Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
VIENTIANE, Oct. 10 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for the need to strengthen the Asian consciousness, saying that Asian countries share a common home, common interests, common opportunities, and a common pursuit of values.
Addressing the 27th ASEAN Plus Three Summit here in Vientiane, Li said Asian countries value independence, adding that the affairs of Asia should be handled through consultation by the people of Asia, and Asia’s fate must be in its own hands.
He also said that Asian nations all stress that development comes first and agree that peace is of paramount importance.
In the lead-up to Sanarosa’s Closure Ceremony, the Sanarosa “Let It End With Me” Campaign was launched today, engaging students from Maluafou College and St. Joseph’s College.
Sanarosa was a young girl whose tragic story of abuse has profoundly impacted our community, especially following her untimely death at 18 years old.
SVSG strategically selected these two colleges as advocates for Sanarosa’s message, recognizing that students, teachers, principals, and parents are navigating the healing process to address mental health issues exacerbated by recent violent incidents.
The campaign commenced this morning at Maluafou College, involving the entire school community, including teachers and Vice Principal Reverend Iakopo Faasalaina. Sanarosa’s dying message was shared through a video recording, serving as an inspiration drawn from her heartbreaking story. SVSG has made a promise to keep Sanarosa’s message alive by advocating for children and youth.
The afternoon session at St. Joseph’s College met with an equally positive reception. Sister Jacinta Fidow of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM) and the SVSG Psychosocial Team Leader delivered the Sanarosa “Let It End With Me” message. The students, teachers, and Brothers showed significant engagement, paying close attention to the message being shared.
Sanarosa’s legacy resonated deeply with many, prompting reflections on the importance of compassion and support within the community. Students were invited to take ownership of the Sanarosa “Let It End With Me” Campaign to honor her memory by fostering a culture of care, respect, and understanding among their peers—one that unequivocally rejects violence in all forms.
SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang, who led the campaign today, reminded the students: “I urge you to recognize the preciousness of life and to choose paths that uplift rather than harm. You are fortunate to have families who embrace you when you return home from school—families that protect you fiercely. The children at the Campus of Hope remind us of the harsh realities of violence. Please, do not let Sanarosa’s death be in vain.”
The Samoa Victim Support Group remains committed to raising awareness and advocating for a culture of non-violence among youth in Samoa. Through initiatives like the Sanarosa “Let It End With Me” Campaign, SVSG aims to create lasting change and empower the next generation to reject violence in all its forms.
“Thank you to the thousands of students we have visited today at the two Colleges for committing to continue Sanarosa’s legacy. Together, we can break the cycle of violence and inspire a generation to cherish life and support one another,” said Siliniu Lina Chang.
Join us for Sanarosa’s Closure Ceremony on Friday, October 4, 2024, at 9:30 AM, at Fasitoo-uta. We invite the community to pay tribute to our young hero, as SVSG village representatives will line the road leading to Sanarosa’s resting place.
Freehold company HAAB Development Limited and company director Sheikh Behaeddin Adil have pleaded guilty for failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice for a property in the Queen’s Park Estate Conservation Area in the North Paddington area of Westminster.
At the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday 10th September, HAAB Development Limited and the director of the company, Mr Adil were ordered to pay £415,101.13, for particular criminal conduct under the Proceeds of Crime Act, within three months.
Westminster City Council sought an inspection of the property in Harrow Road after receiving a complaint about a first-floor extension. In May 2015 Officers from the council’s Planning Enforcement team found that the property was converted from a shop with three residential flats, to a shop with seven inadequately sized studio or one-bed flats. This involved rear extensions to the ground floor and first floor as well as many internal rearrangements.
The local authority issued an enforcement notice in April 2016 which was required to be complied with by 18th November 2016. The notice required the removal of unauthorised works and internal rearrangements to convert the property back to how it was.
In January 2020, the requirements of the notice were still not complied with, and Westminster City Council decided it was in the public interest to prosecute the freehold company and its director.
The enforcement notice was finally complied with in February 2023, with the company and director contesting the prosecution claiming that they were not aware of the central London authority’s concerns about the breach of planning control, despite employing a planning agent to respond to the council’s concerns as early as October 2015.
Following the sentencing hearing on 10th September 2024, both were required to pay fines of £9,750 each and contributions towards the City Council’s prosecution costs in the sum of £50,000 (£25,000 each) within 3 months. This is in addition to the proceeds of crime order.
The Council understands that planning enforcement can be challenging due to the time it requires, but we are pleased to have reached a resolution after a lengthy process.
Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development said:
Planning Enforcement is there to protect and prevent harm to our historic built environment such as the much loved Queens Park Conservation Area.”
“We are clear that enforcement notices will be served and must be complied with if a building owner goes ahead with development without getting planning permission first.”
“I welcome this verdict, and the proceeds of crime order, as a warning to others and a reminder that Westminster Council is committed to protecting our City from unscrupulous property developers. ”
Co-leader of the Green Party and MP for Bristol Central, Carla Denyer, will welcome the Renters’ Rights Bill in parliament later today, but will say it must go further in defending the rights of 11 million renters in the UK. Denyer said:
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to recognise the rights of the 11 million people living in private rented housing to have a safe, decent and secure home. A chance to stop tenants being constantly uprooted and fleeced to pay for a roof over their heads.
“In particular, we need a national system for rent controls with local flexibility aimed at bringing rents down relative to incomes.
“Such a Bill is long overdue. Greens hope it can be made even better and become truly transformative. Let’s make sure we use this opportunity to shift how we think about renting, moving away from viewing housing as assets, to prioritising and valuing the right to a stable home – in policy and practice.”
Notes
Carla Denyer MP and Sian Berry MP are expected to speak in the debate on the Bill in the Commons.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The city has signed an agreement with the developer to participate in the development of social, transport, and engineering infrastructure in the capital’s development area. It provides for the construction of an educational complex for 675 students in the Kommunarka district (TiNAO). This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.
“The educational complex will consist of a kindergarten for 225 children and a school for 450 children. It will be built at the address: block 70, land plot No. 78/3. According to the participation agreement that the city concluded with the developer, the facility is planned to be commissioned in 2026. After the completion of construction, the investor will transfer it to the capital’s education system,” Vladimir Efimov noted.
The project is being implemented by the developer as part of the construction of the residential complex “1st Salaryevsky”.
“The total area of the three-story building will be 14 thousand square meters. Separate entrances will be provided for school and preschool departments. In addition to the kindergarten group cells and school classrooms, the complex will include sports facilities, a medical office and a dining hall. Sports grounds, a 60-meter running track and a place for long jumps will be created in the physical education and sports zone,” added the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy of the capital.
Mosgosstroynadzor issued a permit for the construction of a social facility in early September of this year. According to the committee chairman Anton Slobodchikova, an educational complex for 675 places will be built on a land plot of 1.5 hectares. The progress of the work at all stages will be monitored by a committee. As soon as the developer sends a notice of the start of construction and installation work, inspectors will draw up a program of site inspections.
The facade finishing will visually divide the building using different materials and colors, but maintaining one color scheme. And the metal perforated panels in the piers will unite the stained glass systems and window units into a single ribbon glazing. The chaotic arrangement of window openings on the main facade, combined with concrete tiles imitating clinker brick, will give the building architectural expressiveness.
The territory of the educational complex will house physical education and sports zones, utility zones, and recreation areas. A hard-surfaced area for events will be organized near the main entrance to the school department.
The preschool department’s territory includes group play areas and physical education and health grounds, a utility area, as well as storage space for strollers, bicycles and sleds.
According to the head of the Department for the Development of New Territories of the City of Moscow Vladimir Zhidkin, in the development of TiNAO, the city adheres to the principle of balanced development. The more actively housing is built, the more social facilities appear. Since the annexation of the territories to the capital, more than 150 educational facilities have been built and commissioned in TiNAO, 20 of them are since the beginning of the current year.
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.
On Wednesday, MEPs discussed Hungary’s priorities for its six-month Council Presidency, which started on 1 July, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola noted in her opening statement that the Hungarian Presidency comes at a time when the EU is taking “significant steps forward” including “supporting Ukraine, strengthening European competitiveness, and building a more stable, secure Europe”. She recalled that the Parliament is the house of democracy, “where the rule of law and freedom of expression are sacrosanct”, and where “we may not always agree, but we will always give space for the respectful sharing of views”.
“The EU needs to change,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, adding that the Hungarian Presidency aims to be the voice and catalyst for change. According to Mr Orbán, the situation of the EU is far more serious than in 2011, during the first Hungarian EU Presidency, citing the war in Ukraine, escalating conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, migration, risks to the Schengen area, and Europe losing its global competitiveness.
Mr Orbán pledged that Hungary would be an honest and constructive broker holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council, including on the pending 52 legislative files that need to be finalised, and is ready to start inter-institutional negotiations with the Parliament.
He highlighted competitiveness as a key issue for the Presidency, noting that the EU’s economic growth in the last two decades has been significantly lower than in China and US, with the EU’s share of global trade also decreasing. Pointing to energy prices as a key obstacle, Mr Orbán said that “as a result of moving away from Russian energy sources, the EU has lost significant GDP growth”. “We should not fall into the illusion that the green transition in itself offers a solution to the problem,” he argued, adding that decarbonisation has led to slowing down of productivity and the loss of jobs.
On migration, Mr Orbán warned that “without external hotspots we cannot protect Europeans from illegal migration”. “The EU asylum system is simply not working. Illegal migration has led to increasing anti-semitism, violence against women and homophobia,” he claimed. He proposed holding regular “Schengen summits”, and insisted that Bulgaria and Romania should become full members of the free-movement area by the end of the year.
On enlargement, Mr Orbán called for accelerating the accession of the Western Balkan countries and stressed that “without Serbia joining, we cannot stabilise the Balkans”.
The Hungarian Prime Minister argued for an EU defence industry, a farmer-friendly, competitive agriculture sector, and for the importance of the EU cohesion policy. “Cohesion funds are not charity nor a donation, it is one of the biggest forms of investment policy in the EU, and it is a pre-requisite to balance out the single market,” he said.
Response by the European Commission President
Replying to Prime Minister Orbán, Ms von der Leyen affirmed the EU’s commitment to support Hungary after the recent floods and outlined three key priorities: Ukraine, competitiveness, and migration. She criticised Hungary’s stance on Russia, deploring that “one member state in particular” is still trying to buy fossil fuels from Russia despite the EU’s commitment to be energy independent. On migration, she condemned Hungary’s decision to release convicted smugglers and questioned its visa policies, such as inviting Russian nationals into the EU without additional checks, warning these “make Hungary a security risk, not only for Hungary but for all member states.” Emphasising the country’s potential within the EU, she urged it to “serve the cause of European unity” rather than diverging from shared values. (Her full speech is available here.)
Speakers from political groups
A majority of speakers in Parliament criticised the Hungarian Prime Minister for his record since the country assumed the presidency of the Council, as well as for turning Hungary into a hybrid regime, undermining Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, and collaborating with illiberal regimes in Moscow and Beijing. Most speakers expressed their concern about the complete lack of regard for EU values demonstrated by the Hungarian Prime Minister, as well as allegations of rampant corruption in Hungary. Many MEPs expressed their solidarity with the Hungarian people suffering from their government’s restrictions on judicial independence, media freedom, and civil society. Several argued that it was a mistake to give the rotating presidency to Hungary and called for a suspension of its voting rights in the Council under the Article 7 procedure.
Other speakers disagreed, commending the Hungarian government for its stance on migration and for placing competitiveness at the top of its priorities. They lauded Hungary as a defender of traditional values and took the opportunity to argue that the green transition policies and cumbersome EU rules are destroying Europe’s economy.
