The mainstream media fawned over this terrorist sympathizer and claimed his arrest was an attack on First Amendment Rights
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today set the record straight on Columbia University riots ringleader Mohsen Mahdawi. In recent days, misleading and lazy reporting painted the leader of pro-terrorist demonstrations as a “peacemaker.” Court records allege that Mahdawi told a gun shop owner that he used firearms to “kill Jews.”
In a brief filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 28 in the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, Mohsen Mahdawi was cited as admitting to being involved in and supporting pro-terrorist acts of violence. Mahdawi also allegedly admitted to familiarity with firearms per a police report. The federal filing reveals:
Mahdawi supposedly told a gun shop owner “that he had considerable firearm experience” and used guns to “kill Jews while he was in Palestine.”
Mahadawi was cited as having experience building firearms, including modified 9mm submachine guns.
Another member of the community recalled Mahdawi stating “I like to kill Jews.”
In a police report, a concerned individual reported that Mahdawi requested to purchase a sniper rifle and a machine gun. He also claimed that he said he used to make guns for Hezbollah.
Below is an excerpt of the DOJ’s brief:
This week, Mahdawi also accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of staging a citizenship interview as a trap in order to arrest him. Many in the media failed to report the real story here, which is that this terrorist sympathizer allegedly bragged to a gun shop owner that he had considerable firearms experience as he used to “kill Jews while he was in Palestine.”
Statement Attributable to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin:
“As the media works overtime to glorify a ringleader of the Columbia pro-terrorist riots, court documents show Mahdawi allegedly told a gun shop owner that he had considerable firearms experience and he ‘used to kill Jews.’ The media tried to paint Mohsen Mahdawi as a martyr for free speech. The truth is he is a terrorist sympathizer and national security threat who does not belong in this country. Why does the media continue to defend terrorist sympathizers?”
Below are just a handful of examples of misleading headlines.
Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP is investigating a recent spree of vandalism that occurred in the community during the night of May 7 and the morning of May 8, 2025.
So far, 12 residential properties have been identified as being tagged with graffiti where spray paint was used. Graffiti was also discovered in the same area on roadways, signs, and other property owned by the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The vandalism occurred in the areas of Mesher, Learning, and Lethbridge Streets, which are all within three blocks of one another.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP at 709-896-3383 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.
FRANKLIN, Tenn., May 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ProvisionAi recently hosted an exclusive webinar titled “Cost Savings and Driving Success,” featuring Scott DeGroot, former VP of Global Planning at Kimberly-Clark and current Adjunct Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business Global Supply Chain Institute. Moderated by Robert Bowman, Editor-in-Chief of SupplyChainBrain, the webinar offered participants key strategies and real-world insights into achieving significant supply chain improvements.
In this engaging discussion, DeGroot shared actionable lessons from his successful experiences implementing innovative supply chain strategies that reduced costs, enhanced operational efficiency, and enabled strategic reinvestment in advanced technological systems.
Key topics covered during the webinar included:
Obtaining IT support for supply chain transformation
Rapid deployment and leveraging AI-driven supply network planning solutions
Using initial successes to identify and seize further business opportunities
Participants gained practical insights into:
Data-Driven Cost Reduction: Utilizing analytics for increased efficiency and waste reduction.
AI-Driven Performative Analytics: Enhancing operational efficiency through AI solutions.
Strategic Reinvestment: Turning cost savings into investment opportunities for future innovations.
The initiatives discussed demonstrated notable benefits, including reduced transportation costs, optimized carrier utilization, improved On-Time In-Full (OTIF) delivery rates, and funded further investments in supply chain technology.
The recorded webinar is now available for viewing at SupplyChainBrain.
For more information about ProvisionAi and future webinars, please visit www.provisionai.com.
About ProvisionAi ProvisionAi provides advanced, AI-driven logistics solutions that dramatically improve supply chain performance, reduce costs, and enhance sustainability. Its innovative platforms empower companies to optimize logistics processes and achieve long-term operational excellence.
Media Contact:
Tom Moore tom.moore@provisionai.com Cell: +1 615 417-9591 ProvisionAi.com
Today in a hearing in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) secured a commitment from Jim O’Neill – President Trump’s nominee to serve as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services – to conduct an updated safety review on the chemical abortion drug mifepristone if he were confirmed. The promise comes on the heels of a new study showing that 1 in 10 women who take the drug suffer from adverse health effects.
O’Neill agreed with Senator Hawley that the new study warranted review, for the health and safety of women across the nation.
“The Secretary [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] has pledged to do a safety review of mifepristone, and I strongly support that view,” O’Neill said.
Senator Hawley has been a staunch advocate for women across the nation, from introducing legislation to reinstate safeguards on mifepristone that the Biden Administration eliminated to urging the Department of Justice to reconsider its position in Missouri’s mifepristone litigation.
A public inquest into the death of Ashwin Poggenpoel will be held June 9 to 13, 2025, at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre, 2002 Airport Drive, in Saskatoon.
The first day of the inquest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Subsequent start times will be determined by the presiding coroner.
Poggenpoel, 32, was observed in an apartment in Saskatoon on June 18, 2022. Members of the Saskatoon Police Service attended after receiving a 911 call. Police located Mr. Poggenpoel, and he became unresponsive. Lifesaving efforts were continued in the Royal University Hospital Emergency Department but were unsuccessful and he was pronounced deceased.
Section 19 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the Chief Coroner may direct that an inquest be held into the death of any person.
The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
Coroner William Davern will preside at the inquest.
Satellites are the invisible backbone of modern life. They guide airplanes, help us find our way with GPS, deliver TV and internet, and even help emergency services respond to disasters. But a new kind of computer – quantum computers – could put all of this at risk.
Quantum computers are not just faster versions of today’s computers. They work in a completely different way, using the peculiar rules of quantum physics. While they have not yet reached their full capabilities, quantum computers are expected to be game changing provided that the technological hurdles can be overcome.
For example, they are expected to be able to solve certain mathematical problems that would take classical computers millions of years. In some cases, quantum computers could solve such difficult problems in just seconds or minutes.
It’s very difficult to predict exactly when practical quantum computers will become available. However, progress is being made both in the design of more powerful quantum processors and in overcoming other hurdles to their development.
The new capabilities presented by quantum computers could help push forward areas such as science and medicine. For example, they could carry out the complex simulations needed to design new materials and more effective drugs. They could also improve our simulations of the Earth’s future climate.
However, there’s a catch: quantum computers could also break the codes that keep our digital world safe.
Experts around the world are working urgently to develop new kinds of digital “locks” that can’t be cracked by quantum computers – an area known as “post-quantum cryptography”. These new codes are being tested and approved by international bodies, while governments are starting to plan how to upgrade everything from satellites to bank systems.
The digital locks that protect satellite signals, bank accounts and private messages are based on mathematical puzzles that regular computers can’t solve quickly. Quantum computers, however, would be able to crack these puzzles with ease.
You might think that satellites are safe because they’re far away and hard to reach. But as the technology required to attack them becomes cheaper and more widely available, satellites are becoming targets for hackers and hostile governments. Today, it’s possible for skilled attackers to intercept satellite signals or try to send fake commands.
Staying ahead of the curve
Most satellites are designed to last for decades. This means the security systems we put in place now need to be strong enough to withstand not just today’s threats but tomorrow’s as well – including the threat from quantum computers.
In the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre has published a roadmap for moving to quantum-safe security. It has set a date of 2035 by which organisations should aim to migrate all their systems to post-quantum cryptography – the new digital codes that should protect against hacking by quantum computers. The message is clear: both private- and public-sector organisations need to start preparing now, so that by the time quantum computers are ready, our most important systems – including satellites – are already protected.
Updating a satellite’s security isn’t as simple as updating your phone’s software. Once a satellite is in orbit, it’s very hard – sometimes impossible – to change its systems. That’s why new satellites being designed today must use quantum-resistant security from the start.
It’s also necessary to design these systems so they can work efficiently across more than one satellite, because some spacecraft are designed to collaborate with each other in what are known as “swarms”.
If we don’t act now, the data sent to and from satellites could one day be read or even tampered with by anyone with a powerful enough quantum computer. That could mean anything from disrupted GPS signals to attacks on emergency communications or threats to national security.
No country can solve this problem alone. It will take scientists, engineers, governments and international organisations working together to make sure our digital infrastructure is ready for the quantum age.
The good news? The world is already moving in this direction. By building in the protections against quantum computers now, satellites that connect and protect us can be secured – no matter what the future brings.
Panagiotis (Panos) Vlachos’s employer, Mastercard, covers his tuition fees. He is an active volunteering member of CyberPeace Builders and ISC2’s Code TaskForce.
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, et al. v. Trump, in support of the request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the Trump Administration’s illegal mass firings in agencies across the federal government.
“The illegal ransacking of federal agencies and the mass firing of federal workers that make these agencies run has sown tremendous chaos, instilled distrust among the American people, and caused deep harm to our country,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Beyond the on-the-ground impacts we are seeing, the continued uncertainty surrounding the fate of various federal agencies has a real and lasting impact on states that must devote substantial time and resources to prepare for agencies that may or may not cease to exist. I urge the court to order an immediate end to the Trump Administration’s firing rampage.”
In the brief, the attorneys general argue that the Trump Administration is acting beyond its authority in dismantling agencies across the federal government — the Trump Administration does not have the power to incapacitate a department that Congress created, nor can it decline to spend funds that were appropriated by Congress for that department.
Massive federal layoffs substantially disrupt the ability of the states to protect and serve their residents and pose serious risks and harms to their citizens’ health, safety, and lives by impacting state programs ranging from emergency planning and response, infrastructure repair, environmental protection, public health, among many more.
The brief includes multiple examples of federal statutes inviting or requiring federal and state collaboration to solve problems, including:
The United States Geological Survey’s work to identify, assess, and plan for potential landslide hazards;
The tsunami hazard mitigation program created by the Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) national suicide and mental health hotlines;
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s deployment of a team to address crises such as food-borne pathogens’ threat to human health; and
FEMA’s responsibility to develop operational plans and lead infrastructure workers who respond to disasters, establish programs for temporary housing during emergencies, and ensure that federal agencies work in coordination with state and local officials.
Attorney General Bonta has forcefully stood up to the Trump Administrations illegal efforts to dismember and impair the federal government though mass firing.
This week, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging the unlawful mass firing of roughly 10,000 full-time HHS employees, the consolidation of 28 HHS divisions into 15 divisions, and the closing of half of HHS’s ten regional offices — in addition to previously filed lawsuits challenging the illegal firing of probationary federal workers and U.S. Department of Education workers.
