Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
For Immediate Release: July 14, 2025
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it had granted Gardenia Blue Interest Group’s (GBIG) color additive petition to use the color gardenia (genipin) blue in various foods, at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. It is the fourth color derived from natural sources approved by the FDA for use in foods in the last two months. The FDA action is in line with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s priority to work with industry to phase out the use of all synthetic, petroleum-based dyes from the nation’s food supply as part of the administration’s broader Make America Healthy Again initiative. Since Secretary Kennedy announced a series of measures in April to work with industry to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food, about 40 percent of the food industry has committed to a voluntary phase-out of such dyes. “Every day, children are exposed to synthetic chemicals in food that serve no purpose and threaten their health,” Secretary Kennedy said. “The FDA’s approval of gardenia blue shows we’re finally putting kids first. Thanks to Dr. Marty Makary’s bold leadership, we’re cutting through industry influence and taking decisive action to Make America Healthy Again.” Gardenia (genipin) blue is derived from the fruit of the gardenia, a flowering evergreen. The FDA has approved the color additive for use in sports drinks, flavored or enhanced non-carbonated water, fruit drinks and ades, ready-to-drink teas, hard candy, and soft candy. “This expedited timeline underscored our serious intent to transition away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the food supply, said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Now, by expanding the palette of available colors derived from natural sources, food manufacturers have a variety of options available that will make it easier to end their use of petroleum-based dyes.” The three colors derived from natural sources approved in May were: galdieria extract blue, a blue colorant derived from the unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria; calcium phosphate, a white powder; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used to achieve a range of shades including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens. Under section 721 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, color additives must be FDA-approved before they may be used in foods. The FDA determines whether a color additive is safe to use by considering the projected human dietary exposure to the color additive, the additive’s toxicological data, and other relevant information, such as published literature. Once the FDA approves a color additive, any manufacturer can use the coloring in accordance with the conditions of use. In addition to approving a new color additive, the FDA also announced today that it had sent a letter to manufacturers encouraging them to accelerate the phase-out of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods, including dietary supplements, sooner than the January 15, 2027, required deadline. This earlier phase-out was another of the series of measures introduced by Secretary Kennedy in April. “The FDA believes that accelerating the phase out of the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods will help further the goal of Making America Healthy Again,” the FDA said in the letter. On Friday, July 11, Consumer Brands—a national trade association for manufacturers of consumer packaged goods—announced their voluntary commitment to encourage the makers of America’s food and beverage products to remove certified Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors from products served in schools nationwide by the start of the 2026–2027 school year. Related Information
Related Information
###
Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
For Immediate Release: July 14, 2025
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it had granted Gardenia Blue Interest Group’s (GBIG) color additive petition to use the color gardenia (genipin) blue in various foods, at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. It is the fourth color derived from natural sources approved by the FDA for use in foods in the last two months. The FDA action is in line with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s priority to work with industry to phase out the use of all synthetic, petroleum-based dyes from the nation’s food supply as part of the administration’s broader Make America Healthy Again initiative. Since Secretary Kennedy announced a series of measures in April to work with industry to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food, about 40 percent of the food industry has committed to a voluntary phase-out of such dyes. “Every day, children are exposed to synthetic chemicals in food that serve no purpose and threaten their health,” Secretary Kennedy said. “The FDA’s approval of gardenia blue shows we’re finally putting kids first. Thanks to Dr. Marty Makary’s bold leadership, we’re cutting through industry influence and taking decisive action to Make America Healthy Again.” Gardenia (genipin) blue is derived from the fruit of the gardenia, a flowering evergreen. The FDA has approved the color additive for use in sports drinks, flavored or enhanced non-carbonated water, fruit drinks and ades, ready-to-drink teas, hard candy, and soft candy. “This expedited timeline underscored our serious intent to transition away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the food supply, said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Now, by expanding the palette of available colors derived from natural sources, food manufacturers have a variety of options available that will make it easier to end their use of petroleum-based dyes.” The three colors derived from natural sources approved in May were: galdieria extract blue, a blue colorant derived from the unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria; calcium phosphate, a white powder; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used to achieve a range of shades including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens. Under section 721 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, color additives must be FDA-approved before they may be used in foods. The FDA determines whether a color additive is safe to use by considering the projected human dietary exposure to the color additive, the additive’s toxicological data, and other relevant information, such as published literature. Once the FDA approves a color additive, any manufacturer can use the coloring in accordance with the conditions of use. In addition to approving a new color additive, the FDA also announced today that it had sent a letter to manufacturers encouraging them to accelerate the phase-out of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods, including dietary supplements, sooner than the January 15, 2027, required deadline. This earlier phase-out was another of the series of measures introduced by Secretary Kennedy in April. “The FDA believes that accelerating the phase out of the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods will help further the goal of Making America Healthy Again,” the FDA said in the letter. On Friday, July 11, Consumer Brands—a national trade association for manufacturers of consumer packaged goods—announced their voluntary commitment to encourage the makers of America’s food and beverage products to remove certified Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors from products served in schools nationwide by the start of the 2026–2027 school year. Related Information
Related Information
###
Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
For Immediate Release: July 14, 2025
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it had granted Gardenia Blue Interest Group’s (GBIG) color additive petition to use the color gardenia (genipin) blue in various foods, at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. It is the fourth color derived from natural sources approved by the FDA for use in foods in the last two months. The FDA action is in line with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s priority to work with industry to phase out the use of all synthetic, petroleum-based dyes from the nation’s food supply as part of the administration’s broader Make America Healthy Again initiative. Since Secretary Kennedy announced a series of measures in April to work with industry to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food, about 40 percent of the food industry has committed to a voluntary phase-out of such dyes. “Every day, children are exposed to synthetic chemicals in food that serve no purpose and threaten their health,” Secretary Kennedy said. “The FDA’s approval of gardenia blue shows we’re finally putting kids first. Thanks to Dr. Marty Makary’s bold leadership, we’re cutting through industry influence and taking decisive action to Make America Healthy Again.” Gardenia (genipin) blue is derived from the fruit of the gardenia, a flowering evergreen. The FDA has approved the color additive for use in sports drinks, flavored or enhanced non-carbonated water, fruit drinks and ades, ready-to-drink teas, hard candy, and soft candy. “This expedited timeline underscored our serious intent to transition away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the food supply, said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Now, by expanding the palette of available colors derived from natural sources, food manufacturers have a variety of options available that will make it easier to end their use of petroleum-based dyes.” The three colors derived from natural sources approved in May were: galdieria extract blue, a blue colorant derived from the unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria; calcium phosphate, a white powder; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used to achieve a range of shades including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens. Under section 721 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, color additives must be FDA-approved before they may be used in foods. The FDA determines whether a color additive is safe to use by considering the projected human dietary exposure to the color additive, the additive’s toxicological data, and other relevant information, such as published literature. Once the FDA approves a color additive, any manufacturer can use the coloring in accordance with the conditions of use. In addition to approving a new color additive, the FDA also announced today that it had sent a letter to manufacturers encouraging them to accelerate the phase-out of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods, including dietary supplements, sooner than the January 15, 2027, required deadline. This earlier phase-out was another of the series of measures introduced by Secretary Kennedy in April. “The FDA believes that accelerating the phase out of the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods will help further the goal of Making America Healthy Again,” the FDA said in the letter. On Friday, July 11, Consumer Brands—a national trade association for manufacturers of consumer packaged goods—announced their voluntary commitment to encourage the makers of America’s food and beverage products to remove certified Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors from products served in schools nationwide by the start of the 2026–2027 school year. Related Information
Related Information
###
Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
For Immediate Release: July 14, 2025
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it had granted Gardenia Blue Interest Group’s (GBIG) color additive petition to use the color gardenia (genipin) blue in various foods, at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. It is the fourth color derived from natural sources approved by the FDA for use in foods in the last two months. The FDA action is in line with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s priority to work with industry to phase out the use of all synthetic, petroleum-based dyes from the nation’s food supply as part of the administration’s broader Make America Healthy Again initiative. Since Secretary Kennedy announced a series of measures in April to work with industry to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food, about 40 percent of the food industry has committed to a voluntary phase-out of such dyes. “Every day, children are exposed to synthetic chemicals in food that serve no purpose and threaten their health,” Secretary Kennedy said. “The FDA’s approval of gardenia blue shows we’re finally putting kids first. Thanks to Dr. Marty Makary’s bold leadership, we’re cutting through industry influence and taking decisive action to Make America Healthy Again.” Gardenia (genipin) blue is derived from the fruit of the gardenia, a flowering evergreen. The FDA has approved the color additive for use in sports drinks, flavored or enhanced non-carbonated water, fruit drinks and ades, ready-to-drink teas, hard candy, and soft candy. “This expedited timeline underscored our serious intent to transition away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the food supply, said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Now, by expanding the palette of available colors derived from natural sources, food manufacturers have a variety of options available that will make it easier to end their use of petroleum-based dyes.” The three colors derived from natural sources approved in May were: galdieria extract blue, a blue colorant derived from the unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria; calcium phosphate, a white powder; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used to achieve a range of shades including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens. Under section 721 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, color additives must be FDA-approved before they may be used in foods. The FDA determines whether a color additive is safe to use by considering the projected human dietary exposure to the color additive, the additive’s toxicological data, and other relevant information, such as published literature. Once the FDA approves a color additive, any manufacturer can use the coloring in accordance with the conditions of use. In addition to approving a new color additive, the FDA also announced today that it had sent a letter to manufacturers encouraging them to accelerate the phase-out of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods, including dietary supplements, sooner than the January 15, 2027, required deadline. This earlier phase-out was another of the series of measures introduced by Secretary Kennedy in April. “The FDA believes that accelerating the phase out of the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods will help further the goal of Making America Healthy Again,” the FDA said in the letter. On Friday, July 11, Consumer Brands—a national trade association for manufacturers of consumer packaged goods—announced their voluntary commitment to encourage the makers of America’s food and beverage products to remove certified Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors from products served in schools nationwide by the start of the 2026–2027 school year. Related Information
Related Information
###
Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.
