protest descended into a confrontation where pro-Palestine demonstrators surrounded a Harvard MBA student and repeatedly shouted 'shame' at him. Claudine Gay, Harvard's president during much of this turmoil, resigned in January 2025 after she refused to condemn students calling for the genocide of Jews when pressed by members of Congress. Gay presided over billions of dollars in lost potential donations from wealthy Jewish families appalled by what took place on campus. And since Trump has retaken the White House, he has inflicted even more financial damage on the ailing college, freezing about $3.2 billion in federal grants and contracts. On top of that, Trump has cut $100 million in remaining contracts with Harvard. Harvard sued the Trump administration for the federal funding freeze and denies accusations of alleged bias against Jewish students. Lawyers for Harvard also argue that the attempted revocation of foreign student visas violates its free speech and due process rights under the US Constitution as well as the Administrative Procedure Act, a law that constrains what federal agencies are allowed to do. Harvard says the Trump administration is retaliating against it because it refused to obey the government's demands to control the school's governance, curriculum and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students. The federal government sent a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber on April 11 claiming that the school has 'failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment.' The letter demanded university leaders adopt merit-based admissions policies, stop admitting students who are 'hostile to American values', enforce viewpoint diversity in all academic departments, and immediately end all DEI programs. Officials explained that they wanted what amounted to progress reports on these goals sent to them so they could ensure that their orders were being followed.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
JD Vance speaks up amid H-1B row: 'This idea that American citizens don't have talent to do great things...'
JD Vance said what he thinks about foreign students in US. Vice President JD Vance broke his silence amid the ongoing H-1B row and the controversy over the Donald Trump administration's crackdown on universities. In an interview with the Newsmax, Vance dismissed criticisms that the crackdown will lead to an academic brain drain in the US. "First of all, I've heard a lot of the criticisms, the fear that we're going to have a brain drain," Vance said. "If you go back to the '50s and '60s, the American space program, the program that was the first to put a human being on the surface of the moon, was built by American citizens — some German and Jewish scientists who had come over during World War II, but mostly, by American citizens who built an incredible space program with American talent," Vance said. "This idea that American citizens don't have the talent to do great things ... do you have to import a foreign class of [students] and professors to do these things? I just reject it. I just think we should invest in our own people. We can do a lot of good." Vance's comments came amid a fresh row over H-1B as the USCIS revealed that they have selected 120.141 H-1B visa applications for 2026. Several companies, including Walmart, announced job cuts, enraging US workers as they allege that the administration is not doing enough to put Americans first -- as companies are still relying on cheap labor from outside. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Moving on to his second point, Vance defended the crackdown on universities and said, "These institutions do an important job; but if you back up and look at American higher education over the past 20 or 30 years, there are a few incontrovertible facts." "No. 1, the hard sciences, particularly biology, we have a terrible what is called a reproducibility crisis, meaning most of the papers that are published in biology don't replicate; they're not good science. So even our elite universities are not often doing good science. "Second important point, these institutions — sometimes by their own admission — are engaging in explicit racial discrimination, often against whites and Asians in explicit violation of the Civil Rights Act. If the people's government can't come in, given those problems, and say, 'Look, we've got to have some accountability here; you can't violate the Civil Rights Act,'" he continued. "We've got to make sure that if we're funding science with federal money, you're actually doing good science. That's called accountability." Vance said this is not 'fascism' and if the American taxpayer is frustrated with these universities, they have got to reform. "What they're doing instead, what too many of them are doing and saying, 'Aw, the Trump administration, this is dictatorial, this is fascism.' No, this is democratic accountability, and I think universities ought to see it as an opportunity. If they do that, they're going to get better, and the American people will be better off because of it," he said.