Attorney General Bonta has submitted two amicus briefs (here and here) in lawsuits challenging the Trump Administrations dismantling of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau — actions that include issuing a suspension of work across the agency and terminating probationary employees — and rapidly and substantially increases the burden on state agencies to protect consumers.
Last month, Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit challenging operational changes to Social Security Administration policies. These changes, including staffing cuts, field office closures, and the illegal shuttering of departments, have hampered SSA’s ability to help older adults and persons with disabilities access the benefits and services they depend on.
In filing the brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
[. To help address the increased demand for apprentices and skilled journeypersons, Alberta’s government is investing $25 million through Budget 2025 for the expansion and renovation of the W.J. Elliott building at Olds College, as part of a $63 million total investment over three years beginning in 2024.
Upon completion, this project will add more than 440 new seats for trades programming, as well as 100 seats for dual-credit trades programs, including Agricultural Equipment Technician, Heavy Equipment Technician, Welder and Landscape Horticulturist.
“The expansion of the W.J. Elliott building at Olds College will strengthen apprenticeship training and provide new learning opportunities in Alberta. By investing in apprenticeship education, we’re creating more career opportunities for Albertans, strengthening our workforce and growing our economy while meeting labour market demand.”
This expansion will increase apprenticeship learning opportunities for students by enhancing student spaces, ensuring more Albertans are equipped with the skills and training needed to meet the workforce demands of tomorrow.
“Helping students find their passion through dual credit programs is key to their future success. We are proud to support a strong dual-credit program here in Alberta, and we will continue to work with education partners to find new ways to grow this important program for the benefit of Alberta’s students.”
Since 1971, the W.J. Elliott building has served as a home to trades programming at Olds College. The renovations will include new collaborative student and staff spaces as well as adding lifting equipment, such as overhead cranes and vehicle lifts equipped with highway tractor alignment systems and wheel dynamometers, to improve trades programming. Construction is set to begin early this summer and is expected to be complete by spring 2027.
“The enhanced W.J. Elliott building will allow us to deliver a best-in-class experience for students and partners. With expanded classrooms, advanced labs and state-of-the-art equipment, Olds College will continue to meet the growing demand for skilled trades training while elevating the student experience and deepening industry collaboration.”
Alberta’s graduates are highly skilled and well-educated professionals; many go on to become leaders, innovators, business owners and educators in their industry. Targeted investment from Alberta’s government is expanding access for students and creating modern learning environments, supporting graduates in building their future.
Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.
Quick facts
Alberta has 59 designated trades, 47 of which have associated apprenticeship education programs regulated under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act.
In Budget 2024, Alberta’s government committed to investing $63 million over three years in the expansion and renovation of the W.J. Elliot building at Olds College.
Of the total funding, 13 million was allocated in 2024.
Related information
Olds College
Tradesecrets – Home
W.J. Elliott (Trades) Building
Related news
New campaign promotes Alberta’s skilled trades | Nouvelle campagne de promotion des métiers spécialisés de l’Alberta | alberta.ca (Sept. 26, 2024)
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353May 8, 2025
Cotton Introduces Bill to Prevent Diversion of Advanced Chips to America’s Adversaries and Protect U.S. Product Integrity
Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Chip Security Act, legislation that will prevent advanced American chips from falling into the hands of adversaries like Communist China by improving oversight of advanced chips and directing Commerce and DoD to study promising chip security mechanism.
“We must do better at maintaining and expanding our position in the global market, while safeguarding America’s technological edge. With these enhanced security measures, we can continue to expand access to U.S. technology without compromising our national security,” said Cotton.
Text of the bill may be found here.
The Chip Security Act would direct the Secretary to:
Require a location verification mechanism on export-controlled advanced chips or products with export-controlled advanced chips within 6 months of enactment and require exporters of advanced chips to report to BIS if their products have been diverted away from their intended location or subject to tampering attempts.
Study, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, other potential chip security mechanisms in the next year and establish requirements over the next few years for implementing such mechanisms, if appropriate, on covered advanced chips. This longer timeline accommodates the years-long technological roadmap for development of the next generation of advanced chips.
Assess, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the most up-to-date security mechanisms annually for three years and determine if any new mechanisms should be required
Make recommendations annually for three years on how to make export controls more flexible, thus streamlining shipments to more countries.
Prioritize confidentiality when developing requirements for chip security mechanisms.
With commencement just around the corner, Samuel Geisler ’25 (NURS) sits down and recalls his UConn School of Nursing experience.
Samuel Geisler ’25 (NURS). (Contributed Photo)
Q: If you could describe your UConn SoN experience in three words or one phrase, what would they be?
A: “Fun, collaborative, and short.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about SoN?
A: “The professors. The professors are very personable, very knowledgeable, and you can always reach out to them. They really love to see you succeed and that’s what I really appreciated during my time.”
Q: What are some of your fondest memories as a nursing student?
A: “The first few days of clinical are super exciting because you have no idea what to expect and it’s really the first time you’re utilizing everything that you learned in your first two years in the actual nursing practice.”
Q: What are your biggest accomplishments during your time here?
A: “I would say getting the job in the specialty that I wanted. I’m also proud that I was on the track team and was able to manage and continue both.”
Q: What’s your biggest takeaway or something that stuck with you during your SoN experience?
A: “I had a day where I was at clinical and we had a patient who had just recently lost their spouse, and they were having a really tough time. I took 30 minutes to sit with them and talk with them. When I went back to say bye, they said thank you for making me feel less alone. I feel like that is a perfect summary of what a nurse’s job is. I really appreciated that, and I know it’s something that I’ll always carry with me, be present for my patients and make them feel a little less alone.”
Q: What’s something you wish you knew before coming into this program?
A: “I wish I knew how rewarding it was before I came. I don’t think I appreciated, until I was on the clinical site, how much of a difference you’re making and how rewarding it is. You’re able to see the direct impacts of everything that you do”
Samuel Geisler ’25 (NURS). (Contributed Photo)
Q: Go-to spots on campus and why?
A: “The Fieldhouse, I’m always in there for practice but I also study in there. The third floor of the nursing building, and if you can find an empty room in Gant, it’s perfect.”
Q: Any study-hacks or superstition rituals before exams?
A: “When I’m taking tests and an answer pops in my mind and I’m second guessing…I will always pick the first answer that pops in my mind, because every time I pick the second one, I always get it wrong.”
Q: What advice would you give to incoming nursing students?
A: “Enjoy the ride. Don’t take anything for granted and make sure that when you’re at clinical you’re taking advantage of it and using it as a time to better yourself for the future. A lot of opportunities will come your way and so definitely seek those opportunities.”
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: “I’m going to be working at Connecticut Children’s Hospital in the emergency room and then hopefully go back to school to get my masters.”
Q: Any shoutouts to faculty or staff that helped you along the way?
“Carrie Eaton, Dr. Sarage, Professor Cole, Annette Maruca, they really shaped me during my clinicals. All the professors were great here. They would always just back me up and tell me that I could do it.”
overnor Kathy Hochul today signed new legislation as part of the FY 2026 Enacted Budget to make P-12 education investments, including $37.6 billion in total School Aid for the 2025-2026 school year — the highest level of school funding in state history. The Budget also includes the Governor’s plans to foster better learning opportunities for all students through the adoption of a Universal Free School Meals program and her Distraction-Free Schools initiative, making New York the largest state in the country with a smartphone restriction policy in schools.
“As New York’s first mom governor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to help kids across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “This Budget builds on our record funding for education, ensures no student goes to school hungry, and restricts smartphone use in schools to create a distraction-free learning environment so that our kids can focus on learning, not scrolling.”
Record School Aid
Following historic increases in School Aid over the last four years, the Enacted Budget maintains key investments and increases annual School Aid by $1.7 billion (4.9 percent), for a record total of $37.6 billion, while updating the Foundation Aid formula.
With this Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul will have increased School Aid by approximately $8.3 billion (29 percent) over four years, including fully funding Foundation Aid for the first time ever. Foundation Aid alone will have increased by $6.5 billion, or 33 percent – an average increase of 7.4 percent per year.
Universal Free School Meals
The Budget provides $340 million for school meals, a $160 million (89 percent) year-to-year increase, and requires all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools that participate in the national school lunch and breakfast program to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all students regardless of their families’ income, thereby reducing costs for families and ensuring that no student goes hungry at school.
Distraction-Free Schools
After participating in listening sessions across the state, Governor Hochul secured provisions in the FY 2026 Enacted Budget to restrict the use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices on school grounds during school hours in order to ensure a distraction-free learning environment. This policy aims to improve student outcomes by addressing the negative impacts of smartphone use on children’s mental health and academic performance. The Budget provides $13.5 million to aid in the implementation of distraction-free school policies.
Dual Enrollment Policy
Governor Hochul secured the state’s first dual enrollment policy to help ensure that certain high school students can receive high-quality college credits for free. Taking college-level courses in high school helps students to matriculate and persevere through a four year degree program and make it more affordable to do so. The Budget includes $61 million, a $3 million increase, to support existing dual enrollment programs and encourage new, high-quality partnerships between high schools and colleges in the state.
overnor Kathy Hochul today signed new legislation as part of the FY26 Enacted Budget to make major investments and enact initiatives to increase access to higher education. This legislation creates new pathways for free community college and takes key steps to expand access to financial aid and invest in State University of New York and City University of New York campuses.
“When my dad got his college degree, our family’s life was changed forever – I want every New York student to have that opportunity,” Governor Hochul said. “I am proud to announce that with the passage of this budget, New Yorkers now have the chance to pursue a free associate degree at SUNY and CUNY community colleges to help fill the in-demand jobs of tomorrow.”
Free Community College in High-Demand Occupations
The FY 2026 Budget provides $47 million ($28.2 million SUNY, $18.8 million CUNY) to cover the remaining cost of tuition, fees, and books for community college students ages 25-55 pursuing select associate degrees in high-demand occupations, including nursing, pathways into teaching, technology and engineering.
Investments in SUNY and CUNY Campuses
The FY 2026 Budget provides $307 million in new State support for SUNY State-operated campuses ($138 million) and CUNY senior colleges ($169 million). This funding includes:
$244 million in general operating support ($114 million SUNY, $130 million CUNY)
$22 million in increased funding for university employee fringe benefits at CUNY
$20 million for ACE and ASAP, which support academic and career advisement, tuition grants, textbooks, and transportation costs ($12 million SUNY, $8 million CUNY)
$15 million in artificial intelligence investments ($10 million SUNY, $5 million CUNY)
$2 million for the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies
$1.5 million for the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute
$1 million for the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at SUNY
$750,000 for the First Responder Counseling Scholarship Program at SUNY.