On Wednesday, MEPs adopted a resolution issuing a strong warning against continued Russian attempts to derail Moldova’s pro-European trajectory.
The text, approved by 508 votes in favour, 53 against and 104 abstentions, vehemently condemns Russia’s escalating malicious activities, interference and hybrid operations ahead of Moldovans going to the polls to vote in the country’s presidential election and constitutional referendum on EU integration on 20 October. MEPs highlight the role played by a plethora of malicious actors, including pro-Russian Moldovan oligarchs and Russia’s state-funded RT network, in carrying out voter fraud schemes as well as cyber operations and information warfare. They also call on the EU and its member states to ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to Moldova to strengthen its institutional mechanisms and ability to respond to hybrid threats.
Russia’s destabilising actions in Moldova
According to MEPs, Moldovan security services recently stated that Russia has spent approximately €100 million to undermine the upcoming electoral process in order to get Moldovans to vote against closer ties with the EU. On 3 October 2024, Moldovan authorities uncovered a large-scale voter fraud scheme financed by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, involving $15 million being transferred to 130 000 Moldovans as part of a voter bribery operation. Condemning these tactics, Parliament calls on Russia to respect Moldova’s independence, cease provocations, and withdraw military forces from its territory. In addition, it repeats its previous calls for all ammunition stored in the Cobasna depot in the Transnistria breakaway region to be destroyed.
MEPs call for additional sanctions against political actors destabilising Moldova
Against the backdrop of increasing Russian interference, the resolution calls on the Council to adopt further EU sanctions against individuals undermining Moldova’s sovereignty. MEPs also urge countries and territories hosting wanted Moldovan fugitives like Ilan Shor and Vladimir Plahotniuc to extradite them to Moldova for trial.
Additional support for Moldova’s EU accession
The European Parliament reaffirms its support for Moldova’s path towards EU accession, calling on the European Commission to include the country in the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) and to prioritise funding for EU candidate countries in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034. With EU accession talks with Moldova already having begun, MEPs call for a faster screening process and the timely organisation of the subsequent intergovernmental conferences.
To boost Moldova’s resilience against hybrid threats, Parliament urges the EU to continue to strengthen cooperation with the country in the fields of strategic communication, support for journalists and civil society and the promotion of independent Russian-language media content.
Background
The EU has previously imposed sanctions on Moldovan oligarchs and pro-Russian actors, including Ilan Shor and Vladimir Plahotniuc, Igor Ceaika, Gheorghe Cavaliuc and Marina Tauber. Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted candidate status in June 2022. In December 2023, the European Council agreed to open accession negotiations with Moldova.
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Spokesperson Matthew Miller leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on October 9, 2024
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Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
For the first time, the Government of Jersey is making available reliable data on the nature and scale of homelessness in Jersey.
The Homelessness in Jersey Report, Second Quarter 2024 has been published just ahead of World Homeless Day (Thursday 10 October), by the Housing Minister.
Tackling the issue of homelessness in Jersey is one of the Housing Minister’s priorities and part of the Homelessness Strategy.
Earlier this year, the Minister launched a project to improve the collection of evidence on homelessness in Jersey, drawing together data from organisations in Jersey who assist people who are homeless or facing homelessness. The organisations who have reported their data and will continue to do so every quarter, in an anonymised format, so up to date reports can be created, are:
The Shelter Trust
FREEDA (formerly the Women’s Refuge)
The Sanctuary Trust, and
The Government of Jersey’s Housing Advice Service (HAS)
Some of the themes to emerge in the first report are:
There were 220 service visits by 204 Islanders to homeless accommodation and service providers;
Issues of houselessness, with 180 Islanders living in temporary shelter accommodation;
Instances where people are living in insecure/vulnerable housing situations, including the threat of eviction and domestic abuse
The difference between the issues raised by, and requirements of, men and women. The report shows that homelessness was highest among men at 75% of recorded, with women comprising 25% of recorded cases.
Substance use (alcohol and drug use) is the main recorded reason for homelessness amongst males at 14%.
At risk of, has experience of, or escaping domestic abuse is the main reason for homelessness amongst females at 39%.
85 per cent of homeless Islanders referred to in the report have ‘Entitled’ residential status.
Commenting on the publication of the first quarterly report, Housing Minister Deputy Sam Mézec, said: “For a number of years, there has been a lack of meaningful data available regarding the situation in Jersey regarding homelessness. This has made it hard to fully and accurately understand the scale and nature of the issue in Jersey.
“The creation and implementation of this first homelessness report brings together data from different organisations in the Island, who support Islanders who are in situations concerning homelessness. The reporting of this data will provide a deeper understanding of the level of demand on different providers and how they respond to the issue of homelessness.
“It also gives us a better understanding of the service user’s journey and their engagement with the organisation they are in contact with and what their outcomes are.”
The Minister added: “I am deeply grateful to the agencies who have taken time to work with my team to provide data, which allow us all to develop a broader, richer, deeper understanding of this issue so that informed and useful policy can be created to tackle the issues surrounding homelessness. It is however, always important to remember that behind the statistics, there are many individual stories, and we must always remember the very human nature of this issue.”
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Olga Logunova, Research Associate, King’s Russia Institute, King’s College London
Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov has confirmed that the messaging app, which is widely used in Russia, has made several changes related to user privacy.
Durov, who was arrested in France in August in connection with a range of crimes as well as refusal to communicate information or documents, has made some alterations that address user safety and user privacy.
Telegram says the changes are expected to also reduce criminal activity on the app. But users are concerned that the changes make the app more compliant with legal requests from authorities.
While Durov’s political and legal tussle continues in the EU, at home in Russia Telegram remains one of the most influential media platforms. It is one of the only places where both opposition and official voices coexist.
It is particularly popular with Russians between the ages of 12 and 24, with around 85% of them using Telegram. Around 25 of its 30 most popular channels are news and politics related. Telegram is also popular for calls and messaging.
The platform is a vital space for the independent journalism and activism that survives in Russia. Independent media outlets and commentators covering Russian affairs and using Telegram include Meduza (1.3 million subscribers), TV Rain (500,000 subscribers) and Mediazona. All are using Telegram to reach the public but are operating from outside Russia’s borders.
Pro-government channels also attract big audiences on Telegram, often with even larger followings than the independent outlets mentioned above. The most popular Telegram channels are Ria Novosti with 3.3 million subscribers, Readovka with 2.6 million subscribers, and Solovyov Live (1.3 million subscribers), along with several others promoting pro-government lines and supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Additionally, alternative voices such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oligarch and prominent Kremlin critic, and Ekaterina Shulman, a respected political scientist and commentator, are steadily gaining audiences. Both have been labelled as foreign agents or extremists in Russia.
Where do Russians get news?
In the past decade, Russia’s media landscape has undergone significant censorship due to increasing state control. Radio stations have closed down and many journalists have left the country to be able to report.
Russian media usage
Traditional media sources, such as television, continue to have a massive audience. Television has a monthly reach of 98%, while radio has a monthly reach of 79%. (Reach is the total number of different people or households exposed, at least once, to a medium during a given period).
Both remain significant in today’s Russia. While television remains a primary news source for many Russians, the internet is used by 84% of people daily.
Since 2012, the state has progressively tightened control over political information. People and organisations will self-censor, and there is legislation penalising social media reposts and other forms of dissent. These laws claim to be addressing users who “discredit the armed forces” or “spread fake news”, but are actually aimed at cracking down on dissent.
Most viewed Telegram channels in Russia during July 2024
As of 2024, over 2,000 administrative cases and more than 273 criminal cases have been initiated under these laws. Individuals and organisations critical of the official Kremlin narrative have been fined, had their assets confiscated and been imprisoned.
Another government method used to control online discussion includes slowing down or blocking social media platforms. The state blocked major western platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in March 2022, leading millions of Russian users to migrate to Telegram.
Content creators followed en masse, transforming Telegram into a vital hub for news and political debate. Alternatives to Telegram in Russia include state-controlled domestic networks like VKontakte (VK) and Odnoklassniki, which have strong ties to figures close to the Kremlin.
Why is Telegram allowed?
The use of Telegram for propaganda, influencing public opinion, and promoting the positions of the state and Putin could be one of the reasons why Telegram has not faced the same restrictions as other platforms.
Another reason for its popularity is the platform’s ease of use as a messaging app, including for state organisations. This makes it less of a direct threat to state control over public opinion, while still serving as a crucial tool for those seeking alternative sources of information.
Its appeal to the Russian government is strengthened by the fact that Telegram is not owned by global (western) companies such as Meta, which owns WhatsApp (also popular in Russia). Additionally, issues surrounding legally questionable content, such as the near-official tolerance of digital piracy, have long been controversial in Russia.
Telegram’s moderation policies have often been associated with a less regulated approach to content, which has contributed to its popularity in Russia. These new changes may make ordinary Russians worry more about whether what they say on the app is safe from the state’s prying eyes.
The platform’s prominence in Russian public life is undeniable, but so too are the challenges it faces. How Telegram and its leadership navigate the coming years will have profound implications, not just for the platform, but for broader public debate in Russia.
Durov’s arrest underscores the growing pressure on Telegram, from some quarters, and reflects a critical juncture for platform leaders navigating state intervention. But for Russian people looking for a space where they can exchange news and views, it remains one of most free platforms they can still access.
Olga Logunova does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The #ErasmusDays are an international six-day celebration of the Erasmus+ programme. During these days, people throughout the world are invited to come together and either organise or participate at events that celebrate the projects and opportunities proposed by Erasmus+. For students, teachers, trainers, professionals and more generally, all citizens, the #ErasmusDays represent a unique moment to promote the multitude of benefits that result from the programme. In 2024, the 8th edition of the #ErasmusDays takes place from the 14th until the 19th October.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
The production of HMS Formidable underway as steel is cut. Production will sustain 2,500 jobs in Scotland and across the UK, supporting economic growth.
Thousands of jobs and apprenticeships are being supported through warship building, as a major milestone was reached today in the production of the Navy’s future high-tech frigates.
Steel was cut on HMS Formidable, the third of the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 warships, at a ceremony in the Rosyth shipyard, reinforcing the Ministry of Defence’s commitment to shipbuilding in Scotland.
All five frigates will be built in Rosyth, sustaining over 2,500 jobs in Scotland and across the wider supply chain. The work will also create an additional 400 apprenticeship roles, driving economic growth.
The five Type 31 frigates will support future maritime operations, including interception and disruption of those using the sea for unlawful purposes, intelligence gathering, defence engagement and humanitarian support. They will also be able to shoot down missiles and enemy air targets using a Sea Ceptor missile system, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad.
The announcement comes ahead of the International Investment Summit which will gather UK leaders, high-profile investors and businesses from across the world to discuss how we can deepen our partnership to drive investment and growth.
Attending the ceremony, Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said:
This government is committed to making Britain secure at home and strong abroad. These frigates will be at the heart of the Royal Navy fleet, deterring aggression and supporting our military.
Today’s significant milestone is backing the government’s mission to grow the economy by supporting thousands of jobs in Scotland and across the UK.
The programme is also a key element in the Royal Navy’s production line, sustaining and developing the British shipbuilding industry.
The Babcock-built Type 31 fleet will be highly adaptable and capable of rapid deployment, equipped with advanced radar, communication systems, and a variety of armaments.
In a testament to the UK defence industry, Poland has selected Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 ship design – based on the Type 31 frigates – to equip its Navy with a new class of frigates. In a further export boost, the design has been sold to Indonesia for their own frigate production.
Royal Navy’s Senior Responsible Owner for the Type 31 programme, Commodore Stephen Roberts, said:
This is a momentous occasion for all involved and we are proud to have marked this significant milestone in this way.
When complete, this remarkable fleet of general-purpose frigates will deliver an impressive capability for Royal Navy and play a huge role in the continued security and prosperity of our nation.
