For Malaysian Chinese Goh Ee Xuan, Qingming Festival has always pulsed with ancestral echoes and meant honoring ancestors through time-honored rituals like burning incense and offering symbolic paper gifts.
Even while living in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin this year, she maintained the tradition through a heartfelt video call with relatives back home.
“Growing up in a Malaysian Chinese household, Qingming rituals like tomb-sweeping were part of my childhood fabric,” Goh explained. “My parents taught me to remember my roots.”
With a 2,500-year history, Qingming Festival, or the Festival of Pure Brightness, observed in early April, uniquely combines ancestral worship with the celebration of spring. Falling on the 15th day after the spring equinox, this ritual-rich observance reflects China’s enduring values of ancestral veneration and inspires deep introspection about what gives life meaning.
Qingming rituals persist with remarkable vitality in most Chinese communities across Southeast Asia, observed folk culture expert Ma Zhiyao, adding that this demonstrates the custom’s enduring cultural resonance.
Wang Yi, associated professor of cultural studies at Tianjin University, noted that as China’s cultural influence expands, traditional Chinese festivals like Qingming are gaining increasing global recognition.
“Their cultural depth speaks to universal human values – making them not just Chinese traditions, but shared touchstones of remembrance and renewal,” she said.
Qingming’s reflections on mortality, kinship and nature speak to all humanity, according to Wang. “As foreigners learn about and even participate in its rituals, they will see how deeply our cultures connect, and how much we can learn from each other.”
From Mexico’s Day of the Dead, brought to life by the 2017 Academy Award-winning animated film Coco, to the Obon Festival in Japan, cultures worldwide have their own takes on ancestral worship. Despite different traditions, all share a deep respect for life and the departed.
Cultural symbolism transcends borders. Both ancient Egyptians and Chinese traditions associate plants with rebirth. Egyptians adorned tombs with symbolic palms and lotuses, while Qingming’s willow branches, prized for their early spring vitality, represent nature’s enduring cycle of renewal.
Ahmed Mohamed Saleh, an Egyptian student in Tianjin, shared his cultural perspective.
“In Egypt, we prepare ritual offerings and special foods for tomb visits, and plant symbolic vegetation by the graveside to represent life’s cyclical nature,” he said. “Both cultures believe honoring the past helps us live better futures, rather than dwell in perpetual sorrow.”
Qingming Festival embodies a poignant duality of emotions, as solemn remembrance is intertwined with spring’s rejuvenating joy. This is beautifully captured in classical poetry.
Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu’s iconic “Qingming” paints the sorrow: A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; the mourner’s heart is going to break on his way.
Yet another poem reveals the season’s brighter essence: When pear blossoms ride the warm eastern winds, half the city empties as the hunt for spring begins.
International students in China follow Qingming traditions in their own ways. Shin Gisong from the Republic of Korea hiked through spring landscapes, while Comorian student Mroivili Faouzia visited cultural sites.
“Even though our customs might be different, the idea of honoring those who came before us is the same,” Faouzia said.
“I believe that a festival to remember our ancestors can touch people everywhere. It reminds us that family, history and respect for our roots are values shared by many cultures around the world,” she added.
Smartphones have the potential to aid depression detection through digital phenotyping and feature extraction by utilizing the massive data they collect, according to Chinese scientists at Lanzhou University.
This has particular significance and potential for modern people suffering from high stress as smartphones can timely sense people’s mental and physical conditions, according to their study newly published in the journal Proceedings of the IEEE.
The large amount of data generated by smartphones can continuously track users’ mental state, with multiple advantages such as universality and objectivity, according to Yang Minqiang, associate professor of the School of Information Science and Engineering of Lanzhou University.
“Smartphones can help realize the timely identification of psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety,” added Yang.
Smartphones contain a wealth of sensors, such as GPS, gyroscope, microphone, ambient light sensor and more. These sensors can help record people’s movement, social interactions, sleep, rhythm and other behavioral states, and can be used to identify and track psychological disorders.
Notably, smartphones have been widely used as portable data collectors for wearable and healthcare sensors that can passively collect data streams related to the environment, health status and behavior.
Recent research shows that the collected data can be used to monitor not only the physical states but also the mental health of individuals. However, extracting the features of digital phenotypes that characterize major depressive disorder (MDD) is technically challenging and may raise significant privacy concerns.
This study carried out a comprehensive analysis of several key issues related to ubiquitous sensing for use in detecting MDD, according to Yang.
Researchers specifically analyzed existing methodologies and feature extraction algorithms used to detect MDD through digital phenotyping from smartphone data.
They summarized and explained five types of features of smartphone data, namely, location, movement, rhythm, sleep, and social and device usage.
These data record the patterns of an individual’s daily activities, including social interactions and mobile phone usage. Despite its limitations, this study opens the door for further research and engineering exploration of smartphone data, according to Yang.
“Early identification could help early intervention on depression. We anticipate that smartphone manufacturers could realize smartphone-based mental health diagnosis and treatment, all while protecting user privacy,” Yang said.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Murray, Professor of Cybersecurity, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne
Several of Australia’s biggest superannuation funds have suffered a suspected coordinated cyberattack, with scammers stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of members’ retirement savings.
Superannuation funds including Rest, HostPlus, Insignia, Australian Retirement and AustralianSuper have all reportedly been targeted. However, so far AustralianSuper appears to be the worst affected.
It is Australia’s largest superannuation fund. It has roughly 3.5 million members and manages more than $365 billion in retirement savings. In this cyberattack, a handful of its members have lost about A$500,000 in combined savings.
AustralianSuper is reportedly assisting authorities recover the money. It has not yet confirmed if any remediation will occur.
It’s not yet clear whether the affected accounts had mandatory multi-factor authentication for login or money transfers. But this is a crucial measure to reduce the risk of a similar cyberattack happening in the future.
Strategic timing, stolen passwords
Details of the cyberattack are still sparse. But we do know that it began in the early hours of last weekend. This timing was likely strategic: account holders wouldn’t have noticed anything suspicious as they would have most likely been sleeping.
Cyber criminals are believed to have obtained stolen passwords – either from the dark web or other hacked websites. They then used these passwords to try to access people’s superannuation accounts.
In a statement, AustralianSuper’s Chief Member Officer Rose Kerlin said scammers had accessed up to 600 customer passwords to log into accounts.
So far only four accounts have actually been breached. In those cases, the scammers changed login details and transferred out lump sums of money.
Although members of other superannuation funds do not seem to have lost any money, their personal information may have been compromised.
Different to other attacks
There have been cases in the past of people being scammed out of their retirement savings.
For example, in 2020, Australian man Lee Braz lost all of his retirement savings, worth $180,000, to scammers. The scammers used fraudulent documents to trick his fund, Intrust Super (now owned by HostPlus), into authorising the transfer.
After a four-year legal battle with the fund, Braz retrieved one-third of the money he had lost. However, this amount didn’t cover his legal fees.
But this recent scam seems very different in nature. It didn’t involve scammers using any fraudulent documents or elaborate trickery. Instead, the perpetrators appear to have pulled it off simply by using stolen passwords to access accounts.
To ensure all of this money is properly protected, financial organisations should implement mandatory multi-factor authentication for user accounts. This would require people to prove who they are with something in addition to a password.
This could include, for example, using a one-time code or an authenticator app on their smartphone. This makes it much harder for criminals who obtain user passwords to take over their accounts.
Other financial organisations, including banks and some superannuation funds, already use multi-factor authentication. But it’s especially important for all superannuation funds to implement it, given many people don’t check their retirement savings for months at a time and are less likely to notice straight away if they’ve been hacked.
In the wake of this cyberattack, the Association of Superannuations Funds of Australia says it is working to improve security across the industry, but it is unclear exactly what this will involve.
Consumers also need to do their part by making sure they do not reuse passwords between websites. This is especially important for passwords used to protect accounts on financial organisations such as their super fund or online banking.
Using a password manager is a great way to make it easy to have unique passwords for each website you visit.
Finally, customers should be on the lookout for potential scams that may target them in the coming days. Scammers have been known to exploit fear and confusion in the wake of data breaches to try to lure victims into giving away personal information or money.
Anyone receiving messages purporting to be from their super fund and who wants to respond to them should call up their super provider directly, using a phone number from their website. Avoid clicking links or phoning numbers listed in messages that purport to be from your super fund.
Anyone receiving messages they suspect are scams can report them to Scamwatch.
Toby Murray receives funding from the Department of Defence and Google. He is Director of the Defence Science Institute, wich receives funding from the Commonwealth and State governments.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Peter Vale, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria., University of Pretoria
In a rare move, the Trump administration expelled Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, in mid-March 2025. In a post on X, US secretary of state Marco Rubio accused Rasool of hating the US and President Donald Trump, and said the ambassador was “no longer welcome in our great country”. The expulsion came after comments Rasool had made during a webinar organised by a South African think-tank, the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Studies. Rasool had said he thought that Trump was “mobilising a supremacism” and trying to “project white victimhood as a dog whistle” as the white population faced becoming a minority in the US.
Relations between the two countries had reached a new low in the first weeks of the Trump administration. Trump had lashed out at South Africa for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice on accusations of genocide in Gaza; frozen all funding to South Africa; and offered asylum to white Afrikaners from South Africa, emboldening fringe far-right groups in the country. Peter Vale, regarded as an authority on South Africa’s place in the world, answers questions about the ambassador’s expulsion.
What was your initial reaction to the Rasool appointment?
I know and respect Ebrahim Rasool – we worked together at the University of the Western Cape 30 years ago – and I also thought he had done a fine job as ambassador to the US during the Obama years.
Remember, his appointment under the Trump administration was announced a week after the November poll. Preparations for this would have been months in the making. So, one question was, did the South African government think Joe Biden would win? If so, they were not following the polls very closely. South Africa’s relations with the US under Biden, although at times testy, were managable and Rasool was familiar with the individuals responsible for their making.
Never step into the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.
Politics in the US has changed in paradigmatic proportions since Obama.
Then there was the fact that Rasool’s politics are rooted at the sharpest edge of the African National Congress: the United Democratic Front faction. Speaking plainly in the language of the country’s streets was the gift the United Democratic Front gave national politics. It was the most important internal anti-apartheid movement in the 1980s, bringing together youth, student and civic organisations.
Nevertheless, this, the language of the heart (as we might call it), has been eclipsed by the rise of techno-speak of the 2020s – a language that consists of buzzwords, esoteric language, or technical jargon and has become a kind of diplo-speak: diplomatic language in which the careful use of euphemism and noncontroversial language obscures points that might cause contention. Both bedevil South Africa’s domestic politics and mute the country’s foreign policy because racial justice, gender equality and compensation for colonialism seemingly have no place in everyday political discourse.
What happened at the Mapungubwe seminar?
The fracas arose during a virtual seminar organised by a leading South African think-tank which discussed the deepening tension in the relations between Pretoria and Washington.
I think that Rasool was confounded by the audience to which he spoke – was it local or was it local and foreign?
If there was deceit in the gathering itself, this was not to Rasool’s account. This points instead to a journalist looking to trip up any position South Africa took in the matter seemingly to advance his career. This is said to be the Breitbart journalist Joel Pollack, who made no secret of his desire to be the US ambassador in South Africa. He was registered as “Anonymous” on the webinar call. He did not disclose his name, or profession, when he asked Rasool a question.
In my opinion, disclosure is a professional responsibility.
Interestingly, there is no indication that the meeting was operating under the well-known Chatham House Rule by which
participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor any other participant, may be revealed.
Although not without its critics, myself included, this rule binds participants to non-disclosure by creating a safe space for candid and honest discussion.
Where does the responsibility of an ambassador lie?
The consensus among observers and commentators that’s emerged since the expulsion is that it was Rasool’s responsibility to hold his tongue – a kind of golden rule in diplomacy.
There is another way of thinking about this.
There have been many cases where the professional responsibility of diplomatic representation should follow a higher standard than that set by the incumbent government.
This choice faced diplomats in the country during apartheid. So, for instance, in 1986, the apartheid government expelled the Swedish ambassador following that country’s strong opposition to apartheid. There were other expulsions, too. These moves were part of the broader international pressure surrounding apartheid, where responsibility of the diplomats shifted from the minority incumbent government to the country’s people.
However, most famously, this understanding emerged in the writing of Thomas Paine, the American pamphleteer, that Benjamin Franklin (then the ambassador of the fledgling United States to Paris) was “not the diplomat of a Court, but (that the Ambassador) represented MAN (KIND)”.