Based on what power plant owners and operators have reported to EIA, the total operating capacity of U.S. coal-fired power plants is scheduled to fall from 172 gigawatts (GW) in May 2025 to 145 GW by the end of 2028, according to our Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. On a regional basis, 58% of the planned coal capacity retirements are in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Coal consumption in the U.S. electric power sector has fallen since its peak in the late 2000s because of increased competition from other electricity sources, especially from natural gas and renewables. Furthermore, coal-fired power plants have been subject to regulations regarding emissions that require plants to add equipment, modify processes, or stop operation.
Our inventory of operating capacity and planned retirements reflects power plant operators’ responses to our monthly survey as of May 2025. These plans may change as operators respond to changing environmental and other policies and power market dynamics.
For example, Talen Energy, in collaboration with the PJM Interconnection and other entities, recently agreed to delay retirement of its Brandon Shores coal-fired power plant in Maryland until 2029. Talen Energy had previously planned to retire Brandon Shores in June 2025. Similarly, in May 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy ordered a 90-day delay of the planned retirement of Consumers Energy’s J.H. Campbell plant in Michigan.
Potential changes to regulations add uncertainty to power plant operation and retirement decisions. In particular, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reconsidering several regulations that would affect coal plants. For example, in April 2024, EPA released new steam electric effluent limitations guidelines (ELG) that limit the discharge of toxic metals and other pollutants in wastewater coming from coal-fired power plants. These more stringent limitations are currently set to take effect in 2028 but are among the regulations EPA is reconsidering.
In addition, an April 8 executive order provided 47 companies with a two-year exemption from more stringent Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS) issued by EPA last year. The exemption runs from July 8, 2027, to July 8, 2029. Many coal-fired plants added pollution-control systems in the previous decade to comply with MATS regulations.
Each time the Huskies win another championship, it is not just the team’s performance that galvanizes UConn Nation; it is the collective experience of fans chanting in unison in Gampel or at Rentschler, celebrating together in the streets, and proudly displaying their UConn gear that forges a strong sense of community. By synchronizing our appearances, our actions, and — as my research team’s studies reveal — our emotions, fandom compels us to act as one, look as one, and feel as one.
Growing up in Greece, I witnessed this deep emotional investment firsthand. Entire cities would come to a standstill before a football derby, with those not in the stadium glued to their televisions. I met couples who left their own wedding receptions early to attend a match, showing up at the stadium still dressed in their wedding attire. Scientific research shows that sports fans can identify so strongly with their team that they experience the game’s emotional highs and lows as though they were playing the game themselves. One study shows testosterone levels rising among fans of the winning team and falling among those of the losing team. Those reactions can even be observed in the brain.
When a team of researchers placed Red Sox and Yankees fans in a brain scanner and showed them real games, they found that fans watching a negative performance by their team activated the regions of the brain typically associated with the experience of pain. Correspondingly, their team’s success triggered activity in an area related to the brain’s reward system. Intriguingly, similar feelings of pleasure were elicited by watching their opponents fail.
And while the game itself provides excitement and fosters engagement, recent research suggests that the strongest connections among fans are often forged in the stands, through ritualized interactions that shape and reinforce collective identities.
My research team has been exploring these effects at UConn and beyond. In a real-life experiment, we used wearable technology to track the emotional responses of Husky fans over an entire basketball season. As they watched the men’s and women’s games live, either in the stadium or on television, we found that those in the stadium reported more meaningful experiences and felt a stronger sense of connection with other fans compared to those watching together on TV. These shared experiences even left measurable traces in their bodies: Fans in the stadium exhibited greater emotional synchrony, their hearts beating in unison. In fact, physical co-presence was the most important predictor of emotional synchrony overall, more so than any element of the game itself, such as its pace, outcome, or score difference.
Each time the Huskies win another championship, it is not just the team’s performance that galvanizes UConn Nation; it is the collective experience of fans chanting in unison in Gampel or at Rentschler, celebrating together in the streets, and proudly displaying their UConn gear that forges a strong sense of community. By synchronizing our appearances, our actions, and — as my research team’s studies reveal — our emotions, fandom compels us to act as one, look as one, and feel as one.
Growing up in Greece, I witnessed this deep emotional investment firsthand. Entire cities would come to a standstill before a football derby, with those not in the stadium glued to their televisions. I met couples who left their own wedding receptions early to attend a match, showing up at the stadium still dressed in their wedding attire. Scientific research shows that sports fans can identify so strongly with their team that they experience the game’s emotional highs and lows as though they were playing the game themselves. One study shows testosterone levels rising among fans of the winning team and falling among those of the losing team. Those reactions can even be observed in the brain.
When a team of researchers placed Red Sox and Yankees fans in a brain scanner and showed them real games, they found that fans watching a negative performance by their team activated the regions of the brain typically associated with the experience of pain. Correspondingly, their team’s success triggered activity in an area related to the brain’s reward system. Intriguingly, similar feelings of pleasure were elicited by watching their opponents fail.
And while the game itself provides excitement and fosters engagement, recent research suggests that the strongest connections among fans are often forged in the stands, through ritualized interactions that shape and reinforce collective identities.
My research team has been exploring these effects at UConn and beyond. In a real-life experiment, we used wearable technology to track the emotional responses of Husky fans over an entire basketball season. As they watched the men’s and women’s games live, either in the stadium or on television, we found that those in the stadium reported more meaningful experiences and felt a stronger sense of connection with other fans compared to those watching together on TV. These shared experiences even left measurable traces in their bodies: Fans in the stadium exhibited greater emotional synchrony, their hearts beating in unison. In fact, physical co-presence was the most important predictor of emotional synchrony overall, more so than any element of the game itself, such as its pace, outcome, or score difference.
Each time the Huskies win another championship, it is not just the team’s performance that galvanizes UConn Nation; it is the collective experience of fans chanting in unison in Gampel or at Rentschler, celebrating together in the streets, and proudly displaying their UConn gear that forges a strong sense of community. By synchronizing our appearances, our actions, and — as my research team’s studies reveal — our emotions, fandom compels us to act as one, look as one, and feel as one.
Growing up in Greece, I witnessed this deep emotional investment firsthand. Entire cities would come to a standstill before a football derby, with those not in the stadium glued to their televisions. I met couples who left their own wedding receptions early to attend a match, showing up at the stadium still dressed in their wedding attire. Scientific research shows that sports fans can identify so strongly with their team that they experience the game’s emotional highs and lows as though they were playing the game themselves. One study shows testosterone levels rising among fans of the winning team and falling among those of the losing team. Those reactions can even be observed in the brain.
When a team of researchers placed Red Sox and Yankees fans in a brain scanner and showed them real games, they found that fans watching a negative performance by their team activated the regions of the brain typically associated with the experience of pain. Correspondingly, their team’s success triggered activity in an area related to the brain’s reward system. Intriguingly, similar feelings of pleasure were elicited by watching their opponents fail.
And while the game itself provides excitement and fosters engagement, recent research suggests that the strongest connections among fans are often forged in the stands, through ritualized interactions that shape and reinforce collective identities.
My research team has been exploring these effects at UConn and beyond. In a real-life experiment, we used wearable technology to track the emotional responses of Husky fans over an entire basketball season. As they watched the men’s and women’s games live, either in the stadium or on television, we found that those in the stadium reported more meaningful experiences and felt a stronger sense of connection with other fans compared to those watching together on TV. These shared experiences even left measurable traces in their bodies: Fans in the stadium exhibited greater emotional synchrony, their hearts beating in unison. In fact, physical co-presence was the most important predictor of emotional synchrony overall, more so than any element of the game itself, such as its pace, outcome, or score difference.
Each time the Huskies win another championship, it is not just the team’s performance that galvanizes UConn Nation; it is the collective experience of fans chanting in unison in Gampel or at Rentschler, celebrating together in the streets, and proudly displaying their UConn gear that forges a strong sense of community. By synchronizing our appearances, our actions, and — as my research team’s studies reveal — our emotions, fandom compels us to act as one, look as one, and feel as one.
Growing up in Greece, I witnessed this deep emotional investment firsthand. Entire cities would come to a standstill before a football derby, with those not in the stadium glued to their televisions. I met couples who left their own wedding receptions early to attend a match, showing up at the stadium still dressed in their wedding attire. Scientific research shows that sports fans can identify so strongly with their team that they experience the game’s emotional highs and lows as though they were playing the game themselves. One study shows testosterone levels rising among fans of the winning team and falling among those of the losing team. Those reactions can even be observed in the brain.
When a team of researchers placed Red Sox and Yankees fans in a brain scanner and showed them real games, they found that fans watching a negative performance by their team activated the regions of the brain typically associated with the experience of pain. Correspondingly, their team’s success triggered activity in an area related to the brain’s reward system. Intriguingly, similar feelings of pleasure were elicited by watching their opponents fail.
And while the game itself provides excitement and fosters engagement, recent research suggests that the strongest connections among fans are often forged in the stands, through ritualized interactions that shape and reinforce collective identities.
