NASHVILLE – Isaiah Taivon Newsom a/k/a Isaiah Taivon Porterfield, 25, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Dangerous felons who possess firearms and put police officers at risk will face swift justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “We will not tolerate potential violence against first responders and will seek full accountability for those putting our first responders in danger.”
According to court documents, on March 25, 2025, detectives with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department were conducting covert surveillance near an address on Nashboro Boulevard. Detectives were parked in their unmarked police vehicles in several different areas of the apartment complex. One detective observed three people walk out of the breezeway near unit B, with one, later identified as Newsom, carrying what appeared to be a rifle.
As they walked through the apartment complex, Newsom walked about fifteen feet away from another detective’s unmarked vehicle, stood near a tree, raised the rifle to his shoulder and pointed it at the detective, who was still in his vehicle. As the detective relayed Newsom’s actions to the other detectives in the area and they discussed a plan of action over the radio, Newsom walked past the front of the detective’s vehicle towards the passenger side and again pointed the rifle at the detective.
As other detectives arrived in the area, Newsom moved towards the front of the detective’s vehicle and pointed the rifle directly at the detective. Although he was in an unmarked car, the detective was wearing a tactical vest with patches indicating he was a law enforcement officer, and he was equipped with a body worn camera. The detective activated his blue lights and a short burst of the siren, as he exited the vehicle and announced himself as a police officer. Newsom and the other two people then ran from the area. Detectives pursued Newsom on foot as he ran across a field and entered the wood line. Detectives set up a perimeter and, with the assistance of a K9 unit and the Metro Nashville Police Department aviation unit, took Newsom into custody.
Detectives searched Newsom’s flight path and located a Windham Weaponry, WW-15, .223/5.56 caliber rifle which was later found to have been reported stolen from a Williamson County Sheriff’s Office marked patrol vehicle. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Newsom admitted to detectives that he had possessed the rifle.
Newsom had previously been convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of felony theft in Shelby County, Tennessee. Newsom served more than seven years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for his felony convictions.
If convicted, Newsom faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A seven-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” with international cocaine distribution conspiracy; international cocaine distribution; using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; smuggling firearms from the United States; and straw purchasing of firearms conspiracy. Since at least 2020, he has been the leader of Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most violent drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations. The defendant is not in U.S. custody.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Derek Maltz, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); L.C. Cheeks, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Newark Field Division, Atlantic City Satellite Office (ATF); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (OEE), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant was a ruthless leader and prolific drug trafficker for a violent transnational criminal organization. By leading the Los Choneros’ network of assassins and drug and weapon traffickers and importing potentially lethal quantities of cocaine into the United States, the defendant has caused great harm to his own country and the United States, which was the destination for the vast majority of Los Choneros’ cocaine shipments,” stated United States Attorney Durham.
Mr. Durham praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Andean Region – Quito, Country Office, Special Operations Division-Bilateral Investigations Unit and Latin America/Caribbean Section, Joint Interagency Task Force South; U.S. Southern Command; the Government of Ecuador; the New Jersey State Police Casino Gaming Bureau; and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Atlantic City. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance in this matter.
“The indictment of José Adolfo Macías Villamar marks a significant strike against the violent networks that flood our communities with dangerous drugs like cocaine — a clear message that no one fueling this deadly trade is beyond the reach of justice. This case highlights the tireless efforts of DEA, alongside our partners in the United States and Ecuador,” stated DEA Administrator Maltz. “We will continue to work across borders to dismantle the supply chain of violent, criminal networks, which underscores the ongoing need for vigilance and collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking and cartel violence.”
“This investigation and charges are a testament to the combined efforts of law enforcement and underscores the resolve of ATF and our federal, state, and local partners. Drug trafficking and the heinous crimes associated with violent criminal organizations have an insidious impact on the public and tear apart the fabric of our communities. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal, across the U.S. and around the globe, to combat violence, drug distribution, and the illegal sale and possession of firearms to safeguard the safety and well-being of all,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Cheeks.
“This indictment alleges the defendant and Los Choneros illegally smuggled firearms from the United States in furtherance of their violent drug trafficking operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue its efforts alongside its law enforcement partners to pursue those who violate export laws, wherever they may be, worldwide.”
As alleged in the indictment, from at least 2020 to 2025, Macías Villamar was the principal leader of Los Choneros, one of the most violent and powerful transnational criminal organizations in Ecuador. Los Choneros, in partnership with the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, controlled key cocaine trafficking routes through Ecuador and operated a large-scale network responsible for the shipment and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States and elsewhere. The vast majority of drugs trafficked by Los Choneros were imported into the United States.
As the principal leader of Los Choneros, Macías Villamar employed members of the organization to carry out serious acts of violence on the organization’s behalf. At Macías Villamar’s direction, Los Choneros committed violent acts towards law enforcement, Ecuadorian politicians, attorneys, prosecutors and civilians. Los Choneros obtained many of their firearms and weapons by illegally trafficking and exporting them from the United States. As alleged, the defendant specifically employed individuals who purchased firearms, firearms components and ammunitions on Los Choneros’ behalf in the United States and then illegally smuggled them to Ecuador.
Moreover, in furtherance of their drug trafficking operation, Los Choneros relied on “sicarios,” or hitmen, as well as corruption and bribe payments, to ensure protection and loyalty to Los Choneros. These “sicarios” regularly used military-grade weapons, like machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles and grenades to perpetrate violence, including murder, torture and kidnapping. Macías Villamar and the Los Choneros organization have also been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour and Lorena Michelen are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JOSÉ ADOLFO MACÍAS VILLAMAR (also known as “Fito”) Age: 45 Ecuador
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Suleman Lazarus, Visiting Fellow, Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics and Political Science
This digital infrastructure includes reliable access to electricity and the internet, as well as digital tools such as proxy servers, spoofing software, phishing kits and virtual private networks. Those involved must possess technical competencies in areas like web development, social engineering and systems maintenance, skills that are critical for sustaining fraudulent operations behind the scenes.
Research on cybercrime is expanding in west Africa, particularly studies of Nigeria and Ghana. But Cameroon is understudied. This gap in research has obscured a pervasive problem in Cameroon: website developers who create digital storefronts for fraudsters.
Rather than focusing on the fraudsters themselves, our study examined the infrastructure that enables this fraud to happen and the hidden networks of actors who make deception possible. Our research sheds light on a little-known group of enablers: website developers in anglophone Cameroon who knowingly build fake shopping websites.
Through interviews with 14 website developers engaged in this illicit trade, we explored the socio-economic and political forces that drive their participation.
Our findings showed that a mix of economic hardship, social norms and cultural beliefs drive fraud enablement in Cameroon. Our study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of cybercrime. The website developers in Cameroon do not fit the typical profile of a fraudster. They see themselves as skilled workers navigating a complex socio-political landscape where survival often comes before morality, given that Cameroon, under Paul Biya’s presidency of more than 40 years, has experienced widespread poverty, instability and an uncertain succession struggle.
To address fraud effectively, interventions must go beyond simply punishing offenders. Instead, efforts should focus on dismantling the structures that allow fraud to thrive, starting with those who enable it.
Why fraudsters choose this activity
A central theme emerging from our interviews was the impact of the Ambazonian Crisis, an ongoing separatist conflict in Cameroon’s anglophone regions. The crisis began as peaceful demonstrations in 2016 when trade unionists and lawyers protested against the mandatory use of the French language in schools and law courts. By 2017, these protests had turned violent as armed separatist groups emerged within the anglophone regions, engaging in sporadic conflict with government forces. The separatists called for the secession of the two anglophone regions, referring to them as Ambazonia. The conflict has since escalated. Reports estimate that the violence has led to approximately 6,000 civilian deaths, the displacement of 600,000 people within Cameroon, and the forced migration of over 77,000 people into Nigeria as refugees.
The website developers we interviewed described how daily gunfire, displacement and political instability had made it difficult to secure stable employment and find clients.
Interviewees cited frequent power outages and internet blackouts as barriers to working with legitimate clients.
As one developer put it:
There are times when we go without electricity or network for days. I might have a legitimate client, but if the power goes out, I lose the job. Fraudsters, on the other hand, don’t care about delays. They are always there with another request.
Ghost-town protests, where separatists enforce economic shutdowns and force people to stay in their homes, further limit opportunities for legitimate business. In this unstable environment, undertaking website development for fraudsters became one of the few steady income streams.
A second theme was spiritual beliefs. We found that spiritual beliefs had an impact on decision-making. Developers rationalised their work by distinguishing between fraud and fraud enablement. Directly perpetrating fraud against victims, they believed, carried spiritual consequences, while simply building websites for fraudsters did not. Some fraudsters in west Africa visit a so-called “juju priest”, who may demand animal sacrifice and even murder in return for their blessing. The website developers we spoke to did not want to get involved in this.
One of the developers shared his fears about spiritual repercussions:
Scammers who do rituals for money, they don’t last. Most of the time, you see them dying at the age of 20 or 30. I don’t want to be involved in that. But making websites? That’s different. I’m not the one taking the money.
A third theme in our findings was the Big Boy culture, a subculture that glorifies online fraud as a symbol of success. In some west African communities, fraudsters who display their wealth through expensive cars, clothes and lifestyles are seen as role models rather than criminals.
Vanesa, a developer, explained:
Everybody wants to chill with the Big Boys. Fraudsters want to be seen as superstars, and that means spending money like celebrities.
The normalisation of internet fraud in some circles has created a perception that financial success justifies the means by which it is achieved. While some developers disapproved of fraudsters’ extravagant lifestyles, others saw it as a model of economic survival to aspire to.
Rethinking fraud prevention
These findings challenge the simplistic notion that the internet inherently enables fraud. Instead, fraud thrives within a complex ecosystem that includes not just the perpetrators but also the enablers who facilitate deception for economic, political, and cultural reasons.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Suleman Lazarus, Visiting Fellow, Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics and Political Science
This digital infrastructure includes reliable access to electricity and the internet, as well as digital tools such as proxy servers, spoofing software, phishing kits and virtual private networks. Those involved must possess technical competencies in areas like web development, social engineering and systems maintenance, skills that are critical for sustaining fraudulent operations behind the scenes.
