Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
GREAT FALLS – A Poplar woman who provided false statements to federal law enforcement was sentenced today to 9 months in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Annie Lee Kirn, 27, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of making a false statement.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of November 21, 2023, Kirn returned with her elderly friend to his residence on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Shortly thereafter, two men broke into the home. Armed with an assault rifle, the men assaulted the homeowner and another man and demanded money and access to a wall safe.
During an interview with federal law enforcement officers, Kirn said she saw the would-be robbers outside before the robbery and one of them kept trying to grab her, she then saw the gun and freaked out. She also told law enforcement the armed man told her to run, that she ran, and then he fired three or four times.
Law enforcement recovered and reviewed surveillance video from the home that showed a car with five people following Kirn’s truck into the yard. Two men, one of whom was armed with a rifle, approached the house while Kirn was getting out of the truck. After the homeowner went into the house, Kirn returned to the yard and visited with the two men. During that time, they discussed her relationship with the homeowner, Kirn offered to share a joint with the man armed with the rifle, they whispered about cash, and talked about the location of a safe. At one point, Kirn asked about the rifle, the armed man handed it to her, and she held it at the ready position before handing it back to the man. While they were outside, the man fired seven rounds from the rifle, primarily into the air.
In an interview in September 2024, law enforcement followed up with Kirn about the night of the robbery. When asked directly if she ever handled the firearm, Kirn said “hell no.” When asked if she had any conversations with the robbers, she said, “No…I didn’t talk with them at all.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, ATF, and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
LAS VEGAS – A serial offender with a violent criminal history, including attacking women, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 84 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
“Public safety is at the forefront of ATF’s mission,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Buenaventura, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Protecting the public from violent offenders is our duty as law enforcement. The criminal background of the defendant in this case is astounding. Today’s sentencing ensures that a repeat offender will be taken off the streets. The Las Vegas community is now a safer place.”
Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Los Angeles Division, which oversees Las Vegas, said, “The methamphetamine epidemic continues to threaten the health and safety of Americans. Today’s sentencing serves as a stern warning to drug distributors: When you unleash deadly poison in our communities, we will track you down and ensure you face the full force of the law.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on or about September 12, 2021, Damien Patillo, 41, of Las Vegas, possessed 16 grams of pure methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
Patillo’s prior convictions includes brutally attacking six different women, 38 convictions, and 10 domestic violence convictions.
Following a four-day trial in January 2025, a jury convicted Patillo of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Buenaventura for ATF’s San Francisco Field Division, and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis for DEA’s Los Angeles Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and DEA. Assistant United States Attorney David Kiebler prosecuted the case.
Charlemagne, the medieval King of the Franks, has taken control of modern-day America and is looking to expand his borders by invading your neighboring country.
It is a possible outcome in the recently released video game Civilization VII, or Civ 7, in which different historical figures can govern people far removed – both in time and geography – from their actual historical role. In this case, Charlemagne has become displeased with the little empire you control due to friction along a shared border and is likely to invade soon.
I have been an avid player of games like Civ 7 my entire life. I tend to play strategic games, be they video, card, board or role-playing games. And I’m not alone. An estimated 190.6 million people in the U.S. regularly play video games in some form.
While my primary reason for playing may be enjoyment, they also inform the discipline I teach. In fact, I just published a book, “The Gamer’s Guide to International Relations,” that explains how some of the most popular games around include lessons for people seeking to understand how diplomacy works and how different nations interact.
A visitor walks past the booth of Civilization VII at the Gamescom video games trade fair in Cologne, Germany, on Aug. 21, 2024. Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images
While Civ 7 may seek to emulate this world of conflict and cooperation, other games with no apparent connection to geopolitics can also provide lessons. In particular, Fortnite, League of Legends and Minecraft invite gamers to interact with the world in a way that models how leaders, governments and countries behave.
Here are three ways in which games create worlds that model key concepts from international relations:
The core part of Fortnite is its battle-royale, third-person shooting game. In a battle royale, you are fighting against 99 other players to be the last person standing.
The “everyone for themselves” ethos can be chaotic and challenging, with death and defeat lurking in every shrub.
It brings to mind the thinking behind the international relations theory of realism. Realists see the world as anarchic, with no overarching moral or physical authority telling states what to do – in other words, one with no world government.
It is a self-help system where states survive, thrive or die based on accruing power, finding security and using force to resolve disputes.
The theory of realism hearkens back to the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, who famously noted that the “strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”
That phrase has become a central tenet of foreign policy realists. Henry Kissinger, secretary of state under U.S. President Richard Nixon, saw foreign policy as a strategic enterprise based on power, while largely ignoring other imperatives such as human rights and justice.
Even in international anarchy, however, cooperation can be attractive to a realist. Kissinger, for example, sought positive relations with China and foresaw that by working with China the U.S. could exploit a growing division between the Soviet Union and China.
From Kissinger’s perspective, it mattered less that China was communist and more that it was powerful and distrustful of the Soviet Union.
How does this apply to Fortnite? Well, in the game, you may come across two players fighting. When this happens, a player must quickly decide to either retreat or join the fray. If you enter the fight, you could either team up with the weaker player and eliminate a stronger foe or join the strong and remove the weak.
In Fortnite, and occasionally in international politics, whomever you choose as your temporary ally will become your rival immediately after – so you have to choose wisely. The enemy of your enemy is not going to stay your friend forever.
LoL and enduring allies
League of Legends, known as LoL or League to fans, is a game that offers a deceptively simple idea: A team of five players battles another to destroy their base.
Mastering the game is far from simple. Along the way, you can pick up valuable international relation lessons on the importance of forging lasting alliances.
Players remain anonymous and can be pretty toxic toward each other – tending to blame a team’s failings on anyone but themselves.
If you join as a solo player, you will join four other people you do not know and spend the next 30 minutes either winning or losing a game.
You’ll build a rapport with some teammates and want to keep playing with them. Other times, you find someone who complements your skills, and you can join a ranked competition as a pair and work together toward victory.
In this, LoL is more akin to the international relations theory of liberalism. Liberalism, which should not be confused with the political identity in U.S. politics, holds realism’s view of the world to be limited. Instead, it teaches that cooperation can endure beyond pure power politics.
Instead of a temporary alliance that falls apart immediately after you achieve your goal, liberalism suggests that alliances can mutually benefit two countries in the long run.
Take for example the United States and the United Kingdom. The two countries allied during the crises of two worlds wars. By the end of World War II, they had established a long-term partnership, resulting in the establishment of international institutions that have endured for 80 years.
Liberalism argues that countries can find solutions where both sides benefit without one side being disadvantaged. This contrasts with realism’s views of the world as zero-sum – where one side benefits at the other’s expense.
Under both liberalism and League of Legends, interactions can create positive-sum outcomes for both parties.
Constructivism argues that the world is socially constructed. That is, the rules of international politics are something that humans and countries have created, chosen to abide by and are willing to enforce.
And this works well with Minecraft. People of all ages can enjoy it – but it is up to players to choose how to play. You can build houses or castles, or you can choose to find and defeat the Ender Dragon. Or you can turn on creative mode and decide to make art or large engineering projects.
The point is that it’s up to you and your friends to determine joint goals or collectively decide to pursue your own interests – and that concept is at the heart of constructivism. States can decide to create a more liberal world by jointly signing treaties or joining international organizations that alter what nations can and cannot do. Alternatively, states may see such ventures as facades and decide that the most important things are power and security. Both realist and liberal states can exist in the same world.
Like players in Minecraft, states may view the world as one where everyone is a threat, in line with realism. Or they may view the world as one where institutions and cooperation provide a better experience for everyone.
In Minecraft as in international politics, the goals, rules and punishments for those who deviate are determined collectively.
Digging deeper
Games such as Minecraft, League of Legends and Fortnite may seem to many as a pastime rather than a learning experience. But they can help people connect with concepts that attempt to explain a vast and confusing world. Being able to grasp the arcane and complicated world of international relations can make the world slightly more manageable.
Michael A. Allen 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.
The EUAA has just finished hosting a 3-day event during which, together with relevant National Contact Points, it held a first crisis management-related Tabletop Exercise using the EUAA Asylum Reserve Pool (ARP). The Asylum Reserve Pool is a mechanism introduced under the strengthened EUAA Regulation and helps foster the Union’s rapid response capacity to support any Member State whose asylum and / or reception systems are under disproportionate pressure.
The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has just successfully concluded its first crisis management related exercise, in the form of a Tabletop Exercise (TTX), involving the Agency’s National Contact Points responsible for organising the rapid deployment of asylum and reception experts made available in the EUAA Asylum Reserve Pool (ARP). The pool is one of the novelties under the Agency’s strengthened mandate.
The Asylum Reserve Pool numbers of around 500 experts, and acts as a buffer to ensure the EU’s asylum and reception systems remain resilient in times of increased pressure. Mandatory and binding on Member States, it is composed of a variety of technical profiles ensuring that the Agency can respond effectively and quickly to the needs identified in a Member State which considers that its asylum or reception systems have come under disproportionate migratory pressure. The Asylum Reserve Pool is a tangible commitment of operational solidarity among EU countries.
This week’s tabletop exercise involved representatives of several Member States, together with EUAA staff members responsible for various aspects of the Agency’s operational support to EU countries, and sought to:
Assess the readiness and responsiveness of the Asylum Reserve Pool to provide operational support in situations of crisis and / or disproportionate pressure;
Reinforce intra-agency coordination among different teams across the EUAA to work seamlessly together in emergency situations, particularly upon the activation of the Asylum Reserve Pool;
Foster effective and efficient collaboration between National Contact Points and EUAA personnel, to ensure the rapid deployment of asylum or reception experts within the short deadlines set out in the EUAA Regulation (max. 7 working days, if needed);
Collect feedback and identify the lessons learned to improve and optimise administrative procedures, to ensure that the EU can respond in a potential moment of crisis.
Background
Under the EUAA Regulation, the Agency is required to set up an Asylum Reserve Pool of around 500 experts provided by the Member States, and who are capable of being deployed rapidly to any EU country. Experts within the pool need to be deployable within 7 working days, following the conclusion of an Operational Plan with a Member State that considers itself under disproportionate pressure. The number of experts that each Member State must provide to the Agency is outlined in Annex I of the Regulation.