This intervention is regarded as the first recognition that human – as opposed to state – rights enjoyed currency in international relations.
The age of turbulence through which we live has further muddied this water.
What do you make of the reaction to Rasool’s explusion?
A cacophony of voices, both within and without the country, have debated the pros and cons of the American decision.
Of concern to those with an ethical interest in international relations was that the trope “the national interest” appeared again and again and that, as it did so, the form it took was economic. So, it is in the national interest that South Africa “grow the economy”, “create jobs” and “fight HIV” with American money.
Nevertheless, le affaire Rasool has reminded South Africans that the country also has other “national interests” like fighting climate change and defending human rights worldwide.
Peter Vale 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.
Chinese researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce unnecessary surgical resection in colorectal cancer patients after local excision, the South China University of Technology (SCUT), located in Guangdong Province in south China, said on Wednesday. The team developed and validated an AI prediction model to assess the risk of recurrence following local excision of colorectal cancer, using pathological images of endoscopically or transanal surgically resected T1 rectal cancer (RC) specimens. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, accounting for around 10 percent of all cancer cases. For patients with early-stage colorectal cancer, local resection serves as the primary treatment. However, some high-risk patients still require additional surgeries to prevent recurrence, which not only increases the physical burden but also significantly diminishes their quality of life. Researchers from the SCUT and Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital developed an artificial neural network model to predict recurrence risk in T1 RC patients — thereby providing physicians and patients with guidance for post-excision decision-making. The AI-based prediction model has helped reduce unnecessary additional surgeries by about 34.9 percent in all enrolled patients, compared with the current U.S. guideline in this regard. The model not only aids physicians in decision-making but also demonstrates the remarkable performance and potential of histopathology image-based AI in predicting tumor behavior, researchers said. The study has been published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology.
Whenever Chen Yun misses her father, she gazes at a photo from his 94th birthday celebration in the hospice ward of Jiangsu Province Hospital in east China. In the picture, her father, wearing a birthday hat, smiles as he enjoys longevity noodles, surrounded by dishes like ribs and tofu, and a birthday cake. In April 2024, Chen’s father was urgently hospitalized due to cancer-related pleural effusion. He was struggling to breathe and unable to lie down. The hospice team, including geriatrics, oncology and nutrition specialists, swiftly intervened with a thoracic puncture to drain the pleural effusion, restoring his ability to rest and sleep. They adjusted his chemotherapy dosage to suit his age and tolerance, focusing on symptom control and comfort rather than eliminating cancer cells. Paired with pain relief, this strategy stabilized his condition and eased the breathing difficulties. In hospital, nurses monitored his condition daily, offering comfort and guidance whenever he felt fearful or anxious, thus improving the health of the patient both emotionally and physically. He regained strength and began walking around the ward, while his appetite returned. After nine months, Chen’s father passed away peacefully in the ward. “We thought he had only days left after the diagnosis, but the hospice team gave us another precious nine months,” Chen said. “My father passed away painlessly in his sleep, leaving us with no regrets.” Hospice care, which provides comprehensive support for the terminally ill and elderly, aims to manage pain, improve quality of life, and ensure a decent, peaceful passing through multidisciplinary care. Driven by rising quality of life and education levels, more patients and families in China are seeking hospice services, with decisions by patients to forgo treatment being respected when their quality of life can no longer be guaranteed, according to Duan Yu, director of the geriatric medicine department at the hospital. To bolster its hospice care team, the hospital has gathered over 300 medical professionals from geriatrics, oncology, pain management and other fields to form an interdisciplinary clinical team. They also promote hospice care concepts across the hospital through consultations and referrals. Beyond clinical duties, Duan and her colleagues are committed to educating medical students on hospice care, thereby disseminating hospice concepts and knowledge to future medical workers. Yet, China’s aging society still faces a significant gap in terms of hospice care access, with less than 7 percent of patients having received such services by late 2023, noted Wang Yan, president of Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University in east China. Since 2019, Jiangsu Province Hospital has partnered with more than 20 hospitals and community health centers to establish a two-way referral system, linking hospitals with communities and families. Through training, community medical teams can provide basic symptom control, such as pain relief, sedation and bronchodilation, as well as care services like feeding and cleaning. If patients opt for community or home care, doctors can refer them for transfer to nearby qualified facilities. A cancer patient, diagnosed at the provincial hospital, wished to spend his final days at home. The hospital collaborated with a community facility to develop a follow-up plan for the patient, including regular check-ups and medication adjustments. With a pain-relief pump in place, the patient returned home, celebrated his birthday with family, and later passed away peacefully. Since 2017, China’s National Health Commission has launched hospice care pilot programs in 185 cities and districts. Many local governments are prioritizing hospice infrastructure. The city of Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, aims to have at least one hospice area per county or development zone by 2025, while Beijing plans to provide 1,800 hospice beds by the end of this year. The Third People’s Hospital of Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province is set to open a new building with about 140 hospice beds this year. This beige structure will feature a brick walkway leading to a serene garden and lake with ducks swimming in it. Ge Chunhua, head nurse of this hospital’s hospice department, looks forward to the opening of the new building, because patients there will be able to immerse themselves in natural surroundings to gain comfort. “Patients often feel lonely and helpless at life’s end. Even a simple touch or conversation can bring them strength,” said Ge. “My job is really meaningful, as it can support patients through their final passage in peace and dignity.”
Jewish students at Columbia University chained themselves to a campus gate across from the graduate School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) this week, braving rain and cold to demand the school release information related to the targeting and ICE arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a former SIPA student.
Democracy Now! was at the protest and spoke to Jewish and Palestinian students calling on the school to reveal the extent of its involvement in Khalil’s arrest.
Transcript:
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
Here in New York City, Jewish students chained themselves to gates at Columbia University on Wednesday in support of Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia student protest leader now in an ICE jail in Louisiana.
On March 8, federal agents detained Khalil at his university-owned apartment building, even though he is a legal permanent resident of the United States. They revoked his green card.
I went up to Columbia yesterday and spoke to some of the students at the protest.
PROTESTERS: Release Mahmoud Khalil now! We want justice! You say, “How?” We want justice! You say, “How?” Release Mahmoud Khalil now!
CARLY: Hi. My name is Carly. I’m a Columbia SIPA graduate student, second year. And I’m chained to this gate today as a Jewish student and friend of Mahmoud Khalil’s, demanding answers on how his name got to DHS [Department of Homeland Security] and which trustee specifically handed over that information.
We believe that there is a high chance that our new president, Claire Shipman, handed over that information. And we, as Jewish students, demand transparency in that process.
Protesting Jewish students chain themselves to Columbia gates. Video: Democracy Now!
AMY GOODMAN: What makes you think that the new president, Shipman, gave over his [Khalil’s] information?
CARLY: There was a Forward article with that leak. And there has not been transparency from the Columbia administration to Jewish students, when they claim that they are doing all of this to protect Jewish students.
We would like to be consulted in that process, instead of being spoken for. You know, as Jewish students and to the Jewish people at large, being political pawns in a game is not a new occurrence, and that’s something that we very much are here to say, “Hey, you cannot weaponise antisemitism to harm our friends and peers.”
AMY GOODMAN: And talk about being chained. Are you willing to risk arrest or suspension or expulsion from Columbia?
CARLY: Yeah, I mean, just for speaking out for Palestine on Columbia’s campus, you know that you’re risking arrest and expulsion. That is the precedent they have set, and that is something that we all know at this point.
We are now in a situation where, for many of us, our good friend is in ICE detention. And as Jewish students, we feel we need to do more.
AMY GOODMAN: How did you know Mahmoud Khalil? You said you’re at SIPA. What are you studying there?
CARLY: Yeah, so, I’m a human rights student, and we were classmates. We were classmates and friends. And it’s been a deeply troubling few weeks. And, you know, everyone at SIPA, the students at SIPA, we really are just hoping for his safe return.
For me as a graduate in May, I truly hope we get to walk together at graduation.
AMY GOODMAN: Did he hear that you were out here? And did he send you a message?
CARLY: Yes. So, it has gotten back to Mahmoud that Jewish students are out here chained to the gate, and he did send a message that I read earlier that expressed his gratitude.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you tell me what he said?
CARLY: Yes, I can pull up the message. I don’t want to misquote him. OK.
“The news of students chaining themselves to the Columbia gates has reached Mahmoud in the detention center in Louisiana, where he’s currently being held. He knows what’s happening. He was very emotional when he heard about it, and he wanted to thank you all and let you know he sees you.”
SARAH BORUS: My name is Sarah Borus. I am a senior at Barnard College.
AMY GOODMAN: Why a Jewish action right now?
SARAH BORUS: So, the government, when they abducted Mahmoud, they literally put — Donald Trump put out a post that said, “Shalom, Mahmoud.”
They are saying that this is in the name of Jewish safety. But there is a reason that it is four white Jews that were on that fence or that were on that gate, and that’s because we are not the ones that are being targeted by the government.
It is Muslim students, Arab students, Palestinian students, immigrant students that are being targeted.
AMY GOODMAN: How do you respond to those who say the protests here are antisemitic?
SARAH BORUS: I have been involved in these protests for my last two years here. The community of Jewish students that I have found is one of the most wonderful in my life. To call these protests antisemitic, honestly, degrades the Jewish religion by making it about a nation-state instead of the actual religion itself.
SHEA: My name is Shea. I’m a junior at Columbia College. I am here for the same reason.
AMY GOODMAN: You’re wearing a keffiyeh and a yarmulke.
SHEA: Yes. That’s standard for me.
AMY GOODMAN: Are you willing to be expelled?
SHEA: If the university decides that that is what should happen to me for doing this, then that is on them. I would love to not be expelled, but I think that my peers would also have loved to not be expelled.
I think Mahmoud would love to not be in detention right now. This is — I obviously worked very hard to get here. So did Mahmoud. So did everyone else who has been facing consequences.
And, like, while I obviously would prefer to, you know, not get expelled, this is bigger than me. This is about something much more important. And it ultimately is in the hands of the university. If they want to expel me for standing up for my friend, for other students, then that is their choice.
PROTESTERS: ICE off our campus now! ICE off our campus now! We want justice! You say, “How?” We want justice! You say, “How?” Answer our demands now! Answer our demands now!
MARYAM ALWAN: My name is Maryam Alwan. I’m a senior at Columbia. I’m also Palestinian, and I’m friends with Mahmoud. I’m here in solidarity with my Jewish friends, who are in solidarity with all Palestinian students and Palestinians facing genocide in Gaza.
We are all here today because we miss our friend, and it’s inconceivable to us that the board of trustees are reported to have handed his name over to the federal government, and the fact that these board of trustees have now taken over the university.
Just yesterday, the University Senate at Columbia released an over 300-page report called the Sundial Report, which reveals that the board of trustees has completely endangered both Palestinian and anti-Zionist Jewish students in the name of quashing dissent and cracking down on protests like never before, eroding shared governance, academic freedom.
And so this has been a long-standing process over 1.5 years to get us to the point where we are today, where people are getting kidnapped from their own campuses. And we can’t just sit by and let the federal government do whatever they want to our own university without standing up against it.
So, whatever we can do.
AMY GOODMAN: And what does it mean to you that it’s Jewish students who have chained themselves to the gates?
MARYAM ALWAN: It means a lot to me, especially because of all of the rhetoric that surrounds these protests saying that we’re violent or threatening, when, from day one, I was part of Students for Justice in Palestine when it was suspended, and we were working alongside Jewish Voice for Peace from day one.
The media just completely twisted the narrative. So, the fact that my Jewish friends are still to this day fighting, no matter what the personal cost is to them — I’ve seen the way that the university has delegitimised their Jewish identity, put them through trials, saying that they’re antisemitic, when they are proud Jews, and they’ve taught me so much about Judaism.
So it just means a lot to see, like, the solidarity between us even almost two years later now.
AHARON DARDIK: My name’s Aharon Dardik. I’m a junior here at Columbia. And we’re here to protest the trustees putting students in danger and not taking accountability.
AMY GOODMAN: Why the chains on your wrists?
AHARON DARDIK: We, as Jewish students, chained ourselves earlier today to a gate on campus, and we said that we weren’t going to leave until the university named who it was among the trustees who collaborated with the fascist Trump administration to detain our classmate, Mahmoud Khalil, and try and deport him.
AMY GOODMAN: Where are you originally from?
AHARON DARDIK: I’m originally from California, but my family moved to Israel-Palestine.
AMY GOODMAN: And being from Israel-Palestine, your thoughts on what’s happening there?
