“Almost 1,200 students from Film College No. 40 “Moscow International Film School” and Entrepreneurship College No. 11 will be able to work on the world’s largest location for filming on location. They will use the modern infrastructure not only on specially designated days, but also upon individual requests. The guys will be able to work on any of the 24 locations. This will help them consolidate their knowledge and implement their projects in professional conditions,” the press service of the Department of Education and Science said.
Thus, regular career guidance excursions to the sites are held for college students. Such practice develops creative thinking and provides an opportunity to gain knowledge that will be useful in a future career. And the guys from Film College No. 40 “Moscow International Film School” We have already filmed a scene in the film park’s airplane for the educational film “Boeing”.
“I really enjoyed working on the set. We filmed in the cockpit of a real airplane. Special fences were installed around the place where we worked and an observer was appointed so that no one would interfere with us. The curator would come periodically and check if everything was okay. The filming went great thanks to the Moskino film park team. It was a wonderful experience,” shared Andrey Romashov, third-year student and editor of the educational film “Boeing.”
The Moskino Cinema Park is part of Sergei Sobyanin’s Moscow — City of Cinema project and an object of the Moscow film cluster, which is being developed by the capital’s Department of Culture. The first stage of creation has already been completed: 24 natural sites, four pavilions and six infrastructure facilities have been built, including the sets of the Center of Moscow, Moscow of the 1940s, Vitebsk Station, Cathedral Square of Moscow, County Town, Cowboy Town, St. Petersburg Bar and other sites.
The Moscow Film Cluster is an infrastructure facility, services and facilities for filmmakers, which are being developed by the Moscow Government within the framework of the Moscow — City of Cinema project. Its structure includes the Moskino Film Park, the Gorky Film Studio (sites on Sergei Eisenstein Street and Valdaisky Proyezd), the Moskino Film Factory, the Moskino Cinema Network, the Film Commission and the Moskino Film Platform.
The admissions campaign in Moscow colleges will begin on June 26. Applicants will be able to submit applications online on the portal Mos.ru simultaneously for five specialties in one educational institution or distribute the choice between several colleges.
Detailed information about the professions and specialties taught in the capital’s colleges is available at website, in the telegram channel“Colleges of Moscow” and the same name community on the social network VKontakte.
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
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WATCH: Padilla Exposes Cruelty of Republican Plan to Cut $300 Billion in Essential SNAP Benefits
WATCH: Padilla highlights critical importance of federal nutrition services for helping American economy and vulnerable communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined a spotlight forum titled “Hunger by Design — The GOP’s Assault on SNAP” to question witnesses and expose President Trump and Republicans’ cruel budget proposal that would slash $300 billion in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits while giving tax cuts to billionaires. As Trump’s tariffs raise food costs for American families, the cuts to SNAP would threaten a vital lifeline for over 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans.
Senator Padilla warned against the devastating SNAP cuts to pay for Republicans’ billionaire-first agenda.
“We’re here today because in order to make life easier for billionaires — apparently that’s an agenda item — Congressional Republicans are pushing a budget bill that would literally harm young children, would harm single mothers, would harm Americans with disabilities, would harm countless seniors, some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. And Republicans would have you believe that SNAP benefits are some sort of luxury the way they talk about it. Nobody aspires to live on food stamps. What food stamps are is a lifeline for millions of Americans.”
“It’s outright cruelty, literally taking from the poor to give to the rich. No one in our country should go hungry because billionaires need another tax break. That’s the Republican agenda. So today we’re here to expose these devastating cuts — literally the largest in history — for what they really are: tax breaks for billionaires paid for by the most vulnerable in our society.”
Padilla highlighted that the Republican budget reconciliation bill targets immigrants legally residing in the United States. He also underscored that Californians who are undocumented pay $8.5 billion dollars a year in taxes, yet are generally excluded from public programs like SNAP, the child tax credit, and Medicaid that their tax dollars pay for. He heard from Barbara C. Guinn, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, about the devastating impacts of withholding food assistance for lawfully present immigrants who depend on SNAP.
PADILLA: “One of the most concerning elements of the bill is how it targets immigrant communities. There’s immigrants in every state in the nation. It targets them through deliberate exclusions of tax-paying noncitizens or their families from receiving child tax credit, Medicaid, and SNAP. … Commissioner Guinn, can you share how the bill would take food assistance away from lawfully present immigrants who have long been eligible for SNAP, and what the consequences would be for immigrant communities at large?”
GUINN: “… The SNAP program, first, already has some pretty stringent limitations on the extent to which noncitizens can receive benefits. So the fact that this bill goes even farther in reducing access for individuals who are legally, lawfully present in our country is of great concern. In New York State, we estimate that as a result of the provisions in the House bill to further prevent legal noncitizens from accessing food benefits would impact about 70,000 individuals. … SNAP is typically temporary. It is often received by individuals who are trying really hard to work, putting a couple of jobs together. That’s no different for these immigrants who are legally present in our country, and we believe that they should continue to receive SNAP benefits, and actually would prefer to move in a different direction, to expand access for additional legally [present] noncitizens.”
Padilla also questioned Northwestern University Professor Dr. Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach on the economic importance of preserving SNAP benefits. Dr. Schanzenbach emphasized that SNAP is especially important during economic downturns and after natural disasters, citing the critical safety net provided by expanding nutrition assistance during the Great Recession. SNAP supports roughly 390,000 jobs and $20 billion in wages every year.
PADILLA: “Dr. Schanzenbach, you’ve talked about how SNAP doesn’t just fight against hunger, it actually is a driver of local economies throughout the country, impacting farmers, food producers, grocery retailers, truck drivers, et cetera. Can you just expand on what those economic impacts would be?”
SCHANZENBACH: “… SNAP, and because of the full federal funding of SNAP, can very quickly expand in economic downturns. That means that people can still go to the grocery store, and it means that the grocery store doesn’t have to lay off certain people, and it has often been the most effective stimulus money that we’ve spent. Like during the Great Recession, they topped up benefits by like 15 percent. The studies came back and found… something like $1.75 return for every dollar that you spent on those increased benefits. SNAP is a very effective tool. It’s also particularly effective when, when there are natural disasters, like the fires in California. You know, we saw a little bit about the spillover effects on other people, right? Because we live in a society where our economic well-being is interconnected, and if we pull the rug out from one sector that’s going to have ripple effects.”
PADILLA: “Appreciate you mentioning that it’s not just economic downturns, but with the increasing frequency and scale of natural disasters, the role and impact of SNAP there as well.”
Video of Senator Padilla’s remarks and questioning is available here.
Last month, Senator Padilla issued a statement slamming House Republicans’ billionaire-first budget reconciliation bill that will gut critical programs, including SNAP, and devastate families in California and across the country. Padilla previously spoke on the Senate floor against the Republican budget resolution, and voted against advancing it in the Senate in both February and April.
Police have arrested a man after he allegedly used Facebook Marketplace to fleece people of more than $150,000 worth of goods.
This morning officers from Waitematā West Tactical Crime Unit assisted by the Armed Offenders Squad, conducted a search warrant at a Massey address.
Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting says Police had been looking for the male who was wanted in relation to 17 dodgy deals between November 2024 and April this year.
“This man was allegedly involved in Facebook Marketplace deals for 17 different vehicles or high value items including phones and jewellery.
“We allege this person has attended public places to meet the sellers and do ‘bank transfers’ described as looking very real, including using fake IDs and fake drivers licenses.
“Unfortunately the sellers have let the vehicles/goods go with the offender before later realising no transfer has occurred.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Bunting says the alleged offender has obtained goods to the tune of $150,000.
“Several vehicles have been recovered and further enquiries are ongoing.”
He says Police are not ruling out further charges.
“While it is a very effective buy and sell platform, it’s also a successful hunting ground for criminals to buy items using a fake bank transfer or sell items that don’t exist and don’t deliver.
“These types of scams can be difficult for Police to investigate so we are urging those who use the buy and sell platform to exercise caution and do their due-diligence first.”
Police encourage anyone choosing to use the buy and sell platform to follow the following advice:
• Insist on meeting to conduct transactions and examine the item before completing the transaction
• Meet in a public place and take a friend. DO NOT go into someone’s house or allow them into yours
• DO NOT deposit money into another person’s account before you have received the item
• Ensure that cleared funds have arrived in your account, don’t rely on sellers ID, screenshots or viewing funds being transferred on an app
• Learning more about the person you are buying from or selling to. Note: You can tap on a person’s profile on the product listing page to see if you have any friends in common, their marketplace activity, and any ratings they
may have received
• Ensure friends and family, especially anyone vulnerable, understand what to do to protect themselves. Be the person to provide that ongoing support and advice
• Trust your instincts – if it’s too good to be true or sounds like a scam, it probably is
If you believe you are or have been a victim of fraud, contact Police at www.police.govt.nz/use-105, or call Police on 105 and report the matter.
If you have handed over your bank details, contact your bank and immediately suspend your account.
A 36-year-old man will appear in Waitākere District Court today facing 17 charges of obtaining by deception.
EIT has officially launched a refreshed phase of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Worker Training Programme, set to equip thousands of Pacific seasonal workers with practical skills.
The new programme, known as NOA Village of Learning, marks the beginning of Phase III of the MFAT-funded initiative, which has been running since 2007. The contract, which was awarded to EIT at the end of last year, will see the institute deliver more than 150 courses annually to up to 2,250 RSE workers across the country.
The training focuses on building transferable skills that workers can use both during their time in New Zealand and when they return home to support their families and communities. Courses are already underway in the Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay. Further rollouts are planned for Central Otago, Auckland and Northland.
Community and industry leaders, staff and invited guests gathered at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus to celebrate the launch of NOA – Village of Learning, the next phase of the RSE Worker Training Programme.
The programme was launched last month with a pōwhiri and a Fijian-led kava ceremony at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale. Around 70 guests attended, including Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, representatives from Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, iwi leaders, church ministers, RSE employers and workers, government officials and industry partners.
EIT Operations Lead Glen Harkness said the programme reflects EIT’s commitment to growth and community.
“NOA is designed to support RSE workers on their journey to growth and the future,” Glen said. “At EIT we believe education and training is not just a process. It is a pathway to growth, community and success.”
He said NOA represents more than workforce development.
“This initiative is about strengthening social and economic wellbeing across the Pacific,” he said. “It reflects what can be achieved when we listen, collaborate and work together with a shared purpose.” RSE Pacific Advisory Group Chair Tofilau Talalelei Taufale said: “This is the dawning of a refreshed approach to work-skills development for RSE workers”.
“Not only that, the wider implications with pedagogy and learner-centred curriculum will add to the weaving of the ʻie toga’, the fine mat of Pacific education here at EIT.”
EIT RSE National Operations Manager Meriama Taufale, who leads the implementation of NOA, said it was a privilege to serve in this space.
“Education is power, but being educated is powerful. Being able to enable and empower our RSE workers and their whānau to participate in the RSE Worker Training Programme is, for some, life-changing.”
RSE workers led a Fijian Kava ceremony at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus to celebrate the launch of a refreshed phase of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Worker Training Programme.
She said the programme is built around a Pacific philosophy of reciprocity and reintegration.
“It is only right that we give them something to take home, considering a lot of the social disruption that happens in the RSE sector and what they are giving up to be here,” she said.
The programme includes two learning streams. NIU Learning, formerly Essential Learning, introduces skills such as financial literacy, digital capability, healthy living and human rights. MANAVA, the elective stream, includes hands-on vocational training in trades, small business, leadership and hospitality, aligned to the needs of labour-sending countries.
Meriama describes the model as community-driven and culturally grounded.
“The key for us is that we have facilitators who are language speakers so they can contextualise the learning. This will ensure it is not the team leaders or workers who have to translate,” she said. “We are also in the process of translating the learning material for them as well.”
Meriama said the launch marked a major milestone for the team and that collaboration would be key to its success.
“This has been a huge milestone for the team. But it is only the beginning of what we hope to build together because it really does take a village.”
EIT carpentry apprentice Hohepa Goulton (Ngāti Kahungunu) will represent Hawke’s Bay at the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge National Final, after winning the regional title earlier this year.
The 19-year-old from Flaxmere is in his second year of the New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4) and studies at EIT while working full-time at Mark Roil Hawkes Bay Homes.
EIT carpentry apprentice Hohepa Goulton (Ngāti Kahungunu) will represent Hawke’s Bay at the NZCB Apprentice Challenge National Final in Hamilton this weekend, after winning the regional title in April.
He is one of 19 regional champions from across the country set to compete in the national final, to be held this weekend (June 6–7) in Hamilton.
“I’m a bit nervous, but I’m happy about it. It’s a cool opportunity and I’m proud to be going,” Hohepa says. Over two days, finalists will take part in a four-part competition that assesses their practical skills, communication, and career readiness.
The practical skills test will see each apprentice given just one hour to build a traditional saw stool using hand and small power tools. Judging will focus on accuracy, speed, and technique, and will be carried out by industry professionals, including last year’s apprentice winner.
Finalists will also complete a panel interview, deliver a project presentation, and submit a CV and portfolio showcasing their work and community involvement. The overall National Champion will be announced at the NZCB Gala Dinner on Saturday evening and will take home the prestigious Ken Read Memorial Trophy along with $10,000 worth of prizes.
Hohepa earned his place at the national final after winning the Hawke’s Bay regional event in April. He had just eight hours to construct a planter box, which he has since donated to Te Kōhanga Reo o Keita Puriri rāua ko Hana Cotter.
