February 2025 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Ocelot Quantum Chip
by zeynep＠keemail.me 27 Feb '25

27 Feb '25

https://www.amazon.science/blog/amazon-announces-ocelot-quantum-chip Today we are happy to announce Ocelot, our first-generation quantum chip. Ocelot represents Amazon Web Services’ pioneering effort to develop, from the ground up, a hardware implementation of quantum error correction that is both resource efficient and scalable. Based on superconducting quantum circuits, Ocelot achieves the following major technical advances: The first realization of a scalable architecture for bosonic error correction, surpassing traditional qubit approaches to reducing error correction overhead; The first implementation of a noise-biased gate — a key to unlocking the type of hardware-efficient error correction necessary for building scalable, commercially viable quantum computers; State-of-the-art performance for superconducting qubits, with bit-flip times approaching one second in tandem with phase-flip times of 20 microseconds. We believe that scaling Ocelot to a full-fledged quantum computer capable of transformative societal impact would require as little as one-tenth as many resources as common approaches, helping bring closer the age of practical quantum computing. The quantum performance gap Quantum computers promise to perform some computations much faster — even exponentially faster — than classical computers. This means quantum computers can solve some problems that are forever beyond the reach of classical computing. Practical applications of quantum computing will require sophisticated quantum algorithms with billions of quantum gates — the basic operations of a quantum computer. But current quantum computers’ extreme sensitivity to environmental noise means that the best quantum hardware today can run only about a thousand gates without error. How do we bridge this gap? Quantum error correction: the key to reliable quantum computing Quantum error correction, first proposed theoretically in the 1990s, offers a solution. By sharing the information in each logicalqubit across multiple physical qubits, one can protect the information within a quantum computer from external noise. Not only this, but errors can be detected and corrected in a manner analogous to the classical error correction methods used in digital storage and communication. Recent experiments have demonstrated promising progress, but today’s best logical qubits, based on superconducting or atomic qubits, still exhibit error rates a billion times larger than the error rates needed for known quantum algorithms of practical utility and quantum advantage. The challenge of qubit overhead While quantum error correction provides a path to bridging the enormous chasm between today’s error rates and those required for practical quantum computation, it comes with a severe penalty in terms of resource overhead. Reducing logical-qubit error rates requires scaling up the redundancy in the number of physical qubits per logical qubit. Traditional quantum error correction methods, such as those using the surface error-correcting code, currently require thousands (and if we work really, really hard, maybe in the future, hundreds) of physical qubits per logical qubit to reach the desired error rates. That means that a commercially relevant quantum computer would require millions of physical qubits — many orders of magnitude beyond the qubit count of current hardware. One fundamental reason for this high overhead is that quantum systems experience two types of errors: bit-flip errors(also present in classical bits) and phase-flip errors (unique to qubits). Whereas classical bits require only correction of bit flips, qubits require an additional layer of redundancy to handle both types of errors. Although subtle, this added complexity leads to quantum systems’ large resource overhead requirement. For comparison, a good classical error-correcting code could realize the error rate we desire for quantum computing with less than 30% overhead, roughly one-ten-thousandth the overhead of the conventional surface code approach (assuming bit error rates of 0.5%, similar to qubit error rates in current hardware). Cat qubits: an approach to more efficient error correction Quantum systems in nature can be more complex than qubits, which consist of just two quantum states (usually labeled 0 and 1in analogy to classical digital bits). Take for example the simple harmonic oscillator, which oscillates with a well-defined frequency. Harmonic oscillators come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from the mechanical metronome used to keep time while playing music to the microwave electromagnetic oscillators used in radar and communication systems. Classically, the state of an oscillator can be represented by the amplitude and phase of its oscillations. Quantum mechanically, the situation is similar, although the amplitude and phase are never simultaneously perfectly defined, and there is an underlying graininess to the amplitude associated with each quanta of energy one adds to the system. These quanta of energy are what are called bosonic particles, the best known of which is the photon, associated with the electromagnetic field. The more energy we pump into the system, the more bosons (photons) we create, and the more oscillator states (amplitudes) we can access. Bosonic quantum error correction, which relies on bosons instead of simple two-state qubit systems, uses these extra oscillator states to more effectively protect quantum information from environmental noise and to do more efficient error correction. One type of bosonic quantum error correction uses cat qubits, named after the dead/alive Schrödinger cat of Erwin Schrödinger's famous thought experiment. Cat qubits use the quantum superposition of classical-like states of well-defined amplitude and phase to encode a qubit’s worth of information. Just a few years after Peter Shor’s seminal 1995 paper on quantum error correction, researchers began quietly developing an alternative approach to error correction based on cat qubits. A major advantage of cat qubits is their inherent protection against bit-flip errors. Increasing the number of photons in the oscillator can make the rate of the bit-flip errors exponentially small. This means that instead of increasing qubit count, we can simply increase the energy of an oscillator, making error correction far more efficient. The past decade has seen pioneering experiments demonstrating the potential of cat qubits. However, these experiments have mostly focused on single-cat-qubit demonstrations, leaving open the question of whether cat qubits could be integrated into a scalable architecture. Ocelot: demonstrating the scalability of bosonic quantum error correction Today in Nature, we published the results of our measurements on Ocelot <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08642-7>, and its quantum error correction performance. Ocelot represents an important step on the road to practical quantum computers, leveraging chip-scale integration of cat qubits to form a scalable, hardware-efficient architecture for quantum error correction. In this approach, bit-flip errors are exponentially suppressed at the physical-qubit level; phase-flip errors are corrected using a repetition code, the simplest classical error-correcting code; and highly noise-biased controlled-NOT (C-NOT) gates, between each cat qubit and ancillary transmon qubits (the conventional qubit used in superconducting quantum circuits), enable phase-flip-error detection while preserving the cat’s bit-flip protection. The Ocelot logical-qubit memory chip, shown schematically above, consists of five cat data qubits, each housing an oscillator that is used to store the quantum data. The storage oscillator of each cat qubit is connected to two ancillary transmon qubits for phase-flip-error detection and paired with a special nonlinear buffer circuit used to stabilize the cat qubit states and exponentially suppress bit-flip errors. Tuning up the Ocelot device involves calibrating the bit- and phase-flip error rates of the cat qubits against the cat amplitude (average photon number) and optimizing the noise-bias of the C-NOT gate used for phase-flip-error detection. Our experimental results show that we can achieve bit-flip times approaching one second, more than a thousand times longer than the lifetime of conventional superconducting qubits. Critically, this can be accomplished with a cat amplitude as small as four photons, enabling us to retain phase-flip times of tens of microseconds, sufficient for quantum error correction. From there, we run a sequence of error correction cycles to test the performance of the circuit as a logical-qubit memory. In order to characterize the performance of the repetition code and the scalability of the architecture, we studied subsets of the Ocelot cat qubits, representing different repetition code lengths. The logical phase-flip error rate was seen to drop significantly when the code distance was increased from distance-3 to distance-5 (i.e., from a code with three cat qubits to one with five) across a wide range of cat photon numbers, indicating the effectiveness of the repetition code. When bit-flip errors were included, the totallogical error rate was measured to be 1.72% per cycle for the distance-3 code and 1.65% per cycle for the distance-5 code. The comparability of the total error rate of the distance-5 code to that of the shorter distance-3 code, with fewer cat qubits and opportunities for bit-flip errors, can be attributed to the large noise bias of the C-NOT gate and its effectiveness in suppressing bit-flip errors. This noise bias is what allows Ocelot to achieve a distance-5 code with less than a fifth as many qubits — five data qubits and four ancilla qubits, versus 49 qubits for a surface code device. What we scale matters From the billions of transistors in a modern GPU to the massive-scale GPU clusters powering AI models, the ability to scale efficiently is a key driver of technological progress. Similarly, scaling the number of qubits to accommodate the overhead required of quantum error correction will be key to realizing commercially valuable quantum computers. But the history of computing shows that scaling the right component can have massive consequences for cost, performance, and even feasibility. The computer revolution truly took off when the transistor replaced the vacuum tube as the fundamental building block to scale. Ocelot represents our first chip with the cat qubit architecture, and an initial test of its suitability as a fundamental building block for implementing quantum error correction. Future versions of Ocelot are being developed that will exponentially drive down logical error rates, enabled by both an improvement in component performance and an increase in code distance. Codes tailored to biased noise, such as the repetition code used in Ocelot, can significantly reduce the number of physical qubits required. In our forthcoming paper “Hybrid cat-transmon architecture for scalable, hardware-efficient quantum error correction <https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.23363>”, we find that scaling Ocelot could reduce quantum error correction overhead by up to 90% compared to conventional surface code approaches with similar physical-qubit error rates. We believe that Ocelot's architecture, with its hardware-efficient approach to error correction, positions us well to tackle the next phase of quantum computing: learning how to scale. Using a hardware-efficient approach will allow us to more quickly and cost effectively achieve an error-corrected quantum computer that benefits society. Over the last few years, quantum computing has entered an exciting new era in which quantum error correction has moved from the blackboard to the test bench. With Ocelot, we are just beginning down a path to fault-tolerant quantum computation. For those interested in joining us on this journey, we are hiring for positions across our quantum computing stack. Visit Amazon Jobs <https://www.amazon.jobs/> and enter the keyword “quantum <https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search?base_query=quantum&loc_query=>”.

