MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On October 4, Mikhail Mishustin will present Government awards in the field of education. The event will be attended by the Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov.
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By the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 28, 2013 No. 744 10 annual prizes in the field of education have been established. They are awarded to individual laureates or a group of authors (up to five people) by decision of the Government based on proposals from the Interdepartmental Council for Awarding Government Prizes in the Field of Education.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: The White House
The President’s Commission on White House Fellows is pleased to announce the appointment of the 2024-2025 class of White House Fellows. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program offers exceptional young leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government. Fellows spend a year working with senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking Administration officials, and leave the Administration equipped to serve as better leaders in their communities. Fellowships are awarded on a non-partisan basis.
This year’s Fellows advanced through a highly competitive selection process, and they are a remarkably gifted, passionate, and accomplished group. These Fellows bring experience from across the country and from a broad cross-section of professions, including from the private sector, state government, academia, non-profits, medicine, and the armed forces.
Applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship year will be accepted starting November 1, 2024. The application link and additional information is available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/fellows/.
Class of 2024-2025 White House Fellows
Patrick Branco is from Kailua, Hawai‘i, and is placed at the Department of the Navy. He has been the Director of External Affairs with Hawai‘i Green Growth, a United Nations (UN) hub catalyzing action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for the Asia-Pacific region. Branco is the first from Hawai‘i to receive the Congressman Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, funding his master’s degree at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He served at the State Department in Colombia, Pakistan, Venezuela and the Secretary of State’s Operations Center. In 2020, he was elected to the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives. Branco currently serves as a U.S. Navy officer reservist and is proficient in Spanish, Korean, and Hawaiian.
Nicholas Dockery is from Indianapolis, Indiana, and is placed at the Office of the First Lady: Joining Forces Initiative. With a distinguished career in the Infantry and Special Operations Community, Nick has deployed to numerous combat zones and operational areas worldwide. For bravery and wounds in combat, Nick was awarded two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. His military experience is complemented by his academic and advisory roles; he served as a research fellow at the Modern War Institute and as an advisor to the Military Times Charitable Foundation. Nick has received the West Point Nininger Award for Valor at Arms, the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, and the title of 2022 Soldier of the Year. An advocate for equine therapy, Nick passionately supports its use in helping veterans cope with PTSD. Nick holds a Master of Public Policy from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Tawny Holmes Hlibok, Esq. is from West Palm Beach, Florida, and is placed at the Domestic Policy Council. As a third-generation Deaf person and attorney, she is a dedicated advocate for deaf children’s education rights and language equity including access to sign languages. Tawny is a tenured associate professor in Deaf Studies at the world’s only university for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, where she recently won $3.75 million funding to lead a national implementation and change center for early intervention with deaf babies and their families in partnership with HRSA and NICHQ. She also serves as the executive director of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf.
DeAnna Hoskins is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is placed at the Department of the Army. She has served as President/CEO of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), a national nonprofit that empowers people directly impacted by the criminal justice system. DeAnna is a nationally- recognized advocate and policy expert who has shifted the national narrative on the disparities and limitations of having a criminal background. She has served as Senior Policy Advisor and as Deputy Director of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council at the U.S. Department of Justice. DeAnna was also the founding Director of Reentry for Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners in Ohio.
Michael Kennedy is from Morehead City, North Carolina, and is placed at the United States Coast Guard. As a nurse practitioner, her career involves direct patient care while leading process improvement in rural and underserved settings. Michael attended Lenoir Community College to become a Registered Nurse and later earned a B.S. Nursing from Barton College. Witnessing disparities in practice led Michael to East Carolina University for an M.S. Adult Nurse Practitioner, Post-M.S. Nursing Leadership, Doctorate of Nursing Practice, and Post-DNP Nursing Education. To better serve her community, Michael completed a Post-M.S. Adult-Gerontological Acute Care NP and Post-DNP Psychiatric-Mental Health NP at Duke University. Michael is a Great 100 Nurse and Bonnie Jones Friedman Humanitarian Award recipient.
Hoa Nguyen is from Silver Spring, Maryland, and is placed at the National Economic Council and the United States Coast Guard. At Montgomery College, she is an associate professor and chair of the business department, where she helped implement a zero-textbook-cost Business degree, saving students thousands of dollars in education costs. Under her leadership, faculty and students have won multiple local, state and national awards and recognitions. Hoa also co-led numerous initiatives that led to the launch of the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Taskforce at the college. Hoa received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Arizona.
Amnahir Peña-Alcántara is from Bronx, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce: National Institute of Standards and Technology. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University funded by the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. Her research focuses on polymer blends for stretchable electronics. She graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering, and was a researcher at Northwestern University, Oxford University, and MIT. She has interned in wearable technology and textile fabrication companies in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and India.
Padmini Pillai is from Newton, Massachusetts, and is placed at the Social Security Administration. Padmini is an immunoengineer bridging the gap between discoveries in immunology and advances in biomaterial design to treat human disease. She has led a team at MIT developing a tumor-selective nanotherapy to eliminate hard-to-treat cancers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Padmini was featured in several media outlets including CNBC, The Atlantic, and The New York Times to discuss vaccination, immunity, and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities. Padmini received her Ph.D. in immunobiology from Yale University and a B.A. in biochemistry from Regis College.
Maddy Sharp is from San Diego, California, and is placed at the Office of the Second Gentleman. She is a physician leader committed to securing a healthier and more equitable future for all Americans. She has served as a health policy fellow for Senator Amy Klobuchar and a policy research fellow for Secretary John Kerry. Madison has performed clinical work and research in Nicaragua, Jordan, and the Navajo Nation to reduce health disparities and championed policies to enhance healthcare delivery. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Madison holds an M.D. from the Yale School of Medicine and B.A. from Yale University, where she captained the NCAA Division I field hockey team.
Jason Spencer is from Medford, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce. Jason is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy serving as an Information Warfare and Intelligence Officer. At sea, he was assigned to aircraft carriers and destroyers deployed to the Middle East and Europe. Ashore, Jason served as Targeting Officer and Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and later as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. At the Pentagon, he served as Senior Intelligence Briefer for the Chief of Naval Operations – Intelligence Plot and as an Executive Officer to the Joint Staff’s Director for Intelligence. Jason earned a B.A. in international studies and political science from Virginia Military Institute, an M.A. from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Nalini Tata is from New York City, New York, and is placed at the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. She is a neurosurgery resident at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she helps treat the spectrum of emergency and elective neurosurgical conditions between a level I trauma center and a world-renowned cancer institute. Her published work spans clinical and non-scientific journals with a focus on advancing equity in access to care. Her career in neurosurgery and long-standing interest in public policy are closely bound by a deep-rooted dedication to public service. She received her BSc in neurobiology from Brown University, MPhil from the University of Cambridge, M.D. from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and MPP in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Alexander Tenorio is from Los Angeles, California, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a neurological surgery resident at the University of California, San Diego. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrants and dedicated to improving health disparities. He has led a research team investigating neurological traumatic injuries at the U.S.-Mexico border with his published work featured in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. In his commitment for health equity, he partnered with Hospital General de Tijuana in Mexico to improve their neurosurgical care. He earned an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco and B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Zachary White II is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a Radiation Oncology resident physician and cancer researcher at Stanford University. Passionate about health equity, Zach co-chairs Stanford Medicine’s GME Diversity Committee, promoting diverse medical trainees’ recruitment and development, and provides health education to communities to improve health literacy. Zach graduated summa cum laude from Tuskegee University with a B.S. in biology and earned an M.S. in biomedical and health sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received his M.D. from the University of South Alabama, where he served as class president.
Ryan Wisz is from Aiken, South Carolina, and is placed at the Central Intelligence Agency. He is a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy serving as a Submarine Warfare officer. At sea, he has served aboard Attack and Ballistic Missile submarines and has deployed seven times, including missions vital to national security. Ashore, he has served as aide-de-camp to the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and as the Submarine Squadron Engineer in San Diego, California. Prior to military service, he was a Page in the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate. He received his B.S. in economics from the University of South Carolina and is a Distinguished Graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School with his MBA and published master’s thesis. He has received numerous personal and unit awards during his Navy service, is active in local tutoring, and passionate about financial education and physical fitness.
Mark York is a seventh-generation farmer from Lake Wilson, Minnesota, and is placed at the Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital. He is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Harvard, where he researches crowdsourcing and reinforcement learning algorithms in collaboration with MIT. He is the co-founder and President of Farm Yield Africa, a non-profit providing tractor services and microcredit to 1,500 farmers in Ghana since 2016. Mark has worked as a consultant, and before that he led a data science team at a startup building agricultural risk models. He began his career at Cargill as a commodity trader and data scientist. Mark studied agronomy and mathematics at South Dakota State University, where as Student Body President he introduced legislation at the state and local level.
Albertans living in rural and remote communities face unique challenges that require tailored supports and approaches to deliver safe, high-quality and sustainable health care services. To help guide actions, address challenges and improve outcomes in rural and remote health care, Alberta’s government is launching a Rural Health Action Plan.
As some of the first steps being taken under the action plan, Alberta’s government is introducing a $16-million Rural and Remote Family Medicine Resident Physician Bursary Pilot Program, an $800,000 Medical First Responder (MFR) Grant program and a $600,000 Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Education Grant program.
“There is an urgent need for customized supports in rural and remote communities across Alberta. This action plan will serve as a roadmap to build and maintain access to high-quality health care in these areas of the province.”
“Investing in our rural health care workforce is essential for communities across the province. The introduction of the Rural and Remote Family Medicine Resident Physician Bursary Pilot Program is a vital step toward attracting and retaining skilled professionals in Alberta’s rural and remote areas.”
Rural and Remote Family Medicine Resident Physician Bursary Pilot Program
To support family medicine residents who are interested in practising in rural or remote Alberta, Alberta’s government is introducing a $16-million Rural and Remote Family Medicine Resident Physician Bursary Pilot Program. This initiative will provide up to $8 million annually for the next two years.
Bursaries of either $125,000 (for rural stream applicants) or $200,000 (for remote stream applicants) will be available to medical students in their final year of an undergraduate medical program at any medical university who have been matched with a family medicine residency program at the University of Alberta or University of Calgary. The bursaries will also be available to residents currently completing a family medicine residency at the University of Alberta or University of Calgary, regardless of their year of study, including those graduating in June 2025. In return, bursary recipients will commit to delivering comprehensive patient care in eligible communities for three years after completing their residency, enhancing the capacity of rural and remote communities.
This initiative is one part of a comprehensive strategy to build a thriving rural and remote health care workforce. Applications for 2024-25 will open in December.
Medical First Responder Grant and Emergency Medical Responder Education Grant
Alberta’s government is also implementing two grant programs to strengthen rural, remote, and First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities by attracting and retaining paramedics. This will also support the work to address long emergency response times by funding new medical first responder programs in communities with limited access to health care services.