My research team has been exploring these effects at UConn and beyond. In a real-life experiment, we used wearable technology to track the emotional responses of Husky fans over an entire basketball season. As they watched the men’s and women’s games live, either in the stadium or on television, we found that those in the stadium reported more meaningful experiences and felt a stronger sense of connection with other fans compared to those watching together on TV. These shared experiences even left measurable traces in their bodies: Fans in the stadium exhibited greater emotional synchrony, their hearts beating in unison. In fact, physical co-presence was the most important predictor of emotional synchrony overall, more so than any element of the game itself, such as its pace, outcome, or score difference.
Each time the Huskies win another championship, it is not just the team’s performance that galvanizes UConn Nation; it is the collective experience of fans chanting in unison in Gampel or at Rentschler, celebrating together in the streets, and proudly displaying their UConn gear that forges a strong sense of community. By synchronizing our appearances, our actions, and — as my research team’s studies reveal — our emotions, fandom compels us to act as one, look as one, and feel as one.
Growing up in Greece, I witnessed this deep emotional investment firsthand. Entire cities would come to a standstill before a football derby, with those not in the stadium glued to their televisions. I met couples who left their own wedding receptions early to attend a match, showing up at the stadium still dressed in their wedding attire. Scientific research shows that sports fans can identify so strongly with their team that they experience the game’s emotional highs and lows as though they were playing the game themselves. One study shows testosterone levels rising among fans of the winning team and falling among those of the losing team. Those reactions can even be observed in the brain.
When a team of researchers placed Red Sox and Yankees fans in a brain scanner and showed them real games, they found that fans watching a negative performance by their team activated the regions of the brain typically associated with the experience of pain. Correspondingly, their team’s success triggered activity in an area related to the brain’s reward system. Intriguingly, similar feelings of pleasure were elicited by watching their opponents fail.
And while the game itself provides excitement and fosters engagement, recent research suggests that the strongest connections among fans are often forged in the stands, through ritualized interactions that shape and reinforce collective identities.
My research team has been exploring these effects at UConn and beyond. In a real-life experiment, we used wearable technology to track the emotional responses of Husky fans over an entire basketball season. As they watched the men’s and women’s games live, either in the stadium or on television, we found that those in the stadium reported more meaningful experiences and felt a stronger sense of connection with other fans compared to those watching together on TV. These shared experiences even left measurable traces in their bodies: Fans in the stadium exhibited greater emotional synchrony, their hearts beating in unison. In fact, physical co-presence was the most important predictor of emotional synchrony overall, more so than any element of the game itself, such as its pace, outcome, or score difference.
As artificial intelligence continues to transform industries worldwide, educators and researchers with the Neag School of Education are exploring how it might reshape teaching and learning. The Neag School’s annual Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference in May offered insights into AI’s promise and challenges in the classroom, including how AI can enhance creativity, personalize learning, and support teachers, while preserving the deeply human heart of education.
Timothy “TJ” Neville ’04 MA, ’18 MA, an instructional technology specialist with Farmington Public Schools who has over two decades of experience in education and technology and presented at the conference, emphasized that education remains fundamentally human. While AI is powerful, he insists it should be viewed as a partner, not a replacement, for teachers.
“Education has always been, and will remain, a deeply human endeavor,” Neville says. “AI offers an opportunity to elevate our practice — not to replace our expertise.”
“While AI is powerful, it should be viewed as a partner, not a replacement, for teachers,” Timothy “TJ” Neville ’04 MA, ’18 MA says.
He encourages educators to see AI as a collaborative tool that can generate resources, manage routine tasks, and give teachers time to focus on what humans do best: building relationships and fostering deeper learning.
One of AI’s biggest strengths is helping teachers tailor learning to students’ diverse needs. For example, simple tools like student interest surveys combined with AI allow teachers to craft lessons that engage learners more personally. Neville’s district trains educators to use AI to create leveled readings, contextual vocabulary lists, and visual representations of complex texts.
“AI can help teachers address students’ readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles,” Neville says. “Teachers can quickly generate differentiated resources that remove barriers and make learning more accessible to all.”
Neville recalls a successful example from his district, where teachers used AI to support multilingual learners struggling with reading comprehension. By generating differentiated resources and visual aids, teachers could offer immediate, personalized help. This approach soon expanded to benefit all students, as well as led to further training for staff, showing how AI’s impact can ripple through an entire district..
“Teachers could respond in the moment,” Neville says. “If a student struggled with a text, a teacher could create a visualization instantly, helping them understand.”
Education has always been, and will remain, a deeply human endeavor. AI offers an opportunity to elevate our practice — not to replace our expertise. — Timothy ‘TJ’ Neville ’04 MA, ’18 MA
Shuyu Wang, a Neag School of Education doctoral student who presented at the conference, agrees. Drawing on her experience with an educational technology company in China, Wang describes how AI-powered platforms let students interact through tablets while software tracks engagement data. This helps teachers analyze learning behaviors and tailor support in real time. She believes personalized learning is one of AI’s most promising contributions, helping teachers spot learning gaps and save time.
“Teachers spend so much time creating materials for different students,” she says. “AI can automate parts of that, freeing teachers to connect emotionally and socially with students.”
Despite its benefits, AI in education comes with significant challenges. Neville highlights the need for clear guidance on transparency, privacy, and equity: “It’s crucial that students know if AI is being used to provide feedback. Transparency is essential.”
He warns against “cognitive offloading,” where students become too dependent on AI and fail to develop critical thinking skills. Wang shares similar concerns, particularly about how AI might increase pressure on students to chase perfection or its lack of emotional intelligence.
“AI can’t read emotions like teachers can,” she says. “If a student is upset, a teacher can see that and respond with care.”
Another challenge is bias. Both Neville and Wang stress that AI models are trained on human-created data — which means bias inevitably seeps in, regardless of which country the AI or its training data originated from. Wang believes educators and students must learn to think critically about AI outputs.
“We should read classic literature, news from different countries, and diverse perspectives,” she says. “Only then can we judge whether AI’s answers are trustworthy.”
AI’s ability to produce polished work quickly raises questions about traditional assessments. Neville believes educators should shift focus from final products to the learning process itself.
Teachers spend so much time creating materials for different students. AI can automate parts of that, freeing teachers to connect emotionally and socially with students. — Shuyu Wang, Neag School doctoral student
“We want assessments that capture how students think, problem-solve, and apply tools,” he says. “The goal is to help students become more self-aware and reflective.”
Wang echoes this sentiment. She believes AI can improve the efficiency of assessments but worries that it often overlooks the emotional effort students pour into their work.
“It’s unfair if we only look at outputs,” she says. “AI can’t measure the feelings and creativity people invest in what they create.”
Beyond helping students, Neville sees AI reshaping professional development for teachers. Tools like Edthena let teachers upload lesson videos for AI-driven analysis and feedback. Other platforms, like Swivl’s Mirror Talk, provide live feedback during instruction.
“AI can make professional development more personalized and practical,” Neville says. “It can tailor support to each educator’s needs.”
He envisions AI simulations where teachers get feedback from AI personas acting as students or supervisors, helping them practice real-world teaching scenarios. Wang believes the same strategies used to personalize student learning can enhance teacher training.
“In our training programs, the learning needs are the same,” she says. “AI can help teachers build portfolios, gather feedback, and get support tailored to them.”
Del Siegle, the Neag School’s Lynn and Ray Neag Chair for Gifted Education and Talent Development and organizer of the Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference, has explored how AI can help overcome creative roadblocks. For many, the biggest challenge in creative work is the fear of the blank page. Siegle believes AI offers a way past that paralysis.
“AI isn’t here to replace our imaginations but to partner with them,” Siegle wrote in Gifted Child Today.
AI isn’t here to replace our imaginations but to partner with them. — Del Siegle
Creativity, he notes, is vital for problem-solving and well-being. Students who engage creatively understand their learning more deeply and gain confidence. While AI can generate poems, images, and ideas, Siegle argues it’s not truly creative in the human sense — it lacks emotion, experience, and personal meaning. But it can still be a powerful tool to help us get started.
“Just make it exist first. You can make it good later,” Siegle says about the importance of overcoming perfectionism.
AI tools like Goblin.tools and MagicSchool.ai help students break big tasks into smaller steps. They can produce rough drafts that students later refine, easing anxiety about starting.
“AI can be the friendly assistant nudging us to take that first step,” Siegle says.
Some fear AI will stifle creativity, leaving students reliant on algorithms instead of thinking for themselves, but Siegle argues that AI often sparks more original ideas. One study he cites found that students using ChatGPT generated more unique ideas than those using traditional brainstorming. He envisions students defining creative problems — like designing science experiments or writing stories — while AI suggests new angles, helps organize ideas, and offers fresh perspectives. This collaboration, he believes, creates results neither humans nor AI could achieve alone.
As AI grows more capable, Siegle predicts it will transform the skills schools emphasize. Instead of memorizing facts, students will focus on creative thinking, connecting ideas across disciplines, and evaluating information critically. AI can help students at every level of creativity, Siegle says, from small personal projects to professional innovations. For everyday creators, AI offers a safe, judgment-free space to experiment without fear of failure. Wang agrees, stressing that AI should remain an assistant, not a replacement.
“Teachers bring empathy, flexibility, and human understanding that technology can’t replicate,” she says.
Neville echoes the same optimism, with caution: “AI can be an incredible tool. But it must always serve to enhance — not replace — the deeply human work at the heart of education.”