$250,000 for the Carol Robles Román Scholarship at CUNY
In addition, the Budget provides SUNY Downstate with $100 million of operating support, for a total of $200 million over two years.
The Budget also provides SUNY and CUNY with significant capital investments:
$433 million for research facilities at SUNY state-operated campuses ($300 million) and CUNY senior colleges ($133 million)
$979 million for other projects at SUNY state-operated campuses ($610 million) and CUNY senior colleges ($369 million)
$900 million for modernization and revitalization of SUNY hospitals ($450 million each for Upstate Medical University and Downstate Medical University)
$166 million for community colleges ($131 million SUNY, $35 million CUNY)
$25 million to establish the Green Energy Loan Fund at SUNY
Part-Time TAP Program
The FY 2026 Budget consolidates the three existing State financial aid programs for part-time students, expanding eligibility for part-time TAP to students taking a minimum of three credits per semester, down from six. This builds on Governor Hochul’s historic expansion of the Tuition Assistance Program in the FY 2025 Enacted Budget.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (Virginia 4th District)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) joined Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) to reintroduce the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act, two bills that address America’s child care crisis with robust investment in early learning facilities and early educators. The bills would build more classrooms, hire more teachers, and in turn, decrease costs for providers and parents. The legislation is co-led by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).
Since taking office, Donald Trump and Republicans have attacked programs that help families access child care and help lower costs for parents. Within days of being inaugurated, Trump cut off funding to Head Start providers, which was quickly reversed after Democrats and the American people spoke out. Since then, the Administration has closed five of the ten Department of Health and Human Services regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs and has plans to defund early childhood education research that promotes quality care. Last week, Trump introduced his budget request for Fiscal Year 2026, which defunds the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program that provides child care to parenting students, and eliminates the Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program that helps states improve and expand early childhood care for young children.
“As one of the few Members of Congress with young children, I understand that early childhood lays the foundation for a child’s development, and I know just how tough it is to find high-quality, affordable child care,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “That’s why House Democrats push for real solutions to ease this financial burden on American families. I appreciate Whip Clark’s commitment to tackling this crisis in introducing the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act — two critical bills that will strengthen federal support for the child care system and encourage more providers to stay in this vital field.”
“It is outrageous that families across America are going into debt to pay for child care,” said Whip Clark. “Today, we are introducing this pair of bills to build more classrooms, recruit more educators, and help reduce costs for child care providers and parents. While Republicans focus on tax cuts for the wealthy, House Democrats are putting forward serious solutions to make life easier and more affordable for families. It’s long past time my Republican colleagues start paying attention to families back home and stop listening to their billionaire donors.”
“Affordable, quality child care should be available to all families with children, but it remains out of reach for too many,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “These two bills will make overdue investments in our child care system to improve child care facilities and better compensate the dedicated early childhood educators who help kids learn and grow. I’m grateful to partner with Whip Clark in this important work.”
“Affordable child care helps working parents keep their kids safe while they go to work to provide for their families. As a dad and founder of the Dads Caucus, I know how tough it is to find affordable, quality child care — especially in communities with few options,” said Congressman Gomez. “While House Republicans continue to ignore the child care crisis, I’m working with Whip Clark and my colleagues to tackle it head-on. Our legislation would build more classrooms and help more people become early educators, so every child gets a strong start.”
“As a working mom of two boys, I know firsthand how difficult it is to find affordable child care – and the problem is even worse in rural communities,” said Congresswoman Pettersen. “For both of my kids, I was put on long waitlists until a spot opened up. We’re some of the lucky ones – we could afford care and don’t live in a child care desert. But I know far too many families who aren’t as fortunate. That’s why I’m proud to work with Whip Clark to reintroduce these two pieces of legislation that will bolster our child care workforce, help lower costs for parents, and ensure every family can access the care they need for their children to thrive. While Republicans and Trump push tax breaks for billionaires and millionaires and try to gut the care families rely on, I’ll keep fighting back – because child care is one of the best investments we can make in our kids and our future.”
“As a mother, I know the tough choices working parents face when it comes to finding affordable, quality child care. Constant threats by the Trump Administration to dismantle vital programs like Head Start and Preschool Grants will rob children of early education, nutrition, and services that are foundational to a child’s development,” said Congresswoman Tokuda. “I’m proud to join Whip Clark in reintroducing the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act, which will deliver more resources for working families. We need to ensure every child gets a strong start in life and that every parent has the means to support their family.”
TheChild Care Infrastructure Actwould:
Establish a grant program at HHS to award grants to states for the purpose of constructing new or renovating existing child care facilities to help build child care capacity and ensure safe early learning facilities for children. The bill also requires a needs assessment of the condition of child care facilities throughout theU.S. financialinstitutions or other organizations that have demonstrated experience in developing or financing early care and learning facilities.
TheChild Care Workforce Development Actwould:
Create a student loan repayment program for early childhood educators and establish a program to provide grants to individuals pursuing a childhood development credential.
Congresswoman McClellan is a champion for child care in Congress. Last Congress, she convened a child care roundtable with Senator Tim Kaine(D-VA) and joined Whip Clark and more than 70 House Democrats and 30 Senate Democrats to introduce landmark legislation to invest in the child care industry and stave off the child care cliff.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)
WASHINGTON— The Congressional App Challenge is the most prestigious prize in student computer science. Participation in the challenge has grown exponentially and has reached underserved, diverse, and rural student populations.
This challenge is transforming how Congress views computer science and STEM. Since the challenge was first announced, Congressional mentions of computer science and coding have increased by 2,000% — thanks to the talented STEM students across the nation, including those in East Tennessee!
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger issued the following statement:
“The STEM field is one of the fastest-growing industries around the world. The future of just about every industry — from manufacturing to farming — is centered around STEM.
“The Congressional App Challenge provides an incredible opportunity for students across Tennessee’s First District to highlight their technical skills in innovation and coding by creating an app for smartphones, tablets, desktops, and other devices.
“Last year, we had incredible submissions, including our first-place winner, Graham Mefford from University School. His app,Stridease, helps users monitor and maintain their foot health. With the amount of walking I do around Congress — I really appreciated this one! Our second-place winner, Ryan Zheng of Science Hill High School, developedEcoQuest, an app designed to empower individuals to protect the environment through fun challenges that encourage recycling.
“I can’t wait to see what our incredible students will create this year!”
To be eligible to participate in the Congressional App Challenge, students must be enrolled in middle or high school at the time of app submission. Students may register individually or in teams of up to four. No more than four students are allowed per team.
Students may compete in the district where they reside or where they attend school. If competing as a team, at least half of the team members must be eligible to compete in the district in which they are participating. All competing students must be U.S. residents at the time of submission.
Students can use any programming language (C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, “block code,” etc.) and any platform (PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc.). There are no limits on application theme or topic.
A full list of rules is availableHERE.
Registration for the contest is open now and will close on October 30, 2025. Students are encouraged to register online before submitting their completed app by the deadline.
Full details about the contest can be found on Congresswoman Harshbarger’swebsiteor on the Congressional App Challengewebsite.
The UK is facing what charities are calling an eating disorder epidemic, with an estimated 1.25 million people affected. These conditions have the highest mortality rate of any mental health illness, making early intervention and education urgent.
Yet, within the world of sport, eating disorders often go undetected and unchallenged. Disordered behaviour, such as restricting food intake, purging, binge eating, or abusing laxatives, are sometimes normalised in competitive environments, embedded into routines and disguised as dedication.
Eating disorders thrive in silence. They’re secretive, isolating and can affect athletes of all genders, ages and backgrounds, whether at grassroots or elite levels.
In sport, several factors can trigger or worsen disordered behaviour: pressure to perform, body dissatisfaction, weight-category requirements and cultural ideals of what an “athletic” body should look like.
In this context, harmful practices like dehydration, extreme weight-cutting and overtraining often become accepted – and are sometimes even encouraged.
In some sports, the risks are tragically clear. Take bodybuilding. One heartbreaking example is 20-year-old Jodi Vance, who died from heart failure caused by dehydration during preparations for a competition.
In combat sports and martial arts, eating disorders are frequently acknowledged, yet meaningful solutions are rarely discussed. Fighters like Paige VanZant and Kay Hansen have openly shared their struggles with disordered eating, which in many sports, is still dismissed as just “part of the process”.
Extreme tactics
Even worse, some coaches perpetuate a toxic culture by fat-shaming athletes or joking about serious conditions like bulimia. In such environments, young athletes can become trapped in cycles of physical and emotional harm.
In my own research with UK-based mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, I spent months observing and interviewing athletes across various gyms. Many described extreme weight-loss tactics before fights – dropping both fat and water weight in dangerously short time frames. These methods took a toll on both their bodies and mental health.
I witnessed fighters collapse from exhaustion and dehydration. I heard coaches make jokes about eating disorders. One fighter told me: “I don’t even recognise myself anymore,” echoing the public experiences of UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett, who has shared his struggles with binge eating and body image.
These stories hit close to home.
During my own time in MMA, I developed atypical anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. I was praised for rapid weight loss – not for my skill or performance. At one point, I was training to the point of experiencing heart palpitations, dizziness and nausea. Yet, these symptoms were brushed off as signs of “good training”.
Eating disorders don’t discriminate
Even when I lived in a larger body, I was still suffering from an eating disorder. This is a crucial reminder: you cannot tell if someone is unwell just by looking at them. This isn’t just an issue in fight sports. Disordered eating affects athletes across many disciplines.
In fact, disordered thoughts can affect athletes at any stage of their careers. Today, even after competing internationally in American football and Australian rules football, I still live with disordered thinking around food and body image.
There have been some encouraging policy changes. In MMA, emergency rules now ban extreme weight-cutting methods like IV rehydration, where fluids and electrolytes are administered directly into a vein, bypassing the digestive system. British Gymnastics, the body governing competitive gymnastics in the UK, has banned coaches from weighing athletes – a major move given the sport’s documented issues.
Coaches can either be a force for recovery – or part of the problem. They must be better trained to spot early signs of disordered behaviour, provide support and promote a culture that values mental wellbeing over appearance.
To create safer sporting environments, we need better signposting for athletes on how to get help, education for coaches and staff on eating disorder awareness, a cultural shift from bodily perfection and towards sustainable performance and health and athlete-first policies that protect both physical and mental wellbeing.
Recovery is possible. But prevention – through awareness, education and empathy – can save lives long before treatment is ever needed.
Sport should be a place for strength, growth and resilience – not hidden harm.
If anything in this article causes distress or concern about eating disorders, visit the BEAT website for more information and support.
Zoe John received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for her Doctoral research.