AHARON DARDIK: There’s never a justification for killing innocent civilians and for war crimes and genocide that’s being committed now. And I know many, many other people there who are leftist Israeli activists who are doing their best to end the occupation, to end the war and the genocide and to end Israeli apartheid.
But they need more support from the international community, which currently sees supporting Israel as synonymous with supporting the fascist Israeli government that’s perpetrating this genocide, that’s continuing the occupation.
AMY GOODMAN: Voices from a protest on Wednesday when Jewish students at Columbia University chained themselves to university gates in support of Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia student protest leader now detained by ICE in a Louisiana jail.
Students continued their action into the early hours of yesterday morning through the rain, even after Columbia security and New York police arrived on the scene to cut the chains and forcibly remove protesters.
Special thanks to Laura Bustillos.
Republished from Democracy Now! under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licence.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
The tenth conference of the Digital Industry of Industrial Russia (CIPR) will be held on June 3-6, 2025 – the main business event on the digital economy and technologies in Russia.
All events within the framework of the 10th anniversary of the conference will be held in Nizhny Novgorod on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair and the youth center “Vysota”. The halls of the Main Fair House will also be used for the business program sessions. The exhibition with Russian IT solutions will be located in mirror pavilions, and a separate pavilion will be built for international participants; negotiations are underway on the participation of foreign companies from China, India, and the Middle East. A large-scale festival for participants and city residents will unfold on the street territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair.
Since 2016, the topic of digital development has been on the periphery of the state and business agenda. At that time, interest in the digitalization of Russian industrial organizations was just emerging, and a platform was needed to unite representatives of government agencies, industry and IT – this is how the conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” was born. Over 10 years, CIPR has grown from an industry project to an international event. The conference is attended by guests and market leaders from all regions of Russia and the countries of the EAEU, SCO and BRICS.
Since 2022, the CIPR has been hosting a large technology festival, CIPR Tech Week, for young people, the DECIPRALAND art exhibition with the participation of digital artists from all over the world, cyber championships and phygital games that combine real and virtual competitions, and on the last day of the event, the CIPR exhibition opens its doors to guests and residents of the city.
Today, CIPR is the main event on the digital economy in Russia, where strategically important government decisions are made, initiatives for the development of the IT industry are discussed, and ways to achieve the country’s technological sovereignty in systemically important areas of the economy are determined.
CIPR promotes the formation of a global digital business environment and opens up broad opportunities for finding partners in the Russian and foreign high-tech markets. Traditionally, CIPR hosts international agreements, investment deals, and an exhibition of digital solutions and high-tech equipment for key industries, where companies demonstrate innovations in AI, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, smart city technologies, etc. The conference also promotes export support for Russian technological solutions.
— For 10 years, CIPR has been creating a platform for effective dialogue between regulators and key market experts, and has also united the best intellectual IT resources of the country under its leadership. Now we have a responsible task – not only to present the anniversary conference as a reflection and systematization of valuable long-term experience in the digital environment, but also to form a vector for further development of the industry taking into account strategic initiatives and adaptation to changed scenarios of the global economic landscape, including ensuring dialogue with partner countries in the international market, — noted Olga Piven, director of the conference.
Employees Research Center in the Field of Artificial Intelligence of NSU will take part in the upcoming conference. They also took part in the conference last year. The center has existed since 2023. The main goal of the Center is to develop and prepare for implementation a set of “smart city” technologies using artificial intelligence that would improve the quality of life of citizens and the efficiency of urban economy.
The event is held with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
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: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University – For almost a month, the sports complex’s game room hosted vivid battles at a football tournament dedicated to Nikolai Petrovich Dyakov, who created the NSU football club and trained a large number of athletes. The competition was included in the Spartakiad among the university’s faculties and institutes, and 10 teams divided into 2 subgroups took part in it.
In the final, FIT defeated the IFP team with a score of 6:0, and in the match for third place, the NSU SUNC won against the EF students by only 1 goal with a score of 4:3.
As usual, the following were singled out and awarded:
Best Goalkeeper – Fedor Brykin, FIT
Best defender – Alexander Chulzhanov, NSU SUNC
Best forward – Maxim Ermolaev, FIT
Best player – Mikhail Korotkov, FIT
As a result, the places in the Spartakiad were distributed as follows:
1st place – Faculty of Information Technology: Nikolay Balyasnikov, Ivan Sheldyakov, Sergey Netesov, Saveliy Trushkov, Mikhail Korotkov, Maksim Ermolaev, Dmitry Kravchuk and Fedor Brykin 2nd place – Institute of Philosophy and Law: Saveliy Nekhoroshev, Arseniy Tikhanchik, Ivan Polyakov, Sergey Budyakov, Vladislav Gerasimov, Nikita Pyatakov, Maksim Uporov and Ivan Ugrovatov 3rd place – SUNC NSU: Aleksandr Chulzhanov, Pavel Zinoviev, Aleksandr Plasteyev, Viktor Rudenko, Anton Kan, Artem Bakhetkin, Aleksandr Kornilov and Aleksandr Ruban 4th place – Faculty of Economics
5th place – Faculty of Geology and Geophysics
6th place – Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics
7th place – VKI
8th place – Faculty of Natural Sciences
9th place – Institute of Intelligent Robotics
10th place – Zelman Institute of Medicine and Psychology competitions
Congratulations to the winners and prize winners, thanks to all the teams for their participation, coach Sergei Mezentsev for organizing, and football veterans, NSU graduates, for helping to hold the tournament!
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.
If your child is struggling with certain everyday activities – such as playing with other kids, getting dressed or paying attention – you might want to get them assessed to see if they need additional support.
Currently, the way a child is assessed is often fragmented and time-consuming for families. If there’s a concern, you might be talking to your child’s school, have a referral to see a speech pathologist and be on a wait-list to see a psychiatrist.
We’ve developed a framework – in collaboration with 23 other community and professional organisations – to help make this approach more consistent for all Australian children aged 0–12 years.
The framework focuses on a child’s functional strengths (what they can do day-to-day) as well as their challenges and aspirations, to work out what support they might need.
This is useful for all children and it means support can start sooner, whether or not a child has a diagnosis now or might have one in the future.
Working out what support is needed
All children have support needs. But when these needs go beyond what might be expected for their age, or that the people around them can manage, they may need additional help.
Take communication, for example.
Parents use strategies to help their children learn to talk, such as by encouraging them and showing them how to do it.
But for about 3.2% of children, communication difficulties substantially impact their ability to participate in everyday activities. An older child who is struggling to talk will find it harder to play and make friends with other children at childcare.
Understanding each child’s need as well as their day-to-day functioning is the first step to getting appropriate support.
However, there are two main problems with how assessments are currently done.
The first problem is inconsistency. Doctors, teachers, childcare workers and allied health practitioners (such as physiotherapists or psychologists) all work hard to understand each child’s strengths and needs. But they tend to do assessments differently.
This is not surprising – they are focusing on different things.
But this means information can be sometimes duplicated or missed, making it harder to join the dots.
For example, let’s say a child with intellectual disability and minimal spoken language is avoiding eating most foods.
A psychologist may look at the child’s behaviour, a speech pathologist at their swallowing, and a doctor at their nutrition. But unless they work together, it may take longer to understand the underlying issue – in this case, that the child has strong sensory sensitivities.
Without a consistent approach, it is difficult to form a holistic picture of a child’s strengths and support needs across settings, let alone come up with a good plan for support.
Focusing on diagnosis, not function
The second problem is assessment often focuses too much on diagnosis and not enough on support.
Yet even children with the same diagnosis can have significantly different needs.
For example, among three autistic children, one may need 24-hour supervision and support to be safe.
The second may face challenges with a specific activity such as communicating at school, and benefit from targeted support from a speech pathologist.
The third child may not need any additional support at this point in time, beyond what is provided for all children.
Support needs also differ based on a range of personal and environmental factors, such as other health conditions, the quality of supports already in place (such as ramps for a wheelchair), or assistive technology (including mobility and communication aids).
What does the new framework recommend?
The framework focuses on what children can actually do and what they need help with, rather than a diagnosis.
It encourages each professional doing an assessment – whether an educator or health professional – to consider the child’s existing context, including what supports they already have, their strengths and challenges. And it should consider their aspirations (what is most important to them and their hopes for the future).
The framework recognises a child’s strengths and needs can change as they grow, and recommends follow-up assessments when there is a change, rather than following a set schedule.
We developed this framework by reviewing the evidence, looking at how assessments work in other countries, consulting widely with the disability community and yarning with Aboriginal parents and health professionals.
It outlines an approach that can be used consistently whenever a child is assessed across health, education, disability and community services.
What needs to happen next?
The framework is already available and is beginning to be used in practice.
But to make the approach consistent, we need to also provide training for professionals who assess children’s strengths and needs, and a tool to gather and share the information consistently across different settings.
We’re currently working on these. They will be ready by the end of the year, along with recommendations to government for supporting their roll-out across health, education, disability and community services.
If you’re a parent, you don’t need to wait for a diagnosis to start seeking support for your child. You can talk to a professional you trust, such as your family doctor or child’s teacher about your concerns.
David Trembath receives funding from the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (Autism CRC), the Commonwealth Government, and the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation. The research featured in this article was commissioned by the Autism Cooperative Research Centre with support from a federal government Department of Social Services Information, Linkages, and Capacity-Building grant.
Rachelle Wicks receives funding from the Autism Cooperative Research Centre, the Commonwealth Government, and the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation. She also receives a small quarterly honorarium as Chair of the Autism Queensland Advisory Committee.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Sunnyvale, April 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Codeproof Technologies Inc., the go-to mobile security partner for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), today announced chatMDM – delivering enterprise-grade device management through an AI chatbot that works like natural texting.
Why chatMDM Changes Everything
Traditional MDM systems demand specialized training and involve cumbersome navigation. chatMDM breaks down these barriers by offering:
Type-to-Command: Simply type requests like “lock all Finance team devices” or “show apps on iPhone 12” to execute actions effortlessly.
Bulk Actions: Seamlessly manage thousands of devices with intuitive chat prompts for rebooting, wiping, messaging, and more.
Real-Time Insights: Instantly query critical information—battery levels, security status, installed apps, and more.
Role-Based Security: Benefit from enterprise-grade controls and comprehensive audit logs that ensure compliance with SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR.
“chatMDM replaces complex menus and tabs with one text command – like giving every IT team an AI co-pilot for their device fleet,” said Satish Shetty, CEO of Codeproof Technologies. “What took 10 clicks now takes 10 seconds. For SMBs juggling limited staff and growing security needs, this isn’t just an upgrade – it’s survival.”
Key Use Cases
Help Desks: Resolve employee device issues 3x faster with AI-guided troubleshooting. For example, Resolve “My iPad won’t update” issues via chat.
Retail/Healthcare: Manage kiosks, tablets, and BYOD fleets hands-free. For example, Push apps to all store tablets with a typed request.
IT Teams: Quickly isolate or datawipe compromised devices via chat.
Education: lock stolen student devices via SMS-like commands.
Availability
chatMDM launches today as a free upgrade for all Cyber Device Manager® customers. For additional details, please refer to the chatMDM User Guide.
About Codeproof Technologies Inc.
Codeproof Technologies is a Silicon Valley-based cybersecurity innovator specializing in AI-driven endpoint management. Our flagship platform, Cyber Device Manager®, simplifies mobile security for businesses of all sizes—combining enterprise-grade protection with intuitive controls. Trusted by 10,000+ organizations with strategic partnerships including T-Mobile, Verizon and Hyperion Partners, we’re redefining unified endpoint management for the conversational AI era.
For more information about chatMDM or to request a demo, please contact sales@codeproof.com or 1.866.986.BYOD
As summer fades into autumn, most Australian states and territories will set their clocks back an hour as daylight saving time ends and standard time resumes.
About one-third of the world also adjust their clocks seasonally, moving forward in spring and back in autumn (remember: spring forward; fall back).
In spring, losing an hour of sleep can leave us feeling tired, groggy and out-of-sync, making it hard to shake off that lingering sleepiness in the following days.
Although getting an extra hour of sleep in autumn might sound great, it’s not entirely positive either, as biannual time shifts – whether you’re gaining or losing an hour – can disrupt our biological clock.
This is why sleep experts and scientists who study the body clock (chronobiologists) often oppose the biannual clock changes. They argue we should eliminate daylight saving time and stick to standard time year-round.
So why do we have daylight saving time in the first place? And why is it contentious?