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Fwd: FBI Top Stories: Operation Level-Up: How the FBI Is Saving Victims from Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud
by Gunnar Larson 27 Feb '25

27 Feb '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: FBI <fbi(a)subscriptions.fbi.gov> Date: Wed, Feb 26, 2025, 1:26 PM Subject: FBI Top Stories: Operation Level-Up: How the FBI Is Saving Victims from Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud To: <g(a)xny.io> Operation Level-Up: How the FBI Is Saving Victims from Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Through Operation Level Up—a proactive initiative to identify and notify victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud—the FBI is trying to save victims from losing their hard-earned money. Feb. 13, 2025 Full Story <https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/operation-level-up-how-the-fbi-is-saving-v…> ------------------------------ <https://www.facebook.com/FBI> <https://twitter.com/FBI> <https://www.youtube.com/user/FBI> <https://www.fbi.gov/e-mail-updates?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=…> * You have received this message because you are subscribed to one or more of the following categories: FBI Top Stories * Manage Subscription <https://delivery.fbi.gov/account-reminder> | Unsubscribe <https://delivery.fbi.gov/subscriber/c57956fe9830b3f02d21fe7a2581942df706f0b…> If you have questions about this service, email us at delivery(a)subscriptions.fbi.gov. Help <https://www.fbi.gov/e-mail-updates?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=…> | Privacy Policy <http://www.fbi.gov/privacy_policy?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=e…> | Visit FBI.gov <https://www.fbi.gov/?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_sour…>

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White House Limits Newswires in Press Pool Takeover: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-26/white-house-limits-newswires-in-press-pool-takeover
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

White House Limits Newswires in Press Pool Takeover https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-26/white-house-limits-newsw… The White House handpicked the first group of outlets for a new system of media access in which it chooses who is able to cover President Donald Trump in certain settings, limiting the role of the three main newswires that traditionally distribute news of the presidency around the world.