Zoe also volunteers as a lived experience ambassador for the eating disorder charity, Beat.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Manjeet Ridon, Associate Dean International, Faculty of Arts, Design & Humanities, De Montfort University
The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien intricately blends historical and speculative fiction to tackle contemporary global issues. It explores migration, the refugee crisis, identity politics and cultural conflict.
At the heart of the novel is Lina, a young girl who escapes her homeland with her ill father. She finds herself in a mysterious, shape-shifting place known only as “the Sea”. This ambiguous setting, likened to a temporary shelter or refugee camp, serves as a metaphor for statelessness, displacement and a loss of identity. The Sea’s geography is deliberately unclear – as is Lina’s origin, her homeland and the fate of the rest of her family. This emphasises the book’s themes of rootlessness and exile.
Lina arrives in the Sea as a child and remains there into her late 50s, bound by her loyalty to her ailing father. She lives in limbo, experiencing the heartache of her mother and brother’s absence and haunted by her family’s fragmentation.
Lina’s life becomes one of stillness and minimalism, revolving around caring for her father. She finds solace in the few items she brought with her, notably three volumes from The Great Voyagers encyclopaedia. She becomes obsessed with these books, reading them repeatedly until she has memorised them. They come to shape her intellectual and emotional world.
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These volumes also form the intellectual structure of the novel. In her mind, they are personified as three characters – Blucher, Bento and Jupiter. Each represents a distinct philosophical perspective and embodies historical figures from different periods and places, including Europe and Asia. They, like Lina, are portrayed as refugees living in the Sea. They appear across different stages of her life – adolescence, adulthood and old age – offering guidance and companionship.
Blucher is modelled after Hannah Arendt, the German-American philosopher and historian who escaped Nazi persecution. Through her, the novel explores themes of dehumanisation and survival under oppressive regimes.
Bento’s character represents the figure of Baruch Spinoza, the 17th-century Portuguese-Jewish philosopher. He was excommunicated from his Amsterdam community due to his radical and rationalist views of religion, reason and freedom. From him, Lina learns about the cost of intellectual and moral independence.
Jupiter resembles the Chinese poet Du Fu, who suffered political and personal turmoil due to his criticism of the state during the Tang dynasty (AD618 to 907). His story conveys the risks of speaking truth to power and the ethical sacrifices such acts may demand.
Through interactions with these three, Lina gains insights into resilience, suffering, and the philosophical implications of exile and survival.
Author Madeleine Thien was a finalist for the Booker Prize in 2016. Wiki Commons, CC BY-SA
Blucher teaches her about the psychological strategies used by Holocaust survivors, including the detachment of self from suffering. Bento’s story reveals the loneliness of ideological estrangement and the commitment required to uphold your beliefs against societal rejection. Jupiter imparts the painful consequences of challenging authority, and how artistic and political expression often come at great personal cost.
Enduring and resisting
While the novel is set in a speculative future, its most potent and emotionally resonant passages are grounded in the historical experiences of Blucher, Bento and Jupiter.
Lina’s story is less compelling and comparatively more subdued. It serves as a lens through which the reader reflects on a dystopian world shaped by today’s challenges – rising nationalism, populism and polarisation, and environmental collapse. Her story symbolises the psychological toll of prolonged displacement and the quiet endurance of everyday life under extraordinary pressures.
Ultimately, The Book of Records is a sobering meditation on the human condition in times of crises. It critiques historical cycles of oppression while illustrating how people retain dignity, compassion, and philosophical depth in the face of adversity.
Lina’s companionship with Blucher, Bento and Jupiter becomes a testament to how survival is not merely about endurance, but about how we preserve and interpret our values. The novel emphasises that even amid chaos, acts of kindness, understanding and intellectual inquiry remain vital forms of resistance.
Manjeet Ridon 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 – UK – By Heather Laird, Senior Lecturer in the School of English and Digital Humanities, University College Cork
Palestinian literature is unique. It stands apart for its ability to capture a nation’s identity in exile – shaped not by borders, but by memory, resistance and longing.
The settings of modern Palestinian literature include Israel, the occupied territories, countries more broadly in the Middle East, and locations further afield. Four notable writers are particularly worth exploring: Emile Habibi, Ghassan Kanafani (now both dead) and more recent authors, Isabella Hammad and Anwar Hamed.
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Emile Habibi (1922-96) was one of about 150,000 Palestinian Arabs who remained in the territory that became Israel in 1948. He started writing in his mid-40s in response to a claim by an Israeli politician that Palestinians no longer existed in Israel, because if they did, they would have their own literature.
In his novel, The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist (1974), the central character flees to Lebanon in 1948, but soon afterwards is allowed to return home on the understanding that he will become an informant for Israeli intelligence. Despite his cooperation with the state of Israel, Saeed is beaten and imprisoned, finally learning from a fellow prisoner that his Palestinian identity is worthy of respect.
Ghassan Kanafani (1936-72) was one of approximately 750,000 Palestinians who were expelled from or fled Mandatory Palestine in 1948. A political thinker, journalist and revolutionary, his writings documented the horrors of war and occupation, and include Men in the Sun (1962), a short novel that features three Palestinian men who have been living for ten years in refugee camps in Iraq and are now attempting a dangerous desert journey to Kuwait.
Isabella Hammad (1992-) was born in London and raised by a British-Irish mother and a Palestinian father. Unlike Habibi and Kanafini, whose literary works were published initially in Arabic, Hammad writes in English. Her 2024 novel, Enter Ghost, imagines a production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the West Bank. Its central character is a London-based actress who grew up in Israel as a Palestinian Arab and becomes involved in the Hamlet production while visiting her sister in Israel.
Though featuring disparate settings, Palestinian literature is linked by recurring motifs. Olive trees and keys, in particular, hold resonance in Palestinian culture. Many Palestinians kept the keys to their houses when they fled or were forced from Mandatory Palestine in 1948. These keys became symbols of loss of home and hope of return.
Palestinian identification with olive trees is grounded in the economic importance of olives for generations of Palestinian farmers. In the context of exile, the olive tree is emblematic of a long-standing connection to the land, adding specificity to a more generalised yearning for home.
In Kanafani’s Men in the Sun, the oldest Palestinian refugee reminisces about the olive trees he once owned, with his current lack of income leaving him no option but to set out on the hazardous journey to Kuwait where Palestinians are finding work as labourers in the oil fields.
The haunting of the present by the past is another common concern of Palestinian literature. In Habibi’s The Pessoptimist, the protagonist is confronted by “ghost-like” figures who ask if he has met anyone from their razed villages while journeying to Israel. This prompts him to reflect on his encounter with a woman attempting to return home and on the military governor who subsequently re-banished her and then watched in surprise as she grew bigger rather than smaller while walking away.
Another of Habibi’s literary works, a short story titled The Odds-and-Ends Woman (1968), mentions the “roving spirits” who, after an absence of 20 years, are making the journey from “the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Amman, even as far as Kuwait” to Israel in the hope of briefly seeing their former homes. In Hammad’s Enter Ghost, Palestinian characters discuss at length the relevance of Hamlet’s dead father to Shakespeare’s play.
Many works of Palestinian literature employ a serious tone when providing insight into the harsh realities of life for post-1948 Palestinians. Kanafani’s Men in the Sun, for example, is notable for its gritty naturalistic descriptions.
But Palestinian literature is more varied in tone and genre than might be expected. It also includes writings, such as Habibi’s The Pessoptimist, that employ humour to explore the circumstances of post-1948 Palestinians. And, more recently, Anwar Hamed (1957-) has applied a science-fiction sensibility to established motifs in Palestinian literature.
Hamed’s short story, The Key (2019), is set in 2048 in an Israel protected by a high-tech “gravity wall” – an invisible barrier that is programmed to allow only those who have the “key” embedded in their microchips to enter and exit.
The central character is an Israeli whose grandfather collected pictures of exiled Palestinians “clutching rusty keys to houses that no longer existed”. These photographs scared him “more than any arms deal being signed by neighbouring countries”, given the persistent “stubbornness” they revealed. The gravity wall has been designed for security purposes, but also to consign those rusty keys to the past.
But while this wall seems impenetrable, the boundary between past and present is porous. The story’s central character lives a comfortable existence cushioned from “the chaos” beyond the wall. But then the ghostly sound of a key turning in the lock of his apartment door starts to wake him up at night.
The first indication in the story that all Israelis are similarly affected is when the central character is informed that his doctor is inundated with requests for sleep medication. Unable to get an appointment, he decides to pay the doctor a visit outside of work hours.
The story ends with the doctor blowing a hole in his own apartment door with his old service rifle, and possibly killing the central character in the process. The doctor’s irrational reasoning is that with no lock left for an intruder to insert a key, he can finally sleep.
There are many reasons to read Palestinian literature. But chiefly, in innovative fictional ways, it gives voice to the challenging experience of belonging to a nation in exile.
These writings are also a reminder that injustices, if left unaddressed, refuse to be consigned to the past.
Heather Laird 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.
The treaty suspension reflects a growing regional trend: South Asian countries are increasingly treating water as a strategic asset rather than a shared resource amid rising mistrust, climate stress and geopolitical competition.
The region is home to nearly a quarter of the global population, and relies on huge transboundary rivers fed by Himalayan glaciers – the so-called “Third Pole” of freshwater reserves. A breakdown in water diplomacy could trigger environmental collapse, humanitarian crises and geopolitical instability. The weaponisation of water must be urgently addressed as a global climate justice issue.
A flashpoint occurred in August 2024 when devastating floods affected nearly 5.8 million people in Bangladesh. Some Bangladeshi officials accused India of releasing excess water from a large dam upstream without warning. India denied responsibility, citing extreme rainfall and standard dam operations. Nevertheless, the incident reignited longstanding tensions between the two countries.
Complicating matters further is China recently approving the construction of the world’s largest hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra in India. This massive project has raised alarm about China’s ability to exert control upstream, and the ecological risks for India and Bangladesh downstream.
China hasn’t signed formal water-sharing agreements with its neighbours, but its growing presence in regional water infrastructure signals a dramatic shift in south and east Asian hydro-politics.
Climate change is making things worse
Recent climatic trends are making transboundary rivers an increasing focus of geopolitical friction. These trends include accelerated glacier melt, erratic monsoon patterns, and intensifying extreme weather.
While melting glaciers will temporarily boost the flow of rivers, the long-term prognosis is bleak. If emissions and warming trends continue, many glacier-fed rivers – including the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra – could see dramatically reduced flows by the end of the century. This will directly affect hundreds of millions of people who depend on them.