More than 40 of Plymouth’s best and most dedicated care workers and teams were honoured at an awards ceremony last weekend.
Winners at the Celebrating Excellence in Care Awards
The Celebrating Excellence in Care Awards is run by Plymouth City Council’s Commissioning Team and aims to shine a light on the incredible work taking place every day within the adult social care sector.
A range of award categories recognise people working in all areas of the sector, including those based in care homes, supported living provision, day centres and domiciliary care (supporting people to remain living in their own homes).
Councillor Mary Aspinall, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “I’d like to congratulate every single one of our winners and say a big well done to everyone who was nominated. The work you do is so important and often underappreciated.
“These awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to shine a light on all the hard work that takes place every single day across the city to make sure adults with care needs are supported, looked after and helped to live fulfilling, healthy lives.”
Nominations for the awards opened earlier this year and more than 400 were received from employers, colleagues, adult social care clients and their families. The nominations were then reviewed by an independent panel of judges who chose the winners.
The full list of award winners is:
Deputy of the Year (Domiciliary Care): Tendai Madume, Indiana Healthcare Services
Highly Commended: Kimberly Tucker, Your Choice Care and support
Manager of the Year (Domiciliary Care): Rebecca Pannell, @PlymouthCare
Highly Commended: Emma Bonney, Prestige Healthcare
Nurse of the Year (Domiciliary Care): Vanessa Schaben, Prestige Nursing and Care
Team of the Year (Domiciliary Care): Tamar Care
Highly Commended: @PlymouthCare
Care Worker of the Year (Domiciliary Care): Rafie Sodiq, Indiana Healthcare Services
Highly Commended: Arron Marley, @PlymouthCare
Care Worker of the Year (Day Services): Fiona James, Tamar Homecare
Highly Commended: Holly Ewings, Alpha Care
Care Worker of the Year (Supported Living): Katie Bartlett, Achieve Together
Care Worker of the Year (Care Home): Deepak Barnes, Greenacres Care Centre
Highly Commended: Aleisha Smith, Chatsworth Home
Deputy of the Year (Care Home): Sarah McCaffrey, Butterfly Lodge Dementia Home
Highly Commended: Hayley Cook, Astor Hall Care Home
Manager of the Year (Care Home): Jamie Graham, Abbeyfield Tamar House
Highly Commended: Marie Claire, Seymour Court Nursing Home
Nurse of the Year (Care Home): Ursula Sheriff, Darbyshire Care – Hamilton House
Highly Commended: Jennifer Curtis, Meadowside and St Francis Care Centre
Team of the Year (Care Home): Greenacres Care Home, Mannamead Care
Highly Commended: Alpha Care SW
Care Home Activity Coordinator: James Gooding, Devonshire House and Lodge
Highly Commended: Catherine Britton, Merafield View Nursing Home
Culinary Care Team: Phil Jane, Brunel House
Highly Commended: Lottie Fisher, Merafield View Nursing Home
Ancillary Worker of the Year: Kim Crook, Merafield View Nursing Home
Highly Commended: Kristen Bradbury, Butterfly Lodge
Commitment to Workforce Development: Gemma Parnell and Katie Spring, Alpha Care SW
Highly Commended: Merafield View Nursing Home
Contribution to Care: Kelly Hawkins, Prestige Nursing and Care
Highly Commended: Lisa Willis, Merafield View Nursing Home
Excellence in Dementia Care: Butterfly Lodge Dementia Home
Excellence in Learning Disability Care: Allison Nicholls, Jan Ltd
Highly Commended: Mark Peard, IOTA Care
Excellence in End-of-life Care: Seymour Court Nursing Home
Promoting Independence Champion: Maggie Overill, Astor Hall
Rising Star: Theresa Benjamin, Achieve Together
Highly Commended: Lexie Witcher, Tamar House Abbeyfield
Service User Involvement: Prestige Nursing & Care
Service User Story: Ian Bullen, Prestige Nursing & Care
Volunteer of the Year: Nicola Daniels, Jan Ltd
People’s Choice Award –Care Home: Teresa Warren at Butterfly Lodge and Sally Hutchings, District Nurse team for care homes
People’s Choice Award – Day Services: Plymouth Highbury Trust
People’s Choice Award – Domiciliary Care: District Healthcare
People’s Choice Award – Supported Living: John Knight, Highbury Trust.
The awards support the work of Caring Plymouth, a city-wide health and social care partnership, which works to address recruitment and retention challenges in adult social care. The partnership not only wants to encourage more people to work in the sector, but support and celebrate those already doing so.
Road users in Derby will see significant improvements following the completion of a major upgrade scheme along Derby Road and Nottingham Road through Spondon and Chaddesden.
Part of the Transforming Cities programme, these works have delivered enhanced sustainable transport infrastructure and a full road resurfacing.
Both roads have been given a makeover, while new infrastructure has been added to make active travel, such as walking and cycling easier. This includes new cycle lanes and improved pedestrian crossings.
Cyclists will enjoy a safer and more convenient journey thanks to new shared use and segregated cycle lanes between the Spondon Island and the Chaddesden Park Road junction.
Pedestrians will find it easier to move along the route thanks to new pedestrian crossings installed at Spondon Island and the entrance to Asda. These crossings are also synchronised to allow more efficient journeys and provide priority to buses, meaning less congestion and improved air quality.
These works, delivered by Balfour Beatty, are part of Nottingham and Derby’s Transforming Cities programme to create more sustainable, better-connected cities.
Working in partnership, the two authorities secured £161 million to invest in local transport infrastructure that will improve sustainable transport, support growth, and encourage more low carbon journeys.
Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, said:
It’s great to see this scheme come to an end and our Transforming Cities Programme edge closer to completion. With these upgrades, we have made travel along this route easier and greener for all road users.
I also want to express my thanks to the Chaddesden ward councillors for their support of this scheme. It’s important that we deliver the best services for the people of Derby and that means listening to those at the heart of our communities.
David Hough, Project Manager at Balfour Beatty said:
We are proud to see the completion of these key improvements, which will make sustainable travel safer and more accessible for the travelling public.
By enhancing infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians while improving overall transport efficiency, we are helping to build a more sustainable future for the communities we serve.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) and Mike Lawler (NY-17) reintroduced theHUD Accountability Act of 2025, a bipartisan measure that would require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to testify before Congress on an annual basis. The bill aims to strengthen transparency and ensure HUD leadership is held accountable amid an ongoing housing affordability crisis.
“Whether a Republican or Democratic administration, it is imperative that the people’s representatives have an opportunity to provide oversight of the Executive Branch on behalf of the public, which includes bringing Cabinet officials before Congress to explain their policymaking actions and motivations,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I was proud to support this bipartisan legislation last Congress, and I’m happy to reintroduce it with Congressman Lawler as we seek to lower housing costs and ensure transparency for the American people.”
“With families in New York and across the country being crushed by skyrocketing housing costs, Congress needs to take this crisis seriously, and that starts with oversight,” said Congressman Lawler. “In the past, there have been long gaps between appearances by the HUD Secretary before the Financial Services Committee. That lack of regular oversight isn’t acceptable. Our bill simply ensures that the Secretary provides annual testimony on the Department’s programs, finances, and priorities. Last Congress, I hosted the first congressional field hearing in Rockland County in years to hear directly from constituents about how high housing costs are affecting their lives. Whether it’s addressing the workforce housing crunch or improving HUD oversight, I’m focused on bringing greater transparency and accountability to programs meant to serve the American people.”
TheHUD Accountability Act, which passed committee last Congress with bipartisan backing, would require the HUD Secretary to testify annually for five years before the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. The legislation outlines key areas for testimony, including:
Progress in addressing the affordable housing and homelessness crises
The condition and performance of HUD programs, including public housing
Oversight efforts to combat waste, fraud, and abuse
The financial status of FHA’s mortgage insurance funds
The capacity of the Department to deliver on its statutory mission
Official text of theHUD Accountability Act of 2025 is availablehere.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)
Rep. Cleaver, Ranking Member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, accepted the award after decades of work to expand access to safe, decent, and affordable housing
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver has been awarded the 2025 Shirley Chisholm Award for Housing by the National Urban League, given to a lawmaker whose commitment and work has expanded access to fair and affordable housing in the United States. In a ceremony this month, Cleaver accepted the prestigious award from National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial at the organization’s 2025 Empowerment Summit in Washington, DC. The National Urban League is the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization.
“Since my first days on the City Council in Kansas City, my strongest passion and highest priority has been the work to expand housing opportunity for everyday families,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I understand what it means to live in a shack with no electricity or running water, and I know firsthand the challenges that come with America’s underinvestment in housing that is truly accessible and affordable, which is why I’ve spent my career working to protect and strengthen housing programs that serve low- and middle-income families of all backgrounds. To receive this award, named in honor of the great civil rights champion Shirley Chisholm, is extraordinarily meaningful to me. Just as her work helped pave the way for families like mine to rise out of poverty, I hope the work I’ve done in Kansas City and Washington will continue to change the trajectory of families who are every bit as deserving of the American dream.”
Since coming to Washington, Congressman Cleaver has fought tirelessly to bring housing investments to Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District and passed multiple bipartisan overhauls of America’s federal housing programs.
The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 destroyed trillions in home equity and over half the wealth of the African American households in the United States. As a new member on the House Financial Services Committee, Congressman Cleaver was instrumental in national recovery efforts through theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including the creation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which helped stabilize the housing market in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, and the Green Impact Zone, which targeted more than $125 million of federal investment into the urban core in Kansas City, MO.
Following the crisis, Congressman Cleaver worked on the passage of theDodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which included, but was not limited to, the creation of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau (CFPB), tasked with protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive financial practices, including predatory mortgage lending.
In the 115th Congress, Cleaver was elected by his colleagues to serve as the head Democrat on the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. As Ranking Member, Cleaver teamed up with then-Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) to co-author the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), which introduced a massive set of changes and reforms to federal housing programs. The most sweeping housing bill in 20 years, HOTMA was passed with unanimous support by Congress and was signed into law by President Obama.
The following Congress, Rep. Cleaver introduced the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act with Congressman Sean Duffy (R-WI) to help low-income families who rely on housing vouchers to move out of poverty and into neighborhoods with better opportunities. The legislation was passed with bipartisan support by Congress and signed into law by President Trump.