The initiative includes an $800,000 Medical First Responder (MFR) Agency Grant program to foster the establishment of new MFR agencies, and a $600,000 Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Education Grant program for communities with existing emergency medical services (EMS) stations to recruit and train a local workforce. MFR agencies in Alberta such as fire departments provide initial medical care and assistance to individuals in emergency situations before more advanced medical help arrives, playing a valuable role in the care of patients before they arrive at a hospital. These agencies often consist of trained volunteers or professionals who are equipped to respond to a wide range of medical emergencies, including cardiac arrests, traumatic injuries and respiratory distress. MFRs are key partners with EMS in Alberta that provide timely aid to patients and assist EMS when requested.
“This initiative is an exciting step in improving access to health care in rural and remote municipalities like ours, and we thank the provincial government for their commitment to taking swift and ongoing action to support and stabilize primary health care in our community.”
“The RMA is encouraged by the Government of Alberta’s efforts into applying a rural lens on how health care is funded, structured and delivered. This plan is a significant step towards designing and implementing a system that works for rural communities across the province.”
Quick facts
The Rural Health Care Action Plan will be reviewed and updated every three years.
Focus areas of the action plan include:
Workforce: Create a healthy, sustainable, engaged and efficient health workforce in rural and remote Alberta.
Access: Deliver high-quality and appropriate health care services when and where Albertans need it.
Models of Care: Create unique care models and solutions that serve the needs in rural and remote communities.
Community Care: Establish community-specific supports to promote the physical and mental well-being of rural and remote Albertans.
Prevention and Wellness: Support rural initiatives to reduce risk factors and encourage protective measures to reduce strain on the health system.
Bursary recipients will be free to practise and stay in a single community, move between communities or practise as locums, as long as they maintain a minimum patient panel and practise in Rural Remote Northern Program (RRNP) eligible communities.
The New Medical First Responder (MFR) Grant program will be used to fund up to 16 new programs at $50,000 per agency.
The Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Education Grant program is expected to fund about 25 courses. The cost will vary depending on associated travel costs.
Related information
Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System (MAPS)
Rural Health Action Plan
Emergency Medical Responder Education Grant
Medical First Responder Grant
Related news
Enhancing early detection of cervical cancer (Sept. 26, 2024)
Supporting innovation and growth in rural Alberta (Sept. 24, 2024)
Investing in Alberta’s Emergency Services (Feb. 21, 2024)
Strengthening health care: Improving access for all (Oct. 18, 2023)
Archie Moore: AFF and Samstag Moving Image Commission 2024 will feature as part of the Wirltuti (‘spring’ in Kaurna) season of exhibitions that run from 11 October to 29 November 2024.
During this time, Moore will transform the Samstag gallery with a scaled and meticulously recreated replica of his childhood home. This will be Moore’s fifth iteration of his series Dwelling, installations that explore the rooms and spaces of his childhood family home.
An ongoing investigation of memory and effects of colonisation, the exhibition draws on visual, auditory, haptic and olfactory elements in its staging. Moore has worked closely with filmmaker Molly Reynolds (Charlie’s Country, David Gulpillil) to realise the ambitious project.
Erica Green, Director, Samstag Museum of Art says it’s been an honour to work closely with Archie over the past two years on his forthcoming work.
“24 years ago, Archie was awarded the Anne and Gordon Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarship, as a recent art school graduate. Since then, he’s gone on to build a remarkable career of international standing,” Green says.
“Archie’s new moving image work is part of the 13th Adelaide Film Festival and Samstag Art and Moving Image Commission.
“Our Wirltuti Season of exhibitions is a testament to our proud, long-standing and fruitful relationship with the Adelaide Film Festival that supports exceptional artists to create bold and visionary work.”
Samstag will also premiere the inaugural AFF/Samstag 2024 Expand Moving Image Commission featuring a series of experimental docu-fiction moving image works by artists Susan Norrie, Matthew Thorne and Emmaline Zanelli.
In three chapters, these artists follow the narrative threads of mining in Australia, focusing on fly-in-fly-out workers, their families, environmental impacts and the complex relationship experienced by First Nations custodians of the land on which the resource extraction takes place.
Together they offer counter-perspectives to frequently cliched assumptions, excavating this underrepresented but critical sector of contemporary Australia.
Samstag has a long history of commissioning and presenting screen-based works through its partnership with the Adelaide Film Festival. Previous art and moving image commissions have included Warwick Thornton (Stranded, 2011), Lynette Wallworth (Duality of Light, 2009) and Amos Gebhardt (Small acts of resistance, 2021).
Notes for editors:
The Wirltuti Season Launch on Tuesday 22 October, 5:30-7:30pm Please join us for a drink and music in Fenn Place outside the Samstag Museum of Art entrance, Hawke Building, UniSA City West campus, 55 North Terrace, Adelaide. (Registrations encouraged: https://events.humanitix.com/wirltuti-season-launch)
Archie Moore in conversation with Mathew Kesting on Saturday 26 October, 3:00-4:00pm Please join us for a conversation about film with Archie Moore Samstag Museum of Art, Hawke Building, UniSA City West campus, 55 North Terrace, Adelaide. (Registrations essential: https://events.humanitix.com/in-conversation-with-archie-moore-and-matt-kesting).
Archie Moore – Deaf Led Tour on Saturday 19 October 1:00-2:30pm Please join us for an Aslan only tour of the exhibition. Samstag Museum of Art, Hawke Building, UniSA City West campus, 55 North Terrace, Adelaide.
The Samstag is open every Wednesday from 10am-12pm. Entry is free.
For further information, to arrange interviews and to obtain high-resolution images, contact: Erica Green M: +61 438 821 239 E:Erica.Green@unisa.edu.au Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E:Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au
Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced funding of $13.6 million from National Resources Canada’s Enabling Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Program for nine research projects to promote the safe, commercial development of SMRs to contribute to our low-carbon economy and help fight climate change.
October 3, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario Natural Resources Canada
As Canada continues to move toward a low-carbon economy, many forms of clean energy are needed to power the growing demand for affordable and reliable electricity. These include nuclear energy, which is non-emitting, consistent and safe.
Today, Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced funding of $13.6 million from National Resources Canada’s Enabling Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Program for nine research projects to promote the safe, commercial development of SMRs to contribute to our low-carbon economy and help fight climate change. The projects are:
$935,542 to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, to study fuel dry storage and to conduct a techno-gap / life-cycle assessment to enable the effective deployment of SMRs.
$2,131,000 to Chemetics in Pickering, Ontario, to support the research and development of SMR fabrication. This project will enable Chemetics to develop, test and qualify new fabrication technologies for SMR components.
$2,750,000 to Prodigy Clean Energy Ltd in Montreal, Quebec, to support research and development to enable transportable nuclear power plants as part of the SMR supply chain.
$3,750,000 to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization in Toronto, Ontario, to enhance the compatibility of the NWMO’s current Adaptive Phased Management program with the upcoming deployment of SMRs.
$261,535 to Calian Ltd. in Ottawa, Ontario, to provide a guidance document to SMR vendors and planned owners or operators in Canada that outlines the characterization of radiological elements in building materials for the construction of new SMR facilities.
$543,000 to the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries in Pickering, Ontario, to develop a National Ready4SMR program to identify procurement risks due to technological gaps in Canada’s SMR projects and subsequently develop supply strategies for at-risk parts and components.
$126,475 to Kinectrics in Etobicoke, Ontario, to investigate the feasibility of disposing the isotope carbon-14 by recovering it from radioactive wastes and to engage with stakeholders to identify a route to divert waste streams from disposal.
$2,070,336 to North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council in Eel Ground, New Brunswick, to study and develop robust supply chains in Canada for SMR manufacturing while anchoring elements in New Brunswick with First Nations ownership.
$1,094,850 to Opportunities New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick, to provide a research and development life-cycle framework and roadmap for the manufacturing of cost-effective modularized SMR technology to enhance the development and deployment of SMRs within Canada.
As Canada advances toward a net-zero future, investments like these are key to reducing emissions, maximizing energy performance and industry competitiveness. These investments support workers and industry in building a more prosperous and sustainable future. With over 70,000 hard-working Canadians employed across its supply chain, Canada’s nuclear industry is well positioned to leverage its science and technology innovation to become a leader in the development and deployment of small modular reactor technology.
Quotes
“Developing next-generation nuclear technologies, like small modular reactors, will be essential as Canada faces growing energy demands and is called upon to export our clean technologies to partners around the world. Our nuclear sector is poised to be a leader in an emerging global SMR market that some estimate to be worth up to $150 billion a year by 2040.”
Julie Dabrusin Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Quick facts
Budget 2022 allocated $29.6 million to NRCan over four years for research and development to support the conditions and frameworks necessary for SMRs to displace fossil fuels and contribute to climate change mitigation.
NRCan introduced the Enabling Small Modular Reactors Program in 2023 to support the development of supply chains for SMR manufacturing and fuel and to fund research on SMR waste management solutions to ensure that SMRs and the waste they generate can be safely managed, now and into the future.
The Enabling SMR Program has announced $3.5 million to date for projects being led by the Canadian Standards Association, the University of Alberta and the University of Regina.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
President Emmanuel Macron visited Berlin this Wednesday for the Berlin Global Dialogue.
During this new trip to Germany, the 4th since the beginning of the year, the Head of State spoke with Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, with whom he discussed issues related to the European agenda and international news.
On the site of the European School of Management and Technology, which is hosting this second edition of the Berlin Global Dialogue, the President of the Republic spoke with stakeholders in artificial intelligence following up on the work initiated at the Fraunhofer Institute during the state visit to Germany last May.
He also spoke in plenary session on the challenges of European competitiveness and the place of the European Union in a multipolar world.
Review your speech:
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
For almost a decade, researchers have been gathering evidence that the social media platform Facebook disproportionately amplifies low-quality content and misinformation.
So it was something of a surprise when in 2023 the journal Science published a study that found Facebook’s algorithms were not major drivers of misinformation during the 2020 United States election.
This study was funded by Facebook’s parent company, Meta. Several Meta employees were also part of the authorship team. It attracted extensive media coverage. It was also celebrated by Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, who said it showed the company’s algorithms have “no detectable impact on polarisation, political attitudes or beliefs”.
But the findings have recently been thrown into doubt by a team of researchers led by Chhandak Bagch from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In an eLetter also published in Science, they argue the results were likely due to Facebook tinkering with the algorithm while the study was being conducted.
In a response eLetter, the authors of the original study acknowledge their results “might have been different” if Facebook had changed its algorithm in a different way. But they insist their results still hold true.
The whole debacle highlights the problems caused by big tech funding and facilitating research into their own products. It also highlights the crucial need for greater independent oversight of social media platforms.
Merchants of doubt
Big tech has started investing heavily in academic research into its products. It has also been investing heavily in universities more generally. For example, Meta and its chief Mark Zuckerberg have collectively donated hundreds of millions of dollars to more than 100 colleges and universities across the United States.