It wasn’t his first time competing. Last year, Hohepa came fourth in the same regional competition, just four months into his apprenticeship.
Returning this year with a full year of experience and a new level of confidence, the result was different.
“It means a lot. Last year I didn’t really know how to use the tools properly. This year I felt way more confident and just gave it a go. I didn’t expect to come first.”
He says his success reflects the support he’s received through both his apprenticeship and EIT training.
“The tutors and qualified builders have been a big help. I asked a lot of questions before the competition, and they showed me little tricks to help with setup and technique. That made a big difference.”
A former Hastings Boys’ High School student, Hohepa discovered his love of carpentry in Year 10 wood tech. He continued with practical classes throughout school and was named top student in his Year 13 pre-trade course. With no immediate job lined up after graduation, he reached out to his teacher, who helped connect him with his current employer just two weeks after finishing school.
Now, with the national final ahead, Hohepa is focused on the bigger picture.
“I want to become a qualified builder and one day build my own dream home. I just love building. It’s hands-on, creative, and no two days are the same.”
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 5, 2025.
Final counting shows polls understated Labor in 2025 election almost as much as they overstated it in 2019 Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With almost all primary votes now counted to two-party preferred (as I explained on May 29), Labor has won the national two-party vote by a 55.3–44.7 margin,
Resignation of PM’s press secretary highlights gaps in NZ law on covert recording and harassment Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Mudgway, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury Getty Images The sudden resignation this week of one of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s senior press secretaries was politically embarrassing, but also raises questions about how New Zealand law operates in such cases. A Stuff investigation revealed the
One year ago, Australia scrapped a key equity in STEM program. Where are we now? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Vieira, Lecturer, Education Futures, University of South Australia ThisIsEngineering/Pexels In June 2024, the Australian government ended the Women in STEM Ambassador program. The decision followed a report that urged a broader, intersectional approach to diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). For
Woodside’s North West Shelf approval is by no means a one-off. Here are 6 other giant gas projects to watch Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty Images The federal government’s decision to extend the life of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas plant in Western Australia has been condemned as a climate disaster. The gas lobby claims more gas is needed to
Unprecedented heat in the North Atlantic Ocean kickstarted Europe’s hellish 2023 summer. Now we know what caused it Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew England, Scientia Professor and Deputy Director of the ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, UNSW Sydney Westend61/Getty Images In June 2023, a record-breaking marine heatwave swept across the North Atlantic Ocean, smashing previous temperature records. Soon after, deadly heatwaves broke out across large areas
Bowel cancer rates are declining in people over 50. But why are they going up in younger adults? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Mahady, Associate Professor, Gastroenterologist & Clinical Epidemiologist, Monash University Thirdman/Pexels Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Australia, with more than 15,000 cases diagnosed annually. It’s also the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Recently, headlines have warned of an uptick in cases
Australian kids BYO lunches to school. There is a healthier way to feed students Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liesel Spencer, Associate Professor, School of Law, Western Sydney University Getty Images/ courtneyk Australian parents will be familiar with this school morning routine: hastily making sandwiches or squeezing leftovers into containers, grabbing a snack from the cupboard and a piece of fruit from the counter. This would
Australia’s charity sector is growing – but many smaller charities are doing it tough Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Faulkner, Senior Marketing Scientist, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, University of South Australia Revenue for Australia’s charity and not-for-profit sector has reached record highs, and total donations have grown. But the story isn’t the same everywhere, and some smaller charities may be struggling. That’s according to the latest edition
Taylor Swift now owns all the music she has ever made: a copyright expert breaks it down Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wellett Potter, Lecturer in Law, University of New England On Friday, Taylor Swift announced she now owns all the music she has ever made. This reported US$360 million acquisition includes all the master recordings to her first six albums, music videos, concert films, album art, photos and
The secret to Ukraine’s battlefield successes against Russia – it knows wars are never won in the past Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University The iconoclastic American general Douglas Macarthur once said that “wars are never won in the past”. That sentiment certainly seemed to ring true following Ukraine’s recent audacious attack on
Politics with Michelle Grattan: historian Emma Shortis warns against falling into Trump’s trade traps Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to have his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump this month, against a background of increased steel and aluminium tariffs and US pressure on Australia to boost its defence spending. How Australia
Extreme weather events have slowed economic growth, adding to the case for another rate cut Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate Professor, School of Economics, University of Sydney Australia’s economy slowed sharply in the March quarter, growing by just 0.2% as government spending slowed and extreme weather events dampened demand. That followed an increase of 0.6% in the previous quarter. The national accounts report from
Young people who witness domestic violence are more likely to be victims of it. Here’s how we can help them Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristin Diemer, Associate Professor of Sociology, The University of Melbourne In our national discussions on domestic and family violence, much of the focus is rightly on the women experiencing the violence and how best to help them. But another vital, less acknowledged part of the puzzle is
Gluten intolerance and coeliac disease can both cause nausea, bloating and pain. What’s the difference? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yasmine Probst, Professor, School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences. Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of Wollongong fotodrobik/Shutterstock Around one in ten Australians say they follow a gluten-free diet. This means eliminating common foods – such as bread, pasta and noodles – that contain gluten, a protein
How physicists used antimatter, supercomputers and giant magnets to solve a 20-year-old mystery Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Finn Stokes, Ramsay Fellow in Physics, University of Adelaide Cindy Arnold, Fermilab Physicists are always searching for new theories to improve our understanding of the universe and resolve big unanswered questions. But there’s a problem. How do you search for undiscovered forces or particles when you don’t
Ahead of the Brisbane Olympics, it’s time for Australia to get serious about esports Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig McNulty, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, Queensland University of Technology Roman Kosolapov/Shutterstock Most of us have heard of esports but many don’t realise the fast-growing world of competitive video gaming features tournaments, university scholarships and billions of dollars in revenue. As we approach the 2032 Brisbane
Former Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Marc Garneau has passed away at the age of 76.
Garneau was one of the original six Canadian astronauts selected in December 1983. He launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on October 5, 1984, as a payload specialist, making history as the first Canadian in space. He flew twice more, on Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1996 and 2000.
Following his astronaut career, Garneau was appointed President of the Canadian Space Agency, and was later elected to Parliament, where he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Transport. His decades of unwavering service – as a naval engineer, astronaut and Parliamentarian – is an inspiration to all Canadians. He embodied the very essence of public service.
Among the awards and honours he has received are the Order of Canada, 1984; The F.W. (Casey) Baldwin Award, Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, 1985; NASA Exceptional Service Medal, 1997; Chancellor, Carleton University, 2003; Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2002; and several honorary doctorates.
The sudden resignation this week of one of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s senior press secretaries was politically embarrassing, but also raises questions about how New Zealand law operates in such cases.
A Stuff investigation revealed the Beehive staffer allegedly recorded audio of sessions with sex workers, and whose phone contained images and video of women at the gym, supermarket shopping, and filmed through a window while getting dressed.
The man at the centre of the allegations has reportedly apologised and said he had sought professional help for his behaviour last year.
The police have said the case did not meet the threshold for prosecution. And this highlights the difficulties surrounding existing laws when it comes to non-consensual recording, harassment and image-based harm.
Describing his “shock” at the allegations against his former staffer, the prime minister said he was “open to revisiting” the laws around intimate audio recordings without consent. If that happens, there are several key areas to consider.
Are covert audio recordings illegal?
New Zealand law prohibits the non-consensual creation, possession and distribution of intimate visual recordings under sections 216H to 216J of the Crimes Act 1961. These provisions aim to protect individuals’ privacy and bodily autonomy in situations where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
The definition of “intimate visual recording” under these sections is limited to visual material, such as photographs, video or digital images, and does not extend to audio-only recordings.
As a result, covert audio recordings of sex workers engaged in sexual activity would fall outside the scope of these offences, even though the harm caused is similar.
If such audio or video recordings were ever shared with others or posted online, that may be a criminal offence under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 – if it can be proved this was done with the intention to cause serious emotional distress.
What about covert filming of women in public places?
Covert recording of women working out or walking down a road, including extreme closeups of clothed body parts, would unlikely meet the definition of “intimate visual recording”.
That is because they do not typically involve nudity, undergarments or private bodily activities, and they often occur in public places where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.
Even extreme closeups may not meet the threshold unless they are taken from beneath or through clothing in a way that targets the genitals, buttocks or breasts. While they are invasive and degrading, they may remain lawful.
By contrast, it is more likely that covert filming of women dressing or undressing through a window would satisfy the definition, depending on where the women were. For example, were they in a place where they would have a reasonable expectation of privacy?
If the non-consensual recording captures a person in a state of undress, then the creation of such images or videos could be considered a crime.
Are any of these behaviours “harassment”?
Under the Harassment Act 1997, “harassment” is defined as a pattern of behaviour directed at a person that involves at least two specified acts within a 12-month period, or a single continuing act.
These acts can include following, watching, or any conduct that causes the person to fear for their safety. Although covert filming or audio recording is not expressly referenced, the acts of following and watching within alleged voyeuristic behaviour, if repeated, could fall within the definition.
But harassment is only a crime where it is done with the intent or knowledge that the behaviour will likely cause a person to fear for their safety. This is a threshold that might be difficult to prove in voyeurism or similar cases.
Covert recording of women’s bodies, whether audio or visual, is part of a broader pattern of gender-based violence facilitated by technology. Feminist legal scholars have framed this as “image-based sexual abuse”. The term captures how non-consensual creation, recording, sharing or threatening to share intimate content violates sexual autonomy and dignity.
Some forms of image-based sexual abuse are criminalised in New Zealand, but others are not. What we know of this case suggests some key gaps remain – largely because law reform has been piecemeal and reactive.
For example, the intimate visual recording offences in the Crimes Act were introduced in 2006 when wider access to digital cameras led to an upswing in covert filming (of women showering or “upskirting”, for example).
Therefore, the definition is limited to these behaviours. But the law was drafted before later advances in smartphone technology, now owned by many more people than in 2006.
Generally, laws are thought of as “living documents”, able to be read in line with the development of new or advanced technology. But when the legislation itself is drafted with certain technology or behaviours in mind, it is not necessarily future-proofed.
Where to now?
There is a risk to simply adding more offences to plug the gaps (and New Zealand is not alone in having to deal with this challenge). Amending the Crimes Act to include intimate audio recordings might address one issue. But new or advanced technologies will inevitably raise others.
Rather than responding to each new form of abuse as it arises, it would be better to take a step back and develop a more principled, future-focused criminal law framework.
That would mean defining offences in a technology-neutral way. Grounded in core values such as privacy, autonomy and consent, they would be more capable of adapting to new contexts and tools.
Only then can the law provide meaningful protection against the evolving forms of gendered harm facilitated by digital technologies.
Cassandra Mudgway does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
With almost all primary votes now counted to two-party preferred (as I explained on May 29), Labor has won the national two-party vote by a 55.3–44.7 margin, although this may drop to a 55.2–44.8 margin once the remaining votes from Bradfield come in.
Labor’s two-party share is over two points higher than in any poll taken in the final week before the election.
Final primary votes were 34.6% Labor (up 2.0% since the 2022 election), 31.8% Coalition (down 3.9%), 12.2% Greens (steady), 6.4% One Nation (up 1.4%), 1.9% Trumpet of Patriots (down 2.2% from United Australia Party in 2022), 7.4% independents (up 2.1%) and 5.7% others (up 0.6%).
The table below shows the primary vote and two-party estimates of all ten polls conducted in the final week before the election, with the election results at the bottom. When polls gave a breakdown for Trumpet of Patriots, independents and others, I’ve combined these for an all Others total. Bold numbers in the table represent estimates that were within 1% of the result.
Fieldwork dates for the Ipsos poll were not released, but it was published in The Daily Mail on election day, so it was presumably taken in the last week. Published primary votes in this poll included 5% undecided, which I have redistributed proportionally to the parties listed.
In 2019, all the polls gave Labor between a 51–49 and a 52–48 lead. The actual result was a Coalition win by 51.5–48.5.
This year, all polls had Labor between a 51–49 and a 53–47 lead and the actual result was a Labor win by 55.3–44.7. The two polls (Freshwater and Ipsos) that had Labor below a 52–48 lead were particularly poor.
The polls understated Labor’s primary vote and overstated the Coalition’s. Labor won the primary vote by 2.7 points, when nearly all polls had the Coalition ahead (Redbridge was tied). The Freshwater and Ipsos polls performed badly in overstating the Coalition’s vote.
The Greens were mostly overstated, while One Nation was overstated by every pollster except Morgan.
Preference flow assumptions compounded the polls’ problems. If I plug the election primary votes into my 2022 preference flows spreadsheet, I get a Labor two-party lead of 55.3–44.7, the same as the actual result.
Newspoll had higher One Nation preference flows to the Coalition than in 2022. If they’d used 2022 flows, Labor would have led by about 53–47. YouGov used data from its MRP polls that gave the Coalition both a higher share of One Nation and Greens preferences than in 2022. If they’d used 2022 flows, Labor would have led by 54.2–45.8.
We won’t have data on preference flows by party for some time, but it’s likely that One Nation preferences did become more pro-Coalition. However, Greens and independent preferences compensated by becoming more pro-Labor.
Respondent-allocated polls from Essential, Resolve, Freshwater, Redbridge and Spectre all suggested this would be the case. YouGov may have used MRP polls earlier in the year to allocate preferences. Labor was doing badly on preferences earlier.
The poll graph that I used in my pre-election articles is below. There was a surge to Labor in March and April. Labor had been polling poorly from December to February and may have lost an election held then. The polls told us that Labor had recovered to an election-winning position, but they understated the magnitude of that win.