The crisis is being intensified by changes in the Himalayas. The region is warming faster than the global average, with a shift from snowfall to rainfall that disrupts the timing and volume of water that flows down from the mountains to the fields and cities below.
At the same time, unsustainable groundwater extraction has pushed South Asia’s reserves of underground water toward collapse, threatening both food and water security.
A dangerous precedent
A collapse or suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty could set a dangerous precedent. Importantly, the threat is less about India cutting off water flows – an unlikely and technically challenging act – and more about the erosion of trust, transparency and data sharing.
One of the treaty’s most valuable features has been the routine sharing of data on things like water levels, river flow and dam operations. Pakistan needs this data to forecast floods and droughts, plan its irrigation, generate hydropower effectively and manage its drinking water, yet India is indicating it will no longer honour these obligations.
But India’s strained water relations are not limited to Pakistan. Bangladesh and Nepal have often felt sidelined or pressured in negotiations, and India’s indication that it may reconsider longstanding treaties raises concerns in both countries.
This is especially the case as the Ganges Water Treaty nears its 2026 expiration: the vast Ganges river flows through India and irrigates much of Bangladesh – and the treaty guarantees Bangladesh a minimum river flow.
Other key agreements, such as the Mahakali Treaty and Kosi river accord with Nepal, and the Teesta water-sharing deal with Bangladesh, remain largely unimplemented, breeding mistrust. These failures undermine confidence in regional water diplomacy and cast doubt on India’s commitment to equitable cooperation.
None of this is helped by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh all continuing to rely on outdated irrigation methods that mean they use more water than necessary. As climate change intensifies floods, droughts and glacial melt, there is an urgent need to reform existing water treaties to reflect present-day climate, hydrological and geopolitical realities.
Canals, like this one in Punjab, India, irrigate much of South Asia. Hussain Warraich / shutterstock
The Indus Waters Treaty, negotiated in the 1960s before the emergence of modern climate science, no longer accounts for these transformations. Indeed, most water treaties in the region remain rooted in technocratic, engineering-centric frameworks which fail to address extreme climate variability and its cascading impacts.
The upcoming expiration of the Ganges Water Treaty, and the pending negotiation of other basin agreements, present a critical opportunity to rethink water governance in South Asia.
Though the Indus flows through India before Pakistan, in other basins, India is downstream. This is the case with the Brahmaputra, where it demands upstream cooperation from China.
Undermining the Indus treaty could weaken India’s own position in future negotiations and strain its relations with Nepal and Bangladesh, while giving China more influence in South Asian hydro-politics. China is already expanding its footprint by offering billions in loans to Bangladesh and strengthening ties with Nepal, particularly around water infrastructure.
Many of the world’s largest rivers begin in the Himalayas or the Tibetan Plateau. JudeMakesMaps, CC BY-SA
Weaponising water is a perilous strategy that may backfire. The weakening of water diplomacy in South Asia is not just a regional threat; it endangers global climate security.
In the face of escalating climate change impacts and recurring disasters, updating transboundary agreements like the Indus Waters Treaty, Ganga Water Treaty, and Kosi and Teesta accords is no longer optional – it is an urgent necessity with enormous consequences.
Mehebub Sahana receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust, United Kingdom.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Joshua Forstenzer, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Co-Director of the Centre for Engaged Philosophy, University of Sheffield
Homer’s Iliad is one of the foundational stories of European civilisation. The Iliad is a long poem – an epic – thought to have first been put down in writing in the eighth century BC, though the story is set several hundred years before, perhaps as early as the 12th or 13th century BC.
It explores a few crucial violent weeks within a much longer war between an alliance of Greek city-states and the city of Troy over Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. In it, we find ancient Greek gods and humans sharing a common reality. They concurrently star as the central characters of both a mythological and an earthly dramatic encounter, on which the fate of a people rests.
In his work, public philosopher Cornel West argues that there is a “gangster” inside all of us. The challenge, West teaches, is to learn to keep these “gangster elements” in check so that we can still live with decency and integrity in an often violent and unjust world. This struggle, I contend, is at the heart of both Homer’s Iliad and the art of battle rap.
This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.
Battle rap is an art form where two or more MCs confront one another in a freestyle rap that includes boasts, insults, wordplay and disses (related to but not to be confused with rap beefs like the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud).
The history of this kind of verbal jousting goes back at least to flyting – poetic duels usually involving rhyming insults, widespread in northern Europe in the late medieval era. (See Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for its recent reimagining.) And it also has African roots. But its latest iteration is thought to have emerged in the hip-hop scene in New York in the 1980s. The 1981 Busy Bee versus Kool Moe Dee battle at the Harlem World club in New York is an important part of hip-hop lore.
The rap battles featured in 8 Mile brought the scene mainstream attention.
It was arguably the 2002 film 8 Mile, however, that starred real battle rap legend, Eminem, that made the art form well known beyond hardcore rap aficionados. Today it is a pop culture streaming event, with millions of followers and official leagues.
The object of a battle rap is to display flow, braggadocio and quick wit. Humour is often a plus, but lyrically dexterous, rhythmic, creative “burns” are the name of the game.
So what do the Iliad and battle rap have in common?
Both art forms encourage us, the listeners, to react, reflect and ultimately select with which speaker to side. We are thrust into the centre of the action without much of a narrator to explain things.
Both the Iliad and rap battles are part of the oral poetic tradition, since we think the Iliad was orally recited for generations before it was put down in writing. They are therefore both addressed to a live audience.
Emily Wilson, who translated The Iliad in 2023, gives a lively contemporary reading.
The Iliad is a story of war between Greeks and Trojans, but also of “beefs”. Menelaus versus Paris over the hand of Helen. Achilles versus Agamemnon, the king of the Greeks who wrongs him by expropriating one of his slaves. And Achilles versus Hector, the Trojan prince who kills Patroclus, Achilles’s closest friend.
The high moment of the poem is arguably the encounter between Achilles and Hector. Before they battle to the death, Hector offers Achilles a deal: whoever wins won’t disrespect the other’s body.
In response, Achilles belows: “Curse you, Hector, and don’t talk of oaths to me. Lions and men make no compacts, nor are wolves and lambs in sympathy: they are opposed, to the end. You and I are beyond friendship: nor will there be peace until one or the other dies.”
Achilles is calling out Hector’s attempt at showing nobility of character, because Hector tries to separate the duty to wage conflict from rage and disrespect of his enemy. Achilles flatly rejects the proposal. For him, the only reason to fight is to satiate his grief-induced rage and so no respect can be given even after death.
The battle of Hector and Achilles as imagined in Troy (2004).
Ultimately, Achilles kills Hector and desecrates his body, but Hector was clearly the better man. Two worldviews collide. Which one should we side with?
In a battle rap, the question of how we judge which MC to be victorious is always at stake. Do we side with the MC who best “rocks the mic” by pleasing the audience, or the one who more lyrically and intelligently cuts the opponent to the bone?
Here are five more themes shared by The Iliad and battle rap.
1. The pursuit of fame
Battle rap has made gifted MCs into street rap legends. Long before record deals were the prize, MCs battled for respect and street fame.
This pursuit of legendary status also lies at the very heart of The Iliad, as Achilles is warned by his mother, the goddess Thetis, that he will die if he fights in the Trojan war, but in return his “glory never dies”.
2. Communal belonging
Battle rappers and the warriors in The Iliad act in their own name but they also represent wider groups heralding from different places. They all, in some way, carry responsibility for and aim to bring reflected fame to their respective communities.
3. Displaying skill
Most battle raps take the form of a take down of the opponent, but the real object is to demonstrate verbal prowess. Simply entertaining will not cut it. “You now have to make sense of what you say, in order for us to give you the power,” summarises hip-hop legend KRS-One.
The Iliad opens with a muse telling the audience that the epic will recount the “wrath of Achilles”, but in fact we find skilful interventions in speech that make us wonder whether the reasons for conflict can ever justify the grief it causes.
4. An honour code
What is truly worth living and dying for are central themes in The Iliad, as in battle rap. There we find talk of loyalty, honour, respect, courage, friendship and fame.
The overt answers given can be taken as embraces of a certain kind of toxic masculinity where dominance, rage, cunning and violence are celebrated, but maybe these answers subtly point to their ultimate hollowness.
Lurking behind the repeated injunction to “be the best”, battle rap and Homer’s epic invite the question of what is truly worth admiring: skill, dominance, wealth, integrity, courage, beauty, truth, justice, love or glory? They provide no singular answer.
5. Creativity and living within the ‘funk’ of life
Instead, we are left to sit within what West calls the “funk of life” – the mess of it all. From there, we can see that the stories we tell ourselves have the power to shape and define our actions and our very lives.
So the main question becomes: at a time when simplistic stories of violence and domination are presented to us as easy answers to complex social realities, can we create new and richer stories of our own?
Joshua Forstenzer’s work receives funding from the Yale Center for Faith and Culture as part of its Templeton-funded Life Worth Living project (https://lifeworthliving.yale.edu/).
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura Hood, Senior Politics Editor, Assistant Editor, The Conversation (UK edition)
Editor Stephen Khan (left) with award winner Professor Paul Whiteley, University of Essex handed the trophy by The Conversation’s patron, Professor Sir Paul Curran.The Conversation
Paul Whiteley, emeritus professor of government at the University of Essex, has been named as the 2024 winner of the Sir Paul Curran award for academic communication.
The prize is awarded every year to an academic who has shown exceptional skill, dedication and engagement in communicating their knowledge to readers.
Paul has contributed 120 articles to The Conversation since August 2014, helping readers understand the seismic political shifts that have taken place over that period. He’s written about British and US politics, Brexit, emerging and historical electoral patterns and voter behaviour. He has contributed to The Conversation’s coverage of every British election that has taken place since launching in the UK and has written some of our strongest, evidence-based analysis of Brexit since the referendum in 2016. Paul was one of the contributors who answered The Conversation’s call for submissions in its earliest days and has featured regularly ever since.
The Politics + Society team asked for Paul to be recognised this year in particular because his work formed the cornerstone of The Conversation’s 2024 election coverage. He analysed dozens of past elections to help us understand where the campaign was going wrong for former prime minister Rishi Sunak, and issued some warnings to the Labour party about the perils of a victory based on low turnout. He also helped readers digest the various MRP polls that appeared to be shaping as well as measuring the campaign.
Paul’s award was linked to his work analysing the rise of the Reform party at a time when hard evidence is hard to come by. Paul has looked at how protest voting is tied to Reform voting, and what it means for Reform to be advancing in the polls at this stage in the electoral cycle. He’s issued advice to Labour and the Conservatives as they try to produce a response to this new electoral threat.