Research on cybercrime is expanding in west Africa, particularly studies of Nigeria and Ghana. But Cameroon is understudied. This gap in research has obscured a pervasive problem in Cameroon: website developers who create digital storefronts for fraudsters.
Rather than focusing on the fraudsters themselves, our study examined the infrastructure that enables this fraud to happen and the hidden networks of actors who make deception possible. Our research sheds light on a little-known group of enablers: website developers in anglophone Cameroon who knowingly build fake shopping websites.
Through interviews with 14 website developers engaged in this illicit trade, we explored the socio-economic and political forces that drive their participation.
Our findings showed that a mix of economic hardship, social norms and cultural beliefs drive fraud enablement in Cameroon. Our study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of cybercrime. The website developers in Cameroon do not fit the typical profile of a fraudster. They see themselves as skilled workers navigating a complex socio-political landscape where survival often comes before morality, given that Cameroon, under Paul Biya’s presidency of more than 40 years, has experienced widespread poverty, instability and an uncertain succession struggle.
To address fraud effectively, interventions must go beyond simply punishing offenders. Instead, efforts should focus on dismantling the structures that allow fraud to thrive, starting with those who enable it.
Why fraudsters choose this activity
A central theme emerging from our interviews was the impact of the Ambazonian Crisis, an ongoing separatist conflict in Cameroon’s anglophone regions. The crisis began as peaceful demonstrations in 2016 when trade unionists and lawyers protested against the mandatory use of the French language in schools and law courts. By 2017, these protests had turned violent as armed separatist groups emerged within the anglophone regions, engaging in sporadic conflict with government forces. The separatists called for the secession of the two anglophone regions, referring to them as Ambazonia. The conflict has since escalated. Reports estimate that the violence has led to approximately 6,000 civilian deaths, the displacement of 600,000 people within Cameroon, and the forced migration of over 77,000 people into Nigeria as refugees.
The website developers we interviewed described how daily gunfire, displacement and political instability had made it difficult to secure stable employment and find clients.
Interviewees cited frequent power outages and internet blackouts as barriers to working with legitimate clients.
As one developer put it:
There are times when we go without electricity or network for days. I might have a legitimate client, but if the power goes out, I lose the job. Fraudsters, on the other hand, don’t care about delays. They are always there with another request.
Ghost-town protests, where separatists enforce economic shutdowns and force people to stay in their homes, further limit opportunities for legitimate business. In this unstable environment, undertaking website development for fraudsters became one of the few steady income streams.
A second theme was spiritual beliefs. We found that spiritual beliefs had an impact on decision-making. Developers rationalised their work by distinguishing between fraud and fraud enablement. Directly perpetrating fraud against victims, they believed, carried spiritual consequences, while simply building websites for fraudsters did not. Some fraudsters in west Africa visit a so-called “juju priest”, who may demand animal sacrifice and even murder in return for their blessing. The website developers we spoke to did not want to get involved in this.
One of the developers shared his fears about spiritual repercussions:
Scammers who do rituals for money, they don’t last. Most of the time, you see them dying at the age of 20 or 30. I don’t want to be involved in that. But making websites? That’s different. I’m not the one taking the money.
A third theme in our findings was the Big Boy culture, a subculture that glorifies online fraud as a symbol of success. In some west African communities, fraudsters who display their wealth through expensive cars, clothes and lifestyles are seen as role models rather than criminals.
Vanesa, a developer, explained:
Everybody wants to chill with the Big Boys. Fraudsters want to be seen as superstars, and that means spending money like celebrities.
The normalisation of internet fraud in some circles has created a perception that financial success justifies the means by which it is achieved. While some developers disapproved of fraudsters’ extravagant lifestyles, others saw it as a model of economic survival to aspire to.
Rethinking fraud prevention
These findings challenge the simplistic notion that the internet inherently enables fraud. Instead, fraud thrives within a complex ecosystem that includes not just the perpetrators but also the enablers who facilitate deception for economic, political, and cultural reasons.
– Fake online shops rely on tech skills: what drives Cameroon’s web developers to assist online fraudsters – https://theconversation.com/fake-online-shops-rely-on-tech-skills-what-drives-cameroons-web-developers-to-assist-online-fraudsters-252429
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) called out President Trump for firing Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and discussed the importance of a fully-functioning FTC, which protects consumers from rip-offs. Senator Welch served as Ranking Member of the subcommittee while Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) held the floor with a marathon speech, which lasted more than 24 hours.
“I do want to address one thing that has disturbed me and it’s what happened at the FTC. [The FTC] is an organization that is about protecting against unfair competition, and we need five people on it and two have been fired. They happened to be the Democrats. There’s always been a five-person FTC—three of the majority party and two from the minority party and it shifts back and forth. I just want to express my dissatisfaction and dismay at that because that FTC does things that are absolutely helpful to protecting consumers from this abusive pricing power,” said Senator Welch in the hearing.
Senator Welch continued: “[The FTC] stopped a consolidation of Kroger and Albertsons, which most economists thought was going to raise food prices for those folks in Utah and those folks in Vermont. They brought an Administrative Complaint against the prescription benefit managers. And it’s such a rip-off what’s happening to everyday consumers and employers, by the way, who pay a lot of money for employer-sponsored health care, and they have no visibility, no transparency, into how much people are getting charged. It hurts small employers and big employers in your state and mine. The FTC was on that case. They’re on another matter that is near and dear to Vermont farmers—the right to repair. How in the world is it that you can’t, if you own a tractor, repair it yourself?…The FTC was looking into that, and I think farmers in Florida, farmers in Utah, farmers if Illinois, if they can figure out how to repair it themselves, they shouldn’t have to get ripped off by not having a right to repair. I know there is some bipartisan support for that. We had an FTC that was on all three of those cases.”
In response to a question about right to repair legislation, Morgan Harper, a witness from the American Economic Liberties Project said: “It’s not fair – [that’s] the short of it. And even though it’s a different market area I think a lot of the principles are relevant for this discussion of Big Tech in the fact that there is litigation to address that, and the FTC is looking into it. It’s exactly like you said—one of the reasons why we have to make sure we have strong commissioners.”
Watch Senator Welch’s opening remarks in the hearing:
Watch the full hearing.
■■■
Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:
Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution
Senate Committee on Rules & Administration
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Everette Kale Wanamaker, 37, of Orangeburg, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on multiple occasions between November 2022 and February 2023, Wanamaker sold 15 firearms, including firearms with high-capacity magazines and obliterated serial numbers to undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Wanamaker also sold approximately 30 grams of fentanyl and 55 grams of counterfeit heroin to undercover agents. On Feb. 13, 2023, Wanamaker was arrested with three additional firearms, including one that was stolen and 28 grams of fentanyl.
Wanamaker is a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. Wanamaker has prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, domestic violence 2nd degree, financial identity fraud, possession of heroin and possession of methamphetamine.
United States District Mary Geiger-Lewis sentenced Wanamaker to 151 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, West Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.
WASHINGTON — Three South Carolina men and one woman have been sentenced for violent crimes targeting Hispanics in Columbia, South Carolina. Charles Antonio Clippard, 27, was sentenced to 420 months in prison; Michael Joseph Knox, 29, was sentenced to 303 months in prison; Gabriel Brunson, 21, was sentenced to 100 months in prison; and Sierra Fletcher, 34, was sentenced to 200 months in prison.
All four defendants previously pleaded guilty to carjacking, conspiracy, firearms, and criminal civil rights charges in connection with the string of armed robberies. According to court documents, beginning in January 2021 and continuing through February 2021, the four defendants conspired to target Hispanic victims for armed robberies. The group would wait for their victims at gas stations and grocery stores and then follow them to their homes or other locations to rob their victims at gunpoint. All four defendants admitted their involvement in a Jan. 30, 2021, armed robbery and carjacking targeting a Hispanic victim after following him from a gas station to his home. In another series of robberies on Jan. 30, 2021, three members of the group carjacked one victim, and invaded the home of another group of victims. The group stole cash, cellphones, driver’s licenses, and credit cards from multiple victims.
“The defendants hunted victims based on their ethnicity and terrorized an entire community. Their acts of bias-motivated violence have no place in South Carolina,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “These four defendants will spend a total of 85 years in federal prison as a result of law enforcement coordination at the federal, state, and local level. We are all committed to making sure the Palmetto State remains a safe place for everyone.”
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews and Acting Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Columbia Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Town of Lexington Police Department and Columbia Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Garner for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorneys Katherine McCallister and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL7
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 97 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 845 AM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Northern and Central Arkansas Southern Illinois Southern and Eastern Missouri
* Effective this Wednesday morning and afternoon from 845 AM until 400 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…Broken clusters of storms and some embedded/semi-discrete supercells will spread east-northeastward across the region through early/mid-afternoon, with an increasing tornado risk aside from widespread damaging winds and hail.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles east and west of a line from 50 miles north northwest of Alton IL to 30 miles west southwest of Hot Springs AR. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 94…WW 95…WW 96…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 25040.
…Guyer
SEL7
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 97 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 845 AM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Northern and Central Arkansas Southern Illinois Southern and Eastern Missouri
* Effective this Wednesday morning and afternoon from 845 AM until 400 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…Broken clusters of storms and some embedded/semi-discrete supercells will spread east-northeastward across the region through early/mid-afternoon, with an increasing tornado risk aside from widespread damaging winds and hail.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles east and west of a line from 50 miles north northwest of Alton IL to 30 miles west southwest of Hot Springs AR. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 94…WW 95…WW 96…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 25040.
…Guyer
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW7 WW 97 TORNADO AR IL MO 021345Z – 022100Z AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE.. 50NNW ALN/ALTON IL/ – 30WSW HOT/HOT SPRINGS AR/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /43N STL – 53NNE TXK/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25040.
