ECF 2024 Quadchart McGuirk.pdf Christopher McGuirk Colorado School of Mines This project will investigate and develop improved storage methods for the fuels needed to generate electrical power in places where sunlight is not available. The effort will focus on particularly tailored materials called Metal Oxide Frameworks, or MOFs, that can be used to store methane and oxygen. The methane and oxygen can be reacted in a solid oxide fuel cell to generate electricity, and storing them in a MOF could potentially result in significant mass and cost savings over traditional storage tanks which also require active pressure and thermal regulation. The team will use a number of computational and experimental tools to develop a MOF structure suitable for this application. Back to ECF 2024 Full List
ECF 2024 Quadchart Boles.pdf Jessica Boles University of California, Berkeley This project will develop piezoelectric-based power conversion for small power systems on the lunar surface. These piezoelectric systems can potentially offer high power density to significantly reduce size, weight, and cost. They can also offer high efficiency as well as resistance to the extreme lunar environment with its expected prolonged exposure to extreme cold and radiation. The effort will build and test prototype piezoelectric DC-to-DC power converters and DC-to-DC power supplies. Back to ECF 2024 Full List
ECF 2024 Quadchart Arya.pdf Manan Arya Stanford University This grant will design and develop lightweight, low-cost modular solar reflectors that can be stowed for transport in a compact volume. These reflectors can potentially be used to reflect and concentrate sunlight into a permanently shadowed area of the Moon where it could power photovoltaics. These reflectors could also potentially be used for concentrated photovoltaics for deep-space missions, solar thermal propulsion, or for thermal mining. The team will use recently developed origami design algorithms to allow for compact and reversible stowage of paraboloidal shell structures without any cuts or slits. Back to ECF 2024 Full List
ECF 2024 Quadchart Underwood.pdf Thomas Underwood University of Texas, Austin This project will demonstrate a fusion propulsion system based on z-pinch which is a method of compressing plasma by running electrical current though it. The z-pinch will compress and heat the plasma to produce fusion reactions, and the system will be paired with an electromagnetic accelerator to produce thrust from these reactions. The effort intends to design, build, and test a prototype device and use computational modeling to evaluate the potential performance of larger systems which would be suitable for powering deep-space missions. Back to ECF 2024 Full List
ECF 2024 Quadchart Oguri.pdf Kenshiro Oguri Purdue University This project will investigate one of the key fundamental challenges associated with directed-energy light-sailing technology, similar to solar sails but powered by a laser beam pointed at the sail instead of by the sun. The effort will first mathematically model, then design, build, and test a prototype diffractive light sail. The three-dimensional, origami-inspired light sail could potentially unlock higher thrust, passive beam riding stability, and higher maneuverability via its ability to transform its shape. Back to ECF 2024 Full List
ECF 2024 Quadchart Ilic.pdf Ognjen Ilic University of Minnesota This effort will aim to demonstrate the feasibility of directed-energy propulsion through a combination of computational simulations and prototype testing. The project will model the interactions between lightsail material and a laser beam that can be pointed at the sail to propel the spacecraft. The results of the modeling will be used to fabricate an optimized sail for testing with a 30W laser. A successful demonstration would pave the way for ultrafast spaceflight within and beyond the solar system. Back to ECF 2024 Full List
ECF 2024 Quadchart Beik.pdf Omid Beik Colorado School of Mines This project will design a power management and distribution (PMAD) system that can be coupled with a megawatt-scale nuclear power generation system for nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) that is suitable for a Mars mission. The system will include all needed components including a dual rotor generator and power rectifier. The overall design will be optimized and validated with a smaller-scale (10kW) experiment that will be built and tested in the laboratory. Back to ECF 2024 Full List
A recent study led by GLSC’s Ben Marcy-Quay (Millersburg, MI), published on March 25, 2025, in Fisheries (https://doi.org/10.1093/fshmag/vuaf020), quantifies the effect of reduced sea lamprey control effort in 2020-2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The multi-agency team, which included Sean Lewandoski (GLSC, Millersburg, MI), Brian O’Malley (GLSC, Oswego, NY), and Nick Johnson, (GLSC, Millersburg, MI), as well as scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, analyzed a multi-decade suite of lamprey wounding and adult lamprey abundance index data. Results indicate that when sea lamprey control is relaxed, sea lamprey abundance and wounding rates increase substantially (more than 10-fold in some circumstances). The Great Lakes Fishery Commission highlighted the work in an April 10, 2025 press release: Noxious Sea Lampreys Took Advantage of Covid-19 Pandemic, New Study Finds and Ben was interviewed regarding the work by Keith Matheny from the Detroit Free Press for an article published the following day: Sea lamprey control efforts slowed during COVID-19: It let the Great Lakes invaders flourish.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Department of Aging Announce New Initiative to Make the Commonwealth Friendlier, More Welcoming for Older Adults
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich and local leaders today to kick off the first in a series of events across the Commonwealth to highlight efforts to develop age-friendly communities – all with the goal of encouraging more cities, towns and neighborhoods in the Commonwealth to ensure older Pennsylvanians have the services and support they need to thrive at every stage of life.
“Older adults in Allegheny County and here in my hometown of McKeesport are the backbone of our communities. They are our family, friends, and neighbors who have made great contributions in our lives that benefit all of us,” said Lt. Gov. Davis. “The organizers of age-friendly communities here in southwest Pennsylvania are making a positive impact, and I applaud their work and dedication as we welcome new faces to the table to expand these initiatives.”
INVITED SPEAKERS Lt. Gov. Austin Davis Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich Congresswoman Summer Lee Senator Nick Pisciottano Rich Fitzgerald, executive director, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Mary Esther Van Shura, AARP executive council member Paul Winkler, Southwest PA Partnership for Aging board member Dr. Megan Nagel, Penn State regional chancellor Dr. Elizabeth Farmer, dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Laura Poskin, executive director, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs fully supports National Security Education Day The Open Day featured meaningful activities, including an exhibition on national security education to enhance public understanding of national security and introduce Customs’ work in safeguarding this key area. Visitors enjoyed the performances by the Customs Detector Dog Team and the Dragon and Lion Dance Team as well as the display of firearms and weapons. Game booths and an inflatable jumping castle for children were also set up. The games were designed to introduce the department’s responsibility of performing its gatekeeping role in an interactive manner. In particular, the virtual reality games enabled the participants to experience Customs work in a simulated environment, while a number of fitness tests including an isometric strength test and standing long jump arranged at the recruitment booth to strengthen the participants’ understanding of Customs fitness requirements.
The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, also attended the event and took part in an eye-dotting ceremony to kick off a dragon-lion dance performance with the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat.
The public’s response to the open day was overwhelming, demonstrating that the event helped enhance their understanding of the significance of Customs in safeguarding national security. Issued at HKT 20:00
ANRF Supports 18 Hub Institutions and 106 Partnering Spokes Under PAIR Program Strengthening India’s Research Ecosystem Through Strategic Mentorship and Collaboration
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has announced the selection of PAIR Networks—comprising 18 Hub institutions and 106 partnering Spokes—under its flagship initiative, the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) Program.
The network connects universities and colleges with leading research institutions through structured mentorship and collaboration. The PAIR program aims to strengthen India’s higher education and research ecosystem by nurturing innovation, building research capacity and promoting excellence across regions.
The academic community responded enthusiastically to the call, with 30 proposals received from top academic institutions for Hub selection and 166 institutions as potential Spokes. After rigorous evaluation, 18 institutions have been selected as Hubs to lead collaborative research and capacity-building efforts in partnership with 106 Spokes across the country.
The selected institutions have been categorized into two strategic modes to foster deeper research engagement and inclusive growth:
Category A: 7 Hub institutions with 45 Spokes
Category B: 11 Hub institutions with 61 Spokes
Rooted in the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the PAIR Program is a pivotal step in ANRF’s mission to unlock the untapped research potential of India’s academic landscape. By fostering strategic partnerships and mentorship, the initiative is set to transform institutions into centres of innovation, leadership and global relevance.
The complete list of selected institutions is given in Annexure-I (Attached).
Headline: Microsoft’s Secure by Design marks a year of success
Cybersecurity is one of the top risks facing businesses. Organizations are struggling to navigate the ever-evolving cyberthreat landscape in which 600 million identity attacks are carried out daily.1 The median time for a cyberattacker to access private data from phishing is 1 hour and 12 minutes, and nation-state cyberattacks are on the rise.2 Organizations also face unprecedented complexity, making security jobs harder—57% of organizations are using more than 40 security tools, which requires significant resourcing and effort to integrate workflows and data.3 These challenges are magnified by the global security talent shortage organizations are facing and there are more than 4 million security jobs unfilled worldwide, rising insider risks, and the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape today.4 These cybersecurity challenges can not only increase significant business disruptions, they can also create devastating economic damages—the cost of cybercrime is expected to grow at 15% year over year, reaching $15.6 trillion by 2029.5
Get the latest Secure Future Initiative updates
In November 2023, to address the evolution of the digital and regulatory landscape, and the unprecedented changes in the cyberthreat landscape, we announced the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative. The Secure Future Initiative (SFI) is a multiyear effort to revolutionize the way we design, build, test, and operate our products and services, to achieve the highest security standards. SFI is our commitment to improve Microsoft’s security posture, thereby improving the security posture of all our customers, and to work with governments and industry to improve the security posture of the entire ecosystem.
Last year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), through its “Secure by Design” pledge, called on the technology industry to prioritize security at every stage of product development and deployment. This approach of embedding cybersecurity in digital delivery from the outset is also reflected in the United Kingdom’s Government’s Cyber Security Strategy as well as in the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)’s “Essential Eight” mitigation strategies to protect against cyberthreats. Throughout this blog post, the term “Secure by Design” encompasses both “secure by design” and “secure by default.”