More recently, Paul has turned his attention to US politics to help readers understand the politics of Donald Trump.
On the night, we thanked Paul for his 120 articles and looked forward to reading his next 120.
Highly commended
This year, two academic writers also received commendations.
Michelle Spear, professor of anatomy at the University of Bristol, was highly commended for her “entertaining, illuminating and often hilarious” articles about the human body. Her work has included fact checks on full-body deodorants and collagen supplements. Michelle was also the author of a grizzly investigation for Guy Fawkes night that looked at what actually happened when people were hanged, drawn and quartered.
Ruth Itzhaki professor emeritus of molecular neurobiology at the University of Manchester and visiting professorial fellow at the University of Oxford, received special commendation for her work on the viral cause of Alzheimer’s. Ruth and colleagues first identified a possible link between cold sores and susceptibility to Alzheimer’s in later life. She wrote an Insights long read as part of the Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia series in 2022, and in recent weeks has written again following greater recognition, decades later, of her work.
A huge thank you to Paul, Michelle and Ruth for their work with The Conversation over the years, and to all our authors – without whose efforts there would be no conversation.
Almost 2,000 years ago in modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India, someone deposited a cache of gems inside a reliquary (a container for holy relics), along with some bone fragments and ash. The gems were precious, but the bones and ash even more so, for according to an inscription on the reliquary, they belonged to Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.
The Piprahwa gems were placed along with the Buddha’s bodily relics (śarīra) as an offering inside a stūpa (A Buddhist funerary structure that contains relics and acts as a place of pilgrimage). Such an offering is not only supposed to generate “merit” (puṇya) and hopefully a good rebirth for the devotee, but is also an act of devotion and gratitude to the Buddha.
In 1898, a British land owner, William Claxton Peppé, ordered the excavation of that same stūpa on his land in colonial India and discovered the reliquary. The bodily relics were sent to the Buddhist king of Thailand, many of the gems went to the former Imperial Museum in Calcutta and Peppé was permitted to keep the rest.
This latter portion was due to be put up for auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong this month, just days before the Buddhist holy day of Vesak – and it has generated controversy. Not only has the sale been described as perpetuating colonial violence, but the Indian government demanded that auction house Sotheby’s halt the sale or it would seek legal action. Sotheby’s has complied, for now.
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Peppé’s great-grandson, Chris Peppé, explained in an article for Sotheby’s: “From the time we received the Piprahwa gem relics, my cousins and I have sought to make them available for viewing by the public (ideally a Buddhist public) to see at no cost to the institution borrowing them.” This has resulted in the gems being displayed in museums around the world. The cousins also set up The Piprahwa Project website, which allows people to access all the research materials that they have gathered.
Chris Peppé has said that he hopes that the sale will help people see to see the gems and connect with those that left them and the Buddha himself. His great-grandfather, he says, ordered the excavation to provide work for his tenant farmers.
As a Buddhist and the grandson of an Anglo-Indian man myself, my past straddles this colonial divide more than most. Putting aside the ethical issues around excavating a sacred site in the first place, and the uncomfortable tie-in to other instances of colonial looting by the British in India, the truly extraordinary thing is that these gems were put up for sale at all.
If they really were mixed together with the bodily relics of the Buddha, then these gems were in physical contact with them and intended to be paired with them for posterity. That means that, in a Buddhist context, there is no essential difference between the gems and the actual remains of the Buddha.
The Sri Lankan historical chronicle The Mahāvaṃsa (written in the 5th or 6th-century AD) states that “if we behold the relics we behold the Conqueror”, aka Buddha. As art historians Conan Cheong and Ashley Thompson write in their recent journal paper on the topic: “At the very least, we can affirm that for many Buddhists, historically and today, these ‘gems’ are śarīra of the Buddha and as such are imbued with the Buddha’s living presence.”
Buddha in the west
Speaking to the Guardian after the auction was postponed Peppé said: “In light of the Indian government’s sudden interest in the gems, 25% of auction proceeds will be donated to the displaying of the main Kolkata collection of the Piprahwa gems for Buddhists and the larger public to enjoy. Another 25% will be donated to Buddhist institutions.” With regards to his and his two relatives’ right to sell the gems, he added: “Legally, the ownership is unchallenged.”
As an expert in Buddhist philosophy, I believe that to put a price on something that possesses such a sacred status for millions of people worldwide is both disrespectful and morally objectionable.
The sale is also not something I could ever imagine happening regarding objects linked with any other religious figure. If a piece of intact clothing, for example, was found to have been worn by Jesus, would this be put up for sale? Of course, it would be massively valuable, but any financial considerations would surely be outweighed by its religious importance for the world’s billions of Christians. Why should it be any different with Buddhist relics?
Another phenomenon inadvertently revealed by the fact of the sale is the ongoing commercialisation of Buddhism in the west. To many westerners, the Buddha and Buddhism are increasingly viewed as commodities to be bought and sold.
Cheaply made Buddha statues and Buddha-faced plant pots adorn the shelves of garden centres and are then used to decorate living rooms and gardens. Clothes, lamps, beach towels and even shoes embellished with images of the Buddha can be purchased easily. The Buddha is frequently regarded as an ornament or fashion item rather than a sacred figure in a manner that, again, is rarely done with any other religiously significant person.
Buddhas are common garden decorations in the west – but it’s hard to imagine a Jesus-themed equivalent. Radek Havlicek/Shutterstock
From all this, selling actual Buddhist relics is not a large step. As with the commodification of other religions in the west such as Hinduism and Islam, commercialisation always simultaneously involves decontextualisation. It is an example of what philosopher Sophia Rose Arjana in her book Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi (2020) terms “the religious marketplace”.
As she writes: “Religions associated with the east – Hindu, Buddhism, Islam – are also commodified. Their symbols are marketed by entrepreneurs and corporations and then consumed by everyone from non-religious spiritualists to ambivalent mystical seekers.”
Religious traditions, practices, images and artefacts must be stripped of their native contexts and sacred meaning. Through this auction, the Piprahwa gems are considered ancient jewels to be admired ascetically rather than religious relics.
Given their importance to global history and our human story, the Buddha and Buddhism are worthy of a lot more respect than they are currently afforded. While Buddhism teaches that everything is impermanent, we are lucky enough to still possess treasures such as the Piprahwa gems, and we should value them – and learn from them – while we can.
Lee Clarke 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 – UK – By Genecy Calado de Melo, Lecturer in Operative and Primary Care Dentistry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
noriver/Shutterstock.com
A few drops of saliva can now reveal what used to require a scalpel, a syringe or a scan.
Scientists have developed ways to analyse spit for the tiniest traces of illness – from mouth cancer to diabetes, and even brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Unlike blood tests or biopsies, saliva is easy to collect, painless and inexpensive. During the COVID pandemic, some countries used saliva-based testing for rapid screening.
This isn’t entirely new. Scientists first noticed the diagnostic potential of spit decades ago. In the 1980s, researchers used saliva to detect hormones and drug use. By the 1990s, it was being explored as a way to detect HIV.
What’s new is the speed and precision. Today’s techniques can detect subtle molecular shifts that would have been impossible to measure just a few years ago.
Saliva holds a surprising amount of information. It’s full of tiny fragments of DNA, RNA, proteins and fats – many of which change when disease takes hold. Researchers have already shown that saliva can be used to detect changes linked to diabetes, Parkinson’s, heart disease and some cancers.
A recent study even showed saliva could help distinguish between healthy people and those with mild cognitive impairment, a possible early sign of Alzheimer’s.
In dentistry, spit science is being studied for early signs of gum disease and even the risk of tooth decay.
A light-based technique called Raman spectroscopy is one of the latest tools being used to scan saliva for hidden chemical changes. It works by bouncing harmless light off molecules in a spit sample and reading the pattern it sends back – a kind of fingerprint for what’s happening inside your body.
It sounds like science fiction, but the technology is already being used in labs to detect early signs of cancer and other diseases often before symptoms appear.
This could be a gamechanger for oral cancer, which often starts with small, painless changes inside the mouth that are easy to miss. Early detection is vital, but many people don’t realise they have a problem until it’s much harder to treat.
A simple spit test during a regular dental check-up could help find cancer early, before it spreads.
It’s not just about cancer, either. Saliva is being trialled as a tool to monitor everything from stress levels to infections.
What makes saliva so appealing is its simplicity – no needles, no specialist clinics. Samples can often be collected at home, posted to a lab and analysed within hours. This could make a huge difference in places with limited access to healthcare or for people who avoid doctors out of fear, cost or time.
Of course, not every disease leaves a clear marker in spit and researchers are still working out which conditions saliva can reliably detect. But the idea of using what’s already naturally produced by the body to give an early warning is a powerful one. It could help catch disease when it’s most treatable, save lives and make healthcare faster, cheaper and more comfortable for everyone.
There’s still work to be done before spit tests become part of routine check-ups. Larger clinical trials are needed and researchers are still fine tuning the best ways to analyse and interpret the data. But the direction of travel is clear: the days of saliva being seen as just drool are over.
Saliva may not seem glamorous, but thanks to the rise of spit science, it’s fast becoming one of the most promising tools in the fight against disease. A future where your dentist, doctor, or even you could spot health problems early with nothing more than simple spit.
Genecy Calado de Melo received funding from Science without Borders – Brazil (2015).
Cathy E. Richards 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.
Satellites are the invisible backbone of modern life. They guide airplanes, help us find our way with GPS, deliver TV and internet, and even help emergency services respond to disasters. But a new kind of computer – quantum computers – could put all of this at risk.
Quantum computers are not just faster versions of today’s computers. They work in a completely different way, using the peculiar rules of quantum physics. While they have not yet reached their full capabilities, quantum computers are expected to be game changing provided that the technological hurdles can be overcome.
For example, they are expected to be able to solve certain mathematical problems that would take classical computers millions of years. In some cases, quantum computers could solve such difficult problems in just seconds or minutes.
It’s very difficult to predict exactly when practical quantum computers will become available. However, progress is being made both in the design of more powerful quantum processors and in overcoming other hurdles to their development.
The new capabilities presented by quantum computers could help push forward areas such as science and medicine. For example, they could carry out the complex simulations needed to design new materials and more effective drugs. They could also improve our simulations of the Earth’s future climate.
However, there’s a catch: quantum computers could also break the codes that keep our digital world safe.
Experts around the world are working urgently to develop new kinds of digital “locks” that can’t be cracked by quantum computers – an area known as “post-quantum cryptography”. These new codes are being tested and approved by international bodies, while governments are starting to plan how to upgrade everything from satellites to bank systems.