LAT…LON 39568928 34309253 34309464 39569154
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU7.
Watch 97 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Mod (60%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Mod (50%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
High (70%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (40%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Low (10%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (90%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
RAF to protect European skies on NATO’S eastern flank
UK jets will protect the skies of NATO’s eastern flank once again, working for the first time with Sweden to protect Polish airspace.
Defence Minister Lord Coaker at a ceremony in Poland to kick off the enhanced air policing mission.
UK jets will protect the skies of NATO’s eastern flank once again, working for the first time with Sweden to protect Polish airspace.
British built Typhoon jets arrived in Eastern Poland today, to take part in a NATO enhanced air policing mission.
RAF pilots will join up with Swedish Airforce Gripen fighter jets, as Europe steps up together to defend NATO airspace. The deployment is the first time that Swedish fighter jets will take part in air policing on the territory of another NATO Ally since they joined the alliance in 2024.
Touching down in Poland on Tuesday (1 April), Defence Minister Lord Coaker met with Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Marcin Kosiniak-Kamysz and Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson, to outline the UK’s commitment to European security and to mark the start of the operation.
Defence Minister Lord Coaker said:
The UK is unshakeable in its commitment to NATO. With threats increasing and growing Russian aggression, it is vital that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies.
This latest air policing mission in Poland displays the UK’s ability to operate effectively with NATO’s newest member in Sweden and deter our common adversaries across the alliance’s airspace, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad.
The mission comes as European NATO allies are stepping up on European security and defence spending. NATO remains the cornerstone of UK Defence and this government will continue to pursue a “NATO first” defence policy and take on a leadership role in the alliance.
Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority, and an integral part of its Plan for Change. The work of defence is critical to the security and stability of the UK, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad, whilst supporting all of the Government’s five missions as a foundation of its plan.
Poland is also a key UK defence and security partner, NATO Ally and partner in the European Group of Five (E5). Our nations have both been large supporters of Ukraine and have the led the way in increasing defence spending in Europe.
In last week’s Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced an additional £2.2 billion for defence in 2025/26. This comes on top of the announcement of the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, as the government will hit 2.5% of GDP spend by April 2027, and has a commitment to hit 3% in the next Parliament.
This mission follows on from 2024’s successful air policing missions across the continent. In April 2024, six Typhoon fighter jets with over two hundred personnel were stationed in Romania defending NATO’s eastern border. Followed on by an August 2024 deployment of four cutting edge F-35B jets to Iceland, defending NATO airspace in the high north.
This time, six British built typhoons from II (AC) Squadron will be patrolling Polish airspace, having travelled from RAF Lossiemouth.
RAF Typhoons and Voyagers also conduct NATO air policing in the UK through the Quick Reaction Alert Force, based at RAF Coningsby, Lossiemouth and Brize Norton, protecting UK airspace 24/7, 365 days a year.
Las Vegas, Nevada, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alternative Ballistics Corporation, An innovative public safety technology company, is pleased to announce that Kevin Mullins, former President/CEO of WRAP Technologies, has joined the company’s Advisory Board.
Mullins brings extensive leadership experience in public safety solutions, with a proven track record of driving innovation and strategic growth in the law enforcement technology sector. His deep understanding of advanced policing tools and commitment to enhancing officers and public safety will be instrumental as Alternative Ballistics continues to expand its impact in the field both domestically and internationally.
“I am honored to join the Advisory Board of Alternative Ballistics Corporation,” said Kevin Mullins. “The company is at the forefront of developing solutions that bridge the gap between officer safety and responsible force mitigation. I look forward to contributing to their mission and supporting their continued growth.”
Steve Luna, CEO of Alternative Ballistics, expressed enthusiasm about Mullins’ appointment: “Kevin’s experience and leadership in the public safety sector make him a valuable addition to our team. His insights will be pivotal as we continue to innovate and provide law enforcement with responsible and effective tools. We are thrilled to have him on board.”
Alternative Ballistics Corporation remains committed to advancing less-lethal technology that enhances public and officer safety. The addition of Mullins to the Advisory Board marks a significant step forward in the company’s mission to deliver innovative, responsible solutions for law enforcement agencies worldwide.
About Alternative Ballistics Corp.
Alternative Ballistics Corporation (“ABC”) produces an innovative less-lethal product known as The Alternative® which features patented bullet capture technology. The product is used by law enforcement as a de-escalation tool in critical incidents when encountering a non-compliant subject in crisis, in possession of a weapon other than a firearm, who presents a threat to themselves, to officers, or to bystanders. A lightweight, easy-to-carry docking unit, The Alternative® efficiently attaches to a service weapon to convert a fired bullet into a kinetic impact round that, when deployed from a safe distance, travels downrange with non-penetrating energy, and temporarily incapacitates an individual with low risk of critical injury or death. Once deployed, the service weapon reverts to standard use. The Alternative® may also be available in the future in the commercial market as a self-defense tool for the purpose of protecting life and property. It is the only less-lethal product in either the law enforcement or commercial market that works with a service weapon or semi-automatic handgun for seamless protective cover and doesn’t require transition to a separate device, allowing the user to keep eyes and weapon on the threat at all times.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements. In addition, from time to time, we or our representatives may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors, including: our ability to advance the direction of the Company; our ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs; and the competitive environment of our business. These and other factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement.
Three South Carolina men and one woman were sentenced on Feb. 3, March 13, and April 1, for violent crimes targeting Hispanics in Columbia, South Carolina. Charles Antonio Clippard, 27, was sentenced to 420 months in prison; Michael Joseph Knox, 29, was sentenced to 303 months in prison; Gabriel Brunson, 21, was sentenced to 100 months in prison; and Sierra Fletcher, 34, was sentenced to 200 months in prison.
All four defendants previously pleaded guilty to carjacking, conspiracy, firearms, and criminal civil rights charges in connection with the string of armed robberies. According to court documents, beginning in January 2021 and continuing through February 2021, the four defendants conspired to target Hispanic victims for armed robberies. The group would wait for their victims at gas stations and grocery stores and then follow them to their homes or other locations to rob their victims at gunpoint. All four defendants admitted their involvement in a Jan. 30, 2021, armed robbery and carjacking targeting a Hispanic victim after following him from a gas station to his home. In another series of robberies on Jan. 30, 2021, three members of the group carjacked one victim, and invaded the home of another group of victims. The group stole cash, cellphones, driver’s licenses, and credit cards from multiple victims.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Columbia Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Garner for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorneys Katherine McCallister and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JERRIN PENA, a/k/a “Rooga,” a/k/a “Perry,” was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for his participation in several acts of violence as a member of the Own Every Dollar (“OED”) gang, including the April 14, 2019, murder of Hector Cruz. PENA previously pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon, Hobbs Act robbery, discharging a firearm in furtherance of Hobbs Act robbery, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms trafficking. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken imposed yesterday’s sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Jerrin Pena, a leader of the violent OED gang, murdered an innocent bystander, Hector Cruz, while trying to shoot at a rival gang member on April 14, 2019. Then, when in federal custody on these charges, Pena stabbed another inmate in an attempt to kill him. Yesterday’s lengthy prison sentence hopefully brings some measure of comfort to the family of Hector Cruz, and reinforces this Office’s commitment to ending gang violence throughout New York City.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
PENA was a leader of the violent OED gang, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. The indictments in this case charge 24 members and associates of OED with numerous violent crimes, including five murders and 15 attempted murders.
On April 14, 2019, in the early evening, PENA and others drove to West 135th Street in Manhattan to shoot at members of a rival gang. PENA exited the car and shot at a rival gang member on West 135th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. He missed the rival gang member, but struck bystander Hector Cruz—then age 57—in the liver. Cruz died of the gunshot wound approximately one month later.
PENA also committed an attempted murder on February 28, 2023, when he and several other inmates stabbed another inmate in the Metropolitan Detention Center; committed a gunpoint robbery of a drug dealer on January 22, 2022, in the vicinity of Riverside Drive and West 145th Street in Manhattan; conspired to traffic more than four kilograms of fentanyl; and trafficked firearms from Pennsylvania to New York.
16 other defendants have previously pled guilty in the case.
* * *
In addition to his prison term, PENA, 23, of New York, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexandra Messiter are in charge of the prosecution.
Three South Carolina men and one woman were sentenced on Feb. 3, March 13, and April 1, for violent crimes targeting Hispanics in Columbia, South Carolina. Charles Antonio Clippard, 27, was sentenced to 420 months in prison; Michael Joseph Knox, 29, was sentenced to 303 months in prison; Gabriel Brunson, 21, was sentenced to 100 months in prison; and Sierra Fletcher, 34, was sentenced to 200 months in prison.
All four defendants previously pleaded guilty to carjacking, conspiracy, firearms, and criminal civil rights charges in connection with the string of armed robberies. According to court documents, beginning in January 2021 and continuing through February 2021, the four defendants conspired to target Hispanic victims for armed robberies. The group would wait for their victims at gas stations and grocery stores and then follow them to their homes or other locations to rob their victims at gunpoint. All four defendants admitted their involvement in a Jan. 30, 2021, armed robbery and carjacking targeting a Hispanic victim after following him from a gas station to his home. In another series of robberies on Jan. 30, 2021, three members of the group carjacked one victim, and invaded the home of another group of victims. The group stole cash, cellphones, driver’s licenses, and credit cards from multiple victims.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Columbia Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Garner for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorneys Katherine McCallister and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
The war in Ukraine is often marked by specific dates, like February 24, 2022 – the day of the full-scale invasion. But for many Ukrainians, that February never really ended. For me, then a 22-year-old master’s student in construction engineering, that day shattered everything I understood about my future. I was glued to my phone, refreshing news updates in a frantic attempt to make sense of the chaos.