Read CISA’s Secure by Design pledge
Microsoft committed to work towards key goals across a spectrum of Secure by Design principles advocated by numerous government agencies around the world. These goals aim to enhance security outcomes for customers by embedding robust cybersecurity practices throughout the product lifecycle. We continue to take our learnings, feed them back into our security standards, and operationalize these learnings as paved paths that can enable secure design and operations at scale. Our SFI updates provide examples of Microsoft’s progress in implementing secure by design, secure by default, and secure in operations principles, and provide best practices based on Microsoft’s own experience, demonstrating our dedication to improving security for customers.
Keep reading to learn about the initiatives Microsoft has undertaken over the past 18 months to support secure by design objectives as part of our SFI initiative. It is organized around our SFI principles to provide our customers and partners with an understanding of the robust security measures we are implementing to safeguard their digital environments.
Enhancing security with multifactor authentication and default password management
Phishing-resistant multifactor authentication provides the most robust defense against password-based cyberattacks, including credential stuffing and password theft. This includes promoting multifactor authentication among customers, implementing it as a default requirement for access, and participating in efforts to establish long-term standards in authentication.
In October 2024, Microsoft implemented mandatory multifactor authentication for the Microsoft Azure portal, Microsoft Entra admin center, and Microsoft Intune admin center. Since then, Microsoft has worked with our customers to reduce extensions and rapidly advance multifactor authentication adoption. A key achievement is our progress in eliminating passwords across products. Microsoft has introduced enhancements to streamline authentication and improve sign-in experiences, emphasizing usability and security. Users can now remove passwords from their accounts and use passkeys instead, addressing vulnerabilities and preventing unauthorized access.
On March 26, 2025, Microsoft launched a new sign-in experience for more than 1 billion users. By the end of April 2025, most Microsoft account users will see updated sign-in and sign-up user experience flows for web and mobile apps. This new user experience is optimized for a passwordless and passkey-first experience. Microsoft is also updating the account sign-in logic to make passkey the default sign-in choice whenever possible.
Additional examples of Microsoft improving authentication and how customers can learn from Microsoft’s approach and solutions include:
Microsoft recommendations for organizations to get started deploying phishing-resistant passwordless authentication using Microsoft Entra ID.
Security defaults make it easier to help protect against identity-related cyberattacks like password spray, replay, and phishing common in today’s environments. Learn more about preconfigured security settings available in Microsoft Entra ID.
Microsoft’s Conditional Access uses identity-driven signals as part of access control decisions.
To help prevent phishing, Microsoft added additional hardening to Windows Hello, which is the multifactor authentication solution built-in to Windows. Windows Hello has also been extended to support passkeys, which are an industry standard, and which we continue to evolve. With Hello and passkeys, on Windows, it means much of the web can be protected with multifactor authentication, and people no longer need to choose between a simple sign-in and a safe sign-in.
Learn how Microsoft is advancing decentralized identity standards and verifiable credentials.
Following GitHub’s April 2024 update on a year of progress in pushing multifactor authentication adoption, further cohorts requiring multifactor authentication enablement have been rolled out in the past year. This effort continues to drive multifactor authentication utilization with almost 50% of contributing GitHub users having multifactor authentication enabled. Of those, more than 38% of users have two or more methods of two-factor authentication enabled and more than 3.6 million users have a passkey enabled on their account. Additionally, GitHub has pushed for best practices in multifactor authentication methods, and in November 2024 shipped enhancements to the management of multifactor authentication settings for organizations and enterprises that allow the restriction of insecure methods of multifactor authentication such as text messaging.
Reducing entire classes of vulnerabilities
Most exploited vulnerabilities today stem from types that can often be mitigated on a large scale, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and memory safety language vulnerabilities. Governments aim to reduce these by encouraging companies to adopt practices like eliminating authorization validation logic mistakes, enabling the use of memory-safe languages, creating secure firmware architectures, and implementing secure administrative protections. The goal is to minimize exploitation risks by addressing systemic vulnerabilities at their root.
Our introduction of mandatory use of the Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) across all Microsoft applications helps ensure that advanced identity defenses, such as token binding, continuous access evaluation, and advanced application attack detections, are consistently implemented. This standardizes secure authentication processes, making it significantly harder for attackers to exploit identity-related vulnerabilities. MSAL enables developers to acquire security tokens from the Microsoft identity platform to authenticate users and access secured web APIs.
Read the updated Windows Security book and stay secure with Windows
Microsoft is also committed to adopting memory-safe languages, such as Rust, for developing new products and transitioning existing ones. This approach addresses common vulnerabilities related to memory safety. Microsoft is investing heavily into safe language to enhance the safety of our code, and we are applying this new approach to our security platform and other key areas like Microsoft Surface and Pluton security firmware.
In Windows 11, we’ve applied a secure by design strategy from the very first line of code. We have established a Hardware Security Baseline, which helps to ensure every Windows 11 PC has consistent hardware security forming a secure foundation. Windows 11 has secure by default settings and stronger controls for what apps and drivers are allowed to run. This is important as unverified apps and drivers lead to malware and script attacks. And most malware and ransomware apps are unsigned, which means they can be authored and distributed without being provably safe. For consumers and smaller organizations, Smart App Control is a new feature that uses cloud AI to enable millions of known safe apps to run, regardless of where you got them. For larger organizations, IT admins can layer on App Control for Business policies and deploy them using Intune.
With Windows powering business critical solutions across a wide variety of customers, we are committed to helping ensure that Windows remains the most secure and reliable platform. At Microsoft Ignite in 2024, we announced the Windows Resilience Initiative focused on enhancing the security and resilience of the Windows operating system. This involves implementing advanced security features, improving threat detection and response capabilities, and to help ensure that Windows can withstand and recover from cyberattacks. As part of the Windows Resilience Initiative, we are working to protect against common cyberattacks in addition to strengthening identity protection mentioned above.
As part of this we are addressing the long-standing challenge of overprivileged users and applications, which create significant risk. Yet many people do not want to give up admin control of their PC. To help strike the balance of admin privileges and security we are introducing Administrator protection (currently in Windows Insiders). Admin protection gives you the protection of standard user permissions by default, and when needed you can securely authorize a just-in-time system change using Windows Hello. Once the process has completed, the temporary admin token is destroyed. This means admin privileges do not persist. Admin protection will be disruptive to cyberattackers, as they no longer have elevated privileges by default, which will help organizations ensure they remain in control of Windows.
We are also collaborating with endpoint security partners to adopt safe deployment practices. This means all security product updates will be gradual, minimizing deployment risks and monitoring to help ensure any negative impact is kept to a minimum. Additionally, we are developing new Windows capabilities that allow security product developers to build their products outside of kernel mode, reducing the impact to Windows in the event of a security product crash.
Another key development is our secure by design user experience (UX) toolkit. Human error causes the majority of security breaches. The UX toolkit helps build more secure software and improve user security experiences. This toolkit represents a new way of thinking—where design and security aren’t siloed but are working together from the very beginning. Adopted internally and shared externally, the toolkit helps other software organizations in enhancing their security practices.
Other activities Microsoft has worked on to eliminate classes of vulnerabilities include:
Continued support to enable developers to use the memory safe language Rust on Windows.
Taking steps to mitigate Windows NT LAN (NTLM) Relay Attacks by default against Exchange Service, Active Directory Certificate Services and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).
Zero Trust Domain Name System (DNS) preview expanded to include Windows 11 enterprise customers. This feature helps lock down devices to only access-approved network destinations.
Surface embedded firmware products use of a common firmware architecture.
Launch of the Windows 365 Link, which is the first Cloud PC device for Windows 365. Windows 365 Link eliminates local data and apps and has no local admin users and provides employees a way to more securely stream their Windows 365 Cloud PC.
GitHub released CodeQL support for GitHub Actions workflow files. This new static analysis capability identifies common continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) flaws both in existing code bases and before they are introduced to help eliminate this class of vulnerabilities. Using this new feature, the GitHub Security Lab was able to help secure more than 75 GitHub Actions workflows in open source projects, disclosing more than 90 different vulnerabilities.
Boosting patch application rates
Timely and effective patch management is necessary for cybersecurity, as this is how we can reduce the window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit software flaws.
Microsoft has made measurable increases in the installation of security patches, which we achieved by enabling automatic installation of software patches when possible and enabling this functionality by default, as well as by offering widespread support for these patches.
Microsoft continues to roll out major security updates on the second Tuesday of each month, known as Patch Tuesday. This regular schedule ensures that all systems receive timely updates to address critical vulnerabilities, thereby reducing the risk of exploitation by cyberattackers.
Building on this foundation, Microsoft has made significant strides in improving the update process with Windows 11. By reducing the number of required system restarts from 12 to four per year through the use of Hotpatch updates, we have further streamlined operations and encouraged organizations to remain compliant with patching requirements.
Other examples of our efforts in to boost patch and security update rates include:
Windows Hotpatch: Announced at Microsoft Ignite 2024, this provides a 60% reduction in time to adopt security updates, assisted by applying updates seamlessly without system restarts.
Microsoft has emphasized the importance of clearly communicating the expected lifespan of products at the time of sale and investing in provisioning capabilities to ease customer transitions to supported versions when products reach the end of their lifecycle. This strategy ensures that customers are well-informed and can smoothly adapt to new technologies.
Adopting a Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (VDP) and Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
Coordinated vulnerability disclosure, a practice Microsoft adopted more than a decade ago, benefits both security researchers and software manufacturers by enabling collaboration to enhance product security. A VDP that authorizes public testing of products, commits to refraining from legal action against those who follow the VDP in good faith, provides a clear channel for reporting vulnerabilities, and permits public disclosure of vulnerabilities according to coordinated vulnerability disclosure best practices and international standards makes a real difference for cybersecurity. Additionally, manufacturers can demonstrate transparency by including accurate Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) fields in every CVE record for the manufacturer’s products.
Our adoption of the CWE and CPE standards in every CVE record for its products is an important achievement. This transparency facilitates accurate and detailed information about vulnerabilities, facilitating timely and effective remediation. By issuing CVEs promptly for all critical or high-impact vulnerabilities, Microsoft demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a secure environment and protecting its customers from potential cyberthreats.