The digital locks that protect satellite signals, bank accounts and private messages are based on mathematical puzzles that regular computers can’t solve quickly. Quantum computers, however, would be able to crack these puzzles with ease.
You might think that satellites are safe because they’re far away and hard to reach. But as the technology required to attack them becomes cheaper and more widely available, satellites are becoming targets for hackers and hostile governments. Today, it’s possible for skilled attackers to intercept satellite signals or try to send fake commands.
Staying ahead of the curve
Most satellites are designed to last for decades. This means the security systems we put in place now need to be strong enough to withstand not just today’s threats but tomorrow’s as well – including the threat from quantum computers.
In the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre has published a roadmap for moving to quantum-safe security. It has set a date of 2035 by which organisations should aim to migrate all their systems to post-quantum cryptography – the new digital codes that should protect against hacking by quantum computers. The message is clear: both private- and public-sector organisations need to start preparing now, so that by the time quantum computers are ready, our most important systems – including satellites – are already protected.
Updating a satellite’s security isn’t as simple as updating your phone’s software. Once a satellite is in orbit, it’s very hard – sometimes impossible – to change its systems. That’s why new satellites being designed today must use quantum-resistant security from the start.
It’s also necessary to design these systems so they can work efficiently across more than one satellite, because some spacecraft are designed to collaborate with each other in what are known as “swarms”.
If we don’t act now, the data sent to and from satellites could one day be read or even tampered with by anyone with a powerful enough quantum computer. That could mean anything from disrupted GPS signals to attacks on emergency communications or threats to national security.
No country can solve this problem alone. It will take scientists, engineers, governments and international organisations working together to make sure our digital infrastructure is ready for the quantum age.
The good news? The world is already moving in this direction. By building in the protections against quantum computers now, satellites that connect and protect us can be secured – no matter what the future brings.
Panagiotis (Panos) Vlachos’s employer, Mastercard, covers his tuition fees. He is an active volunteering member of CyberPeace Builders and ISC2’s Code TaskForce.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
May 09, 2025
HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday reintroduced the VA Employee Fairness Act, legislation that would help right a long-standing wrong by expanding collective bargaining rights for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care professionals. The bill would ensure that nurses, physicians, and other VA clinicians have the same rights as their counterparts in the private sector and other parts of the VA, empowering them to speak up on critical issues like staffing ratios, patient care, and compensation.
Currently, Title 38 of the United States Code restricts these workers from negotiating over matters of professional conduct or competence, employee pay, and other key workplace issues. As a result, they are often unable to meaningfully advocate for improvements that would help address staffing shortages, enhance patient care, or recruit and retain qualified health care professionals.
“Our veterans deserve the best care possible, and that starts with treating VA health care workers with dignity and respect,” said Murphy. “This bill gives nurses and doctors the tools they need to advocate for safe staffing and provide better care, just like their colleagues in the private sector.”
“It has never been more important to give VA healthcare workers the opportunity to fight for better working conditions in order to provide the best possible care for veterans. With the entire VA workforce under attack from the Trump Administration, recruiting and retaining the very best doctors, nurses, and health care support staff is a challenge – but one we can meet with better, stronger workplace protections,” said Blumenthal. “Simply put: VA healthcare workers who have chosen to serve our nation’s veterans deserve the same opportunity to organize and collectively bargain for better pay, benefits, and working conditions that their VA colleagues have.”
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) also cosponsored the legislation.
The legislation is endorsed by National Nurses United (NNU), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of Labor (AFL), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), VoteVets and Union Veterans Council of AFL-CIO.
Thousands of people will be going for glory on Sunday (May 11) in the marathon, which is being held in partnership with Clarion by the not-for-profit sporting events company Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All with support from Leeds City Council.
Taking place this year for the third time, the event’s previous two editions have been notable for the inspirational atmosphere generated by the crowds lining the 26.2-mile route.
And people across Leeds are being encouraged to once again turn out and show their support for an occasion that provides a perfect tribute to the life and achievements of the late rugby league legend Rob Burrow.
As in previous years, the on-course atmosphere will be given a tuneful additional lift by musical entertainment from various groups and acts, including the Leeds Pipe Band, Leeds Rock Choir and Otley Ukulele Orchestra.
Residents and visitors are also being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the programme of temporary road closures that will be in place to help ensure the day goes according to plan.
The marathon will start and end at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium, with runners following a circular route that initially winds around Woodhouse Moor before striking out for Adel, Lawnswood, Bramhope, Pool in Wharfedale and Otley. The Leeds Half Marathon, which is also being held on Sunday, will use much of the same route. The two events have together attracted more than 12,000 entrants.
Part of St Michael’s Lane in Headingley will close to vehicles on Sunday from 4am before sections of Cardigan Road and Kirkstall Lane/North Lane follow suit at 6am. Closures of selected roads will kick in between 6am and 8am in other parts of Headingley and Far Headingley.
Further closures will then come into force from 8.30am in the Adel, Lawnswood and Bramhope areas, and from 9am around Pool in Wharfedale and Otley.
The marathon will begin at 9am, with competitors in the half marathon setting out from Headingley at 10am.
Affected roads along the route will be reopened on a rolling basis through the day as soon as it is safe to do so.
More road closure information – including a list of vehicle crossing points – can be found here.
People travelling to Headingley can catch return park and ride bus services from Elland Road and Stourton. Shuttle buses will also be running between Cookridge Street in the city centre and Headingley.
Buses will be operating between Headingley and two spectator hubs out on the course, one on Otley Road in Adel – about a mile from the drop-off point at Holt Park’s Asda – and the other at Otley Market Place.
There will be no dedicated event parking in Headingley itself.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:
“As someone who has run the first two editions of the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon and will be taking part again on Sunday, I know just how special the event is.
“The atmosphere on the course was electric in both 2023 and 2024, and it would be lovely to see plenty of spectators out creating the same sort of buzz for 2025.
“The delivery of an event on this scale involves a huge amount of hard work and my thanks go to everyone involved at Run For All and the council, as well as the hundreds of volunteers who will be giving up their time on Sunday.
“The road closures that will help ensure the day passes off safely and successfully will inevitably also cause disruption to some people’s normal routines and, as always, their patience and support is much appreciated.
“Please do take a few minutes, if you haven’t already, to familiarise yourself with all the relevant traffic and travel plans ahead of an occasion that I’m sure will showcase the very best of our city.”
The marathon’s partner charities and good causes are the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, 4Ed, Alzheimer’s Society, Candlelighters, Happy Days Children’s Charity, Jane Tomlinson Appeal, Leeds North & West Foodbank, Leeds Rhinos Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, Stand Against MND and St Gemma’s Hospice.
After being diagnosed with MND in 2019, Leeds Rhinos great Rob worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the condition and deliver improved care for those affected by it.
Sunday’s programme features a new addition for 2025 in the shape of the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon Relay, which will see teams of seven tackling different legs of the full route.
Run For All is also linking up with Leeds Beckett University to stage the inaugural MND Mile tomorrow (Saturday, May 10). Taking place at Leeds Beckett’s Headingley campus, the event’s mile-long course has been designed to cater for participants of all ages and abilities.
Tristan Batley-Kyle, operations director at Run For All, said:
“For an event of this scale, significant road closures will be required. We are working in partnership with Leeds City Council, emergency services and multi-agency planning groups to make sure the event is operated safely and securely.
“We would like to thank all residents in advance for their understanding, and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. Please be assured that all closures will be lifted as soon as possible. We thank you for your support of the 2025 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon and Leeds Half Marathon.”
Note to editors:
Run For All is a not-for-profit company that forms part of the lasting legacy of the late amateur athlete and fundraiser Jane Tomlinson CBE. Jane, from Leeds, made headlines around the world by taking part in a series of incredible endurance events despite being diagnosed with an incurable cancer.
Headline: How AI agents can help retailers and consumer goods companies improve operations
Over the past 12 months, customer conversations have shifted from focusing on generative AI to discussing agentic AI. This evolution reflects the growing recognition of agentic systems to augment AI’s potential to enhance business processes and drive innovation.
But, as with every technology, working out where to start is fraught with difficulties. “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”—or so the expression goes—but when it comes to business challenges, not every problem warrants an agentic AI approach.
Learn more about Microsoft Cloud for Retail
You may have determined candidate areas for agentic AI using a similar approach to that which we described when discussing rapidly ideating on value in a previous blog. However, how do you know if it really warrants an agentic approach, and then, once you’re confident that it does, how do you determine the value it will bring for your organization?
This blog aims to provide guidance on how to address these areas to empower you to make informed decisions and unlock the full potential of agentic AI.
Business and technical criteria
Based on our experience working with retail and consumer goods companies across the globe, there are some common trends that can be considered as criteria for determining if a specific process—or part of a process—is a good use case for agentic AI.
These aren’t considered to be “hard and fast” criteria that must be adhered to—they are merely guidelines.
Volume. A process with high volumes or number of interactions. For example, a consumer goods company receives many more orders than an aircraft manufacturer, therefore, it’s likely to be far more applicable to apply agentic AI to an order intake process in a consumer goods company. That doesn’t mean that agentic AI cannot help an aircraft manufacturer with this process. It means that the specific process element where it’s applied would be different. For example, in placing an order for an aircraft, multiple detailed configuration documents may be needed, and agentic AI may have a valuable role ensuring those documents are correct.
Interaction. A process that interacts with multiple systems. For example, updates, reads from, or consolidates data between different systems. Processes where users must review, or consolidate, content from multiple systems are prime candidates for the application of agentic AI. Sometimes referred to as “swivel-chair integration,” these types of processes are both tedious and fraught with error.
Human. A process where a high level of human interaction is required. Perhaps involving seeking, reading, considering, and reasoning over multiple pieces of information, documents, or systems. This is typically work that’s mundane and repetitive. Agentic AI can assess and highlight gaps, differences, or anomalies. It can make recommendations to be evaluated by a human and as such, is designed to work alongside or augment the human by reducing the amount of mundane, repetitive activity. The human element is critical here—AI allows the human to focus on exceptions, strategic analysis, and complex decisions while supporting innovation.
Errors. Processes that are error prone—which often occurs with repetitive, mundane human operations. More importantly, one where any errors or issues during the process execution cause adverse downstream consequences such as delayed deliveries, lost sales, compensation claims, or handling by a human that incurs cost or time. This can be a key area of concern and focus.
There is an additional requirement, albeit one that must be considered when architecting a solution. This relates to data availability.
It’s critical to ensure that the data required for the agentic AI application is available and accessible without causing challenges elsewhere. It’s common that agentic systems need to refer to data to aid decision-making. For example, it may be necessary to look something up on a customer or supplier master record in a transactional system. Where many of these are required in a very short time, it may be that the agentic solution causes performance issues in the transactional system. Architecturally, this challenge can be avoided by extracting this data into a data lake or other data store to act as a reference location.