The ships will have a top speed of over 26 knots – equivalent to nearly 50 kilometres an hour – and accommodate a crew of around 100 personnel. They will replace the five Type 23 general purpose frigates. Type 23 frigates have carried out a wide variety of operations, from securing the UK’s vital maritime trade routes East of the Suez Canal to safeguarding British interests in the South Atlantic.
Babcock’s Chief Executive, Officer David Lockwood said:
Today, we are proud to mark yet another milestone in this important defence programme for the Royal Navy. These frigates will play a significant role in protecting the UK and supporting international partnered defence operations.
This programme is a real demonstration of UK sovereign shipbuilding capability and is delivering positive economic impact within Scotland and in communities across the UK. It is a privilege for our teams across Babcock to be delivering these platforms for the nation.
The Type 31 project is managed by Defence, Equipment and Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence.
DE&S’ Head of Combat Ships Delivery Group, Mark Beverstock, said:
I am delighted that work on the third ship in the Type 31 programme is underway. From maritime security patrols and disaster-relief support, to intelligence gathering and defence engagement, these ships will be at the heart of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet.
ATLANTA, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) is supporting recovery and relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Helene, donating $250,000 to the American Red Cross and making up to $2 million available through its Community Rebuild and Restore Product to assist with the rehabilitation of homes damaged by the storm.
“Across the Southeast, many of the communities that our members serve have been severely impacted by Hurricane Helene and devastating floods,” said Kirk Malmberg, president and CEO of FHLBank Atlanta. “These funds will provide critical support for both immediate relief and rebuilding efforts, helping to ease the burden on local communities.”
FHLBank Atlanta offers the Community Rebuild and Restore Product through its Affordable Housing Homeownership Set-aside Program in partnership with its member financial institutions, providing up to $10,000 to impacted homeowners for the rehabilitation of homes in “major disaster” areas, as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible homeowners.
“Our mission is to promote housing opportunity and homeownership, and there is never a more important time to take action than when a natural disaster damages the places people call home,” Malmberg said. “With these contributions we join many others in supporting recovery initiatives and helping our communities as they rebuild.”
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta FHLBank Atlanta is a member-owned cooperative that offers competitively-priced financing, community development grants, and other banking services to assist its member financial institutions make affordable home mortgages and provide economic development credit to neighborhoods and communities. The Bank’s members are commercial banks, credit unions, savings institutions, community development financial institutions, and insurance companies located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FHLBank Atlanta is one of 11 district banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Since 1990, the FHLBanks have awarded approximately $9.1 billion in Affordable Housing Program funds, assisting more than 1.2 million households.
Maputo (Agenzia Fides) – “We hope that the elections will be free and fair and, above all, peaceful,” said the President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique and Archbishop of Nampula, Inacio Saure, in an interview with Fides.Today, October 9, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in the southern African country. No major surprises are expected; FRELIMO (National Liberation Front), in power since independence in 1975, is expected to win the election again this time.Mozambique, which emerged in 1992 from a civil war that broke out in 1975, has been facing jihadist militias in the province of Cabo Delgago, the northernmost province of the country, for several years (see Fides, 19/10/2022).We asked Archbishop Saure to analyze the situation in the country in the light of today’s election.What do you expect from today’s elections?First and foremost, I hope that the elections will be free and fair and, above all, peaceful. The preparations have been marked by some difficulties. We know that there have been delays and problems in registering on the electoral rolls, due to bureaucratic issues but perhaps also to other political problems. Let’s say there was no interest in certain people being registered on the electoral roll. There is also a certain fatigue and disappointment among voters, because the first free elections took place in 1994, 30 years ago, and since then elections have been accompanied by controversy and protests.The war in the north is attributed to the presence of at least one jihadist group. Isn’t this reading a little simplistic?We say it is the jihadists, but I don’t think they are the only reason for this war. There are the resources in the region, primarily gas, but not only: in Balama there are mines with strategic minerals such as graphite, which are crucial for new technologies and the energy transition. That is why we do not know exactly what the real cause of this war is. Is it just religious? I don’t think so. On the other hand, the conflict broke out more or less at the same time as the gas extraction began.You are the Archbishop of Nampula, which has welcomed several internally displaced persons from the war. Can you describe their situation?After Cabo Delgado, the provincial capital where the war is mainly taking place, Nampula is the province that has welcomed most of the refugees fleeing the violence. This is a challenge because Nampula is the most densely populated province in the country and the sudden influx of thousands of people has created problems for the structures in this area. At the beginning, when the first refugees arrived, several international organizations provided assistance. But then the assistance was greatly reduced. They increasingly forgot about us and the more than 6,000 refugees who were still housed in Nampula. Initially, there were as many as 8,000, but some have returned to Cabo Delgado, where there are still many displaced people from the surrounding villages affected by insecurity.As a Church, we are fully committed to helping these people through our diocesan and national Caritas. The problem is that we do not have sufficient resources, especially since international aid has almost disappeared.Is there a fear that the conflict in the north could spread to other areas of Mozambique?Much of Mozambique is at peace, but there is a fear that the instability in the north could spread to the rest of the country, which is exacerbated by great poverty, especially among unemployed youth, especially in the cities.The other big problem is widespread poverty…Yes, especially among young people. Many young people from the countryside have moved to the cities but have not found work there. This is, among other things, a major challenge at a pastoral level. The ideal would be to create vocational training opportunities for these people. However, the Church alone does not have the means to do this. During our last ad limina visit, Pope Francis also recommended not to forget young people and to provide them with training places. During our visit this year, I pointed out to the Holy Father the difficulties we have in supporting young people in vocational training because we, as the Mozambican Church, do not have the means to do so. We try to do what we can, but the means are really very limited.On the other hand, Catholic schools are very valued for the quality of their teaching. However, the State has increased taxes on our schools, making them equal to private companies. which in turn has put us in difficulties.How would you describe the situation of the Church in Mozambique in the face of these problems?It is a living Church. We have many vocations, the seminaries are full. This is truly a grace. Young people come to the Church in droves. Most of our priests are Mozambican. We even have some priests who go as missionaries to other African countries.In addition, the role of the laity is very important, because already in 1977 the National Pastoral Assembly decided to promote a Church of the laity. The catechists play an important role in this, especially in the villages where there is no permanent presence of a priest. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 9/10/2024)
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Lyon (Agenzia Fides) – Music that lifts the soul and touches the heart, will be the protagonist this year of a prestigious initiative organized by the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in France on the occasion of World Mission Week. This week in France is dedicated to the animation and promotion of Missionary Sunday. The choir “Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois”, a true institution in France since its foundation in 1907, has been collaborating for three years with the French PMS, supporting mainly the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood and supporting several of its projects.This year, the well-known choir will participate in a concert tour that begins tonight in Dijon, at 8:30 pm, in the church of the Sacred Heart, with a show centered on the theme of the mission.Through a varied repertoire ranging from sacred music to French folk songs and traditional songs collected during their numerous trips around the world, the young singers take the audience on a journey through the missionary theme, being themselves the first missionaries of the message of faith transmitted through their music.The proceeds of these concerts, which will take place on Thursday 10 October at 8.30 p.m. in Lyon (Basilica of Ainay), on Friday 11 October at 8.30 p.m. in Annecy (Church of Saint-Maurice) and finally on Sunday 13 October at 4.30 p.m. in Belleville-en-Beaujolais (Church of Notre-Dame), will be donated to the projects carried out by the Church to serve the most needy.To seal this collaboration in the spirit of mission between the Pontifical Mission Societies and the “Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois”, a video clip was also released in recent days, shot entirely in the “Maison de Lorette”, which belonged to Blessed Pauline Jaricot, foundress of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which preserves her historical memory. Since July, the offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies in France have also been housed there. To the sounds of Caccini’s “Ave Maria”, the young singers explore the house, contemplating the face of Blessed Jaricot in paintings, medals minted in her honor, votive candles and coming into contact with objects that belonged to the Blessed. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 9/10/2024)
Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, and Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Energy and Natural Resources and Official Languages, today announced that the Government of Canada is providing the City of Greater Sudbury with $150,000 in funding for a fact-finding mission and case study project aimed at improving wellbeing in mining communities in Northern Ontario. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister to Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor.
FedNor’s contribution supporting the completion of a fact-finding mission and case study to help communities in Northern Ontario better respond to opportunities and challenges in the mining sector
October 9, 2024 – Sudbury, ON – Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario – FedNor
Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, and Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Energy and Natural Resources and Official Languages, today announced that the Government of Canada is providing the City of Greater Sudbury with $150,000 in fundingfor a fact-finding mission and case study project aimed at improving wellbeing in mining communities in Northern Ontario. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister to Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor.
Funded through the Northern Ontario Development Program, the report adds to six previous case studies completed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as part of its Mining Regions and Cities Initiative. The study will include a review of the regulatory and policy environment for mining and related industries, with the goal of making recommendations for consideration by the federal and provincial governments.
To achieve this the OECD, in cooperation with Northern Ontario stakeholders, will explore the impact of the mining sector on economic, social and environmental wellbeing in Northern Ontario. This includes looking at its contribution to regional development, and assessing the progress of regional strategies and policies on improving the business environment for mining in Northern Ontario. Additionally, the fact-finding mission will create opportunities for knowledge exchange and learning among communities and the private sector.
Quotes
“Today’s investment of $150,000 into Northern Ontario mining and supply services sector will help better understand the opportunities and challenges miners face, how to protect the environment, and develop the needed support for long-term success within the industry.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor
“Sudbury has a rich history rooted in the mining sector that has expanded over the years to include a diverse mining supply and services industry. By supporting this study, the Government Canada is demonstrating its commitment to wellbeing of Northern Ontario and ensuring that the sector will continue to thrive, along with the communities and people that play a crucial role in its success.”
– Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury
“Today’s announcement will help us identify, plan for and develop a roadmap that will help lead us to a stronger, more sustainable mining industry that respects the environment and creates meaningful jobs for Canadians. We are proud to partner with the City of Greater Sudbury, the OECD and communities across the region to complete a full review of the regulatory and policy environment to develop recommendations to make mining stronger here at home and around the world.”
– Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Energy and Natural Resources and Official Languages
“The City of Greater Sudbury is grateful for FedNor’s support and is excited to be partnering with the OECD on this important fact-finding mission. We know that Northern Ontario is home to a world-class mining and mining supply and services sector, and this study will allow us to identify our competitive advantages and share lessons learned with fellow OECD members.”
– Paul Lefebvre, Mayor, City of Greater Sudbury
Quick facts
The funding announced today is provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program, which enables communities and First Nations to increase the number of community and/or regional economic development initiatives implemented, leading to increased business investment, job creation, and regional collaboration and partnerships.
The OECD is an international organization that works to build better policies for better lives. Their goal is to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all. Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, they work on establishing evidence-based international standards and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges.
The OECD’s Mining Cities and Regions Initiative serves as a platform for exchanging good practices and promoting international standards aimed at improving well-being outcomes in mining regions.
The Government of Canada’s Prosperity and Growth Strategy for Northern Ontario identifies investing in building the economic development capacity of municipalities and Indigenous communities in the region as a key action.
Associated links
Contacts
Jennifer Kozelj Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor jennifer.kozelj@sac-isc.gc.ca
Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario Media Relations
For Pennsylvania residents like me, there is no escape from the record-breaking number of political attack ads disrupting our favorite shows and filling our social media feeds.
A projected US$10.7 billion is being spent nationwide – but particularly in battleground states – on political ads this election season.
For those who are feeling election fatigue and just want to stream in peace: Buckle in, because it’s about to get worse.
As of late August 2024, over $1.7 billion in political ads had been reserved nationwide to run between Labor Day and Election Day. Over $400 million of that is just for presidential election ads in seven key battleground states.
