More changes at the NSF, this time to elevate certain (often benign) conflicts-of-interest to the point of disqualifying reviewers from serving on entire panels. A nice write-up from Dan, which includes some quotes from Bluesky's 74th most popular astrophysicist.
It's hard not to see this as a further attack on expertise. Currently, program officers scrupulously check for conflicts, double check with panelists, and reviewers aren't in the room for discussion of proposals where they're conflicted. This feels sufficient for ensuring conflicts aren't a problem.
journalism is important, and it is accordingly important that the news is not controlled by billionaires.