Retail Thought Leadership Study
The AI Advantage: How retailers are shaping customer experiences with data-driven insights
Defining value
Advancements position agentic AI as a cornerstone for creating a more resilient, efficient, sustainable, and autonomous supply chain. When it comes to evaluating the business value of any technology investment, one of the first points to consider is determining the specific drivers of value. In addition, understanding how you’ll measure this is equally important.
From the work we have done relating to agentic AI, value typically falls into three areas:
Productivity. You can think of this as “agentic liberated time.” This reflects reducing the non-value-added time associated with human interaction in a process or process step using the “liberated time” for value-added activities. Scoping these additional activities is critical to delivering value from agentic AI. As an example, one retailer was seeking to free up time for their supply chain planners to spend more time with individual suppliers planning future promotional inventories. AI agents can streamline communications with suppliers, monitor contract compliance, and resolve disputes efficiently.
Process efficiency. This relates to the elapsed time that a process takes. AI agents automate repetitive tasks and optimize operations leading to higher process efficiency levels and lower costs. This in turn has follow-on benefits—for example, reducing the time spent between receiving and processing a customer order translates to improved customer responsiveness.
Quality. This can often be seen as cliché. However, in this instance, the focus is the reduction of errors or issues. Specifically, those that have a negative consequence downstream within the organization or supply chain. For example, promising inventory that does not exist will adversely impact customer satisfaction scores and may well result in future lost sales.
Measurement is key
For each of these value driver areas it’s important to establish the metrics or KPIs that this is likely to impact in your specific case. The graphic above gives some examples, but this is where the value of agentic AI really comes into force.
For the productivity value driver, liberated time can be used to identify additional revenue generating opportunities, which can enhance your revenue per employee KPI. For process efficiency, reducing lost sales can be a relevant metric if, for example, you’re automating your customer order process.
Quality, however, is where it becomes interesting. Determining the downstream negative consequences of a delayed or misinformed decision can be difficult, but it’s worthwhile. One approach to consider is to use Microsoft Copilot to help ideate on this, asking for suggestions as to what the negative downstream consequences of errors in a particular process might be. This may not yield the exact answer for your business, but practice has shown that it usually inspires a new thought or perspective that relates to your business.
Microsoft Cloud for Retail
Connect your customers, your people, and your data.
Moving on value
Selecting the right use cases for agentic AI requires a thorough understanding of both the criteria for implementation and the drivers of value. By focusing on high-volume, error-prone processes that require significant human effort and interaction with multiple systems, organizations can identify the most promising areas for AI application.
Additionally, defining and measuring the value of AI investments through productivity, process efficiency, and quality improvements will ensure that organizations can unlock the full potential of agentic AI. With these guidelines, organizations can make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of AI use case selection, ultimately driving innovation and efficiency.
Learn more about agentic AI
Oliver Guy
Global Industry Architect, Microsoft Retail & Consumer Goods, Microsoft
Oliver Guy, Global Industry Architect, specializes in helping business leaders innovate and compete more flexibility and efficiently. For more than 25 years he has delivered value for retail and consumer goods companies across the globe with technology led change. Oliver is a recognized Retail Technology Influencer by Retail Technology Innovation Hub (RTIH) and is also a RetailWire BrainTrust panelist.
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Felice Miller
Business Strategy Leader, Supply Chain & Operations, Worldwide Retail and Consumer Goods and Gaming, Microsoft
Felice leads Supply Chain and Sustainability Strategy for Microsoft’s Worldwide Retail and Consumer Goods Industry Group collaborating with customers and partners to reimagine data and AI solutions, and leveraging technology to drive innovation and better business outcomes. She has extensive experience in consumer products, retail, and global manufacturing. Felice has been an angel investor in early-stage startups, the founder of Delvv, a machine learning studio that created AI-driven interface technology to enhance the smartphone user experience and is an advocate for consumer-centric technology in the mobile space.
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Paul Manikas
Principal Industry Architect, Industry Solutions Delivery, Microsoft
As a Manufacturing industry architect, Paul works with senior business and IT leaders to help them understand how to apply Microsoft’s technologies and partner solutions to digitally transform their company. Leveraging over 35 years of manufacturing industry experience, Paul works with clients to build their transformations strategy, considering four key pillars of digital transformation: customer experience, operational excellence, workforce transformation and product-as-a-service.
arlier today, Governor Hochul signed the FY 2026 Budget into law.
VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).
AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.
PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will have photos of the event here.
B-ROLL of the Governor’s visit to Johnson City Middle School stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
You’re getting a real lesson in government. You are the first students, I’m going to guess in the history of the state, to ever be there for the signing of the New York State Budget. And I wanted you here because this Budget is about you and your parents. And when I proposed my Budget back in January, I said, “Your family is my fight.” And I wanted to make sure I could fight for your moms and dads to have more money back in their pockets.
Everything’s getting so much more expensive — your sneakers, your, your clothes, your backpacks, and it’s been hard. It’s hard for them to pay the bills, so I knew that if I could focus on families, help your parents out — the inflation rebate will help thousands of families here in this area. Every child that’s under the age of four. Anybody have little siblings under the age of four? Anybody? Okay, that’s $1,000 for your family. Anybody over age four here? Yes, you all are. That’s $500 for your parents, for each one of you and your siblings. Okay. Add it up. That’s money back for your parents, but also covers the complete cost of school breakfast and lunches, so mom and dad don’t have to pay for that. And also a tax cut for your parents. So it’s all going to add up to about $5,000.
So when you go home today, as part of the Mother’s Day present, say, “Mom, I just heard from the Governor say, ‘We’re gonna get $5,000 back in our pockets.’” Does that sound like a nice gift? Yeah. All right. All right. You can help take credit for it because you’re here to witness this signing.
But also this cell phone ban is so important for your health. The health of all the students that are coming behind you who should never even know you could have a cell phone in school. You are the first. You are the ones that went ahead of everybody else, and I want to thank your leadership for that as well. But every student in the state of New York, starting in September, will have the opportunity of having a distraction free school experience where they can learn and study instead of looking at memes, look at their math, and get things done in school and be more productive and it’ll benefit them overall.
So I wanted to say I delivered on my promise. I’m going to continue keeping my promises. And you are here to witness this. So what we do is we have the bill that was passed by the Legislature late last night, says Senate, the Assembly, and now what is it looking for? The Governor’s signature. And here we have the bill, and now is when you get to applaud the signing of the bill you’re here to watch.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) announced that Kasey Walden of Bristol’s Virginia High School won the 2025 Congressional Art Competition in Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District. Her artwork is entitled George Washington, Virginian and will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
“Congratulations to Kasey Walden on winning this year’s Congressional Art Competition in the Ninth District,” said Griffith. “Her work is a marvelous display of this year’s theme, ‘Commemorating Virginia’s Contribution to the American Revolution,’ and has earned a spot in the U.S. Capitol for all to see.
“Virginia High School is a great reflection of student artistic achievements in the Ninth District. Kasey joins a list of creative talents from Virginia High whose works earned recognition in previous Congressional art competitions.
“The Ninth District is home to many students with artistic talents and gifts. The Congressional Art Competition is a great opportunity for these talents to be on full display.”
Pictured from left to right: Kindle Conkin of Eastman Credit Union, Kasey Walden of Virginia High School, Congressman Morgan Griffith.
Pictured: Kasey Walden’s parents with Kasey and Congressman Griffith.
Pictured: Congressman Griffith addresses students and faculty at Virginia High School to recognize Kasey Walden for winning the 2025 Congressional Art Competition in Virginia’s Ninth District.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G. Valadao (California)
WASHINGTON –Today, Congressman Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement announcing the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for high school students in California’s 22nd Congressional District.
“Congratulations to Lauren Newkirk of East Bakersfield High School on her winning entry, and thank you to all the talented students throughout California’s 22nd Congressional District who submitted their art,”said Congressman Valadao.“Lauren’s impressive depiction of the Fox Theater is a great representation of our region’s character, and I look forward to seeing it every time I walk through the Capitol.”
The winning entry, Free Tickets, by Lauren Newkirk of East Bakersfield High School, is a painting of Fox Theater in downtown Bakersfield. The piece uses single point perspective to draw the viewer’s attention to an asymmetrically balanced composition. Lauren used her personal photograph, which she shot during an evening concert, as a reference image.
This piece will be hung in the U.S. Capitol alongside winning entries from congressional districts across the country for one year. The winner will also be invited to visit Washington, D.C. to attend a reception sponsored by the Congressional Institute, which hosts the annual competition.
The very first Coventry Job Fest took place last week and proved a huge success with lots of local people finding work, volunteering or training opportunities.
New for 2025, Coventry Job Fest connected local talent with leading employers by taking opportunities directly out to the community.
The new job initiative visited three wards with the highest youth employment figures – St Michael’s, Foleshill and Longford.
Over 1,800 local residents attended the events and accessed invaluable help and support.
Job Shop Customer, Cher, who attended all three events said: “I feel a completely different person having worked with some of the team at the Job Shop and attended a workshop session prior to Job Fest.
“If you’re going to have one day of confidence, go to the Job Shop. The staff are so helpful, they listen to you. Whatever you feel you’re lacking, there’ll be a course for you to build up your confidence and get you back involved and be your best self.”
All those who attended the three different Job Fest events benefited from fast-tracked applications and interviews, on-the-day recruitment, CV and interview workshops, and the chance to engage with employers through innovative activities, including Virtual reality experiences.
Employer Hays Recruitment took over 80 applications at Job Fest in Foleshill and the Adult Education Service at Coventry City Council saw over 50 new learners sign up for their programme.
Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills at Coventry City Council said: “It’s brilliant to see the huge success that Job Fest has been. It’s so important that we have events like this. To take Job Fest out to wards where people may not, for whatever reason, be able to go into the city centre has been enormously beneficial to so many residents.
“I’m proud of all the hard work that has gone into bringing Job Fest to life and I’m excited to see what opportunities come of it for our local people.”
There were over 70 employers and training providers across the three days at Job Fest, with 600+ opportunities available at each event. Some of the major employers included: Severn Trent, E.ON, the Army and Costco.
Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council said: “It was great to see so many people at Job Fest. That includes local people who came out in numbers and employers who were there with good jobs and good advice.
“Having a job changes lives and our Job Shop is at the very heart of supporting local people in to work every day.”
The Job Shop continues to provide ongoing guidance in the city centre and outreach locations across Coventry, tailored to individual needs.