In the 117th Congress, Cleaver was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance during the COVID-19 eviction and foreclosure crisis. In that capacity, Chairman Cleaver helped lead the effort to pass legislation providing federal funds to address housing and homelessness including theAmerican Rescue Plan Act(ARPA), which represented the largest single-year investment in preventing and ending homelessness in U.S. history. Through ARPA and other appropriations, Cleaver helped secure more than $46.6 billion in emergency rental assistance and more than $10 billion for the Homeowner Assistance Fund to ensure that families could remain safely housed. Cleaver also helped secure more than $5 billion in homelessness funds through ARPA which included, for the first time in the nation’s history, Emergency Housing Vouchers for families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Cleaver’sStabilizing Rural Homeowners During COVID Act, which provided desperately needed assistance to families living in US Department of Agriculture-supported housing was also signed into law.
Cleaver also worked with the Biden Administration on key initiatives of the Administration to expand access to fair and affordable housing. In April 2021, Cleaver introduced theReal Estate Valuation Fairness and Improvement Actto address bias in home valuations. Cleaver’s legislation served as the framework for the Biden Administration’s Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE Task Force), the first-ever interagency effort to combat discrimination in the home appraisal process. In 2022, the Task Force released the PAVE Action Plan, and the Biden Administration announced the most wide-ranging actions ever taken to advance equity in the home appraisal process.
Cleaver also invited several members of the Biden Administration to Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District to discuss housing and other federal investments, including discussions related to Parade Park Homes. Since 2022, Cleaver has worked with US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Fudge, HUD Acting Secretary Todman, HUD officials, and local officials to stabilize the property and chart a path forward to ensure the health of residents and the community. Earlier this year, Congressman Cleaver successfullysecured $15.5 millionin federal grant funding to support the rehabilitation of Parade Park Home, the oldest Black-owned housing cooperative in the nation, with more than 500 affordable housing units in the heart of the 18th & Vine Jazz District.
Last Congress, Cleaver invited Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Sandra Thompson to Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District for a convening between the FHFA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, tenant advocates, and community leaders for in-depth discussions on issues impacting tenants in federally backed properties. Following the convening, the FHFA accepted Cleaver’s call to adopt the first-ever tenant protections for renters in multifamily properties with Enterprise-backed mortgages. Participants also heard reports of unacceptable living conditions at Independence Towers and shortly thereafter, Cleaversecured $1,350,000from Fannie Mae to address desperately needed repairs at the apartment complex.
Cleaver has received several awards for his work on housing, including reception of the inaugural Terwilliger Bipartisanship in Housing Award from the Bipartisan Policy Center last year. The award recognized Cleaver’s long-standing leadership and bipartisan work on housing, including on bipartisan legislation such as theChoice in Affordable Housing Actand theRural Housing Service Reform Act. The 2025 Shirley Chisholm Award for Housing is further recognition of Cleaver’s commitment and longstanding work.
“In my view, access to affordable housing has the potential to open doors and unlock opportunities that allow entire families to climb the economic ladder—just like it did for mine,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done on this issue since my first days on the City Council, and I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of Missouri families in the years to come.”
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), along with Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Don’t Miss Your Flight Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would use existing federal funding to create an incentive for surface transportation projects at and within five miles of an airport. This will help improve access and reduce congestion around our busiest airports.
“Memphis International Airport is the second busiest cargo airport in the world. It is imperative that shipments can get in and out of Memphis quickly and effectively,” said Congressman Kustoff. “The Don’t Miss Your Flight Act is critical legislation that will ensure federal funding is used to modify surface transportation around our nation’s busiest airports and help carry us further into the 21st century.”
“Improving access and reducing congestion to our nation’s airports through our next surface transportation reauthorization bill makes good economic sense,” Congressman Cohen said. “Our Memphis International Airport, the nation’s busiest cargo airport, is at the confluence of river, rail and highway circuits we call ‘America’s Distribution Center.’ Updates to the ground infrastructure in Memphis and around the country through grants authorized under the Don’t Miss Your Flight Act will modernize and improve the air traveler’s experience.”
“Our nation’s airports are working overtime to meet growing passenger demand, and our airports in Tennessee are no exception,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Don’t Miss Your Flight Act would use existing federal funding to boost infrastructure projects at and near airports to reduce congestion and make it easier for Americans to catch their flights.”
“We’ve all been there—you’re rushing to the airport but then get stuck in traffic outside while worrying that your flight is going to take off without you,” Senator Duckworth said. “Airports like Chicago O’Hare and so many others are building to keep up with the growing passenger demand, but our surface transportation leading into and out of our airports needs to keep pace. That’s one reason why I’m proud to introduce the Don’t Miss Your Flight Act to help make it easier, faster and more reliable for traveling Americans to get into and out of our airports.”
Background: The Don’t Miss Your Flight Act would create a discretionary grant program using existing Highway Trust funds for road, bridge, tunnel, passenger rail or transit projects that make improvements at and within 5 miles of a public airport that reduce congestion, expand capacity, expand access or rehabilitate surface transportation infrastructure. The Highway Trust Fund is an existing federal account under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. This legislation is endorsed by the Air Line Pilots Association, Airports Council International, American Association of Airport Executives, Allied Pilots Association, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Association of Professional Flight Attendants and Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Roger Williams (25th District of Texas)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25) introduced a resolution expressing support for the designation of July as ‘American Patriotism Month.’ This resolution seeks to celebrate patriotic pride and supports efforts to teach and display patriotism by highlighting heroic acts made by brave men and women throughout American history.
“Throughout American history, patriots have stepped up to protect and defend the American people and uphold the values that make our country the greatest in the history of the world,”said Congressman Williams.“We have created holidays for many groups but fail to adequately celebrate the patriots who made our freedoms possible. American Patriotism Month is an opportunity to reflect on the history of our great country and honor the men and women who carried out the heroic acts that shaped the land we love and call home.”
Read the bill texthere.
Original Cosponsors: Reps. Donalds, McCormick, McDowell, McGuire, Bice, Luna, Norman, and Fleischmann.
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Congressman Roger Williams is the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee and member of the House Financial Services Committee. He proudly represents the 25th Congressional District of Texas.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) questioned the Trump administration’s Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau. During a House Appropriations Committee hearing, Quigley asked Rocheleau how the FAA is reducing airplane noise and how the agency can function with Trump’s recent reduction in critical safety workers.
As Vice-Chair of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, Quigley advocates for reducing plane noise from O’Hare International Airport, which plagues his constituents in areas like Park Ridge and Big Oaks.
“In last year’s FAA reauthorization bill, the Quiet Skies Caucus worked hard to include bipartisan measures to address aviation noise. These measures, like the creation of an aviation noise officer and regional officers, and a requirement that the FAA review and revise noise standards, were in direct response to my constituents’ needs. Despite this accomplishment, we still don’t know if the administration is fulfilling these requirements,” said Quigley. “I’m hoping we can receive an update from the FAA soon, and that we can have a bipartisan discussion with the Caucus.”
“We’re also hearing that 12% of informational specialists — critical safety personnel who update our maps, charts, and data after disturbances in our airspace — have left or are planning on leaving the FAA,” Quigley added.“Who is performing these critical functions in the meantime?”
To watch Quigley’s exchange with Trump’s FAA Administrator, click here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley released the following statement on the recent antisemitic terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, Colorado:
“This weekend, I was horrified to learn about the targeted attack on Jewish protestors in Boulder, Colorado. This weekend’s victims were calling for the release of innocent civilians from captivity and were themselves holding a peaceful demonstration. Violence is simply never the way to resolve political differences, and these antisemitic attacks are a direct threat to the values of justice, dignity, and equality that form the foundation of our democracy. I am grateful to law enforcement and bystanders in each of these incidents who acted quickly to prevent further harm, and I hope the perpetrators face swift justice.
“The recent rise in antisemitic violence is unacceptable. Instead of hate, we must choose unity. That means speaking out when we witness bigotry, against any group, and taking action. I stand with my Jewish neighbors and reaffirm our collective responsibility to build a world where everyone can live without fear.”
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong Gala Dinner this evening (June 6):
Consul General (Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Mrs Christile Drulhe), Alain (President of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong, Mr Alain Li), friends from the French business community, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
overnor Kathy Hochul today issued a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune outlining the potentially disastrous impact that the House’s proposed budget would have on New Yorkers. If enacted, the bill would gut New York’s healthcare system, strip families of crucial nutrition benefits, trigger billions in economic losses through the removal of clean energy tax credits and continue to unfairly tax hard-working New Yorkers by failing to fully repeal the SALT cap.
The House bill slashes $13.5 billion in funding for our healthcare economy through cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplace, putting nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers at risk of losing their health insurance. Safety net hospitals in rural and low-income areas could be forced to shutter their doors permanently and doctors and health care providers would face financial jeopardy. The bill also significantly shrinks federal support for SNAP nutrition and food benefits, making it more difficult for the nearly three million New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to put food on the table for their families.
In addition, the House bill would put the safety and reliability of our power grid at risk by repealing tax credits that support major renewable and energy storage projects with an estimated loss of $25 billion in clean energy investments. The bill would also curtail efforts to reduce housing energy costs and improve resilience by eliminating the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, an important resource to retrofit affordable housing stock. Other proposed measures include gutting student loan programs, levying outrageous taxes on nonprofits and universities, eliminating the popular direct-file program to simplify the tax process, and prohibiting state AI regulation.
The proposed budget would inflict all of these harms while still failing to deliver on a key promise made by New York Republicans in Congress to their constituents: a full repeal of the SALT cap. Congressional Republicans’ decision to impose a new, permanent SALT cap upholds a double-tax on New York taxpayers and unfairly burdens middle-class households.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Majority Leader Thune and Minority Leader Schumer:
As Governor of New York, I am writing to you ahead of the Senate’s consideration of the House reconciliation legislative package to underscore the detrimental impact this bill would have on my state. If enacted, the proposed bill would gut New York’s healthcare system, strip families of crucial nutrition benefits, trigger billions in economic losses through the removal of clean energy tax credits, stagnate growth in education and critical technology sectors, and continue to unfairly tax hard-working New Yorkers by failing to fully repeal the SALT cap. Passage of this legislation would worsen the affordability crisis and inject further instability into an already fragile economy.