What’s daylight saving time for?
Daylight saving time was first introduced during World War I as a wartime measure to conserve fuel.
However, modern research shows that daylight saving time does not meaningfully reduce overall energy use. It can even increase it: while Australians use less power for lighting during daylight saving time, we use more for air conditioning during hot weather.
These days, daylight saving is debated mainly for its potential economic and social benefits, such as extended evening daylight for recreation, shopping and traffic safety, as well as for its health implications.
What happens in our body?
Humans have a longstanding, evolutionary-conserved biological or circadian clock.
To keep everything running smoothly, the biological clock depends on natural daylight. Exposure at the right time is particularly important for sleep. Morning sunlight helps wake you up, while evening light signals your body to stay awake, meaning you stay up later and get up later in the morning.
When we adjust the time on our clocks by one hour, we shift our social schedules, such as work or school times and social activities, and the timing of light exposure. When we switch our clocks back to standard time, most people experience sunrise and sunset earlier relative to their biological clock.
Conversely, under daylight saving time, morning light is delayed, so we encounter sunlight later in relation to our internal clock. This “circadian misalignment” can throw our biological clock out of sync, adversely affecting bodily functions.
This is especially problematic for people who already experience a persistent circadian misalignment (social jetlag), such as shift workers and those who prefer to stay up late in the evening and wake up later in the morning (night owls).
How the ‘spring forward’ can affect your health
Most research on biannual clock changes has historically focused on the spring switch, the transition from standard time to daylight saving.
It’s also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and mental health problems, with studies reporting a 4–29% increase in heart attacks and a 6% increase in mental health crises and substance misuse. These are attributed to the acute disruptions in sleep and the body clock.
On standard time, mornings are bright and evenings are dark. But with daylight saving time, sunlight comes later, so you might stay up later and still need to wake up at the same time due to social obligations.
When that pattern persists, it can cause longer-term circadian misalignment. This “social jetlag” has been associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health.
How the ‘fall back’ can affect your health
The autumn transition from daylight saving time back to standard time is often perceived as beneficial because of the extra hour of sleep gained.
However, some research shows the autumn transition from daylight saving time back to standard time can disrupt wellbeing too. It is linked with increased restlessness during the night that compromises sleep.
It has also been linked to a rise in depressive episodes in Denmark, up to ten weeks after the transition to standard time. This may be due to the sudden start of earlier sunsets, which signals the start of a long period of short days.
The EU’s proposal to end biannual clock changes was approved in principle and awaits final agreement by all members states.
The US Senate has passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which now needs additional approval to become law.
From a circadian health perspective, permanent standard time aligns better with our biological clocks than permanent daylight saving time.
But people do not have to sacrifice their lifestyle preferences to live in tune with their biological clocks. Daylight saving time doesn’t provide more sunlight, it only shifts the timing.
So simple lifestyle adaptions, such as flexible work hours, can let people start working earlier in summer months and enjoy longer evenings even without changing the clock twice a year.
Meltem Weger has received funding from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (PhD fellowship; 2010-2012) and from the European Commission (Marie Curie Curie Postdoctoral fellowships; 2014-2016, 2017-2019).
Benjamin Weger receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council
and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
Scientists from Novosibirsk State University, together with colleagues from the Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymphology (NIIKEL, a branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, ICG SB RAS), the Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS (ICG SB RAS) and the G. I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP SB RAS) have established that terahertz radiation affects the energy metabolism of melanoma cells. To this end, they conducted experiments to study the effects of this type of electromagnetic radiation on human melanoma cells. This work is of a fundamental nature and expands our understanding of the biological effects of terahertz radiation, as well as cellular reactions to its effects. The results are published in the journal “Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids”.
Terahertz radiation (THzI) is electromagnetic waves whose frequency lies between the infrared and ultra-high-frequency (UHF) ranges: from 100 GHz to 10 THz. Modern technologies based on the use of electromagnetic waves in the terahertz range are widely used in biomedical sciences. For example, terahertz spectroscopy can be relevant in medical practice for the diagnosis of oncological diseases. At the same time, the THz region has not been fully studied, so fundamental research into the radiation of this electromagnetic spectrum and, first of all, the study of its biological effects on living systems are relevant.
— Our work is devoted to studying the fundamental mechanisms of the impact of non-ionizing radiation on biological objects, in this case, on human melanoma cells. However, the purpose of the study is not to develop treatment methods using terahertz radiation. We chose a melanoma cell line as a model, since it is a stable and well-studied system. This allows us to minimize the impact of side factors and be sure that the observed changes are associated with the impact of THz radiation, and not with the features of the cells’ vital activity, — the first-year postgraduate student commented Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU (major in biology), junior researcher at the laboratory of cell technologies at the Research Institute of Cellular and Electron Microbiology and Genetics, a branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterina Butikova.
These studies were conducted at the Novosibirsk Free Electron Laser (NFEL) of the Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS. Only this facility can generate radiation with the parameters required for these experiments: the frequency of the radiation used was 2.3 THz, and the average intensity was 0.05 W/cm2. The specialists exposed human melanoma cells grown in culture flasks to THzI. Irradiation at a radiation frequency of 2.3 THz was carried out at the user station of the Novosibirsk Free Electron Laser.
– The Novosibirsk LSE is a unique source of teragerz and infrared radiation. In terms of average power, it is many orders of magnitude exceeds any sources existing in the world, which allows you to conduct absolutely unique experiments in a very wide area of wavelengths with various biological objects. The fact is that biopolymers, such as proteins, have four spatial levels of organization. If the primary structure is determined by covalent bonds, then the secondary, tertiary and higher are determined by hydrogen bonds, the energy of which lies precisely in the area of TGC-radiation. Therefore, if we affect the TGCI on living systems, we can quite much affect the operation of their cells, on the processes that pass inside them. Such experiments are of interest from the point of view that no living organism has formed any protective mechanisms from TGC radiation, since it is completely absorbed by the atmosphere, which means that it affects the biological objects, it can be explored how they adapt, which protection mechanisms include. For such biological experiments, a special user station was created on NLSE, which implemented the technology for adjusting the average and peak radiation power, as well as the intensity of exposure. Since we work with living systems that feel comfortable in a very narrow temperature range, which was important for the purity of experiments to equip the station with a wiper and thermal imager – these devices support and control the desired temperature. Thanks to this, we understand that we get the reaction of the system precisely to the influence of irradiation, and not to the increase or decrease in temperature, ”explained Vasily Popik, senior researcher at the Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the Physical and Mathematics.
Three groups of cells participated in the experiment. One was irradiated with terahertz radiation, the second with infrared radiation (IR), and the third was a control group and was not affected in any way. The terahertz and IR groups were irradiated for 10 and 45 minutes. On the day of irradiation, specialists conducted cytotoxic tests on the cells. On the third day, they conducted metabolomic screening – an analysis of metabolites, or organic molecules involved in metabolism.
– Metabolites are small organic molecules that are involved in the metabolism in living organisms. They can be intermediate or final products of biochemical reactions, provide cells with energy, serve as a building material for cells or perform regulatory functions. In the course of complex biochemical transformations, some substances are synthesized, others are destroyed, ensuring the energy balance, biosynthesis and the regulation of cellular functions. To study the biochemical state of cells and tissues, one of the most effective tools is metabolo screening. It allows you to fix changes in the metabolic composition of the body associated with physiological processes, diseases or external influences. Analysis of a wide range of metabolites helps to look into the molecular world of the cell and understand how it functions. In our laboratory, we conduct metabolon screening by the method of highly effective liquid chromatography with tandem mass-spectrometric detection (VEZH-MS/MS). Two years ago, we developed an approach that allows you to analyze about 400 metabolites (including both polar compounds and lipids) in less than 30 minutes of analysis. This was made possible thanks to the use of a monolithic column for VEGH, created by the employees of the Catalysis Institute SB RAS Yu.S. Sotnikova and Yu.V. Patrushev, ”said the laboratory assistant of the laboratory of the molecular pathology of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technology of NSU, junior researcher at the Laboratory of Physiologically active substances of the Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry named after N.N. Vorozhtsova SB RAS (Nioh SB RAS) Nikita Basov.
The scientists have previously applied their metabolomic screening approach to plasma and dried blood spots, but its use in cell culture studies remained unexplored. In this work, they developed and tested a cell sample preparation protocol, assessed its limitations, and combined it for the first time with an analytical method to study the effects of terahertz radiation on melanoma cells.
Using metabolomic screening data and bioinformatics tools, the team of scientists concluded that terahertz radiation primarily affects the cell’s energy metabolism. To do this, they used the ANDSystem tool, an automated system that combines data from numerous biological databases and scientific publications, allowing them to identify functional links between genes, proteins, and metabolic pathways.
— Our studies show that THz radiation caused changes in the content of 40 metabolites, mainly in the pathways of purine and pyrimidine metabolism, and it also affects the level of ceramides and phosphatidylcholines. Analysis of genetic networks conducted by our colleagues from the Laboratory of Computer Proteomics of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences identified mitochondrial membrane proteins as key regulators of the biosynthesis of these metabolites. In addition, THz radiation apparently disrupts the structure of lipid rafts, which affects mitochondrial transport, but does not affect the integrity of proteins. Metabolic effects were specific to THzI and differed from the thermal effects observed with infrared radiation, — added Ekaterina Butikova.
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: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is delighted to announce that Daniel Lee has been accepted for admittance to the United States Military Academy (Army) at West Point.
Daniel Lee
“I’m so pleased to announce Daniel has been accepted at West Point,” said Congresswoman Amata. “He now has a fully qualified appointment to the United States Military Academy. His achievement is a mark of excellence that is the result of hard work and dedication. I want to send out a special thank you and congratulations to each one of his family, teachers, Pacific Horizons School, and especially his proud parents.”
A Service Academy acceptance requires maintaining high grades throughout the entirety of high school. The Service Academies require strong academics, high test scores, and additionally, those offered an appointment must also demonstrate extracurricular activities, volunteering or other roles which show leadership and motivation.
Congresswoman Amata nominated Daniel in January among a group of 12 students who sent in 15 total Service Academy applications from American Samoa. This is the second member of this year’s class of nominees accepted to one of the nation’s prestigious Service Academies, as Congresswoman Amata recently announced that Noralei Toussaint was accepted to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
What happens to bombs after they land? Some explode. Some don’t, leaving behind a deadly legacy of war, but now the remnants of conflict and devastation are being turned into wearable messages of peace.
“The purpose was to transform the negative energy of destruction into the positive energy of creation,” said Ukrainian designer Stanislav Drokin, who turns shrapnel into fine jewellery from his whimsical, functional home studio in war-torn Kharkiv.
As the world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness, observed annually on 4 April, ongoing demining initiatives are painstakingly removing and safely disposing unexploded weapons left behind on battlefields while artists like Mr. Drokin are crafting some of these fragments of war into one-of-a-kind jewellery, ornaments and sculptures.
For designers, there is plenty of material to work with.
From trenches to trinkets
Today, tens of millions of these deadly weapons remain scattered in former battle zones across the world long after the conflicts have ended.
Laos and Ukraine have among the world’s highest concentrations of unexploded ordnance. In Laos alone, only one per cent of the estimated 80 million now banned cluster bombs dropped during the Viet Nam War more than half a century ago have been safely deactivated and removed.
Unexploded ordnance continues to kill people around the world despite the history of mine action showing hard-won progress, according to UNMAS, the UN agency that runs demining operations, from Gaza to Ukraine.
In Ukraine, Mr. Drokin’s loft is both his workshop and home, where the renowned artist and university lecturer tells the story of war using shrapnel fragments brought to him by friends, colleagues, volunteers and military personnel following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“At the very beginning of the war, my creative workshop became a temporary warehouse for volunteers of the Kharkiv military hospital,” Mr. Drokin said.
Wondering how he could help Ukrainians when his frontline city is under constant artillery shelling, Mr. Drokin started working on the first of several collections in early May 2022.
Since then, he launched the Forget-me-not sculpture project, shaped from shell fragments and stylised titanium flowers, one of which sold for more than $14,000 at Sotheby’s in Geneva, all of which went to Lviv-based Superhumans, a centre serving adults and children maimed as a result of the war.
Next came the Revival collection, which unfolded after Mr. Drokin was contacted by Elizabeth Suda, founder of Article 22, a New York startup that sells pieces made of bomb remnants and supports demining in the territories contaminated by the tools of war.
“Pieces from the collection are symbols aimed at preserving information about tragedies, destruction and grief that wars bring in the memory of mankind,” Mr. Drokin said.