This is similar to what big tobacco once did.
In the mid-1950s, cigarette companies launched a coordinated campaign to manufacture doubt about the growing body of evidence which linked smoking with a number of serious health issues, such as cancer. It was not about falsifying or manipulating research explicitly, but selectively funding studies and bringing to attention inconclusive results.
This helped foster a narrative that there was no definitive proof smoking causes cancer. In turn, this enabled tobacco companies to keep up a public image of responsibility and “goodwill” well into the 1990s.
Big tobacco ran a campaign to manufacture doubt about the health effects of smoking. Ralf Liebhold/Shutterstock
A positive spin
The Meta-funded study published in Science in 2023 claimed Facebook’s news feed algorithm reduced user exposure to untrustworthy news content. The authors said “Meta did not have the right to prepublication approval”, but acknowledged that The Facebook Open Research and Transparency team “provided substantial support in executing the overall project”.
The study used an experimental design where participants – Facebook users – were randomly allocated into a control group or treatment group.
The control group continued to use Facebook’s algorithmic news feed, while the treatment group was given a news feed with content presented in reverse chronological order. The study sought to compare the effects of these two types of news feeds on users’ exposure to potentially false and misleading information from untrustworthy news sources.
The experiment was robust and well designed. But during the short time it was conducted, Meta changed its news feed algorithm to boost more reliable news content. In doing so, it changed the control condition of the experiment.
The reduction in exposure to misinformation reported in the original study was likely due to the algorithmic changes. But these changes were temporary: a few months later in March 2021, Meta reverted the news feed algorithm back to the original.
In a statement to Science about the controversy, Meta said it made the changes clear to researchers at the time, and that it stands by Clegg’s statements about the findings in the paper.
Unprecedented power
In downplaying the role of algorithmic content curation for issues such as misinformation and political polarisation, the study became a beacon for sowing doubt and uncertainty about the harmful influence of social media algorithms.
To be clear, I am not suggesting the researchers who conducted the original 2023 study misled the public. The real problem is that social media companies not only control researchers’ access to data, but can also manipulate their systems in a way that affects the findings of the studies they fund.
What’s more, social media companies have the power to promote certain studies on the very platform the studies are about. In turn, this helps shape public opinion. It can create a scenario where scepticism and doubt about the impacts of algorithms can become normalised – or where people simply start to tune out.
This kind of power is unprecedented. Even big tobacco could not control the public’s perception of itself so directly.
All of this underscores why platforms should be mandated to provide both large-scale data access and real-time updates about changes to their algorithmic systems.
When platforms control access to the “product”, they also control the science around its impacts. Ultimately, these self-research funding models allow platforms to put profit before people – and divert attention away from the need for more transparency and independent oversight.
Timothy Graham receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) for his Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, ‘Combatting Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour on Social Media’. He also receives ARC funding for the Discovery Project, ‘Understanding and combatting “Dark Political Communication”‘ (2024–2027).
The Government is taking decisive action in response to the Ministerial Inquiry into School Property, which concludes the way school property is delivered is not fit for purpose.
“The school property portfolio is worth $30 billion, and it’s critically important it’s managed properly. This Government is taking a series of immediate actions soall Kiwi kids can learn in safe, warm and dry buildings,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
“The report found the Ministry of Education’s processes for managing the portfolio are bureaucratic and inefficient, its internal governance structures for property investments are not robust, funding decisions lack transparency, and its organisational structure does not provide the right level of focus or accountability.
“For example, work began with Kaipara College on a project in 2017. Plans were endorsed by the Board in 2022, Cabinet approved funding in 2023 before the project was fully designed and consented. Despite this, the project was unable to go ahead due to the Ministry’s affordability pressures. Many schools told reviewers about significant delays in delivery, with predictable impacts on costs. There were examples of minor projects which could require two months of construction work but had approval processes taking two years.It also identified 29 projects in the New Schools Programme have no construction funding.
“It confirmed weinherited a struggling systemwith a pipeline of unfunded school upgrades that were over scoped and couldn’t be delivered. The gap between what schools were led to expect of delivery compared with the reality of funding available, has resulted in a huge loss of confidence in the current system and uncertainty for school communities,” Ms Stanford says.
The report recommended the Government:
Establish a new entity separate from the Ministry of Education, to assume ownership and asset management responsibility for the school property portfolio.
Clarify roles and responsibilities for the funding, planning and delivery of school property.
Review and simplify the current funding model for state schools.
Implement clear processes for regular reporting and priority-setting to promote accountability, transparency, clarity of expectations, and value for money.
Establish a Transition Board and Transition Unit to oversee and coordinate the establishment of the new school property entity.
Undertake a range of immediate actions during the transition period to simplify the operating model and ensure value for money.
Cabinet has accepted the findings and will take a phased approach to address the recommendations. The three phases are:
Phase 1 – Initial steps have been taken since commissioning the report, including instructing the Ministry of Education to focus on offsite manufacturing solutions and improve communication with schools. In Q1 2024, over 60% of new classrooms were initiated as offsite manufacturing, up from under 20% in Q4 2023.A value for money review has also been completed to ensure a more fiscally responsible approach moving forward.
Phase 2 – Interim improvements including consolidating property and network planning functions within the Ministry of Education as much as practicable, appointing a Functional Chief Executive with expertise in delivering infrastructure to have responsibility for all operational aspects of school property (this will be a two-year appointment). A new independent investment panel will also be established to provide the CE with expert advice on ongoing property decisions and future improvements. Appointments are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Phase 3 – Determining the new permanent model or entity for operational school property, with decisions expected in 2025.
“Improving education infrastructure is an important part of laying the foundation for New Zealanders to succeed,” Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says.
“It’s absolutely essential that we clarify roles and responsibilities for school property management, provide greater transparency around decisions, and bring in disciplined and data driven oversight of investment and delivery.
“We want to reassure school communities that works and improvements currently underway at schools across the country will continue as planned while the Government develops a more efficient and sustainable solution for how we deliver school property going forward,” Mr Bishop says.
IIFT organizes regional conference of Asian and African chair holders of WTO Chairs Programme in New Delhi Conference highlights need for aligned trade strategies, digital solution for trade barriers and climate-responsive global trade norms
Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 4:50PM by PIB Delhi
The Indian Chair of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Chairs Programme (WCP) organised a regional conference of the Asian and African Chairs on the theme Fostering Resilient and Responsible Trade for Changing Global Order at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi on 27thand 28thSeptember, 2024. The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) represented through its centres, namely, the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) and the Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) administers the WTO Chair in India. The conference was inaugurated by Shri Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India.
The key takeaways from the Conference are: (i) necessity of aligning regional and multilateral trade strategies for coherent global norms; (ii) importance of addressing barriers to trade using digital tools to ensure inclusivity and equal opportunities for all nations and stakeholders in international trade and (iii) critical need for robust climate action that accommodates the unique challenges faced by developing countries.
Several dignitaries including India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO Dr. Senthil Pandian C.; Deputy Director General, WTO, Amb. Xiangchen Zhang; Vice Chancellor, IIFT, Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi; Head and Professor, CTIL and India Chair, WCP, Prof. James J. Nedumpara; Permanent Representative of France to the WTO, H.E. Ms. Emmanuelle Ivanov-Durand and H.E. Mr. Jung Sung Park, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the WTO addressed the gathering.
The conference provided an opportunity for WTO chairholders, leading scholars, trade experts, and policymakers from across Asia and Africa to discuss ways and means of fostering resilient and responsible trade in a dynamic global economy.
The Conference, over the two days, included seven thematic sessions on a broad array of topics relating to resilient and responsible trade, a keynote address by Henry J. Braker Professor of Commercial Law at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, United States, Prof. Joel Trachtman and a special address by CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri B. V. R. Subrahmanyam.
The Conference also focused on critical issues at the intersection of global trade and sustainability. The discussions highlighted the need for coherence in trade strategies, the challenges of inclusive digital transformation, and the importance of responsible practices in critical mineral extraction with a specific focus on Asia and Africa regions. The event emphasized collaborative approaches to support developing countries in navigating complex trade dynamics and achieving sustainable development goals.
In the thematic sessions, the representatives from the WCP Chairs from Asian and African institutions presented their ideas and experiences from a national, regional and multilateral perspective. The sessions covered topics such as regional aspects in international trade law, green industrial policies, critical minerals for a clean energy future, WTO dispute settlement system and sustainable climate actions.
A roundtable of WCP Chairs was also held during the Conference to deliberate on collaborations between WCP Chairs of Asia and Africa. During the roundtable, the WCP Chairs discussed the role that the WTO could play in facilitating the network and the different ways in which the WCP Chairs could exchange knowledge, and experience and engage in academic partnerships under the aegis of WTO Chairs Programme.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates and lays foundation stone of projects worth ₹919 cr including various development works of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in Gujarat After Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is the only national leader who transformed the cleanliness campaign into a mass movement
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked to spread the cleanliness campaign and its ethos throughout the country
Efforts should be made to bring Ahmedabad to the top in the upcoming cleanliness survey
The construction of modern schools in the area by the Nagar Prathmik Shiksha Samiti is a commendable initiative
These initiatives being taken by Nagar Prathmik Shiksha Samiti will become an important medium for the overall development of children by making the education system easier
Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 6:28PM by PIB Delhi
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated and laid foundation of projects worth Rs. 919 crore in Gujarat including various development works of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). On this occasion Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel and many other dignitaries were also present.
Beginning his address with Navratri greetings, Shri Amit Shah said that today, development projects worth ₹919 crore have been inaugurated and laid the foundation for, which include works related to health, education, libraries, parks, and small street vendors. He stated that the most significant of these is the construction of modern schools by the Municipal Nagar Prathmik Siksha Samiti. Shri Shah expressed his gratitude towards AMC, stating that due to the corporation’s efforts, all municipal primary schools in his parliamentary constituency have successfully been transformed into model schools.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that if children properly benefit from the initiatives of the Primary Education Committee, there will be no doubt that India’s future is bright. He added that when we see children from poor families taking an interest in subjects like science, art, music, and many others, all the despair in life disappears, and we feel confident that India’s future is bright.
Shri Amit Shah said that today, development projects worth approximately ₹472 crore have been inaugurated and laid the foundation for in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Additionally, development projects worth around ₹446 crore have been inaugurated and launched in Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency of MP Shri Hasmukhbhai Patel and in Ahmedabad West Lok Sabha constituency of MP Shri Dineshbhai Makwana. He mentioned that all these development projects will enhance facilities for the residents of Ahmedabad city.