With Pennsylvania widely considered the most decisive state in the 2024 presidential election, it may be no surprise that the Keystone State has the most presidential ad reservations, totaling $137 million.
As a political communication expert and professor of media and social influence who lives in Philadelphia, I am often asked: “Why are there so many political ads, why are they so negative, and more importantly, how do we make it stop?”
I’ll answer the first two below. For the last, the truth is we don’t.
When voters perceive ads as unfair or manipulative, they are less likely to vote for the candidate or party producing the ads. And when subjected to repeated unwanted exposure to political ads, they can experience “psychological reactance” and behave opposite of what the ads intended.
Some studies also suggest that negative ads create election stress, which can reduce voter turnout among the less politically interested.
Historically, political advertising was considered an effective tool for educating voters, building momentum and engaging the politically uninterested.
Political ad spending has monumentally increased over the past several election cycles, and hit the billions after the landmark 2010 Citizens United case.
In that ruling, the Supreme Court decided that limiting spending from corporations or outside groups violated those groups’ First Amendment right to free speech. Prior to Citizens United, corporations and other groups like nonprofits and labor unions were subject to prohibitions on campaign donations. Individual campaign contribution limits, which currently stand at $3,300 per candidate per election, kept spending relatively level across the electorate.
Following the ruling, however, the influx of corporate and outside money completely changed the campaign finance landscape.
In 2010, political ad spending reached $3.3 billion – an 11% increase from the 2008 election that took place pre-Citizens United. A decade later, total spending on political ads soared to $9 billion in the 2020 election.
Significant portions of this spending come from political action committees that are not bound by traditional campaign contribution limits as long as they do not donate the money directly to a candidate or coordinate with a candidate’s campaign.
These groups, known as super PACs, can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from undisclosed donors. While super PACs have to disclose identities of people who donate over $200 in a year, donors can use shell companies to hide their identities.
During the 2024 election cycle, over $2.4 billion has been raised by super PACs. This is where much of the funding for the political ad barrage that voters experience in the weeks leading up to the election comes from.
For example, in the weeks following President Joe Biden leaving the race, 95% of pro-Trump ads focused on attacking Vice President Kamala Harris rather than promoting policy, according to the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising.
But the media environment has changed drastically, and voters are growing resentful.
Voters resent microtargeting
Unlike traditional voter segmentation where an entire group of voters would receive similar messages, campaigns now use data analytics to microtarget messages for specific voters.
Microtargeting enlists the help of social monitoring companies to identify voters’ psychometric data – their hopes, fears, likes, dislikes and so on – so that campaigns can finely tune messages to target them on social media.
A 2020 Pew survey found that over half of voters believe tech companies should not allow political ads on social media. Three-quarters oppose campaigns using their personal data to target them with political ads.
Put simply, the political ad barrage coupled with microtargeting strategies is not an effective campaign strategy that sways voters’ minds. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that this level of negativity is harming the electorate and undermining trust in democracy.
Heather LaMarre does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Democratic candidate Tim Walz, during the vice presidential debate in which he said he ‘misspoke’ about being in Hong Kong during Tiananmen Square protests.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
During the Sept. 24, 2024, debate, Democratic vice presidential hopeful Tim Walz said he “misspoke” when asked to clarify his story of being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in June 1989.
To many, Walz’s use of the word misspoke came across as an attempt to weasel out of what was at best an embellishment and at worst an outright lie.
The word misspoke has certainly long been used to politically backpedal after verbal inaccuracies or blunders, as Ronald Reagan learned in 1981 after he said that Syrian surface-to-air missiles placed in Lebanon were “offensive weapons,” when they were in fact defensive weapons. Both Presidents Bill Clinton and the much “misunderestimated” George W. Bush likewise were deemed to have misspoken after making mistakes, big and small.
For instance, a spokesperson for Clinton claimed he had misspoken when the then-president said that North Korea would not be allowed to develop a nuclear bomb – after there was reason to believe they had already developed them. During George W. Bush’s term in office, verbal errors were so common they earned a nickname of their own: “Bushisms.”
But misspoke’s extension to factual fabrication is one step further down the semantic road. In using it in this way, Walz joined other “misspoken” politicians, such as Hillary Clinton, who used it after falsely recollecting having landed in Bosnia under sniper fire.
As a sociolinguist who writes about how language changes over time, misspoke’s euphemistic recasting of lying as an inadvertent mistake calls for deeper linguistic scrutiny.
Tim Walz, being pressed on a statement he made and whether it was true, during the vice presidential debate.
From mumble to mea culpa
To understand how and why words morph like this, linguists like to trace them to their very beginnings.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “misspeaking” is quite old in the history of English, appearing as “missprecon” in a Northumbrian text dating before the 11th century. Its original sense was one of “to grumble” or “to mumble,” a meaning now obsolete.
But after the 11th century, its meaning shifted from inarticulateness to that of speaking amiss or disparagingly, often mentioned in reference to saying something improper or upsetting. Chaucer makes use of this sense in the “Miller’s Tale”: “And therfore if that I mysspeke or seye, Wyte it the ale of Southwerk, I you preye,” where the Miller handily blames a bit too much ale for whatever impropriety might fall from his mouth.
Around the time Chaucer was composing “The Canterbury Tales” in the late 14th century, the word “misspeak” branched off down yet another semantic path, taking on the meaning of “to speak incorrectly or misleadingly.” It is this sense that gave birth to the modern political mea culpa used when backtracking on a misleading prior statement, such as by Sen. John McCain after he claimed President Barack Obama was directly responsible for terrorist attacks on Americans.
Expanding meaning
These shifts in the meaning of a word over time fall under what linguists refer to as “semantic broadening.” Semantic broadening, which means expansion of a word’s meaning, is incredibly common, generally occurring when a word becomes used more frequently and across more situations. As a result, its core sense can expand to take on supplemental or tangential meanings.
Semantic shift like this is constantly at work, pushing and pulling senses in related but new directions to stay relevant to the needs of speakers.
The word “soon,” for instance, at first carried a meaning of “immediately,” but human nature being what it is, its meaning began to creep in the direction of “as immediately as possible” as people took their merry time.
Some new meanings, such as the nonliteral use of “literally” and Walz’s use of “misspeak,” are sites of contest, with multiple meanings at play.
The semantic broadening of misspeaking to cover not just misleading but knowingly false information didn’t start with Walz, nor did it begin with Clinton. In fact, this politically expedient expansion seems to go back at least to the Nixon administration.
There’s been a lot of misspeaking by politicians over the years, as these stories show. The Guardian US; The Hill; Wall Street Journal; Politico; Washington Post.
‘I misspoke myself’
In 1973, Nixon and his advisers were called to task in a Time article accusing them of a tendency to “make flat statements one day, and the next day reverse field with the simple phrase, ‘I misspoke myself.’” Given the Watergate scandal, it’s safe to say that misspoke as used by his administration had already shifted into deceptive speech territory.
Perhaps misspeaking’s semantic slippery slope started even further back, when the prefix “mis,” with its sense of “badly,” combined with “speaking.”
Consider other potentially weaselly words that are also formed by “mis” prefixation: misunderstood, misinterpret, mishear, mistake. These are all examples of words, like misspeak, that can and have been used by politicians to avoid taking responsibility for the false or “misleading” things they say.
Even if led astray by its prefix, from a linguistic perspective, the broadening of misspeak to cover not just incorrect but fabricated statements turns out to be not such a surprising development given the tendency of words to take on new senses over time, particularly in the world of political doublespeak.
The bigger surprise might be how this new meaning translates with voters, but that’s one surprise that will have to wait for the ballot box.
Valerie M. Fridland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Many Americans are not thrilled with either of the two major-party candidates for president. As of Oct. 4, 2024, polls showed that 46.5% had an unfavorable opinion of Kamala Harris and 52.6% felt unfavorably toward Donald Trump.
Some of these unhappy voters are considering voting for a third-party candidate, or not voting at all. They may be thinking of those actions as a form of protest against the two-party system dominant in the United States, or against these two particular candidates.
For example, in a September poll 3.5% of Michigan voters said they planned to vote for a candidate other than Harris and Trump.
At first glance, these choices might seem perfectly reasonable: If you don’t like a candidate, don’t vote for that person. But my work as a scholar of cognitive biases – systematic errors people make in their thinking – makes me fear that this option does not best serve the interests of those voters.
Instead, protest voting is in fact likely to harm the democratic process, potentially leading to the election of the candidate the majority of voters overall, and protest voters specifically, most dislike. There are several reasons protest voters might make this mistake.
How much does one vote matter?
It’s clear that any one vote is very unlikely to swing the presidential election. And some might say that if one vote doesn’t really matter, then voters may as well vote however they want, or not bother to vote at all. Here’s why that’s flawed thinking:
Suppose there are 10,000 voters in a state who feel unhappy with both candidates. But they almost surely dislike one candidate more than they dislike the other. Perhaps they disagree with some of Harris’ views but fear Trump. Or maybe it’s the other way around. They don’t have to agree on why they’re unhappy about the candidates either – some who are unhappy with Harris but prefer her over Trump may think Harris is too far left, while others may think she’s not enough of a leftist.
Now suppose the rest of the state’s voters – those who are happy to vote for one of the two major candidates – are very narrowly split. Perhaps the gap is 5,000 votes. So, if the 10,000 unhappy voters do vote for one of the two major-party candidates, they can swing the election.
Again, these unhappy voters really do have a preference – they like one of the major candidates better than the other. So while each individual unhappy voter wants to keep their hands clean and not vote, they would each like the other 9,999 unhappy voters to step up and swing the outcome in favor of their preferred candidate.
Parents teach the Golden Rule to kids – do unto others as you would have them do unto you – and most people do actually believe in it and try to act accordingly. In this case, following the Golden Rule means that if you’re an unhappy voter and would like other unhappy voters to hold their noses and vote for the major candidate they least dislike, you should be willing to do the same thing yourself.
But not all unhappy voters think this way. Some are led astray by their intuition and choose to protest-vote even when their own values would indicate they shouldn’t.
One reason a person might still think a protest vote makes sense is because of the assumption that boycotting something they don’t like is an effective means of contributing to positive change.
A boycott against a person or organization you have a problem with often makes good sense. For instance, if there’s a restaurant in town with a reputation for being discriminatory, or just for being slow to get the food out, don’t go to it. Maybe it will close and make room for another business with better performance. Or maybe it will make some changes in hopes of growing its customer base.
But when you cast a vote, whether on Election Day or beforehand, boycotting the viable candidates isn’t going to help. One of them is going to win whether you like it or not. Boycotting in this context is an example of a misapplied heuristic – a rule of thumb that’s often, but not always, helpful. Boycotting here doesn’t help you achieve your goal of eliminating or improving something you don’t like.
Omission vs. commission
Another reason people might choose a protest vote is because of a phenomenon in which people prefer to make mistakes of inaction – omission – over making mistakes that involve taking action – commission. People feel less guilty when they haven’t acted directly in support of a bad outcome. But both action and inaction can be errors, and both can deliver undesired results that constitute bad outcomes.
The omission bias can help explain why some people are hesitant to get vaccinated against serious diseases: If they chose to get vaccinated and the vaccination led to a health problem, that would be a mistake of commission. Not getting vaccinated also might lead to a health problem, but that would be a mistake of omission. People tend to prefer the latter.
Similarly, voting for a candidate you’re unsatisfied with could feel like a mistake of commission. Not voting, or voting for a third party, risks a mistake of omission – an error often assumed to be less significant. But choosing the possibility of an error of omission over one of commission doesn’t ensure you aren’t making a mistake – it just changes your mistake to one that’s intuitively more appealing.