As artificial intelligence continues to transform industries worldwide, educators and researchers with the Neag School of Education are exploring how it might reshape teaching and learning. The Neag School’s annual Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference in May offered insights into AI’s promise and challenges in the classroom, including how AI can enhance creativity, personalize learning, and support teachers, while preserving the deeply human heart of education.
Timothy “TJ” Neville ’04 MA, ’18 MA, an instructional technology specialist with Farmington Public Schools who has over two decades of experience in education and technology and presented at the conference, emphasized that education remains fundamentally human. While AI is powerful, he insists it should be viewed as a partner, not a replacement, for teachers.
“Education has always been, and will remain, a deeply human endeavor,” Neville says. “AI offers an opportunity to elevate our practice — not to replace our expertise.”
“While AI is powerful, it should be viewed as a partner, not a replacement, for teachers,” Timothy “TJ” Neville ’04 MA, ’18 MA says.
He encourages educators to see AI as a collaborative tool that can generate resources, manage routine tasks, and give teachers time to focus on what humans do best: building relationships and fostering deeper learning.
One of AI’s biggest strengths is helping teachers tailor learning to students’ diverse needs. For example, simple tools like student interest surveys combined with AI allow teachers to craft lessons that engage learners more personally. Neville’s district trains educators to use AI to create leveled readings, contextual vocabulary lists, and visual representations of complex texts.
“AI can help teachers address students’ readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles,” Neville says. “Teachers can quickly generate differentiated resources that remove barriers and make learning more accessible to all.”
Neville recalls a successful example from his district, where teachers used AI to support multilingual learners struggling with reading comprehension. By generating differentiated resources and visual aids, teachers could offer immediate, personalized help. This approach soon expanded to benefit all students, as well as led to further training for staff, showing how AI’s impact can ripple through an entire district..
“Teachers could respond in the moment,” Neville says. “If a student struggled with a text, a teacher could create a visualization instantly, helping them understand.”
Education has always been, and will remain, a deeply human endeavor. AI offers an opportunity to elevate our practice — not to replace our expertise. — Timothy ‘TJ’ Neville ’04 MA, ’18 MA
Shuyu Wang, a Neag School of Education doctoral student who presented at the conference, agrees. Drawing on her experience with an educational technology company in China, Wang describes how AI-powered platforms let students interact through tablets while software tracks engagement data. This helps teachers analyze learning behaviors and tailor support in real time. She believes personalized learning is one of AI’s most promising contributions, helping teachers spot learning gaps and save time.
“Teachers spend so much time creating materials for different students,” she says. “AI can automate parts of that, freeing teachers to connect emotionally and socially with students.”
Despite its benefits, AI in education comes with significant challenges. Neville highlights the need for clear guidance on transparency, privacy, and equity: “It’s crucial that students know if AI is being used to provide feedback. Transparency is essential.”
He warns against “cognitive offloading,” where students become too dependent on AI and fail to develop critical thinking skills. Wang shares similar concerns, particularly about how AI might increase pressure on students to chase perfection or its lack of emotional intelligence.
“AI can’t read emotions like teachers can,” she says. “If a student is upset, a teacher can see that and respond with care.”
Another challenge is bias. Both Neville and Wang stress that AI models are trained on human-created data — which means bias inevitably seeps in, regardless of which country the AI or its training data originated from. Wang believes educators and students must learn to think critically about AI outputs.
“We should read classic literature, news from different countries, and diverse perspectives,” she says. “Only then can we judge whether AI’s answers are trustworthy.”
AI’s ability to produce polished work quickly raises questions about traditional assessments. Neville believes educators should shift focus from final products to the learning process itself.
Teachers spend so much time creating materials for different students. AI can automate parts of that, freeing teachers to connect emotionally and socially with students. — Shuyu Wang, Neag School doctoral student
“We want assessments that capture how students think, problem-solve, and apply tools,” he says. “The goal is to help students become more self-aware and reflective.”
Wang echoes this sentiment. She believes AI can improve the efficiency of assessments but worries that it often overlooks the emotional effort students pour into their work.
“It’s unfair if we only look at outputs,” she says. “AI can’t measure the feelings and creativity people invest in what they create.”
Beyond helping students, Neville sees AI reshaping professional development for teachers. Tools like Edthena let teachers upload lesson videos for AI-driven analysis and feedback. Other platforms, like Swivl’s Mirror Talk, provide live feedback during instruction.
“AI can make professional development more personalized and practical,” Neville says. “It can tailor support to each educator’s needs.”
He envisions AI simulations where teachers get feedback from AI personas acting as students or supervisors, helping them practice real-world teaching scenarios. Wang believes the same strategies used to personalize student learning can enhance teacher training.
“In our training programs, the learning needs are the same,” she says. “AI can help teachers build portfolios, gather feedback, and get support tailored to them.”
Del Siegle, the Neag School’s Lynn and Ray Neag Chair for Gifted Education and Talent Development and organizer of the Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference, has explored how AI can help overcome creative roadblocks. For many, the biggest challenge in creative work is the fear of the blank page. Siegle believes AI offers a way past that paralysis.
“AI isn’t here to replace our imaginations but to partner with them,” Siegle wrote in Gifted Child Today.
AI isn’t here to replace our imaginations but to partner with them. — Del Siegle
Creativity, he notes, is vital for problem-solving and well-being. Students who engage creatively understand their learning more deeply and gain confidence. While AI can generate poems, images, and ideas, Siegle argues it’s not truly creative in the human sense — it lacks emotion, experience, and personal meaning. But it can still be a powerful tool to help us get started.
“Just make it exist first. You can make it good later,” Siegle says about the importance of overcoming perfectionism.
AI tools like Goblin.tools and MagicSchool.ai help students break big tasks into smaller steps. They can produce rough drafts that students later refine, easing anxiety about starting.
“AI can be the friendly assistant nudging us to take that first step,” Siegle says.
Some fear AI will stifle creativity, leaving students reliant on algorithms instead of thinking for themselves, but Siegle argues that AI often sparks more original ideas. One study he cites found that students using ChatGPT generated more unique ideas than those using traditional brainstorming. He envisions students defining creative problems — like designing science experiments or writing stories — while AI suggests new angles, helps organize ideas, and offers fresh perspectives. This collaboration, he believes, creates results neither humans nor AI could achieve alone.
As AI grows more capable, Siegle predicts it will transform the skills schools emphasize. Instead of memorizing facts, students will focus on creative thinking, connecting ideas across disciplines, and evaluating information critically. AI can help students at every level of creativity, Siegle says, from small personal projects to professional innovations. For everyday creators, AI offers a safe, judgment-free space to experiment without fear of failure. Wang agrees, stressing that AI should remain an assistant, not a replacement.
“Teachers bring empathy, flexibility, and human understanding that technology can’t replicate,” she says.
Neville echoes the same optimism, with caution: “AI can be an incredible tool. But it must always serve to enhance — not replace — the deeply human work at the heart of education.”
UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) is recognizing the recipients of its 2025 Faculty Excellence Awards.
These awards celebrate UConn and UConn Health faculty and students who are making important contributions to their field, providing impactful mentorship, furthering our understanding of racial and ethnic health disparities, and engaging with the community through research to improve health.
“InCHIP’s Excellence Awards honor the innovative work that principal investigators, faculty affiliates, and students are conducting to advance social and behavioral health sciences, provide students with transformative educational experiences, and enhance community well-being. Congratulations to our 2025 Excellence Award recipients,” says Tricia Leahey, director of InCHIP and professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences.
The awardees will be recognized during InCHIP’s Fall 2025 annual meeting and in its annual report. They will also receive funds to support their program of research.
The 2025 Excellence Award recipients include:
Excellence Award for Junior Faculty Research
Sudha Srinivasan, assistant professor of kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (contributed photo)
Sudha Srinivasan
Sudha Srinivasan is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR). Her research focuses on the development of child- and family-friendly movement-based interventions and technologies that empower children with developmental disabilities. She has recently worked with children diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy to create engaging therapies leveraging music, dance, yoga, and modified ride-on toys to improve movement and function. Srinivasan is mindful of parents’ needs and seeks to develop interventions that fit in the context of family and school life, ensuring treatments are affordable, accessible, and fun for children to perform.
Since arriving at UConn in 2019, Srinivasan has had 31 peer-reviewed journal articles published, many of which are published in high-impact journals in her field. Her work requires access to specialized equipment, such as the ride-on intervention like the Wild Thing. To support this work, she has sought research funding, securing an R21 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a research award from the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy.
Na Zhang, assistant professor of human development and family sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (contributed photo)
Na Zhang
Na Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Her research program underscores the importance of improving mental health and well-being outcomes in children and adolescents, parents, and couples. She directs the Family Resilience and Mindfulness Empowerment (FRAME) Lab, which develops, evaluates, and implements mindfulness-informed family-based interventions to promote mental health and well-being in high-risk families. She has published 35 peer-reviewed journal articles including 14 as first-author. Her research on mindfulness in the context of families has advanced the field by providing strong evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions to prevent mental health challenges in highly stressful circumstances.
Zhang is currently working on a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded K-01 to develop a fully web-based mindfulness parenting intervention for high-risk divorced families. The project aims to reduce mental health challenges, addressing key gaps in the research literature. Currently, there are no fully self-administered online parenting interventions to reduce parents’ mental stress. Additionally, her previous research has demonstrated that behavioral parent training programs are less effective for parents who are experiencing psychological distress.