Shri Shah further said that Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, over the past few years, has approved projects worth ₹23,951 crore in Ahmedabad city, Kalol and Sanand taluka, some areas of Ahmedabad city, and the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Moreover, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also inaugurated development projects worth around ₹14,000 crore. He added that in the past five years, a total of ₹37,000 crore worth of development projects have been carried out in just one Lok Sabha constituency.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that numerous development initiatives have been undertaken in seven assembly constituencies of Ahmedabad. These include efforts related to child nutrition, exercise facilities, libraries to enhance knowledge for adolescents, water collection ponds, the planting of 4 million saplings in a year, the construction of roads, overbridges, street lights, hospitals, primary health centers, and primary schools.
Shri Amit Shah said that AMC has decided to bring Ahmedabad to the forefront in the cleanliness campaign competition. He emphasized that efforts should be made to bring Ahmedabad to the top in the upcoming cleanliness survey. Shri Shah acknowledged that it might not be possible to achieve the first position this time, but we should set a goal to make a fresh start and work towards creating an Ahmedabad that reaches the top position in cleanliness among all municipal corporations in India by next year.
Union Home Minister stated that after Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is the only national leader who has turned the cleanliness campaign into a people’s movement. Prime Minister Modi envisioned that every home in the country should have toilet facilities. After 70 years of independence, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi initiated this campaign. His aim was to ensure that clean drinking water is available in every household, and that our homes, societies, streets, cities, and villages are clean, fostering a culture of cleanliness among citizens. Union Home Minister mentioned that Shri Narendra Modi is the only Prime Minister who has spoken about the construction of toilets from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked to promote the cleanliness campaign and its values across the entire country, from Nagaland to Kerala and from Uttar Pradesh to Assam.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Department of Transport
Nineteen specialists from the Iraqi Department of Traffic Management recently completed an intensive training program on intelligent transportation systems in Moscow. The educational program, initiated by the Department of Transport and Development of Road Transport Infrastructure of Moscow, was conducted by the Smart Cities Department of Synergy University.
The program included a significant emphasis on practical application, with participants visiting key transport infrastructure facilities throughout the city. They learned about modern methods of road marking at the State Budgetary Institution “Motor Roads” and observed the work of the Unified Dispatch Center of the Moscow Metro and the Traffic Management Center.
Upon completion of the training, Iraqi specialists received certificates confirming successful completion of the program. Representatives of the Iraqi Embassy attended the ceremony and expressed gratitude to the Moscow Department of Transport and Synergy University for the high level of organization and implementation of the course.
Previously, similar training programs were conducted for specialists from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Department of Transport
Nineteen specialists from the Iraqi Department of Traffic Management recently completed an intensive training program on intelligent transportation systems in Moscow. The educational program, initiated by the Moscow Department of Transport and Development of Road and Transport Infrastructure, was delivered by the Smart Cities Faculty of Synergy University.
The program included a significant focus on practical applications, with participants visiting key transportation infrastructure sites throughout the city. They gained firsthand experience with modern road marking techniques at the Automobile Roads State Budgetary Institution, observed the operations of the Moscow Metro Unified Dispatching Center and the Road Traffic Control Center.
At the conclusion of the training, Iraqi specialists received certificates acknowledging their successful completion of the program. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Iraqi Embassy, who expressed gratitude to the Moscow Department of Transport and Synergy University for the high standard of organization and delivery of the course.
Previous similar training programs have been conducted for specialists from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.
Department of Pharmaceuticals conducts comprehensive exercise to identify targets under Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM) 4.0 Department of Pharmaceuticals identified 11,0046 sites for cleaning activities, surpassing the 9,624 sites achieved in the previous phase
The Department of Pharmaceuticals is among the few ministries achieving 100% digitization of file management maintaining a fully paperless office
Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 7:15PM by PIB Delhi
As part of the preparatory phase for Special Campaign 4.0, the Department of Pharmaceuticals, along with its affiliated offices (NPPA), autonomous bodies (NIPERs), PSUs (HAL, KAPL, and BCPL), and the society (PMBI), conducted a comprehensive exercise to identify targets based on parameters and criteria set by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG). These targets have been uploaded on the SCDPM 4.0 Portal.
In this phase, the Department of Pharmaceuticals identified 11,0046 sites for cleaning activities, surpassing the 9,624 sites achieved in the previous phase. The Department remains committed not only to ensuring accessibility, availability, and affordability of medicines for all but also to promoting cleanliness and environmental sustainability through this initiative. The Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), a society under the Department’s aegis, is leading the implementation of this campaign. PMBI is mobilizing efforts to clean a vast network of 11,000 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs), with 2,786 in the East Zone, 2,700 in the North Zone, 2,718 in the South Zone, and 2,796 in the West Zone. Additionally, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), through its 20 Price Monitoring and Resource Units (PMRUs), National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), and three PSUs—Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Limited(KAPL), Hindustan Antibiotics Limited(HAL), and Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL)—are contributing by organizing outdoor cleaning campaigns.
Furthermore, the Department of Pharmaceuticals is among the few ministries that have achieved 100% digitization of file management, maintaining a fully paperless office. Currently, there are 9,797 e-files, of which 5,126 are active. During the campaign period, the Department will review the “4,671 parked files.” In addition, total 4805 Physical files have been identified by NPPA, NIPERs and PSUs.
Additionally, the PSUs under the Department have committed to disposing of identified scrap following due procedures, with an expected revenue of approximately ₹33 lakhs. The goal is to achieve full compliance with all identified parameters across attached offices, autonomous institutions, and PSUs by the end of the campaign, while also reducing pendency in the key areas highlighted by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG).
Overall, the Department aims to significantly reduce pendency in all targets identified during the preparatory phase of Special Campaign 4.0.
Swachhta Hi Seva, 2024 Fortnight was observed by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from 14thSeptember to 2ndOctober, 2024 with the theme ‘Swabhav Swachhta- Sanskar Swachhta’.
To mark the launch of Swachhta Hi Seva (SHS) 2024, Swachhata Pledge was administered by Shri Umang Narula, Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on 17.09.2024 in a function wherein Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary and other officers/officials of the Ministry were present.
During the Swachhta Hi Seva 2024 campaign, various activities like “Swachhata Bhagidari” through “Shramdaaan” (Cleanliness drives with participation of all)/ reviewing/recording/weeding out of physical files etc. were conducted in the Ministry.
Shri Umang Narula, Secretary and Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs led the Mass Cleanliness Drive at and around Kerala Education Society Senior Secondary School, R. K. Puram, New Delhi. Officers/officials of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs along with School children took part in the Shramdaan for the cause of Swachhata.
In line with the campaign, a Tree Plantation Drive was conducted under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan, led by Shri Umang Narula, Secretary, MoPA and Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary, MoPA in the same School. The tree plantation symbolizes the Ministry’s commitment to environmental conservation besides its protection and the promotion of a cleaner and greener India.
This event underscores the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to uphold the values of cleanliness and environmental responsibility as part of its larger mission to serve the public good. Trees play an important role in keeping our environment clean. By providing clean air, they make us healthy.
To imbibe the spirit of Swachhata amongst students, an Essay writing competition was also held in the same school on the theme of SHS 2024 “Swabhaav Swachhata, Sanskar Swachhata” wherein students from different classes participated. To encourage students, Secretary, MoPA awarded best three students of Essay competition with Cash prize and Certificates for their performance in Essay writing competition.
Ministry regularly kept posting Messages on Social Media Platforms about cleanliness activities being conducted.
Secretary and Additional Secretary carried out inspections in the Ministry to check status of cleanliness etc. for ensuring progress of SHS campaign.
SHS, 2024 campaign ended with felicitation of Safai Mitras who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our communities clean and safe. In the concluding ceremony, Additional Secretary gave a clear message that Swachhata campaign may not be limited to a fortnight only but everyone must do efforts every day to ensure neatness and cleanliness of environment around us and also that internal cleanliness (purity of mind) is as much as important and desirable as the external cleanliness.
Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs lauded the efforts of the employees and insisted maintaining the momentum throughout the year. The successful campaign undertaken and enthusiastic participation made by employees reinforce the Ministry’s untiring commitment to a cleaner and healthier India.
Swachhta Hi Seva, 2024 Fortnight was observed by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from 14th September to 2nd October, 2024 with the theme ‘Swabhav Swachhta- Sanskar Swachhta’.
To mark the launch of Swachhta Hi Seva (SHS) 2024, Swachhata Pledge was administered by Shri Umang Narula, Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on 17.09.2024 in a function wherein Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary and other officers/officials of the Ministry were present.
During the Swachhta Hi Seva 2024 campaign, various activities like “Swachhata Bhagidari” through “Shramdaaan” (Cleanliness drives with participation of all)/ reviewing/recording/weeding out of physical files etc. were conducted in the Ministry.
Shri Umang Narula, Secretary and Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs led the Mass Cleanliness Drive at and around Kerala Education Society Senior Secondary School, R. K. Puram, New Delhi. Officers/officials of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs along with School children took part in the Shramdaan for the cause of Swachhata.
In line with the campaign, a Tree Plantation Drive was conducted under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan, led by Shri Umang Narula, Secretary, MoPA and Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary, MoPA in the same School. The tree plantation symbolizes the Ministry’s commitment to environmental conservation besides its protection and the promotion of a cleaner and greener India.
This event underscores the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to uphold the values of cleanliness and environmental responsibility as part of its larger mission to serve the public good. Trees play an important role in keeping our environment clean. By providing clean air, they make us healthy.
To imbibe the spirit of Swachhata amongst students, an Essay writing competition was also held in the same school on the theme of SHS 2024 “Swabhaav Swachhata, Sanskar Swachhata” wherein students from different classes participated. To encourage students, Secretary, MoPA awarded best three students of Essay competition with Cash prize and Certificates for their performance in Essay writing competition.
Ministry regularly kept posting Messages on Social Media Platforms about cleanliness activities being conducted.
Secretary and Additional Secretary carried out inspections in the Ministry to check status of cleanliness etc. for ensuring progress of SHS campaign.
SHS, 2024 campaign ended with felicitation of Safai Mitras who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our communities clean and safe. In the concluding ceremony, Additional Secretary gave a clear message that Swachhata campaign may not be limited to a fortnight only but everyone must do efforts every day to ensure neatness and cleanliness of environment around us and also that internal cleanliness (purity of mind) is as much as important and desirable as the external cleanliness.
Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs lauded the efforts of the employees and insisted maintaining the momentum throughout the year. The successful campaign undertaken and enthusiastic participation made by employees reinforce the Ministry’s untiring commitment to a cleaner and healthier India.
Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education presided over a virtual workshop with students of Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) under the NCTE on ‘Volunteering for Ullas’ today. The workshop aimed at fostering Youth Volunteerism from TEIs to achieve full literacy across India as enshrined in the NEP 2020. Smt. Archana Sharma Awasthi, Joint Secretary, DoSE&L; Prof. Pankaj Arora, Chairperson, NCTE; Ms. Kesang Y. Sherpa, Member Secretary, NCTE; Smt. Preeti Meena, Director, DoSE&L, and other officials were present at the meeting.