Restricting Access to Healthcare: The House bill slashes $13.5 billion in funding for our healthcare economy through cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. Make no mistake: if the Senate passes this legislation and it is signed into law, nearly 1.5 million people in New York will lose their health insurance. Over $3 billion will be lost to our hospitals, with safety net hospitals in rural and low-income areas at significant risk of shuttering their doors permanently. These closures will harm all New Yorkers, regardless of their insurance coverage.
Reducing Food Security: The bill also significantly shrinks federal support for SNAP nutrition and food benefits, making it more difficult for the nearly three million New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to put food on the table for their families. The bill places significant administrative burdens on our state and counties and will create headaches for eligible families in receiving their benefits. States have always played a key role in SNAP; this bill decimates the longstanding federal-state partnership by penalizing states with recurring annual costs. We expect the House-passed bill to cost New York State alone over $2.1 billion annually.
Undermining Energy Modernization and Resilience: The House reconciliation package would put the safety and reliability of our power grid at risk by repealing tax credits that support major renewable and energy storage projects. The financial impact to New York from the loss of the investment tax credit alone would be $25 billion to the state’s current portfolio of large-scale clean energy investments and would further make new projects more expensive for businesses and threaten good-paying union jobs. Added fees on electric vehicles, canceled IRA transportation funding, and the rollback of EV and home energy credits would also drive-up costs statewide. The bill would also curtail efforts to reduce housing energy costs and improve resilience by eliminating the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), an important resource to retrofit our nation’s affordable housing stock.
Education Undermined, Disparities Widened: The House bill threatens to dismantle essential supports for low-income and nontraditional students by imposing restrictive eligibility changes for working, part-time learners; establishing harsh institutional penalties; and eliminating key federal loan programs. In New York, where nearly half of community college students attend part-time and rely heavily on Pell Grants, these changes could force thousands to drop out or incur deeper debt. Additionally, the bill eliminates some subsidized student loans and forces loan risk onto education institutions. Taken together, these provisions represent a regressive shift that threatens to widen educational disparities, destabilize community colleges and minority-serving institutions and undermine national efforts to promote affordable higher education.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Moratorium: The House legislation also includes a highly-problematic and broad prohibition on state AI regulation for a decade. States like New York have passed laws to both invest in the incredible potential of AI and thoughtfully address potential AI harms in the face of federal inaction. Under my leadership, New York has enacted several first-in-the-nation AI safety measures, including the Safe for Kids Act to curb the addictive nature of social media for kids, and safeguards for AI Companion chatbots to reduce harmful interactions. If this federal prohibition remains in reconciliation, the impact is not merely a bureaucratic moratorium; it undermines the states’ fundamental right and responsibility to protect the safety, health, privacy, and economic vitality of its citizens.
Unfair Tax Burdens: Not only does this bill guarantee higher costs, it also fails to deliver on a key promise made by New Yorkers in your caucus to their constituents: a full repeal of the SALT cap. House Republicans’ decision to impose a new, permanent SALT cap upholds a double-tax on New York taxpayers and unfairly burdens households. The bill also levies outrageous taxes on nonprofits including universities, and eliminates the popular direct-file program that simplifies the tax filing process – all in an effort to cut taxes for the richest Americans.
These are just some of the more egregious harms this bill would inflict on my constituents. If New York Republicans in the House refuse to advocate for the best interests of their state, I will. As Governor, I must stand up for middle-class New Yorkers who cannot afford the consequences of this budget. I urge you to reject the House proposal and instead work with Leader Schumer on a bipartisan reconciliation package that delivers for working families, invests in the future, and reflects the real needs of the people we serve.
Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – “Tourism in Sri Lanka is experiencing a robust recovery. This is a benefit for the entire country: we are showing the beauty of our island. We see that the general trend in the country’s economy and society is now positive. It will take some time to fully overcome the crisis of the last three years, but there are encouraging prospects,” Fr. Basel Fernando, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Sri Lanka, told Fides. According to official figures from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, the country will welcome a record number of visitors in 2025: 250,000 visitors in January alone, a new record, and in May 2025, tourism grew by 20% compared to the previous year. In the first five months of 2025, the authority predicts that total visitors exceed the 1 million mark, with a forecast of more than 2 million compared to the previous year. Father Fernando notes to Fides: “We are in a phase of recovery and hope, which is evident at the political, social, and economic levels,” Father Fernando continued. “The new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, elected last fall, has a large majority in parliament; the people supported him primarily to stop corruption. The serious crisis we have plunged into was also due to corruption, with its roots in past mismanagement,” he noted. “Now,” he continued, “the country is saving money, there is no waste of public funds, and there is more prudence.” In addition, “the government has allocated a larger share of the budget to areas such as education and poverty reduction: the poor are receiving greater attention, and thanks to the gradual economic recovery, inflation is under control and the purchasing power of wages is stable. All these social and economic developments create a positive climate and give people real hope for greater prosperity.” Hope, however, according to the National Director, “also shapes the spiritual sphere, the inner being of every person: we see this in the Catholic community when we celebrate the Jubilee of Hope,” he says. “We are here at the level of an inner and spiritual renewal: we are rediscovering hope in our hearts so that we can transmit hope beyond the Church to society, working for peace, justice, goodness, and the witness of charity. It is a time of inner renewal, but then the effects of this hope are felt in our relationships with our neighbors, externally. Let us remember the Jubilee of the Year 2000 and renew the commitment we made at the beginning of the new millennium: to proclaim the Gospel to all creation.”Father Fernando concludes: “The renewal of the Church and of humanity begins with each individual, with the personal conversion of each person, with closeness and personal fidelity to Christ. Here in Sri Lanka, we feel the effects of secularization in the Church and in society as well. The Jubilee, therefore, begins with the transformation of the heart of each person.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 6/6/2025)
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Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – There are 48 States that spend more on interest payments than on education or healthcare. This is according to the report “A World of Debt” by the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Debt service, i.e., the payment of interest on loans received, thus has a major impact on the lives of the poorest countries, as the funds allocated to education, healthcare, and subsidies for the purchase of basic goods and fuel are cut. The protests that took place in Nigeria and Kenya in 2024, primarily among young people, are closely linked to this debt mechanism. In order to pay the interest and reduce their countries’ overall debt, the Kenyan and Nigerian governments had presented financial laws that provided for tax increases and subsidy cuts. During his audience with participants in the conference “Debt Crisis in the Global South” organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on June 5, 2024, Pope Francis said: “In the wake of mismanaged globalization, and in wake of the pandemic and wars, we find ourselves faced with a debt crisis that mainly affects the countries of the global South, causing misery and distress, and depriving millions of people of the possibility of a dignified future.” The Pope expressed hope that the Holy Year 2025 will pave the way for “a bold and creative new international financial architecture.” The UNCTAD report agrees with Pope Francis when he states: “The global financial architecture is no longer able to meet the needs of the world in the 21st century. This is a major challenge for sustainable development.” Therefore, creativity and courage are needed to overcome a financial structure that further widens the gap between rich and poor. According to the UNCTAD report, “Developing countries struggle with an international financial architecture whose deeply entrenched asymmetries exacerbate the impact of successive crises on sustainable development. This system exacerbates their debt burden by limiting their access to finance for sustainable development and forcing them to borrow from more costly external sources.” Recent events have exacerbated this challenge. Rising global interest rates since 2022 have further strained developing countries’ public finances. High interest payments outpace growth in basic public spending such as health, education, and climate change mitigation. In developing countries, home to 3.3 billion people, one in three countries spends more on interest payments than on these key areas of human development. “Debt service for public external debt totaled USD 365 billion in 2022, corresponding to 6.3% of export earnings. By comparison, the 1953 London Agreement on German war debt limited the share of export earnings that could be spent on servicing external debt (public and private) to 5% to avoid undermining the recovery,” states the UNCTAD report, highlighting the different treatment of poorer countries today. It notes, in particular, that 61% of developing countries’ debt is held by private creditors who are subject to little political constraint when demanding interest payments. For this reason, the call Pope Francis made on December 16, 2024, during a meeting with representatives of the banking sector, resonates strongly: “The imminent Jubilee reminds us of the need to forgive debts. It is the condition for fostering hope and future in the life of many people, especially the poor. I encourage you to sow hope. Do not tire of accompanying and keeping the level of social justice high.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 6/6/2025)
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Oventeni (Agenzia Fides) – Approximately 120 students between the ages of 12 and 18 from the 48 indigenous Ashéninka communities in Gran Pajonal are hosted during the school year at the Oventeni student residence, in the province of Atalaya, within the Apostolic Vicariate of San Ramón. “We have two pavillons for girls and two for boys. The state pays for the cooks, the maintenance staff, and the educational assistants who spend most of their time with the children, as well as two psychologists,” says Father Luis Alfonso Tapia Ibáñez, parish priest and coordinator of the ‘Keshiki’ student residence in the parish of San Pascual Bailón.The teachers are appointed by the Apostolic Vicariate of San Ramón and employed by the state. “We form a big family. This is their second home,” the priest affirms. The residence provides adolescents with the opportunity to continue their studies and overcome extreme poverty, both material and educational. Gran Pajonal, located in the central Peruvian jungle, has approximately 38 primary schools. However, the long distances—between 4 and 10 hours on foot over difficult roads—prevent many students from accessing secondary education. Therefore, at the request of parents, a bilingual secondary school was created to promote the students’ cultural identity. During the week, the adolescents reside there and return to their families at weekends.””A large part of the Vicariate is inhabited by native communities made up mostly of children,” emphasizes Gerardo Antón Zerdin, OFM, Bishop of San Ramón, in the latest bulletin of the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood, which supports this initiative. “Childcare is a priority due to the poverty and enormous educational deficiencies faced by these remote communities in the Amazon,” he adds. “The Vicariate directly administers five educational centers (preschool, primary, and secondary), and another fifteen schools are under the responsibility of religious congregations present in the Vicariate area.” These schools are the result of a joint effort between the State and the Church and offer free education. Regular subjects are taught there and the activities of the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood are promoted. However, students face serious risks, such as family instability, criminal gangs, drug use, and various forms of abuse, both within and outside the family environment. “The residence is a great opportunity for young people to get to know God, little by little, and become friends with Jesus at their own pace,” explains Father Tapia Ibáñez, “it is a wonderful opportunity to hear about God, to get to know him little by little, and to become friends of Jesus, each in his own time. The first step is friendship and the example of life. As always, we approach the children and their parents to awaken in them an interest in the Church and the Gospel. Last year, 21 students requested baptism and prepared to receive it.” (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 6/6/2025)
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In this week’s look Around the Air Force, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink delivers a commencement address to the U.S. Air Force Academy’s class of 2025, the T-7A Red Hawk is the future of pilot training, and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters are ready for the Atlantic hurricane season.