The distant echoes of explosions rumbled through the city, shaking windows and setting off endless car alarms. Air raid sirens wailed, their sound slicing through the early morning stillness. Outside, people hurried past with suitcases, their faces pale and tense, while others lined up at pharmacies and ATMs, their hands trembling as they stocked up on essentials.
My family and friends sent frantic messages (Are you safe? Are you leaving? What do we do?) but no one had an answer. Fear settled in like a second skin, thick and suffocating. The streets, once familiar, now felt unrecognisable, transformed by the weight of uncertainty.
We were all touched by the war, including my family. My father, who is a scientist and professor of Mykolaiv University of Shipbuilding, voluntarily joined the military forces to fight for Ukraine and give my family the possibility to work and study while the war raged outside.
Meanwhile, my hometown, Mykolaiv – previously a strategically important shipbuilding and port city on the Black Sea – became a key stepping-stone for Russian forces on the road to Odesa. It is very close to currently occupied territories and the frontline.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
Controlling access to the city and its bridges was crucial in the battle for Ukraine. The destruction of these bridges cut off vital supply routes, leaving Mykolaiv isolated and struggling to hold the line. What were once ordinary crossings became symbols of survival, as the city fought to stay connected and withstand the siege.
As my home was attacked, I realised something fundamental: bridges were not just engineering projects. They were lifelines.
Engineering hope
Rebuilding bridges and roads is about more than repairing physical structures; it is about restoring security, economic stability and vital connections between communities. A collapsed bridge isolates people from essential services, disrupting supply chains and deepening vulnerability. The war has exposed just how critical Ukraine’s infrastructure is for survival.
Mykolaiv is one of the hardest-hit regions. According to the Ukrainian government, more than 20 bridges were destroyed or severely damaged by Russian attacks, including the Inhul Bridge, a vital artery for the city.
The Snihurivka Bridge, another key crossing, was also wiped out, leaving thousands stranded without reliable access to healthcare and supplies. For months, humanitarian aid and commerce were forced onto alternative, unreliable routes, further isolating communities. The reconstruction of key bridges in my home region has allowed life to resume, but the scale of the challenge across the country remains immense.
Elsewhere, the destruction has been just as devastating.. The Irpin Bridge, north-west of Kyiv, which once carried 40,000 vehicles a day, became a symbol of both loss and survival. Ukrainian forces had to destroy the bridge to stop Russian advances on Kyiv. Thousands of civilians fled across its wreckage under fire.
Science: a light in the dark
Fast forward to the autumn of 2022. Ukraine’s power grid was under relentlessattack. Entire cities were plunged into darkness. I sat at my desk in Lviv, in western Ukraine, where I have been working on my PhD thesis. My laptop battery was draining and a single candle flickered beside me. I was writing a research paper on strengthening methods for buildings and infrastructure. Yet, all around me real infrastructure was collapsing, making my work feel disconnected from reality.
Laptop battery draining and a single candle flickers during one of the regular power cuts. Nadiia Kopiika
The city had endured weeks of missile strikes targeting critical infrastructure and power cuts became part of daily life. Simple tasks like boiling water for tea, charging a phone, or even sending an email became unpredictable challenges. The hum of generators filled the streets and people lined up at charging stations trying to stay connected. The darkness wasn’t just outside, it seeped into everything, a constant reminder that the war was never far away.
At that moment, a question struck me: what if science could help rebuild Ukraine? Could research, something that had once felt so theoretical, actually make a difference in the aftermath of war?
The project aimed to not only repair what was damaged but to build better infrastructure: homes that are more resilient, more sustainable and ready for future crises. Mitoulis recalled that the whole idea for BridgeUkraine was born out of a deeply personal moment:
I first thought of BridgeUkraine when I spoke with my former MSc student, Marat Khodzhaiev, who was in Ukraine when the war started. He was stranded in his house and at risk of missing the opportunity to graduate from his MSc course in the UK. All bridges around him had collapsed, there was no escape route. His wife was pregnant at the time. That call made me realise the urgent need, not only to rebuild infrastructure, but also to support and empower Ukrainian engineers to build their future. BridgeUkraine became more than just a research alliance, it became a mission that ensures that Ukraine’s recovery will be driven by its own people, equipped with the best knowledge and tools to rebuild their country.
The KSE Institute estimates that more than 300 bridges across Ukraine require urgent reconstruction, with damages exceeding US$2.6 billion. But this isn’t all about infrastructure; it is about securing Ukraine’s independence and ensuring that its economy and society can function even under the most difficult conditions. Every bridge rebuilt is a step toward recovery, a restored connection between families and communities, and a symbol of resilience.
To address these challenges, rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure cannot follow conventional methods. The sheer scale of destruction demands a new approach, one that not only restores what was lost but strengthens the country for the future.
At BridgeUkraine, we are developing solutions that prioritise resilience over quick fixes. Instead of rebuilding vulnerable structures, we are integrating sustainable materials, climate-adaptive engineering, and strategic planning to ensure that Ukraine’s transport networks are built to last.
Rebuilding fairly and efficiently
A comprehensive assessment conducted by the government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations estimates that the total cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery stands at approximately €506 billion (US$524bn) over the next decade. This underscores the necessity for continued and enhanced international support to address the extensive needs arising from the conflict.
There are no academic guidelines on how to rebuild after such destruction. What is the most effective way to approach reconstruction in this context? We quickly came to the realisation that conventional methods were too slow and rigid to address the urgent and widespread damage.
Our research team wanted to re-imagine how to rebuild infrastructure and homes that are resilient to future challenges, from war-related destruction to climate-induced disasters. As Mitoulis told me:
Rebuilding infrastructure is not just about restoring roads and bridges, it’s about rebuilding lives. Our approach is centred on people, ensuring that the infrastructure is designed by Ukrainians, for Ukrainians. It must not only reconnect communities but also support economic recovery and long-term resilience.
But such ethical reconstruction must be inclusive, sustainable and community-driven, ensuring that those who depend on infrastructure have a say in how it is rebuilt.
Reconstruction must be a participatory, creative effort – one that rebuilds cities with beauty and meaning, connecting them to their past while preparing for the future. Too often, post-war recovery efforts have been dictated by external donors, prioritising short-term economic gains over long-term resilience.
People like me, who have grown up in these places, understand the culture, the rhythm of daily life, and the importance of preserving identity as well as buildings. We want to see our cities restored in a way that reflects our history and spirit.
For example, in post-second world war Warsaw, reconstruction efforts initially ignored the city’s historical character in favour of Soviet-style urban planning. It was only through the persistence of local architects and historians that parts of the Old Town were painstakingly restored to reflect their original designs.
Ukraine cannot afford such myopic, profit-driven decision-making. Instead, it must empower local communities, integrating their knowledge, needs and skills into the reconstruction process.
This vision started to take shape through workshop discussions with experts in geography and urban planning. Everyone agreed on the need for an adaptable transportation system where modular designs and relocatable, prefabricated bridges (like the Mabey bridge in US) could respond to evolving demands and disruptions.
Similarly, at the ReBuild Ukraine 2024 conference leading engineers, policymakers and researchers showcased groundbreaking technologies designed to accelerate reconstruction while reducing long-term environmental and economic risks (for example, nature-based solutions, 3D-printing, Virtual Reality and Building Informational Modelling).
Revolutionising damage assessment with AI, radar and satellite imagery
But to effectively plan for recovery and reconstruction, it’s crucial to first accurately characterise the damage. A clear picture of what has been destroyed allows for smarter decisions, prioritising the most urgent repairs and using resources effectively.
Our latest research, published in Automation in Construction, introduces a faster, more precise way to assess damage to key infrastructure, particularly bridges. Bringing together expertise from a large multidisciplinary team, we developed a new approach that combines satellite images and radar and artificial intelligence to swiftly and accurately analyse damage.
This technology allowed us to assess the condition of bridges remotely, without having to be onsite in dangerous or inaccessible areas. By providing rapid, data-driven insights, our method helps ensure that reconstruction efforts start where they are needed most, speeding up recovery and making rebuilding efforts more effective.
We tested this approach on numerous bridges in the Irpin region of Ukraine, and the results were striking. It significantly improved both the speed and accuracy of damage assessments. Using Sentinel-1 SAR images (radar satellite images from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus program), crowdsourced data (photos and reports from people on the ground), and high-resolution imagery, we developed a comprehensive approach for damage detection and classification.
This approach works on multiple levels: it provides a big-picture view of damage across entire regions while also zooming in on specific structural issues in individual bridge components. By combining satellite data with detailed images, our method makes damage assessments more precise, faster and safer, ensuring that reconstruction efforts focus on the most critical areas first.
These findings can play a crucial role in damage and needs assessment such as those conducted by the World Bank.
Sustainable infrastructure
In war zones, destruction often affects vital humanitarian and evacuation corridors, making it essential to prioritise reconstruction based on factors such as the national importance of a bridge, its role in border crossings, and its impact on social services.
But rebuilding after a disaster is also an opportunity to create something stronger, smarter, built to last – and with a sustainable focus.
From the first day of the invasion, Nadiia began volunteering at Lviv Polytechnic National University helping to weave camouflage nets. @kathryn_moskalyuk
Given Ukraine’s commitment to net-zero emissions and resilience, we expanded our research [and published a study] which introduced an innovative model for rebuilding infrastructure that can withstand future hazards while minimising carbon emissions. At its core, the model features a “smart prioritisation system” that helps decision-makers allocate resources effectively. It assesses key factors such as repair urgency, community impact and long-term durability, ensuring that rebuilding efforts provide the greatest benefits where they are needed most.
For example, when assessing damaged structures, the system prioritises projects that will provide the most long-term benefits. That might mean restoring energy systems to prevent future blackouts or repairing bridges that serve as key evacuation routes and economic lifelines.
As Stanislav Gvozdikov, deputy director of Euro-integration Process at Ukraine’s State Road Research Institute, told me: “Every bridge we restore, every road we reopen, isn’t just about infrastructure, it’s about restoring life, reconnecting families and ensuring that communities have the resilience to withstand whatever comes next.”