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Fwd: The battle to save Food for Peace amid Washington’s war on aid
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Devex Dish <dish(a)devex.com> Date: Wed, Feb 26, 2025, 10:02 AM Subject: The battle to save Food for Peace amid Washington’s war on aid To: <g(a)xny.io> Looking ahead to Nutrition for Growth, and an exit interview with AGRA’s Agnes. Problems reading this email? Try opening the web version <https://t.devex.com/v/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7Re7R3yNGeuz0aepYd3OzH3ySjJjYs…> <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RUZF8FIobzzqZwz0KfxfpAlpc00d6XD…> <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RegtkaNIaNG7kpga0iG3il8q7cvSbF9…> FEB. 26, 2025 BY AYENAT MERSIE <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RTHZzaEgWvpYkdJGKV5a8KgaRfQVJi_…> Food aid isn’t usually just about helping the hungry. From the start, the United States’ flagship food aid program, Food for Peace, has served dual purposes: humanitarian relief and domestic economic interests. The $2 billion annual initiative *buys surplus American commodities and donates them abroad*, sustaining a crucial market for U.S. farmers, and especially wheat growers. In fact, if U.S. food aid were considered an export market, it would rank among the top 10 destinations for American wheat. [image: A man receives his family’s monthly food ration in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.] <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POuCzWQ_2zihxSrDVR6YUZIIZpo7a9jfx…> Now, as the Trump administration dismantles USAID, a new bill in the U.S. Congress aims to save Food for Peace <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POuCzWQ_2zihxSrDVR6YUZIIZpo7a9jfx…> by *shifting it from USAID to the U.S. Department of Agriculture*, or USDA. The move, backed by Republican lawmakers and a coalition of farm industry groups, is being framed as a win-win: Keeping aid flowing to food-insecure countries while protecting American farmers. *But not everyone’s convinced it will work.* “USDA has only six agricultural attaché offices across 53 sub-Saharan African countries,” one expert tells me. “They do not have the people on the ground to provide proper oversight for a program as large and important as Food for Peace.” There’s also concern about USDA’s lack of humanitarian expertise. While it manages international food trade and domestic farm policy, it doesn’t handle large-scale emergency response — and certainly not at the scale of expertise that USAID had built up over decades. The U.S. State Department doesn’t have that technical know-how either. But humanitarian aid advocates tell me that *transferring the program to USDA is still better than letting it die*. Ultimately, Food for Peace is a test case: Can food aid survive in a reshuffled U.S. aid bureaucracy? Or is this the first step toward *making U.S. aid more about business than relief*? If the goal is efficiency, starving one agency to feed another may not be the best recipe. *Read:* As USAID is dismantled, Republicans fight to save a food aid program <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POuCzWQ_2zihxSrDVR6YUZIIZpo7a9jfx…> *See also:* WFP to resume food aid delivery after halt due to US stop-work order <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhM848OwNWepaGp9RyR5DIDdR585ENdx…> <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RSJceQpPrpCjJ6FZx5msbftV_hT9ZQ2…> On March 4, we’ll be giving Devex Pro members a congressional perspective on the dismantling of USAID and the evolution of U.S. development policy, in *an exclusive conversation with U.S. Rep. Ami Bera* of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Save your spot now. <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RSJceQpPrpCjJ6FZx5msbftV_hT9ZQ2…> If you’re not a Pro member yet you can start a 15-day free trial <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RVUp8H41tLy_pZzmbo3VvzxiRG4qXSE…>. Check out all the exclusive content and events <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RSRBXjQALgXnFxgOFmv1lmTnDnC0Kix…> available to you. Special notice <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RdxdFzsxX2qU5-GpUF8-x--OcbXNVL8…> *Explore the new series Accelerating Action: Financing the future of NCD prevention and control* Every two seconds, someone under age 70 dies from a noncommunicable disease such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or a chronic respiratory illness. With 80% of NCDs linked to preventable risk factors like smoking, alcohol, poor diets, and air pollution, we have the tools to fight back — if we can align fiscal policies with health priorities. In Devex's new content series, we shine a spotlight on innovative financing models and bold solutions advancing health equity and combating NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. Explore the series site and stay tuned for regular content updates. Explore the series → <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RUK_vFTVZ7WPwsDKsQchIPBkZINut4L…> Defunding inclusion, one agency at a time Earlier this month, U.S. officials moved to *strip references to diversity, equity, and inclusion and “gender ideology”* from UNICEF <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RbpVIaDpryyYYOxrPciHYwE9dSoHEuM…>’s work plans in Colombia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Paraguay, and Rwanda — marking the administration’s latest effort to reshape U.S. foreign aid in its own ideological image, writes my colleague Colum Lynch. The move, which failed to gain support, signals a broader push by the administration to roll back what it sees as a progressive U.N. agenda. It also *raises the specter of financial cuts to UNICEF*, which runs nutrition programs for women and children in more than 130 countries. It’s one of the most widely supported U.N. agencies, and one traditionally led by an American. In a rare break from precedent, the U.S. forced a vote on the plans rather than approving them by consensus. The final decision passed 31-1, with only the U.S. in opposition. Washington’s stance has *put it at odds with key democratic allies* while aligning it with autocratic regimes and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RfnqynIk1VAn4X4dyDYen2ViBbhiDV4…>, which has also opposed DEI language in U.N. documents. “The United States cannot agree to country program documents that contain terms and concepts that conflict with U.S. policies,” said Jonathan Shrier, the acting U.S. representative at the session. Meanwhile, at the World Food Programme <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7ReUyo80qFNjuX8KNAzAlvx9DRZaQBx7…>, the U.S. is taking a similar approach. In a statement at a recent WFP Executive Board session <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RcON9fetRfLAzwthnXe-rbsbVMG7b2r…>, the Trump administration made clear that U.S. funds “will not be used to promote gender ideology” and that all U.N. agencies should follow Washington’s lead <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKKctC9f51B…> in eliminating DEI initiatives. The U.S. also *hinted at further “correction” to climate-related programming*, reinforcing that its foreign aid agenda is being rewritten in real time. *Exclusive:* The Trump administration takes war on DEI and gender global <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKKctC9f51B…> *And don’t miss:* UN migration agency expunges website of DEI catchphrases <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvotXnqnOyP0…> Fresh off the grill Our global team is tracking the impact of the foreign aid freeze and the Trump administration’s policy shifts. *Here’s a roundup of this week’s biggest stories:* - In a contentious court hearing, a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release millions of dollars <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgHnU0AEd8M6o_YcsV5JNksJ2uaiHyE9…> in frozen foreign aid by midnight today, saying that it has provided “no evidence” of complying with the court’s two-week-old directive to do so. *One segment of USAID partners is owed $700 million*, with major development contractor DAI <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RcN2Oc7P6yof4iZN-QWKl9AkYLn83X5…> owed $150 million. WFP alone is owed more than $820 million <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RQjNBlJwYxQ0i1DVc7CCgtqBEgENfOB…> . - With U.S. foreign aid frozen for 90 days, climate and national security experts *are worried about how terrorist activity* — both locally and internationally — could surge as extremist groups capitalize <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POuzzrov_gcoUXwxfO29-Q7gPe3K3bORQ…> on a sudden dearth of leadership and a slew of struggling farmers dealing with the increasing effects of climate change. - USAID’s funding freeze is worsening conditions in Rohingya refugee camps <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbPtOxss_ToD…> in Bangladesh, threatening the closure of essential health, food, and sanitation programs. With aid levels already declining, community volunteers warn that *further ration cuts could fuel violence, domestic abuse*, and a deepening mental health crisis. - As the world’s largest donor crumbles, many organizations have followed close behind. Devex is tracking the groups that have cut <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjqaE1OeEFWxM7mfkEDZpzTgHZ4CQGG_…>, furloughed, and suspended workers. - And in non-USAID news: The Cali Fund launched yesterday <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgtY0BNnrrqcpvzSsZezNqKehMiO5ZLf…> in Rome at the resumed session of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, with a goal of *raising up to $1 billion annually for biodiversity protection*. It calls on companies to voluntarily contribute 1% of profits or 0.1% of revenue for the commercial use of genetic resources, known as digital sequence information, though donations are unlikely to start this week. A farewell to Agnes [image: Agnes Kalibata, outgoing president of AGRA.] <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POqHmAdeqbFBTuUlaMCtyO5LGealuSU49…> Since 2006, AGRA <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RWpNuDBk0Coid3dXpTv17zmR3LvngnH…> has evolved from a focus on creating better seeds to become a broader force in African agriculture, integrating fertilizers, markets, and policy reforms to reach 11 million farmers. In 10 years *under its outgoing president, Agnes Kalibata* — a former Rwandan agriculture minister and the daughter of farmers — *AGRA has expanded* from 100 to over 300 staff members, operating in 15 countries with a $1 billion budget. But for Kalibata, who wraps up her tenure this week, the work is far from over <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POqHmAdeqbFBTuUlaMCtyO5LGealuSU49…> . She tells Dish editor Tania Karas that she has a vision for *an Africa free of hunger that produces its own food*. “The biggest challenge of food security in Africa is not production. It’s failure of trade because of a lack of infrastructure,” she says. As for the work that awaits her successor Alice Ruhweza <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POvjXsnEDdhVIwHK_dxfK1KhdCN4akns0…>, who takes the reins March 1, Kalibata says she’ll have to keep supporting African governments while creating space for the private sector, too. She also had some words for the agricultural movement on which AGRA, formerly known as the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, based its name before it rebranded to just its acronym in 2022: *“The Green Revolution ship has sailed.”* Now, she says, it’s time to pick what works for Africa, with a focus on transforming food systems. *Read:* Beyond the Green Revolution — how AGRA evolved under Agnes Kalibata <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POqHmAdeqbFBTuUlaMCtyO5LGealuSU49…> *See also:* AGRA appoints Alice Ruhweza as new president <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POvjXsnEDdhVIwHK_dxfK1KhdCN4akns0…> Special notice *How far have we really come in the fight against HIV?* Would you like to understand the remarkable advancements in HIV/AIDS treatment and the critical steps still needed to end the epidemic for good? Download our comprehensive report now for insights into the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Download the HIV/AIDS report now. <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RZkhwlpX43Yj1s8TKALP2lqiJbFdVu_…> Paris sets the table for Nutrition for Growth This week, as Paris hosts its annual Salon de l’Agriculture, a major showcase of France’s farming and food culture, *attention is turning to the Nutrition for Growth*, or N4G, summit. On the sidelines of the fair, the French development agency AFD <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RXu6GDPrX8UCiTSv8xLv2ctlwOR37nL…> and agricultural research group CIRAD co-hosted a miniconference Monday on the One Health approach, looking ahead to the global nutrition gathering next month in Paris. The quadrennial *N4G summit garnered $27 billion in commitments in 2021*. Devex Deputy Managing Editor Fiona Zublin tuned in Monday as Perrine Geniez, a nutrition expert, highlighted this edition’s focus on continuity with past and future summits, calling N4G “a real will to anchor these summits in the international ecosystem.” Other priorities include integrating nutrition into broader sustainable development efforts, tackling all forms of malnutrition — including obesity, which was not a focus at the previous summit in Tokyo — and ensuring strong political and financial commitments. *ICYMI:* This French diplomat thinks nutrition is a ‘magic wand’ for development <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POk38AdDINsigF9UoU5-v-hJTM811wN6a…> [image: Pro] <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RVUp8H41tLy_pZzmbo3VvzxiRG4qXSE…> BRINGING HOME THE BACON Your next job? Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RXQQluu3QWqXLxJ4IuJdSpwGkMsOcHT…> *Sustainable Agriculture Network* *Remote* See more jobs → <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RS4QSXWKeY58qRrWU8RoLDISYjUB7AN…> Chew on this The United Kingdom *will slash billions in aid spending to fund a larger military*. [Devex <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkUJbvhdB-rcJAedzEdXIbTS49vf-cnb…> ] Nearly 12,000 seed samples from 19 genebanks — including climate-resilient crops from war-affected Sudan — *are being deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault this week* to safeguard biodiversity against conflict, disasters, and climate change. [CropTrust <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RTLdIK4_gmBepKd040ma8oap3UqLOQx…> ] *Food insecurity in Somalia is set to worsen from April to June* this year, with 4.4 million people, or 23% of the population, expected to face crisis-level hunger due to poor rainfall, high food prices, conflict, and flooding. [IPC <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RZr_266w4LQjC6d_-pEX1CT-tPGUk5a…> ] *Médecins Sans Frontières suspended operations in Sudan’s Zamzam camp* due to escalating violence, forcing the closure of its field hospital, which was critical in addressing malnutrition in an area where famine had previously been declared. [MSF <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RZLAGkQ-1yLBOefRqyLasN2sKj_UxY4…> ] *Burundi has expelled two WFP officials*, after saying that a staff message advising food and supply stockpiling was alarmist, amid escalating conflict in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. [SOS Media Burundi <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RSLzbFC1XD_WKMQb52XF7YsVcAnGFYd…> ] Fiona Zublin contributed to this edition of Devex Dish, which was edited by *Tania Karas*. It was copy edited by *Florence Williams* and produced by *Yula Mediavillo*. Have a news tip? Email ayenat.mersie(a)devex.com <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RQpkWpBRx1HqHG2_l74F0bFefI90FQ9…> . *Forwarded by a friend?* Sign up here <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RZRS-B7COTINoBV6qAhNQjBqQr4QbwA…> to receive the Devex Dish directly. Devex thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Our editorial content remains independent. Interested in partnering with us? 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Chew on this: The United Kingdom will slash billions in aid spending to fund a larger military. [Devex]
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