Several years ago, an employee at Universal Music came across a cassette tape in a Tokyo warehouse while sorting through archival materials. On it was a recording by the late Taiwanese pop star Teresa Teng that had never been released; the pop ballad, likely recorded in the mid-1980s while Teng was living and performing in Japan, was a collaboration between composer Takashi Miki and lyricist Toyohisa Araki.
Teng died 30 years ago. Most Americans know little about her life and her body of work. Yet the ballads of Teng, who could sing in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and Indonesian, continue to echo through karaoke rooms, on Spotify playlists, at tribute concerts and at family gatherings across Asia and beyond.
I study how pop music has served as a tool of soft power, and I’ve spent the past several years researching Teng’s music and its legacy. I’ve found that Teng’s influence endures not just because of her voice, but also because her music transcends Asia’s political fault lines.
From local star to Asian icon
Born in 1953 in Yunlin, Taiwan, Teresa Teng grew up in one of the many villages that were built to house soldiers and their families who had fled mainland China in 1949 after the communists claimed victory in the Chinese civil war. Her early exposure to traditional Chinese music and opera laid the foundation for her singing career. By age 6, she was taking voice lessons. She soon began winning local singing competitions.
“It wasn’t adults who wanted me to sing,” Teng wrote in her memoir. “I wanted to sing. As long as I could sing, I was happy.”
At 14, Teng dropped out of high school to focus entirely on music, signing with the local label Yeu Jow Records. Soon thereafter, she released her first album, “Fengyang Flower Drum.” In the 1970s, she toured and recorded across Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Southeast Asia, becoming one of Asia’s first truly transnational pop stars.
Teng’s career flourished in the late 1970s and 1980s. She released some of her most iconic tracks, such as her covers of Chinese singer Zhou Xuan’s 1937 hit “When Will You Return?” and Taiwanese singer Chen Fen-lan’s “The Moon Represents My Heart,” and toured widely across Asia, sparking what came to be known as “Teresa Teng Fever.”
In the early 1990s, Teng was forced to stop performing for health reasons. She died suddenly of an asthma attack on May 8, 1995, while on vacation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at the age of 42.
China catches Teng Fever
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Teng’s story is that Teng Fever peaked in China.
During the late 1970s and 1980s, however, China began to relax its political control under Deng Xiaoping’s Reform and Opening Up policy. This sweeping initiative shifted China toward a market-oriented economy, encouraged foreign trade and investment, and cautiously reintroduced global cultural influences after decades of isolation.
Pop music from other parts of the world began trickling in, including Teng’s tender ballads. Her songs could be heard in coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Shanghai, inland cities such as Beijing and Tianjin, and even remote regions such as Tibet. Shanghai’s propaganda department wrote an internal memo in 1980 noting that her music had spread to the city’s public parks, restaurants, nursing homes and wedding halls.
Teng’s immense popularity in China was no accident; it reflected a time in the country’s history when its people were particularly eager for emotionally resonant art after decades of cultural propaganda and censorship.
For a society that had been awash in rote, revolutionary songs like “The East is Red” and “Union is Strength,” Teng’s music offered something entirely different. It was personal, tender and deeply human. Her gentle, approachable style – often described as “angelic” or like that of “a girl next door” – provided solace and a sense of intimacy that had long been absent from public life.
Teng performs ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ in Taipei in 1984.
Teng’s music was also admired for her ability to bridge eras. Her 1983 album “Light Exquisite Feeling” fused classical Chinese poetry with contemporary Western pop melodies, showcasing her gift for blending the traditional and the modern. It cemented her reputation not just as a pop star but as a cultural innovator.
It’s no secret why audiences across China and Asia were so deeply drawn to her and her music. She was fluent in multiple languages; she was elegant but humble, polite and relatable; she was involved in various charities; and she spoke out in support of democratic values.
A sound of home in distant lands
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the Chinese immigrant population in the United States grew to over 1.1 million. Teng’s music has also deeply embedded itself within Chinese diasporic communities across the country. In cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, Chinese immigrants played her music at family gatherings, during holidays and at community events. Walk through any Chinatown during Lunar New Year and you’re bound to hear her voice wafting through the streets.
Teng visits New York City’s Chinatown during her 1980 concert tour in the U.S. Wikimedia Commons
For younger Chinese Americans and even non-Chinese audiences, Teng’s music has become a window into Chinese culture.
When I was studying in the U.S., I often met Asian American students who belted out her songs at karaoke nights or during cultural festivals. Many had grown up hearing her music through their parents’ playlists or local community celebrations.
The release of her recently discovered song is a reminder that some voices do not fade – they evolve, migrate and live on in the hearts of people scattered across the world.
Teresa Teng’s music is still celebrated in Chinatowns across the U.S.
In an age when global politics drive different cultures apart, Teng’s enduring appeal reminds us of something quieter yet more lasting: the power of voice to transmit emotion across time and space, the way a melody can build a bridge between continents and generations.
I recently rewatched the YouTube video for Teng’s iconic 1977 ballad “The Moon Represents My Heart.” As I read the comments section, one perfectly encapsulated what I had discovered about Teresa Teng in my own research: “Teng’s music opened a window to a culture I never knew I needed.”
Xianda Huang 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.
Hundreds of thousands of U.S. nonprofits provide vital services, such as running food banks and youth programs, supporting public health initiatives and helping unemployed people find new jobs. Although this work helps sustain local communities, obtaining the money and staff they require is a constant struggle for many of these groups.
That’s where AmeriCorps often comes in. The independent federal agency for national service and volunteerism has facilitated the work of approximately 200,000 people a year, placing them through partnerships with thousands of nonprofits that provide tutoring, disaster relief and many other important services.
But Americorps’ fate is now uncertain. In April 2025, the Trump administration canceled more than 1,000 grants, suddenly ending the stipends that were supporting more than 32,000 AmeriCorps volunteers. On June 5, a judge ordered that these grants be restored in Washington D.C. and 24 states in response to a lawsuit they had filed. The judge also ordered that all volunteers who had been deployed in those places be reinstated “if they are willing and able to return.”
I’m a sociology and public affairs professor who has studied nonprofits and volunteering for decades. My research suggests that dismantling AmeriCorps would harm the organizations that rely on national service members and take a toll on the communities that benefit from their work.
AmeriCorps explains what the independent national service agency does.
What AmeriCorps does
AmeriCorps traces its roots to the mid-1960s, when Volunteers in Service to America, known as VISTA, was founded as a domestic counterpart to the Peace Corps. Several earlier service programs were consolidated when Congress passed the National and Community Service Trust Act in 1993. AmeriCorps was officially launched in 1994 – and VISTA became one of its programs.
Since then, AmeriCorps members have built housing and infrastructure, delivered disaster relief, tutored in low-income schools, provided health care and helped older adults age with dignity in both urban and rural communities across the nation.
AmeriCorps includes a variety of programs, each designed to address specific public needs. Some AmeriCorps volunteers provide direct services, such as tutoring, food delivery and in disaster response efforts. Others focus on building the long-term capacity of local nonprofits through volunteer recruitment, fundraising strategy and community outreach.
AmeriCorps volunteers, whom the agency calls “members,” are placed in thousands of nonprofits, schools and local agencies. Many of them are recent college graduates or early-career professionals. Some programs specifically ask people over 55 to serve. Those “senior” volunteers support children through the Foster Grandparents program, volunteer for organizations or assist other older people through the Senior Companions program.
Many AmeriCorps volunteers are paid a modest allowance for this work that runs about $500 per week. AmeriCorps senior volunteers receive smaller sums in hourly stipends to offset the costs of volunteering.
Fox40 News in Sacramento, Calif., covers the Trump administration’s reduction of AmeriCorps’ ranks in April 2025.
One such study found that every dollar invested in national service generates $11.80 in benefits for society, such as higher earnings, better mental and physical health, and economic growth. Additionally, every federal dollar spent on national service produces $17.30 in savings across other government programs through reductions in public assistance, health and criminal justice spending.
As part of AmeriCorps’ research grants program, I have received funding to study civic engagement and AmeriCorps programming.
In one of those studies, which I conducted with two former colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin in 2021, we found that VISTA volunteers were able to help nonprofits gain volunteers. After two years, an organization with that support had 71% more volunteers than those that didn’t participate in the VISTA program.
We also found that the longer a nonprofit had a staffer supported by the VISTA program, the more its overall pool of volunteers increased.
Nonprofits with VISTA volunteers also had three times as many donations two years later, compared with nonprofits without VISTA service members. But the total value of donations the nonprofit obtained didn’t always rise. That is, we found that VISTA builds people power, but not necessarily fundraising revenue.
Findings like these indicate that AmeriCorps hasn’t just helped the people it serves or the people who volunteer through the program. It also strengthens nonprofits and increases engagement within local communities, reinforcing the civic fabric that knits communities together.
As members of Congress and the White House decide whether to preserve AmeriCorps, I hope they consider the evidence that demonstrates this worthwhile program’s positive impact.
Pamela Paxton has received funding from the Office of Research and Evaluation at AmeriCorps.
A few years ago, a student in my history of public health course asked why her mother couldn’t afford insulin without insurance, despite having a full-time job. I told her what I’ve come to believe: The U.S. health care system was deliberately built this way.
People often hear that health care in America is dysfunctional – too expensive, too complex and too inequitable. But dysfunction implies failure. What if the real problem is that the system is functioning exactly as it was designed to? Understanding this legacy is key to explaining not only why reform has failed repeatedly, but why change remains so difficult.
I am a historian of public health with experience researching oral health access and health care disparities in the Deep South. My work focuses on how historical policy choices continue to shape the systems we rely on today.