Excellence for Research on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and Health Outcomes of Racism
Debarchana Ghosh, professor of geography, sustainability, community, and urban studies in CLAS (contributed photo)
Debarchana Ghosh
Debarchana (Debs) Ghosh is a professor in the Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies whose research focuses on the reciprocal relationship between place and health. Ghosh employs a variety of research methods including spatial analysis, public health theory, and community-engaged research to explore the complex interconnection between health disparities and social-environmental factors. She prioritizes the inclusion of underrepresented populations and communities in her work. Ghosh also developed the innovative structural racism and discrimination index (SRD Index) to illustrate how residential segregation, housing, healthcare, income, and crime and incarceration impact health.
Ghosh is currently working on a five-year NIH R01 to quantify the impact of structural racism on cancer-control behaviors among African Americans. This project addresses a critical knowledge gap in how cancer disparities are understood and how structural racism is embedded in individuals’ lives as they navigate cancer prevention, treatment, and survival. Her commitment to understanding how racial disparities affect health move past the idea of race as a variable, underscoring the role that racism, not race, has in influencing health outcomes. Her work has reframed how health disparities are studied and interpreted.
Community-Engaged Health Research Excellence Award
Beth Russell, professor of human development and family sciences in CLAS (contributed photo)
Beth Russell
Beth Russell is a professor and associate department head for graduate studies in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. Her research focuses on how people manage emotional distress and the development of interventions that improve emotional well-being. Her research exemplifies the power of community-engaged research in solving pressing societal challenges. Community engagement is a vital component of her work for its role in improving health and well-being for individuals and families. She is working on projects related to mindfulness interventions for youth and young adults; substance use and recovery; and stress, coping, and resilience.
Russell directs the Center for Applied Research in Human Development (CARHD) and is co-director of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH), both at UConn. CARHD facilitates community-engaged scholarship by connecting researchers and community partners to develop and evaluate human service programs that benefit communities. Russell and CARHD have worked with the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) for more than 15 years evaluating its federally-funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers After School Grant Program. She has also partnered with local state and nonprofit partners including the Connecticut Departments of Children and Families and Education, United Way, EASTCONN, The Village for Children and Families, and Family Life Education. She has been praised for her intentionality, improving programming and services without burdening staff and by considering a community partner’s needs and resources.
Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award
Golda S. Ginsburg, professor of psychiatry, at her office in West Hartford on Aug. 13, 2014. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
Golda Ginsburg
Golda Ginsburg is a professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine. A leader in pediatric anxiety treatment, she has developed and evaluated interventions for children who have psychiatric disorders, and her research focuses on preventing anxiety disorders, one of the most pervasive psychiatric disorders impacting youth. Ginsburg directs the Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Program (CAMP) Lab at UConn Health. This lab provides students and trainees with significant academic and training experiences.
Ginsburg has been praised for being a patient, dedicated, and supportive mentor who sees mentees as individuals and works with them to ensure they get the experiences necessary to achieve their goals and advance their careers. Since joining UConn, she has mentored more than 50 trainees at various levels of education from high schoolers to post-doctoral fellows. Many of Ginsburg’s student mentees have secured external funding, most notably from the U.S. Department of Education, published peer-reviewed journal articles, or presented at conferences. Ginsburg has also guided junior faculty in successfully applying for external research funding. She serves as a reviewer for the Department of Psychiatry’s mock grant reviews. Ginsburg has received a K24 Mentoring grant from the NIMH. This is a testament to her exceptional mentorship.
UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) is recognizing the recipients of its 2025 Faculty Excellence Awards.
These awards celebrate UConn and UConn Health faculty and students who are making important contributions to their field, providing impactful mentorship, furthering our understanding of racial and ethnic health disparities, and engaging with the community through research to improve health.
“InCHIP’s Excellence Awards honor the innovative work that principal investigators, faculty affiliates, and students are conducting to advance social and behavioral health sciences, provide students with transformative educational experiences, and enhance community well-being. Congratulations to our 2025 Excellence Award recipients,” says Tricia Leahey, director of InCHIP and professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences.
The awardees will be recognized during InCHIP’s Fall 2025 annual meeting and in its annual report. They will also receive funds to support their program of research.
The 2025 Excellence Award recipients include:
Excellence Award for Junior Faculty Research
Sudha Srinivasan, assistant professor of kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (contributed photo)
Sudha Srinivasan
Sudha Srinivasan is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR). Her research focuses on the development of child- and family-friendly movement-based interventions and technologies that empower children with developmental disabilities. She has recently worked with children diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy to create engaging therapies leveraging music, dance, yoga, and modified ride-on toys to improve movement and function. Srinivasan is mindful of parents’ needs and seeks to develop interventions that fit in the context of family and school life, ensuring treatments are affordable, accessible, and fun for children to perform.
Since arriving at UConn in 2019, Srinivasan has had 31 peer-reviewed journal articles published, many of which are published in high-impact journals in her field. Her work requires access to specialized equipment, such as the ride-on intervention like the Wild Thing. To support this work, she has sought research funding, securing an R21 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a research award from the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy.
Na Zhang, assistant professor of human development and family sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (contributed photo)
Na Zhang
Na Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Her research program underscores the importance of improving mental health and well-being outcomes in children and adolescents, parents, and couples. She directs the Family Resilience and Mindfulness Empowerment (FRAME) Lab, which develops, evaluates, and implements mindfulness-informed family-based interventions to promote mental health and well-being in high-risk families. She has published 35 peer-reviewed journal articles including 14 as first-author. Her research on mindfulness in the context of families has advanced the field by providing strong evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions to prevent mental health challenges in highly stressful circumstances.
Zhang is currently working on a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded K-01 to develop a fully web-based mindfulness parenting intervention for high-risk divorced families. The project aims to reduce mental health challenges, addressing key gaps in the research literature. Currently, there are no fully self-administered online parenting interventions to reduce parents’ mental stress. Additionally, her previous research has demonstrated that behavioral parent training programs are less effective for parents who are experiencing psychological distress.
Excellence for Research on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and Health Outcomes of Racism
Debarchana Ghosh, professor of geography, sustainability, community, and urban studies in CLAS (contributed photo)
Debarchana Ghosh
Debarchana (Debs) Ghosh is a professor in the Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies whose research focuses on the reciprocal relationship between place and health. Ghosh employs a variety of research methods including spatial analysis, public health theory, and community-engaged research to explore the complex interconnection between health disparities and social-environmental factors. She prioritizes the inclusion of underrepresented populations and communities in her work. Ghosh also developed the innovative structural racism and discrimination index (SRD Index) to illustrate how residential segregation, housing, healthcare, income, and crime and incarceration impact health.
Ghosh is currently working on a five-year NIH R01 to quantify the impact of structural racism on cancer-control behaviors among African Americans. This project addresses a critical knowledge gap in how cancer disparities are understood and how structural racism is embedded in individuals’ lives as they navigate cancer prevention, treatment, and survival. Her commitment to understanding how racial disparities affect health move past the idea of race as a variable, underscoring the role that racism, not race, has in influencing health outcomes. Her work has reframed how health disparities are studied and interpreted.
Community-Engaged Health Research Excellence Award
Beth Russell, professor of human development and family sciences in CLAS (contributed photo)
Beth Russell
Beth Russell is a professor and associate department head for graduate studies in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. Her research focuses on how people manage emotional distress and the development of interventions that improve emotional well-being. Her research exemplifies the power of community-engaged research in solving pressing societal challenges. Community engagement is a vital component of her work for its role in improving health and well-being for individuals and families. She is working on projects related to mindfulness interventions for youth and young adults; substance use and recovery; and stress, coping, and resilience.
Russell directs the Center for Applied Research in Human Development (CARHD) and is co-director of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH), both at UConn. CARHD facilitates community-engaged scholarship by connecting researchers and community partners to develop and evaluate human service programs that benefit communities. Russell and CARHD have worked with the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) for more than 15 years evaluating its federally-funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers After School Grant Program. She has also partnered with local state and nonprofit partners including the Connecticut Departments of Children and Families and Education, United Way, EASTCONN, The Village for Children and Families, and Family Life Education. She has been praised for her intentionality, improving programming and services without burdening staff and by considering a community partner’s needs and resources.
Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award
Golda S. Ginsburg, professor of psychiatry, at her office in West Hartford on Aug. 13, 2014. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
Golda Ginsburg
Golda Ginsburg is a professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine. A leader in pediatric anxiety treatment, she has developed and evaluated interventions for children who have psychiatric disorders, and her research focuses on preventing anxiety disorders, one of the most pervasive psychiatric disorders impacting youth. Ginsburg directs the Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Program (CAMP) Lab at UConn Health. This lab provides students and trainees with significant academic and training experiences.
Ginsburg has been praised for being a patient, dedicated, and supportive mentor who sees mentees as individuals and works with them to ensure they get the experiences necessary to achieve their goals and advance their careers. Since joining UConn, she has mentored more than 50 trainees at various levels of education from high schoolers to post-doctoral fellows. Many of Ginsburg’s student mentees have secured external funding, most notably from the U.S. Department of Education, published peer-reviewed journal articles, or presented at conferences. Ginsburg has also guided junior faculty in successfully applying for external research funding. She serves as a reviewer for the Department of Psychiatry’s mock grant reviews. Ginsburg has received a K24 Mentoring grant from the NIMH. This is a testament to her exceptional mentorship.
UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) is recognizing the recipients of its 2025 Faculty Excellence Awards.
These awards celebrate UConn and UConn Health faculty and students who are making important contributions to their field, providing impactful mentorship, furthering our understanding of racial and ethnic health disparities, and engaging with the community through research to improve health.