Another notable highlight is the publication of a machine-readable CSAF files, which provide a clear channel for reporting vulnerabilities and authorizes public testing of Microsoft products. This fosters collaboration between security researchers and software manufacturers, enabling the identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities in a coordinated manner.
Other activities Microsoft has worked on to adopt VDP and CVE include:
Empowering customers to detect and document intrusions
Organizations should do more to detect cybersecurity incidents and understand their impact. To ensure they can do that, manufacturers should provide artifacts and evidence-gathering tools, like audit logs.
An example of Microsoft’s commitment in this area is our implementation of robust sensors and logs, enhancing detection of cyberthreats. This initiative provides customers with actionable insights into potential intrusions, enabling swift responses and risk mitigation.
Other activities Microsoft has worked on to empower customers to detect and document inclusions include:
Microsoft Purview has expanded its audit logging and retention periods, among other security enhancements, to increase security visibility and incident response capabilities for cloud-based services.
Microsoft Security Copilot offers prebuilt promptbooks to automate security-related tasks, such as incident investigations, user analysis, and threat intelligence assessments, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in cybersecurity operations.
Microsoft has provided detailed guidance on implementing the United States Department of Defense (DoD) Zero Trust Strategy, with activities categorized into target and advanced phases to achieve full Zero Trust adoption by 2032.
Microsoft’s Expanded Cloud Logs Implementation Playbook provides detailed guidance on operationalizing new logging capabilities in Microsoft Purview Audit (Standard).
Microsoft has published a whitepaper on lessons learned from red teaming more than 100 generative AI products at Microsoft. The whitepaper highlights the importance of understanding AI systems, breaking them without computing gradients, and the necessity of human involvement in AI red teaming, among other topics.
GitHub shipped enhanced capabilities to the GitHub audit log to provide customers with increased visibility of API events and features to enable enterprise management, automation, and integration.
Read the latest SFI updates
To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.
1Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024.
2Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2022.
3IDC North America Tools and Vendors Consolidation Survey, 2023.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced $30 million is now available for consumers to lease or purchase new electric vehicles (EVs) in New York through the State’s Drive Clean Rebate program, which provides point-of-sale rebates for more than 60 new EVs. In addition, incentives for EV chargers through the Charge Ready NY 2.0 program have been updated to expand consumer access to convenient, easy charging at multifamily buildings and workplaces, including hotels. Today’s announcement helps to make driving electric more affordable, increases the number of chargers available, and reduces pollution from the transportation sector in New York State.
“New York’s leadership in driving the adoption of electric vehicles is helping consumers stay within their budget when purchasing or leasing a new electric car,” Governor Hochul said. “Along with increased savings, we are building out the infrastructure needed to provide hard-working New Yorkers convenient access to charging, helping to reduce range anxiety and make it easier to drive electric. These investments are key to building a cleaner future, lowering emissions and creating good-paying jobs.”
The Drive Clean Rebate Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), offers a point-of-sale rebate up to $2,000 off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of an EV at participating car dealerships in New York State. The rebate is available in all 62 counties, with higher rebates available for longer range, all-electric vehicles.
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Converting to EVs reduces the total cost of vehicle ownership through lower fuel and vehicle maintenance costs and NYSERDA is proud to help provide New Yorkers with more purchasing power through these rebates. And by supporting organizations seeking to install charging stations at their place of business, the State is ensuring that more new and existing drivers have a variety of options to power up their vehicle at easy-to-access locations for longer periods of time.”
Also announced today to help make EV charging more accessible to New Yorkers, NYSERDA’s Charge Ready NY 2.0 program, which helps reduce equipment installation costs for Level 2 chargers, is increasing the incentive amount available to install EV chargers at multifamily buildings and workplaces, including hotels, from $2,000 to $3,000 per port. For locations in disadvantaged communities as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group, the amount has also increased to $4,000 per port.
Additionally, $3 million is being dedicated to locations that hold educational “ride and drive” community events, purchase or lease EVs, or offer free charging. The program also accepts new equipment and network eligibility applications from EV charger vendors.
New York Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Promoting electric car ownership and use is a win for consumers and a win for the environment. Congratulations to Governor Hochul for supporting the installation of charging stations and helping to ensure drivers have increased options to charge their vehicles.”
The Drive Clean Rebate program has issued over 190,000 rebates to consumers since 2017, contributing to the more than 280,000 EVs on the road statewide. In the last year alone, Charge Ready NY 2.0 has supported the installation of more than 1,000 Level 2 chargers. There are more than 17,000 public chargers installed statewide – more public chargers than any other state except for California – and more than 4,000 semi-public charging stations at workplaces and multifamily buildings across the state.
New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “New York State has made significant progress in developing the infrastructure to enable the electric vehicle transition, promoting cleaner transportation and reducing emissions statewide. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, this effort is being done with a focus on affordability and reliability. The Power Authority supports this work by aiding in fleet vehicle transitions and expanding the EVolve NY fast charging network, which currently offers 240 charging stations with more to come later this year.”
Additionally, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has undertaken significant efforts to build out high-speed chargers along New York State’s major travel corridors through its EVolve NY network, which include:
EVolve NY Fast Charging Network. The New York Power Authority’s EVolve NY fast charging network offers 240 chargers at 56 locations along major corridors and routes (I-87, I81, I-384, I-90, I-88, and I-86) and in all 10 economic development regions of the state. NYPA has surpassed the halfway mark of its goal to install 400 EVolve NY fast chargers by 2026. Battery-powered EVs equipped with fast charging capability can power up in as little as 20 minutes at EVolve NY fast chargers. See map here for locations throughout New York State.
Fast Chargers Coming to LaGuardia. Construction is beginning this month on NYPA’s largest EVolve NY site – LaGuardia Airport. The station, which will have 12 high-speed chargers, will be in a parking lot between terminals A and B, just off the Grand Central Parkway, and is expected to be completed by August. The site is for use by the public as well as rideshare vehicles. The airport currently has 13 public Level 2 chargers at Terminal B and C.
Federal Funding Allows Further Expansion. New York has completed eleven four-charger EVolve NY sites with National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funding with two more to be completed this month. Nine more will be constructed over the next year. NEVI support to states is meant to close gaps between existing stations and the EVolve NY team has been steadily closing those range anxiety gaps.
New York City Adds Fast Charging Sites. NYPA is working with the state and city Department of Transportation to install hundreds of fast charging and Level 2 ports in New York City. Five new EVolve NY sites at municipal parking lots are expected to go into construction in 2025 and six more in 2026. The hubs will offer a total of 70 fast chargers and electrical connections for 280 future Level 2 chargers. NYPA is also supporting the construction of five fast charging hubs for the PlugNYC program, with two of these projects currently in construction in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Today’s announcement comes as the 2025 New York International Auto Show kicks off in New York City, which runs from April 18 through April 27 at the Javits Center. Visitors can stop by the NYSERDA and NYPA booth, located on level 1, to learn about incentives for purchasing EVs and programs that support charger growth throughout New York.
In addition, the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), in collaboration with its GreenNY Council partners, is leading the way on converting the state fleet and building out the electric charging infrastructure that will support this transformation. Today, there are nearly 600 charging ports on state owned property, with another 600 in the pipeline.
New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “The OGS team is proud to be leading the implementation of Governor Hochul’s mandate to convert the state’s fleet to 100 percent zero-emission vehicles. The investment announced by the Governor today will increase New Yorkers’ access to EVs and EV chargers and contribute to creating a greener, cleaner, and healthier future for our state.”
New York State is investing nearly $3 billion in electrifying its transportation sector and rapidly advancing measures to ensure that all new passenger cars and trucks sold are zero-emission vehicles, along with all school buses being zero emissions. There are a range of initiatives to grow access to EVs and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program, and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.
The Drive Clean Rebate and Charge Ready NY 2.0 programs are funded through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the State’s Clean Energy Fund.
New York State’s Climate Agenda New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
April 18, 2025
State Dept memo reportedly reveals contradictions in Trump Administration’s rationale for revocation of Öztürk’s visa, detention
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – After a recent report indicated that an internal State Department memo concluded that the key premise underlying Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk’s arrest and detention was false, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately release the memo and any other relevant documentation.
“Ms. Öztürk’s case demands transparency. The circumstances of her arrest and detention raise serious concerns about civil liberties, academic freedom, and free speech, as well as the Trump administration’s truthfulness. Congress, universities, legal experts, and other members of the public have a strong and compelling interest in the matter,” wrote the lawmakers.
On March 25th, plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended Rümeysa Öztürk outside her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. Ms. Öztürk, a Tufts University graduate student, was informed that her student visa had been revoked. She was taken into custody and transferred to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, where she has now been held for three weeks.
Publicly, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has claimed that Ms. Öztürk “engaged in activities in support of Hamas” and recommended revoking her visa under a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that permits the deportation of noncitizens who pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” The State Department has suggested that Öztürk’s visa was revoked on foreign-policy grounds because of alleged participation in activities linked to terrorism.
Reporting from the Washington Post revealed that, days before Öztürk’s arrest, an internal State Department memorandum concluded that the Trump administration lacked “any evidence showing that she engaged in antisemitic activities or made public statements supporting a terrorist organization.” The memo appears to contradict the federal government’s publicly stated rationale for revoking Ms. Öztürk’s visa — and has not been made available to members of Congress or the American public.
The lawmakers requested a copy of the memo, along with any other documentation regarding the basis for Öztürk’s visa revocation and arrest, no later than April 30, 2025.