The best two polls were not the final polls, but a Morgan poll taken two weeks from the election that gave Labor a 55.5–44.5 lead. Morgan’s final two polls both gave Labor a 53–47 lead. The other good poll was a Redbridge poll of 20 marginal seats that gave Labor a 54.5–45.5 lead a week before the election (actual result 54.8–45.2 to Labor across these seats).
Redbridge would have been better if they’d stuck with their 54.5–45.5 to Labor in the marginal seats in this poll, but they dropped back to 53–47 to Labor in the poll published on election day.
The final YouGov MRP poll predicted Labor would win 84 of the 150 seats, understating Labor by ten seats. An exit poll of early voters from the first two days of early in-person voting correctly had swings to Labor.
While public polling was poor at this election, Liberal internal polling was worse. This article in The Australian published the day before the election said the Coalition was confident of gaining ten seats from Labor. Labor actually gained 14 seats from the Coalition.
The worst seat polls
I’m not going to relate every seat poll in this election, but there were some seat poll stinkers.
I referred to JWS seat polls of Ryan, Brisbane and Griffith on April 18. These polls gave the Liberal National Party a 57–43 lead over Labor in Ryan, with the Greens a distant third on primary votes. In Brisbane, Labor led the LNP by 51–49. In Griffith, Labor led the LNP by 51–49, but the LNP led the Greens by 53–47.
In Ryan, the Greens made the final two and defeated the LNP by 53.3–46.7. If Labor had made the final two, they would have won by 57.8–42.2. In Brisbane, Labor crushed the LNP by 59.0–41.0. In Griffith, Labor and the Greens made the final two, and a two-party count between Labor and the LNP had Labor winning by 65.9–34.1.
I referred to a Compass seat poll of McMahon on April 11. This poll gave right-wing independent Matt Camenzuli 41% of the primary vote, the Liberals 20% and Labor incumbent Chris Bowen just 19%. Bowen actually won 45.5% of the primary vote, the Liberals 26.8% and Camenzuli just 9.8%.
I referred to KJC polls of four seats on April 27. These polls gave the Liberals a 49–45 lead including undecided in Tangney and a 46–41 lead in Blair. In Richmond, the Greens led Labor by 39–34. In Hunter, Labor led the Nationals by 45–41.
Labor actually won Tangney by 57.0–43.0 and Blair by 55.7–44.3. In Richmond, the Greens did not make the final two, and Labor would have beaten them easily if they had. In Hunter, One Nation instead of the Nationals made the final two, with Labor winning by 59.0–41.0. Had the Nationals made the final two, Labor would have won by a similar 59.5–40.5.
Recount results and Greens senator defects to Labor
In Liberal-held Bradfield, Teal Nicolette Boele defeated the Liberals by 26 votes after a recount, overturning an eight-vote Liberal lead on the original count. The Liberals could challenge this result in the courts, but Boele will be seated until the courts decide.
In Goldstein, the partial recount of primary votes for Teal incumbent Zoe Daniel and Liberal Tim Wilson was completed on May 31. Wilson won by 175 votes, down from 260 before the recount started.
With these results, the final seat outcome of the election is 94 Labor out of 150, 43 Coalition and 13 for all Others. That’s a Labor majority of 38 by the UK method.
Western Australian Greens Senator Dorinda Cox, who was elected in 2022, defected to Labor on Monday. This gives Labor 29 of the 76 senators and the Greens ten. Labor will still need either the Coalition or the Greens to reach the 39 votes required for a Senate majority. Cox’s six-year term will expire in June 2028.
South Korea and Poland elections
On Tuesday the centre-left candidate won the South Korean presidential election that had been called early after the previous right-wing president was impeached and removed from office. On Sunday the Law and Justice (PiS) candidate won the Polish presidential election, defeating a pro-Western centrist.
Donald Trump’s US national ratings have improved since his nadir in late April. I wrote about these events for The Poll Bludger on Wednesday.
Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taisugar) is actively deepening its industry-academia alliances. Over the past three months alone, the company has signed four collaboration agreements with partners across the public and academic sectors, including National Chiayi University, Ling Tung University, National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, and the National Central Library. Driven by the belief that “1 + 1 > 2, ” Taisugar is expanding the breadth and depth of state-owned enterprise operations, seeking innovative development pathways for the industry while nurturing professional talent in partnership with academia to enhance Taiwan’s overall industrial competitiveness.
Taisugar noted that following Taiwan’s championship win at the WBSC Premier12 last year, efforts have been made to keep the nation’s baseball momentum thriving on the global stage. In February, Taisugar signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Chiayi University baseball team-the only top-division varsity team among Taiwan’s comprehensive universities. Taisugar pledged nearly NT$1 million to support the team with new equipment, Taisugar clam essence, health supplements, and mineral water. The initiative aims to promote baseball and strengthen Taiwan’s international visibility and performance in the sport.
Understanding that talent development is key to corporate advancement, Taisugar Chairman Ming-Chang Wu signed a second LOI last month with Ling Tung University. The two sides will collaborate to cultivate technical professionals, provide student internship opportunities, share industry-academia resources, develop innovative curricula, and launch collaborative innovation projects, striving to achieve seamless integration between education and industry for mutual growth.
Earlier this year, Taisugar also reaped the rewards of successful industry-academia collaboration. Associate Professor Chien-hao Chen of the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism created two rhum agricole products using Taisugar’s sugarcane, and both received the prestigious Grand Gold award-the highest honor-at the Vinalies Internationales Competition, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious international spirits competitions. This achievement solidified the shared vision of Taisugar and NKUHT to innovate and elevate the value of local ingredients while promoting Taiwan’s culinary and beverage culture. As a result, both parties signed a memorandum of understanding on the 6th of this month to continue injecting new energy into agricultural advancement and culinary innovation.
“Transforming sugarcane juice into rum can increase its value by 200 times per milliliter, ” revealed Taisugar. The company is currently planning to source six metric tons of fresh sugarcane juice from its Huwei Sugar Factory, which will be directly delivered to a distillery in Taichung. There, Associate Professor Chen’s expert team will produce rhum agricole at scale for commercial release. In addition, Taisugar will leverage NKUHT’s culinary research and development capabilities to create a variety of gourmet dishes that pair with the rum, using Taisugar products as the base-elevating product sophistication and enhancing the overall dining experience.
Beyond its partnerships with academia, Taisugar also signed a cooperation agreement with the National Central Library two weeks ago. Under this collaboration, Taisugar’s collection of valuable historical documents will be digitized and presented on the library’s “Taiwan Memory” online platform, making them accessible to researchers and the general public, and promoting the study and preservation of Taiwan’s sugar industry heritage.
Taisugar added that it is currently in discussions with Kaohsiung Medical University and industry partners to explore further collaborations. Guided by its sustainable development strategy, Taisugar will continue to expand its partnerships across the public, private, academic, and research sectors, sharing resources and fostering mutual benefit to jointly enhance Taiwan’s overall industrial competitiveness.
TSC News Contact Person: Chang Mu-Jung Public Relations, Department of Secretariat, TSC Contact Number: 886-6-337-8819 / 886-920-636-951 Email:a63449@taisugar.com.tw
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A nurse shows human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines developed by Chinese researchers at the provincial Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, May 18, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]
China’s drug regulator has approved the country’s first domestically developed 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, ending over a decade of foreign dominance in the market.
The vaccine, Cecolin 9, has been included on a list of approved medical products that was made public by the National Medical Products Administration on Wednesday.
“The approval of Cecolin 9 not only offers more vaccination options for eligible women in China, but is also expected to improve vaccine accessibility and coverage, reducing the risk of cervical cancer further,” said Zhang Jun, dean of the School of Public Health at Xiamen University and a leading member of the vaccine development team.
HPV vaccines are commonly used to prevent cervical cancer in women, as well as genital cancers and warts in both men and women.
Cecolin 9, which targets nine HPV strains, was developed by Xiamen University, the Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory and Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd., marking a breakthrough in China’s ability to produce high-valency HPV vaccines independently.
China is now the second country — after the United States — capable of supplying 9-valent HPV vaccines.
Compared to bivalent HPV vaccines, which are effective against two high-risk genotypes (HPV 16 and 18), 9-valent HPV vaccines protect against an additional five high-risk genotypes (HPV 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) and two low-risk genotypes (HPV 6 and 11), and provide better protection against cervical cancer.
Over 18 years of research, scientists overcame major technical challenges in producing virus-like particles (VLPs) from multiple HPV types using an E. coli platform, and completed crucial clinical trial validation processes.
Five related clinical trials have been conducted across China since 2019, and the vaccine has demonstrated a favorable safety profile and a strong immune response, comparable to those of similar international products.
Statistics show that globally, approximately 700,000 cancer cases each year are associated with HPV, including an estimated 530,000 cases of cervical cancer. Vaccination is up to 94 percent effective in preventing HPV infection.
In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer, aiming for 90 percent of girls to be fully vaccinated against HPV by the age of 15 by 2030.
In alignment with the WHO strategy, China’s National Health Commission launched a cervical cancer elimination action plan for the 2022-2030 period, urging the expansion of HPV vaccination coverage nationwide.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China is ramping up efforts to green its booming express delivery sector, as a newly amended regulation took effect during the bustling mid-year online shopping festival.
The revised regulation concerning the courier sector came into force on June 1, and for the first time introduced a dedicated chapter on packaging. It stipulates that packaging should minimize resource use, avoid excessive wrapping and prevent environmental pollution.
Experts hailed the move as a milestone in the industry’s push for sustainable and high-quality development.
China, the world’s largest express delivery market, handled over 175 billion parcels in 2024, a 21.5-percent increase from the previous year.
This vibrant growth has led to a surge in packaging waste, making sustainable practices a critical priority, said Ding Hongtao, director of legal affair department at the China Express Association.
The green initiative has already been felt at the manufacturing level. In Pinghu, east China’s Zhejiang Province, a local packaging company now uses 100 percent recycled cardboard to produce corrugated paper. In its factory, waste boxes are shredded, filtered, refined and pressed into new paperboard.
“For every tonne of corrugated paper, we use about 1.1 tonnes of recycled boxes,” said Hu Zhonghua, general manager of Jingxing Packaging Materials Co., Ltd. “Even the leftover scraps from box production are cycled back into the paper mill, forming a closed-loop system.”
Elsewhere, similar innovations are driving progress. In east China’s Anhui Province, Anhui Huayi Packaging Co., Ltd. has industrialized fully biodegradable adhesive tape after five years of research, and now produces up to 600 million square meters annually. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, a logistics center of supply chain technology company Shunxinhui has replaced single-use plastic wrap with reusable strapping, thereby avoiding the use of 300 tonnes of plastics on average each year.
“China is forming a green supply chain for express packaging,” said Liu Jianguo, professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Data showed that 248 types of packaging products from more than 100 companies have now been certified as green products in the country.
In addition to greener materials, couriers have begun to use packaging more efficiently.
At JD Logistics’ industrial park in Hangzhou, home appliances and furniture are now shipped in their original manufacturer packaging, bypassing the need for secondary wrapping.
“By strengthening coordination with suppliers, the share of direct shipments to customers without repackaging has risen from about 5 percent a few years ago to 25 percent last year. And we expect the ratio to hit 40 percent this year,” said Gao Jiaqi, head of the industrial park. In 2024 alone, JD Logistics eliminated over 1 billion pieces of secondary packaging.
Green practices are also gaining traction among consumers. At a mail service station at Zhejiang University, students and faculty members routinely deposit used boxes into designated recycling bins after collecting their packages.
These boxes are sorted and reused for outbound shipments. Currently, 90 percent of boxes used at the station are recycled, significantly reducing the carbon footprint.
Moreover, a digital screen at the station displays real-time data, converting environmental actions like recycling and walking into carbon credits — thus fostering a green digital ecosystem through incentives. Following the launch of the system, green awareness among customers has continuously increased, said Chang Xuelian, a staff member of the company managing the system.
Thanks to concerted efforts, green packaging governance in the express delivery sector has been expanded to the entire chain — from production to consumption and recycling.
Moving forward, the State Post Bureau pledged to speed up the implementation of packaging standards and supportive policies, while fostering innovation in products, technologies and business models, in a bid to expedite the green transition of China’s fast-growing delivery industry.
Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme Amendment C263gben, which applies to Marong, has come into effect following Minister for Planning approval.
Amendment C263gben implements the Marong Township Structure Plan 2020 (re-adopted in 2024), the Marong Flood Study 2018 (North Central Catchment Authority) and the Marong Heritage Citations (Minerva Heritage).
The land affected is within and adjacent to the township of Marong and the amendment changes zones and overlays to land in the Marong township. Specifically, the amendment:
Rezones land within the Marong township from Township Zone to Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 3 and Mixed-use Zone Schedule 3
Expands Commercial 1 Zoning and updates floor area maximums
Applies new overlays to guide development, character and bushfire protection
Applies the Heritage Overlay to 8 new places including statements of significance for each
Implements the Marong Flood Study, along with new Local Flood Development Plan by introducing the Floodway Overlay and the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay
Identifies new residential growth areas for future rezoning to accommodate a population of approximately 8,000 people
The amendment process and approval were in accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987. The Amendment was considered by an independent panel, and recommendations were supported by Council. The Minister for Planning has the final say and made some changes to the amendment before approving it.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf welcomed the approval of the Amendment as an important step for guiding Marong’s future development.