This is already a reality near my home town, Mykolaiv, where newly rebuilt bridges have restored transport links and also revived local economies, giving people hope for the future.
But no one rebuilds a country alone.
The UK-Ukraine 100-year agreement, announced in February 2025, underscored a deep commitment to Ukraine’s security, economic resilience, and post-war reconstruction. The partnership recognises the importance of cooperation between the UK and Ukraine to strengthen technological innovation and to increase collaboration in transport more widely.
I’ve also had the privilege of working with some of the brightest minds in the field, including more than 50 practitioners, consultants, academics, institutions and international bodies. This alliance of experts was united by a shared vision: to change the way the world approaches post-war reconstruction.
A key part of this mission is training engineers, equipping them with the latest knowledge in damage assessment, resilience-based and people-centred design and international standards to lead Ukraine’s reconstruction.
We come from different backgrounds – engineering, economics, policy, humanitarian efforts, and governmental bodies. But we all share the same motivation in wanting to help our country.
Leading researchers from Ukraine specialising in AI technologies, infrastructure engineering, sustainable and energy-saving buildings or climate change, are also members of BridgeUkraine. AI-specialist, Ivan Izonin has spoken passionately about how he believes that the collaborative efforts we have started “will lay the foundation for large-scale scientific projects that will be pivotal in post-war reconstruction…”. While Natalya Shakhovska , also a specialist in AI, recalled: “My activity in the BridgeUkraine alliance gave me the opportunity to align my research to critical infrastructure assessment, enabled by my AI modelling…Today I really feel included, I understand that my expertise is helping [my country’s recovery]”
Another enthusiastic Ukrainian researcher, Khrystyna Myroniuk, who specialises in building physics, told me how the collaboration had given her the opportunity to continue her “research on sustainable housing solutions for Ukraine”.
Stopping the brain drain
One of the most critical challenges facing Ukraine today, aside from the physical destruction, is the brain drain – the mass exodus of skilled professionals who left the country in search of safety and better opportunities abroad.
This trend has had a significant impact on the country’s ability to rebuild. Engineers, architects and other highly trained specialists have long been a pillar of Ukraine’s development. But the war has forced many to leave, with no clear path back to contribute to the reconstruction effort. BridgeUkraine is helping to reverse this trend by offering a compelling reason for these skilled professionals to return.
Our engagement with Ukrainian engineers then sparked another idea: what if we trained local professionals to apply our expertise, equipping them to drive this transformation within their engineering communities?
This ensures that Ukraine’s recovery is driven by its own people, equipped with the latest global knowledge. By bridging the knowledge gap and integrating the best methods and ideas from across Europe, Ukraine can position itself as a leader in resilient infrastructure design.
Our research was taken up by the Ministry of Restoration of Ukraine. Stanislav Gvozdikov collaborated with us to launch a joint programme of Continuing Professional Development seminars for engineers designed to help them stay up to date with the latest knowledge and skills in their field. To date, our expertise has been shared with over 1,500 Ukrainians.
Argyroudis emphasised to me how critical the role of engineers will be in Ukraine’s reconstruction, saying: “It’s about rebuilding Ukrainian identity as a country.”
The ultimate goal is to build a culture of innovation and self-reliance among local professionals who have the expertise and passion to drive this change.
Professionals can now contribute to projects and be part of a larger community of practice, which brings together engineers, academics and international partners.
I am, personally, incredibly proud to have had the privilege, over the past two years, to help empower Ukrainians to develop world-leading research that accelerates their country’s recovery.
Shaping tomorrow
My hometown, Mykolaiv, still bears the scars of war. Returning there, I saw firsthand what was lost. But also what could be rebuilt. War has taken, and continues to take so much, but it has also forged a new generation of engineers who understand that our profession is no longer just about calculations and designs. It is about resilience, survival and national recovery.
Three years ago, I would have imagined a very different career for myself. But today, I know that engineering is more than my profession, it is my mission.
I am committed to ethical and inclusive infrastructure recovery in Ukraine, because science must be the foundation of national resilience. Ethical reconstruction must prioritise people over profits, creating systems that empower and strengthen communities.
Ukraine’s recovery is about setting a global precedent for post-conflict reconstruction. Our research, training programs and commitment to innovation are laying the groundwork for a stronger, more connected Ukraine, offering a paradigm shift to the war-torn world. Because rebuilding is about more than replacing the past. It is about creating a future that can withstand whatever comes next.
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Nadiia Kopiika receives funding from British Academy. She is affiliated with University of Birmingham, UK and Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine.
What if a used smartphone could become part of a brand-new device?
Previously confined to the imagination, this idea is now a reality with Samsung Electronics’ Circular Battery Supply Chain — an initiative that recovers and reuses key materials from the batteries of used Galaxy smartphones. The Galaxy S25 marks the first time this closed-loop battery recycling system has been applied to Samsung’s flagship lineup.
Samsung Newsroom spoke with Youngmin Kim from the Circular Economy Lab in the Global Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Office and Sangcheul Lee from the Battery Group in the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics to learn more about the development and impact of this project.
▲ (From left) Sangcheul Lee and Youngmin Kim
Used Galaxy Devices Reborn as Valuable Resources
Each year, approximately 200 tons of waste battery material were collected at Samsung’s production facilities in Vietnam. Countries with proper recycling infrastructure can repurpose used batteries for applications like electric vehicle batteries. Vietnam, however, lacked the means to do so. Recognizing the need for a sustainable solution, the company decided to address the issue.
“Samsung’s Vietnam facilities are among those that generate the highest volume of waste batteries, including defective units from the manufacturing process and batteries recovered from a factory that repairs Galaxy phones traded in from the United States,” said Youngmin Kim. “Our goal was to create a system that would allow us to recycle these resources and reintegrate them into our products.”
▲ Youngmin Kim explains the Circular Battery Supply Chain while showcasing cobalt and cathode materials.
To develop an efficient recycling process for Vietnam’s waste batteries, Samsung partnered with multiple companies to build an optimized resource circularity system that connected cobalt extraction plants with battery production lines in neighboring countries.
“For the Galaxy S24 series, we sourced recycled cobalt externally,” he explained. “However, with the Galaxy S25, we implemented a fully closed-loop recycling system that extracts cobalt directly from discarded Galaxy batteries.”
The collected waste batteries are processed into high-purity cobalt, then shipped to the battery production line where it is integrated into Galaxy S25 batteries. This process transforms electronic waste from used Galaxy devices into a valuable resource, supporting Samsung’s vision for a sustainable circular economy.
▲ Samsung’s Circular Battery Supply Chain in action
More specifically, the Circular Battery Supply Chain begins with collecting used Galaxy smartphones, followed by dismantling and discharging their batteries. These batteries are then shredded and processed into a fine powder known as “black mass.” This material is subsequently refined to extract cobalt — which is used to produce cathode materials, a key component of the Galaxy S25 battery.
The Endless Recyclability of Cobalt
Cobalt is essential for maintaining the stability and performance of lithium-ion batteries in smartphones. While lithium carries electrons within the battery, cobalt facilitates lithium’s movement to ensure optimal battery operation.
▲ Cobalt ore samples
“Cobalt does not degrade with battery use, meaning it can theoretically be recycled indefinitely,” said Lee. “Recycled cobalt and newly mined cobalt are virtually identical — so much so that the difference is indistinguishable in the manufacturing process.”
In essence, Galaxy devices containing cobalt can be recycled and repurposed regardless of their manufacturing date.
▲ Samsung’s Circular Battery Supply Chain on display at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona
“The key to extracting high-purity cobalt lies in technology,” said Kim. “Through our Circular Battery Supply Chain, we have successfully recovered and utilized over 90% of the cobalt from the discarded batteries that have been collected.”
Half of the cobalt used in the Galaxy S25 batteries comes from recycled sources — a strong testament to Samsung’s environmental strategy and commitment to reducing its environmental impact while maintaining premium product quality.
The Road to a Reliable and Efficient Circular Supply Chain
Nonetheless, establishing the Circular Battery Supply Chain was no easy feat as the batteries were required to meet stringent global safety and environmental regulations.
▲ Sangcheul Lee explains the certification management process.
“We had to engage with numerous partner companies, navigating complex and rigorous procedures,” recalled Lee. “To prevent fire hazards during transport, the batteries had to be crushed and obtaining the necessary certifications to comply with relevant environmental regulations took considerable time.”
“With constantly evolving regulations and Samsung’s exceptionally high internal standards, we underwent multiple rounds of reviews and certifications,” he added. “Despite the challenges, we persisted as a team and successfully implemented the system in the Galaxy S25.”
Samsung’s Evolving Vision for a Circular Economy
“I felt a great sense of pride when our Circular Battery Supply Chain was showcased at the recent Galaxy Unpacked event,” said Lee, reflecting on the achievement. “I hope to continue developing sustainable batteries by expanding our recycling efforts to include lithium and other materials.”
“With the Galaxy S25, we’ve also reached another significant milestone in resource circularity — wafer trays discarded after semiconductor manufacturing have been repurposed into a plastic used in the side and volume keys,” shared Kim. “We are working on various projects to expand resource circularity across other product lines as well, and we hope our users will continue to join us on our journey.”
Samsung has successfully established a closed-loop battery recycling system through the Circular Battery Supply Chain — turning a vision launched under its 2022 environmental strategy into reality with the Galaxy S25. This milestone has sparked growing anticipation for the next innovations that will emerge from Samsung’s pursuit of a more sustainable future.
Worsening violence between armed groups in Walikale, DRC, has trapped people and our teams and is preventing the delivery of supplies.
If supply routes remain blocked, our teams will start to run out of essential medical supplies in two weeks.
We call on all warring parties to protect civilians, medical facilities, and health workers, and facilitate the delivery of medical supplies.
Escalating violence between armed groups the FARDC and the M23/AFC, and their respective allies, in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, reached the city of Walikale on 19 March, trapping Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff at our base and at the local hospital.