“InCHIP’s Excellence Awards honor the innovative work that principal investigators, faculty affiliates, and students are conducting to advance social and behavioral health sciences, provide students with transformative educational experiences, and enhance community well-being. Congratulations to our 2025 Excellence Award recipients,” says Tricia Leahey, director of InCHIP and professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences.
The awardees will be recognized during InCHIP’s Fall 2025 annual meeting and in its annual report. They will also receive funds to support their program of research.
The 2025 Excellence Award recipients include:
Excellence Award for Junior Faculty Research
Sudha Srinivasan, assistant professor of kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (contributed photo)
Sudha Srinivasan
Sudha Srinivasan is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR). Her research focuses on the development of child- and family-friendly movement-based interventions and technologies that empower children with developmental disabilities. She has recently worked with children diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy to create engaging therapies leveraging music, dance, yoga, and modified ride-on toys to improve movement and function. Srinivasan is mindful of parents’ needs and seeks to develop interventions that fit in the context of family and school life, ensuring treatments are affordable, accessible, and fun for children to perform.
Since arriving at UConn in 2019, Srinivasan has had 31 peer-reviewed journal articles published, many of which are published in high-impact journals in her field. Her work requires access to specialized equipment, such as the ride-on intervention like the Wild Thing. To support this work, she has sought research funding, securing an R21 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a research award from the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy.
Na Zhang, assistant professor of human development and family sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (contributed photo)
Na Zhang
Na Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Her research program underscores the importance of improving mental health and well-being outcomes in children and adolescents, parents, and couples. She directs the Family Resilience and Mindfulness Empowerment (FRAME) Lab, which develops, evaluates, and implements mindfulness-informed family-based interventions to promote mental health and well-being in high-risk families. She has published 35 peer-reviewed journal articles including 14 as first-author. Her research on mindfulness in the context of families has advanced the field by providing strong evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions to prevent mental health challenges in highly stressful circumstances.
Zhang is currently working on a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded K-01 to develop a fully web-based mindfulness parenting intervention for high-risk divorced families. The project aims to reduce mental health challenges, addressing key gaps in the research literature. Currently, there are no fully self-administered online parenting interventions to reduce parents’ mental stress. Additionally, her previous research has demonstrated that behavioral parent training programs are less effective for parents who are experiencing psychological distress.
Excellence for Research on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and Health Outcomes of Racism
Debarchana Ghosh, professor of geography, sustainability, community, and urban studies in CLAS (contributed photo)
Debarchana Ghosh
Debarchana (Debs) Ghosh is a professor in the Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies whose research focuses on the reciprocal relationship between place and health. Ghosh employs a variety of research methods including spatial analysis, public health theory, and community-engaged research to explore the complex interconnection between health disparities and social-environmental factors. She prioritizes the inclusion of underrepresented populations and communities in her work. Ghosh also developed the innovative structural racism and discrimination index (SRD Index) to illustrate how residential segregation, housing, healthcare, income, and crime and incarceration impact health.
Ghosh is currently working on a five-year NIH R01 to quantify the impact of structural racism on cancer-control behaviors among African Americans. This project addresses a critical knowledge gap in how cancer disparities are understood and how structural racism is embedded in individuals’ lives as they navigate cancer prevention, treatment, and survival. Her commitment to understanding how racial disparities affect health move past the idea of race as a variable, underscoring the role that racism, not race, has in influencing health outcomes. Her work has reframed how health disparities are studied and interpreted.
Community-Engaged Health Research Excellence Award
Beth Russell, professor of human development and family sciences in CLAS (contributed photo)
Beth Russell
Beth Russell is a professor and associate department head for graduate studies in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. Her research focuses on how people manage emotional distress and the development of interventions that improve emotional well-being. Her research exemplifies the power of community-engaged research in solving pressing societal challenges. Community engagement is a vital component of her work for its role in improving health and well-being for individuals and families. She is working on projects related to mindfulness interventions for youth and young adults; substance use and recovery; and stress, coping, and resilience.
Russell directs the Center for Applied Research in Human Development (CARHD) and is co-director of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH), both at UConn. CARHD facilitates community-engaged scholarship by connecting researchers and community partners to develop and evaluate human service programs that benefit communities. Russell and CARHD have worked with the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) for more than 15 years evaluating its federally-funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers After School Grant Program. She has also partnered with local state and nonprofit partners including the Connecticut Departments of Children and Families and Education, United Way, EASTCONN, The Village for Children and Families, and Family Life Education. She has been praised for her intentionality, improving programming and services without burdening staff and by considering a community partner’s needs and resources.
Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award
Golda S. Ginsburg, professor of psychiatry, at her office in West Hartford on Aug. 13, 2014. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
Golda Ginsburg
Golda Ginsburg is a professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine. A leader in pediatric anxiety treatment, she has developed and evaluated interventions for children who have psychiatric disorders, and her research focuses on preventing anxiety disorders, one of the most pervasive psychiatric disorders impacting youth. Ginsburg directs the Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Program (CAMP) Lab at UConn Health. This lab provides students and trainees with significant academic and training experiences.
Ginsburg has been praised for being a patient, dedicated, and supportive mentor who sees mentees as individuals and works with them to ensure they get the experiences necessary to achieve their goals and advance their careers. Since joining UConn, she has mentored more than 50 trainees at various levels of education from high schoolers to post-doctoral fellows. Many of Ginsburg’s student mentees have secured external funding, most notably from the U.S. Department of Education, published peer-reviewed journal articles, or presented at conferences. Ginsburg has also guided junior faculty in successfully applying for external research funding. She serves as a reviewer for the Department of Psychiatry’s mock grant reviews. Ginsburg has received a K24 Mentoring grant from the NIMH. This is a testament to her exceptional mentorship.
UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) is recognizing the recipients of its 2025 Faculty Excellence Awards.
These awards celebrate UConn and UConn Health faculty and students who are making important contributions to their field, providing impactful mentorship, furthering our understanding of racial and ethnic health disparities, and engaging with the community through research to improve health.
“InCHIP’s Excellence Awards honor the innovative work that principal investigators, faculty affiliates, and students are conducting to advance social and behavioral health sciences, provide students with transformative educational experiences, and enhance community well-being. Congratulations to our 2025 Excellence Award recipients,” says Tricia Leahey, director of InCHIP and professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences.
The awardees will be recognized during InCHIP’s Fall 2025 annual meeting and in its annual report. They will also receive funds to support their program of research.
The 2025 Excellence Award recipients include:
Excellence Award for Junior Faculty Research
Sudha Srinivasan, assistant professor of kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (contributed photo)
Sudha Srinivasan
Sudha Srinivasan is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR). Her research focuses on the development of child- and family-friendly movement-based interventions and technologies that empower children with developmental disabilities. She has recently worked with children diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy to create engaging therapies leveraging music, dance, yoga, and modified ride-on toys to improve movement and function. Srinivasan is mindful of parents’ needs and seeks to develop interventions that fit in the context of family and school life, ensuring treatments are affordable, accessible, and fun for children to perform.
Since arriving at UConn in 2019, Srinivasan has had 31 peer-reviewed journal articles published, many of which are published in high-impact journals in her field. Her work requires access to specialized equipment, such as the ride-on intervention like the Wild Thing. To support this work, she has sought research funding, securing an R21 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a research award from the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy.
Na Zhang, assistant professor of human development and family sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (contributed photo)
Na Zhang
Na Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Her research program underscores the importance of improving mental health and well-being outcomes in children and adolescents, parents, and couples. She directs the Family Resilience and Mindfulness Empowerment (FRAME) Lab, which develops, evaluates, and implements mindfulness-informed family-based interventions to promote mental health and well-being in high-risk families. She has published 35 peer-reviewed journal articles including 14 as first-author. Her research on mindfulness in the context of families has advanced the field by providing strong evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions to prevent mental health challenges in highly stressful circumstances.
Zhang is currently working on a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded K-01 to develop a fully web-based mindfulness parenting intervention for high-risk divorced families. The project aims to reduce mental health challenges, addressing key gaps in the research literature. Currently, there are no fully self-administered online parenting interventions to reduce parents’ mental stress. Additionally, her previous research has demonstrated that behavioral parent training programs are less effective for parents who are experiencing psychological distress.
Excellence for Research on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and Health Outcomes of Racism
Debarchana Ghosh, professor of geography, sustainability, community, and urban studies in CLAS (contributed photo)
Debarchana Ghosh
Debarchana (Debs) Ghosh is a professor in the Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies whose research focuses on the reciprocal relationship between place and health. Ghosh employs a variety of research methods including spatial analysis, public health theory, and community-engaged research to explore the complex interconnection between health disparities and social-environmental factors. She prioritizes the inclusion of underrepresented populations and communities in her work. Ghosh also developed the innovative structural racism and discrimination index (SRD Index) to illustrate how residential segregation, housing, healthcare, income, and crime and incarceration impact health.
Ghosh is currently working on a five-year NIH R01 to quantify the impact of structural racism on cancer-control behaviors among African Americans. This project addresses a critical knowledge gap in how cancer disparities are understood and how structural racism is embedded in individuals’ lives as they navigate cancer prevention, treatment, and survival. Her commitment to understanding how racial disparities affect health move past the idea of race as a variable, underscoring the role that racism, not race, has in influencing health outcomes. Her work has reframed how health disparities are studied and interpreted.