“Marong is expected to grow over the next 25 years with an estimated population of 8,000 people and this Planning Scheme Amendment implements the Marong Township Structure Plan. The Amendment supports creating a compact, well-planned township with a vibrant town centre,” Cr Metcalf said.
“The completion of this Amendment allows the consideration of new rezoning applications in the Marong growth areas and complements the Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct project.”
The approved Amendment C263gben is the first in a series of planning scheme amendments to support the future growth of Marong. Other projects currently underway include:
The preparation of a Shared Infrastructure Contributions Plan for Marong
Planning for the Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct by the Victorian Planning Authority
Planning for the Marong Western Freight Corridor by the Department of Transport and Planning – Transport
The rezoning of the residential growth precincts in accordance with the City’s Private Planning Scheme Amendment Policy
The Marong Township Structure Plan was originally adopted in September 2020. The Amendment C263gben was exhibited for six weeks from May to July 2023, and the independent planning panel hearing was held in February 2024. Council adopted C263gben in June 2024. The Minister for Planning approved with changes and gazetted the Amendment on May 29, 2025.
Kris Jenner’s “new” face sparked myriad headlines about how she can look so good at 69 years old. While she’s not confirmed what sort of procedures she’s undergone, speculation abounds.
As a US reality TV personality, socialite and Kardashian matriarch, Jenner has long curated her on-screen identity. Her fame and fortune are intimately tied to a multinational cosmetics industry that has, for centuries, bartered in the illusion of timeless beauty.
The pursuit of cosmetic enhancement can be traced back as far as Ancient Egypt, reminding us the desire to look younger is hardly new.
But while many women try in vain to battle the ageing process, Jenner is an example of someone who’s actually succeeded, at least visually. What does that mean for the rest of us?
Decades of surgeries
Modern cosmetic plastic surgery has its roots in compassion. It was developed to help disfigured first world war soldiers rebuild their faces and identities.
But this origin story has been sidelined. Today, aesthetic procedures are overwhelmingly pursued by women and marketed as lifestyle enhancements rather than medical interventions.
Advancements in reconstructive surgery were made after both world wars with treatments on wounded soldiers. AFP/Getty Images
Plastic surgery, once considered extreme or shameful, began to gain popularity in the 1960s, and is now widespread.
Hollywood has long played a role in shaping these standards. During its Golden Age, stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne are reported to have undergone cosmetic surgeries – rhinoplasty (nose jobs), chin implants, facelifts – to preserve their screen personas.
Even before Instagram, before-and-after images were a cultural obsession, often used to shame or expose.
From taboo to trend
The digital age has further normalised cosmetic enhancements, with social media influencers and celebrities promoting procedures alongside beauty products.
It’s estimated Jenner spent upwards of US$130,000 (around A$200,000) on cosmetic interventions, resulting in a look that some media outlets suggest places her in her 30s.
On Jenner, social media users are split. Some offer aspirational praise (“If I had the money, I’d get it all done!”), while others criticise her rejection of “ageing gracefully”.
Yet many stars, including Courtney Cox, Ariana Grande, and Mickey Rourke, have spoken openly about regrets and the psychological toll of these procedures. Even with agency, the pressure remains immense.
Youth as a cultural ideal
This obsession with agelessness reflects a deeper societal discomfort with visible ageing, particularly in women.
Celebrities, with access to elite medical professionals and procedures, seem to cheat time.
Yet the outcome of is often disorienting: when Jenner appears younger than her children, the generational lines blur.
This erasure of age difference entrenches youth as an end in itself. It also destabilises how we perceive kinship and mortality.
Supermodel Bella Hadid has said she regrets getting a rhinoplasty as a teenager. Of Palestinian descent, she said “I wish I’d kept the nose of my ancestors”.
In my own research, I’ve argued cosmetic enhancement is tied to a cultural denial of death.
The ageing isn’t the problem – it’s our refusal to accept it.
The desperate clinging to youth reflects a collective resistance to change. Celebrity culture and consumer capitalism exploit this vulnerability, making age a problem to be solved rather than a life stage to be honoured.
We should mourn our ageing, not erase it. In another world, we could witness it, share it, and celebrate its quiet, powerful beauty.
So what about us?
But that’s not the world many live in, and the pressure extends beyond Hollywood.
With filters, apps, and social media platforms, ordinary people also curate and enhance their images, playing their part in a fantasy of perfection.
A recent study looked at the way young Australians use selfie editing tools. It found the widespread use of such apps have a significant effect on the body image of young people.
The line between self-care and self-deception has never been blurrier. We all want to present the best version of ourselves, even if reality slips into illusion.
So while women have long tried to outrun visible ageing, whether that be through anti-wrinkle creams or more invasive means, Jenner is an example of something relatively rare: a woman who’s actually managed to do it.
In doing so, she and her celebrity counterparts set a new youthful beauty standard in what ageing should (or shouldn’t) look like.
And while that standard may be felt by a variety of women, few will be able to achieve it.
Extremely wealthy beauty moguls like Kris Jenner can afford elite treatments, while most people face growing financial pressure and a cost-of-living crisis. The divide isn’t just aesthetic – it’s economic.
Beauty, in this context, is both a product and a privilege.
And of course, judgement of women’s appearances remains a powerful force for discrediting their political, social, and moral worth. For every bit of praise there is for Jenner’s “youthful” appearance, there are videos claiming she’s “ruined her face” and questioning of whether she should spend so much money on such a cause.
As long as gender inequality persists and beauty remains a currency of value, the pressure to conform will endure.
Margaret Gibson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In June 2024, the Australian government ended the Women in STEM Ambassador program. The decision followed a report that urged a broader, intersectional approach to diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
For six years, under the leadership of astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith, the program contributed to research, tools and resources aimed at breaking down structural barriers that limit women’s and girls’ participation in STEM education and careers.
Does that reasoning still hold one year later? As diversity and inclusion efforts face global cutbacks, it’s more important than ever to reflect on where Australia is heading. Are we truly building a more equitable STEM future?
Why diversity in STEM matters
Structural barriers have long limited participation in STEM for women, people of colour, First Nations communities, people with disabilities, and those in low socioeconomic groups.
Such barriers include stereotypes and bias, a lack of role models, limited flexible work arrangements, and inadequate parental leave and childcare support.
If we achieved equity in STEM, everyone – including entire groups who have been systemically excluded in the past – would have equal access to opportunities, resources and recognition.
For a young Aboriginal woman studying engineering in a regional town, it would mean the same chance to apply for internships at top firms as peers who live in cities. She would have the same access to well-equipped labs and mentoring programs, and an equal likelihood of being nominated for academic awards or leadership roles.
Improving diversity in STEM is also critical to Australia’s capacity for innovation, particularly as we face global challenges such as climate change, disruption from artificial intelligence, and geopolitical instability.
Yet, despite decades of gender-focused programs, meaningful progress has been limited. STEM Equity Monitor 2024 data show that while the number of women in STEM has increased, only 37% of university STEM enrolments are women. When it comes to STEM jobs in Australia, only 15% are occupied by women.
If not an ambassador, then what?
The lack of diversity in STEM is driven by systemic barriers such as persistent stereotypes, a shortage of diverse role models, and unequal access to opportunities.
Instead of focusing only on women in STEM, it suggested we consider how different aspects of a person’s identity – such as their gender, race, or background – can combine and affect their experience.
This means some people may face additional challenges. For example, a migrant woman of colour in STEM might deal with more obstacles than a white woman in the same field, because of the way her different identities overlap.
So … where are we now?
While adopting this view is commendable, the practical changes that have happened over the past year raise important questions about whether Australia is truly moving toward a more inclusive STEM landscape.
In August 2024, the government announced a $38 million boost to STEM programs, aligning with recommendations from the independent report. Two long-standing programs were closed, while seven other initiatives received additional funding.
However, many of the funded programs still leave major gaps.
Similarly, while the Superstars of STEM initiative continues to receive investment, its focus remains on “inspiring” students through role models.
Inspiration alone is not enough. We need a sustained, systemic approach that changes attitudes and builds structures to support and retain diverse students throughout their STEM journey.
The 2024 report still relies on some data last updated in 2022, reflecting a lack of commitment to maintaining a consistent, annual pulse on equity outcomes. Moreover, the monitor doesn’t provide intersectional analysis, limiting its ability to inform targeted, evidence-based actions.
In principle, it still makes sense to shift Australia’s strategy on diversity in STEM towards a more intersectional and systemic approach. However, the practical steps taken so far don’t seem to align with that vision. Funding decisions, program closures, and limited investment in data and accountability tools suggest a disconnect between intent and implementation.
Without clear action plans, inclusive design – which ensures STEM initiatives genuinely serve people of all backgrounds – and robust monitoring, there is a risk the new direction will be symbolic rather than transformative.
Maria Vieira has previously received funding from the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship Round 3 Grant from the Australian Government.
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University
The iconoclastic American general Douglas Macarthur once said that “wars are never won in the past”.
That sentiment certainly seemed to ring true following Ukraine’s recent audacious attack on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, using small, cheap drones housed in wooden pods and transported near Russian airfields in trucks.
The synchronised operation targeted Russian Air Force planes as far away as Irkutsk – more than 5,000 kilometres from Ukraine. Early reports suggest around a third of Russia’s long-range bombers were either destroyed or badly damaged. Russian military bloggers have put the estimated losses lower, but agree the attack was catastrophic for the Russian Air Force, which has struggled to adapt to Ukrainian tactics.
This particular attack was reportedly 18 months in the making. To keep it secret was an extraordinary feat. Notably, Kyiv did not inform the United States that the attack was in the offing. The Ukrainians judged – perhaps understandably – that sharing intelligence on their plans could have alerted the Kremlin in relatively short order.
Ukraine’s success once again demonstrates that its armed forces and intelligence services are the modern masters of battlefield innovation and operational security.
Finding new solutions
Western military planners have been carefully studying Ukraine’s successes ever since its forces managed to blunt Russia’s initial onslaught deep into its territory in early 2022, and then launched a stunning counteroffensive that drove the Russian invaders back towards their original starting positions.
There have been other lessons, too, about how the apparently weak can stand up to the strong. These include:
attacks on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s vanity project, the Kerch Bridge, linking the Russian mainland to occupied Crimea (the last assault occurred just days ago)
the relentless targeting of Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure with drones
attacks against targets in Moscow to remind the Russian populace about the war, and
its incursion into the Kursk region, which saw Ukrainian forces capture around 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory.
On each occasion, Western defence analysts have questioned the wisdom of Kyiv’s moves.
Why invade Russia using your best troops when Moscow’s forces continue laying waste to cities in Ukraine?
Why hit Russia’s energy infrastructure if it doesn’t markedly impede the battlefield mobility of Russian forces?
And why attack symbolic targets like bridges when it could provoke Putin into dangerous “escalation”?
The answer to this is the key to effective innovation during wartime. Ukraine’s defence and security planners have interpreted their missions – and their best possible outcomes – far more accurately than conventional wisdom would have thought.
Above all, they have focused on winning the war they are in, rather than those of the past. This means:
shaping the information environment to promote their narratives and keep vital Western aid flowing, and
deploying surprise attacks not just as ways to boost public morale, but also to impose disproportionate costs on the Russian state.
The impact of Ukraine’s drone attack
In doing so, Ukraine has had an eye for strategic effects. As the smaller nation reliant on international support, this has been the only logical choice.
Putin has been prepared to commit a virtually inexhaustible supply of expendable cannon fodder to continue his country’s war ad infinitum. Russia has typically won its wars this way – by attrition – albeit at a tremendous human and material cost.
That said, Ukraine’s most recent surprise attack does not change the overall contours of the war. The only person with the ability to end it is Putin himself.
That’s why Ukraine is putting as much pressure as possible on his regime, as well as domestic and international perceptions of it. It is key to Ukraine’s theory of victory.
This is also why the latest drone attack is so significant. Russia needs its long-range bomber fleet, not just to fire conventional cruise missiles at Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure targets, but as aerial delivery systems for its strategic nuclear arsenal.
The destruction of even a small portion of Russia’s deterrence capability has the potential to affect its nuclear strategy. It has increasingly relied on this strategy to threaten the West.
A second impact of the attack is psychological. The drone attacks are more likely to enrage Putin than bring him to the bargaining table. However, they reinforce to the Russian military that there are few places – even on its own soil – that its air force can act with operational impunity.
The surprise attacks also provide a shot in the arm domestically, reminding Ukrainians they remain very much in the fight.
Finally, the drone attacks send a signal to Western leaders. US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, for instance, have gone to great lengths to tell the world that Ukraine is weak and has “no cards”. This action shows Kyiv does indeed have some powerful cards to play.
That may, of course, backfire: after all, Trump is acutely sensitive to being made to look a fool. He may look unkindly at resuming military aid to Ukraine after being shown up for saying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be forced to capitulate without US support.
But Trump’s own hubris has already done that for him. His regular claims that a peace deal is just weeks away have gone beyond wishful thinking and are now monotonous.
Unsurprisingly, Trump’s reluctance to put anything approaching serious pressure on Putin has merely incentivised the Russian leader to string the process along.
Indeed, Putin’s insistence on a maximalist victory, requiring Ukrainian demobilisation and disarmament without any security guarantees for Kyiv, is not diplomacy at all. It is merely the reiteration of the same unworkable demands he has made since even before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
However, Ukraine’s ability to smuggle drones undetected onto an opponent’s territory, and then unleash them all together, will pose headaches for Ukraine’s friends, as well as its enemies.
That’s because it makes domestic intelligence and policing part of any effective defence posture. It is a contingency democracies will have to plan for, just as much as authoritarian regimes, who are also learning from Ukraine’s lessons.