In recent days, the situation has continued to deteriorate. The violence has severely impacted people’s access to healthcare, as 80 per cent of the community has fled the city, after hearing artillery fire and fearing hostilities. Over 700 displaced people are sheltering at the Walikale general hospital, putting additional pressure on already-limited medical resources.
“Our teams on the ground have to put their medical activities on hold when fighting erupts and are unable to move safely,” says Natalia Torrent, head of programmes for MSF in North Kivu. “The safety of our staff and patients is our top priority.”
Heavy gunfire has been heard in the vicinity of our base, highlighting the extreme risks faced by both healthcare workers and the communities they serve. Two weeks ago, a crossfire hit our logistics base, impacting our structures and some of our vehicles. Massive explosions took place near the town’s general hospital, where MSF supports the Ministry of Health in providing medical care.
Critical supply shortages of essential medicines
Today, logistical challenges remain critical, with no viable road or air routes to facilitate the transport of supplies and personnel. Our last supplies by air arrived on 17 January. With the airport remaining inoperative, the delivery of humanitarian supplies is a challenge.
“Within two weeks, our teams on the ground will start facing shortages of essential medicines, further complicating the ability of our teams to provide urgent medical assistance,” says Torrent.
MSF once again calls on all warring parties to respect and protect civilians, medical facilities, and health workers, as well as to facilitate the delivery of medical supplies to the area. We urgently demand safe and guaranteed access to healthcare for all those affected by the conflict.
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People are trapped in a climate of insecurity amidst clashes in parts of South Kivu
Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day will return this year, paying tribute to the Island’s dedicated forces community with a day of honour and recognition.
The event, on Sunday, 29 June, will once again be held beachside at Eastern Gardens in Ryde, where last year large crowds were treated to an awe-inspiring display by the Red Arrows.
While many exciting details for 2025 are still under wraps, attractions already confirmed include thrilling cannon and musket displays, promising plenty of booms and bangs, and an impressive marching parade with four bands and more than 100 cadets.
Additionally, the Army Air Corps is bringing back their Gazelle helicopter, offering attendees a chance to step into the cockpit, handle the controls, and snap a memorable selfie! It’s a day to reflect on the courage and service of our Armed Forces, while offering unique experiences for all who attend.
Event organiser, Ian Dore, said: “With the Red Arrows soaring over the Solent skies last year, Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day was packed to the rafters in support of the Island’s forces community.
“Attended by all ages, broadcast live on radio and featured on the BBC, it’s set to return again this year.
“I start slinging irons in fires around September the year before the event, but it’s now that things really ramp up.
“The ground elements of the event are nearly complete, with just a few tweaks needed as additional assets come online, but you can expect some firm favourites to return.”
Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day is a chance for Islanders to show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community.
From currently serving troops to service families, veterans, reservists and cadets, the popular event provides a much-valued morale boost for the troops and their families.
The location itself provides the perfect opportunity to display land, sea and air attractions, along with all you’d expect at an Armed Forces Day.
Ian added: “As we progress, more attendees will be announced, and it’s shaping up to be colossal. Last year’s attendance was just shy of 10,000 people, making it the second most attended single-day event on the Island, after the Isle of Wight Festival.
“In part, that is due to who and what was taking part, but it is also testament to the support Islanders have for the Armed Forces community, which, by the way, is around 11 per cent of the Island’s population.
“As the official strapline says, show your support. Mark your calendars for Sunday, 29 June, for the official Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day. It’s going to be one of the must-attend events of the summer!”
A Palestinian woman cries while sitting on the rubble of her home, which was destroyed in an Israeli strike on March 18, 2025.Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images
Thirty years ago in Israel, advocating for genocide could land you in prison.
In April 1994, an Israeli rabbi named Ido Alba published an article that read, in part, “In war, as long as the war has not been decided, it is a commandment to kill every non-Jew from the nation one is fighting against, even women and children. Even when they do not directly endanger the one killing them, there is concern that they may assist the enemy in the continuation of the war.”
Now the legal system is ignoring similar rhetoric.
In December 2023, following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians, soldiers and migrant workers, Rabbi Moshe Ratt, who’s seen as a public intellectual among Israeli West Bank settlers, composed a long post on Facebook.
In it, he noted that in the past, some people may have struggled with the morality of destroying an entire people, including women and children. Now they don’t. Obliquely referring to the Palestinians, he added, “Some nations have descended into such depths of evil and corruption that the only solution is to eradicate them completely, leaving no trace.”
Ratt’s and Vaturi’s words went unpunished. In fact, genocidal rhetoric like theirs – in which the entire destruction of a people is proposed – has become more common in Israel.
They date back to the 1930s, and have gained steam – and more public acceptance – as prospects for peace fell apart in the 1990s, existential anxiety among Israelis has grown, and religious Zionists have gained more political power in the 21st century.
Repeated violence and attacks can fuel existential anxiety among settlers, along with fantasies of achieving “permanent security” or absolute safety against future threats. Among Jewish Israelis, the collective memory of persecution – culminating in the genocide of European Jews during the Holocaust – has added another important layer to the longing for permanent security.
Biblical genocidal stories
In Israel, there’s also a history of biblical justifications for violence and genocide. This sort of rhetoric has waxed and waned over time; it’ll often exist on the margins in times of relative peace, but move into the mainstream during periods of violence and existential anxiety.
This created an opening for political leaders to use biblical texts to promote political goals.
The Bible contains some explicit narratives of annihilation. The most well known is the story of Amalek, a nomadic people identified in the Book of Deuteronomy as the archenemy of the Israelites. In Chapter 25, Moses commanded the Israelites to “blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” A related commandment involves the annihilation of the Seven Nations of Canaan, which inhabited the “promised land” when the Israelites conquered it. In Chapter 20, the Israelites are commanded: “You shall not leave a single soul alive. Completely destroy.”
Throughout Jewish history, these edicts and stories have generally been interpreted as historical accounts or as metaphors, not commands to commit genocide.
However, settlers of lands occupied by indigenous peoples – not just in Israel, but in other countries, too – have deployed these texts to condone mass violence. For example, in colonial America, Puritan settlers justified massacres of Native Americans by comparing them with Amalek.
During the Arab-Israeli war in 1948, Israeli army education officers distributed texts to soldiers that read, “In biblical times, Saul exterminated all of Amalek, men and women, youth and elderly, and even sheep and cattle.” The materials also noted that “biblical Joshua was commanded to annihilate the nations of the land and was forbidden to make any treaties with them.”
For religious Zionists, the state of Israel is a sacred endeavor. They’ve generally been less interested than secular Zionists in adhering to international norms and taking geopolitical considerations into account when pushing for the settlement of contested territories.
After 1967, religious settler movements were emboldened. Groups such as Gush Emunim pushed the government to settle the newly occupied territories, which included the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. For these religious Zionists, the settlement project is not simply a land grab: Settlers are taking land that the Bible has promised to them.
In 1980, Israel Hess, who then held the official position as rabbi of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, wrote in the student bulletin, “In a war between Israel and Amalek, it is a commandment to kill and annihilate infants and babies. And who is Amalek? Anyone who launches a war against the Jews.” These words triggered public backlash and prompted protests from several secular Zionist politicians.
Existential fears grow
In the 1990s, calls for widespread violence were largely marginalized, since there was hope for a political compromise with the Palestinians.
After these talks failed, however, the rhetoric and ideas of religious Zionists continued to migrate to the political center, particularly during and after the Palestinian uprising known as the Second Intifada. Taking place from 2000 to 2005, the uprising involving a series of suicide attacks in Israeli cities profoundly shocked the Jewish Israeli public, spurring the reemergence of deep existential anxiety.
Rescue workers rush an injured Israeli woman from the scene of a Palestinian suicide bombing on Jan. 27, 2002, in Jerusalem. Getty Images
With no peaceful solution for the conflict on the horizon, Israeli and Palestinian figures who viewed politics through a theological framework kept accumulating power.
In 2014, Ayelet Shaked, then a member of the Knesset and later the minister of justice, shared an article on social media that read, “The Palestinian people declared war on us, and we have to fight back … and in wars the enemy is usually an entire people, with its old men and women, its cities and villages, its property and infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, the dean of Quranic studies at the Islamic University of Gaza said in a 2015 television interview, “All Jews in Palestine today are fair game – even the women.”
As each side retaliated against the other, annihilation started to sound like a reasonable solution – a process that historian Yoav Di-Capua has termed “genocidal mirroring.”
The perfect storm
This mirroring does not imply a symmetry. Israel, with its superior military capabilities, has a significantly greater capacity to inflict harm on Palestinians.
The government formed in Israel following the 2022 election was unprecedented. For the first time in the nation’s history, the government depended upon ultranationalist religious factions, such as one called Jewish Power. The party has three official rabbis who advise its politicians. One of them, Dov Lior, is a prominent advocate of the idea that Palestinians are Amalek. Another, Yisrael Ariel, has written that the Torah’s commandment “Thou shalt not kill” does not apply to non-Jews.
As Rabbi Eliyahu Mali, the head of a military program for religious students in Jaffa, said in March 2024:
“If you don’t kill them first, they will kill you. The terrorists of today are the children of the previous operation whom you kept alive, and the women are those who produce the terrorists … Do not try to outsmart the Torah. The Torah tells you: ‘Do not keep alive any soul,’ so you should not keep alive any soul.”
Some secular Israelis joined in. Danny Neuman, a former football star and television commentator, said on TV in December 2023, “I am telling you, in Gaza, without exception, they are all terrorists, sons of dogs. They must be exterminated, all of them killed.”
Kinneret Barashi, a lawyer and a television host, tweeted in February 2025, “Every trace of the murderous mutations in Gaza must be erased, from the delivery rooms to the last elderly person in Gaza.”
These statements coincide with a grim reality on the ground. Since the Oct. 7 attacks, Israeli retaliation in Gaza has cost the lives of more than 64,000 Palestinians. Public health experts estimate that the obliteration of infrastructure and corresponding starvation, lack of access to medical care and spread of infectious diseases, could bring the death toll to the hundreds of thousands.