Sens. Warren and Markey, along with Rep. Pressley, have pushed for answers and action since Öztürk’s March arrest. Last month, they led over 30 lawmakers in writing to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, demanding information about Öztürk’s arrest and detention as well as similar incidents across the country. The lawmakers also sounded the alarm on Öztürk’s medical neglect in DHS custody and renewed urgent calls for her release.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
State Dept memo reportedly reveals contradictions in Trump Administration’s rationale for revocation of Öztürk’s visa, detention
Text of Letter (PDF)
WASHINGTON – After a recent report indicated that an internal State Department memo concluded that the key premise underlying Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk’s arrest and detention was false, Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately release the memo and any other relevant documentation. Last month, Pressley, Markey, and Warren led over 30 lawmakers in writing to Trump Administration officials demanding information about Rümeysa’s arrest and detention, and similar incidents across the country.
“Ms. Öztürk’s case demands transparency. The circumstances of her arrest and detention raise serious concerns about civil liberties, academic freedom, and free speech, as well as the Trump administration’s truthfulness. Congress, universities, legal experts, and other members of the public have a strong and compelling interest in the matter,” wrote the lawmakers.
On March 25th, plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended Rümeysa Öztürk outside her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. Ms. Öztürk, a Tufts University graduate student, was informed that her student visa had been revoked. She was taken into custody and transferred to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, where she has now been held for three weeks.
Publicly, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has claimed that Ms. Öztürk “engaged in activities in support of Hamas” and recommended revoking her visa under a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that permits the deportation of noncitizens who pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” The State Department has suggested that Öztürk’s visa was revoked on foreign-policy grounds because of alleged participation in activities linked to terrorism.
Reporting from the Washington Post revealed that, days before Öztürk’s arrest, an internal State Department memorandum concluded that the Trump administration lacked “any evidence showing that she engaged in antisemitic activities or made public statements supporting a terrorist organization.” The memo appears to contradict the federal government’s publicly
stated rationale for revoking Ms. Öztürk’s visa — and has not been made available to members of Congress or the American public.
The lawmakers requested a copy of the memo, along with any other documentation regarding the basis for Öztürk’s visa revocation and arrest, no later than April 30, 2025.
Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Warren and Markey, have pushed for answers and action since Öztürk’s March arrest. Last month, they led over 30 lawmakers in writing to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, demanding information about Öztürk’s arrest and detention as well as similar incidents across the country. The lawmakers also sounded the alarm on Öztürk’s medical neglect in DHS custody and renewed urgent calls for her release.
Last month, Congresswoman Pressley issued a statement condemning reports that ICE arrested and detained Rümeysa Öztürk. Earlier that week, Rep. Pressley issued a statement following reports of ICE activity in Boston and other municipalities in Massachusetts.
WASHINGTON – Florida State University experienced an active shooter event, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to five others.
NEA President Becky Pringle issued the following statement.
“We stand with the Florida State University community. To every person feeling the weight of this moment: you are not alone. A campus, any campus across America, should be a place of safety, learning, and belonging—not violence and fear.
“Florida students deserve better. Our communities across the country deserve better. This is the third shooting in three days affecting our students—first Dallas and San Antonio, now Tallahassee. Shame on politicians for protecting the gun lobby instead of students, and for failing to address the epidemic of gun violence sweeping across this country. We are past time for our elected leaders to take real action to end this senseless gun violence.”
NEA Resources:Gun Violence Prevention and Response.
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
PHOTOS
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) convened a roundtable conversation with local educators to discuss his efforts to support students and teachers amidst Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on public education and our children’s futures.
“Public education is the foundation for functional democracy,” said Heinrich during the roundtable. “The message of disrespect that Trump and Musk are sending by creating all of this chaos with the Department of Education hurts our teachers and it jeopardizes our kids’ futures. I am deeply grateful for the work that New Mexico educators do, and will continue to push back against efforts to dismantle our education system with every tool available.”
As a father and as New Mexico’s senior senator, Heinrich has been leading the fight against the Trump Administration’s attacks on public education. Heinrich led the charge in Congress to demand Trump reverse his attacks on Tribal education and immediately halt, exempt, and reverse any federal workforce or federal funding reductions at Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Heinrich has also demanded the reinstatement of $600 million in federal funding intended to strengthen our educator workforce and improve student learning; underscored the disastrous harm that shuttering the Department of Education will have on millions of students with disabilities and their families; and introduced legislation to protect federal education funding for New Mexico’s students, parents, and educators.
For a detailed timeline and background of Heinrich’s efforts to fight against Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on public education and our children’s future, click here.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
PHOTOS
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) convened a roundtable conversation with local educators to discuss his efforts to support students and teachers amidst Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on public education and our children’s futures.
“Public education is the foundation for functional democracy,” said Heinrich during the roundtable. “The message of disrespect that Trump and Musk are sending by creating all of this chaos with the Department of Education hurts our teachers and it jeopardizes our kids’ futures. I am deeply grateful for the work that New Mexico educators do, and will continue to push back against efforts to dismantle our education system with every tool available.”
As a father and as New Mexico’s senior senator, Heinrich has been leading the fight against the Trump Administration’s attacks on public education. Heinrich led the charge in Congress to demand Trump reverse his attacks on Tribal education and immediately halt, exempt, and reverse any federal workforce or federal funding reductions at Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Heinrich has also demanded the reinstatement of $600 million in federal funding intended to strengthen our educator workforce and improve student learning; underscored the disastrous harm that shuttering the Department of Education will have on millions of students with disabilities and their families; and introduced legislation to protect federal education funding for New Mexico’s students, parents, and educators.
For a detailed timeline and background of Heinrich’s efforts to fight against Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on public education and our children’s future, click here.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The traditional Donor Day was held at the State University of Management.
Dozens of children came to donate blood to give a chance for recovery to those who especially need it.
The traditional voluntary action of the State University of Management to collect donor blood has been held at our university since 2013.
Before the break due to safety measures during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the event was held twice a year and consistently attracted between 50 and 200 people at different times.
Since the pandemic, the campaign has been held once a year, excluding extraordinary collections related to emergency situations.
GUU thanks everyone who responded on this day. Together we helped people who vitally needed it!
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
In summer, keep your dog healthy and happy by walking in the early morning or evening.
In brief:
There are a lot of things to think about during the summer holiday period.
It’s important to do what you can to keep yourself, your family and your things safe.
This article overviews some actions you can take.
From festive parties to trips away, there are so many things to do and enjoy at this time of year.
Taking a moment to read the following tips will help ensure you can celebrate free of unexpected problems.
Travel safely
If you’re hitting the road this summer, remember to take plenty of breaks and drive to the conditions.
It’s also a good idea to pack supplies just in case the car you’re travelling in breaks down.
Never leave a child or pet in the car, even with the windows down or for short periods. Car interiors can heat to over 60 degrees in just five minutes.
Protect your home while you’re away
House break-ins often increase over holiday periods, because offenders know an empty house can be an easy target.
Try to leave your house looking lived-in with the help of a neighbour or house-sitter.
Keeping windows and doors locked, your mail collected, and your lawn mown while you are away can help.
Staying in the ACT? It’s worth noting changes to bus and light rail timetables during the summer school holidays – from Monday 23 December 2024 to Sunday 2 February 2025.
School services and ‘s’ trip diversions will not be in place during the six-week holiday period.
Bus and light rail services will be free on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve (from 5pm). There will be a special bus timetable in place. You don’t even need a MyWay+ card – but if you have one, please tap on and off.
If you choose to leave the car at home on New Year’s Eve, you can take advantage of an extended Tuesday timetable with additional bus and light rail services.
And remember, public transport is free on Fridays.
Make your trip even easier by using the MyWay+ app or TC Journey Planner.
As the temperature rises, pets rely on their owners to keep them happy, healthy and safe.
There are some easy ways to do this.
Avoid walks in heat of the day. Early morning and evening walks are best, and this will also protect their paws from burning.
Make sure they have access to fresh drinking water and shade around your house and backyard all day.
Help your pets stay cool with an icy pet treat. There are lots of online recipes to make your own pet-safe summer treats.
Visit one of the dog swimming spots or fill a kids’ splash pool with water to help your pooch cool down.
Arrange for someone to care for your pets if you go on holidays.
Make sure your pet is microchipped and registered so if they escape – such as during a storm – they can easily be returned.
And remember, never leave your dog in an unattended parked car. Even if you leave the windows down, your dog is still at risk of suffering heat exhaustion within minutes.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On April 18, 2025, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation announced the winners of the first competition of student design bureaus, including the State University of Management.
“Today, there are 676 student design bureaus in Russia, which employ more than 100 thousand students, postgraduates and young scientists. They have the opportunity to design their own solutions, register patents for inventions in priority areas of scientific and technological development, and also decide on employment,” said Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko.
The competition was held in two areas: “Student Design Leadership” and “Creation and Development of a Student Design Bureau”. The winners will receive grants of 20 and 5 million rubles, respectively.
178 applications from 101 cities in 81 regions of Russia were submitted to the selection round. 115 of them passed the expert assessment. 30 made it to the finals for in-person defense. 15 successfully defended and won grants.
“The Interuniversity Student Design Bureau of the State University of Management has been accepting and successfully fulfilling orders for several years now. One of our main customers is the leading engineering center of Russia in the field of transport engineering “TMH Engineering”. At the same time, GUU is the head university of the design bureau and not only carries out complex technological work, but also manages the system of commands from other universities,” said GUU Rector Vladimir Stroyev.
The State University of Management won in the category “Creation and development of a student design bureau” and will receive a grant of 5 million rubles for the creation of new and development of existing sites, including the purchase of modern equipment.
The areas of activity of the selected design bureaus cover key strategic areas for the country – unmanned systems, robotics, microelectronics, prototyping, cybersecurity, reverse engineering, electronics and electrical engineering, VR technologies, computer modeling and design, mechanical engineering and instrument making, bioengineering systems, engine building, nuclear and energy technologies, materials science, space technology, ground transport systems.
We congratulate our scientists on their victory and wish them further development of the inter-university design bureau and interesting orders!
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUANGZHOU, April 18 — In spite of intensified trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions, China’s products and market are still appealing to foreign business people.
A record-breaking 65 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders are participating in the ongoing fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in the tropical island province of Hainan in south China.