Community-Engaged Health Research Excellence Award
Beth Russell, professor of human development and family sciences in CLAS (contributed photo)
Beth Russell
Beth Russell is a professor and associate department head for graduate studies in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. Her research focuses on how people manage emotional distress and the development of interventions that improve emotional well-being. Her research exemplifies the power of community-engaged research in solving pressing societal challenges. Community engagement is a vital component of her work for its role in improving health and well-being for individuals and families. She is working on projects related to mindfulness interventions for youth and young adults; substance use and recovery; and stress, coping, and resilience.
Russell directs the Center for Applied Research in Human Development (CARHD) and is co-director of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH), both at UConn. CARHD facilitates community-engaged scholarship by connecting researchers and community partners to develop and evaluate human service programs that benefit communities. Russell and CARHD have worked with the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) for more than 15 years evaluating its federally-funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers After School Grant Program. She has also partnered with local state and nonprofit partners including the Connecticut Departments of Children and Families and Education, United Way, EASTCONN, The Village for Children and Families, and Family Life Education. She has been praised for her intentionality, improving programming and services without burdening staff and by considering a community partner’s needs and resources.
Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award
Golda S. Ginsburg, professor of psychiatry, at her office in West Hartford on Aug. 13, 2014. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
Golda Ginsburg
Golda Ginsburg is a professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine. A leader in pediatric anxiety treatment, she has developed and evaluated interventions for children who have psychiatric disorders, and her research focuses on preventing anxiety disorders, one of the most pervasive psychiatric disorders impacting youth. Ginsburg directs the Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Program (CAMP) Lab at UConn Health. This lab provides students and trainees with significant academic and training experiences.
Ginsburg has been praised for being a patient, dedicated, and supportive mentor who sees mentees as individuals and works with them to ensure they get the experiences necessary to achieve their goals and advance their careers. Since joining UConn, she has mentored more than 50 trainees at various levels of education from high schoolers to post-doctoral fellows. Many of Ginsburg’s student mentees have secured external funding, most notably from the U.S. Department of Education, published peer-reviewed journal articles, or presented at conferences. Ginsburg has also guided junior faculty in successfully applying for external research funding. She serves as a reviewer for the Department of Psychiatry’s mock grant reviews. Ginsburg has received a K24 Mentoring grant from the NIMH. This is a testament to her exceptional mentorship.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced actions to assess cost increases and supply chain disruptions caused by the Trump Administration’s destructive tariff policies. At the Governor’s direction, Director of State Operations Kathryn Garcia sent a memo to State agencies, requiring them to compile key data and information regarding tariff impacts. By September 30, State agencies will provide data on the specific impacts of Trump’s tariffs on New York consumers, small businesses, farmers, construction, tourism and other sectors of the state’s economy. New York State Empire State Development (ESD) and the Office of General Services (OGS) will then use the data provided by each agency to develop a statewide tariff economic impact report by October 31. Additionally, Governor Hochul launched a tariff resource guide to help New Yorkers navigate the chaos caused by Trump’s tariffs and provide resources on programs available to mitigate the impacts of tariffs.
“Trump’s tariffs are already inflicting pain and uncertainty on New York families and businesses — and that same economic chaos is being felt by millions more nationwide,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why we’re taking action to closely monitor and report on the impacts of these disastrous tariffs — and it’s why I’ll never stop fighting to put more money back in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers.”
Over the past six months, the Trump Administration has announced and imposed significant tariffs on imports of goods to the United States. These tariffs, including major trading partners, have been announced, implemented, paused and resumed haphazardly, creating uncertainty for families and business owners across the state.
The tariffs have increased prices for household goods, automobiles and housing, with the costs passed on to consumers. Such tariffs have also led to supply chain disruptions with increased costs for manufacturing industries, raising the price of supplies for small and large businesses across the state.
The Trump Administration’s tariff policy has increased costs for New York’s agriculture sector, including for our more than 30,000 family farms, while simultaneously reducing access to international markets for New York-grown and manufactured food products. Trump’s tariff policies have also caused a negative impact on U.S. to Canada trade and tourism, including a 25 percent decline in vehicular border crossings between Canada and New York State in May 2025, compared to the prior year.
To take action, the State will collect and report on key economic and social indicators to New York caused by Trump’s tariff policies. State agencies are encouraged to assess and submit information regarding tariff impacts on an ongoing basis. Additionally, Governor Hochul announced a tariff resource guide to keep New Yorkers up-to-date on programs available for small businesses that have been impacted by the tariffs.
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — InvidiaTrade, the multi-asset trading platform known for its ECN execution and PAMM account offerings, has announced its latest integration with TradingView, a leading charting platform used by traders worldwide. This strategic move aims to provide users with a seamless charting and execution environment, blending advanced analytical tools with real-time trading capabilities.
The integration allows InvidiaTrade clients to analyze, plan, and execute trades directly within the TradingView interface, reducing the need to toggle between platforms. With TradingView’s high-performance charting engine, traders gain access to thousands of indicators, drawing tools, and social sentiment data—now fully synced with their InvidiaTrade accounts.
“We’re committed to giving our traders not just access to markets, but access to the tools they need to trade confidently,” said a spokesperson for InvidiaTrade. “TradingView is an industry standard for technical analysis, and this integration creates a frictionless workflow from analysis to execution.”
The integration supports all major asset classes available on InvidiaTrade, including forex, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and stocks. Clients can execute trades instantly from TradingView charts, manage orders, and monitor positions in real time, all while retaining the depth and customization TradingView is known for.
This update follows a series of platform enhancements from InvidiaTrade, including improvements to its proprietary CloudVisionX interface and PAMM account dashboard. The addition of TradingView reflects the platform’s broader mission to combine professional-grade technology with ease of use for both retail and institutional traders.
InvidiaTrade is regulated by the Mwali International Services Authority and operates under FSA oversight in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. While it currently serves clients in over 60 countries, the platform remains unavailable to U.S. residents.
To learn more about the TradingView integration or open an account, visit www.invidiatrade.com.
Disclaimer: This press release is provided by Invidia Trade. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — InvidiaTrade, the multi-asset trading platform known for its ECN execution and PAMM account offerings, has announced its latest integration with TradingView, a leading charting platform used by traders worldwide. This strategic move aims to provide users with a seamless charting and execution environment, blending advanced analytical tools with real-time trading capabilities.
The integration allows InvidiaTrade clients to analyze, plan, and execute trades directly within the TradingView interface, reducing the need to toggle between platforms. With TradingView’s high-performance charting engine, traders gain access to thousands of indicators, drawing tools, and social sentiment data—now fully synced with their InvidiaTrade accounts.
“We’re committed to giving our traders not just access to markets, but access to the tools they need to trade confidently,” said a spokesperson for InvidiaTrade. “TradingView is an industry standard for technical analysis, and this integration creates a frictionless workflow from analysis to execution.”
The integration supports all major asset classes available on InvidiaTrade, including forex, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and stocks. Clients can execute trades instantly from TradingView charts, manage orders, and monitor positions in real time, all while retaining the depth and customization TradingView is known for.
This update follows a series of platform enhancements from InvidiaTrade, including improvements to its proprietary CloudVisionX interface and PAMM account dashboard. The addition of TradingView reflects the platform’s broader mission to combine professional-grade technology with ease of use for both retail and institutional traders.
InvidiaTrade is regulated by the Mwali International Services Authority and operates under FSA oversight in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. While it currently serves clients in over 60 countries, the platform remains unavailable to U.S. residents.
To learn more about the TradingView integration or open an account, visit www.invidiatrade.com.
Disclaimer: This press release is provided by Invidia Trade. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ted Palys, Professor of Criminology, Associate Member of Dept. of Indigenous Studies, Simon Fraser University
The contemporary internet has been with us since roughly 1995. Its current underlying economic model — surveillance capitalism — began in the early 2000s, when Google and then Facebook realized how much our personal information and online behaviour revealed about us and claimed it for themselves to sell to advertisers.
Perhaps because of Canada’s proximity to the United States, coupled with its positive shared history with the U.S. and their highly integrated economies, Canada went along for that consumerist ride.
The experience was different on the other side of the Atlantic. The Stasi in the former East Germany and the KGB under Josef Stalin maintained files on hundreds of thousands of citizens to identify and prosecute dissidents.
This has fuelled the motivation of Canada both internally and in co-operation with western European governments to seek greater independence in trade and military preparedness by diversifying its relationships.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has begun promoting “nation-building projects,” but little attention has been paid to Canada’s digital infrastructure.
Three recent developments suggest Canada would be well-advised to start paying close attention:
1. The current U.S. administration has raised concerns about its reliability as a partner and friend to Canada. Most of the concerns raised in Canada have been economic. However, Curtis McCord, a former national security and technology researcher for the Canadian government, has said the current situation has created vulnerabilities for national security as well:
“With Washington becoming an increasingly unreliable ally, Mr. Carney is right to look for ways to diversify away from the U.S. But if Canada wants to maintain its sovereignty and be responsible for its national security, this desire to diversify must extend to the U.S. domination of Canada’s digital infrastructure.”
2. Silicon Valley is exhibiting a newfound loyalty to Trump. The photo of the “broligarchy” at Trump’s inauguration spoke volumes, as their apparent eagerness to appease the president brings the data gathered by the internet’s surveillance-based economy under state control.
3. Trump’s recent executive order entitled “Stopping waste, fraud and abuse by eliminating information silos” is alarming. The order became operational when the Trump administration contracted with Palantir, a company known for its surveillance software and data analytics in military contexts. Its job? To combine databases from both the state and federal levels into one massive database that includes every American citizen, and potentially any user of the internet.