They are both politicians, but they are very different candidates. AP Photo
False equivalence
A final reason people might opt out of voting or choose to back a third-party candidate is that they object to the assumption that they dislike one candidate more than the other. Instead, these people claim the two main options are equally bad.
But regardless of what your actual values and policy preferences are, that’s almost certainly untrue. The two candidates hold very different views on a wide range of issues, and have different records of what they have done – and not done – when in office.
Some people think about 1-in-10 chances and 1-in-a-million chances as both being in the category of “possibilities.” But they’re very different: If you’re flipping a coin repeatedly, one is about equal to your chance of getting heads three times in a row, and the other is how likely you are to get heads 20 times in a row.
All of those were actions Gore would almost certainly not have taken. The two candidates were very far from being the same, and even though my friend didn’t see it beforehand, he should have been able to.
The U.S. will have a new president on Jan. 20, 2025: Trump or Harris. A third-party winner is not a real option.
In some states voters can rank candidates in order of preference, more clearly expressing their choices without wasting their vote on a candidate who can’t win. People who believe it would be nice to have more choices with realistic chances of winning could work to adopt that system – known as ranked-choice voting – in their communities, or seek to adopt other methods that could eventually yield more viable options in the future. But it won’t happen in time for this election.
Whether you like it or not, you face a binary choice: Vote for one or vote for the other. And please vote.
Daniel F. Stone does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Members of the white militia group Proud Boys march on the Ohio state capitol in Columbus on Jan. 6, 2024. Paul Becker, CC BY
The first time many Americans heard about Springfield, Ohio, came during the September 2024 presidential debate when Donald Trump falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in the city were eating other residents’ cats and dogs.
Though shocking, these harmful rumors had been spreading on social media since the beginning of the summer and had gained more notoriety when JD Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio and Trump’s running mate, made similar statements on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter.
But what has gone mostly overlooked is the effect these racist lies have had on energizing Ohio’s nearly 50 white extremist groups.
Members of the white supremacist group Blood Tribe marched through Springfield on Aug. 10, 2024, with with swastikas on their signs.
Since then, members of the Ku Klux Klan and the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys have each marched in separate demonstrations through Springfield.
In our research, we have found that the rapidly changing social conditions in Ohio have played a significant role in the growth of extremism.
Between 1990 and 2019, for instance, manufacturing jobs shrank from 21.7% of all employment in the state to 12.5%, a loss of nearly 360,000 jobs. As a result, income disparities between the professional and working classes have widened – as has the heightened sense among some alienated white men that white conservatives are the real victims of bias in a society growing more racially and culturally diverse.
A neo-Nazi group speaks under heavy police protection at a 2005 rally sponsored by the National Socialist Movement at City Hall in Toledo, Ohio. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
For many of these alienated men, particularly those in rural areas that lack significant numbers of Black and Hispanic residents, extremist ideologies offer easy answers to complex questions that involve their sense of disenfranchisement.
In 2020, for example, the population of Springfield was about 60,000. But over the past three years, city officials estimate that the population has grown by about 25%, partly fueled by the arrival of as many as 15,000 Haitian immigrants during that time. Many of them are legally living in the U.S. under a special federal program.
Similar demographic shifts are occurring throughout the state. Between 2010 and 2022, the percentage of the white population dropped from 81.2% to 77.3%, a loss of about 250,000, putting the state’s white population at about 9.1 million. During the same time, the Hispanic population, for instance, grew from about 357,000 in 2010 to nearly 525,000.
For some of these white extremists, these population changes will lead to an inevitable race war between white people and nonwhite people. We have found that the attraction of belonging to a group that promises strength, protection and a source of identity can be particularly compelling.
The Ohio connection
In recent years, white extremism in Ohio has received attention as a result of the extremist rhetoric of and often violent crimes committed by white men who call the state home. Consider just a few examples:
James Alex Fields Jr., a white nationalist from the Toledo area, was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia. Fields was convicted of driving his car into a crowd of counterprotesters during the white nationalist Unite the Right Rally in August 2017.
Prior to the attack, Fields frequently posted the hashtag #Hitlerwasright on his social media accounts and called for violence against nonwhites and Jews.
In the summer of 2022, Ohio law enforcement officers shot and killed Ricky Shiffer after the armed Navy veteran fired a nail gun at the FBI field office in Cincinnati. On his social media accounts, Shiffer had called for violence against federal law enforcement officials after the FBI searched Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago as part of the federal probe into Trump’s handling of classified documents.
Tres Genco, a self-described incel – short for “involuntary celibate” – who hated women and believed he was owed sex from them, was from the Cincinnati area and pled guilty in 2022 to plotting a mass shooting of women at Ohio State University. Law enforcement officials in Ohio stopped the planned attack before it happened.
On April 21, 2023, Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio, and others were sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for his plan to attack power grids across the U.S. Cook and his accomplices believed that they were starting a race war and used neo-Nazi propaganda and white supremacist ideology to recruit young people to join their group.
Online recruitment tactics
Leaders of white supremacist and militia groups often use both traditional outreach and digital platforms to recruit people to their groups. Traditional outreach includes recruitment in conversations, attending events, and sharing books, pamphlets, flyers and posters.
At the same time, social media has become a critical tool for extremist groups to spread their message, recruit members and organize events.
These online platforms create echo chambers that reinforce extremist beliefs in debunked conspiracy theories, such as the assumption that the federal government is part of a plot to eliminate the white race.
In addition to the increased traffic on social media, we have seen a rise of extremist groups in Ohio known as active clubs, where members engage in physical fitness, combat training and emotional support that encourages the development of a warrior mentality in preparation for what followers believe is an inevitable race war.
Countering extremism in Ohio
Though the emergence of white extremist groups goes far beyond the borders of Ohio, we have found that community-based, educational initiatives are effective in understanding and ultimately eradicating the root causes of racial and ethnic hatred on the local level.
In our view, community engagement that emphasizes dialogue and understanding across different racial groups is crucial for demonstrating the dangers of intolerance – and the benefits of diversity.
Paul J. Becker is part of a team at The University of Dayton that received funding from the Department of Homeland Security for the Preventing Radicalization to Extremist Violence through Education, Network-Building and Training in Southwest Ohio (PREVENTS-OH) project. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program, PREVENTS-OH recognizes that domestic violent extremism and hate movements pose a serious threat to the realization of human rights.
Art Jipson is part of a team at The University of Dayton that received funding from the Department of Homeland Security for the Preventing Radicalization to Extremist Violence through Education, Network-Building and Training in Southwest Ohio (PREVENTS-OH) project. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program, PREVENTS-OH recognizes that domestic violent extremism and hate movements pose a serious threat to the realization of human rights.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elena Jackson Albarrán, Associate Professor of History and Global and Intercultural Studies, Miami University
Demonstrators make graffiti reading ‘Columbus Out, Long Live the People’ on a fence protecting a statue of Christopher Columbus in Mexico City on Oct. 12, 2020. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images
This is the season of patriotism in Latin America as many countries commemorate their independence from colonial powers. From July to September, public plazas in countries from Mexico to Honduras and Chile fill with crowds dressed and painted in national colors, parades feature participants costumed as independence heroes, fireworks fill the skies, and schoolchildren reenact historical battles.
Beneath these nationalist displays ripples an uneasy tide: the colonial legacies that still tie the Americas to their Iberian conquerors. And as the calendar turns to October, another holiday highlights similar tensions – Columbus Day.
Since 1937, the U.S. has observed the holiday on the second Monday of the month, commemorating the explorer’s 1492 arrival in the New World. It remains a federal holiday, even as many states and cities rename it “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” rejecting Christopher Columbus as a symbol of imperialism.
Indigenous groups protest in front of a statue of Christopher Columbus on Oct. 12, 1997, during marches in Mexico against ‘Dia de la Raza’ celebrations. David Hernandez/AFP via Getty Images
Most Latin Americans, meanwhile, know Oct. 12 as “Día de la Raza,” or Day of the Race, which also celebrates Columbus’ arrival in the New World and the tide of Iberian conquistadors that followed. But commemorating the event is all the more charged in these countries, home to the Spanish Empire’s most lucrative territorial assets and sweeping spiritual conquests. Days before taking office in September 2024, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated her predecessor’s demand that the king of Spain apologize for the genocide and exploitation of the conquest 500 years ago.
As a historian of Latin America, I’ve paid attention to the ways calendars signal a nation’s “official” values and how countries wrestle with these holidays’ meanings.
This moment of contact began Mexico’s 500-year transformation into a “mestizo” nation: a hybrid identity with largely European and Indigenous roots. During the colonial period, racial differences were codified into law, and those with “pure” Spanish bloodlines enjoyed legal privileges over the racially mixed categories that fell below them. The 19th century ushered in independence from Spain and liberal ideas that promoted racial equality – in principle – but in reality, European influence prevailed.
It was Spain that first proposed the Día de la Raza, held on Oct. 12, 1892, to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas – implying a celebration of Spain’s contributions to the mestizo racial mixture.
The celebration was part of a bid to fortify nationalism in Spain, as the waning colonial power continued its retreat from the hemisphere it controlled for the better part of four centuries. Spain also hoped to export the invented holiday to the Americas, strengthening trans-Atlantic cultural affinities tested by the United States’ growing sway. Across the Americas, Día de la Raza came to be synonymous with celebrating European influence.
In Mexico, the 1892 commemoration empowered members of the political elite who promoted European investments and culture as the model for modernizing the country. They used the occasion to extol the civilizing influence of the “madre patria,” or motherland, justifying the conquest and colonialism as a period of benevolent rule.
Mestizo nationalism
Only a few years later, however, the U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War swept the last vestiges of Spanish empire from the hemisphere. Spain’s exit made way for dual – and dueling – phenomena: rising patriotic spirit in Latin American countries, even amid increasing economic pressure and cultural influence from the U.S.
The 1910 Mexican Revolution ignited mestizo nationalism, which soon extended to other countries. In 1930s Nicaragua, Augusto Sandino started a revolution to oust the occupying U.S. Marines while calling for the unification of the “Indo-Hispanic Race.” Meanwhile, Peruvian intellectual José Mariátegui envisioned a modern nation built upon the ideals of a collective, reciprocal society, modeled by the Incan ayllu system. And in Mexico, beauty pageants celebrating native features gained popularity among the social classes accustomed to perusing department stores for Parisian imports.
Yet a tendency to emphasize Spanish cultural ancestry rather than Indigenous ones persisted. In the late 1930s, for example, October issues of Mexican children’s magazine Palomilla celebrated Columbus’ arrival as a heroic entry that provided the region with a common language and religion.
Pan American Day
Meanwhile, the U.S viewed Pan-Hispanic sentiments as a threat: Spanish economic goals, cloaked in racial and cultural solidarity.
The Pan American Union, an inter-American organization headquartered in Washington, saw the new date as an opportunity to forge common traditions across the hemisphere. It vigorously promoted Pan American Day celebrations, primarily among schoolchildren, exhorting teachers to implement games, puzzles, pageants and songs created in Pan American Union offices.
The holiday met enthusiastic reception in the United States. Midwesterners donned sombreros for parades, and Spanish language clubs in California hosted pageants celebrating the flags of American nations.
But Latin American commemoration was tepid at best. The Organization of American States, the successor to the Pan American Union, still recognizes Pan American Day. However, it never gained traction in Latin America and faded in the U.S. during World War II.
Recent shift
Latin America’s ambivalence toward holidays to commemorate the colonizers has taken a turn since 1992. The 500-year anniversary of Columbus’ arrival corresponded with yet another form of colonialism, in many Latin Americans’ eyes, as a new wave of multinational corporations colluded with heads of state to tap the continent’s oil, lithium, water and avocados.