Meanwhile, the Canton Fair, which kicked off on Tuesday in Guangzhou, south China, drew 64,530 overseas buyers on its opening day, an 8.9 percent year-on-year increase and a record high for the first day. This event in Guangdong Province features major international retailers, including Walmart and Target from the United States, Carrefour from France, Tesco and Kingfisher from the UK, and Germany’s Metro.
According to Niu Huayong, a professor at the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University, the success of this year’s CICPE and Canton Fair highlights that trade and cooperation remain key drivers of global development. All countries benefit from globalization, he said.
Amid current global trade turbulence, international buyers attending the Canton Fair still consider Chinese products highly attractive and even irreplaceable.
Dinova, a retail company headquartered in France which finds most of its suppliers at the Canton Fair, has made China the core of its global sourcing strategy, according to its general manager Sonia Ben Behe.
“We have explored alternative countries, but no other region matches China’s maturity for our product category. That’s why, as part of a global sourcing strategy, China remains at the core,” she said.
According to Chris Arthan, an exhibitor from the United States, despite the impact of tariffs, China’s role in the global supply chain remains crucial and widely respected.
In addition to the strong appeal of Chinese products to global buyers, international brands also have confidence in China’s consumer market. For this year’s CICPE, top producers from around the world eagerly flocked to Hainan.
The UK, as the guest country of honor at the 2025 event, is occupying an exhibition area of more than 1,300 square meters, displaying 53 brands across the fashion, beauty, homeware, health and jewelry industries, and doubling its 2024 presence.
“I have seen the tremendous innovation and growth taking place within China’s economy in recent years, not least in digital technologies, life sciences and green energy,” said Douglas Alexander, minister of state of the British Department for Business and Trade, while also emphasizing the UK’s commitment to deepening economic ties with China.
Notably, the expo has managed to draw an array of top-tier global luxury brands. Richemont’s TimeVallée debuted as an independent exhibitor, while LVMH and Kering Group brands made appearances — reflecting confidence in China’s premium consumption growth.
“Luxury consumers in China are significantly younger than those in many overseas markets, and that presents a major opportunity for us,” said Nancy Liu, president of luxury travel retailer DFS China. The company has introduced tailored services to cater to the expectations of emerging consumer groups.
Global trade uncertainties and growing supply chain disruptions have not prevented foreign investors from remaining optimistic about the Chinese market. China’s market size, rising consumer demand and supportive policies continue to offer unique and strong appeal, helping to retain investor confidence.
According to Yao Zhenguo, global senior vice president of Siemens Energy, the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port is unlocking new opportunities for openness. He noted that Siemens will continue to strengthen collaboration across the full industrial chain, drive innovation, and support Hainan Free Trade Port’s international, green and law-based growth.
Yao said Siemens has deeply felt the momentum of China’s reform and opening up, a view echoed by many exhibitors. They believe that amid a challenging global economic climate and rising trade protectionism, China’s firm commitment to high-standard opening up delivers much-needed stability and certainty, injecting confidence into the world economy.
China’s total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 1.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating stable growth and strong resilience despite external headwinds, customs data showed.
U.S. tariff increases on Chinese products will exert some pressure on China’s trade and economy in the short term, but won’t alter the Chinese economy’s long-term positive trajectory, said Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics.
Zhang Yansheng, an economist with the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, told Xinhua that based on the trade events in Guangzhou and Hainan, the resilience of China’s foreign trade against the backdrop of growing protectionism in the world is evident. “We can see that foreign business people continue to seek opportunities in China.”
“China is a country with a large population, a big economy and a huge scale of opening up,” he continued. “At a time when the sentiment of anti-globalization grows, China will stick to the path of opening up at a high level, and promote economic globalization, as well as trade and investment liberalization.”
Suffice it to say, many artists and arts organizations across the U.S. are worried: Will government arts funding dry up? Do these cuts signal a new war on arts and culture? How do artists make it through this period of change?
As scholarswho study the arts, activism and policy, we’re watching the latest developments with apprehension. But we think it’s important to point out that while the U.S. government has never been a global leader of arts funding, American artists have always been innovative, creative and scrappy during times of political turmoil.
A rocky relationship with the arts
For much of the country’s early history, government funding for the arts was rarely guaranteed or stable.
After the Civil War, the Second Industrial Revolution facilitated massive concentrations of wealth, in what became known as the the Gilded Age. Private arts funding soared during this period, with some titans of industry, such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, seeing it as their duty to build museums, theaters and libraries for the public. The heavy reliance on private funding for the arts troubled some Americans, who feared these institutions would become too exposed to the whims of the wealthy.
Efforts to fund the arts expanded with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, as the country was reeling from the Great Depression. From 1935 to 1943, the Works Progress Administration provided jobs with stable wages for artists through the Federal Art Project. However, Congress famously terminated the program in response to a 1937 production of “The Revolt of the Beavers,” which conservative politicians denounced for containing overt Marxist themes.
Nonetheless, over the ensuing decades, the federal government generally signaled its support for the arts.
Congress established the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1965 to fund arts organizations and artists. And since 1972, the General Services Administration has commissioned public art for federal buildings and organized a registry of prospective artists.
The NEA gave US$8.4 million in direct funding to artists in 1989 via fellowships and grants. This might be considered the high-water mark for unrestricted government funding for individual artists.
Andres Serrano’s ‘Piss Christ’ spurred calls to restrict public funding of the arts. Fairfax Media/Getty Images
By the 1980s, sexuality, drugs and American morality had become hot-button political issues. The arts, from music to theater, were at the center of this culture war. Pressure escalated in 1989 when conservative leaders contested two NEA-funded exhibitions featuring work by Andres Serrano and Robert Mapplethorpe, which they deemed homoerotic and anti-Christian. In 1990, Congress instated a “decency clause” guiding all future NEA work. When Republicans regained control of Congress in 1994, they slashed direct funding for the arts.
With direct funding to artists largely eliminated, today’s artists can indirectly receive federal government support through federal arts agency grants, which are given to arts organizations that then dole out a portion to artists. Local and state government agencies also provide small amounts of direct support for artists.
The stage of democracy
Artists and arts organizations have a long legacy of persistence and strategic organizing during periods of political and economic upheaval.
In the pre-Revolutionary colonies, representatives of the British government banned theatrical performances to discourage revolutionary action. In response, activist playwrights organized underground parlor dramas and informal dramatic readings to keep arts-based activism alive.
These dramas, often organized by women, would take place in living rooms, outside of public view. The clandestine staged readings – the most famous of which was written by one of the earliest Black American playwrights, William Wells Brown – seeded enthusiasm and solidarity for the antislavery cause. These privately staged readings took place alongside public performances and lectures.
Supporting adult learners of all ages – but specifically young adults – they initially focused on arts-based techniques for training workers in labor activism. For example, students wrote short plays based on their experiences of factory work. In their rehearsals and performances, they imagined endings in which workers triumphed over cruel bosses.
Many programs were residential, rural and embraced early versions of mutual aid, where artists and activists support one another directly through pooling money and resources. Tuition was minimal and generally provided directly from labor organizations and allies, including the American Fund for Public Service. Most teachers were volunteers, and the learning communities often farmed to cover basic necessities.
Black artists have long created spaces for community connection and career development. The Great Migration brought many Black American artists and thinkers to New York City, famously spurring the Harlem Renaissance, which lasted from the end of World War I through the 1920s. During this period, the neighborhood became a fountain of culture, with Black artists producing countless plays, books, music and other visionary works.
This legacy continued at Just Above Midtown, or JAM, a gallery and arts laboratory led by Linda Goode Bryant from 1974 through 1986 on West 57th Street in Manhattan.
What’s more, new philanthropic models are reshaping arts funding by elevating the perspectives of artists, rather than those of wealthy funders. CAST in San Francisco helps arts organizations find affordable gallery and performance spaces. The Community and Cultural Power Fund uses a trust-based philanthropy model that allows artists and community members to decide who receives future grants. The Ruth Foundation for the Arts makes artists the decision-makers in giving grants to arts organizations.
While the current challenges are unprecedented – and funding threats will likely reshape arts organizations and further limit direct support for artists – we’re confident that the arts will persist with or without government support.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Nearly every country in the world has a central bank – a public institution that manages a country’s currency and its monetary policy. And these banks have an extraordinary amount of power. By controlling the flow of money and credit in a country, they can affect economic growth, inflation, employment and financial stability.
These are powers that many politicians – including, currently, U.S. President Donald Trump – would seemingly like to control or at least manipulate. That’s because monetary policy can provide governments with economic boosts at key times, such as around elections or during periods of falling popularity.
The problem is that short-lived, politically motivated moves may be detrimental to the long-term economic well-being of a nation. They may, in other words, saddle the economy with problems further down the line.
In fact, monetary policymaking that is data-driven and technocratic, rather than politically motivated, has since the early 1990s been seen as the gold standardof governance of national finances. By and large, this arrangement, in which central bankers keep politicians at arm’s length, has achieved its main purpose: Inflation has beenrelatively low and stable in countries with independent central banks, such as Switzerland or Sweden – certainly until the pandemic and war in Europe began pushing up prices globally.
In comparison, countries such as Lebanon and Egypt, where independence was never extended, or Argentina and Turkey, where it has been curtailed, have experienced more bouts of high inflation.
As political economists, we are not surprised to see politicians try to exert influence on central banks. Monetary policy, even with independence, has always been political. For one thing, central banks remain part of the government bureaucracy, and independence granted to them can always be reversed – either by changing laws or backtracking on established practices.
If monetary policy is such a coveted policy tool, how have central banks held off politicians and stayed independent? And is this independence being eroded?
Broadly, central banks are protected by laws that offer long tenures to their leadership, allow them to focus policy primarily on inflation, and severely limit lending to the rest of the government.
Of course, such legislation cannot anticipate all future contingencies, which may open the door for political interference or for practices that break the law. And sometimes central bankers are unceremoniously fired.