Designer Stanislav Drokin is interviewed by a local news team in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
‘Every piece tells a story’
At the Pen and Brush Gallery in New York’s trendy Flatiron neighbourhood, bracelets made from cluster bombs jangle on the arms of Kendall Silwonuk, who is setting up a pop-up shop with an array of Mr. Dorkin’s necklaces and other Article 22 items.
“Every piece tells a story,” Ms. Silwonuk said.
Holding up a heavy wooden block that Laotian artisans use to make bracelets, she explained the process. Artisans collect aluminium bomb casings from demining operations, melt them down and pour the liquified substance into heavy wood block molds. Once cooled, out pops a bracelet.
She said Article 22 supports initiatives to help communities to rebuild their lives, including through the US-based Legacy of War Foundation, founded by photojournalist Giles Duley, a triple amputee following injuries caused by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2011 and the first UN Global Advocate for persons with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding situations.
UN News
Kendall Silwonuk at an Article 22 pop-up shop in New York with an array of jewellery made of remnants of war.
‘Conscious commerce’
In Laos, Article 22’s Ms. Suda met with artisans crafting spoons out of cluster bomb remnants in the early 2000s and was determined to bring their skills and story to a wider audience.
She said the company’s name comes from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in which Article 22 states that “everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realisation, through national effort and international cooperation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.”
“This is a humanitarian issue that the public can be involved in by being first aware by supporting organizations that work to clear unexploded bombs from the land and by supporting any organization or business that is doing this work through a conscious commerce,” she said.
For the Laotian artisans working with Article 22, the collaboration has meant more income and cleared minefields now used to grow rice.
UNDP Lao PDR/Tock Soulasen Phomm
A local rice farmer in Laos.
Blending chaos with harmony
Back in Kharkiv, Mr. Drokin is now sketching new designs using precious coloured stones and diamonds to “combine them with fragments created by the crazy energy of the explosion” for his growing audience. That includes presidents, volunteers, journalists, mayors, doctors, philanthropists and military heroes, with some pieces gracing private collections, from the National Museum of the History of Ukraine to the East Wing of the White House in Washington.
“I love to combine harmony and chaos, use the emotions of colour and its combinations and emphasise the images and forms created by man and nature,” he said. “As a lecturer, I want to pass on knowledge and accumulated experience to students to bring a sense of responsibility, harmony and peace to the younger generation.”
Does he have a favourite piece?
“It will be the last piece I create after the war, when the long-awaited and just peace comes, people stop dying and the contaminated land of Ukraine is cleared of unexploded mines, missiles and shells,” Mr. Drokin said.
While some artisans in Laos and Ukraine continue to ply a brisk trade, the trend of salvaging and recycling remnants of war into wearable art is emerging around the world.
UN Photo/Martine Perret
Deminers in Bunia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Here are just a few:
In Colombia, even before the decades-old war ended, jewellery designers produced collections crafted from bullet casings, with some continuing to this day
In Cambodia, remnants of half-century-old brass bombshells are being salvaged by an association and incorporated into jewellery to promote peace
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), retrieved bullet casings and AK47 machine gun are being integrated into wristwatches and wedding bands
In Israel and Palestine, some of the tens of thousands of fallen bombs and rockets are now mezuzahs, statues, necklaces and charms
“Samsung’s QLED technology played a crucial role in bringing quantum dots to the level of recognition needed for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.”
— Taeghwan Hyeon, Seoul National University
Quantum dots have been at the forefront of display innovation over the past decade, delivering some of the most accurate color reproduction among existing materials. In 2015, Samsung Electronics paved the way for the commercialization of quantum dots with the launch of SUHD TVs — a breakthrough that moved beyond the use of cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal traditionally utilized in quantum dot synthesis, by introducing the world’s first no-cadmium quantum dot technology.
The academic world took notice. The successful commercialization of cadmium-free quantum dot TVs not only set a new direction for research and development but also played a pivotal role in the awarding of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.
Following Part 1, Samsung Newsroom uncovers how Samsung has contributed to academia through groundbreaking advances in material innovation.
▲ (From left) Taeghwan Hyeon, Doh Chang Lee and Sanghyun Sohn
Why Cadmium Was the Starting Point for Quantum Dot Research
“I was truly impressed that Samsung succeeded in commercializing a no-cadmium quantum dot display product.”
— Taeghwan Hyeon, Seoul National University
Quantum dots began attracting scientific interest in the 1980s when Aleksey Yekimov, former Chief Scientist at Nanocrystals Technology Inc., and Louis E. Brus, a professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University, each published their researches on the quantum confinement effect and the size-dependent optical properties of quantum dots.
Momentum accelerated in 1993 when Moungi Bawendi, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), developed a reliable method for synthesizing quantum dots. In 2001, Taeghwan Hyeon, a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU), invented the “heat-up process” — a technique for producing uniform nanoparticles without the need for size-selective separation. In 2004, Hyeon published a scalable production method in the academic journal Nature Materials — a discovery widely regarded as a potential game changer in the industry.
▲ Taeghwan Hyeon
However, these efforts did not immediately lead to commercialization. At the time, quantum dots relied heavily on cadmium(Cd) as a core material — a substance known to be harmful to humans and designated as a restricted material under the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive.
“Currently, the only materials capable of reliably producing quantum dots are cadmium selenide (CdSe) and indium phosphide (InP),” explained Hyeon. “Cadmium selenide, the conventional quantum dot material, is a compound of group II and group VI elements, while indium phosphide is formed from group III and group V elements. Synthesizing quantum dots from group II and VI elements is relatively straightforward, but combining group III and V elements is chemically much more complex.”
▲ A comparison of cadmium-based quantum dots with ionic bonds and indium-based quantum dots with covalent bonds
Cadmium, an element with two valence electrons, forms strong ionic bonds1 with elements like selenium (Se), sulfur (S) and tellurium (Te) — each of which has six valence electrons. These combinations result in stable semiconductors, known as II–VI semiconductors, materials that have long been favored in research for their ability to produce high-quality nanocrystals even at relatively low temperatures. As a result, the use of cadmium in quantum dot synthesis was considered an academic standard for many years.
In contrast, indium (In) — an alternative to cadmium with three valence electrons — forms covalent bonds2 with elements such as phosphorus (P), which has five valence electrons. Covalent bonds are generally less stable than ionic bonds and have a directional nature, increasing the likelihood of defects during nanocrystal synthesis. These characteristics have made indium a challenging material to work with in both research and mass production.
“It is difficult to achieve high crystallinity in quantum dots made from indium phosphide,” Lee noted. “A complex and demanding synthesis process is required to meet the quality standards necessary for commercialization.”
No Compromise – From Breakthrough to Mass Production
“There is simply no room for compromise when it comes to consumer safety.”
— Sanghyun Sohn, Samsung Electronics
Samsung, however, took a different approach.
“We had been researching and developing quantum dot technology since 2001,” said Sanghyun Sohn, Head of Advanced Display Lab, Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics. “But early on, we determined that cadmium — which is harmful to the human body — was not suitable for commercialization. While regulations in some countries technically allow up to 100 parts per million (ppm) of cadmium in electronic products, Samsung adopted a zero-cadmium policy from the start. No cadmium, no compromise — that was our strategy. There is simply no room for compromise when it comes to consumer safety.”
▲ Sanghyun Sohn
Samsung’s long-standing commitment to its principle of “No Compromise on Safety” came to the forefront in 2014 when the company successfully developed the world’s first no-cadmium quantum dot material. To ensure both durability and image quality, Samsung introduced a triple-layer protective coating technology that shields indium phosphide nanoparticles from external factors such as oxygen and light. The following year, Samsung launched the world’s first commercial SUHD TV with no-cadmium quantum dots — a paradigm shift in the display industry and the culmination of research efforts that began in the early 2000s.
“Indium phosphide-based quantum dots are inherently unstable and more difficult to synthesize compared to their cadmium-based counterparts, initially achieving only about 80% of the performance of cadmium-based quantum dots,” said Sohn. “However, through an intensive development process at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), we successfully raised performance to 100% and ensured reliability for more than 10 years.”
▲ The three components of quantum dots
Quantum dots found in Samsung QLEDs are composed of three key components — a core, where light is emitted; a shell, which protects the core and stabilizes its structure; and a ligand, a polymer coating that enhances oxidation stability outside the shell. The essence of quantum dot technology lies in the seamless integration of these three elements, an advanced industrial process that spans from material acquisition and synthesis to mass production and the filing of numerous patents.
“None of the three components — core, shell or ligand can be overlooked,” added Lee. “Samsung’s technology for indium phosphide synthesis is outstanding.”
“Developing a technology in the lab is a challenge in itself, but commercialization requires an entirely different level of effort to ensure product stability and consistent color quality,” said Hyeon. “I was truly impressed that Samsung succeeded in commercializing a no-cadmium quantum dot display product.”
Setting the Quantum Dot Standard
“Research trends in the academic community shifted noticeably before and after the release of Samsung’s quantum dot TVs.”
— Doh Chang Lee, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
The optical properties of quantum dots are being applied to a wide range of fields, including solar cells, medicine and quantum computing. However, the quantum dot display remains the most actively researched and widely commercialized application to date — with Samsung emerging as a pioneer.
Building on years of foundational research and the introduction of its SUHD TVs, Samsung launched its QLED TVs in 2017 and set a new standard for premium displays. In 2022, the company pushed innovation further with the debut of QD-OLED TVs — the world’s first display to combine quantum dots with an OLED structure.
▲ A comparison of LCD, QLED and QD-OLED structures
QD-OLED is a next-generation display technology that integrates quantum dots into the self-emissive structure of OLED. This approach enables faster response times, deeper blacks and higher contrast ratios. Samsung’s QD-OLED was awarded Display of the Year in 2023 by the Society for Information Display (SID), the world’s largest organization dedicated to display technologies.
“Samsung has not only led the market with its indium phosphide-based quantum dot TVs but also remains the only company to have successfully integrated and commercialized quantum dots in OLEDs,” said Sohn. “By leveraging our leadership in quantum dot technology, we will continue to lead the future of display innovation.”
▲ Doh Chang Lee
“Research trends in the academic community shifted noticeably before and after the release of Samsung’s quantum dot TVs,” said Doh Chang Lee, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). “Since its launch, discussions have increasingly focused on practical applications rather than the materials themselves, reflecting the potential for real-world implementation through display technologies.”
“There have been many attempts to apply quantum dots in various fields including photocatalysis,” he added. “But these efforts remain in the early stages compared to their use in displays.”
Hyeon also noted that the successful commercialization of Samsung’s quantum dot TVs helped pave the way for Bawendi, Brus and Yekimov to receive the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
“One of the most important criteria for the Nobel Prize is the extent to which a technology has contributed to humanity through commercialization,” he said. “Samsung’s QLED represents one of the most significant achievements in nanotechnology. Without its commercialization, it would have been difficult for quantum dots to earn Nobel recognition.”
Samsung’s Vision for Tomorrow’s Displays
Since the launch of its QLED TVs, Samsung has accelerated the growth of quantum dot technology in both industry and academia. When asked about the future of quantum dot displays, the experts shared their insights on what lies ahead.
“As a next-generation technology, we are currently exploring self-emissive quantum dots,” said Sohn. “Until now, quantum dots have relied on external light source to express red and green. Going forward, we aim to develop quantum dots that emit light independently through electroluminescence — producing all three primary colors by injecting electrical energy. We are also working on the development of blue quantum dots.”
“As electroluminescent materials make it possible to reduce the size of device components, we’ll be able to achieve the high resolution, efficiency and brightness required for virtual and augmented reality applications,” said Lee, predicting a major transformation in the future of displays.
“A good display is one the viewer doesn’t even recognize as a display,” said Sohn. “The ultimate goal is to deliver an experience that feels indistinguishable from reality. As a leader in quantum dot display innovation, we will proudly continue to move forward.”
With its continued leadership and bold technological vision, Samsung is shaping the future of displays and rewriting what’s possible with quantum dots.
1 An ionic bond is a chemical bond formed when electrons are transferred between atoms, creating ions that are held together by electrical attraction.2 A covalent bond is a chemical bond in which two atoms share electrons.
“One of the reasons Samsung focused on quantum dots is their exceptionally narrow peaks of the emission spectrum.”
— Sanghyun Sohn, Samsung Electronics
In 2023, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. The Nobel Committee recognized the groundbreaking achievements of scientists in the field — noting that quantum dots have already made significant contributions to the display and medical industries, with broader applications expected in electronics, quantum communications and solar cells.