Activists used the commemoration to call attention to lingering economic, social, racial and cultural inequities. In particular, the anniversary inspired Indigenous rights movements – some of which commemorated an “anti-quincentenary” to celebrate “500 years of resistance.”
A statue in honor of ‘women who fight’ has replaced an effigy of Christopher Columbus on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue in Mexico City. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images
In some places, renaming the holiday has drawn attention to Indigenous rights and culture. Bolivians, for example, draped a statue of a European monarch in a traditional “aguayo” garment, transforming her into an Indigenous woman. However, critics suggest that removing the holiday’s reference to the colonizers erases an important reminder of the conquest and its painful legacy.
As in the U.S., monuments to colonizers are coming down – including the monument to Columbus that occupied a conspicuous spot on La Reforma, one of Mexico City’s most-traversed thoroughfares.
In its place is a new installation: a purple silhouette of a girl with her fist raised, in honor of Latin America’s women activists. She heralds a new era of statues lining La Reforma, and heroes for the future – not mired in the colonial legacies of the past.
Elena Jackson Albarrán does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Richard Flory, Executive Director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Evangelicals may share the same basic theology, but they are not a monolithic group.Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Yet, the reality is much more complex. In 2016, for example, evangelical leaders such as Jerry Falwell Jr. and Robert Jeffresscelebrated Trump’s victory and evangelicalism’s role in bringing America back to God. Others – such as Russell Moore, currently editor of the evangelical magazine Christianity Today – saw Trump as the opposite of what evangelicalism represents.
We have identified and described five varieties, or “types,” within the broader evangelical movement.
Evangelicals and their beliefs
At its core, evangelicalism is characterized by a belief in the literal truth of the Bible.
For example, evangelicals believe that the world and humans were created by God; that Jesus was literally God’s son and also born as a human; that Jesus died and physically rose from the dead; and that God currently acts through humans to achieve his ends for humanity. A hallmark belief for evangelicals is having a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” and a focus on encouraging others to be “born again” or “saved” through Jesus.
Despite sharing the same basic theology, there are differences within evangelicalism politics and social engagement.
We used three criteria to develop our five categories: First, each type shares a basic agreement on evangelical theology. Second, they each understand themselves as existing within the larger tradition of American evangelicalism. And third, their theology motivates how they act in the world, including appropriate social and political actions.
Typologies simplify in order to explain, but they also can blur some of the finer distinctions between categories. Still, the perspectives these different varieties of evangelicals maintain shape not only who they will vote for but also why they vote a certain way.
1. MAGA-vangelicals
MAGA-vangelicals consist of the white Christian nationalist core of the “Make America Great Again” or MAGA, movement, with some Latino, Asian and Black American pastors aligning themselves with this movement.
MAGA-vangelicals have been the most vocal and visible group of evangelicals since the 2016 election.
The origins of this group trace back to the 1980s – the time of the emergence of the religious right. MAGA-vangelicals echo many of the same issues – such as opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and support for anti-immigration policies. One significant shift, however, since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, is an increased acceptance of political violence. “Jan. 6 was not an insurrection,” evangelical leader Lance Wallnau has falsely asserted. “It was an election fraud intervention.” The baseless election fraud myth was the pretext for the violence on Jan. 6.
2. Neo-fundamentalist evangelicals
Neo-fundamentalists are evangelicals who are as theologically or politically conservative as MAGA-vangelicals but maintain a [theological commitment] to remain separate from any relationships – whether personal, social or political – that would, in their view, compromise the teachings of evangelical Christianity and their own identity as evangelical Christians.
For example, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler and Christianity Today editor Russell Moore have opposed Trump due to his, by evangelical standards, lack of values and amoral lifestyle.
However, they support how the Trump administration furthered the political goals of evangelical Christianity. In particular, they support the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and supporting evangelicals’ religious freedom to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in their businesses.
Yet there has recently been some qualified support among neo-fundamentalists offered for Trump himself, despite their opposition to his personal morals. For example, Mohler has argued that Trump is the better candidate to achieve their goals in 2024, despite his personal shortcomings. Mohler takes the position, though, that this support largely depends on Trump remaining committed to evangelical goals on issues such as abortion.
3. iVangelicals
iVangelicals are evangelicals primarily focused on personal faith and the weekly worship experience in their churches. They are mainly concentrated in the evangelical megachurch movement.
iVangelicals want to reach large numbers of people through their popular worship services, varied social programs and small group ministries.
There is, however, a range of beliefs and commitments among iVangelicals, with some being attracted to groups such as Evangelicals for Harris, a new effort to mobilize evangelicals to move away from Republicans, Trump and MAGA and to vote for Harris. Their approach uses biblical examples and references to argue that true Christian teachings and actions are more aligned with Democrats than Republicans.
Evangelicals for Harris.
4. Kingdom Christians
Kingdom Christians are evangelicals who, in their churches and ministries, strive to mirror the demographic and socioeconomic mix of the neighborhoods where they are rooted.
They tend to have a more diverse racial and ethnic mix of members than other evangelical churches. Their focus is to be a part of, and to serve, their local communities in a manner that mirrors their conception of the kingdom of God on Earth.
Leaders among Kingdom Christians often critique the economic and political systems that produce poverty and racial injustice. The focus of their efforts, however, is on creating relationships with local businesses and activists in the local community and contributing to policy through engagement with local officials.
Kingdom Christians are present-oriented; the kingdom of God is to be realized in the communities where believers live, as well as in some future spiritual world.
5. Peace and Justice evangelicals
Peace and Justice evangelicals are a loose network of pastors, nonprofit leaders, professors and activists. They are a small segment within evangelicalism often embedded in larger organizations, and they focus their work on key social and political issues such as racial justice, immigration reform and environmental issues. They seek to have a wider impact than just a focus on the local community.
Peace and Justice evangelicals trace their origins to the late 1960s publication, The Other Side, originally Freedom Now, which represented a freshly emerging evangelical social consciousness around issues of racial justice. Following close behind was the Sojourners community, and Sojourners magazine, which is still active today.
This is a small but growing minority in the larger evangelical world, with many belonging to traditional evangelical institutions. For example, Alexia Salvatierra, at Fuller Seminary, is a longtime “faith-rooted” community organizer and has more recently been instrumental in forming Matthew 25/Mateo25, a group that aids immigrants and “defends the vulnerable.” Shane Claiborne, a long-time urban activist, is currently head of Red Letter Christians, a movement that combines “Jesus and justice” and seeks to “live out Jesus’ counter-cultural teachings.”
Following historical evangelical voting patterns, it is likely that most white evangelicals will vote for Trump in 2024. I believe many will do so with enthusiasm, while others will vote for him because of his policies, while remaining troubled by his rhetoric.
Of the evangelicals who oppose Trump, some will refuse to vote for either Trump or Harris, refusing to cast a vote for president. Others will vote for Harris, following the example of many Republican leaders who are seeking to move beyond the damage that Trump and the MAGA movement have done to the Republican Party and to conservatism.
Meanwhile, for the Kingdom Christians and Peace and Justice evangelicals, the true values of evangelical Christianity will be supported by the more progressive policies of the Democratic Party.
Regardless of how they vote in the 2024 election, evangelicals in all of these categories will continue to promote their distinct vision of evangelicalism and educate members on how they should bring their faith to bear on important social and political issues in American culture.
Richard Flory has received funding from the John Templeton Foundation and the Lilly Endowment.
Think of your favorite fantasy or science fiction novel. You’ll know the author and title, of course. But can you think of its editor or publisher?
In publishing, the people who work behind the scenes rarely get their due. But on Oct. 1, 2024, at least, one industry pioneer got the limelight. On that day, PBS aired “Judy-Lynn del Rey: The Galaxy Gal,” the first episode of its new documentary series “Renegades,” which highlights little-known historical figures with disabilities.
A woman with dwarfism, Judy-Lynn del Rey was best known for founding Del Rey Books, a science fiction and fantasy imprint that turned fantasy in particular into a major publishing category.
As a scholar of fantasy literature, I had the good fortune to serve as research consultant for the PBS project. Due to time constraints, however, the episode could tell only half of del Rey’s story, passing over how she affected science fiction and fantasy themselves.
Judy-Lynn del Rey, you see, had very clear notions on what kind of stories people wanted to buy. For some critics, she also committed the unforgivable sin of being right.
The Mama of ‘Star Wars’
Over the course of her career, del Rey earned a reputation as a superstar editor among her authors. Arthur C. Clarke, who co-wrote the screenplay for “2001: A Space Odyssey,” called her the “most brilliant editor I ever encountered,” and Philip K. Dick said she was the “greatest editor since Maxwell Perkins,” the legendary editor of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
She got her start, though, working as an editorial assistant – in truth, a “gofer” – for the most lauded science fiction magazine of the 1960s, Galaxy. There she learned the basics of publishing and rose rapidly through the editorial ranks until Ballantine Books lured her away in 1973.
Soon thereafter, Ballantine was acquired by publishing giant Random House, which then named del Rey senior editor. Yet her first big move was a risky one – cutting ties with Ballantine author John Norman, whose highly popular “Gor” novels were widely panned for their misogyny.
Nonetheless, del Rey’s mission was to develop a strong backlist of science fiction novels that could hook new generations of younger readers, not to mention adults. One early success was her “Star Trek Log” series, a sequence of 10 novels based on episodes of “Star Trek: The Animated Series.”
This savvy gamble led to years of lucrative tie-in products for Ballantine such as calendars, art books, sketchbooks, the Star Wars Intergalactic Passport and, of course, more novels set in the Star Wars universe – so many different tie-ins, in fact, that del Rey dubbed herself the “Mama of Star Wars.”
Afterward, she became someone who, as reporter Jennifer Crighton put it, radiated “with the shameless glee of one of the Rebel forces, an upstart who won.”
A big player in big fiction
Del Rey’s tendencies as an editor were sometimes criticized – often by competitors who could not match her line’s success – for focusing too much on Ballantine’s bottom line. But she also chose to work within the publishing landscape as it actually existed in the 1970s, rather than the one she only wished existed.
In his book “Big Fiction,” publishing industry scholar Dan Sinykin calls this period the “Conglomerate Era,” a time when publishing houses – usually small and family run – were being consolidated into larger corporations.
One benefit of this shift, however, was greater corporate investment in the industry, which boosted print runs, marketing budgets, author advances and salaries for personnel.
Ballantine’s parent company, Random House, was also known as an industry leader in free speech, thanks to the efforts of legendary CEOs Bennett Cerf and Robert L. Bernstein.
Accordingly, Random House gave their publishing divisions, including Ballantine, immense creative autonomy.
And when del Rey was finally given her own imprint in 1977, she took her biggest risk of all: fantasy.
The Del Rey era
In prior decades, fantasy had a reputation for being unsellable – unless, of course, your name was J.R.R. Tolkien, or you wrote Conan-style barbarian fiction. Whereas the top science fiction magazines often had distinguished runs, fantasy magazines often folded due to lack of sales.
In 1975, though, del Rey hired her husband, Lester del Rey, to develop a fantasy line, and when Del Rey Books launched two years later, it landed major successes with bestsellers such as Terry Brooks’ “The Sword of Shannara” and Stephen R. Donaldson’s “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.” Yet even though Lester edited the fantasy authors, Judy-Lynn oversaw the imprint and the marketing.
Today, most people know the 1987 film, but the movie originated as a much earlier novel by William Goldman. The original 1973 edition, however, sold poorly. It might have faded into obscurity had del Rey not been determined to revive Ballantine’s backlist.
She reissued “The Princess Bride” in 1977 with a dazzling, gate-folded die-cut cover and a new promotional campaign, without which the novel – and the film – might never have found its later success.