In other words, while the attack has shown up Russia’s domestic security services for failing to uncover the plan, Western security elites, as well as authoritarian ones, will now be wondering whether their own security apparatuses would be up to the job.
The drone strikes will also likely lead to questions about how useful it is to invest in high-end and extraordinarily expensive weapons systems when they can be vulnerable. The Security Service of Ukraine estimates the damage cost Russia US$7 billion (A$10.9 billion). Ukraine’s drones, by comparison, cost a couple of thousand dollars each.
At the very least, coming up with a suitable response to those challenges will require significant thought and effort. But as Ukraine has repeatedly shown us, you can’t win wars in the past.
Matthew Sussex has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Atlantic Council, the Fulbright Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the Lowy Institute and various Australian government departments and agencies.
Pinochet and Rauff? They were alike. Each had two faces. One gentle, the other hard. They were joined.
And they both got away with it … Sort of.
Philippe Sands loves to tell stories. A master of historical non-fiction, he has become known for his unique blend of deeply personal, legal and historical narratives, which weave together incredible coincidences with moving stories of human courage in the face of mass atrocities and horror.
Sands is a leading practitioner of international law, a professor at University College London, an author, a playwright, and the recipient of numerous literary awards. He is also someone whose family was murdered in the vortex of the Holocaust in Ukraine.
If it weren’t based on facts, one might think it was a brilliantly crafted thriller.
Review: 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia – Philippe Sands (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
38 Londres Street weaves together several narratives, but at its heart is the story of the legal attempts to end impunity for two accused criminals. One is Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The other is Walther Rauff, a former SS officer who fled to South America and allegedly worked with Pinochet’s Secret Intelligence Service.
Sands brings these two men into a single narrative to highlight the legal struggle against impunity for mass atrocities, though he never loses sight of the victims and their human stories of suffering, courage and persistence.
These were people whose lives were abruptly and violently taken. Sands includes many of their names and tragic fates in his book. He informs his readers that the Cementerio Sara Braun in Punta Arenas, Chile, has a memorial bearing the names of Pinochet’s many victims. He clearly wants these individuals never to be forgotten.
Universal jurisdiction and the Pinochet precedent
The building at 38 Londres Street in Santiago was once a site of pain. At this secret interrogation centre, one of many across Santiago and the rest of Chile, Pinochet’s agents imprisoned, tortured, executed and disappeared tens of thousands of people deemed leftists, socialists, communists or “other undesirables”.
Pinochet came to power on September 11, 1973, overthrowing the democratically elected socialist government of President Salvador Allende in a military coup. He would rule Chile with an iron fist until 1990.
Chile’s youth became the targets of his murderous regime. Sands notes that most victims were between 21 and 30 years old. The majority of them were workers; the rest mainly comprised academics, professionals and students. The atrocities were committed with impunity.
Like all dictators, Pinochet believed himself untouchable. But in October 1998, while visiting the UK, he was arrested in London. Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón was seeking Pinochet’s extradition to Spain in order to try him for human rights abuses.
Garzón was acting under the then-controversial legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows courts in one country to prosecute grave human rights violations committed outside its borders, regardless of the nationality of the accused.
Never before had a former head of state of one country been arrested by, and in another, for committing international crimes.
Sands would become involved in one of the most famous cases in international law since the Nuremberg trials more than 50 years earlier. Pinochet’s lawyers offered him an opportunity to participate in the case, arguing for the former dictator’s immunity as a former head of state. His wife threatened to divorce him if he accepted.
He declined the offer. Instead, Sands represented Human Rights Watch when the Pinochet case was considered by the Law Lords.
Pinochet had been indicted for crimes against humanity and genocide. At issue was the question of whether Pinochet, as a former head of state, had immunity before the English courts for acts committed in another country while he was in office. Should there be a legal protection for former dictators?
The proceedings in London were novel and remarkable, writes Sands, because this was an open legal question when Pinochet was arrested. His arrest raised an unprecedented issue: was there an exception to the rule of immunity for a former head of state when a crime in international law was involved? And did the exception apply before a national court, rather than an international one?
Many believed Pinochet’s immunity should be lifted and extradition proceedings should go ahead, so that he could answer for the deaths of Spanish nationals and others. If that did not happen, it was argued, the travesty of justice would signal that any dictator could get away with genocide. As Sands writes, immunity and impunity often go hand in hand.
In this landmark case, Pinochet was stripped of the immunity from prosecution he had enjoyed as a former president. He was ordered to stand trial on charges of human rights abuses.
For the next 16 months, he remained in the UK, awaiting extradition to Spain. But it never happened. The initial judgement on immunity was quashed, due to concerns about possible bias of one of the judges. The case returned to square one. New hearings took place.
In January 2000, the UK eventually decided not to proceed with extradition, claiming that Pinochet was too ill to stand trial and that “it would not be fair”. He was allowed to return to Chile as a free man, thanks to medical doctors rather than lawyers.
Political leaders in Europe generally welcomed the ruling. Margaret Thatcher, former British prime minister and Pinochet’s longstanding ally, was adamant that the lengthy legal wrangle had been a waste of public money. Seemingly agitated, she said in front of the cameras:
Senator Pinochet was a staunch friend of Britain throughout the Falklands War. His reward from this government was to be held prisoner for 16 months. In the meantime, his health has been broken, his reputation tarnished, and vast funds of public money have been squandered on a political vendetta.
Subsequent attempts to prosecute Pinochet in Chile were unsuccessful. He died in 2006 at the age of 91, without ever being tried for the human rights abuses that occurred while he was in power. Retributive justice, in the end, was not served. But Pinochet’s case opened the gates for efforts to bring other former and serving heads of state to justice.
Today, the 38 Londres Street serves as a place of national memory where visitors can walk through its halls and learn about its dark past.
The Nazi who invented the gas chambers
Running parallel with Pinochet’s story is that of Nazi fugitive Walther Rauff.
Rauff invented the mobile gas chambers that were precursors to the gas chambers in Nazi concentration camps. At the end of the second world war, he escaped to South America, settling in Chile. Germany made numerous attempts to have Rauff extradited to face charges, but the Chilean government refused these demands. He spent his days in the backwaters of Patagonia, running a king-crab cannery business.
Sands travels to Patagonia and meets people who remember Rauff, whose identity seems to have been common knowledge among his neighbours and co-workers: “everyone knew rumours and stories of his past”; they knew about “the gas vans” and that he “once killed many people”. But no one seemed to be bothered. They describe Rauff as “cultivated and kind”. To many of Sands’ interlocutors, the stories about Rauff “were long ago and far away”.
While dealing with the failed attempts for his extradition, Rauff put his energies into “harvesting crabs, making sure the tins were packed tight, [and] managing the workers”. He continued to do so, enjoying the company of his dog Bobby, when Pinochet became Chile’s new leader.
Pinochet was an old friend. Sands records that the two men met in the 1950s in Quito, Ecuador, where Rauff was staying, having fled an Italian prison camp at the end of the war. The men shared a contempt for communism and an affinity for German culture. Pinochet encouraged Rauff to move to Chile.
Rauff delighted in Pinochet’s murderous regime. Sands tell us that Pinochet used Rauff’s “expertise” to help with the murder and disappearance of thousands of people. But the controversy over whether Rauff worked for the Chilean military, becoming “chief advisor” to its intelligence services, or perhaps even its “head”, remains unresolved. Definitive and provable evidence about the assistance Rauff may have given to Pinochet was never obtained.
Holding dictators to account
One of the many coincidences Sands stumbles upon is that Rauff lived in Punta Arenas in southern Chile on a street called “Jugoslavija”, named after the country where I was born, which disintegrated in the 1990s in a brutal civil war marked by mass atrocities and genocide.
Milošević was extradited to The Hague in 2001 after he was indicted for war crimes committed in Kosovo and Croatia, and for genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina following an order from the Serbian government. His trial is widely hailed as a landmark moment in the development of international criminal law, though he died in his cell before his trial ended, dying “innocent” like his counterparts Pinochet and Rauff.
In 38 Londres Street, Sands brings to light the behind-the-scenes struggles to hold Pinochet and Rauff accountable. The book explores the intricacies and politics of international law. Despite its bitter ending, Pinochet’s case remains one of the most far reaching and important in the field of human rights. It caused other countries to reflect on their own legal immunities.
As a researcher and academic, I found the book significant because it also offers insight into what it takes to conduct such expansive archival and qualitative research. Over several years, “in between work and life”, Sands travels to different corners of the globe and speaks to informants from all walks of life, including descendants of the perpetrators. He visits the sites of the events he recounts, most of them places marked by pain. He seeks to see and feel a past that still lingers.
His method requires stamina, passion and unwavering diligence. His strong commitment to neutrality, decency and impartiality makes him stand out not only as a highly skilled writer, but a survivor who continues to unpack and share the legacy of the Holocaust. There is much to respect and learn from in Sands’ account, not least about the intricacies of writing a compelling story.
Holding dictators to account is hard. Pinochet and Rauff deprived victims of the retributive justice they needed and deserved. Yet justice and reparations have many different meanings. They can be symbolic too, and still profoundly meaningful to victims. As one of the survivors of Pinochet’s regime replied to Sands when asked whether he believed his case was one of total impunity: “Not quite total […] Dawson [an island detention camp] has been recognised as a site of national memory, a protected monument, and that means something.”
Pinochet and Rauff were never convicted, but they were not free. Pinochet spent years under house arrest, bitter and devastated, unable to walk the streets. Rauff lived in constant fear of being arrested and extradited. They were both haunted. This, after all, may have brought some satisfaction to the victims.
Sands was once asked: “Do you believe in justice?” He replied: “Sort of.” Sands comes to understand that justice is “uneven in its delivery”. He has learned “to tamper expectations”. Maybe we all need to learn that skill from him too. Ultimately, justice remains a work-in-progress, just like the process of learning from a dark past.
Olivera Simic does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
On Friday, Taylor Swift announced she now owns all the music she has ever made. This reported US$360 million acquisition includes all the master recordings to her first six albums, music videos, concert films, album art, photos and unreleased material.
The purchase of this catalogue from private equity firm Shamrock Capital is a profoundly happy event for Swift. She has expressed how personal and difficult it was not to own these works.
In her announcement, Swift acknowledged that it was due to her fans purchasing her rerecorded music (known as “Taylor’s Version”) and the financial success of the record-breaking Eras Tour which enabled this purchase.
When it comes to valuing a music catalogue, it largely comes down to two types of rights: master rights and publishing rights.
Master rights are rights pertaining to the ownership of the actual sound recordings – the final recorded version. These are called “masters” because they’re the original source from which all copies are made.
Under traditional music industry contracts, record labels usually hold ownership of masters and associated materials. This can be music videos, tour videos, unreleased works, photographs and album covers.
Through licensing, the label controls the use of this material and retains the majority of the royalties. In return, the label provides the artist with financial backing, recording resources and marketing.
Publishing rights, on the other hand, relate to the underlying composition – the music and lyrics. The rights to music publishing usually belong to the songwriter, regardless of who performs the song.
Publishing rights govern how a song can be used and who earns royalties from that use. For example, a song may be played on a streaming platform, covered in a live performance or licensed for a commercial or film.
The agreed contractual terms were typical of the music industry. In exchange for the financial support to make, record and promote her subsequent albums and tours, Big Machine held the rights to Swift’s master recordings and associated materials in her first six albums. Her relationship with the label lasted 13 years.
As a songwriter, Swift retained separate publishing rights to her songs (the music and lyrics) from her first six albums, which she licensed through Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
In 2018, Swift was reportedly offered to re-sign with Big Machine, in a deal which would involve her “earning” the rights to one original album for each new one she produced.
Swift did not renew her contract and moved to Republic Records (Universal Music Group), who allow her to own her masters. She also moved to Universal Music Publishing Group for her music publishing.
Subsequent sales
In June 2019, Big Machine’s catalogue was sold to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, for a reported US$330 million, with US$140 million representing Swift’s catalogue.
Swift described this as her “worst case scenario”, as she had a tumultuous history of alleged bullying from Braun. She also alleged she found out about the acquisition at the time it was announced to the world, without being given the opportunity to purchase her catalogue.
In October 2020, Swift’s catalogue was sold to Shamrock Capital, a private equity firm, for an estimated US$300+ million. In recent years, private equity firms have been purchasing music catalogues as profitable long-term financial assets, rather than for artistic or cultural reasons.
She was able to create new versions of her songs, with their own intellectual property rights attached.
As owner of these new masters, she has control over where these songs are used, and she receives a greater portion of the income from the streams, downloads and licensing.
The decision was enormously successful. Mobilising her fans’ support via social media, they prioritised purchasing “Taylor’s Version” over the original masters, diluting the value of the originals.
Successful futures
Swift has repeatedly emphasised the need for artists to retain control over their work and to receive fair compensation. In a 2020 interview she said she believes artists should always own their master records and licence them back to the label for a limited period.
This would mean the label could monetise, control and manage the recordings for a certain time, but the artist retains the ownership. They eventually gain back full control, rather than handing over permanent rights to the label.
Swift’s experience has sparked conversations within the industry, prompting emerging artists to approach record labels with caution and advocate for fairer deals and ownership rights. Olivia Rodrigo negotiated her contract with Swift’s saga as a cautionary tale.
Purchasing her catalogue and masters gives Swift autonomy about how the rights to all of her music is used. Her fans are likely to continue to support her and purchase both the originals and “Taylor’s Version”, so the value of her original albums may rise.