Meanwhile, large swaths of the Israeli public appear to support the mass expulsion of Palestinians and condone the concept of genocide in the abstract, according to a recent poll I commissioned through the Israeli polling firm Geocartography.
In the representative sample of Jewish Israelis who were polled from March 10-11, 2025, 82% supported the forced expulsion of Gaza’s population to other countries, while 56% endorsed the expulsion of Israel’s Arab citizens. By comparison, according to a 2003 poll, only 46% supported the “transfer of Palestinian residents of the occupied territories,” and just 31% supported the “transfer of Israel’s Arab citizens.”
Moreover, in my poll I relayed a story from the Book of Joshua, in which the ancient Israelites conquered the city of Jericho and killed all of its inhabitants. When I asked respondents whether the Israeli army, when conquering an enemy city, should act similarly to the Israelites when they conquered Jericho, 47% of respondents said they should.
Tamir Sorek previously received funding from the Fullbright Program and the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rita V. Burke, Associate Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California
The fires first erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades, a small enclave of Los Angeles, and in Eaton Canyon, where the tight-knit community of Altadena is nestled in the foothills just north of Pasadena. Fierce winds pushed the flames through neighborhoods, making this one of the top five most destructive wildfires in California history.
In the immediate aftermath of this disaster, much of the focus has been, rightfully, on lives lost, homes damaged or destroyed, and the ability to maintain livelihoods. But noticeably missing from most media coverage have been the consequences of the wildfires for children and discussion of the unique challenges they face surrounding disasters.
But when the destruction impacts your own community, it hits differently. Like many others, we were directly affected by the school closures and poor air quality in the Los Angeles area.
We both had friends and colleagues who suffered property damage in the fires, including Rita’s best friend who lost her home in the Altadena fire. Our work, which focuses on disaster recovery and resilience in children, suddenly felt deeply personal.
We are currently studying the effect of wildfires on families and what factors help children recover faster and lead to more resilient lives.
The importance of schools
School districts across the region closed their doors due to dangerous air quality and structural damage. This included the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is the second-largest in the nation, serving over 500,000 students. Some schools were destroyed, while others were left with hazardous conditions, including toxic ash from burned homes. Even when schools reopened, many parents and caregivers were worried about sending their children back into classrooms that might not be safe.
According to the Education Recovery Scorecard, as of spring 2024 the average U.S. student remained nearly half a grade level behind prepandemic achievement in math and reading, which points to the long-term impacts of school closures.
Rita’s best friend who lost her home shared that when it came to her children, her immediate priority “was getting them back into some type of normalcy.”
To her, this meant sending them back to school, but this wasn’t possible right away. “With the holidays and then the fires, my daughter was out of school for almost two months,” she said.
Her concerns about her children echo those of many parents in the wake of disasters.
After the 2020 Slater Fire in Happy Camp, California, a rural town about 25 miles south of the Oregon border, we conducted focus groups with children who had lost homes and schools.
Our study found that despite experiencing profound loss, many of the children expressed gratitude for their communities and an eagerness to rebuild. Their perspectives revealed both resilience and critical gaps in disaster response – gaps that we see unfolding in Los Angeles today.
One of the biggest lessons from the Slater Fire and other disasters is that children recover best when they are given a sense of stability and normalcy as quickly as possible. The faster children can return to a routine, the better their emotional and academic outcomes tend to be. Schools, child care facilities and structured activities all play a crucial role in this process.
Helping children cope with stress
To assist parents and caregivers in navigating difficult conversations after a natural disaster, substantial research has explored how to talk to kids about disasters.
For families navigating the emotional toll of this disaster, open conversations are key. Avoiding the topic in an attempt to protect children can make them more anxious. Instead, caregivers should create space for children to express their emotions and ask questions. Children’s responses to trauma vary based on their age and experiences, but common reactions may include anxiety about future wildfires, trouble sleeping, and withdrawing from activities they once enjoyed.
Children need help from the adults in their lives to cope with stress after a natural disaster.
Children may react differently, and it is important to be on the lookout for signs of stress. Younger children between ages 1 and 5 may become more irritable and may exhibit signs of developmental regression.
Tweens and teens may also find comfort in the shared experience with their friends. Rita’s best friend shared that her 11-year-old daughter and 10 of her friends named their chat group “70% homeless,” a telling reflection of how they are processing the disaster together.
Caring for our children after a disaster
Organizations such as Project:Camp, a nonprofit that provides pop-up camps for children affected by disasters, have stepped in to offer immediate child care relief in Eagle Rock, California, about 8 miles from Altadena. These programs not only support children’s mental health by offering structured, trauma-informed care in a fun environment, but they also give caregivers the time and space necessary to begin rebuilding their lives.
The services provided by these sorts of programs can serve as models that can be incorporated into the planning process for cities and counties. This allows more time for adults to focus on recovery needs while limiting the time that children must spend alone.
For families still struggling after the LA fires, we recommend talking to school counselors, seeking community support and contacting local disaster relief programs.
Looking ahead
Rebuilding after a disaster is about more than just reconstructing homes and infrastructure. It’s about restoring a sense of security for families, especially children.
If there is one thing our research has taught us, it is that children are incredibly resilient. But resilience is not built in isolation. Rather, it comes from strong support systems, thoughtful policies and communities that put their youngest members first in times of crisis. Prioritizing schools and child care centers in recovery plans helps to ensure that children can return to safe, supportive environments as soon as possible.
Rita V. Burke received funding from funding from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder with the Support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Science Foundation for this work. She is also funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. She is also Chair of the Board of Advisors for Project:Camp.
Santina Contreras receives funding from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder with the Support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Science Foundation.
Responding to Israel defence minister Israel Katz’s statement that the country aimed to seize large areas of the Palestinian territory and incorporate them into “security zones”, (1) Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire and Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said:
“The Green Party condemns in the strongest possible terms the Israeli government’s brutal decision to expand its military operations in Gaza. Seizing large areas of territory and forcibly displacing countless Gazans to create so-called “security zones” would be a further violation of international law against a population already devastated by 18 months of conflict.
“This is not security; it is domination and erasure. It would constitute ethnic cleansing and further collective punishment on a mass scale, and it would only deepen the unimaginable suffering already endured by the people of Gaza.
“More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, and the humanitarian crisis could not be more dire. Israeli forces have maintained a total blockade of aid since early March, cutting off food, water, and medical supplies while bombs continue to fall. Last month, Israeli forces killed yet more medics, first responders, and a UN staff member, forcing the UN to reduce its operations.
“The UK government cannot remain silent while genocide is carried out in plain sight. We cannot be complicit in this horror by continuing to arm and support the Israeli government. There is no justification—legal, moral, or political—for aiding a state that systematically targets civilians, destroys homes and hospitals, and plans to occupy yet more Palestinian land.
“The Green Party has consistently called for the release of the hostages, an immediate ceasefire, a complete halt to arms sales to Israel, and recognition of the State of Palestine. We also urgently push for humanitarian corridors to be opened so that aid can reach those who are starving and injured. We owe it to the Palestinian people, to international justice, and to our own humanity to demand an end to this bloodshed and to take a stand against genocide.
“Our thoughts are with the civilians of Gaza, whose courage and resilience in the face of such horror move us to keep fighting for justice, peace, and accountability. We will not look away.”
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – John Austin Perkins, III, 45, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for lying to federal agents in the hopes of early parole from a sentence he was serving for another crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Perkins was serving time for a parole violation in Maryland when he devised a scheme to obtain early release. He made false claims to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and forged three letters in which he impersonated his former cellmate who had been indicted on firearms charges. In the letters (and through his statements), the defendant perpetuated a hoax claiming his former cellmate planned to escape from prison and murder an ATF agent. The defendant engaged in this scheme to garner favor with federal agents and possibly obtain early release from prison. Perkins has prior convictions for theft, drug trafficking and battery.
Perkins will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Marshals Service investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
National gun amnesty took place in February across England and Wales.
Police forces across England and Wales have seen 2,962 Turkish manufactured guns handed in as part of a national amnesty which took place in February.
The top-venting blank firing (TVBF) guns have become popular with organised criminals in recent years due to the ease at which they are readily convertible into lethal firearms. Tests by the National Crime Agency and policing, funded by the Home Office, show models produced by four Turkish manufacturers are readily convertible and therefore illegal. TVBFs are legal to buy in the UK without a licence by over 18s unless they are readily convertible.
Police forces across England and Wales held a four-week Firearms Amnesty for Turkish manufactured TVBFs namely models with the brand names ‘Retay’, ‘Ekol’, ‘Ceonic’ and ‘Blow’, in February.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms, said: “This is a considerable step in making our streets safer and stopping these weapons from being used by criminals.
“I would like to thank the public for their support during the amnesty and handing in these weapons which are now illegal to possess.
“If you have any information about illegal firearms, such as the Turkish manufactured TVBF, I would ask you contact the police or Crimestoppers so that they can be taken off the streets.”
The amnesty which took place between 3 February and 28 February 2025 saw 2,962 Turkish manufactured top-venting firers and was aimed at anyone in possession of a TVBF to hand their weapon in to avoid prosecution and up to 10 years imprisonment.
In their original state TVBFs have a fully blocked barrel and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges. When discharged, combustion gases vent from the top of the weapon. TVBFs are sold with at least 50 per cent of their visible surface painted a bright colour however, criminals may paint them black so they look like an original lethal purpose (OLP) weapon as well as convert them to a lethal purpose firearm.
Since 2021, UK law enforcement has recovered more than 1,000 converted TVBFs in criminal circumstances. Firearms legislation has not changed; the weapons are illegal to own under the Firearms Act 1968 as they can be readily converted using common household tools and without specialist skill on the part of the person carrying out the conversion. Testing completed by the NCA has demonstrated this.