Accolades accumulate
Thanks to these efforts, Del Rey Books dominated genre publishing, producing more bestselling titles through 1990 than every other science fiction and fantasy publisher combined. Yet despite complaints that the imprint prioritized commercial success over literary merit, Del Rey authors earned their fair share of literary accolades.
The prestigious Locus Poll Award for best science fiction novel went to Del Rey authors Julian May and Isaac Asimov in 1982 and 1983. Other Locus awardees include Patricia A. McKillip, Robert A. Heinlein, Larry Niven, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Barbara Hambly.
Barry Hughart’s “Bridge of Birds” was one of two winners for the World Fantasy Award in 1985 and won the Mythopoeic Society Award in 1986. Even more impressively, Del Rey ran away with the Science Fiction Book Club Award during that prize’s first nine years of existence, winning seven of them. The imprint’s titles also won three consecutive August Derleth Fantasy Awards – now called the British Fantasy Award – from 1977 through 1979.
Yet despite these accolades, Del Rey’s reputation continued to suffer from its own commercial success. Notably, Judy-Lynn del Rey was never nominated for a Hugo Award for best professional editor. When she died in 1986, the Hugo committee belatedly tried granting her a posthumous award, but her husband, Lester, refused to accept it, saying that it came too late.
Although the current narrative continues to be that Del Rey Books published mainly formulaic mass-market fiction in its science fiction and fantasy lines, the time may be ripe to celebrate the foresight and iconoclasm of a publisher who expanded speculative fiction beyond the borders of a small genre fandom.
I was research consultant for the PBS episode mentioned in the article, but I am not an employee of PBS or any other organization mentioned in this article.
The news drew strong reactions from critics: 25 Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland protesting any changes to federal marijuana laws. They argued that the decision “was not properly researched … and is merely responding to the popularity of marijuana and not the actual science.”
As a philosopher and drug policy expert, I focus on assessing arguments and evidence rather than politics or rhetoric. So, what are the arguments for and against rescheduling cannabis?
Scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act places each prohibited drug into one of five schedules based on known medical use, addictive potential and safety. Schedule I drugs – which, along with marijuana, also includes heroin, LSD, psilocybin, ecstasy (MDMA) and quaaludes – is the most restrictive category.
Schedule I substances cannot be legally used for any purpose, including medical use or research, though an exception for research can be made with special permission from the DEA. The criteria for inclusion in the Schedule I category is that the substance has a high potential for abuse, is extremely addictive and has “no currently accepted medical use.”
Schedule II, which is slightly less restrictive than Schedule I, includes drugs that are addictive and potentially unsafe but also have some accepted medical use. These include strong opioids such as fentanyl, as well as cocaine, PCP and methamphetamine. Though they are still tightly regulated, Schedule II drugs can be used medically with a prescription or administered by a licensed physician.
Schedule III is much less restrictive and is intended for substances with legitimate medical use and only moderate risk of abuse or dependency. This category includes low-dose morphine, anabolic steroids and ketamine.
Schedule IV – which includes the sedative valium, the weak opioid tramadol and sleep medicines such as Ambien – is even less restrictive.
The least restrictive category is Schedule V, which includes cough syrups with codeine and calcium channel blockers such as gabapentin and pregabalin. All scheduled drugs require a doctor’s prescription and can be distributed only by licensed pharmacies.
What rescheduling would mean for marijuana
The push to reschedule is largely to make federal laws consistent with state medical marijuana programs that – as of October 2024 – are legal in 38 states plus the District of Columbia.
Moving marijuana to Schedule III would not change its legal status in states where it is banned. It would make marijuana legal at the federal level but only for medical use. Recreational use would still be federally prohibited, even though it is currently legal in 24 states plus Washington.
Rescheduling, however, might not make medical marijuana any easier for patients to access and could even make it much harder for some. Currently, getting a medical marijuana card is quite easy in most states. In Washington D.C., where I live, patients can self-certify.
Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug would legitimize its medical use.
If marijuana is reclassified as Schedule III, medical marijuana programs will have to start requiring a doctor’s prescription, just like with all other scheduled substances. And it could be distributed only by licensed pharmacies, which would put medical dispensaries that are now selling it without a license from the Food and Drug Administration out of business.
Rescheduling, however, would give medical marijuana legitimacy as a bona fide medicine. And the intent of the move is to increase access, even if it is unclear how rescheduling would achieve that.
So, assuming that rescheduling would have the intended effect of expanding access to medical marijuana, should it be rescheduled?
Medical uses of marijuana
Though there are three criteria for Schedule I in the Controlled Substances Act, the DEA in fact relies on only the medical use criterion. This was the basis of the DEA’s proposal to reschedule marijuana. The fact that almost 75% of Americans live in a state with a medical marijuana program suggests that marijuana has an accepted medical use.
More importantly, Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act already includes dronabinol, which is delta-9 THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Although dronabinol is synthesized in the lab rather than extracted from the cannabis plant, it is the exact same molecule. The FDA approved THC in the form of dronabinol in 1985 for treating anorexia caused by HIV/AIDS as well as nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. Placing marijuana in the same schedule as its primary active ingredient makes a lot of sense.
Another argument in favor of rescheduling is that it would open up new opportunities for medical research into marijuana’s effects, research that is currently hampered by its Schedule I status. This work is critical because the system of cannabinoid receptors through which marijuana causes its therapeutic and psychoactive effects is crucial for almost every aspect of human functioning.
There is also good evidence that marijuana can help treat other conditions, including Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS), glaucoma, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, migraine, post-traumatic stress disorder and Tourette syndrome. Keeping marijuana in the Schedule I category severely hampers research that might establish more effective treatments for these conditions.
Researchers have been extremely limited in their abilities to study marijuana because of its Schedule I classification.
Balancing risks and benefits
Those opposed to rescheduling cite possible health risks associated with marijuana consumption. Heavy use is linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. However, the increased risk of schizophrenia from cannabis use is comparable to that caused by watching excessive television, eating junk food or smoking cigarettes.
Long-term marijuana use can also lead to sleep problems and diminished visuospatial memory. It can also cause gastrointestinal trouble, such as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, which is characterized by nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The symptoms, while extremely unpleasant, are temporary and occur only after consuming marijuana. The condition disappears in people who stop using.
Marijuana use can also be addictive. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about three out of every 10 regular marijuana users meet the diagnostic criteria for cannabis use disorder.
All of the concerns above are legitimate, though it is worth noting that virtually no effective medicine is free from undesirable side effects. And although marijuana can be habit-forming, it is not as addictive as alcohol, tobacco, oxycodone, cocaine, methamphetamine or benzodiazepines. None of those other drugs are categorized as Schedule I, and alcohol and tobacco are not scheduled at all.
Unlike most other prescription medications, marijuana use is associated with many benefits. For example, in states where marijuana has been legalized, worker’s compensation payments have fallen by an average of 21% among people over 40. Researchers think that this is because marijuana helps workers better manage chronic pain. The use of marijuana for pain management also helps to reduce dependency on opioids. One study found that U.S. counties with one or two marijuana dispensaries had an average of 17% fewer opioid-related fatalities compared with counties with no dispensaries.
Research also shows that marijuana use can help to prevent Alzheimer’s by blocking the enzymes that produce amyloid plaques. It also shows promise for reducing a person’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by helping the body regulate insulin and glucose levels.
Chris Meyers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Hong Kong, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Click Holdings Limited (“CLIK” or the “Company”), a Hong Kong-based human resources solutions provider primarily focusing on talent sourcing and the provision of temporary and permanent personnel to customers including accounting and professional firms, Hong Kong-listed companies, nursing homes, individual patients, logistics companies and warehouses, today announced the pricing of its firm commitment initial public offering of an aggregate 1,400,000 Ordinary Shares (the “Offering”). The Offering is priced at $4.00 per share (the “Offering Price”) for gross proceeds of $5.6 million to the Company, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses.
The Company has granted the underwriters an option, exercisable for 45 days from the closing of this Offering, to purchase up to an additional 210,000 Ordinary Shares at the Offering Price, representing 15% of the Ordinary Shares sold in the Offering (the “Over-allotment”).
The Ordinary Shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “CLIK” on October 9, 2024. The Offering is expected to close on or about October 10, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. (“Lafferty”), a full-service broker/dealer, is acting as the primary underwriter for the Offering. Revere Securities LLC (“Revere”), a full-service broker/dealer, is acting as the co-manager for the Offering. Dorsey & Whitney LLP, David Fong & Co, Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP (Shenzhen) and Ogier are acting as U.S., Hong Kong, PRC, and BVI legal counsels to the Company, respectively. Wei, Wei & Co., LLP is acting as the independent accountants of the Company. VCL Law LLP is acting as the U.S. legal counsel to Lafferty and Revere for the Offering.
The Offering is being conducted pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-280522), as amended, which was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on September 30, 2024. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, forming part of the registration statement. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more information about the Company and the Offering. Copies of the final prospectus related to the Offering may be obtained, when available, from R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc., 40 Wall Street, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10005, by phone at +1 212 293 9090 or by email at offerings@rflafferty.com; or Revere Securities LLC, 560 Lexington Ave 16th floor, New York, NY, 10022, by phone at +1 212 688 2350 or by email at contact@reveresecurities.com. In addition, a copy of the final prospectus, when available, relating to the Offering may be obtained via the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company’s securities, nor shall such securities be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
About Click Holdings Limited
Click Holdings Limited is a human resources solutions provider, specializing in offering comprehensive human resources solutions in three principal sectors, namely (i) professional solution services, (ii) nursing solution services, and (iii) logistics and other solution services. We are primarily focused on talent sourcing and the provision of temporary and permanent personnel to customers. Our primary market is in Hong Kong and our diverse clientele includes accounting and professional firms, Hong Kong listed companies, nursing homes, individual patients, logistics companies and warehouses. We specialize primarily in placing professional accountants and company secretaries, registered nurses and healthcare workers, as well as other blue-collar workers, for direct hire and contract staffing roles. For more information, please visit http://www.clicksc.com.hk.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected trading commencement and closing dates. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the preliminary prospectus filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Click Holdings Limited specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
For more information, please contact:
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PORT HUENEME, Calif. — Information Systems Technician 2nd Class (IT2) Donovan Asberry, performed CPR on a crash victim on the I-5 freeway in Downey, potentially saving the man’s life. The incident occurred on August 19th 2024 when IT2 Asberry, driving home from work, noticed a car collide with the freeway median. After pulling over and observing the driver breathing abnormally, IT2 Asberry, alongside other concerned motorists, took immediate action to help.
IT2 Asberry, who had a recent CPR certification, noticed the driver exhibiting unusual breathing patterns. “It was a deep breath followed by pauses. I hadn’t seen anything like it, not even in movies,” IT2 Asberry recalled. Acting quickly, he and another bystander worked together to break the car window, unlock the doors, and pull the driver to safety.
Emergency responders arrived after 30 minutes of IT2 Asberry administering chest compressions. According to paramedics on the scene, the driver’s pulse was weak but present, and they credited IT2 Asberry’s quick thinking and persistence with helping keep the man alive.
“I’m just glad I was there at the right time,” said IT2 Asberry , reflecting on the ordeal. “It’s a reminder of how important it is to be ready to help others when you can.”
The crash occurred in Downey, impacting traffic on the busy freeway for hours as authorities cleared the scene. Witnesses described the incident as chaotic but were inspired by the efforts of civilians who intervened.
IT2 Asberry’s actions are a testament to the value of CPR training, a skill that, as he learned, can make the difference between life and death.
IT2 Asberry’s efforts serve as a powerful reminder of community responsibility and readiness, and highlighting how training can be crucial in emergency situations.
SAN DIEGO — The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) returned to homeport in San Diego, following a nearly four-month deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, Oct. 8.