While addressing the students and teachers from TEIs, Shri Sanjay Kumar emphasized coming together to pay special attention to promoting literacy across the country in all sections of society. He exhorted that illiterate people in our society should be given the gift of literacy. Teacher Educators and administrators should support and guide the students at their institutes in registering on the ULLAS App, he added.
Smt. Archana Sharma Awasthi presented on the agenda of the workshop of ‘ULLAS: Nav Bharat Literacy Programme’ and encouraged the students and teachers to join the program for community service and engagement.
Prof. Pankaj Arora highlighted that the National Council for Teacher Education is fully committed to realizing the dream of Viksit Bharat by achieving the goal of ‘Jan Jan Saakshar’.
Ms. Kesang Y. Sherpa presented on the Role of Teacher Education Institutions in ULLAS. While presenting the role of NCTE in the context of the implementation of ULLAS, she highlighted that for the academic session 2023-24, NCTE had directed all Teacher Education Institutions to connect 8-10 students with the ULLAS initiative and motivate them to become volunteer teachers and contribute to nation building cause. The students can earn 2 Credits for Community Engagement & Service for active participation in activities related to ULLAS-New India Literacy Programme (NILP), NSS & Other community activities, she added.
Smt. Preeti Meena gave a detailed presentation on Ullas which also covered the implementation steps of Ullas in TEIs.
More than 18,000 TEIs, faculty and student-teachers were inducted during the session.
The last date for submission of applications by the selected meritorious students on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) for the National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for the year 2024-25 has been extended up to 15.10.2024. The NSP portal is open for submission of applications by students with effect from 30th June 2024. In this project year 2024-25, the selected students are first to do a one-time registration (OTR) on the NSP, after which they have to apply for the scholarship scheme that they have selected. The FAQ details for registration on NSP can be accessed at https://scholarships.gov.in/studentFAQs.
Through the ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme,’ implemented by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, scholarships are awarded to meritorious students from economically weaker sections to arrest their drop-out after elementary level, i.e., Class VIII and encourage them to complete their school education up to higher secondary level, i.e., Class XII.
The scheme provides one lakh fresh scholarships every year for Class IX students who clear the qualifying exam for the scholarship conducted by the State/UT governments. The scholarship is continued through renewal mode from Classes X to XII based on the student’s academic performance. The scheme is applicable only to students studying in State Government, Government-aided and local body schools and the scholarship amount is Rs. 12000 per annum per student.
The NMMSS is implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – the one-stop platform for scholarship schemes disbursed to students by the Government of India. As of 01.10.2024, 81443 fresh and 152617 renewal applications have been finally submitted by the applicants. NMMSS scholarships are disbursed directly into the bank accounts of selected students by electronic transfer through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode. The eligibility parameters for availing the scholarship include parental income not more than Rs. 3.50 lakh per annum, a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in the Class VII examination for appearing in the selection test for award of scholarship (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students).
On the NSP portal, there are two levels of verification of the scholarship application of selected students, Level-1 (L1) verification is at the Institute Nodal Officer (INO) and Level-2 (L2) is with the District Nodal Officer (DNO). The last date for INO level (L1) verification is 31.10.2024 and for DNO level (L2) verification is 15.11.2024.
Cabinet Approves National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) for 2024-25 to 2030-31 Mission aims at making India self reliant in seven years in oilseeds’ production
Mission will introduce SATHI Portal enabling States to coordinate with stakeholders for timely availability of quality seeds
Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 8:13PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), a landmark initiative aimed at boosting domestic oilseed production and achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in edible oils. The Mission will be implemented over a seven-year period, from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a financial outlay of Rs 10,103 crore.
The newly approved NMEO-Oilseeds will focus on enhancing the production of key primary oilseed crops such as Rapeseed-Mustard, Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, and Sesamum, as well as increasing collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources like Cottonseed, Rice Bran, and Tree Borne Oils. The mission aims to increase primary oilseed production from 39 million tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31. Together with NMEO-OP (Oil Palm), the Mission targets to increase domestic edible oil production to 25.45 million tonnes by 2030-31 meeting around 72% of our projected domestic requirement. This will be achieved by promoting adoption of high-yielding high oil content seed varieties, extending cultivation into rice fallow areas, and promoting intercropping. The Mission will harness ongoing development of high-quality seeds by using cutting-edge global technologies such as genome editing.
To ensure the timely availability of quality seeds, the Mission will introduce an Online 5-year rolling seed plan through the ‘Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI)’ Portal, enabling states to establish advance tie-ups with seed-producing agencies, including cooperatives, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and government or private seed corporations. 65 new seed hubs and 50 seed storage units will be set up in public sector to improve the seed production infrastructure.
Additionally, over 600 Value Chain Clusters will be developed across 347 unique districts, covering more than 10 lakh hectares annually. These clusters will be managed by value chain partners such as FPOs, cooperatives, and public or private entities. Farmers in these clusters will have access to high-quality seeds, training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and advisory services on weather and pest management.
The Mission also seeks to expand oilseed cultivation by an additional 40 lakh hectares by targeting rice and potato fallow lands, promoting intercropping, and promoting crop diversification.
Support will be extended to FPOs, cooperatives, and industry players to establish or upgrade post-harvest units, enhancing recovery from sources such as cottonseed, rice bran, corn oil, and Tree-Borne Oils (TBOs).
Furthermore, the Mission will promote awareness of recommended dietary guidelines for edible oils through an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign.
The Mission aims to significantly enhance domestic oilseed production, advancing the goal of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in edible oils, thereby reducing import dependency and conserving valuable foreign exchange while boosting farmers’ incomes. This mission will also accrue significant environmental benefits in the form of low water usage and improved soil health and making productive use of crop fallow areas.
Background:
The country is heavily reliant on imports which account for 57% of its domestic demand for edible oils. To address this dependency and promote self-sufficiency, the Government of India has undertaken a series of measures to enhance domestic production of edible oils, including the launch of National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with an outlay of Rs 11,040 crore to boost oil palm cultivation in the country in 2021.
In addition, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for mandated edible oilseeds has been significantly increased to ensure remunerative prices to the oilseed farmers. The continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) ensures that oilseed farmers receive MSP through price support scheme and price deficiency payment scheme. Besides, 20% import duty on edible oils has been imposed to protect domestic producers from cheap imports and encourage local cultivation.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved to confer the status of Classical Language to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali languages. The Classical Languages serve as a custodian of Bharat’s profound and ancient cultural heritage, embodying the essence of each community’s historical and cultural milestone.
Point Wise Detail & Background:
The Government of India decided to create a new category of languages as “Classical Languages” on 12th October 2004 declaring Tamil as Classical Language and setting following as criteria for the status of Classical Language:
A. High Antiquity of its early texts/ recorded history over a thousand years.
B. A body of ancient literature/ texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generation of speakers.
C. The literary tradition must be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
A Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) was constituted by the Ministry of Culture under Sahitya Akademi in Nov 2004 to examine the proposed languages for the status of Classical Language.
The criteria were revised in Nov 2005 as following, and Sanskrit was declared as Classical Language:
I. High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years.
II. A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
III. The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
IV. The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
The Government of India, has conferred status of Classical Languages to following languages so far:
Language
Date of Notification
Tamil
12/10/2004
Sanskrit
25/11/2005
Telugu
31/10/2008
Kannada
31/10/2008
Malayalam
08/08/2013
Odia
01/03/2014
A proposal from the Maharashtra Government in 2013 was received in the Ministry requesting Classical Language status to Marathi, which was forwarded to the LEC. The LEC recommended Marathi for Classical Language. During the inter-ministerial consultations on the draft note for cabinet in 2017 for conferring classical status to the Marathi language, MHA advised to revise the criteria and make it stricter. PMO vide its comment stated that the Ministry may conduct an exercise to find out how many other languages are likely to become eligible.
In the meantime, proposal from Bihar, Assam, West Bengal was also received for conferring status of Classical Language to Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali.
Accordingly, Linguistics Experts Committee (under Sahitya Akademi) in a meeting on 25.07.2024, unanimously revised the criteria as below. Sahitya Akademi has been appointed as nodal agency for the LEC.
i. High antiquity of (its) is early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500- 2000 years.
ii. A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers.
iii. Knowledge texts, especially prose texts in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence.
iv. The Classical Languages and literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous with later forms of its offshoots.
The committee also recommended following languages to be fulfilling revised criteria to be considered as a Classical Language.
I. Marathi
II. Pali
III. Prakrit
IV. Assamese
V. Bengali
Implementation strategy and targets:
The Ministry of Education has taken various steps to promote Classical Languages. Three Central Universities were established in 2020 through an Act of Parliament for promotion of Sanskrit language. The Central Institute of Classical Tamil was set up to facilitate the translation of ancient Tamil texts, promote research and offer courses for University students and language scholars of Tamil. To further enhance the study and preservation of Classical Languages, the Centres for Excellence for studies in Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia were established under the auspices of the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru. In addition to these initiatives, several national and internation awards have been instituted to recognize and encourage achievements in the field of Classical Languages. Benefits extended to Classical Languages by the Ministry of Education include National Awards for Classical Languages, Chairs in Universities, and Centers for promotion of Classical Languages.
Major impact, including employment generation:
The inclusion of languages as Classical Language will create significant employment opportunities, particularly in academic and research fields. Additionally, the preservation, documentation, and digitization of ancient texts of these languages will generate jobs in archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media.
States/districts covered:
The primary states involved are Maharashtra (Marathi), Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (Pali and Prakrit), West Bengal (Bengali), and Assam (Assamese). The broader cultural and academic impact will extend nationally and internationally.
New Orleans, LA – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Louisiana New Orleans Task Force conducted multiple violent fugitive and sex offender fugitive operations during fiscal year (FY) 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023—Sept. 30, 2024) along with several USMS Missing Endangered Children operations. The task force also participated in the FBI New Orleans Field Office’s Operation Clean House. The USMS New Orleans Task Force fugitive operations included Boo Dat, New Orleans Saints and Sinners, and Baseline. The fugitives arrested by the task force included 107 persons arrested on murder related offenses, 41 suspects arrested on rape/sex assault related cases, nine individuals for kidnapping, 41 persons for robbery, 100 individuals for assault/battery, 32 for sex offender registration violations, and 20 suspects on felony narcotics offenses. In total 531 fugitives were arrested and over 150 firearms were recovered during FY 2024 as a direct result of USMS New Orleans Task Force investigations across E/LA. The USMS New Orleans Task Force also worked 95 collateral lead requests from USMS offices outside of the Eastern District of Louisiana (E/LA).
Missing Child Unit (MCU) operations Fresh Start, Crawfish Boil, and other MCU work done during FY 2024 resulted in the recovery of 24 missing/endangered children, with five persons arrested related to recoveries.
Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans (GNO) provided support for several of the arrests made during the year and helped to sponsor Operation Boo Dat with a fugitive photo spread sent out to New Orleans metro area media outlets.