However, laws do keep politicians in line. For example, even in authoritarian countries, laws protecting central banks from political interference have helped reduce inflation and restricted central bank lending to the government.
Around the world, appointments to central bank leadership are political – elected politicians select candidates based on career credentials, political affiliation and, importantly, their dislike or tolerance of inflation.
But lawmakers in different countries exercise different degrees of political control.
A 2025 study shows that the large majority of central bank leaders – about 70% – are appointed by the head of government alone or with the intervention of other members of the executive branch. This ensures that the preferences of the central bank are closer to the government’s, which can boost the central bank’s legitimacy in democratic countries, but at the risk of permeability to political influence.
Alternatively, appointments can involve the legislative power or even the central bank’s own board. In the U.S., while the president nominates members of the Federal Reserve Board, the Senate can and has rejected unconventional or incompetent candidates.
Moreover, even if appointments are political, many central bankers stay in office long after the people who appointed them have been voted out. By the end of 2023, the most common length of the governors’ appointment is five years, and in 41 countries the legal mandate was six years or longer. Powell is set to stay on as Fed chair until his term expires in 2026. The Fed chair position has traditionally been protected by law, as Powell himself acknowledged in November 2024: “We’re not removable except for cause. We serve very long terms, seemingly endless terms. So we’re protected into law. Congress could change that law, but I don’t think there’s any danger of that.” But Trump’s firing of leaders of other independent federal agencies has set up a legal challenge that could affect the Fed, too.
In the 2000s, several countries shortened the tenure of their central banks’ governors to four or five years. Sometimes, this was part of broader restrictions in central bank independence, as was the case in Iceland in 2001, Ghana in 2002 and Romania in 2004.
The low inflation objective
As of 2023, all but six central banks globally had low inflation as their main goal. Yet many central banks are required by law to try to achieve additional and sometimes conflicting goals, such as financial stability, full employment or support for the government’s policies.
This is the case for 38 central banks that either have the explicit dual mandate of price stability and employment or more complex goals. In Argentina, for example, the central bank’s mandate is to provide “employment and economic development with social equity.”
Conflicting objectives can open central banks to politicization. In the U.S. the Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximum sustainable employment. These goals are often complementary, and economists have argued that low inflation is a prerequisite for sustainable high levels of employment.
Since 2000, at least 23 countries have expanded the focus of their central banks beyond just inflation.
Limits on government lending
The first central banks were created to help secure finance for governments fightingwars. But today, limiting lending to governments is at the core of protecting price stability from unsustainable fiscal spending.
History is dotted with the consequences of not doing so. In the 1960s and 1970s, for example, central banks in Latin America printed money to support their governments’ spending goals. But it resulted in massive inflation while not securing growth or political stability.
Yet over the past two decades, almost 40 countries have made their central banks less able to limit central government funding. In the more extreme examples – such as in Belarus, Ecuador or even New Zealand – they have turned the central bank into a potential financier for the government.
And since mid-2021, major central banks have struggled to keep inflation low, raising questions from populist and antidemocratic politicians about the merits of an arm’s-length relationship.
But chipping away at central bank independence, as Trump appears to be doing with his open criticism of the Fed chair and implicit threats of dismissal, is a historically sure way to high inflation.
This is an updated version of an article that was originally published by The Conversation on June 14, 2024.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christina Erickson, Associate Dean in the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, University of North Dakota
_Nearly a half-century after the Supreme Court ruled that school spankings are permissible and not “cruel and unusual punishment”, many U.S. states allow physical punishment for students who have misbehaved.
Christina Erickson, an associate dean and professor of social work at the University of North Dakota, wrote a book on the subject: “Spanked: How Hitting Our Children is Harming Ourselves.” She discussed the scope of the practice and its effects with The Conversation.
What spanking legislation exists worldwide?
Around the world, 68 countries have banned the hitting of children in any form, including spanking. This movement began in 1979 with Sweden’s ban on all forms of physical punishment, including spanking in any setting, and including in the family home.
Each state in the U.S. has its own child abuse laws, and all states, tribes and territories aim to protect children from abuse. But all state laws also allow parents to hit their children if it does not leave an injury or a mark.
A typical example is Oklahoma’s definition of child abuse and neglect. It includes an exception that permits parents to use ordinary force as a means of discipline, including spanking, using an implement like a switch or a paddle. However, leaving evidence of hitting, such as welts, bruises, swelling or lacerations, is illegal and considered child abuse in all states.
Parental spanking of children is considered unique from other physical violence because of the relational context and the purpose. Laws entitle parents to hit their children for the purpose of teaching a lesson or punishing them to improve behavior. Children are the only individuals in society who can be hit by another person and the law does not regard it as assault.
Spanking’s impact on a child is unfortunately similar to abusive hitting. Spanking has been labeled as an “Adverse Childhood Experience,” or ACE. These are events that cause poor health outcomes over the span of one’s life.
Some school districts require permission from parents to allow disciplinary paddling in school, while others do not require any communication. State law does not assure agreement between parents and school districts on what offenses warrant a paddling. Parents may feel they have no alternative but to keep their child in school, or fear reprisal from school administrators. Some students are old enough to denounce the punishment themselves.
In this school district, physical punishment is used only when parents give written permission.
Is spanking considered the same as hitting?
The term spank conceals the concept of hitting and is so commonplace it goes unquestioned, despite the fact that it is a grown adult hitting a person much smaller than them. The concept is further concealed because hitting a child’s bottom hides any injuries that may occur.
Types of hitting that are categorized as spanking have narrowed over the years but still persist. Some parents still use implements such as tree switches, wooden spoons, shoes or paddles to “spank” children, raising the chances for abuse.
Most spanking ends by the age of 12, partly because children this age are able to fight back. When a child turns 18, parental hitting becomes the same as hitting any other adult, a form of domestic violence or assault throughout the U.S.
There is a lack of a consistent understanding of what constitutes a spanking. The definition of spanking is unique to each family. The number of hits, clothed or not, or using an implement, all reflect geographical or familial differences in understanding what a spanking is.
How do US adults view spanking?
People in the United States generally accept spanking as part of raising children: 56% of U.S. adults strongly agree or agree that “… it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking.” This view has been slowly changing since 1986, when 83% of adults agreed with that statement.
The laws worldwide that protect children from being hit usually begin by disallowing nonparental adults to hit children. This is happening in the U.S. too, where 31 states have banned paddling in schools.
With the slow but steady drop of parents who believe that sometimes children need a good hard spanking, as well as the ban of paddling in schools in 31 states, one could argue that the U.S. is moving toward a reduction in spanking.
What does research say about spanking?
Spanking’s negative influence on children’s behavior has been documented for decades. Spanking seems to work in the moment when it comes to changing or stopping the immediate behavior, but the negative effects are hidden in the short term and occur later in the child’s life. Yet because the spanking seemed to work at the time, the parent doesn’t connect the continued bad behavior of the child to the spanking.
No studies have shown positive long-term benefits from spanking. Because of the long-standing and expansive research findings showing a range of harm from spanking and the increased association with child abuse, the American Psychological Association recommends that parents should never spank their children.
What are some resources for parents?
Consider these questions when choosing a discipline method for your child:
Is the expectation of your child developmentally accurate? One of the most common reasons parents spank is because they are expecting a behavior the child is not developmentally able to execute.
Can the discipline you choose grow with your child? Nearly all spanking ends by age 12, when kids are big enough to fight back. Choose discipline methods you can use over the long term, such as additional chores, apologies, difficult conversations and others that can grow with your child.
Might there be another explanation for your child’s behavior? Difficulty of understanding, fear or miscommunication? Think of your child as a learner and use a growth mindset to help your child learn from their life experiences.
Parents are the leaders of their families. Good leaders show strength in nonthreatening ways, listen to others and explain their decisions. Don’t spoil your kids. But being firm does not have to include hitting.
Practicing calm when with your children will help you be calmer at work and in your other relationships. Listening to and speaking with a child about challenges, even from a very early age, is the best way to make it part of your relationship for the rest of your life.
Choose a method that allows you to grow. Parents matter too.
Christina Erickson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Weeks into his second term, Trump took action, signing an executive order on “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias.” The order vowed to “protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government” by identifying anti-Christian conduct and recommending policy changes. In mid-April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed employees in the State Department to report any incidents of such bias that occurred during the Biden administration.
Many critics contestclaims of widespread discrimination against Christians in U.S. society, given that Christians are the country’s largest faith group and benefit from associated privileges. Consider how Christmas is recognized as a federal holiday, whereas other faiths’ major holidays are not.
Many scholars have argued that, at the root, some white and Christian Americans feel threatened by these demographic shifts. Increasing secularization and other cultural changes have added to some white Christians’ sense that their identity is under attack. According to FBI data, however, only 3% of hate crimes over the past five years targeted Christians. In comparison, 14% targeted Jews, Muslims or Sikhs – groups that make up just 3% of the population.
The Public Religion Research Institute found that 55% of white Americans believe discrimination against white people is as much of a problem as discrimination against minority groups. Meanwhile, 60% of white evangelicals say that Christians in the U.S. face discrimination.
In his executive order, Trump echoes these perceptions of threat, painting a picture of embattlement for Christians.
Historically, white peopleand Christians were often treated as the quintessential Americans – meaning race and religion are tightly connected in U.S. culture.
In our four experiments, published in Psychological Science in March 2024, we tested these connections between views of race and religion, focusing on claims about anti-Christian bias.
First, in two online experiments of about 3,000 participants, we randomly assigned white and Black Christians to one of four groups. One group did not read anything, while the other three were each given a brief blurb about discrimination. Each blurb summarized a different group’s fears that bias against them was increasing: white Americans, Black Americans and Christian Americans.
Afterward, we asked all the participants to assess how much bias they think those groups actually face. Compared to white Christians who did not read anything, white Christians who read the blurb about anti-Christian bias perceived greater anti-white bias. Black Christians who read the blurb about anti-Christian bias, however, did not perceive greater anti-white bias than Black Christians who did not read anything.
