"US Funding Cap Threatens Giant Telescopes"

The US National Science Board has recommended capping the National Science Foundation's contributions to giant telescope projects at $1.6 billion, potentially forcing the agency to choose between funding the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile or the Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii due to a funding shortfall. The decision could impact US astronomers' access to these telescopes and their ability to conduct groundbreaking astronomical research, with implications for US leadership in astronomy.