Chew on this The United Kingdom *will slash billions in aid spending to fund a larger military*. [Devex <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkUJbvhdB-rcJAedzEdXIbTS49vf-cnb…> ] Nearly 12,000 seed samples from 19 genebanks — including climate-resilient crops from war-affected Sudan — *are being deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault this week* to safeguard biodiversity against conflict, disasters, and climate change. [CropTrust <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RTLdIK4_gmBepKd040ma8oap3UqLOQx…> ] *Food insecurity in Somalia is set to worsen from April to June* this year, with 4.4 million people, or 23% of the population, expected to face crisis-level hunger due to poor rainfall, high food prices, conflict, and flooding. [IPC <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RZr_266w4LQjC6d_-pEX1CT-tPGUk5a…> ] *Médecins Sans Frontières suspended operations in Sudan’s Zamzam camp* due to escalating violence, forcing the closure of its field hospital, which was critical in addressing malnutrition in an area where famine had previously been declared. [MSF <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RZLAGkQ-1yLBOefRqyLasN2sKj_UxY4…> ] *Burundi has expelled two WFP officials*, after saying that a staff message advising food and supply stockpiling was alarmist, amid escalating conflict in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. [SOS Media Burundi <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4cB7RSLzbFC1XD_WKMQb52XF7YsVcAnGFYd…> ]