Thus, it appears that the white Christians mentally linked anti-Christian and anti-white bias.
In our other two experiments, we randomly assigned about 1,000 white and Black Christians to read an interview excerpt from a fictional local politician who was asked about the most pressing issue in their community. The politician either voiced concern about anti-Christian bias, anti-white bias, religious freedom or the economy.
Afterward, we asked participants several questions about the politician, including whether they thought this figure was liberal or conservative, and whether they thought this figure would be “concerned about bias against white people.” Black and white Christian respondents believed the politician who voiced concern about anti-Christian bias was also more likely to fight for the rights of white people, relative to the politician who discussed the economy.
We also asked participants whether they found the politician’s interview offensive. Both Black and white Christians viewed the message about anti-Christian bias as less offensive than the message about anti-white bias.
Importantly, these effects held regardless of whether participants believed the politician was conservative or liberal.
Taken together, these findings suggest that expressing concern for anti-Christian bias can be interpreted as signaling allegiance to white people – without the social cost of being accused of racism. Instead, allegations of anti-Christian bias can be presented in a positive way as issues of “religious freedom,” a core American value.
Whether intentionally or not, it seems that rallying around anti-Christian bias can serve as a “dog whistle” signaling support for people concerned about changes in America’s racial makeup, as well.
Michael Pasek receives funding from the Russell Sage Foundation.
Clara L. Wilkins and Rosemary (Marah) Al-Kire do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Following George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis in 2020, the U.S. has undergone a national reckoning over crime prevention and police reform.
Blaming crime on Democratic city leaders was a centerpiece of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He repeatedly made claims about crime spikes in recent years without evidence or context.
More recently, Republican congressional leaders have called several Democratic mayors from across the country to testify before Congress about their sanctuary city policies that are aimed at protecting noncitizens from deportation. These congressional politicians have asserted that these Democratic mayors – Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver, Michelle Wu of Boston, and Eric Adams of New York – have “created a public safety nightmare” in their cities by allowing immigrants without legal authorization to stay there.
Journalists and politicians on both sides of the aisle have claimed that local election results over the past four years in places like San Francisco and Los Angeles reflect a widespread frustration with Democratic policies on crime in cities.
Under this argument, Democratic city leaders need to change their approach on crime to satisfy voters. It’s become a political axiom of sorts that policies championed largely by Democratic city leaders over the past half decade have resulted in rising crime levels.
As researchers of politics and public policy, we wanted to figure out if that was true.
A New York Times headline from June 8, 2022, linking crime rates and the Democratic Party. The New York Times
Neither party does a better job
As any student of introductory statistics learns, correlation doesn’t imply causation. Looking at increases or decreases in crime rates in Republican or Democratic cities and claiming either party is to blame would be making exactly this error: confusing correlation with causation.
We put to the test the argument that one side or the other is better at fighting crime in our research published in January 2025. By employing three decades of data on mayoral elections from across the country, we were able to disentangle city leaders’ partisanship from other features of cities.
Contrary to much of the political rhetoric and media coverage aimed at most Americans, our results show that neither party is doing a better job at actually causing crime to decrease.
In Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson has claimed that Democratic leaders aren’t taking public safety seriously and that the Democratic Party is “with the criminals.” Johnson switched from being a Democrat to a Republican in 2023 and attributes his decision at least partially to this partisan difference on crime and policing and the seriousness with which he takes this policy issue.
But our research shows that Johnson’s and others’ claims about Democratic cities becoming more dangerous just aren’t true: Mayors from the Democratic Party aren’t making cities any more – or less – dangerous than mayors from the Republican Party.
Nor, it turns out, is there any support for claims by some progressive Democrats that they would reduce the role – and enormous budgets – of police departments in cities across the country.
When we examined the number of sworn police officers in cities and how much money those cities spend on the police, Democratic and Republican mayors alike have had surprisingly little influence on police department budgets or sizes.
In other words, Democrats aren’t cutting police budgets, nor are Republicans increasing police budgets. Most cities have increased police budgets in the past few years, possibly due to pressure from police unions.
It turns out that campaign promises from both sides of the partisan aisle about crime and policing have little bearing on what’s happening on the ground in most cities and police departments across the country.
Neither party is doing a better job at reducing crime. Nor is either party actually addressing the ballooning financial cost of local police forces in the U.S., nor the long-term reputational costs from police misconduct for trust in the police and government more broadly.
Crime has decreased across the U.S. during the past three decades overall, and the isolated cities where crime has increased recently can reverse these temporary trends.
There are real evidence-backed policies that reduce crime – such as youth jobs programs in Chicago and Boston. Other policies reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system – such as alternative 911 response programs that use unarmed behavioral health workers to respond to some types of emergencies.
These policies and interventions might not be as slogan-worthy as “defund the police” or “back the blue.” Nor is implementing these policies as politically convenient as blaming sanctuary city mayors. But research shows that they work and can move cities toward the shared goal of improved public safety for their residents.
Justin de Benedictis-Kessner has previously received funding from the Bloomberg Center for Cities, the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and the Boston Area Research Initiative.
Christopher S. Warshaw receives funding from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, the Russell Sage Foundation, and Democracy Fund.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Zachary del Rosario, Assistant Professor of Engineering, Olin College of Engineering
When engineers design things, they use models to predict how the things will work in the natural world. But all models have limitations. MTStock Studio/E+ via Getty Images
Nicknamed “Galloping Gertie” for its tendency to bend and undulate, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge had just opened to traffic on July 1, 1940. In a now infamous failure, in the face of moderate winds the morning of Nov. 7, 1940, the bridge started to repeatedly twist. After an hour of twisting, the bridge collapsed. One fatal engineering assumption led the bridge to shake itself apart.
At the time, many designers believed that wind could not cause bridges to move up and down. That it actually can may seem like an obvious fact now, but that incorrect assumption cost about US$65 million in today’s dollars and a dog’s life.
Small vertical movements allowed the bridge to twist. Near the end, the bridge twisted in ways the designers had never anticipated. This twisting stressed the bridge until the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed.
By assuming no vertical movement from wind, the engineers didn’t study how parts of the bridge would flutter in the wind before they built the bridge. This oversight ultimately doomed the bridge.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed in 1940 because its designers assumed it wouldn’t flutter up and down in the wind, but it ended up being slender enough that the wind caused it to move up and down. University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
This failure illustrates an idea that many engineering students learn during their coursework: All engineering calculations are based on models. Safe design requires engineers to recognize the assumptions in their models and to ensure the design’s safety despite any limitations.
I am an expert in computational modeling, which I teach at Olin College. In my classes, I talk about models and teach engineers to use them safely.
Models are interpretive frameworks that help scientists and engineers connect data to the real world. For instance, you likely have an everyday sense for the strength of objects: If you bend a piece of wood with enough force, it will break. A stronger board can take more force.
Engineers have models that make this everyday sense more precise.
Engineering strength depends on an interpretive framework that relates forces, the size of an object and their ratio − which represents mechanical stress. What engineers call “strength” relates to this computed stress.
Considering strength helps engineers select a material that is strong enough to build a bridge.
An interpretive framework − a model − for strength, used in engineering. Force, F, and size or area, A, are used to compute stress, sigma. Sigma is then used to determine strength. Jorge Stolfi/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
But all models leave out details from the real world. To compute stress, an engineer needs to describe the shape of an object. Real objects are complex, so the engineer simplifies their shape for the sake of computation.
For instance, an engineer may take a complex bundle of wires and assume they act together as a single cylinder. This simplified shape may help them choose how many wires to bundle together and set the overall thickness of the bundle.
However, assumptions introduce limitations: The cylinder simplification assumes the individual wires don’t exist, so it doesn’t help determine how to weave the wires together. Engineers can − and do − make more detailed models where they need to, but even those have assumptions and limitations.
Simplification of a wire rope as an assumed cylinder. This assumption may be appropriate for choosing the number of wires, but it is wholly inappropriate for determining the arrangement of wires. HaeB/Wikimedia Commons, modified by Zachary del Rosario, CC BY-SA
This interplay between assumptions and limitations is at the heart of all models. Engineers working on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge assumed no wind-driven vertical movement, which led to a limitation: They couldn’t predict the wind-driven flutter that shook the bridge apart.
The same idea holds true for more abstract models. Some companies that make facial recognition systems based on artificial intelligence assume their systems are accurate, given that they do a good job of picking out the correct face from a set of training data. However, outside researchers have shown that some training datasets introduce limitations.
The engineers who built these training datasets assumed their data had enough faces to represent most people, but these datasets underrepresented nonwhite people. This limitation led the systems to disproportionately target Black people.
The trick to using models safely is to pick assumptions where the limitations do not ruin their intended use. The gold standard is to test. But testing isn’t always possible. For example, building a test bridge isn’t a luxury that structural engineers can afford.
Carefully selecting and creating proper models requires good judgment.
Teaching modeling
Engineering judgment involves a careful balance of trust and skepticism toward mathematics − the bedrock of many engineering models. Developing engineering judgment is difficult, and it usually emerges from years of experience. I teach a modeling and simulation course that jump-starts students’ engineering judgment.
My co-instructors and I invite students to build their own models, which is a pretty uncommon experience for engineering students. Students then identify the assumptions in their models, state their limitations and, importantly, justify how those limitations do not prevent them from safely using the model.
Example diagram of a model intended for choosing the size of a wire rope. The model is based on the assumption that the rope will be a solid cylinder. This imposes limitations on studying how the wires are woven together, but it doesn’t hinder the model’s intended use. 4300streetcar/Wikimedia Commons, modified by Zachary del Rosario, CC BY-SA
Engineering failures like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge can occur when engineers are not aware of a model’s assumptions and limitations. While courses often teach young engineers to make assumptions and use models, they rarely focus on these models’ limitations. Helping students develop their engineering judgment can prevent failures like “Galloping Gertie” from happening again.