Highlights of FY 2024 cases worked across E/LA include:
In Tangipahoa Parish two children, 3 and 6, were abducted allegedly abducted by Daniel Callihan. Callihan is believed to have murdered the children’s mother and kidnapped the children from her residence before fleeing the state. USMS along with FBI, state police, and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office started a manhunt in attempts to locate/apprehend Callihan. USMS E/LA was able to identify Callihan’s whereabouts in Jackson, Mississippi, and a collateral lead request was sent by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and USMS S/MS Jackson Office. Members of the GCRFTF observed Callihan near an abandoned house on Boozier Drive in Jackson. As members of the GCRFTF approached the house, Callihan ran from the house and was taken into custody. Members of the GCRFTF located a hole on the back side of the house where both missing girls were located, one of whom was deceased.
A teen girl was one of several runaway juveniles associating in a suspected human trafficking ring orchestrated by local gangs in the greater New Orleans metro. During the investigation, another teen girl was also identified as a missing/endangered runaway. USMS, along with Homeland Security Investigations, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Kenner Police Department and the NOPD Special Victims Division – Child Abuse Unit began working these cases together and identified two additional missing juveniles. All four girls were believed to be involved in a sex trafficking and prostitution ring. During the course of the investigation, the four girls were recovered, one arrest was made on scene and two men were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending deportation. By the end of the investigation another arrest was made of a man charged with raping one of the juveniles and the individual responsible for setting up the juveniles’ appointments for sex was deported.
A teen girl was recovered after running away from her foster parent in Ouachita Parish. She was alleged to have been a previous victim of sex trafficking and sexual assault/rape. USMS, along with HIS, located her in New Orleans and recovered her. During an interview with the teen, she disclosed that a high school teacher in New Orleans picked her up from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and transported her to New Orleans approximately one week prior to her recovery. HSI after a several months investigation obtained an E/LA federal arrest warrant for Aaron Johnson for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in prostitution and coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. The USMS New Orleans Task Force with HSI located Johnson at a New Orleans East apartment complex and arrested him on the warrant Aug. 15. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was working as a teacher at a local New Orleans high school.
Ernest Cortney Dixon III was arrested May 22 for an alleged rape that occurred in May 2024 in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Dixon is alleged to have gone into a French Quarter business with a firearm and raped an adult female employee of that business. At the time of the alleged rape, he was already wanted on an April 2024 NOPD warrant for domestic violence assault with a firearm stemming from an incident where he was alleged to have fired a handgun at an ex-girlfriend. During Dixon’s arrest at a French Quarter business, the USMS New Orleans Task Force recovered a loaded stolen firearm alleged to have belonged to Dixon.
Wayne D. Bennett was arrested Sept. 23 by USMS Northern District of Florida and USMS Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force in Altha, Florida. Investigators with the USMS New Orleans Task Force and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office tracked Bennett to the Altha area before sending a request to the USMS FCRFTF, who were able to locate and arrest him. Bennett was wanted by the TPSO for first-degree rape, third-degree rape, five counts of trafficking of children for sexual purposes and three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
Marrio Haynes was arrested Feb. 28 on a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for second-degree murder. On Dec. 26, 2023, Haynes allegedly murdered a Lacombe man at a gas station using an AR-15 style rifle. Later that night officers located his vehicle and arrested his girlfriend in connection with the murder, but Haynes was able to flee on foot avoiding arrest. He went on the run and was featured in multiple Crimestoppers GNO news reports. After a two-month investigation he was arrested by the USMS New Orleans Task Force at a home in Kentwood. His girlfriend, who was present at the residence, was rearrested for harboring a fugitive during his arrest.
Fugitives Davonn Davis and Carlos Taylor were arrested Sept. 26 in Baton Rouge by the USMS Middle District of Louisiana Fugitive Task Force. Davis was wanted on a NOPD charge of second-degree murder in connection with a shooting outside of The Shamrock Bar in New Orleans. Taylor escaped from the Orleans Juvenile Justice Center, and then is alleged to have carjacked a woman, almost running her over. He was featured across the state of Louisiana in news outlets as a dangerous fugitive with a previous violent history. He and Davis were located together in Baton Rouge where Taylor initially attempted to flee on foot.
Leon Ruffin was arrested Feb. 27 on a JPSO warrant for escape. During the escape Ruffin assaulted a JPSO deputy during a medical transport and stole her police vehicle. Ruffin was awaiting trial on a murder related charge. He was tracked by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to a motel in New Orleans East and arrested.
“The U.S. Marshals Service New Orleans Task Force successfully apprehended over 500 fugitives and recovered 24 missing and endangered children in 2024,” said Enix Smith III, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These significant accomplishments underscore the critical importance of vigilance and collaboration between law enforcement and the community. Together, we can create a safer environment where justice is upheld, and our neighborhoods can thrive.”
The USMS New Orleans Task Force is sponsored by USMS E/LA and includes the following law enforcement agencies: Homeland Security Investigations, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Kenner Police Department, LA Army National Guard Counter Drug Program, LA Probation and Parole, LA State Police, New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The task force also frequently works with the local ATF, DEA, and FBI field offices.
Any information about wanted felony fugitives can be provided to the U.S. Marshals Service at (504) 589-6872 or via email at usms.wanted@usdoj.gov. Crimestoppers GNO may also be contacted with tips at (504) 822-1111.
Please be advised that the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and the Honourable Nahanni Fontaine, Manitoba Minister of Families, will make an announcement about the Red Dress Alert pilot project during the Giganawenimaanaanig Education and Awareness Day.
Winnipeg, Manitoba — Please be advised that the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and the Honourable Nahanni Fontaine, Manitoba Minister of Families, will make an announcement about the Red Dress Alert pilot project during the Giganawenimaanaanig Education and Awareness Day.
There will be a press briefing following this announcement.
Virtual participation will be possible and instructions for connecting remotely will be provided upon registration.
Media are first invited to observe, at 11:30 a.m., the Ministers’ remarks and commitment to families, survivors, FFADA rights advocates and frontline workers. The press briefing will follow in an adjacent room.
Date: Friday, October 4, 2024
Time: The announcement will begin at 11:30 a.m. Central Time, followed by the press briefing.
Media representatives are requested to prepare 30 minutes prior to the event start time.
Location:Canad Inns Destination Center Club Regent Casino Hotel1415 Regent Ave WWinnipeg, Manitoba
The announcement will take place in the ballroom, and the press briefing will take place in Ambassador Room E.
Gregory FramePress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Gary AnandasangareeMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relationsgregory.frame@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca
Ryan StelterPress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Nahanni FontaineMinister of Families of Manitobaryan.stelter@manitoba.ca204-590-8582
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Rosenbloom, Assistant Professor and Rosamond Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions, Carleton University
Canadian federal climate policies and investments look increasingly fragile. Could ‘carbon contracts for difference’ help ensure the survival of long-term climate action in Canada?(Shutterstock)
CCfDs are contractual agreements designed to provide price stability for projects that reduce emissions. Under CCfDs, a government entity guarantees a fixed price for the emissions reductions achieved by an industrial project based on established climate policy (for example, the existing or future carbon price).
If the market price for those reductions falls below this fixed price, the government pays the difference to the project proponents. If the market price exceeds the fixed price, the excess is paid back to the government.
The elegance and deceptive simplicity of this instrument has made it a policy winner in the eyes of many.
The Canada Growth Fund has allocated up to $7 billion for the issuance of CCfDs to unlock decarbonization projects. In theory, using a CCfD agreement gives an industry partner price stability on investment while the government gets to advance its goals of large emissions reducing projects. Seemingly, a win-win.
However, growing interdisciplinary research suggests that CCfDs may not always be the obvious win many assume they are.
Translating these insights to the broad-based use of CCfDs reveals that this instrument risks undermining positive feedbacks or encouraging industrial decarbonization projects with limited ability to contribute to a long-term transition to net-zero.
Not a perfect solution
There are three main issues with a CCfD-based approach.
Second, providing CCfDs for certain emissions reduction projects (such as carbon capture and storage) may inadvertently support industries that have an interest in reversing the direction of climate policy. This focus on opportunities that extend current systems or deliver least-cost emissions reductions reflects a common tendency in policymaking to misunderstand the climate crisis as simply a market failure, and not an issue requiring whole systems change.
Third, the time required to issue CCfDs on a case-by-case basis may actually encourage industrial actors to hold off on making final investment decisions until they receive a guarantee, delaying action further.
What this shows is that while CCfDs may have a targeted role to play in advancing critical emission reduction projects (such as those that unlock systems change in key sectors), policymakers should be wary of relying too heavily on this instrument.
A more strategic approach is needed that involves charting pathways between where sectors are now and long-term desirable net-zero outcomes — an approach that is being actively advanced by Canada’s Transition Accelerator. A strategic approach would focus support on industries willing to hitch their carts to the future of the climate policy mix and defend climate action no matter who is in office.
As the Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions, Daniel Rosenbloom would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Ivey Foundation. Rosenbloom is also a Steering Group member of the Sustainability Transitions Research Network, which is a scholarly network working toward the advancement of transition scholarship.
What you need to know:Four million Californians without a high school diploma will be able to access federal financial aid to attend college classes thanks to the Ability to Benefit program – increasing opportunity and access to higher education, training, and jobs.
SACRAMENTO–Governor Newsom announced today that California Community Colleges were successfully approved by the U.S. Department of Education to enable students without a high school diploma – or the equivalent – to access Title IV financial aid. California Community College’s successful application to participate in theAbility to Benefit (ATB)program means that the four million Californians without a high school diploma will now qualify to access federal financial aid to attend college classes – increasing opportunity and access to higher education, training, and jobs across the state.
Students participating in the ATB process will also have support for their education goals, and access to counseling and academic support, including math and writing workshops, tutoring services, accessibility services, and more.
It’s a duty and a privilege for our state to help students and workers access higher education and pursue fulfilling careers — even without a highschool diploma. In California, we’re working to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential.
Governor Gavin Newsom
Why this matters
In California,19 percent of adults over 25 do not have a high school degree, as compared to 14 percent for the rest of the country. Education is statistically tied to earning potential, and today’s announcement will help ensure that more Californians are able to access higher-paying jobs by taking community college classes without massive debt. Previously, students without a high school diploma seeking to qualify for an ATB exception had to complete six credits of college classes or pass a qualifying exam to access federal financial aid. The new state process allows these students to meet a streamlined set of criteria instead, simplifying the process to get more aid to more students.
California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian: “Our thanks go to Gov. Newsom for partnering on this effort, which represents a significant step toward ensuring equitable access to higher education for all Californians. Our collective efforts aim to create a streamlined and inclusive pathway for individuals seeking to pursue their academic aspirations, regardless of their background or circumstances.”