Along with its more than 400 Sailors, Comstock participated in multiple exercises and operations, displaying interoperability and the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“The Sailors aboard Comstock performed their duty in an exemplary manner to support tasking in U.S. 7th Fleet,” said Cmdr. Byron Stocks, commanding officer of Comstock. “The mission execution afforded the opportunity to demonstrate joint force capability.”
With a focus on joint operations, Comstock and its embarked units supported the America Amphibious Ready Group and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) during advanced integrated training and MEU certification. Comstock also successfully integrated with motorized weapons company of 31st MEU and Combat Logistics Battalion 31.
During the deployment, Comstock embarked two landing crafts utility from Naval Beach Group 7 to rehearse and demonstrate capability of the amphibious Navy’s shore connectors.
Comstock also participated in Exercise Ssang Yong 24. During the decisive action phase of Ssang Yong, Republic of Korea and U.S. combined and joint forces conducted large-scale maneuvers from sea and air to showcase the overwhelming power of the alliance and its capability to carry out combined amphibious operations.
Since 2012, the ROK and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have regularly conducted Ssang Yong to enhance defensive posture on the Korean Peninsula while improving naval and amphibious capabilities.
After Ssang Yong, Comstock transited home to San Diego following a nearly four-month deployment.
When not at sea, Comstock Sailors had the opportunity to enjoy foreign cultures during port visits to Guam, Japan, and Republic of Korea.
USS Comstock is homeported at Naval Base San Diego and assigned to Amphibious Squadron 1.
An integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to flawlessly execute our Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations—from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.
NEW YORK, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StepStone Private Wealth (“SPW”) today announced it has surpassed $5 billion in global assets under management, making it one of the fastest growing private market asset managers serving financial professionals and their high net worth clients.
Powered by StepStone Group, one of the largest global institutional allocators to the private markets, SPW was founded in 2019 to expand access to these assets for the private wealth market.
“In 2019, the mission of our founding team was to design a platform where financial professionals could more easily access private markets, reducing the friction and burden of investing in these opportunities,” said Bob Long, CEO of StepStone Private Wealth. “Reaching $5 billion in AUM in five years demonstrates that advisors are eager to allocate client assets to portfolios curated by an organization as globally respected as StepStone – comprised of world-class expertise and top talent across investing, operations, data & analytics, legal, marketing and distribution. We expect that our team, with their focus on bringing convenience, transparency and efficiency to private markets investing for our clients and prospective clients, will be central to our success as we continue our global expansion.”
SPW launched its first registered closed-end evergreen fund – the StepStone Private Markets Fund or SPRIM, ticker: XPMIX – in 2020, allowing accredited investors to gain exposure to private equity, real assets, and private debt through one convenient vehicle. SPRIM transitioned to daily admittance and daily valuation in 2023, among the first in the industry to introduce a daily NAV for a multi asset-class private markets fund. As of September 30, 2024 the fund now stands at $3.1 billion of AUM and has produced an annualized return of 23.08% since inception.
The firm has since expanded its investment offerings to include venture capital and growth equity through the StepStone Private Venture and Growth Fund, or SPRING; infrastructure through the StepStone Private Infrastructure Fund or STRUCTURE, ticker: STRUX; and private credit through the StepStone Private Credit Income Fund or CRDEX, ticker: CRDEX. SPW offers offshore options for each of its funds for investors outside the US.
“We are grateful for the support of our distribution partners across the registered investment advisor, independent broker dealer, wire house, and international channels,” said Neil Menard, Partner & President of Distribution at StepStone Private Wealth. “Through their collaboration, we have been able to reach tens of thousands of new investors who have been seeking private markets solutions like ours. We look forward to working in partnership with more firms and their advisors across the globe to advance their ability to provide clients with institutional-caliber allocations to private markets portfolios.”
About StepStone
StepStone Group Inc. (Nasdaq: STEP) is a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to its clients. As of June 30, 2024, StepStone was responsible for approximately $701 billion of total capital, including $170 billion of assets under management. StepStone’s clients include some of the world’s largest public and private defined benefit and defined contribution pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies, as well as prominent endowments, foundations, family offices and private wealth clients, which include high-net-worth and mass affluent individuals. StepStone partners with its clients to develop and build private markets portfolios designed to meet their specific objectives across the private equity, infrastructure, private debt and real estate asset classes.
Media: Brian Ruby / Chris Gillick / Matt Lettiero, ICR StepStonePR@icrinc.com +1 (203) 682-8268
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Before investing you should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the SPRIM, SPRING, STRUCTURE, and CREDX prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained from StepStone Private Wealth at 704.215.4300 or by visiting stepstonepw.com. An investor should read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance shown is net of fees. For the most recent month end performance please call 704.215.4300 or visit stepstonepw.com.
An investment in the Funds involve risks. The Funds should be considered speculative investments that entail substantial risks, and a prospective investor should invest in the Funds only if it can sustain a complete loss of its investment. Fund shares are illiquid and appropriate only as a long-term investment. There is no secondary market for the Funds’ Shares and the Funds expect that no secondary market will develop in the foreseeable future. Investments may consist of loans to small and/or less well-established privately held companies that have reduced access to the capital markets, resulting in diminished capital resources and the ability to withstand financial distress. While the Fund provides transparent disclosure of structure, strategy, holdings, and financial condition, the valuation of the Fund’s investments in Private Markets Investment Funds is ordinarily determined based upon valuations provided by the Investment Managers on a quarterly basis. A large percentage of these securities do not have a readily ascertainable market price and are fair valued by the Investment Manager subject to future adjustment or revision. Please see the prospectuses for details of these and other risks.
The Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC which is not affiliated with StepStone Group.
Headline: FEMA Is Contacting People Affected by Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene
FEMA Is Contacting People Affected by Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene
ATLANTA – Georgians who apply for disaster assistance for Tropical Storm Debby or Hurricane Helene may be eligible for assistance for both disasters. FEMA is placing calls to survivors in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long, and Screven counties who only registered for one of the disasters to inform them that they can apply for assistance for both disasters if they sustained damaged from both storms.
These calls may come from unfamiliar area codes or phone numbers. FEMA may also send a text message if they are unable to reach you by phone. If you are concerned about verifying if it is FEMA, you can call 800-621-3362. FEMA representatives never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications. Their services are free.
Applications for both storms must be submitted separately. Eligible survivors affected by both storms may receive funds for food, water, baby formula and other emergency needs as well as money to help pay for a temporary place to stay. Federal grant funds may help with survivors’ immediate housing needs and can be used for the cost of staying with friends and family or hotel/motel lodging. If applicants already created a Login.gov account, they may use that same account in accessing both applications.
Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362 to apply for FEMA assistance. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.
When applying, people will need to describe what damage occurred and on what date, to ensure federal disaster assistance from the two storms is not duplicated. Keep all receipts for expenses associated both disasters, including:
Home repairs
Repairs to a septic system, water well or private road
Purchase of a generator or chainsaw
Replacement of personal property items such as appliances
Vehicle repairs or replacement
Insurance settlement or denial
For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4821 and fema.gov/disaster/4830. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.
Esther Baumann works in the lab where a team of researchers has developed an improved version of a laser-based measurement technique called dual-comb spectroscopy.
Credit: R.Jacobson/NIST
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new laser-based technique that could dramatically improve our ability to analyze a variety of materials and gases, including greenhouse gases. This new method, called “free-form dual-comb spectroscopy,” offers a faster, more flexible and more sensitive way to analyze substances in the air and other materials.
In this specific study, published in Nature Photonics, researchers demonstrated that their laboratory-based system could detect a single gas, in this case the potent greenhouse gas methane, with 22 times higher sensitivity than a traditional dual-comb system. This increased sensitivity could one day help identify small leaks or emissions that might otherwise go unnoticed, potentially aiding in efforts to combat climate change.
Technological Advancements
Spectroscopy is a sophisticated technique that allows scientists to identify and measure different materials by observing how they interact with light. Just as a prism separates white light into a rainbow of colors, spectroscopy separates the light coming from or passing through a substance, revealing its unique “fingerprint” and providing valuable information about its properties and composition.
The NIST researchers have created an improved version of a laser-based measurement technique called dual-comb spectroscopy. Dual-comb spectroscopy is a particularly high-resolution form of spectroscopy that allows many colors of light to be examined at the same time and in fine detail.
The new laser measurement technique improves on older methods by allowing scientists to control the timing of laser pulses with incredible precision. This precise control lets them focus on the most important parts of a sample’s fingerprint and ignore areas that don’t provide useful information. As a result, the smarter system can detect and measure substances much faster than before.
This new approach can be used in several ways. For example, scientists can use it to quickly create images showing how the gas is distributed in space. Alternatively, if researchers don’t know exactly what kind of gas is in the area they are investigating, they can use a generic technique called compressive sampling. This is a “smart” method of making measurements, concentrating on areas likely to have important information and taking fewer measurements elsewhere. This strategy makes the whole process 10 to 100 times more efficient than traditional methods.
Visualizing Gas Plumes
This technology can create fast, detailed images of a variety of gas clouds. In this study, researchers created real-time images of methane plumes. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, so being able to detect and address these leaks efficiently could one day help protect the environment and improve air quality. By quickly generating images of methane plumes, scientists could quickly identify where gas is escaping.
Methane cloud with free-form dual-comb spectroscopy
Researchers use free-form dual-comb spectroscopy to make videos like this 2D methane cloud. Dark areas mean there’s little or no methane present, while brighter colors show where there’s more methane. Because it can take pictures very quickly, this technology can show how the methane cloud creates swirling patterns and changes in real time, which wasn’t possible previously. This technology can be easily adjusted to look for different gases, not just methane.
This technique is useful not only for detecting greenhouse gases but for any situation in which scientists need to identify and measure gases.
Two Lasers Are Better Than One
Free-form dual-comb spectroscopy may be a mouthful to pronounce, but understanding how this technology works can be more easily digested by breaking it down into several parts that work seamlessly together.
The heart of this method lies in the Nobel Prize-winning optical frequency comb, a laser tool that produces light at a series of equally spaced, precise frequencies that resemble the teeth of a comb. These frequency combs are used for a variety of purposes, from precision timekeeping to medical diagnostics and even the search for elusive dark matter.
The “dual-comb” aspect of this technology refers to the use of two optical frequency combs working together. This approach enables rapid, precise measurements of substances by analyzing how they interact with the light from both combs. This technique is much faster than a single comb and can provide more detailed information than many traditional spectroscopy methods.
“Free-form” refers to the flexibility in highly precise frequency comb control that has recently become possible. The frequency combs emit light pulses that are just 100 femtoseconds in duration. Inside each of these brief light bursts, there’s an electric field that vibrates extremely rapidly, millions of millions of times per second. The ability to quickly and accurately control this fast light allows researchers to improve and adjust how they take measurements.
Dual-Comb’s Next Big Leap
As the world grapples with environmental challenges and the need for improved safety measures, this innovative laser technology offers a promising new tool. By enabling smarter detection of gases and other substances, it could play a crucial role in protecting both public health and the environment in the years to come.
The researchers plan to continue improving their system in the laboratory, making it even faster and adapting their approach to work with a wide range of laser wavelengths.
“The flexibility of our system means it could be adapted for a wide range of applications,” said NIST researcher Esther Baumann. “In the future, we might see more versatile and efficient sensors based on this technology in everything from air quality monitors to food safety detectors to studying how materials burn or assessing muscle health noninvasively.”
Paper: Fabrizio R. Giorgetta, Simon Potvin, Jean-Daniel Deschênes, Ian Coddington, Nathan R. Newbury and Esther Baumann. Free-form dual-comb spectroscopy for compressive sensing and imaging. Nature Photonics. Published online Sept 30, 2024. DOI:10.1038/s41566-024-01530-y