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Fire me twice, shame on ... you: They were also given a lengthy description of all the things they can't bring to the pickup. This included nunchucks, swords, cattle prods, billy clubs, and brass knuckles.
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

*Fire me twice, shame on ... you* [image: Recently fired USAID staff leave work during a send-off by former USAID staffers and supporters, outside USAID offices in Washington, D.C.] <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POvzH3swM6Q6GXNxHDq_SipMpIjPNAHWw…> Thousands of USAID employees were let go on Sunday — but less than 48 hours later, some received a second email terminating them immediately <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POvzH3swM6Q6GXNxHDq_SipMpIjPNAHWw…>. The notice, signed by Kenneth Jackson, USAID’s assistant to the administrator for management and resources, stated simply that *their firing was “in the best interest of the U.S. Government.”* The chaotic purge has left staff scrambling for answers, especially since earlier communications suggested they’d have time to wrap up their work. The exact number of second firings remains unclear, and the State Department isn’t offering explanations, writes Elissa. Meanwhile, *appeals seem like a dead end* — staff were told they could contest their termination on discrimination or whistleblower grounds, but the process comes with “limited rights” and little clarity. To make matters worse, *the head of the department responsible for handling appeals was fired* earlier this month. For those caught in the turmoil, the confusion — and the fallout — only continues. USAID staff members were also told to come pick up their personal belongings from the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. They will have 15 minutes to do so <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbMeW3UNwb2W…>, they must bring their own boxes and tape, and they won’t be reimbursed for transport or parking costs. “It’s going to be emotional,” one USAID staff member tells my colleague Sara Jerving. “*Fifteen minutes is nowhere near enough time to pack up* over a decade with the agency, never mind to shred and destroy documents, as needed. It’s, of course, part of the mental game of telling us that USAID is dead.” They were also given a lengthy description of all the things they can't bring to the pickup. This included nunchucks, swords, cattle prods, billy clubs, and brass knuckles. *Read:* Previously fired USAID staff dismissed again — this time, immediately <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POvzH3swM6Q6GXNxHDq_SipMpIjPNAHWw…> *Plus:* USAID staff given 15 minutes to pick up belongings from headquarters <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbMeW3UNwb2W…>

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Disinformation age; U.S. Vice President JD Vance recently attacked European leaders for using these terms to silence political opponents, arguing “the Trump administration will do precisely the opposite.”
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

