Malick Ghachem

@malickghachem.bsky.social

History prof @MIT. Attorney.

INBOX: the last dedicated science reporter at The Wall Street Journal, @aylinwoodward.bsky.social, has left the newsroom. This came after the Murdoch-owned newspaper dissolved its Health and Science Bureau last October. NPR, CBS, and WaPo also gutted their climate desks in the last eight months.

After nearly five incredible years, The Journal's last remaining dedicated science reporter (that's me!) has left WSJ. Following the dissolution of the miraculous Health & Science Bureau last October, myself and a small numbers of others worked hard to continue our former team's legacy, but the time has finally come for me to move on.

I am deeply grateful for all of the opportunities this publication -- and the journalist community I met there -- has given me. From stories about T. rex lips to primate booze problems to shrinking brains, to Nobel Prize and NASA mission coverage, Jane Goodall's obituary, winter storm, volcano and wildfire smoke stories, I left no scientific stone unturned, working constantly to inspire curiosity and wonder in Journal readers during times of increasing turmoil and challenge. I met some of my closest friends, wrote for two of the most phenomenal editors I'll ever have the privilege of working with, saw Evan come home, and learned (in retrospect, naturally) the gift it is to be on a team of professional nerds who drive the cutting edge of health and science journalism in America while uplifting each other and their craft.

Well, this is your counterprogramming kid signing off. Not sure where I'll end up next, but don't be strangers y'all. In the meantime, I'll be coaching roller derby across the U.S., South America and Europe!

"Trust historians to do their jobs." In an interview with ABC News, AHA executive director Sarah Weicksel responded to the White House report criticizing the Smithsonian. "We are trained professionals. We practice our craft with integrity." Watch the interview:

Smithsonian chief disputes scathing White House report accusing museum of 'radical' activism

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch disputed the scathing White House report, which accused the American history museum of presenting a "radical view" of American history.

abcnews.com

There are parts of Brooklyn where the best Jewish style deli food is at halal restaurants owned and operated by Yemeni Muslim immigrants who learned how to make wonderfully authentic brisket, pastrami, and corned beef. It's so perfectly New York and sums up so much of what's great about this city.

I can't even find the words to express how repugnant and despicable this post is. People who spew such Islamophobic bile don't belong in the United States Congress. The job of elected officials is to combat hate, not fan its flames. (1/2)

Bild

Again, leaders of other countries don’t talk this way. The glee with which our current leaders talk about killing people is not normal, and nor is their lack of concern for who exactly we’re killing. American bombs incinerated 100 kids in Minab. Were those the “right people”?

PEIPolitical 🇨🇦@peipolitical.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🖕 GRAHAM: “I feel good about the Republican Party. We’re killing all the right people and cutting your taxes. Trump is my favorite president. We’ve run out of bombs. We didn’t even run out of bombs in WWII.” #cdnpoli

There's a broken cuneiform tablet from the Old Babylonian period, nearly 4,000 years ago, which preserves a tiny portion of a dialogue between two friends. It feels a bit like the conversations I've been having for the past week, so I wanted to share it.

Photo of a cuneiform tablet fragment shaped a bit like an irregular diamond. It preserves nearly 20 incomplete lines of text separated by a horizontal ruling

The mass murder of civilians in Gaza, the brazen attacks on hospitals and schools, without any accountability has created a new kind of warfare that should terrify and enrage all of us. Every child lost is someone’s whole world. Every life lost matters www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

At least 148 dead after reported strike on school, Iran says

Iran has blamed the US and Israel for the strike; the US is looking into reports of the incident, while the IDF says it is

bbc.co.uk

Last chance to register: major conference celebrating 250 years of 'The Wealth of Nations': the most famous text in the history of political economy and economics. Leading historians and economists will assess its legacy & ask what it means for the next century. Free, open to public, link below ⬇️⬇️

Last chance to register: landmark conference to mark 250 years since publication of The Wealth of Nations.

‘Modern Enquiries into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations’
5-6 March 2026
Keynes Hall, King’s College, Cambridge: Thursday, 9.15am – 5pm, and Friday, 9.00 – 12.45. Free, registration required.
Arthur Goodhart Lecture Theatre (LG19), Law Faculty, Sidgwick Site: concluding public forum, Friday, 2-4 pm. No booking required, arrive early to secure a seat.
All free and open to the public, students especially welcome.