Quantum dots — ultra-fine semiconductor particles — emit different colors of light depending on their size, producing exceptionally pure and vivid hues. Samsung Electronics, the world’s leading TV manufacturer, has embraced this cutting-edge material to enhance display performance.
Samsung Newsroom sat down with Taeghwan Hyeon, a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU); Doh Chang Lee, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST); and Sanghyun Sohn, Head of Advanced Display Lab, Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics, to explore how quantum dots are ushering in a new era of display technology.
Understanding the Band Gap
Quantum Dots – The Smaller the Particle, the Larger the Band Gap
Engineering Behind Quantum Dot Films
Real QLED TVs Use Quantum Dots To Create Color
Understanding the Band Gap
“To understand quantum dots, one must first grasp the concept of the band gap.”
— Taeghwan Hyeon, Seoul National University
The movement of electrons causes electricity. Typically, the outermost electrons — known as valence electrons — are involved in this movement. The energy range where these electrons exist is called the valence band, while a higher, unoccupied energy range that can accept electrons is called the conduction band.
An electron can absorb energy to jump from the valence band to the conduction band. When the excited electron releases that energy, it falls back into the valence band. The energy difference between these two bands — the amount of energy an electron must gain or lose to move between them — is known as the band gap.
▲ A comparison of energy band structures in insulators, semiconductors and conductors
Insulators like rubber and glass have large band gaps, preventing electrons from moving freely between bands. In contrast, conductors like copper and silver have overlapping valence and conduction bands — allowing electrons to move freely for high electrical conductivity.
Semiconductors have a band gap that falls between those of insulators and conductors — limiting conductivity under normal conditions but allowing electrical conduction or light emission when electrons are stimulated by heat, light or electricity.
“To understand quantum dots, one must first grasp the concept of the band gap,” said Hyeon, emphasizing that a material’s energy band structure is crucial in determining its electrical properties.
Quantum Dots – The Smaller the Particle, the Larger the Band Gap
“As quantum dot particles become smaller, the wavelength of emitted light shifts from red to blue.”
— Doh Chang Lee, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductor crystals with unique electrical and optical properties. Measured in nanometers (nm) — or one-billionth of a meter — these particles are just a few thousandths the thickness of a human hair. When a semiconductor is reduced to the nanometer scale, its properties change significantly compared to its bulk state.
In bulk states, particles are sufficiently large so the electrons in the semiconductor material can move freely without being constrained by their own wavelength. This allows energy levels — the states that particles occupy when absorbing or releasing energy — to form a continuous spectrum, like a long slide with a gentle slope. In quantum dots, electron movement is restricted because the particle size is smaller than the electron’s wavelength.
▲ Size determines the band gap in quantum dots
Imagine scooping water (energy) from a large pot (bulk state) with a ladle (bandwidth corresponding to an electron’s wavelength). Using the ladle, one can adjust the amount of water in the pot freely from full to empty — this is the equivalent of continuous energy levels. However, when the pot shrinks to the size of a teacup — like a quantum dot — the ladle no longer fits. At that point, the cup can only be either full or empty. This illustrates the concept of quantized energy levels.
“When semiconductor particles are reduced to the nanometer scale, their energy levels become quantized — they can only exist in discontinuous steps,” said Hyeon. “This effect is called ‘quantum confinement.’ And at this scale, the band gap can be controlled by adjusting particle size.”
The number of molecules within the particle decreases as the size of the quantum dot decreases, resulting in weaker interactions of molecular orbitals. This strengthens the quantum confinement effect and increases the band gap.1 Because the band gap corresponds to the energy released through relaxation of an electron from the conduction band to the valence band, the color of the emitted light changes accordingly.
“As particles become smaller, the wavelength of emitted light shifts from red to blue,” said Lee. “In other words, the size of the quantum dot nanocrystal determines its color.”
Engineering Behind Quantum Dot Films
“Quantum dot film is at the core of QLED TVs — a testament to Samsung’s deep technical expertise.”
— Doh Chang Lee, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Quantum dots have attracted attention across a variety of fields, including solar cells, photocatalysis, medicine and quantum computing. However, the display industry was the first to successfully commercialize the technology.
“One of the reasons Samsung focused on quantum dots is the exceptionally narrow peaks of their emission spectrum,” said Sohn. “Their narrow bandwidth and strong fluorescence make them ideal for accurately reproducing a wide spectrum of colors.”
▲ Quantum dots create ultra-pure red, green and blue (RGB) colors by controlling light at the nanoscale, producing narrow bandwidth and strong fluorescence.
To leverage quantum dots effectively in display technology, materials and structures must maintain high performance over time, under harsh conditions. Samsung QLED achieves this through the use of a quantum dot film.
“Accurate color reproduction in a display depends on how well the film utilizes the optical properties of quantum dots,” said Lee. “A quantum dot film must meet several key requirements for commercial use, such as efficient light conversion and translucence.”
▲ Sanghyun Sohn
The quantum dot film used in Samsung QLED displays is produced by adding a quantum dot solution to a polymer base heated to a very high-temperature, spreading it into a thin layer and then curing it. While this may sound simple, the actual manufacturing process is highly complex.
“It’s like trying to evenly mix cinnamon powder into sticky honey without making lumps — not an easy task,” said Sohn. “To evenly disperse quantum dots throughout the film, several factors such as materials, design and processing conditions must be carefully considered.”
Despite these challenges, Samsung pushed the boundaries of the technology. To ensure long-term durability in its displays, the company developed proprietary polymer materials specifically optimized for quantum dots.
“We’ve built extensive expertise in quantum dot technology by developing barrier films that block moisture and polymer materials capable of evenly dispersing quantum dots,” he added. “Through this, we not only achieved mass production but also reduced costs.”
Thanks to this advanced process, Samsung’s quantum dot film delivers precise color expression and outstanding luminous efficiency — all backed by industry-leading durability.
“Brightness is typically measured in nits, with one nit equivalent to the brightness of a single candle,” explained Sohn. “While conventional LEDs offer around 500 nits, our quantum dot displays can reach 2,000 nits or more — the equivalent of 2,000 candles — achieving a new level of image quality.”
▲ RGB gamut comparisons between visible light spectrum, sRGB and DCI-P3 in a CIE 1931 color space
* CIE 1930: A widely used color system announced in 1931 by the Commission internationale de l’éclairage
* sRGB (standard RGB): A color space created cooperatively by Microsoft and HP in 1996 for monitors and printers
* DCI-P3 (Digital Cinema Initiatives – Protocol 3): A color space widely used for digital HDR content, defined by Digital Cinema Initiatives for digital projectors
By leveraging quantum dots, Samsung has significantly enhanced both brightness and color expression — delivering a visual experience unlike anything seen before. In fact, Samsung QLED TVs achieve a color reproduction rate exceeding 90% of the DCI-P3 (Digital Cinema Initiatives – Protocol 3) color space, the benchmark for color accuracy in digital cinema.
“Even if you have made quantum dots, you need to ensure long-term stability for them to be useful,” said Lee. “Samsung’s industry-leading indium phosphide (InP)-based quantum dot synthesis and film production technologies are testament to Samsung’s deep technical expertise.”
Real QLED TVs Use Quantum Dots To Create Color
“The legitimacy of a quantum dot TV lies in whether or not it leverages the quantum confinement effect.”
— Taeghwan Hyeon, Seoul National University
As interest in quantum dots grows across the industry, a variety of products have entered the market. Nonetheless, not all quantum dot-labeled TVs are equal — quantum dots must sufficiently contribute to actual image quality.
▲ Taeghwan Hyeon
“The legitimacy of a quantum dot TV lies in whether or not it leverages the quantum confinement effect,” said Hyeon. “The first, fundamental requirement is to use quantum dots to create color.”
“To be considered a true quantum dot TV, quantum dots must serve as either the core light-converting or primary light-emitting material,” said Lee. “For light-converting quantum dots, the display must contain an adequate amount of quantum dots to absorb and convert blue light emitted by the backlight unit.”
▲ Doh Chang Lee
“Quantum dot film must contain a sufficient amount of quantum dots to perform effectively,” repeated Sohn, emphasizing the importance of quantum dot content. “Samsung QLED uses more than 3,000 parts per million (ppm) of quantum dot materials. 100% of the red and green colors are made through quantum dots.”
Samsung began developing quantum dot technology in 2001 and, in 2015, introduced the world’s first no-cadmium quantum dot TV — the SUHD TV. In 2017, the company launched its premium QLED lineup, further solidifying its leadership in the quantum dot display industry.
In the second part of this interview series, Samsung Newsroom takes a closer look at how Samsung not only commercialized quantum dot display technology but also developed a cadmium-free quantum dot material — an innovation recognized by Nobel Prize-winning researchers in chemistry.
1 When a semiconductor material is in its bulk state, the band gap remains fixed at a value characteristic of the material and does not depend on particle size.
Tasmania Police has welcomed 15 new constables into its ranks today, with recruit course 5/2024 officially graduating from the police academy. Education and Training Commander Damien George said the new officers have worked hard to complete their training and are ready to begin serving the Tasmanian community from next week. “Each one of these 15 people should be extremely proud of what they have already achieved, and I look forward to seeing where their new career takes them,” he said. “From project managers to personal trainers, our new police officers will bring a range of past experiences to the job when they hit the beat in Glenorchy, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, Bridgewater and Hobart.” “They’re stepping into roles which are anything but ordinary, with each shift offering a new opportunity to serve and engage with our communities.” “I encourage anyone who’s looking to find purpose and a job where every moment matters to consider applying to join Tasmania Police.” “At Tasmania Police, your actions have meaning, your efforts have purpose, and your presence makes a difference.” Constable Callan Sexton and Constable Kate McMaster have been awarded Dux of Course and Runner-up Dux of Course, respectively. Both new officers said they are looking forward to their first day in the job. “It’s an exciting thing to be finishing up our time at the academy and then starting brand new at our stations,” Constable Sexton said. Constable McMaster said she can’t wait to start her new career. “My advice for anyone thinking of applying, is to go for it.” “It’s never too late to apply or change your career – prior to joining Tasmania Police I had been studying at university for a decade”. “I decided to apply because of the dynamic nature of the job, and the endless opportunities provided,” she said. For more information about Tasmania Police recruitment, visit https://recruitment.police.tas.gov.au/
Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement after voting to confirm Dr. Mehmet Oz as Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):
“Ensuring that Medicare and Medicaid remain strong and accessible for millions of Americans, including many in my state of West Virginia, remains a priority. Dr. Oz brings a wealth of medical knowledge and a deep understanding of the challenges facing patients and providers alike. His experience as a physician and communicator uniquely positions him to lead CMS at an important time for our healthcare system. I look forward to working with him promote healthcare solutions, and improve health outcomes for families across our country,” Senator Capito said.
Senator Capito previously met with Ozin Februaryto discuss his nomination and learn more about his vision to lead CMS.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne
Street trees usually grow in appalling soils, have little space for their roots, are rarely watered and often get aggressively trimmed by road authorities or utility companies.
If they do get established, many street trees suffer damage from vehicles, have to live in wind tunnels or are forced to grow in the permanent shade of large buildings.
But despite everything we throw at them, many street trees don’t just survive, they thrive. So let’s meet one of these heroic species: the yellow gum, (Eucalyptus leucoxylon).
Pretty but tough
Yellow gum is widely planted across southeastern and eastern Australia as a street tree. In some suburbs and towns, it is so common that people think it is a native tree (in fact it is from South Australia, Victoria or southwest New South Wales).
It is not to be confused with yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora), a different eucalypt altogether.
Yellow gum has been widely planted because it meets many of the demands we place on urban trees.
It’s called yellow gum in Victoria and parts of NSW, but is often known as blue gum in SA.
The common names can be confusing, but yellow gum refers to its pale yellow wood and bark patches, while blue gum refers to its leaves.
Many specimens develop dense, low, spreading canopies, which offer lovely shade and help cool our cities down.
And importantly, it doesn’t grow too big. It is typically a medium to small woodland tree, usually between 13 and 16 metres high (but it can grow higher in the wild).
Yellow gum has an attractive smooth trunk with yellow, blue-grey or cream patches. alybaba/Shutterstock
Different bird and insect species feed on the trees some feeding on flowers and fruits and others on the foliage.
Natural populations of yellow gum occur in coastal and inland SA, in the southwest corner of NSW and in the western half of Victoria from the Murray River to the coast.