Zachary del Rosario receives funding from the National Science Foundation and Toyota Research Institute.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Melia, Senior Lecturer and Course leader of the Humanities Foundation Degree, Kingston University
Nostalgia for the 1980s has been in vogue since the release of Stranger Things in 2016. The Netflix show brought about a renaissance of interest in the popular culture of the time firmly rooted in nostalgia – video game arcades, the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, horror films and a reverie for the horror of the VHS and video-nasty era.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of this form of nostalgia – if it’s done right. Freaky Tales, an anthology film that deals with 80s’ California punk, anti-fascism, hip-hop and VHS culture, could have been a great addition to this sort of nostalgia bait. Sadly, it is a mess, which, for most of its run time, feels like a film about the 80s generated by AI.
To go on TikTok is to be confronted by a gen-Z army cosplaying a neon-drenched and romanticised version of the 80s. Filters are used to replicate the low-fi aesthetics of VHS tape, super 8 and cinefilm, while the content creators dress in the styles of the decade and espouse a wishful nostalgia for an era they are at least three decades too young to have experienced firsthand. Freaky Tales seems aimed at this market.
But this is how the nostalgia industry (or nostalgia capitalism) works. Contemporary digital media facilitates and creates nostalgia in a way that gives the appearance of authenticity but is mostly all surface. Nostalgia is passed on, remediated and sanitised.
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It’s worth also noting that it’s always the Hollywood synthy, US version of 80s pop culture that dominates. Few young people have developed a fabricated sense of nostalgia for the dreariness of Thatcher’s Britain, for instance. A period that history academic Lucy Robinson writes was full of “pop culture and politics … that shaped modern Britain,” in her incisive critical assessment Now That’s What I Call A History of the 1980s.
Freaky Tales is comprised of four interlocking stories, which are bound in a way that is hard to really comprehend.
Are the stories connected through the two sets of characters – a couple of young punks and a pair of female hip-hop artists – leaving a screening of The Lost Boys who reappear in different stories? Is it the strange alien green glow that reappears across all the stories? The marker of a solid anthology film is a tight structure and a sense of place, which the film at least has with all stories based in Oakland, California. But for the most part, Freaky Tales feels half built and uncertain of itself.
Buried somewhere though is a better film trying to get out. Take the first story “Strength in Numbers: the Gilman Strikes Back about the denizens of the Gilman punk club in Oakland, taking a violent and gory stand against a band of neo-nazis they are being harassed by.
The sequence ends in a sort of bloody 1980s’ punk version of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (there are also clear references to Walter Hill’s 1979 cult classic The Warriors). Here there was an opportunity to look deeper into the emergence of California punk culture of the era, the Gilman is a place of real cultural significance where the scene fermented and bands like Rancid, The Offspring, Green Day and the East Bay punk scene in the 1990s got a start.
Dead Kennedy’s track Nazi Punks Fuck Off became a rallying cry of 80s anti-fascist punk as did Black Flag’s Rise Above (this is at least included on the film’s soundtrack). So why not look at least a little deeper into the antifascist movement within the US punk movement during the era? It can be done and I’d recommend Jeremy Saulnier’s harrowing 2015 film Green Room, which examines the subject from a more contemporary perspective.
Instead, the film adopts a rather more facile approach. This is most evident in its choice to use animated “bangs” and “thwocks” like a Batman comic during the big fight sequence. By and large this section (by far the worst of the four) feels like content devoid of substance.
In story two, “Don’t fight The Feeling”, the action centres around a pair of aspiring female hip-hop performers who enter into a rap battle with the performer Too Short (the real life Too Short appears in a cameo as a cop later in the film) and tackles misogyny and hip-hop culture. There are shades of seminal black indie director Spike Lee (Do The Right Thing, 1989) here in its foregrounding of black culture and subjects (although, it must be said, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden are both white).
It could have potentially complemented the punk story if it dealt with the cultural impact of 80s’ hip-hop and the struggles of female performers. But again, it feels half formed – part of the problem being that the film is trying perhaps to do too much.
There are things to enjoy, however, in the film. It is pleasingly gory and has some clever moments. Man of the moment Pedro Pascal takes the lead in the third section (the best of the four), “Born to Mack”, as an enforcer trying to go straight and Ben Mendelsohn puts in an enjoyably sleazy turn as a corrupt cop. The success of the film rest’s chiefly on their shoulders.
Born to Mack clearly has shades of the king of pop culture nostalgia Quentin Tarantino, especially in its clever and surprising cameo from 80s’ icon Tom Hanks who plays a mysterious video store owner. Tarantino’s films (not least 1994’s Pulp Fiction – the blueprint for this type of anthologised nostalgia cinema) were at the forefront 1990s’ indie cinema, and were framed by his obsessions with 60s, 70s and 80s pop culture.
Freaky Tales has the potential to offer a more nuanced engagement with the era and its cultural references points while still maintaining a sense of Trashy exploitation fun. Sadly it falls short of the mark.
Freaky Tales is in selected cinemas from April 18 and on digital platforms from April 28.
Matthew Melia 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.
What place do graduates of technical fields of education occupy in the labour market? What salary can a young engineer expect? To what extent does his success in the labour market depend on the field of study, are all young engineers equally in demand in the labour market? In which regions is there a greater demand for graduates? The answers to these and other questions are provided by a study by HSE scientists, presented at the round table “Graduates of Engineering Specialties in the Russian Labour Market: Myths and Reality” within the framework of XXV Yasinsky (April) International Scientific Conference.
The report was given by the Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Head of the Labor Market Research Laboratory Sergey Roshchin. He noted that today the labor market in Russia is in a situation of demographic compression and that this situation will persist in the long term. At the same time, the national priorities in the field of technological leadership already defined by the country’s leadership impose additional requirements for the training of specialists who could ensure such leadership. Therefore, the characteristics of the labor market for graduates of engineering training areas and the level of young engineers represented in this market are of particular interest and importance.
As Sergey Roshchin noted in his report, engineering and technical sciences are the most widespread group of graduates. In total, from 2018 to 2024, 27.9% of all graduates were enrolled in higher education programs (bachelor’s, specialist, master’s) in the field of engineering, technology and technical sciences. This is more than in other areas of higher education. But it is not only the number of specialists being trained that is important, but also their quality. If we divide universities that train engineering personnel by the quality of training based on the average Unified State Exam score required for admission to programs at these universities, then 50% of engineering graduates graduate from low-selective programs and universities where 59 or fewer Unified State Exam scores are enough for admission, and this largely determines the quality of engineers we have at the end. “And only 40% of the training of engineers can we consider as sufficiently high-quality, taking into account who comes [to study] and what quality is provided by certain universities,” Sergey Roshchin explained.
An interesting phenomenon has emerged in the training of engineers: students who studied on fee-paying places receive, on average, a higher starting salary than graduates who studied on budget places. This is explained by the fact that studying at a selective university provides its graduates with a high level of income: the salary of graduates of the most selective universities is almost 2 times higher than the salary of those who graduated from the least selective universities.
And families are ready to pay for quality education in more selective universities. Only 10% of fee-paying places are concentrated in the low-selectivity group of universities, while 20% are concentrated in the most selective group. It is not important what type of funding a student receives – fee-paying or state-funded, but what university he or she attends in terms of the quality of training.
“The most important criterion is the form of study: part-time or full-time. Oddly enough, engineering training in the form of part-time study is represented by a solid number. A third of those who graduate are part-time students,” says Sergey Roshchin. Having cited precise statistics on different areas of training, form (full-time and part-time), as well as the level of study (bachelor’s and master’s degrees), he drew attention to the fact that the prospects in the labor market for graduates of full-time and part-time forms of study are different. “Part-time students enter the labor market with starting salaries slightly higher than those of full-time students, but then they remain stagnant. Already in the horizon of two to five years, full-time students are ahead in terms of salary growth, in terms of promotion to more in-demand jobs, and part-time students remain where they were,” the vice-rector explained.
Another observation was that more than half of engineering graduates are concentrated in three key industries: manufacturing; information and communications; and scientific and technical activities. Among the industries with the highest salary levels are mining, information and communications, finance, and insurance.
The most alarming fact, according to Sergey Roshchin, is that 41% of bachelor’s degree graduates and 20% of master’s degree graduates are employed in jobs that do not require higher education according to the OKZ (All-Russian Classifier of Occupations) classification. “In essence, higher education is only needed to occupy positions such as manager and top-level specialist,” the vice-rector comments. “In lower positions, higher education is usually not required. And this is a big question, how the market sees engineering education, whether there is really a need for so many engineers with higher education. Or, perhaps, it is the quality of higher education that does not allow one to occupy positions corresponding to this level.”
Sergey Roshchin also touched upon the topic of regional differentiation. “In general, from all our previous works, reports, and analyses, we know that graduates are very mobile,” he notes. “40% of graduates who have received higher education move to another region.” The most popular for moving were Moscow (29%), Moscow Region (10%), St. Petersburg (8%), KhMAO (5%), and Krasnodar Krai (3%). At the same time, the average salary of those who left the region of study is 110.8 thousand rubles, and those who remained in the region of study – 90.4 thousand rubles. But for the interaction of engineering education and the labor market from a regional point of view, something else is important. The main (45%) training of engineers is conducted in six regions: Moscow, St. Petersburg, the republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Sverdlovsk and Rostov Regions. And these same territories are the main consumers of engineering personnel. In the labor market of engineers, there is a regional balance of labor and education markets in the main core of training. At the same time, of course, if we consider individual regions and areas of training, certain disproportions exist.
The report allows us to conclude that there are areas of absolute inefficiency in the training of engineers. These are areas such as technosphere safety, light industry technologies, and food technologies. Graduates of these areas look like outsiders in the labor market compared to other engineers.
In conclusion, Sergei Roshchin noted “that the answers to technological challenges associated with the tasks of ensuring technological leadership probably lie not in increasing the number (including through government procurement), but in changing the structure and quality of training engineers.”
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