By tracing the roots of today’s system and all its problems, it’s easier to understand why American health care looks the way it does and what it will take to reform it into a system that provides high-quality, affordable care for all. Only by confronting how profit, politics and prejudice have shaped the current system can Americans imagine and demand something different.
Decades of compromise
My research and that of many others show that today’s high costs, deep inequities and fragmented care are predictable features developed from decades of policy choices that prioritized profit over people, entrenched racial and regional hierarchies, and treated health care as a commodity rather than a public good.
In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid programs greatly expanded public health infrastructure. Unfortunately, they also reinforced and deepened existing inequalities. Medicare, a federally administered program for people over 64, primarily benefited wealthier Americans who had access to stable, formal employment and employer-based insurance during their working years. Medicaid, designed by Congress as a joint federal-state program, is aimed at the poor, including many people with disabilities. The combination of federal and state oversight resulted in 50 different programs with widely variable eligibility, coverage and quality.
Southern lawmakers, in particular, fought for this decentralization. Fearing federal oversight of public health spending and civil rights enforcement, they sought to maintain control over who received benefits. Historians have shown that these efforts were primarily designed to restrict access to health care benefits along racial lines during the Jim Crow period of time.
Bloated bureaucracies, ‘creeping socialism’
Today, that legacy is painfully visible.
States that chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are overwhelmingly located in the South and include several with large Black populations. Nearly 1 in 4 uninsured Black adults are uninsured because they fall into the coverage gap – unable to access affordable health insurance – they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to receive subsidies through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace.
The system’s architecture also discourages care aimed at prevention. Because Medicaid’s scope is limited and inconsistent, preventive care screenings, dental cleanings and chronic disease management often fall through the cracks. That leads to costlier, later-stage care that further burdens hospitals and patients alike.
Meanwhile, cultural attitudes around concepts like “rugged individualism” and “freedom of choice” have long been deployed to resist public solutions. In the postwar decades, while European nations built national health care systems, the U.S. reinforced a market-driven approach.
Publicly funded systems were increasingly portrayed by American politicians and industry leaders as threats to individual freedom – often dismissed as “socialized medicine” or signs of creeping socialism. In 1961, for example, Ronald Reagan recorded a 10-minute LP titled “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine,” which was distributed by the American Medical Association as part of a national effort to block Medicare.
The health care system’s administrative complexity ballooned beginning in the 1960s, driven by the rise of state-run Medicaid programs, private insurers and increasingly fragmented billing systems. Patients were expected to navigate opaque billing codes, networks and formularies, all while trying to treat, manage and prevent illness. In my view, and that of other scholars, this isn’t accidental but rather a form of profitable confusion built into the system to benefit insurers and intermediaries.
President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts would reduce Medicaid spending by about US$700 billion.
Coverage gaps, chronic disinvestment
Even well-meaning reforms have been built atop this structure. The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, expanded access to health insurance but preserved many of the system’s underlying inequities. And by subsidizing private insurers rather than creating a public option, the law reinforced the central role of private companies in the health care system.
The public option – a government-run insurance plan intended to compete with private insurers and expand coverage – was ultimately stripped from the Affordable Care Act during negotiations due to political opposition from both Republicans and moderate Democrats.
When the U.S. Supreme Court made it optional in 2012 for states to offer expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, it amplified the very inequalities that the ACA sought to reduce.
These decisions have consequences. In states like Alabama, an estimated 220,000 adults remain uninsured due to the Medicaid coverage gap – the most recent year for which reliable data is available – highlighting the ongoing impact of the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid.
Change is hard not because reformers haven’t tried before, but because the system serves the very interests it was designed to serve. Insurers profit from obscurity – networks that shift, formularies that confuse, billing codes that few can decipher. Providers profit from a fee-for-service model that rewards quantity over quality, procedure over prevention. Politicians reap campaign contributions and avoid blame through delegation, diffusion and plausible deniability.
This is not an accidental web of dysfunction. It is a system that transforms complexity into capital, bureaucracy into barriers.
Patients – especially the uninsured and underinsured – are left to make impossible choices: delay treatment or take on debt, ration medication or skip checkups, trust the health care system or go without. Meanwhile, I believe the rhetoric of choice and freedom disguises how constrained most people’s options really are.
Other countries show us that alternatives are possible. Systems in Germany, France and Canada vary widely in structure, but all prioritize universal access and transparency.
Understanding what the U.S. health care system is designed to do – rather than assuming it is failing unintentionally – is a necessary first step toward considering meaningful change.
Zachary W. Schulz 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.
Living in today’s age of ambitious robotic exploration of Mars, with an eventual human mission to the red planet likely to happen one day, it is hard to imagine a time when Mars was a mysterious and unreachable world. And yet, before the invention of the rocket, astronomers who wanted to explore Mars beyond what they could see through their telescopes had to use their imaginations.
The second half of the 19th century was a particularly interesting time to imagine Mars. This was a period during which the red planet seemed to be ready to give up some of its mystery. Astronomers were learning more about Mars, but they still didn’t have enough information to know whether it hosted life, and if so, what kind.
With more powerful telescopes and new printing technologies, astronomers began applying the cartographic tools of geographers to create the first detailed maps of the planet’s surface, filling it in with continents and seas, and in some cases features that could have been produced by life. Because it was still difficult to see the actual surface features of Mars, these maps varied considerably.
During this period, one prominent scientist and popularizer brought together science and imagination to explore the possibilities that life on another world could hold.
One imaginative thinker whose attention was drawn to Mars during this period was the Parisian astronomer Camille Flammarion. In 1892, Flammarion published “The Planet Mars,” which remains to this day a definitive history of Mars observation up through the 19th century. It summarized all the published literature about Mars since the time of Galileo in the 17th century. This work, he reported, required him to review 572 drawings of Mars.
Like many of his contemporaries, Flammarion concluded that Mars, an older world that had gone through the same evolutionary stages as Earth, must be a living world. Unlike his contemporaries, he insisted that Mars, while it might be the most Earth-like planet in our solar system, was distinctly its own world.
It was the differences that made Mars interesting to Flammarion, not the similarities. Any life found there would be evolutionarily adapted to its particular conditions – an idea that appealed to the author H.G. Wells when he imagined invading Martians in “The War of the Worlds.”
An illustrated plate from ‘Astronomie Populaire – Description Generale du Ciel’ by Camille Flammarion. This map of Mars shows continents and oceans. In this, his best-selling epic work, Flammarion speculated that Mars was ‘an earth almost similar to ours [with] water, air, showers, brooks and fountains. This is certainly a place little different from that which we inhabit.’ Science & Society Picture Library via Getty Images
But Flammarion also admitted that it was difficult to pin down these differences, as “the distance is too great, our atmosphere is too dense, and our instruments are not perfect enough.” None of the maps he reviewed could be taken literally, he lamented, because everyone had seen and drawn Mars differently.
Given this uncertainty about what had actually been seen on Mars’ surface, Flammarion took an agnostic stance in “The Planet Mars” as to the specific nature of life on Mars.
He did, however, consider that if intelligent life did exist on Mars, it would be more ancient than human life on Earth. Logically, that life would be more perfect — akin to the peaceful, unified and technologically advanced civilization he predicted would come into being on Earth in the coming century.
“We can however hope,” he wrote, “that since the world of Mars is older than our own, its inhabitants may be wiser and more advanced than we are. Undoubtedly it is the spirit of peace which has animated this neighboring world.”
A plate from ‘Les Terres du Ciel’ (The Worlds of the Sky) written by Camille Flammarion. The plate is an artist’s impression of how canals on Mars might have looked. Science & Society Picture Library via Getty Images
But as Flammarion informed his readers, “the Known is a tiny island in the midst of the ocean of the Unknown,” a point he often underscored in the more than 70 books he published in his lifetime. It was the “Unknown” that he found particularly tantalizing.
Historians often describe Flammarion more as a popularizer than a serious scientist, but this should not diminish his accomplishments. For Flammarion, science wasn’t a method or a body of established knowledge. It was the nascent core of a new philosophy waiting to be born. He took his popular writing very seriously and hoped it could turn people’s minds toward the heavens.
Imaginative novels
Without resolving the planet’s surface or somehow communicating with its inhabitants, it was premature to speculate about what forms of life might exist on Mars. And yet, Flammarion did speculate — not so much in his scientific work, but in a series of novels he wrote over the course of his career.
In these imaginative works, he was able to visit Mars and see its surface for himself. Unlike his contemporary, the science fiction author Jules Verne, who imagined a technologically facilitated journey to the Moon, Flammarion preferred a type of spiritual journey.
Based on his belief that human souls after death can travel through space in a way that the living body cannot, Flammarion’s novels include dream journeys as well as the accounts of deceased friends or fictional characters.
In his novel “Urania” (1889), Flammarion’s soul visits Mars in a dream. Upon arrival, he encounters a deceased friend, George Spero, who has been reincarnated as a winged, luminous, six-limbed being.
“Organisms can no more be earthly on Mars than they could be aerial at the bottom of the sea,” Flammarion writes.
Later in the same novel, Spero’s soul visits Flammarion on Earth. He reveals that Martian civilization and science have progressed well beyond Earth, not only because Mars is an older world, but because the atmosphere is thinner and more suitable for astronomy.
Flammarion imagined that practicing and popularizing astronomy, along with the other sciences, had helped advance Martian society.
Flammarion’s imagined Martians lived intellectual lives untroubled by war, hunger and other earthly concerns. This was the life Flammarion wanted for his fellow Parisians, who had lived through the devastation of the Franco-Prussian war and suffered starvation and deprivation during the Siege of Paris and its aftermath.
Today, Flammarion’s Mars is a reminder that imagining a future on Mars is as much about understanding ourselves and our societal aspirations as it is about developing the technologies to take us there.
Flammarion’s popularization of science was his means of helping his fellow Earth-bound humans understand their place in the universe. They could one day join his imagined Martians, which weren’t meant to be taken any more literally than the maps of Mars he analyzed for “The Planet Mars.” His world was an example of what life could become under the right conditions.
Matthew Shindell 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.
President Donald Trump’s idea of a “Golden Dome” missile defense system carries a range of potential strategic dangers for the United States.