There are several subspecies, too, and debate rages in botanical and horticultural circles about whether some of them deserve to be recognised as their own species.
Yellow gum is also tolerant of wind and salt spray, and can withstand waterlogged soils. They stood up to the millennium drought conditions well.
Many arborists think the yellow gum has the potential to do well in many parts of Australia as the climate changes. Research has shown, for example, that some individual yellow gum trees regulate their water use better (when compared to other individuals in the species, and when compared to other eucalypts).
Like many eucalypts, yellow gum possesses lots of dormant buds and a lignotuber (a swelling at the base of the trunk containing dormant buds and carbohydrate). This means it copes well with pruning and will respond especially well to targeted formative pruning when young.
This can help reduce the risk of problems such as what’s known as “co-dominant stems” (when two main stems grow from a single point of origin, instead of one tall, straight trunk) and rubbing or crossing branches.
Not everyone’s favourite
Not everybody likes the yellow gum, and for some good reasons.
Some yellow gums are multi-stemmed, while others have twisted and curving trunks; some have both. These are not the characteristics many local governments want in street trees; many want to see straight trunks and dense canopies.
Yellow gums often produce a lovely dense canopy. Gregory Moore
These problems can be so annoying that some council arborists no longer recommend planting yellow gums.
But these issues are due to poor tree selection and propagation. In the past, yellow gum seed was not carefully sourced from the best trees with the most suitable characteristics, and so inferior specimens have prospered.
With the right investment of time and money into tree selection, these problems can be overcome.
Ticking most of the boxes
All in all, yellow gum can be a very fine and useful urban tree.
The species grows well and if superior stock is used, the trees develop with straight and attractive trunks and wide, dense canopies.
They are typically medium-sized trees, do well in tough street conditions or in smaller domestic front and back yards.
They tick most, if not all, of the boxes for a good urban street tree.
Gregory Moore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
On Wednesday 2 April Whitireia and WelTec proudly celebrated the achievements of graduating ākonga (students) from the School of Health and Wellbeing, Pacific Health, Social Practice, and Te Wānanga Māori at a ceremony held at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua.
This special occasion marked the first of two graduation ceremonies in April, where over 1,000 ākonga will take their next steps equipped with the skills and knowledge to make a lasting impact in their communities.
The heartfelt whakapōtaetanga (graduation) ceremony attended by distinguished guests, including Dr Te Taku Parai (Ngāti Toa Rangatira), Porirua City Council Mayor Anita Baker, and Chief Nursing Officer at the Ministry of Health Lorraine Hetaraka, is a significant milestone for graduates, their whānau and friends.
Lorraine Hetaraka (Tapuika, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Kahu) delivered an inspiring keynote address. With her extensive background in nursing leadership and commitment to improving health outcomes for Māori and high-needs populations, Ms Hetaraka shared valuable insights with the graduates.
Congratulating the graduands, Ms Hetaraka shared her excitement for the future and the role they will play in it, stating “I am so proud to be here to honour our graduating students. The commitment, dedication and sometimes sacrifices you have all made to be able to graduate is a testament to the hard work you have done to become our future workforce. Future leaders and innovators who will no doubt positively contribute to the overall wellbeing of New Zealanders. Our future heroes are amongst you.”
Wendy Haywood, Bachelor of Nursing graduate, represented the ākonga body as speaker. Offering a perspective on the journey and aspirations of the graduating class and emphasising the importance of the support received by graduands from whānau, friends, tutors and support staff.
Mrs Haywood said, “we built strong bonds, we studied together, shared our hopes and our fears, offered each other a hug or tissue as needed. We leave not as individuals but as friends and colleagues. Yet we must remember that no one succeeds without the help of others, and we need to thank those that have supported us and those who are with us today. Thank you, our rocks, our cheerleaders. You have believed in us even when we have doubted ourselves. Your sacrifices, love and encouragement have brought us to this moment.”
This graduation highlights the commitment Whitireia and WelTec has to producing skilled professionals in health, wellness and social practice. The diverse range of qualifications awarded, from diplomas to postgraduate degrees, underscores their comprehensive approach to education in these critical fields.
Whitireia and WelTec Executive Director Mark Oldershaw spoke to the gathered cohort about the hard work and commitment it takes to reach this milestone. “Gaining skills and knowledge can be a truly life changing experience. Seeing our graduates excited and ready for the future reflects what is possible for everyone. We know your next steps will bring credit to yourself, to your families, and to the communities in which you live and work.”
The ceremony not only celebrated academic achievements it also emphasised the importance of culturally responsive and community-focused healthcare and social services. As these graduates enter their respective fields, they are poised to make significant contributions to the health and wellbeing of communities across New Zealand.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
NEWARK, N.J. – This Saturday afternoon U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) will hold a constituent town hall that is open to the public. Attendees must register to attend the event. Portions of the town hall will be made available online afterwards for those unable to attend. Please click here if you are interested in attending.
WHO U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)
WHEN Saturday, April 5th, 3 p.m. at 3:00 PM Doors Open at 2:30 PM
WHERE Bergen Community College Gymnasium – Pitkin Education Center 400 Paramus Road, Paramus NJ 07652
Parking Available in Lot B – there will be signs directing you where to park. Download the Campus Map here.
[NOTE: This event is now happening in Paramus, NJ. Due to demand, this event is no longer in Hackensack, NJ).
Food cuts this month and an earthquake that has devastated Myanmar and parts of Thailand will exacerbate living conditions for more than 110,000 refugees living along the Thai-Myanmar border and could force some children out of school, Save the Children said.
Due to budget shortfalls, The Border Consortium (TBC), a government and non-government organisation funded provider of food assistance for refugees living on the border, has said it will have to reduce food support this month, affecting more than 80% of families in nine camps. [1]
The situation inside the camps was already dire, with schools saying limited funding was leaving them unable to pay some teachers or repair school structures [2] ahead of the new academic year starting next month.
Now, parents struggling to put food on the table are being forced to make impossible choices, with many considering pulling their children out of school to help earn money or support the family’s basic needs.
With school fees now falling more heavily on parents, many families can no longer contribute towards school running costs, deepening the financial crisis for schools and risking the collapse of basic education services inside the camps.
“Even if you are not educated, everyone has to eat,” said Saw Paw, the parent of one refugee student. “Livelihood comes first now.”
Many teachers in the camps are refugees themselves and some have had to seek work outside the camps to support their families.
Thant Zin-, a teacher who lives inside the camps, said: “I can’t buy a sack of rice with the total amount my family receives through the food card support system. I have children, and to ensure they have food every day, I may have to give them porridge instead of rice a few days a week.”
Guillaume Rachou, Executive Director, Save the Children (Thailand) Foundation said:
“Save the Children, along with local partners, is assessing the safety of school structures following the 28 March earthquake including in 58 schools inside the refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.
“We must ensure schools, teachers and students in the camps are prepared to respond to natural hazards and mitigate their impact.”
The death toll from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar has risen to more than 2,000 with nearly 4,000 injured, according to the country’s state television channel MRTV, although these numbers are likely to rise as rescue efforts continue. In Thailand, at least 20 people have died and several buildings across the capital Bangkok have been deemed unsafe.
Save the Children supports 28,000 children living across nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. It is also responding to the mental health and well-being of Thai and Burmese teachers and their families across Thailand following the earthquake.
The child rights organisation is calling on donors to ensure children in these refugee camps are not forgotten in earthquake response and recovery efforts. Urgent humanitarian aid-including food, education, infrastructure, and psychosocial support-is critical to their recovery.
Save the Children has worked in Thailand since 1979 and works to support children who are most impacted by discrimination and inequality through programmes on education, child protection, livelihood and child rights governance.
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is reminding people to check their smoke alarms are working when daylight saving ends on Sunday 6 April.
Community Education Manager Tom Ronaldson says the routine for New Zealanders on Sunday morning is simple – wake up after enjoying an extra hour’s sleep, and check your smoke alarms.
“When you see the clocks have gone back, make sure you push the button on each of your smoke alarms,” he says.
“That beep is the sound of knowing you and your household can sleep safe at night.
“When you’re asleep, you can’t smell smoke, but smoke alarms can and they’ll wake you up if a fire gets started – so you can get out fast.
“Having working smoke alarms in every bedroom, living area and hallway is the first step in your three-step plan to escape a house on fire.
“If you don’t have alarms, it’s time to put that right.
“We recommend long-life interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms. If one alarm detects a fire, interconnected alarms will all go off at once, so everyone will be alerted to a fire sooner.
“In rental accommodation, landlords must provide working smoke alarms within three meters of every bedroom and on every level. It is the tenants responsibility to maintain them and replace the batteries when needed.
“If you do have alarms – do you have enough, are they in the right places, are they clean, and do they work? Press the button to be sure. If they do not make a sound, replace them immediately.
“Step two of your escape plan is having at least two clear paths out of each part of the house, and step three is having a safe meeting place.
Tom Ronaldson says that every year, the cooler weather brings a spike in the number of house fires caused by heat sources, such as heaters, chimneys, ash disposal, electric blankets and dryers. Therefore, it is important people are alert to the risks these items pose to their household.
“We see at least 50% more of these fires in May, June and July compared with the rest of the year,” he says.
“So having a working smoke alarm is even more essential right now.”
Fire and Emergency provides this advice to keep smoke alarms effective:
Once a month press the test button to sound the alarm.
If your smoke alarm beeps regularly when there is no smoke or fire, it might mean you need to change the battery or replace the alarm. We recommend long-life photoelectric smoke alarms.
Clean each smoke alarm with a vacuum cleaner every six months, as dust buildup can cause false alarms.
Check the expiry date on the bottom or side of the alarm. If there’s no expiry date, it’s best to replace the alarm.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
The federal election will be held in four weeks. A national YouGov poll, conducted March 28 to April 3 from a sample of 1,622, gave Labor a 51–49 lead, a one-point gain for Labor since the previous non-MRP YouGov poll taken March 14–19.
Primary votes were 35% Coalition (down two), 30% Labor (down one), 13% Greens (steady), 7% One Nation (steady), 2% Trumpet of Patriots (up one), 10% independents (up two) and 3% others (steady). YouGov is using respondent preferences from its last MRP poll. By 2022 election preference flows, Labor would lead by about 52–48.
Anthony Albanese’s net approval rose three points to -6, with 50% dissatisfied and 44% satisfied. Peter Dutton’s net approval slumped ten points to -15, his worst in YouGov’s polls and the first time he’s had a worse net approval than Albanese since June 2024. Albanese led as better PM by 45–38 (45–40 previously).
Since Sunday, we have had leaders’ ratings polls from Newspoll, Resolve, Freshwater, Essential and YouGov. A simple average of the net approval from these five polls has Albanese at net 7.8 and Dutton at net -12.
Here is the poll graph. Labor has led in four of the six polls taken since the budget, with the exceptions a 50–50 tie in Resolve and a Coalition lead by 51–49 in Freshwater. However, Labor’s lead is narrow, except in Morgan.
While the Coalition could regain the lead before the election, Donald Trump’s tariff announcement on Thursday may make it more difficult for the Coalition.
Essential poll: Labor takes slight lead
A national Essential poll, conducted March 26–30 from a sample of 1,144, gave Labor a 48–47 lead by respondent preferences including undecided (a 47–47 tie in mid-March). This was the first Labor lead in Essential since November, with the Coalition either leading narrowly or a tie since.
Primary votes were 34% Coalition (down one), 30% Labor (up one), 12% Greens (steady), 9% One Nation (up one), 2% Trumpet of Patriots (up one), 8% for all Others (down one) and 5% undecided (down one). By 2022 election flows, Labor would lead by about 51–49.
Albanese’s net approval was down three points to -2, with 46% disapproving and 44% approving. Dutton’s was down one point to -6. It’s Dutton’s worst net approval in Essential since October 2023.
By 52–32, voters thought Australia was on the wrong track (48–35 previously). Essential and Morgan have a big lead for wrong track, but Labor is ahead. Voters may be blaming Trump more than Labor.
By 61–29, voters did not think the federal budget would make a meaningful difference on cost of living (64–27 after the May 2024 budget). By 69–31, voters thought the government should prioritise the delivery of services, even if it means running a deficit, over prioritise running a surplus.
Voters were told the Trump administration wanted to pressure Australia into removing some policies using tariffs. By 65–15, voters supported the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and by 64–13 they supported making US companies pay tax on income generated in Australia.