Bigger picture
In August 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed theFreedom to Succeedexecutive orderto improve access to high-paying and fulfilling careers for students and workers. The Governor’s executive order launched the development of a newMaster Plan for Career Educationthat will help prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow, including high-paying and fulfilling career paths that don’t require college degrees. Additionally, the executive order directed the state to take further steps to reduce barriers to state employment — including eliminating requirements for college degrees unnecessary to job duties.
Leaders from California’s education and workforce systems and the California Department of Rehabilitation met last week to discuss the Master Plan framework and are on track to deliver the Master Plan by the end of the year.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Oct 3, 2024
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today announced a new project in San Francisco that will transform a dated Department of Motor Vehicles building into a mixed use building with a modern DMV office paired with 372 new homes, including homes dedicated to…
Oct 3, 2024
News What you need to know: The state is decertifying the City of Norwalk’s housing element following the city’s action breaking state housing law and implementing an illegal shelter ban. The state’s action makes the city ineligible for significant housing and…
Oct 2, 2024
News What you need to know: The Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project breaking ground today will provide 100-year flood risk reduction in the area – up from the existing eight-year level of protection. The Governor has advanced funding and key legislation to move…
What you need to know: UC Berkeley economists’ study shows that raising the minimum wage increased incomes for workers, with no job cuts and food prices remaining largely stable.
SACRAMENTO – A new study published by UC Berkeley’s Institute for Research and Labor Employment confirmed that California’s $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers has led to significant benefits for workers, without the devastating consequences that critics predicted. The study found that while wages have risen substantially, there has been no reduction in employment in the fast-food sector. Below are some key takeaways from the research:
Wages increased by 18% – For 90 percent of non-managerial workers, wages increased by 18 percent, representing a meaningful bump for workers who have historically been underpaid despite many being the primary breadwinners in their families.
No job cuts – The wage increase did not lead to job cuts, despite what critics had said would be a doomsday for the industry.
Profit margins were already high – The industry had been benefiting from “monopsonistic (higher than competitive) profit margins” which have “absorbed a substantial share of the cost increase.”
15 cents – The cost of menu options rose by only 3.7 percent, which is roughly just 15 cents for a typical $4 hamburger.
“This study reaffirms that our commitment to fair wages for fast-food workers is not only lifting up working families but also strengthening our economy. The data shows that investing in workers benefits everyone — workers, businesses, and our state as a whole.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Here are some of the news stories that covered this study:
In July, California set a record for the most fast food jobs in state history. Since the law went into effect in April, the state has gained 7,400 fast food jobs.
This study comes after corporate restaurant industry groups pushed out “fake” numbers to make it seem like thousands had been fired because of the wage increase.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
New Study Analyzes Impact of California’s $20 Minimum Wage for Fast Food Workers
Sectoral Wage-Setting Policy Yields Higher Pay, No Changes in Job Numbers and Modest Price Increases
Berkeley, CA – A new study from the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at UC Berkeley offers a careful analysis of the effects of California’s recent minimum wage increase for fast food workers. The policy, which took effect in April 2024 and raised the minimum wage to $20 per hour, marks a significant shift in wage regulation. The study, released as California’s Fast Food Council considers further wage increases in 2025, presents compelling evidence that the $20 hourly wage has significantly raised worker earnings without job losses or concerning price hikes.
Sectoral Wage-Setting in California leverages novel data on wages and prices at individual restaurants, including over 11,000 reported salaries on Glassdoor. The menu price data come from over 1,500 California restaurants and a similar number in states without recent wage increases. This approach enables the authors to isolate the causal effects of the wage policy from broader market trends.
Key Findings:
18% Pay Increase: The new wage policy raised average hourly pay by 18 percent, lifting the earnings of workers in large fast food chains, 90 percent of whom previously earned below $20 per hour.
Stable Employment: Contrary to fears expressed by restaurant groups, the wage increase did not lead to job cuts. Employment levels remained steady across the fast food industry.
Modest Price Increases: Prices of popular menu items rose by 3.7 percent, translating to an increase of just 15 cents for a typical $4 hamburger.
Consistent with recent minimum wage research, the findings challenge the outdated assumption that significant wage increases lead to job loss. “We find that a carefully implemented sectoral wage floor can raise worker pay without reducing the number of jobs or substantial consumer cost burdens,” says report co-author and Berkeley economics professor Michael Reich.
California’s sectoral wage policy experiment is both large-scale and groundbreaking. If deemed successful, it could pave the way for similar policies in other states and industries. Indeed, California is already preparing to roll out a second sectoral wage policy for health care workers. This study, the first to marshal systematic data and rigorous analysis, provides policymakers with a timely, evidence-based assessment of the policy’s effects on wages, employment, and prices.
To discuss the report findings in greater detail and answer questions about the research methodology, findings, and policy implications, the authors will host a virtual press briefing tomorrow, October 1. Details below. Read the full report.
Recent news
Oct 3, 2024
News OAKLAND – Today, California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, in partnership with the Latino Community Foundation and Prospera recognized Latina Equal Pay Day – underscoring the persistent wage gap faced by Latina workers across the United States. On average,…
Oct 3, 2024
News What you need to know: Four million Californians without a high school diploma will be able to access federal financial aid to attend college classes thanks to the Ability to Benefit program – increasing opportunity and access to higher education, training, and…
Oct 3, 2024
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today announced a new project in San Francisco that will transform a dated Department of Motor Vehicles building into a mixed use building with a modern DMV office paired with 372 new homes, including homes dedicated to…
People Against Prisons Aotearoa can confirm that a second person has died in Mount Eden Corrections Facility.
This second death was discovered on Thursday morning, less than a week after Andrew Chan Chui was found dead in the same prison. Dr. Emmy Rākete, spokesperson for PAPA and a lecturer in criminology at the University of Auckland, says the string of deaths raises concerns about the facility’s management.
“Mount Eden Prison is a death trap,” says Dr. Rākete. “I am extremely concerned that prison management either can’t or won’t ensure the safety of the people they’re locking up.”
Sources informed Dr. Rākete that emergency services were called to Mount Eden Corrections Facility on the morning of Thursday October 3rd, where they declared that the patient was deceased almost immediately. Correspondence from within the Department of Corrections, provided to Dr. Rākete, confirms that a death occurred in Mount Eden Corrections Facility on Thursday.
“This is the third death in Mount Eden Prison this year. Andrew Chan Chui was murdered in his cell last week. Another man took his own life in Mount Eden Prison in June. There is a pattern of violence and death in Mount Eden Prison that Dion Paki, the director of the prison, needs to be held accountable for. How many more people will Mount Eden Prison let die?”
People Against Prisons Aotearoa and the Chan Chui family will be holding a candlelight vigil outside of Mount Eden Corrections Facility tomorrow, October 5th, at 7:30pm.
More than 3,900 students across NSW have already benefitted from the Minns Labor Government’s $120 million investment in tertiary health study subsidies, with all subsidies now awarded for the 2024 calendar year.
The recipients of the subsidies include 1,840 nursing students, 280 midwifery students, 1,020 allied health, 520 medical students and 262 paramedical students.
Students beginning their degrees will receive subsidies of $4,000 per year over three years.
The subsidies, announced as part of the 2023-24 Budget, are also expected to support a further 8,000 healthcare students over the next four years.
Students seeking to receive the subsidy in 2025 can apply from mid-January 2025 and must be willing to make a five-year commitment to the NSW public health system.
The subsidies form part of a series of measures introduced by the Minns Labor Government to further strengthen the state’s health workforce, including:
Implementing the Safe Staffing Levels initiative in our emergency departments
Providing permanent funding for 1,112 FTE nurses and midwives on an ongoing basis
Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other health workers
Beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities.
The full list of 2025 eligible workforce groups will be available in October 2024 on the NSW Health website.
Quotes attributable to Premier Chris Minns:
“I am so pleased more than 3,900 people across NSW have already benefitted from our health worker study subsidies.
“The subsidies help students with costs such as fees, technology, travel, and helps us keep talented people here in NSW, working in the country’s largest public health system.
“Attracting skilled healthcare workers is a longstanding challenge, and while there is a long way to go rebuilding our healthcare system, we are committed to doing it so that people can access the care they need, when they need it.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“We are shoring up the future of our health workforce in NSW and we’re honouring our election commitment to reducing financial barriers to studying healthcare.
“When we boost our health workforce we improve health outcomes, it’s as simple as that.
“It’s encouraging to see such a strong subscription of these subsidies.”
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mark S Tremblay, Professor of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine and Senior Scientist at the CHEO Research Institute, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
A recent study found that only 14 per cent of preschoolers around the world are meeting movement recommendations for physical activity, sleep and screen time.(Shutterstock)
Appropriate levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep (collectively termed movement behaviours) are essential for the healthy growth and development of preschool-aged children.
This was the impetus for creating the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (birth to four years). Likewise, this is why the World Health Organization adopted the Canadian guidelines when creating the global guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under five years of age.
Considering the extensive benefits of movement behaviours, it is very alarming that a recent study found that only 14 per cent of preschoolers around the world are meeting movement behaviour guideline recommendations.
three or more hours of total physical activity (including at least one hour of energetic play or activities that make them slightly out of breath),
one hour or less of screen time, and
10 to 13 hours of good quality sleep
Importantly, preschoolers who meet these guidelines gain health benefits such as reduced risk of obesity, improved social and emotional skills, and proficient motor skills.
Global levels
Preschoolers with healthy movement behaviour habits meeting these guideline recommendations gain health benefits such as reduced risk of obesity, improved social and emotional skills, and proficient motor skills. (Pixabay/Oleksandr Pidvalnyi)
A new global study shows most children around the world don’t meet these guidelines. The study included more than 7,000 preschoolers from 33 different countries, including Canada. The countries represented various World Bank income groups (e.g., high, middle and low income countries); and the geographical regions of Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Southeast Asia and Western Pacific.
When looking at each movement behaviour individually for preschoolers around the world, 49 per cent met the physical activity recommendations, 42 per cent met the screen time recommendation, and 81 per cent met the sleep recommendation.
That most young children are not meeting each of these basic recommendations separately is cause for concern; that 86 per cent are not meeting all guideline recommendations combined is alarming and places preschoolers around the world at risk of sub-standard health and development.
Globally, 81 per cent of preschoolers met sleep recommendations. (Shutterstock)
Seventeen per cent of boys met all the guideline recommendations, compared to 13 per cent of girls. This slight difference was driven by more boys meeting the physical activity recommendation (56 per cent boys, 42 per cent girls), and protected from being even worse by more girls meeting the screen time (45 per cent girls, 38 per cent boys) and sleep (82 per cent girls, 79 per cent boys) recommendations.
Better screen time and sleep habits for girls protected their overall movement behaviour adherence from being even worse, showcasing the various paths to health through different movement behaviour combinations. However, the low number meeting all movement behaviour recommendations demonstrates the need for all preschoolers to routinely be more active, reduce screen time and accumulate good quality sleep in a day.