Golden Dome is meant to protect the U.S. from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles, and missiles launched from space. Trump has called for the missile defense to be fully operational before the end of his term in three years.
Trump’s goals for Golden Dome are likely beyond reach. A wide range of studies makes clear that even defenses far more limited than what Trump envisions would be far more expensive and less effective than Trump expects, especially against enemy missiles equipped with modern countermeasures. Countermeasures include multiple warheads per missile, decoy warheads and warheads that can maneuver or are difficult to track, among others.
Regardless of Golden Dome’s feasibility, there is a long history of scholarship about strategic missile defenses, and the weight of evidence points to the defenses making their host country less safe from nuclear attack.
I’m a national security and foreign policy professor at Harvard University, where I lead “Managing the Atom,” the university’s main research group on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy policies. For decades, I’ve been participating in dialogues with Russian and Chinese nuclear experts – and their fears about U.S. missile defenses have been a consistent theme throughout.
Russian President Vladmir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have already warned that Golden Dome is destabilizing. Along with U.S. offensive capabilities, Golden Dome poses a threat of “directly undermining global strategic stability, spurring an arms race and increasing conflict potential both among nuclear-weapon states and in the international arena as a whole,” a joint statement from China and Russia said. While that is a propaganda statement, it reflects real concerns broadly held in both countries.
Golden Dome explained.
History lessons
Experience going back half a century makes clear that if the administration pursues Golden Dome, it is likely to provoke even larger arms buildups, derail already-dim prospects for any negotiated nuclear arms restraint, and perhaps even increase the chances of nuclear war.
My first book, 35 years ago, made the case that it would be in the U.S. national security interest to remain within the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which strictly limited U.S. and Soviet – and later Russian – missile defenses. The United States and the Soviet Union negotiated the ABM Treaty as part of SALT I, the first agreements limiting the nuclear arms race. It was approved in the Senate 98-2.
The ABM Treaty experience is instructive for the implications of Golden Dome today.
Why did the two countries agree to limit defenses? First and foremost, because they understood that unless each side’s defenses were limited, they would not be able to stop an offensive nuclear arms race. If each side wants to maintain the ability to retaliate if the other attacks – “don’t nuke me, or I’ll nuke you” – then an obvious answer to one side building up more defenses is for the other to build up more nuclear warheads.
For example, in the 1960s and 1970s, the Soviets installed 100 interceptors to defend Moscow – so the United States targeted still more warheads on Moscow to overwhelm the defense. Had it ever come to a nuclear war, Moscow would have been even more thoroughly obliterated than if there had been no defense at all. Both sides came to realize that unlimited missile defenses would just mean more offense on both sides, leaving both less secure than before.
In addition, nations viewed an adversary’s shield as going hand in hand with a nuclear sword. A nuclear first strike might destroy a major part of a country’s nuclear forces. Missile defenses would inevitably be more effective against the reduced, disorganized retaliation that they knew would be coming than they would be against a massive, well-planned surprise attack. That potential advantage to whoever struck first could make nuclear crises even more dangerous.
Post-ABM Treaty world
Unfortunately, President George W. Bush pulled the United States out of the ABM Treaty in 2002, seeking to free U.S. development of defenses against potential missile attacks from small states such as North Korea. But even now, decades later, the U.S. has fewer missile interceptors deployed (44) than the treaty permitted (100).
The U.S. pullout did not lead to an immediate arms buildup or the end of nuclear arms control. But Putin has complained bitterly about U.S. missile defenses and the U.S. refusal to accept any limitation at all on them. He views the U.S. stance as an effort to achieve military superiority by negating Russia’s nuclear deterrent.
Russia is investing heavily in new types of strategic nuclear weapons intended to avoid U.S. missile defenses, from an intercontinental nuclear torpedo to a missile that can go around the world and attack from the south, while U.S. defenses are mainly pointed north toward Russia.
Similarly, much of China’s nuclear buildup appears to be driven by wanting a reliable nuclear deterrent in the face of the United States’ capability to strike its nuclear forces and use missile defenses to mop up the remainder. Indeed, China was so angered by South Korea’s deployment of U.S.-provided regional defenses – which they saw as aiding the U.S. ability to intercept their missiles – that they imposed stiff sanctions on South Korea.
Fuel to the fire
Now, Trump wants to go much further, with a defense “forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland,” with a success rate “very close to 100%.” I believe that this effort is highly likely to lead to still larger nuclear buildups in Russia and China. The Putin-Xi joint statement pledges to “counter” defenses “aimed at achieving military superiority.”
Given the ease of developing countermeasures that are extraordinarily difficult for defenses to overcome, odds are the resulting offense-defense competition will leave the United States worse off than before – and a good bit poorer.
Putin and Xi made clear that they are particularly concerned about the thousands of space-based interceptors Trump envisions. These interceptors are designed to hit missiles while their rockets are still burning during launch.
Most countries are likely to oppose the idea of deploying huge numbers of weapons in space – and these interceptors would be both expensive and vulnerable. China and Russia could focus on further developing anti-satellite weapons to blow a hole in the defense, increasing the risk of space war.
Already, there is a real danger that the whole effort of negotiated limits to temper nuclear arms racing may be coming to an end. The last remaining treaty limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, the New START Treaty, expires in February 2026. China’s rapid nuclear buildup is making many defense officials and experts in Washington call for a U.S. buildup in response.
Intense hostility all around means that for now, neither Russia nor China is even willing to sit down to discuss nuclear restraints, in treaty form or otherwise.
A way forward
In my view, adding Golden Dome to this combustible mix would likely end any prospect of avoiding a future of unrestrained and unpredictable nuclear arms competition. But paths away from these dangers are available.
It would be quite plausible to design defenses that would provide some protection against attacks from a handful of missiles from North Korea or others that would not seriously threaten Russian or Chinese deterrent forces – and design restraints that would allow all parties to plan their offensive forces knowing what missile defenses they would be facing in the years to come.
I believe that Trump should temper his Golden Dome ambitions to achieve his other dream – of negotiating a deal to reduce nuclear dangers.
Matthew Bunn is a member of the National Academies Committee on International Security and Arms Control and a board member of the Arms Control Association. He is a member of the Academic Alliance of the United States Strategic Command and a consultant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Have you been hearing about the dire wolf lately? Maybe you saw a massive white wolf on the cover of Time magazine or a photo of “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin holding a puppy named after a character from his books.
The dire wolf, a large, wolflike species that went extinct about 12,000 years ago, has been in the news after biotech company Colossal claimed to have resurrected it using cloning and gene-editing technologies. Colossal calls itself a “de-extinction” company. The very concept of de-extinction is a lightning rod for criticism. There are broad accusations of playing God or messing with nature, as well as more focused objections that contemporary de-extinction tools create poor imitations rather than truly resurrected species.
While the biological and philosophical debates are interesting, the legal ramifications for endangered species conservation are of paramount importance. As a legal scholar with a Ph.D. in wildlife genetics, my work focuses on how we legally define the term “endangered species.” The use of biotechnology for conservation, whether for de-extinction or genetic augmentation of existing species, promises solutions to otherwise intractable problems. But it needs to work in harmony with both the letter and purpose of the laws governing biodiversity conservation.
What did Colossal actually do? Scientists extracted and sequenced DNA from Ice Age-era bones to understand the genetic makeup of the dire wolf. They were able to piece together around 90% of a complete dire wolf genome. While the gray wolf and the dire wolf are separated by a few million years of evolution, they share over 99.5% of their genomes.
The scientists scanned the recovered dire wolf sequences for specific genes that they believed were responsible for the physical and ecological differences between dire wolves and other species of canids, including genes related to body size and coat color. CRISPR gene-editing technology allows scientists to make specific changes in the DNA of an organism. The Colossal team used CRISPR to make 20 changes in 14 different genes in a modern gray wolf cell before implanting the embryo into a surrogate mother.
While the technology on display is marvelous, what should we call the resulting animals? Some commentators argue that the animals are just modified gray wolves. They point out that it would take far more than 20 edits to bridge the gap left by millions of years of evolution. For instance, that 0.5% of the genome that doesn’t match in the two species represents over 12 million base pair differences.
Colossal, on the other hand, maintains that it is in the “functional de-extinction” game. The company acknowledges it isn’t making a perfect dire wolf copy. Instead it wants to recreate something that looks and acts like the dire wolf of old. It prefers the “if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck” school of speciation.
Disagreements about taxonomy – the science of naming and categorizing living organisms – are as old as the field itself. Biologists are notorious for failing to adopt a single clear definition of “species,” and there are dozens of competing definitions in the biological literature.
Biologists can afford to be flexible and imprecise when the stakes are merely a conversational misunderstanding. Lawyers and policymakers, on the other hand, do not have that luxury.
President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act in December 1973. Associated Press
To be protected by the act, an organism must be a member of an endangered or threatened species. Some of the most contentious ESA issues are definitional, such as whether the listed species is a valid “species” and whether individual organisms, especially hybrids, are members of the listed species.
Colossal’s functional species concept is anathema to the Endangered Species Act. It shrinks the value of a species down to the way it looks or the way it functions. When passing the act, however, Congress made clear that species were to be valued for their “aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.” In my view, the myopic focus on function seems to miss the point.
Despite its insistence otherwise, Colossal’s definitional sleight of hand has opened the door to arguments that people should reduce conservation funding or protections for currently imperiled species. Why spend the money to protect a critter and its habitat when, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, you can just “pick your favorite species and call up Colossal”?
Putting biotechnology to work for conservation
Biotechnology can provide real conservation benefits for today’s endangered species. I suggest gene editing’s real value is not in recreating facsimiles of long-extinct species like dire wolves, but instead using it to recover ones in trouble now.
For example, Colossal has also announced that it has cloned a red wolf. Unlike the dire wolf, the red wolf is not extinct, though it came extremely close. After decades of conservation efforts, there are about a dozen red wolves in the wild in the reintroduced population in eastern North Carolina, as well as a few hundred red wolves in captivity.
The entire population of red wolves, both wild and captive, descends from merely 14 founders of the captive breeding program. This limited heritage means the species has lost a significant amount of the genetic diversity that would help it continue to evolve and adapt.