Combining multiple government databases is concerning. Combining them with all the personal data harvested by Silicon Valley and providing them to a government showing all the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime sounds like Big Brother has arrived.
Civil liberties groups such as the Electronic Freedom Foundation, academics and even former Palantir employees have raised alarms about the possibilities for abuse, including the launch of all the vendettas Trump and his supporters have pledged to undertake.
The appeal of Eurostack
European governments have attempted to rein in Silicon Valley’s excesses for years. Trump’s re-election and his moves toward potentially weaponizing internet data have further boosted Europe’s resolve to move away from the U.S.-led internet.
One newer effort is Eurostack. A joint initiative involving academics, policymakers, companies and governments, it envisions an independent digital ecosystem that better reflects European values — democratic, sovereign, inclusive, transparent, respectful of personal privacy and innovation-driven.
Spokesperson Francesca Bria explains the “stack” arises from the idea that a digitally sovereign internet needs to have European control from the ground up.
Bria discusses Eurostack in May 2025. (re:publica)
That includes the acquisition of raw materials and manufacture and operation of the physical components that comprise computers and servers; the cloud infrastructure that has the processing power and storage to be operational at scale; the operating systems and applications that comprise the user interface; the AI models and algorithms that drive services and its policy and governance framework.
Prospective gains to Europe are considerable. They include greater cybersecurity, promoting innovation, keeping high-end creative jobs in Europe, promoting collaboration on equitable terms and creating high-skilled employment opportunities.
Canada receives no mention in the Eurostack proposal to date, but the project is still very much in the developmental phase. Investment so far is in the tens of millions instead of the billions it will require.
Canada has a lot to offer and to gain from being part of the Eurostack initiative. With the project still taking shape, now is the perfect time to get on board.
Ted Palys does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of sports fans will be traveling among venues spread across Canada, the United States and Mexico.
It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament, whether you call it soccer or football, is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.
The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.
A sustainability conundrum
Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.
Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.
Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.
This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.
A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate
Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.
In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.
When climate promises become greenwashing
The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.
Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.
However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.
For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.
Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team. Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images
Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.
These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.
Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.
Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.
There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.
How fans can cut their environmental footprint
Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:
Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.
While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.
Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.
Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.
You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.
Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.
In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.
Brian P. McCullough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of sports fans will be traveling among venues spread across Canada, the United States and Mexico.
It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament, whether you call it soccer or football, is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.
The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.
A sustainability conundrum
Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.
Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.
Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.
This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.
A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate
Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.
In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.
When climate promises become greenwashing
The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.
Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.
However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.
For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.
Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team. Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images
Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.
These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.
Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.
Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.
There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.
How fans can cut their environmental footprint
Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:
Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.
While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.
Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.
Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.
You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.
Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.
In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.
Brian P. McCullough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
While the typical voter may not think much about judicial elections, political operatives and political scientists, like me, know they have consequences.
I think it’s important that voters understand what a retention election is and why state judicial elections are growing in political importance in the U.S.
Retention elections
Federal judges are appointed by the U.S. president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and can serve for the rest of their lives. State judges, however, are put in place in a variety of ways.
The most powerful state courts are the so-called “courts of last resort.” These are essentially the supreme courts of each state. The method for selecting judges in these courts has varied over time and across the states. Currently, states use either gubernatorial appointment, legislative appointment, partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or a merit process for selecting the judges of their highest courts.
Pennsylvania has partisan elections, meaning judges run for office attached to political parties, just like a candidate would run for governor or president. However, it is only in their first race for office that a judge runs in a competitive partisan election. After they assume the bench, they participate in retention elections every 10 years. These retention elections are considered nonpartisan, since party labels do not appear on the ballot.
Essentially, a retention election is an up or down vote. If more than 50% of voters cast a vote in opposition to a sitting judge, that judge will be out of the office at the end of their term. The governor, who is currently Democrat Josh Shapiro, then makes a temporary appointment to fill the seat with a special election held in the next odd year – in this case, 2027. But any appointments would need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate, which may not confirm his picks.
Politicization of the state courts
Judges win retention elections over 90% of the time. So why should people bother to cast their vote?
Courts, including state courts, have become highly politicized over the past several decades. A marked increase in politicization occurred for the U.S. Supreme Court after the failed nomination of Robert Bork in the 1980s.
State supreme courts have always made big decisions, but the nationalization of American politics – where national partisan politics drive voter behavior in local elections – has elevated the controversy over state supreme court decisions on issues such as reproductive rights, trans rights, COVID-19 restrictions, environmental protection and more.
This issue became more acute when courts in battleground states were thrust to the center of adjudicating false claims of election fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And judges have faced increasing threats, particularly when opposing actions of the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump is prone to calling out specific judges in decisions that he does not like.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has received additional attention, in part due to the outsized role it has played in recent redistricting. In 2018, the court threw out the congressional districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 and invited a new plan from the governor and General Assembly. The two came to a political loggerhead, so the Supreme Court ended up using its own map as a replacement.
In 2022, the state Supreme Court once again took control of redistricting after Pennyslvania’s then-Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional district map approved by the General Assembly.
Former prosecutor Susan Crawford won the highly politicized race for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in 2025. It was the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history. Scott Olson via Getty Images
That was one seat.
Pennsylvania has three up for grabs in November 2025, with the potential to swing the current Democratic majority.
And retention elections are politically simple for opponents. As one Republican political consultant told investigative news outlet Spotlight PA: “This is a political consultant’s dream, because your message is just one thing, and that’s ‘No.’”
This can give some advantage to Republicans in a state that Trump won in 2024 and in a low-turnout election. The question will be whether there is more energy motivating opponents to turn out against the Democratic majority or supporters seeking to maintain the status quo.
The 2025 retention elections could change the balance of power in the court. AP Photo/Aimee Dilger
The stakes for Pennsylvania in 2025
Much is at stake for Pennsylvanians in the fall. Republicans see this as their best opportunity to break the firm 5-2 Democratic majority on the court. This would pave the way for very different judicial decisions. Many of the court’s recent election-related rulings were made on narrow 4-3 votes that could swing differently if the composition of the court changes.
Republicans have had their power in Harrisburg diminished with Shapiro in the governor’s mansion and a one-seat Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives over the past two terms.
A Republican majority on the court would significantly change the balance of power in Harrisburg.
But it is important to focus not only on the top court. The state’s two appellate-level courts – one step below the state Supreme Court – also have two important races and two retention votes in November that will decide the judiciary’s relationship with the governor and General Assembly.
Daniel J. Mallinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 95 border-related cases this week so far, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
On July 6, Lorenzo Arturo Bernabe-Alejo, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the U.S. after a Border Patrol agent spotted him lying on the ground about a quarter mile north of the border near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. According to a complaint, the defendant was previously deported on June 26, 2025, at the Calexico Port of Entry.
On July 7, Luis Fernando Ramos-Mendez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting. According to a complaint, a Customs and Border Protection officer found an undocumented Mexican immigrant hiding in a modified rear bench seat compartment near the trunk of the defendant’s car as he attempted to cross at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
On July 7, Refugio Ramos Daniel, a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, a Customs and Border Protection officer found 198 packages containing 200 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a non-factory compartment in the bed of the defendant’s truck as he tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are some of those cases:
On July 7, Eliseo Gonzalez Chaidez, a citizen of Mexico who previously was convicted of a federal immigration and a drug trafficking crime that resulted in an eight-year sentence, was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in custody for illegally reentering the United States.
On July 9, Francisco Ramirez, a Mexican national, was sentenced in federal court to 36 months in custody for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 95 border-related cases this week so far, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
On July 6, Lorenzo Arturo Bernabe-Alejo, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the U.S. after a Border Patrol agent spotted him lying on the ground about a quarter mile north of the border near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. According to a complaint, the defendant was previously deported on June 26, 2025, at the Calexico Port of Entry.
On July 7, Luis Fernando Ramos-Mendez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting. According to a complaint, a Customs and Border Protection officer found an undocumented Mexican immigrant hiding in a modified rear bench seat compartment near the trunk of the defendant’s car as he attempted to cross at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
On July 7, Refugio Ramos Daniel, a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, a Customs and Border Protection officer found 198 packages containing 200 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a non-factory compartment in the bed of the defendant’s truck as he tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are some of those cases:
On July 7, Eliseo Gonzalez Chaidez, a citizen of Mexico who previously was convicted of a federal immigration and a drug trafficking crime that resulted in an eight-year sentence, was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in custody for illegally reentering the United States.
On July 9, Francisco Ramirez, a Mexican national, was sentenced in federal court to 36 months in custody for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Antonio Cruz, 36, of Mexico, was arrested on July 8, and charged by criminal complaint for Distribution of a Controlled Substance, after selling over 1000 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.
According to the complaint, in April, Cruz met with an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) agent and another individual at a business parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona, to sell them methamphetamine. Cruz provided the agent with approximately 3 pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine in exchange for $2700.
A records check showed that Cruz is a Mexican national and previously convicted felon, illegally present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
ATF is conducting the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Usry, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-3289 RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-113_Cruz
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Antonio Cruz, 36, of Mexico, was arrested on July 8, and charged by criminal complaint for Distribution of a Controlled Substance, after selling over 1000 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.
According to the complaint, in April, Cruz met with an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) agent and another individual at a business parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona, to sell them methamphetamine. Cruz provided the agent with approximately 3 pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine in exchange for $2700.
A records check showed that Cruz is a Mexican national and previously convicted felon, illegally present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
ATF is conducting the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Usry, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-3289 RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-113_Cruz