By income
Screen time in the evening is associated with less sleep and lower sleep quality. (Shutterstock)
Low-income countries had the highest movement behaviour guideline adherence levels (17 per cent), compared to middle-income (12 per cent) and high-income (14 per cent) countries.
While children from high-income countries were more active and had more quality sleep, they also had the worst screen time behaviours compared to low- and middle-income countries. It is a double-edged sword that in higher-income countries, children have more access to physical activity opportunities and quality sleep environments, but also more access to screen time devices.
Likewise, middle-income countries with the lowest movement behaviour adherence rates could symbolize a region’s development transition where infrastructure in the homes and communities cannot yet support more physical activity and good quality sleep, but availability of cell phones, televisions and other screens leads to increased sedentary behaviours.
By region
The African and European regions had the highest movement behaviour adherence (24 per cent), while the Americas region had the lowest (eight per cent). With 17 per cent meeting the screen time recommendations and 68 per cent meeting the physical activity recommendations, the Americas region had the worst screen time and best physical activity.
The physical activity levels of the Americas region preschoolers are higher compared to the 39 per cent of older Canadian children and youth as reported in the ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. But these older Canadian children and youth did have slightly better, albeit still poor, screen time behaviours with 27 per cent meeting the guidelines.
Sixty-eight per cent of preschool-aged children in the Americas were meeting the physical activity recommendations, compared to only 26 per cent of Southeast Asian children. However, it remains a concern that roughly half of all young children around the world are at risk of sub-optimal health and development from lack of physical activity.
Roughly half of all young children around the world are at risk of sub-optimal health and development from lack of physical activity. (Shutterstock)
Guidance for improvements can be drawn from the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, where the goal of a 15 per cent relative reduction in global physical inactivity rates by 2030 relies on capacity-building collaborations within research organizations and alliances to strengthen our global understanding of movement behaviours.
Along with the best movement behaviours overall, the African region had the best screen time levels with 63 per cent meeting the recommendations. This is potentially explained by limited access to screen time devices.
However, to better understand why screen time behaviours are better in Africa, initiatives like the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Global Matrix project should be used as a model. Within the Global Matrix, region-level differences are an opportunity to learn the strengths of other regions, while addressing regional weaknesses at home.
For instance, Canada could be a model for less active countries, while attempting to model the African region’s reduced screen time lifestyles. Further, projects such as the SUNRISE study — where researchers from more than 70 countries are collaborating to measure preschoolers’ movement behaviours, health and development — are excellent venues for this necessary capacity-building and global learning.
However, health movement behaviour levels in Canada and across the globe are unsatisfactory and forecast further global health challenges, inequalities, and distancing from United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It’s time to get our little ones a little more active.
Mark S Tremblay has received research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada for research distally related to this article. He is affiliated with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology who created the Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years, under his leadership. He was also on the expert panel for the World Health Organization for the development of the global guidelines cited in the article.
Nicholas Kuzik 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 Iowa Chuck Grassley
Q: Are you surprised the conflict in the Middle East is escalating?
A: It’s been one year since the horrific terrorist attack in Israel, when the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched its brutal assault killing 1,200 people, systematically raping women and taking 250 people hostage, including Americans. Among those taken hostage were elderly people and infants. At least ninety-seven hostages are still believed to be alive in captivity, including two children. Throughout the last year, I’ve worked to keep up the public pressure for their safe return home. Tragically, a month ago, Hamas murdered six Israeli hostages, including an American with dual citizenship. In July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a historic fourth appearance before a joint session of Congress. He spoke about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and underscored the strategic partnership between the United States and Israel, the only democracy and our most trusted ally in the Middle East.
For 12 months, Israel has been fighting Hamas in the Gaza strip, where the terrorist group has embedded itself among the civilian population, urging Gazans not to comply with evacuation warnings, using schools and hospitals as military bases and a United Nations headquarters to provide power to its network of terror tunnels. In response to 11 months of constant missile attacks that have forced 68,000 Israelis to flee their homes, Israel recently launched military strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both fronts underscore the danger of appeasement pushed by the Obama and Biden administrations. Iran’s military and financial support for terrorist groups has one goal: to wipe the Jewish people and the State of Israel off the face of the Earth. Israel must be able to defend itself against attacks from Iran and its proxies and I have supported military aid to uphold U.S. leadership for peace in the world.
Earlier this year, I condemned action by the Biden administration to block or restrict the supply of U.S. ammunition and weapons to Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security and long-term prosperity must be upheld. Terrorism has no place at home or abroad. That’s also why I’ve called upon the Biden-Harris administration to secure our southern border. The open border policies of this administration are putting national security at risk. Hamas and Hezbollah fighters could take advantage of the lax enforcement at our southern border to plan an attack on U.S. soil. The number one responsibility of the federal government is national security. Complacency is not an option. Peace through strength works. The United States must not bow to our adversaries, such as approving reckless nuclear agreements with Iran. Most recently, I joined dozens of my Senate colleagues to condemn proposals that would strip Israel’s right to self defense. As we observe the one-year anniversary of the barbaric attacks against Jewish civilians, America and the community of nations must stand shoulder to shoulder to support Israel’s sovereignty and unite against terrorists plotting to destroy the historic homeland of the Jewish people.
Q: How are you working to stop antisemitism surging on college campuses?
A: As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I shined a bright light on the rise of antisemitism in the United States during a congressional hearing convened in September. The hearing examined the rising tide of hate crimes in America. Shortly after the attacks last year, I called upon the Biden administration to enforce anti-discrimination laws and protect Jewish students on our college campuses. Since the Oct. 7 attacks, antisemitic threats have spiked, including violent protests, campus encampments and barricades inside of school buildings. Some schools canceled commencement ceremonies to protect public safety. Reports of antisemitic incidents on U.S. college campuses surged 700 percent in the last year. Enough is enough.
In April, I co-sponsored the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act to help combat antisemitic harassment on college campuses. For decades, I have been a staunch defender of free speech on campus, and our bill would help clarify when lawful speech crosses the line into unlawful harassment in violation of federal law. Before the new school year started, I also co-sponsored legislation that would direct universities and the federal Department of Education to immediately address civil rights complaints if a student experiences violence or harassment on campus because of their heritage. It shouldn’t take an act of Congress for academic leaders to protect students and combat antisemitic hate on their campuses. Our Restoring Civility on Campus Act would hold universities and the U.S. Department of Education accountable to meet their legal obligation to stop discrimination and protect Jewish students on campus. Schools that neglect to address on-campus harassment and violent confrontations towards Jewish students are in violation of federal law. Our bill would strengthen processes for reporting and handling hate-motivated crimes. History shows why the world must have zero tolerance for antisemitism.
China’s intensified efforts to build resilient industrial and supply chains and expand international collaboration will further drive global industrial development and unlock a wealth of opportunities for companies worldwide, experts and company executives said.
The comments were made in response to the central authorities’ resolution to this end. The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China — a meeting key to the nation’s reforms and modernization progress — said the country will move faster to build industrial and supply chains that are self-supporting and risk-controllable.
Meanwhile, China will further deepen reform and opening-up, and facilitate international cooperation in industrial and supply chains, the meeting said.
“China is both a participant and beneficiary of global industrial and supply chains, as well as a firm defender and builder of these chains,” Zhang Qingwei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, said during a recent meeting.
He added that the country will integrate more deeply with the global industrial and supply chain system and firmly oppose protectionism and any form of decoupling, while maintaining the desired outcome of global public good.
Zhang Yansheng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, said that China has witnessed momentum in emerging sectors like new energy in recent years despite headwinds such as decoupling moves initiated by the United States and its relocation strategies.
“The US is leveraging new protectionism, industrial policies and government intervention to undermine the solid foundation of China’s industrial and supply chains. This retrogressive approach is not only unfair to Chinese companies and global consumers, but also a step backward in the global transition toward sustainability.
“What is to the benefit of all is that China will further deepen market-oriented reforms, expand high-standard opening-up, improve the legal system, and enhance the institutional framework for fair competition, green development and the advancement of clean energy domestically.”
Zhang added that if there were no negative spillovers of geopolitical tensions and protectionism, the supply and demand of new energy vehicles, photovoltaics and lithium batteries — areas in which the US unfairly accuses China of overcapacity — would achieve a dynamic balance at the global level.
Recalling that the US and China have both benefited tremendously from more bilateral trade, Neil Bush, chairman of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations, said while addressing a recent event that countries that rely solely on local manufacturing face significant challenges.
“Manufacturing is no longer confined to national borders. Countries that embrace innovation while working together can unlock new potential and drive economic growth by sharing research and best practices in technical advancements,” he said.
As Chinese companies continue to weave themselves into the fabric of global industrial and supply chains, Wang Yang, president of SinoEV (Hefei) Powertrain Technologies, a developer of electric vehicle power systems, said it is challenging for some countries to be independent of China’s new energy industry supply chain in the short term.
“Developing a robust supply chain requires a long time and certain favorable conditions, such as comprehensive policy and a large market scale,” Wang said.
“China’s new energy industry supply chain is competitive on the global stage, thanks to its complete industry chain covering research and development, engineering design, manufacturing management and final assembly integration. It will bring benefits to companies around the world.”
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China is the only country in the world that has all industrial categories listed in the United Nations Industrial Classification, covering almost all traditional and emerging manufacturing sectors.
Zeng Yuqun, founder of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, a leading EV battery maker, said that countries can actually benefit from the new energy sector by sharing the industry chain.
“CATL has already taken some measures to diversify its overseas market and is willing to share its technology with the world,” he added.
Citing challenges faced by the global industrial and supply chains, Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, said China will not isolate itself, but rather integrate more actively into the global innovation system to avoid severe disruptions in the global industrial chain.
“With its position in the global industrial chain key to the world, China must continue to innovate and open up to reinforce this position,” Xue said.
Chinese researchers have discovered a new species of fish, Opsariichthys iridescens, in east China, which features beautiful colors. The research findings describe how the species is distinguished from congeners by morphological features, which have been validated through gene-based phylogenetic analysis. The discovery was published in a recent edition of the international academic journal Zookeys. The research was led by Yang Jinquan, a professor at Shanghai Ocean University, in collaboration with the Zhejiang Forest Resource Monitoring Center and other institutions. The new species can be distinguished from its closely related species with a genetic divergence of over 14 percent, according to the research findings. The new species is found in the Qiantang and Oujiang River systems in Zhejiang Province and the tributaries of the lower Yangtze River adjacent to the Qiantang River. Yang said that the discovery of several new species living in fast-flowing rivers or streams including Opsariichthys iridescens, indicates that the diversity of freshwater fish species in the region is still underestimated. According to Yang, these stream fish species are food resources for waterfowl and other animal, contributing to the nutrient cycling and water purification of rivers. Yang said protecting these fish species is essential to maintaining the balance of aquatic ecosystems, which helps to maintain biodiversity and promote the sustainable development of ecotourism and fisheries.