And, in the long-run, her new acquisition will likely make her much wealthier.
Wellett Potter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WATCH: Sen. Reed warns Lutnick’s micromanagement and short-staffing of NOAA could leave states vulnerable to future disasters
WASHINGTON, DC – In his partisan zeal to root out so-called waste, redundancy, and abuse, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is generating unprecedented bureaucratic waste and delays that are hampering the U.S. Department of Commerce’s mission, particularly at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Whistleblowers within the agency have come forward in the press to sound the alarm that Secretary Lutnick is causing bureaucratic gridlock and hindering the agency’s ability to assist local communities with preparations for extreme weather events.
“Staff shortages and new layers of bureaucracy are suffocating NOAA and threatening its ability to accurately predict extreme weather events, ensure U.S. ports stay open and safeguard the nation’s commercial and recreational fisheries, say current and former agency officials,” according to E&E News by Politico.
Things have gotten so bad at Commerce that even President Trump’s staunch ally U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has sounded the alarm. Noting that NOAA has 5,700 contracts set to expire this year, Senator Cruz reported at a Congressional hearing last month that Secretary Lutnick typically reviews about two dozen contracts a week — at that pace, only 1,248 contracts would be reviewed in a year, and many of them require immediate attention and action.
E&E News by Politico reported: “These contracts include everything from post-hurricane flood assessment to janitorial services,” Cruz said. He added that a data center at Texas A&M University was shut down for days, “depriving Texas emergency and water managers of critical drought forecasts that help them manage reservoirs and track storm surge data and hurricane forecasts in real time.”
The report notes: “The coil around NOAA squeezes in two ways, they say. The first is personnel. More than 1,000 NOAA employees have left the agency since the start of the Trump administration, and the empty desks have led to staffing issues in key weather service offices — just as hurricane season approaches… The second issue is the slow pace of approval for outside contracts and grants… But fewer than 20 percent of outstanding grants have been approved, and more than 1,000 are in the queue with more added every day, according to a current NOAA official who was granted anonymity to speak without fear of reprisal.”
Today, at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) grilled Secretary Lutnick about the growing backlog of contracts that are still awaiting his sign off and how his inefficient and insufficient micromanagement tactics have slowed down the vital work of NOAA just as hurricane season is getting underway.
“We’ve all been talking about bottlenecks, in fact, in the Department and elsewhere throughout the government. In fact, last month, Senator Cruz warned about the growing backlog of contracts awaiting approval at the Department of Commerce. He warned that NOAA alone has 5,700 contracts set to expire this year. And it’s been reported in the press that you are insisting on personally reviewing every commerce contract over $100,000,” Reed asked.
Secretary Lutnick admitted: “That is true.”
Reed responded: “Well, that seems to be something that is not particularly efficient. And that results in the 5,700 contracts just in NOAA. So again, if you can’t find reliable support to do those reviews, I think you’re wasting your time, frankly.”
To achieve costs savings and efficiently achieve its diverse missions, NOAA operations rely on a significant number of contractors. While every Administration carefully reviews each contract to ensure it is an effective use of taxpayer dollars, what sets the Trump Administration apart is its own inefficiency and bureaucratic bottleneck that slows the reviews down to the point where the work in the contract either can’t be done or is approved at the last second and could raise costs in the long run.
This is not a red state or blue state issue. In addition to Senators Cruz and Reed, several other Senators – including Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) — have raised concerns in recent months about missing or delayed funding, according to Politico.
During the hearing, Reed pressed Lutnick about when the backlog of contract reviews would be completed and Lutnick, surprisingly, claimed there are no more NOAA contracts he needs to review:
SEN. REED:Well, let’s go ahead and get those 5,700 contracts done. This weekend?
SEC. LUTNICK:There are not, under any circumstances, any contracts in there. There are none.
SEN. REED:How about this weekend?
SEC. LUTNICK:None.
SEN. REED:Can you get it done this weekend? Work overtime with the gang and get it done?
SEC. LUTNICK:There are no contracts waiting for me, and if there were, I’ll be there all night tonight, making sure they get turned out with my team, teaching my team how to do it.
Noting that the Trump Administration has proposed drastic cuts to NOAA, slashing the agency’s annual budget from the current level of $6.1 billion down to $4.5 billion next year, and eliminating NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Reed quoted longtime NOAA researcher Craig McLean, who served as NOAA’s top scientist during the first Trump Administration, and warned that the drastic cuts Secretary Lutnick is backing would “take us back to the 1950s in terms of our scientific footing and the American people” if enacted.
Lutnick’s claim that the National Weather Service budget would remain unimpacted is undermined by steep cuts to other areas of NOAA, such as technology, research, and satellites that would grossly undercut the agency’s climate, weather, and ocean capabilities.
Source: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
During their 3-month internship programme at JPL they’ll work alongside scientists and engineers who are part of world-leading NASA missions.
Their experience at JPL will not only support their studies, it will also provide real-world skills to start exciting careers in New Zealand’s fast-growing space industry.
The students received their scholarships at a ceremony in Parliament today.
Congratulations to:
Asif Rasha (Auckland University of Technology)
Felix Goddard (University of Canterbury)
Jack Patterson (University of Canterbury)
Mark Bishop (Victoria University of Wellington)
Shivam Desai (University of Auckland)
Sofie Claridge (Victoria University of Wellington)
Taran John (Victoria University of Wellington).
Space and advanced aviation are growing sectors in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Space Scholarships support the development of a workforce that is skilled, innovative, and meets the capability and capacity needs of the space and advanced aviation sectors.
Read more about the students and what they’ll be working on:
GAINESVILLE, Va., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC), the trusted leader in computing benchmarks, announced today that SPEC International Standards Group (ISG) successfully advocated that the United States clarify export policies to allow companies on the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Entity List to participate in creating standards. SPEC ISG invites the return of member companies excluded from collaborating due to policy reasons, bringing together the strength of industry, academia, and research from all over the world to cooperate on future computing energy efficiency standards.
A few years ago, in order to ensure the safe application of 5G technology, the US government stipulated that US agencies should not cooperate with companies on the BIS Entity List. This ban was never intended to restrict the development of global standards. However, due to the overly strict definition of the term “standard” in the original exemption clause of BIS, the SPEC SERT suite was classified as a restricted technology, which prevented SPEC (an international standards organization with 12 Chinese member companies) from continuing to develop standards with its members on the Entity List.
Harmonized standards are best suited to consistent design and regulatory requirements, resulting in significant cost reduction for manufacturers to meet additional benchmark requirements worldwide.
SPEC President David Reiner said: “Restricting companies on the Entity List from participating in the development of energy efficiency benchmarks risks dividing the global standards process, negating the primary goal of standardization. Through years of hard work, in collaboration with other international organizations, we are pleased to have successfully promoted changes to U.S. policies to remove the unintended restrictions on the development of international standardized benchmarks.”
SPEC successfully advocated changes to U.S. rules
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s BIS changed its rules to allow U.S. companies to work in standards organizations to ensure U.S. proposals take full account of international standards that underlie product development and interoperability. While this was an important milestone, the change did not allow SPEC to invite Entity List businesses that were among its former members to re-join, nor to invite other entities on the Entity List to join. In response, SPEC took a series of actions to advocate for the revision of relevant U.S. laws and to promote international technology exchanges and innovation. As part of these efforts, SPEC created the International Standards Group (ISG), specifically designed to comply with the updated BIS requirements and provide a clear separation between SPEC’s international standards work and other SPEC projects.
As a result of SPEC’s successful efforts, BIS improved regulations in late 2022. Under the final regulations, organizations on the BIS Entity List are no longer restricted from licensing, obtaining updates, or participating in the development of the SPEC SERT Suite within the SPEC ISG. These standards development activities related to the implementation, promulgation, or maintenance of the ISO/IEC 21836:2020 standard qualify for the BIS updated standards-related activities exemption. As a result, BIS listed entities are now able to obtain SPEC SERT Suite licenses, updates, and membership status in the SPEC ISG Server Efficiency Committee.
The return of excluded members is critical because it will enable SPEC to continue to promote effective global standardized benchmarks and apply them to government energy efficiency regulations. The successful adoption of SPEC SERT suites by government regulations such as China National Institute of Standardization, EU Lot9 Ecodesign, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the U.S. EPA Energy Star is critical to SPEC’s efforts to promote sustainable technology development around the world. For example, computer servers that are ENERGY STAR certified are, on average, about 38% more energy efficient than standard servers. This means that if all computer servers sold in the United States were ENERGY STAR certified, end users would save more than $4 billion per year.
The next-generation energy efficiency rating tool is currently under development by the SPEC ISG Server Committee, which includes representatives from Ampere, AMD, Dell, HPE, IBM, Intel, IEIT, Microsoft, Nvidia, and the University of Würzburg. The SERT 3 Suite utilizes the SPECpower Committee’s innovative modular architecture, allowing streamlined integration of the latest versions of the Chauffeur benchmark harness and the PTDaemon Interface, which are also utilized by other SPEC benchmarks. This modular design reduces the time required for developing future workloads, adding new architectures, and supporting new power analyzers and temperature sensors.
Klaus-Dieter Lange, Chair of SPEC ISG, said: “We are pleased that SPEC was able to successfully work with the U.S. Department of Commerce to find a solution to this critical issue. We welcome the world’s innovative companies to join in the development of the next-generation SPEC SERT Suite, which will enable governments and businesses to more effectively achieve sustainable development and carbon emission reduction goals.”
About SPEC SPEC is a non-profit organization that establishes, maintains and endorses standardized benchmarks and tools to evaluate performance for the newest generation of computing systems. Its membership comprises more than 120 leading computer hardware and software vendors, educational institutions, research organizations and government agencies worldwide.
Media contact: Brigit Valencia 360.597.4516 brigit@compel-pr.com
Images available upon request.
SPEC® and SERT® are trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.
UniSA’s Enterprise Hub is a state-of-the-art enterprise and innovation facility within an original heritage building
Architects, builders, academics and regulators are calling for a major shift in Australia’s building policies, claiming these are based on a narrow view of environmental costs and false economies that downplay the real costs of new builds – and the environment is paying the price.
The consortium comprises representatives across Australia’s property sector, including developers, architects, industry bodies, environmental and heritage consultants, government and researchers. The group gathered last month at Hames Sharley architects’ Adelaide office, to work through the challenges holding back the sustainable re-use of buildings and agree on a framework to progress building adaptation for housing and other purposes.
A total of 24 recommendations were developed, including:
Adapting and reusing existing buildings must be the first option before considering redevelopment – across housing, community and commercial functions.
Government should lead by adapting building policies to prioritise sufficiency and adaptive building reuse, and should lead through its own accommodation choices.
A database of vacant precincts, buildings and land must be established to identify opportunities for adaptive reuse and redirect investment.
Building policy must change to recognise embodied carbon saved by reuse rather than demolition and rebuild – and better balance this with the energy efficiencies of new builds.
Economic incentives such as tax relief and reduced charges are vital to recognise the environmental savings from reusing existing buildings and make adaptive reuse viable.
The University of South Australia co-hosted the workshop in partnership with Hames Sharley, also involving the City of Adelaide and University of Adelaide.
He points out that “while new builds are lauded for their energy efficiencies, large amounts of carbon are ‘embodied’ in their materials and construction while they consume excessive water and other natural resources. This can be greatly reduced by adapting vacant and underutilised existing buildings, which otherwise go to waste.”
“The building industry represents around a third of global carbon emissions, yet we’re seeing more and bigger builds by default. This seems far out of step with EU countries such as France and Denmark, where attention is focussed on making better use of existing space.
“It’s therefore critical that our policy settings prioritise building retention, retrofit and reuse ‑ instead of new builds.”
Hames Sharley Associate Director and Head of its National Sustainability Forum, Yaara Plaves, says bringing key stakeholders together is vital to address cross-sector issues.
“In any field where complex, systemic challenges resist straightforward solutions, siloed expertise creates blind spots and biases,” Plaves says. “Addressing these through a community of practice model that brings participants together cultivates learning and mutual trust – and is essential to bring about sustainable, demonstratable solutions.”
Supported by the Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN), the workshop involved sharing learnings from France’s innovative policies and initiatives, including the concept of ‘Sufficiency’ which is now enshrined in French Energy Law and reflected in more holistic policies on carbon mitigation.
The recommendations will be shared with South Australian policy makers, and a bilateral partnership with France explored through a proposed Adelaide University-based ‘Australian Sufficiency Lab’, which would become a national centre for sufficiency and adaptive reuse across multiple sectors.
The recommendations were developed by representatives from the below entities:
ARUP
Future Urban
RPS Engineering
ARCHI
Greenaway Consulting
Renewal SA
Australian Institute of Architects
Heritage South Australia
Sarah Constructions
Built Australia
Hames Sharley
SA Dept of Infrastructure & Transport
City of Adelaide
Lendlease
State Planning Commission
Cohen Group
Les Moore Projects
University of Adelaide
FORUM
Pelligra
University of South Australia
Participant quotes:
Professor Jane Burry, Chair, Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Adelaide: “The session provided a great springboard to go forward.”
Les Moore, Les Moore Projects: “With the right ‘can-do’ mindset we can achieve extraordinary outcomes.”
About Hames Sharley:
Hames Sharley is a research-led design practice with a large community of designers and collaborators. We identify knowledge gaps and, through our practice-based research, we hunt for answers to influence a better built environment. Our research projects are broad and include areas such as understanding the impact of noise in ICU and designing for sensory comfort in workplace settings.