Disinformation age Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing to scale back the U.N.’s commitment to women in peacekeeping <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqXkTWpMxh_…> and erase efforts to combat disinformation against the U.N. Blue Helmets — *moves raising eyebrows in diplomatic circles*. In closed-door talks, U.S. diplomats proposed scrapping references to gender and inclusion, replacing “international law” with “relevant legal obligations,” and *gutting language supporting women’s roles in peacekeeping*. They also want to remove U.N. Resolution 1325, a landmark policy promoting women’s leadership in conflict resolution, writes Devex Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch. This aligns with the administration’s broader crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives, which Trump officials call “woke” policies undermining merit. In a World Food Programme <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eEMvb-rE7d7kpVIMaHRknvFFkgnsURC5…> meeting, the U.S. declared: “U.S. funds will not be used to promote gender ideology, and all references to and work to that end should cease immediately.” But it’s not just gender policies at risk. The U.S. is also pushing to *strip out U.N. peacekeeping efforts to counter misinformation* and disinformation, a stance mirroring Russia’s. U.S. Vice President JD Vance recently attacked European leaders for using these terms to silence political opponents, arguing “the Trump administration will do precisely the opposite.” *Scoop:* Trump admin opposes UN commitment to broaden women's peace role <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqXkTWpMxh_…> *ICYMI:* The Trump administration takes war on DEI and gender global <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKKctC9f51B…>

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I guess you didn’t Keir; Save the Children UK: “A betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children.”; Bond network CEO Romilly Greenhill: “A reckless decision that will have devastating consequences.”
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

I guess you didn’t Keir In a move that left members of the United Kingdom Parliament reeling, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to *slash U.K. aid spending to 0.3% of national income* — breaking a key manifesto promise. Why? To fund a bigger defense budget <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkUJbvhdB-rcJAedzEdXIbTS49vf-cnb…> and prove to Trump that the nation is serious about standing up to Russia. The plan: Aid spending will drop in 2027, *just as defense funding jumps to 2.5%* — with a long-term goal of hitting 3%. In Starmer’s words, “hard choices” had to be made, even if it wasn’t a decision he “wanted to take or that I’m happy to take.” But critics aren’t buying it. NGOs, members of Parliament, and aid groups are *calling it reckless, short-sighted, and a betrayal*, warning it will hurt the world’s most vulnerable, damage the U.K.’s global reputation, and even weaken national security. Some of the strongest reactions: - Global Justice Now <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eEGUv7vQUk60WVhPCBFHlsJ33hIG0mqY…>: “A day of shame for Britain.” - Save the Children UK <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eEIlfYt3WUpiLzz6wdFlEPHlX_k-2U2y…>: “A betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children.” - Bond <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eERCDWmJgEKnLuPR3WgjMjzBuxPbPAZe…> network CEO Romilly Greenhill: “A reckless decision that will have devastating consequences.” Even U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy had previously called similar aid cuts *“a big strategic mistake”* — yet now, the U.K. is following Washington’s lead, writes my colleague Rob Merrick. What’s next? *Parliament will need to approve the rollback* of the U.K.’s legal 0.7% of GNI aid commitment, setting up a major political showdown. And with backlash mounting, Starmer may soon find himself facing more “hard choices” than he bargained for. *Read:* UK will slash billions in aid spending to fund larger military <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkUJbvhdB-rcJAedzEdXIbTS49vf-cnb…>

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Trump Isn’t Playacting When He Invokes Napoleon
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