In order to reintroduce some of that missing genetic diversity, you’d need to find genetic material from red wolves outside the managed population. Right now that would require stored tissue samples from animals that lived before the captive breeding program was established or rediscovering a “lost” population in the wild.
Recently, researchers discovered that coyotes along the Texas Gulf Coast possess a sizable percentage of red wolf-derived DNA in their genomes. Hybridization between coyotes and red wolves is both a threat to red wolves and a natural part of their evolutionary history, complicating management. The red wolf genes found within these coyotes do present a possible source of genetic material that biotechnology could harness to help the captive breeding population if the legal hurdles can be managed.
This coyote population was Colossal’s source for its cloned “ghost” red wolf. Even this announcement is marred by definitional confusion. Due to its hybrid nature, the animal Colossal cloned is likely not legally considered a red wolf at all.
Under the Endangered Species Act, hybrid organisms are typically not protected. So by cloning one of these animals, Colossal likely sidestepped the need for ESA permits. It will almost certainly run into resistance if it attempts to breed these “ghost wolves” into the current red wolf captive breeding program that has spent decades trying to minimize hybridization. How much to value genetic “purity” versus genetic diversity in managed species still proves an extraordinarily difficult question, even without the legal uncertainty.
Biotechnology could never solve every conservation problem – especially habitat destruction. The ability to make “functional” copies of a species certainly does not lessen the urgency to respond to biodiversity loss, nor does it reduce human beings’ moral culpability. But to adequately respond to the ever-worsening biodiversity crisis, conservationists will need all available tools.
Alex Erwin 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: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 6, 2025/APO Group/ —
Ghana purchased and exported $4 billion worth of gold from the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector between February and May 2025, according to Sammy Gyamfi, Managing Director, Ghana Gold Board.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit on Tuesday, Gyamfi said gold purchasing and exportation was made through the newly established Ghana Gold Board, aimed at curbing illicit gold trading in Ghana.
“Gold exports from ASM players have exceeded exports from the large-scale sector for the first time. Total gold exported from the ASM sector between February and May reached a new record of 41 tons,” he stated.
According to Gyamfi, the milestone has increased foreign currency contributed by the ASM sector for the government with in May 2025 alone the sector producing and exporting 11 tons of gold worth up to $1,172 billion in export revenue.
“The data shows the potential of the ASM if properly annexed,” he added.
He also announced various upcoming initiatives aimed at empowering the ASM sector and its contribution gold sector expansion while addressing illicit mining. These include launching an ASM skills training program in September 2025 and investments in the Community Mining Scheme operated by the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources.
The Ghana Gold Board will also launch an Anti-Smuggling Taskforce to address illicit export of gold and a gold tokenization facility to maximize traceability of Ghanaian resources.
The board also plans to establish an international standardization facility in the country by 2026 to ensure responsible sourcing and sustainability across the entire gold value chain.
Responding to jailed Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong being newly charged with “conspiring to collude with foreign forces” under the city’s National Security Law, Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said:
“Hong Kong’s National Security Law may be turning five years old at the end of the month, and these new charges against Joshua Wong show that its capacity to be used by the Hong Kong authorities to threaten human rights in the city is as potent and present as ever.
“Once again, the vague and sweeping offence of ‘collusion with foreign forces’ is being weaponized to justify an attack on the freedoms of expression and association.
“Wong, already jailed for his participation in informal primaries, would have been released in a year and a half. But if this case goes forward, he could face as much as a life sentence.
“This latest charge against him underscores the authorities’ fear of prominent dissidents and shows the lengths they will go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible – in so doing, continuing a chilling effect on civic activism in the city. The Hong Kong government must drop these charges and cease enforcing the National Security Law immediately, as called for by UN bodies. All people jailed simply for exercising their human rights must be set free.”
Background
Joshua Wong was on Friday charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces under Hong Kong’s Beijing-imposed National Security Law.
The prominent activist, who was one of 45 opposition figures jailed under the National Security Law last year over their participation in unofficial “primaries”in 2020, faced the new national security offence in court on Friday.
Under the new charge, Wong is reportedly accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and “other persons unknown” between July 2020 and November 2020 to request foreign countries or organizations to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or China. The new charge carries a potential life sentence.
Wong was previously sentenced to four years and eight months for “conspiracy to commit subversion” in Hong Kong’s largest prosecution under the National Security Law.
Hong Kong’s human rights situation has deteriorated dramatically since 2020, with more than 300 people arrested for violating the Beijing-imposed National Security Law or a colonial-era “sedition” law. In addition, the so-called Article 23 legislation introduced last year by the territorial/local authorities has further deepened repression and silenced opposition voices in the city.
06 JUNE 2025 – Energy Perspectives 2025 presents four scenarios for the future world economy, international energy markets and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Long-term forecasts of the development in global energy markets are normally very difficult. As this year’s Energy Perspectives report is published, the task is even more complex, as global markets and geopolitics are undergoing massive shifts with unpredictable consequences in both the shorter and longer term. Political priorities affecting global energy markets are shifting further away from decarbonisation towards energy affordability and security of energy supply. On top of this, it is nearly impossible to gauge the short-term impact of trade conflicts and new rules in the geopolitics game.
“The geopolitical landscape and trade conflicts clearly illustrate that the global cooperation needed for a Paris-aligned energy transition is not present”, says SVP and Chief economist Eirik Wærness.
A global energy transition roughly in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement has become severely delayed and more fragmented, and global greenhouse emissions continued to increase last year. Despite numerous positive developments, the macroeconomic, political and geopolitical realities are characterised by lack of trust, cooperation and burden-sharing, that are slowing down the pace of change foreseen in the Paris Agreement. A reversal of this development will take time, and its success is by no means guaranteed. With short-termism and local and regional priorities dominating policy making, the necessary global changes in the direction of truly sustainable development, balancing the different concerns in the energy trilemma, will be further delayed.
Energy Perspectives 2025 presents four scenarios for the future world economy, international energy markets and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The scenarios are built to show how divergent drivers in the energy trilemma (energy security, affordability and decarbonisation) affect long-term developments. The scenarios are not predictions, but possible contrasting pathways, providing a platform for debate, strategic planning and decision making.
“The insights and analysis provided by Energy Perspectives help us navigate short-term uncertainties without losing sight of long-term tr
Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations
While in Paris, France, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with Mr. Remy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Agence Française De Développement, (AFD), the French development agency, on 6 June 2025. SG Dr. Kao expressed his appreciation for AFD’s role in supporting the implementation of various projects under the ASEAN-France Development Partnership. Both sides also exchanged views on ways to further advance ASEAN-France cooperation.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with CEO of the Agence Française De Développement (AFD), in Paris appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Document
Resolution of May 31, 2025 No. 829
Commercial and government organizations may enter into agreements with regulatory authorities on the proper elimination of identified violations. From the moment the agreement is concluded, the order to eliminate the identified violation is suspended. The corresponding resolution was signed by the Government. This instrument is aimed at reducing the administrative burden on business as part of improving control and supervisory activities under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.
The organizations that may apply for the conclusion of an agreement include government agencies, local government bodies, state and municipal institutions, as well as city-forming and strategic enterprises, defense industry organizations, enterprises in the housing and utilities sector, energy, communications, transport, agriculture, and pharmaceutical production.
Applications from organizations will be considered only for those types of supervision where the controlled entities are primarily organizations of strategic or high socio-economic importance. The effect of the resolution extends to eight types of control:
— federal state supervision in the field of industrial safety,
— Federal State Energy Supervision,
— federal state supervision in the field of safety of hydraulic structures,
— Federal State Mining Supervision,
— federal state environmental control (supervision),
— federal state geological control (supervision),
— federal state land control (supervision);
— federal state licensing control of activities related to the production of medicines.
“The mechanism of agreements will prevent situations when administrative liability for a detected violation may lead to a halt in production, staff reductions, or a reduction in the output of socially significant products. Control authorities must accommodate organizations and build partnerships with them. Especially if eliminating violations requires significant financial and time costs, or the allocation of additional budget funds,” commented Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.
To conclude an agreement, organizations develop a draft program for eliminating the identified violations and provide documents confirming that significant time, material costs and capital investments are needed to eliminate the violations. This must be done within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the order.
The signed agreement is being coordinated with the prosecutor’s office.
If an agreement is concluded and comes into force, the order regarding the identified violations of mandatory requirements is suspended; after their elimination, the controlled person is not subject to administrative liability.
Applications can be submitted for violations identified since June 1, 2025. Applications will be denied for those that pose a direct threat to human life and health. For example, if we are talking about corrosion or partial destruction of power line supports, which can lead to collapse, line breakage and, as a result, mass power outages.
This resolution was developed by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and adopted in pursuance of the amendments to the Federal Law “On State Control (Supervision) and Municipal Control in the Russian Federation” that came into force in 2025.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The All-Russian Society of the Blind (VOS) today unites more than 185 thousand people and helps them overcome difficulties, protect their rights and live interesting, fulfilling lives.
On June 9, 2025, the Bank of Russia will issue into circulation a commemorative silver coin of 3 rubles denomination “100th Anniversary of the All-Russian Society of the Blind” from the “Historical Events” series (catalog No. 5111-0520).
The silver coin with a face value of 3 rubles (pure precious metal weight – 31.1 g, alloy fineness – 925) has the shape of a circle with a diameter of 39.0 mm.
There is a raised edge around the circumference of both the front and back sides of the coin.
On the obverse of the coin there is a relief image of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation, the inscriptions “RUSSIAN FEDERATION”, “BANK OF RUSSIA”, the coin denomination “3 RUBLES”, the date “2025”, the designation of the metal according to the Periodic Table of Elements of D.I. Mendeleyev, the alloy fineness, the trademark of the St. Petersburg Mint and the pure mass of the precious metal.
On the reverse side of the coin there is a colored relief logo of the All-Russian Society of the Blind; a relief inscription “100 years” in Braille; at the bottom there is a relief inscription in two lines “100 YEARS”. Above the VOS logo there is a QR code made using the laser matting technique. When you point the smartphone camera at it, the official VOS website opens, where you can get information about the coin using audio description.
The side surface of the coin is ribbed.
The coin is made in proof quality.
The mintage of the coin is 5.0 thousand pieces.
The issued coin is a legal tender in the territory of the Russian Federation and must be accepted at face value for all types of payments without restrictions.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