About UniSA:
The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Ed Markey led a group of 29 senators in slamming a Republican attempt to rescind $1.07 billion in already-allocated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds local public broadcasting stations across the country. The $1.07 billion represents 100% of CPB’s funding through September 2027. This move follows President Trump’s executive order directing cuts to federal funding for PBS and NPR.
“Following the White House’s request to rescind $1.07 billion in federal funding for CPB, we write to express our strong opposition to any rescission of funding for public broadcasting and prohibitions of direct and indirect funding to the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio,” wrote the senators. “This funding is essential to the functioning of the public media system and the communities they serve, and any cuts in funding would have detrimental effects on local stations, which rely on this funding to provide critical services to millions of Americans across the country. Public broadcasting is an essential service that should be protected, not decimated. For this reason, we request that you prioritize maintaining and continuing funding for CPB.”
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting supports over 1,500 local public television and radio stations that provide free, high-quality programming to millions of households across America. It provides young children who don’t get the chance to attend preschool with educational content that helps them learn to read; airs highly trusted nightly news programming; and shares critical public safety information during emergencies. Local public television stations also provide extensive coverage of local government and elections and host candidate debates, helping Americans stay connected with their elected leaders. Because public television and radio relies heavily on federal funding to operate, particularly in rural communities, losing this funding would force many of these stations to reduce much of their programming or, in some cases, close their doors.
In addition to Senators Gillibrand and Markey, the letter was also signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the letter is availablehereor below:
Dear Majority Leader Thune,
Federal investment in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) supports over 1,500 local and regional public television and radio stations that provide free, high-quality programming to millions of households across the country. Following the White House’s request to rescind $1.07 billion in federal funding for CPB, we write to express our strong opposition to any rescission of funding for public broadcasting and prohibitions of direct and indirect funding to the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio, as outlined in the Executive Order titled, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media” released on May 1, 2025. This funding is essential to the functioning of the public media system and the communities they serve, and any cuts in funding would have detrimental effects on local stations, which rely on this funding to provide critical services to millions of Americans across the country.
Our public broadcasting system is a unique American institution that is deeply embedded in our communities and a critical source of lifesaving public safety services, accurate information, and educational programming. The vast majority of the federal funding CPB receives is allocated to local radio and television stations across the country. These cuts will have an immediate and significant impact for stations in rural communities that heavily rely on CPB funding to provide critical services and could likely result in the elimination of programming or outright closure of stations in areas already faced with limited connectivity.
According to Northwestern University, 55 million people in the United States have no or only one source of local news, and rural counties are far more likely to lose their local news outlets. This number could increase if the two-year advance appropriation for public media is not upheld, resulting in the drastic reduction or complete elimination of free, high-quality local programming. This is especially concerning given the importance of public broadcasting during public emergencies, such as natural disasters, transportation accidents, national security threats, or public safety matters. CPB funds are essential to ensuring that the broadcast infrastructure remains robust and operational in disaster situations, especially scenarios in which local public broadcasters serve as the only source of information for those who need a lifeline. Any cuts in funding will have drastic consequences for communities in need.
And there is much more to their public safety services in addition to the critical local information they broadcast. Public television’s interconnection technology, which connects local public television stations to PBS, is also one of the backbone pathways for the delivery of our nation’s Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) services – enabling cell phone subscribers to receive geotargeted emergency text alerts no matter where they are in the country. A cut to public broadcasting funding would put this lifesaving service and its nationwide footprint at risk.
Public television has also pioneered cutting edge technology that helps first responders communicate with each other over the broadcast spectrum without the need for mobile service or broadband. This datacasting technology and public television’s public safety partnerships is already helping with early earthquake warning and has been proven effective in a wide range of scenarios where broadband or cellular service are limited, including rural search and rescue, overwater communications, large event crowd control and more. But this is only possible if stations serving rural and remote areas with limited broadband are healthy and continue operating as they are today.
On the education front, public television’s early childhood education services ensure that every family has access to high-quality, non-commercial educational content regardless of their ability to pay for such services. This is essential for over 50 percent of three and four-year old children who do not attend formal preschool.
If funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is eliminated or rescinded, the impact would be devastating. Millions of people across the country whose stations rely on CPB funding for a significant percentage of their budget would be at risk of losing access to public television’s services. These are services that nobody else in the media world is providing, but it’s exactly the work for which public broadcasting was created, and they are delivering to our communities every day.
Public broadcasting is an essential service that should be protected, not decimated. For this reason, we request that you prioritize maintaining and continuing funding for CPB.
We appreciate your consideration of this request and thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
DENVER – Today, Governor Polis signed SB25-167 – Invest State Funds to Benefit Communities, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile and Lisa Frizell, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Meghan Lukens. This law helps expand access to housing for teachers, increasing homeownership and supporting Colorado schools by providing down-payment assistance and expanding housing opportunities that educators can afford.
“We are taking big steps to reduce housing costs and breaking down barriers to home ownership for people across the state. This new law is another step in the right direction, and I’m proud to sign it today, helping more educators get housing they can afford , allowing teachers to live in the communities they choose, and supporting Colorado children in the classroom. I thank the sponsors for their work to tackle housing costs,” said Governor Polis.
Governor Polis also signed:
SB25-122 – Extending Organ & Tissue Donation Fund, sponsored by President James Coleman and Senator Cleave Simpson, and Representatives Jennifer Bacon and Regina English
HB25-1013 – Department of Corrections Visitation Rights, sponsored by Representatives Regina English and Jennifer Bacon, and President James Coleman and Senator Tony Exum
Governor Polis signed the following bills into law administratively:
SB25-017 – Measures to Support Early Childhood Health, sponsored by Senators Lisa Cutter and Iman Jodeh, and Representatives Junie Joseph and Yara Zokaie. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-036 – State Patrol Bonding Exception, sponsored by Senators Marc Catlin and Marc Snyder, and Representatives Sheila Lieder and Ty Winter. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-070 – Online Marketplaces & Third-Party Sellers, sponsored by Senators Larry Liston and Dylan Roberts, and Representatives Ryan Armagost and William Lindstedt. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-075 – License to Sell Vehicles Criminal Offense, sponsored by Senator Julie Gonzales, and Representatives Cecelia Espenoza and Jennifer Bacon. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-126 – Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act, sponsored by Senator Marc Snyder, and Representative Cecelia Espenoza
SB25-162 – Railroad Safety Requirements, sponsored by Senators Lisa Cutter and Marc Snyder, and Representatives Javier Mabrey and Elizabeth Velasco. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-163 – Battery Stewardship Programs, sponsored by Senators Lisa Cutter and Matt Ball, and Representatives Kyle Brown and Rebekah Stewart. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-173 – Revenue Classification Taxpayers Bill of Rights, sponsored by Senator Mike Weissman, and Representatives Lorena Garcia and Yara Zokaie
SB25-257 – Modify General Fund Transfers to State Highway Fund, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Rick Taggart. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-258 – Temporarily Reduce Road Safety Surcharge, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota. This bill is bipartisan.
“This bill is an important part of our work to save Coloradans money. By cutting vehicle registration fees, we are helping Coloradans keep more of their hard-earned money. This is just one piece of our efforts,” said Governor Jared Polis.
SB25-261 – Property Tax Deferral Program Administration, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-286 – Petroleum Products Fees & Penalties, sponsored by Senators Nick Hinrichsen and Marc Snyder, and Representative Shannon Bird. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-299 – Consumer Protection Residential Energy Systems, sponsored by Senator Katie Wallace, and Representatives Kyle Brown and Matt Soper. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-300 – Revisor’s Bill, sponsored by Senators John Carson and Mike Weissman, and Representatives Stephanie Luck and Sean Camacho. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-305 – Water Quality Permitting Efficiency, sponsored by Senators Barbara Kirkmeyer and Jeff Bridges, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Rick Taggart. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-306 – Performance Audits of Certain State Agencies, sponsored by Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez and Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives William Lindstedt and Rick Taggart. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-316 – Auraria Higher Education Center Appropriations, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile and Jeff Bridges, and Representatives Rick Taggart and Emily Sirota. This bill is bipartisan.
SB25-319 – Modification Higher Education Expenses Income Tax Incentive, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Judy Amabile, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Rick Taggart. This bill is bipartisan.
HB25-1043 – Owner Equity Protection in Homeowners’ Association Foreclosure Sales, sponsored by Representatives Naquetta Ricks and Jennifer Bacon, and Senator Tony Exum. This bill is bipartisan.
HB25-1056 – Local Government Permitting Wireless Telecommunications Facilities, sponsored by Representatives Meghan Lukens and Jennifer Bacon, and Senators Dylan Roberts and Nick Hinrichsen. This bill is bipartisan.
“This bill will help increase connectivity for Coloradans across the state by breaking down barriers. I appreciate the sponsors for their work on this new law and look forward to seeing increased service across Colorado,” said Governor Jared Polis.
HB25-1061 – Community Schoolyards Grant Program, sponsored by Representatives Rick Taggart and Jennifer Bacon, and Senators Judy Amabile and Barbara Kirkmeyer. This is a bipartisan bill.
HB25-1082 – Qualified Individuals Death Certificates, sponsored by Representatives Ron Weinberg and Kyle Brown, and Senators Rod Pelton and Dafna Michaelson Jenet. This is a bipartisan bill.
HB25-1108 – Prohibitions in Rental Agreements Due to Death, sponsored by Representatives Ron Weinberg and Javier Mabrey, and Senators Barbara Kirkmeyer and Jeff Bridges. This is a bipartisan bill.
HB25-1161 – Labeling Gas-Fueled Stoves, sponsored by Representative Alex Valdez, and Senators Cathy Kipp and Katie Wallace. This bill is bipartisan.
HB25-1223 – Capital Needs of Rural and Frontier Hospitals, sponsored by Representatives Dusty Johnson and Meghan Lukens, and Senators Rod Pelton and Dylan Roberts. This is a bipartisan bill.
HB25-1224 – Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act Modifications, sponsored by Representatives Brianna Titone and Matt Soper, and Senator Marc Snyder. This is a bipartisan bill.
HB25-1234 – Utility Consumer Protection, sponsored by Representatives Naquetta Ricks and Junie Joseph, and Senators Faith Winter and Katie Wallace
HB25-1307 – Updating Technical References in Education Law, sponsored by Representatives Stephanie Luck and Michael Carter, and Senators Matt Ball and Janice Rich. This is a bipartisan bill.
HB25-1324 – Clarify Property Tax Objection & Protest Deadlines, sponsored by Representatives Cecelia Espenoza and Stephanie Luck, and Senators Matt Ball and Marc Catlin. This is a bipartisan bill.
HB25-1327 – Modify Statewide Ballot Measure Processes, sponsored by Representatives Emily Sirota and Meg Froelich, and Senator Cathy Kipp
HB25-1300 – Workers’ Compensation Benefits Proof of Entitlement, sponsored by Representative Jenny Willford and Senator Cathy Kipp
HB25-1317 – Correct Error in Self-Pay Estimate Statute, sponsored by Representatives Brandi Bradley and Michael Carter, and Senator Tony Exum.
Source: US Whitehouse
RESTRICTING FOREIGN STUDENT VISAS AT HARVARD: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to safeguard national security by suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University.
The Proclamation suspends the entry into the United States of any new Harvard student as a nonimmigrant under F, M, or J visas.
It directs the Secretary of State to consider revoking existing F, M, or J visas for current Harvard students who meet the Proclamation’s criteria.
The Proclamation does not apply to aliens attending other U.S. universities through the Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) and exempts aliens whose entry is deemed in the national interest.
HARVARD HAS A DEMONSTRATED HISTORY OF CONCERNING FOREIGN TIES AND RADICALISM:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has long warned that foreign adversaries take advantage of easy access to American higher education to steal information, exploit research and development, and spread false information.
The University has seen a drastic rise in crime in recent years, while failing to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus.
Harvard has failed to provide sufficient information to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about foreign students’ known illegal or dangerous activities, reporting deficient data on only three students.
Harvard is either not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students.
Harvard has also developed extensive entanglements with foreign adversaries, receiving more than $150 million from China alone. In exchange, Harvard has, among other things, hosted Chinese Communist Party paramilitary members and partnered with China-based individuals on research that could advance China’s military modernization.
The Chinese Communist Party has sent thousands of mid-career and senior bureaucrats to study at U.S. institutions, with Harvard University considered the top “party school” outside the country. Xi Jinping’s own daughter attended Harvard as an undergraduate in the early 2010s.
Harvard has failed to adequately address violent anti-Semitic incidents on campus, with many of these agitators found to be foreign students.
Harvard has persisted in prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its admissions, denying hardworking Americans equal opportunities by favoring certain groups, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against its race-based practices.
These concerns have compelled the Federal government to conclude that Harvard University is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs.
HOLDING HARVARD ACCOUNTABLE: President Trump wants our institutions to have foreign students, but believes that the foreign students should be people that can love our country.
President Trump: “The students? Well, we want to have great students here. We just don’t want students that are causing trouble. We want to have students. I want to have foreign students.”
President Trump: “We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, they can’t get in because we have foreign students there. But I want to make sure that the foreign students are people that can love our country.”
President Trump: “We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country. Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason!”
Source: US Whitehouse
class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
Admission into the United States to attend, conduct research, or teach at our Nation’s institutions of higher education is a privilege granted by our Government, not a guarantee. That privilege is necessarily tied to the host institution’s compliance and commitment to following Federal law. Harvard University has failed in this respect, among many others.
The Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) depends fundamentally on academic institutions’ good faith, transparency, and full adherence to the relevant regulatory frameworks. This is for crucial national-security reasons. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has long warned that foreign adversaries and competitors take advantage of easy access to American higher education to, among other things, steal technical information and products, exploit expensive research and development to advance their own ambitions, and spread false information for political or other reasons. Our adversaries, including the People’s Republic of China, try to take advantage of American higher education by exploiting the student visa program for improper purposes and by using visiting students to collect information at elite universities in the United States.
Protecting our national security requires host institutions of foreign students to provide sufficient information, when asked, to enable the Federal Government to identify and address misconduct by those foreign students. In my judgment, it presents an unacceptable risk to our Nation’s security for an academic institution to refuse to provide sufficient information, when asked, about known instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students. This principle is one reason why SEVP regulations require foreign students to obey Federal and State criminal laws and require universities to keep records about foreign students’ studies in the United States — including records relating to criminal activity by foreign students and resulting disciplinary proceedings — and furnish them to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on request.
Crime rates at Harvard University — including violent crime rates — have drastically risen in recent years. Harvard has failed to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus. Given these facts, it is imperative, in my judgment, that the Federal Government be able to assess and, if necessary, address misconduct and crimes committed by foreign students at Harvard.
Despite the risks described above, Harvard University has refused the recent requests of the DHS for information about foreign students’ “known illegal activity,” “known dangerous and violent activity,” “known threats to other students or university personnel,” “known deprivation of rights of other classmates or university personnel,” and whether those activities “occurred on campus,” and other related data. Harvard provided data on misconduct by only three students, and the data it provided was so deficient that the DHS could not evaluate whether it should take further actions. Harvard’s actions show that it either is not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students. In my judgment, these actions and failures directly undermine the Federal Government’s ability to ensure that foreign nationals admitted on student or exchange visitor visas remain in compliance with Federal law.
These concerns have compelled the Federal Government to conclude that Harvard University is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs. When a university refuses to uphold its legal obligations, including its recordkeeping and reporting obligations, the consequences ripple far beyond the campus. They jeopardize the integrity of the entire United States student and exchange visitor visa system, compromise national security, and embolden other institutions to similarly disregard the rule of law.
Harvard University has also developed extensive entanglements with foreign countries, including our adversaries. According to The Harvard Crimson, Harvard has received more than $150 million in total contributions from foreign governments over the last 5 years, and over $1 billion from foreign sources. Over the last 10 years, Harvard has received more than $150 million from China alone. In exchange, Harvard has, among other things, “repeatedly hosted and trained members of a Chinese Communist Party paramilitary organization,” according to a probe by the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Harvard researchers have also partnered with China-based individuals on research that could advance China’s military modernization, according to the same probe.
Finally, Harvard University continues to flout the civil rights of its students and faculty, triggering multiple Federal investigations. Harvard’s discrimination against disfavored races in admissions was so blatant that the Supreme Court decision ending the practice nationwide bears Harvard’s name. Yet even after that Supreme Court decision, Harvard and its affiliated organizations on campus continue to deny hardworking Americans equal opportunities. Instead of those Americans, Harvard admits students from non-egalitarian nations, including nations that seek the destruction of the United States and its allies, or the extermination of entire peoples. It is not in the interest of the United States to further compound Harvard’s discrimination against non-preferred races, national origins, shared ancestries, or religions by further reducing opportunities for American students through excessive foreign student enrollment.
Considering these facts, I have determined that it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University. Such restrictions are authorized under sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), which authorize the President to suspend entry of any class of aliens whose entry would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. I have determined that the entry of the class of foreign nationals described above is detrimental to the interests of the United States because, in my judgment, Harvard’s conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers. Until such time as the university shares the information that the Federal Government requires to safeguard national security and the American public, it is in the national interest to deny foreign nationals access to Harvard under the auspices of educational exchange.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that, absent the measures set forth in this proclamation, the entry into the United States of persons described in section 1 of this proclamation would, except as provided for in section 2 of this proclamation, be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and that their entry should be subject to certain restrictions, limitations, and exceptions. I hereby proclaim as follows:
Section 1. Suspension of Entry. The entry of any alien into the United States as a nonimmigrant to pursue a course of study at Harvard University under section 101(a)(15)(F) or section 101(a)(15)(M) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F) or 1101(a)(15)(M), or to participate in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University under section 101(a)(15)(J) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(J), is suspended and limited, subject to section 2 of this proclamation. That suspension and limitation shall expire, absent extension, 6 months after the date of this proclamation.
Sec. 2. Scope and Implementation of Suspension and Limitation on Entry. (a) The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall apply to aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States to begin attending Harvard University through the SEVP after the date of this proclamation.
(b) The Secretary of State shall consider, in the Secretary’s discretion, whether foreign nationals who currently attend Harvard University and are in the United States pursuant to F, M, or J visas and who otherwise meet the criteria described in section 1 of this proclamation should have their visas revoked pursuant to section 221(i) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1201(i).
(c) The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to any alien who enters the United States to attend other universities through the SEVP.
(d) The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to any alien whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees.
(e) No later than 90 days after the date of this proclamation, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall jointly submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, a recommendation on whether an extension or renewal of the suspension and limitation on entry in section 1 of this proclamation is in the interests of the United States.
Sec. 3. Operational Action to Implement this Order. The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate to take all necessary and appropriate action to implement this proclamation. The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall also consider using their respective authorities under the INA to impose limitations on Harvard University’s ability to participate in the SEVP and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Any such actions should include an exception for any alien whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)
WASHINGTON, DC — In the wake of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) and Full Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem requesting the alien file for the suspect, an Egyptian national named Mohamed Sabry Soliman, which will include information on his expired visa, work authorization, and asylum application.
In the letter, the Chairmen wrote, in part,“the Committee on Homeland Security is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the immigration history of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national now facing felony charges after he carried out a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado. The charges include attempted murder, use of incendiary devices, and federal hate crimes.”
The Chairmen concluded that,“This tragedy is indicative of a heightened terrorism threat on U.S. soil, signaling an urgent need for increased homeland security measures, particularly with respect to foreign nationals who are unlawfully present in the United States, as Solimanreportedly overstayed a nonimmigrant visa. Our nation has now faced several major acts of antisemitic terror this year alone, including the recent assassination of two Israeli embassy staffers in our nation’s capital.”
Read more about this letter in the Washington ExaminerHERE
Read the letter in its entiretyHERE
BACKGROUND:
Soliman is part of a broader pattern. Last May, Chairman Pfluger, Chairman Green, along with other Committee leaders, sent a letter to then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, then-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, and then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, requesting information on the alleged attempted breach of Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCB). Reports indicate the two individuals involved were Jordanian nationals, one of whom, Mohammad Khair Dabous, had overstayed his student visa. Dabous remains at large, while the other individual involved was recently arrested again for a different crime and is at an ICE detention facility.
In March, a pro-Hamas Palestinian protester was arrested at Columbia University after overstaying her student visa. Her visa was suspended in 2022 due to her poor attendance record. She had previously been arrested in connection with her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia.
In April, a Palestinian student was arrested at Columbia University after overstaying her student visa and “participating in anti-American, pro-terrorist activities on campus,” according to DHS. Her visa was suspended in 2022 due to a lack of attendance.
In February, a foreign national from Hungary was arrested for two counts of murder. He had overstayed his visa waiver and was previously charged with theft and robbery but had been released with an ankle monitor under the Alternatives to Detention Program in 2024. He managed to disable the monitor and remained a fugitive for months, during which he committed the two murders.
In 2022, a foreign national from Mexico murdered four people, including his three daughters, after overstaying his visa. The man’s non-immigrant visitor visa had expired in 2018. He had previously been arrested for assaulting a California Highway Patrol officer. ICE was not informed of his release from jail for the assault due to California’s 2017 “sanctuary state law.”
In October 2024, an illegal alien who had been released into the country under the Biden-Harris administration shot a Jewish man on his way to a Chicago Synagogue.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on the MHRA advice on contraceptives for women taking weight loss drugs.
Dr Bassel Wattar, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals, said:
“GLP-1 agonist drugs are a great new addition to help selected patients with weight issues achieve a better health status. The challenge is to regulate their use and couple it with adequate medical monitoring to minimise the risks of adverse events. To date, women planning for pregnancy or those pregnant were largely excluded from clinical trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of these medications. There is some data from animal studies to suggesting there is a risk of malformation to the fetus, in animals falling pregnant while taking GLP-1 agonists, but data remains limited in humans. The warning from the MHRA is timely to govern and guide on the safe use of these medications, especially for women struggling to lose weight and hoping to get pregnant.
“It is important to recommend effective contraception while taking these injections such as the implant or the intrauterine coil, which offer more robust contraception in these cases versus the oral combined contraceptive pill. More importantly, achieving significant weight loss can sometimes help some women (for example those with polycystic ovary syndrome) to restore natural ovulation, and therefore, boost their chances of falling pregnant spontaneously without needing invasive fertility treatment like IVF. This however, should be planned under the care of a specialist fertility doctor to ensure a pregnancy can be planned safely after a washout period off these drugs.”
Dr Channa Jayasena, Reader in Reproductive Endocrinology at Imperial College London and Consultant in Reproductive Endocrinology and Andrology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Imperial College London, said:
“GLP-1 drugs copy the natural hormones made in the gut which make you feel full. This makes them powerful treatments to help women lose weight. Obesity reduces fertility in women. So, women with obesity taking GLP-1 drugs are more likely to get pregnant than before they lost weight. In addition, we think that the absorption of oral contraceptive pills may be reduced with GLP-1 drugs which slow down emptying of the stomach, though more research is needed to confirm this. The guidance produced by the MHRA is sensible, since it highlights that women could accidentally get pregnant when taking GLP-1 drugs. We don’t know how harmful GLP-1 drugs are during pregnancy; however, we know that other forms of weight loss like weight loss surgery can increase chances of a miscarriage. So, women are advised to do all they can to prevent pregnancy while taking GLP-1 drugs.”
Prof Rebecca Reynolds, Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Edinburgh, said:
“It is very important to raise awareness about this MHRA advice among women and clinicians around potential issues with GLP-1 drugs affecting the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in those who are overweight. Many people are buying weight loss drugs online and so may not receive this important advice about contraception.
“There is hardly any available data from human studies to be able to advise if these weight loss drugs are safe in pregnancy. The data from animal studies suggests the potential for harm with low birthweight and skeletal abnormalities, though more evidence is needed to assess if there are risks of taking these drugs in humans.”
The MHRA guidance, ‘GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: patient factsheet’, was published by the MHRA and is embargoed untiled 00:01 UK time on Thursday 5 June 2025.
Declared interests
Prof Rebecca Reynolds: I have no conflicts of interest to declare
Dr Channa Jayasena: None.
Dr Bassel Wattar: No conflict of interest to disclose
The Government is ensuring more students with the highest learning support needs have access to warm, safe, dry and fit-for-purpose learning environments. “We know many parents of children with high needs want the option of a specialist education setting. Right now, those choices are limited because our specialist schools are stretched beyond capacity. This investment is about giving families more choice and confidence their children can learn in the environment that best supports them,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says. $30 million through Budget 2025 will expand specialist school property across New Zealand. Investment will fund the construction of 18 new satellite classrooms at host schools nationwide and 5 additional classrooms at two base specialist schools, relieving pressure on the network. This funding will deliver:
Two classrooms for Blomfield Special School at Selwyn Park School in Dargaville, Two classrooms for Hamilton North School at Ngaruawahia School in Waikato, Two classrooms for Kimi Ora School at Taita College in Lower Hutt, Two classrooms for Tauranga Special School at Te Puke Primary School in the Bay of Plenty, Two classrooms for Rosehill School at Papakura Normal School in Auckland, Two classrooms for Fairhaven School at Onekawa School in Napier, Four classrooms for Central Auckland Specialist School at an Auckland school, Two classrooms for Oaklynn Special School at Kelston Intermediate in Auckland, Two classrooms at Ferndale School in Christchurch, Three classrooms at Sara Cohen School in Dunedin.
“Specialist schools play a vital role in our education system. This investment recognises the incredible work these schools do and builds on the largest boost to learning support in a generation. “The classrooms are set to enter construction over the next 12 months. The majority will be delivered using offsite manufacturing or repeatable designs which enable the funding to go further, so more schools get the extra classrooms they need. The sooner we build, the sooner schools can provide tailored support, so more children have the chance to thrive,” Ms Stanford said.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05)
Congresswoman Julia Letlow announced Gabrielle Sibley, a junior at French Settlement High School in Livingston Parish, as the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for Louisiana’s 5th District.
Sibley’s sketch, “Viking,” features a pencil-drawn Viking woman whose gaze she described as having the resilience of a warrior. Sibley commented that the woman has “the same resilience we see in Louisiana’s residents after every storm and natural disaster.”
“Viking” was chosen as the winner among a variety of artwork submitted from across Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. The piece will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year alongside winning entries from congressional districts across the country.
“Gabrielle’s piece beautifully captures the strength of our people here in Louisiana in such a unique way, and I am honored to recognize her artistic talent and hard work,” said Congresswoman Julia Letlow. “All of our student participants in this year’s art competition displayed unique talent and creativity. I’m excited to showcase Gabrielle’s incredible talent to our constituents who come to the Capitol for a visit.”
The Congressional Art Competition is an annual competition open to high school students from across the United States. Each Congressional office selects one winner to display in the tunnel connecting the Cannon House Office Building to the U.S. Capitol traveled daily by members of Congress, staff, and visitors to Washington, D.C.