Trump Isn’t Playacting When He Invokes Napoleon https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-02-18/trump-is-serious-abou… President Donald Trump invoked Napoleon over the weekend, inspired, it would appear, by Rod Steiger’s portrayal of the military dictator and reformer in a 1970 film, Waterloo (shot in part, by the way, on location in Ukraine and jointly produced with the Soviet Union). Trump, possibly on the verge of abandoning Ukraine amid his own joint production with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, took to his social media account on Saturday to note: “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” The origins of the quotation aren’t clear, but the closest proximity is a similar Steiger line from Waterloo. I can’t imagine a book inspired the post. Trump doesn’t read. But he’s an avid movie fan who thinks about himself cinematically — and he also shared another post featuring the quotation and an image of Napoleon. Regardless of the quotation’s provenance, its message was clear: A little authoritarianism in the service of renewal and rescue is just fine, regardless of what the law says. And Trump has been on a roll since his inauguration. He and his team are defining the US presidency and its powers in the most imperial of ways while taking a cudgel to federal agencies without congressional consent or constitutional grounding. There is a good argument to be made that the only way to remake a bureaucracy as sprawling as the federal government is with a sledgehammer. Congress moves slowly, presidential mandates lose steam, and the race is won by the fleet of foot. Trump’s inaugural address last month offered a portrait of an America so unraveled that only someone with a divine mandate — someone like him — could heal its wounds. He slipped into the presidency with 49.9% of the popular vote to Kamala Harris’ 48.4% while painting the Electoral College and Congress red. That’s as much of a mandate as the polarized US election system is capable of giving these days, and Trump’s voters want the president to do what he promised — take on centralized government, the economy, immigration, foreign affairs, institutionalized expertise and the culture wars. The only surprise in what Trump is engineering is that anyone is surprised. His supporters are gratified. They’re sick of Democrats carping, clueless about Trump’s magnetism and what they see as his good works. His critics are relying on the legal system for protection, the only potent bulwark given that the GOP is supine, Democrats are flailing and voters just had their say. We are in uncharted waters, with the American experiment in play. For his part, Trump is still doing what he began doing when he rolled down the escalator in Trump Tower in 2015 to declare his candidacy. He’s challenging Americans to decide what they want out of a president, their government and one another. When we talk about remaking the government, what are we really talking about? When we talk about a strong executive branch, what do we really mean? If you don’t have a working definition for either, and no idealized view of how you might prefer them to be, you better get busy — because Trump is speeding past you and scooping up whatever powers and opportunities he can while you make up your mind. Many already have made up their minds, of course. Trump is bringing change and they like it. The Trump Show is must-see and must-support TV. Beyond the performance art, though, is a refashioning of political power that Trump’s advocates may not have to wrestle with until it’s already arrived, when he is fully fashioned as Donald Rex, master of all he surveys. Trump isn’t just tilting at bureaucracy, after all. He’s also *undermining* the rule of law, countenancing the idea that *courts can’t restrain* his actions, and giving sway in his government to *conspiracy theorists*, *incompetents*, *loons* and an unelected *phalanx* of *Muskovites*. He’s also *making coin*, *literally*, off of his *presidency*, *unconcerned* about and *unimpeded* by *long-standing* financial *conflicts* of interest that his predecessors wouldn’t dare entertain. Seismic change is afoot. Context is everything, however. The southern border is a porous mess that Democrats tolerated for far too long. But *immigration* is the *lifeblood* of the US economy and Trump plans to squeeze that resource dry. Government is big and routinely inefficient, but federal workers represent *less than 2%* of the national workforce, and labor costs represent only *about 6.6%* of federal spending. Tackling *government spending* means tackling entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and the great untouchable, defense outlays. Everything else *except federal debt payments* is peanuts compared with that quartet. Trump has said little about all of that, and he is pining for a tax cut anyway — a surefire way to make sure the government’s revenues don’t support its outlays. Besides, the federal government usually oversees endeavors that aren’t inherently profitable or involve intangible or very long-term payoffs — like defense, public health, public works, public safety, research, disaster relief and the like. These are projects the private sector either can’t or won’t take on. And government and many of the talented people it employs do a lot of that very well (as this ambitious *Washington Post series* spelled out). Besides, the federal government usually oversees endeavors that aren’t inherently profitable or involve intangible or very long-term payoffs — like defense, public health, public works, public safety, research, disaster relief and the like. These are projects the private sector either can’t or won’t take on. And government and many of the talented people it employs do a lot of that very well (as this ambitious *Washington Post series* spelled out). Too much government is, indeed, bad. So is too little. Finding the balance may require wielding both a scalpel and a sledgehammer. That’s not a discussion much of the American public is having right now. They like Trump and his sledgehammer, including when he’s also amped up with boundaryless tariff, national security and foreign policy powers. Some consequences of this free-for-all will play out well past Trump’s current term. Others are likely to land sooner. The Trump team, for example, is dismantling a core part of the federal public health apparatus as the *bird flu virus* appears to be gaining traction and the Covid-19 pandemic fades from memory. Its tariff postures, if fully embraced, will be inflationary (and inflation helped end Joe Biden’s presidency). Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem *said recently *in a CNN interview that she’d like to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency “as it exists today” because local agencies know best how to deploy disaster relief resources. Maybe. But it also begs the question of why all those localities look to FEMA when disaster arrives, even in red states that routinely decry big government. The next disasters will offer rich tutorials, perhaps, on how much we rely on the federales. Much of this is performative, to be sure. Trump is demonstrating that he can move quickly and break things. It’s also usefully distracting. Trump isn’t fawning over historical figures like Napoleon and contemporary strongmen like Putin just for laughs. He’s fascinated by them. He wants to be like them, and he’s paving his path. While Americans fret over his dance moves, he’s amassing power and sabotaging institutions. Republicans, the courts and voters wouldn’t tolerate this in a Democratic president. But Trump — a convicted felon who has survived two impeachments, an election defeat, decades of investigations and enough professional and personal debacles to fell an oak — is a special case. And he knows it. Unfortunately Trump is not an actor playing at being an authoritarian, and he has put the country on a slippery slope.

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UN Webcast Producion Reel, Gunnar Larson, LarsonG@UN.org, 212-963-4662 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/164bwBR1dv/
by Gunnar Larson 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/164bwBR1dv/ UN Webcast Producion Reel, Gunnar Larson, LarsonG(a)UN.org, 212-963-4662

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