Morgan poll: Labor retains solid lead
A national Morgan poll, conducted March 24–30 from a sample of 1,377, gave Labor a 53–47 lead by headline respondent preferences, unchanged from the March 17–23 poll.
Primary votes were 35% Coalition (down 0.5), 32% Labor (down 1.5), 13% Greens (up 0.5), 5.5% One Nation (up 1.5), 10.5% independents (up 0.5) and 4% others (down 0.5). By 2022 election flows, Labor led by 53.5–46.5, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition.
By 51.5–32, voters thought Australia was going in the wrong direction (52.5–32.5 previously). Morgan’s consumer confidence index was up 1.1 points to 85.3.
This term, Morgan’s results in general haven’t skewed to Labor relative to other polls, and Labor was behind in Morgan’s polls from November until late February. But Trump’s initial imposition of steel and aluminium tariffs on Australia on March 12 has seen Morgan move much more to Labor than other polls.
Additional Resolve and Newspoll questions and a NSW federal poll
I covered the national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers on March 30. In additional questions, by 60–15 voters thought Trump’s election was bad for Australia (40% bad in November). On threats to Australia in the next few years, 31% thought China the greatest threat, 17% the US, 4% Russia and 38% all equally.
Newspoll has been asking the same questions on the budget since 1988. The Poll Bludger said on Wednesday the March 25 budget was the fourth worst perceived on economic impact (at net -10), but about the middle on personal impact (net -19). The nine-point lead for “no” on would the opposition have delivered a better budget was about par for a Labor government.
A federal DomosAU poll of New South Wales, conducted March 24–26 from a sample of 1,013, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead (51.4–48.6 to Labor in NSW at the 2022 federal election). Primary votes were 38% Coalition, 30% Labor, 12% Greens, 9% One Nation and 11% for all Others.
Albanese led Dutton as preferred PM by 39–38. By 52–31, respondents did not think Australia was headed in the right direction.
Canadian election and US special elections
The Canadian federal election is on April 28. Polls continue to show the governing centre-left Liberals gaining ground, and they now lead the Conservatives by 43.4–37.6 in the CBC Poll Tracker.
US federal special elections occurred on Tuesday in two safe Republican seats. While Republicans easily retained, there were big swings to the Democrats from the 2024 presidential election results in those districts. A left-wing judge won an election to the Wisconsin state supreme court by 55–45. I covered the Canadian and US developments for The Poll Bludger.
WA election final lower house results
I previously covered Labor winning 46 of the 59 lower house seats at the March 8 Western Australian election. The ABC’s final two-party estimate was a Labor win by 57.2–42.8. While that’s way down from the record 69.7–30.3 in 2021, it’s up from 55.5–44.5 in 2017.
Final primary votes were 41.4% Labor (down 18.5% since 2021), 28.0% Liberals (up 6.7%), 5.2% Nationals (up 1.2%), 11.1% Greens (up 4.1%), 4.0% One Nation (up 2.8%), 3.2% Australian Christians (up 1.7%), 2.5% Legalise Cannabis (up 2.1%) and 3.3% independents (up 2.5%).
The upper house will be finalised next week. All above the line votes have been included, with only below the line votes to be added. Labor will win 15 of the 37 seats, the Liberals ten, the Nationals two, the Greens four and One Nation, Legalise Cannabis and the Christians one each. That leaves three unclear seats.
ABC election analyst Antony Green’s modelling of the effect of below the line votes suggests Labor’s 16th seat is in doubt and the Liberals won’t win an 11th seat. If this is correct, an independent group and Animal Justice will probably win two seats, with the final seat to be determined by preferences.
Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Resolution Text (PDF)
Washington (April 3, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) today announced the reintroduction of the Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights, a resolution calling for dignified wages, benefits, and working conditions for paraeducators, classroom assistants, bus drivers, custodial workers, and other essential school staff who far too often work for low wages, few benefits, and without job security. The resolution is cosponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
“Paraprofessionals and education support staff are the backbone of our education system. They deserve higher pay, better benefits, and improved working conditions. But instead of working to make that happen, we are forced to fight the Trump administration’s slashing of public education.” said Senator Markey. “Setting our sights higher for paraprofessionals and education workers is part of the fight, and the Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights will move us forward in guaranteeing these workers are treated with the dignity, respect, and recognition they have long deserved.”
“Paraprofessionals and support staff are an invaluable part of student learning. And yet, they struggle to make ends meet,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “The Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Resolution highlights the urgent need to improve wages, increase access to benefits, and formally recognize the efforts of these dedicated workers. This legislation strives to attract and help retain support staff which are critical in our schools.”
The Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights resolution calls for paraprofessionals and education support staff to have:
Livable, competitive wages, and access to benefits, including health care and paid leave;
The supplies, resources, and training they need to do their jobs;
Meaningful voice in workplace policies and the right to negotiate for better working conditions;
The dignity of safe, healthy, and adequate staffed workplaces and
Year-round job security and opportunities for growth.
The resolution is endorsed by National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Autism Society of America, Citizens for Public Schools, Council of Administrators of Special Education, Inc., Education Leaders of Color, First Focus on Children, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, National Rural Education Association (NREA), Network for Public Education, and the Arc of the United States.
“We applaud Senator Markey for standing with the paraprofessionals and education support professionals who are the heart of our classrooms, and yet are struggling to make ends meet and often working two to three jobs to support themselves. ESPs play critically important roles in our public schools in Massachusetts and nationwide, providing instruction and care to students with disabilities, assisting in early education classes, driving busses, preparing meals and so much more, and they need and deserve to be able to care for themselves and their families. Beyond being good for the ESPs themselves, schools need to be able to recruit and retain qualified and support staff. This is why, in Massachusetts and beyond, ESPs need a living wage, affordable health insurance and paid family and medical leave once and for all,” said Max Page, President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Deb McCarthy, Vice President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
“Paraprofessionals and education support staff are on the frontlines of helping students learn, ensuring their safety, and keeping our schools and colleges running. But too often, their salaries and benefits are far lower than other educators’, forcing them to work second and third jobs that make it harder for them to forge sustainable careers. The Paraprofessional and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights makes sure those who cook and clean in schools, drive our students, and work in front offices and classrooms are treated with dignity and respect, with fairer pay, better benefits, improved workplace safety and access to training. I am grateful for the leadership of Sen. Edward Markey and Rep. Jahana Hayes and thank them for taking action on this front,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers.
“Education support professionals play a critical role in strengthening our schools and communities, dedicating themselves to ensuring students are safe, healthy, and ready to learn every day, while also helping to create positive, supportive learning environments. Unfortunately, they often don’t receive the compensation, benefits, or recognition they truly deserve. Their contributions are critical to the success of our students, especially now, as the Trump Administration targets public education,” said Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association. “Passing the Paraprofessional and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights would show that Congress recognizes and values the essential contributions these dedicated workers make both inside and outside the classroom. We want to thank Senator Markey and Representative Hayes for their leadership in introducing this important legislation and urge Congress to act quickly in passing it. This will send a clear message to our Education Support Professionals that, as a nation, we respect and appreciate all they do for our students.”
“School support staff are the people who greet students at the start of each day, serve meals, support kids with disabilities, and keep classrooms clean and safe. They’ve been underpaid, overworked, and overlooked for too long. Now, Trump and his billionaire allies are trying to dismantle the Department of Education and weaken the very schools these workers hold together. Passing this resolution is an important way to show school support staff the respect they’ve earned—with real pay, real protections, and the dignity every worker deserves,” said Heather Conroy, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union.
“Paraprofessionals and school staff play an invaluable role in our classrooms and are at the heart of our public school — helping students learn, grow, and meet their basic needs,” said American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts President Jessica Tang. “Outside of the classroom, they’re important members of the community, many have kids and grandkids in the schools and live in the communities they serve. For far too long, paraprofessionals have been forced to work multiple jobs, or rely on public assistance, just to make ends meet. One job should be enough. It’s time our paraprofessionals receive the fair wages, benefits, and respect that reflects the important work they do every day,” said Jessica Tang, President of American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts.
Senator Markey is fighting back against the Trump administration’s attacks on education and standing up for students, educators, and their families. On March 20, Senator Markey slammed Trump’s Executive Order to dismantle the Department of Education. On March 11, Senator Markey delivered remarks on the Senate Floor to spotlight Trump’s plan to gut the Department. On February 27, Senator Markey introduced the No Cuts to Public Schools Act, which would prevent any cuts to federal education formula funding during the Trump administration. On February 10, Senator Markey held a press conference in Boston with Massachusetts educators and teachers’ unions on Trump’s vow to dismantle the Department, and the impact on Massachusetts students, educators, and communities.
On February 6, 2025, Senator Markey, members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, along with the Massachusetts Teachers Association, American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, released a joint statement after President Trump vowed to dismantle the Department of Education.
In January 2024, Senator Markey introduced the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act, legislation that would establish a grant program to help schools recruit, train, and retain paraeducators by funding pipeline and credentialing programs, high-quality professional development, and higher wages. In September 2023, Senator Markey introduced the Green New Deal for Public Schools Act, legislation that would invest $1.6 trillion over the next decade in public and Bureau of Indian Education schools to upgrade every public school building in the country; reduce hazardous pollution; give schools the resources to hire hundreds of thousands of educators, paraprofessionals, and counselors; invest in schools serving low-income students; and fully fund education for students with disabilities. Senator Markey first introduced the Paraprofessional and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights in November 2023.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)
Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) announced the beginning of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. The competition is open to all qualifying students grades 7-12 in Indiana’s 4th Congressional District who are looking to display their artistic passions.
“I am proud to announce my office is currently accepting submissions for the 2025 Congressional Art Competition,” said Rep. Baird. “This is an incredible opportunity for young artists in the Fourth Congressional District to showcase their artistic talent and have their work showcased in the U.S. Capitol Building. Each year, I am impressed by the exceptional artistic talent our students have, and I look forward to seeing even more outstanding submissions this year.”
The winner of the 2025 competition will have their artwork on display in the U.S. Capitol for an entire year and earn a free trip to Washington, D.C. to see their work on display. The winning artwork is also featured on the U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Art Competition Page.
Students, teachers, and parents are encouraged to submit one piece of original art to the Office of Congressman Jim Baird in Danville, IN along with their student release form. All entries MUST include the Student Information and Release Form for the competition. The submission deadline is Friday, April 25, 2025, at 5 PM ET. Please visit our website for more information.
Submissions can be mailed or dropped off at the office. As the winner will be displayed in Washington, D.C. for a full year, students should submit a piece that will not be needed for other purposes.
Office of Congressman Jim Baird 355 S. Washington Street Suite 210 Danville, IN 46122
All students in Indiana’s Fourth Congressional District in grades 7 through 12 are eligible to submit their work. Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.
Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork include:
Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (it is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed).
Collages: must be two dimensional.
Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints.
Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
Computer-generated art.
Photographs.
Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) that was created by someone other than the student is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted. Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting, drawing, etc.).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)
Rep. Baird Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order to Return Educational Power to Parents, States, and Communities
Washington, March 20, 2025
Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) released the following statement regarding President Trump’s Executive Order to return control over children’s education to parents, states, and local communities where it belongs. This Executive Order directs the Secretary of Education to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states while ensuring services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely continue uninterrupted.
“President Trump has made it clear: we are putting parents back in the driver’s seat of their children’s education, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. Since the Department of Education was created in 1979 under President Carter, educational outcomes have not improved. Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at the lowest levels in decades, while average per-pupil spending has increased. Our children deserve better.
“Indiana has been a leader in school choice for years, ensuring every Hoosier family has the freedom to choose the educational option that best fits their children’s needs. This Executive Order is a monumental step in making school choice a reality for every family, improving educational outcomes for our students, empowering parents, and making American education great again.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in reintroducing the IDEA Full Funding Act, legislation to ensure the federal government meets its obligation to fully fund special education. Stauber has been championing this issuesince he first arrived in Congress.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act, the federal government committed to pay 40% per pupil. However, that pledge has never been met, and in Minnesota, special education programs currently receive as little as 8% per pupil. Stauber has cosponsored the IDEA Full Funding Act to require regular, mandatory increases in IDEA spending over ten years until it hits 40%.
Of this legislation, Stauber stated, “For too long, the federal government has fallen short of its funding commitment to students with special needs, forcing schools to subsidize rising special education costs with general education funds. This leaves every student at a disadvantage. As the parent of a child with special needs, I am proud to continue the fight to ensure Congress fulfills its promise to our special needs students and their parents, so our educators can strengthen special education services while meeting the needs of every American student.”
This bill is co-led in the House by Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).