Charles Yates, National Crime Agency deputy director, said: “The amnesty results are excellent with very large numbers of surrenders of these easily converted firearms.
“This work is a superb example of the public and the firearms trade coming together to help reduce the risk of the criminal use of these weapons.
“Though firearms crime in the UK is relatively low compared with elsewhere in Europe and is among the lowest in the world, the NCA, policing and Border Force will continue to do everything possible to suppress the firearms threat and to protect the UK public.”
Other unwanted, unlicensed firearms and ammunition may be surrendered to police at any time which will avoid the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and means that members of the community can dispose of firearms in a safe place.
Anyone now found in possession of a Turkish manufactured TVBF will face prosecution for the illegal possession and face up to 10 years imprisonment.
If you know of people involved in illegal firearms activity should call the Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call to Crimestoppers is anonymous and potentially vital to preventing or solving serious crimes; removing an illegally held firearm may just save someone’s life.
In the Arctic, permafrost plays a crucial role in building infrastructure. However, as the region warms and permafrost thaws, infrastructure is threatened as the ground shifts beneath the built environment. Unfortunately, the full extent of the risks associated with this process is not yet understood, but researchers are working to address this knowledge gap.
UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment researchers, including Ph.D. student Elias Manos and Assistant Professor Chandi Witharana, along with Anna Liljedahl from the Woodwell Climate Research Center, developed a method that uses high-resolution satellite imagery and deep machine learning to double the mapped infrastructure of Alaska and more accurately project economic risks associated with permafrost thaw. Their findings are published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment.
Witharana says this is the latest in his research group’s long-term study of how satellites can help monitor changes in the Arctic landscape over time, in this case, the largely unaccounted for risks of thawing permafrost for communities and their vital infrastructure like buildings and roads.
“The main focus here is, there was a visual gap for infrastructure, and we need to have more detail to create critical information layers for downstream analysis like economic risk. We didn’t have that for Alaska,” says Witharana.
A home in Point Lay, Alaska that is affected by thawing permafrost. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Jones)
The motivation behind this research stems from the need to understand hazards in a changing world, says Manos. However, those assessments cannot happen without a clear understanding of what is in harm’s way.
“We know that local temperatures are rising and there is change in the frequency, intensity, and timing of extreme weather and hazardous events. Whether they are rapid onset events like hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, or slow onset hazards like droughts, permafrost thaw in this case, we need to understand the potential harm these events pose,” says Manos.
Manos says that permafrost serves as a structural foundation where piles are secured through it and buildings are designed to help maintain its thermal integrity. It is, therefore, essential that the pile foundation remains stably anchored into the permafrost, but the structural integrity is compromised as this layer thaws.
“When the temperature of permafrost starts to increase, piles start to shift out of place, and that’s what we call bearing capacity loss, or decrease in bearing capacity. That was the main hazard that we looked at which impacts buildings,” says Manos. “Then there’s also transportation infrastructure that’s primarily impacted by ground subsidence. When ice-rich permafrost thaws, the ground will cave in and that was the hazard we used to assess the disaster risk for roads.”
Previous studies made risk estimates based on data from OpenStreetMap (OSM), which is one of the most widely used geospatial data sets available, says Manos. OSM is available for every nation across the globe, and information is updated by volunteers who manually input local data, like buildings, trails, roads, or other kinds of infrastructure, from high-resolution imagery on a global scale.
For some regions, like Europe and parts of the United States, the data is accurate, says Manos, but that is not true for all locations. Unfortunately for the Arctic, OSM data is lacking.
Top four panels (and two zoom-ins) show delineations of buildings, roads, and storage tanks predicted by the infrastructure detection model from Maxar satellite imagery of four different Alaskan communities (Utqiagvik, Kotzebue, Hooper Bay, and Bethel). The bottom panel compares the map produced by the UConn team’s methodology (titled High-resolution Arctic Built Infrastructure and Terrain Analysis Tool (HABITAT)) to other existing Arctic infrastructure data products. OpenStreetMap is a widely used open-source geographic database supported by volunteer mapping efforts. As displayed, OpenStreetMap is often incomplete in many areas of the Arctic. The Sentinel-1/2 derived Arctic Coastal Human Impact dataset (SACHI) is a circumpolar-scale map of Arctic buildings, roads, and other human-modified land produced with machine- and deep-learning algorithms and Sentinel-1/2 satellite imagery. As displayed, this dataset has a comparatively coarse resolution that struggles with identifying individual objects. (Courtesy of Maxar, Inc. and Annett Bartsch)
“There are several previous risk studies that relied on this incomplete infrastructure data. It all goes back to the fact that infrastructure across the Arctic is not completely mapped, and that’s problematic if you want to understand disasters because you must have the full picture to understand the scale of what is or could potentially be exposed,” says Manos.
One of the objectives of Witharana’s research group is to improve methods to analyze large sets of satellite images quickly and accurately. Here, they developed a method to accurately map infrastructure and permafrost thaw risk called High-resolution Arctic Built Infrastructure and Terrain Analysis Tool (HABITAT). The model uses machine learning and AI to extract road and building information from high-resolution satellite images from the years 2018-2023. They compared the HABITAT data with OSM data to evaluate the new model’s quality and to look for potential misclassifications. Then they added the new information to OSM, nearly doubling the previous amount of information available for Alaska.
“The sheer amount of infrastructure and buildings that were missing from Open Street Map was, really shocking to me, 47% missing,” says Manos. “Though OpenStreetMap is a powerful volunteer-based resource, it has limitations and that is not a surprise.”
Owing to the large amount of data previously not considered, the researchers estimate that the costs of permafrost damage to infrastructure will double under low and medium emissions scenarios by 2050.
“Damages to infrastructure caused by permafrost thaw is on par with the average yearly cost of all natural disasters in the country, yet permafrost thaw is not recognized by the federal government as a natural hazard, making it harder for people in Alaska to obtain disaster relief funding. In addition, Alaska is decades behind the rest of the country in terms of geospatial data readiness. Maps are key for assessments and planning, and I think the research community can help with some of that,” says Liljedahl.
Witharana’s research group and collaborators are working to fill these knowledge gaps to create data that can be used to help prepare communities for the future. Manos plans to expand this analysis to account for the entire Arctic region to assess economic losses using a comprehensive infrastructure map.
Witharana adds that by combining OSM data with the thousands of sub-meter resolution satellite images provided by the National Science Foundation, along with access to NSF supercomputing infrastructure, it was possible for the researchers to enhance the completeness of these datasets.
“We can see that impact and do better assessments of economic disturbances and risk so we can prepare for whatever policy actions or downstream efforts that are needed,” says Witharana. “That’s a major outcome. Overall, the integration of AI and big data sets within our application has helped make useful, actionable products that researchers and communities can use right now.”
The combined HABTAT and OSM dataset is available for anyone to explore on the Permafrost Discovery Gateway. This work is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs (NSF-OPP) (grant No. 1927723 and 2052107) and Google.org’s Impact Challenge on Climate Innovation. The image in Fig. 1b was acquired and provided through NSF RISE-1928237. Furthermore, this work used the Delta supercomputer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign through allocation #EES220055 from the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services & Support (ACCESS) program, which is supported by National Science Foundation grants #2138259, #2138286, #2138307, #2137603, and #2138296. Geospatial support for this work was provided by the Polar Geospatial Center under NSF-OPP awards 1043681, 1559691, and 2129685.
UConn Waterbury is leading a bold transformation in higher education with the launch of its Neurovariability Initiative—a campus-wide effort rooted in neuroscience, learning science, and innovation. Rather than emphasizing challenges or labels, this initiative recognizes the natural variability in how people think and learn, designing systems that amplify cognitive strengths, remove barriers, and foster student success in a rapidly evolving world.
Co-created by Campus Dean and CAO Fumiko Hoeft and UConn Engineering Professor Arash Zaghi, both of whom bring lived experience as dyslexic, ADHD-identifying individuals—and as parents of neurodivergent learners—the initiative integrates educational neuroscience, AI-enhanced tools, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into a cohesive and forward-looking framework.
“Our goal is to cultivate an environment where every student’s potential can be maximized—regardless of how they process information,” says Hoeft.
“This is about unlocking talent that’s often overlooked—not by lowering the bar, but by rethinking how success is defined, supported, and scaled,” adds Zaghi.
This initiative complements university-wide efforts such as CETL’s inclusive teaching programs and UConn Engineering’s Include Program, which also emphasize neuroinclusivity, faculty training, and the responsible use of AI in education.
“The Neurovariability Initiative is a powerful example of how the Waterbury campus is leading with science, innovation, and compassion,” says UConn President Radenka Maric. “By recognizing that students think and learn in different ways, and by designing systems that build on those strengths, this initiative reflects our UConn-wide commitment to empowering every learner and preparing them to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
Co-creator and Engineering Professor Arash Zaghi leads a discussion on the future of neurodiversity and its role in innovation. (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)
Spring Break Pilot Training: Building Capacity Across Campus
UConn Waterbury hosted its inaugural Neurovariability Level 1 Training—a four-day hybrid workshop during UConn’s spring break, coinciding with the Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a worldwide initiative. Faculty and staff from across campus, including Student Services, Advising, Student Health and Wellness (SHaW), the Academic Achievement Center (AAC), Operations, and Academic Affairs, participated in hands-on sessions that focused on strength-based educational practices, UDL-aligned advising and teaching, responsible use of AI, and inclusive support strategies for all learners. This milestone training laid the groundwork for a growing community of practice focused on high-impact, personalized learning.
“This training challenged me to think differently about how we engage students—not just by accommodating their needs, but by tapping into their unique strengths from the start,” said Professor Laura Donorfio of Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS). “As someone who’s dedicated to supporting human growth across the lifespan, I found the emphasis on brain-based learning and inclusive design incredibly powerful. It’s something I’ll carry into both my teaching and mentoring.”
The training brought together an impressive roster of national and international experts in education, technology, and cognitive science:
Kate Griggs, Founder of Made by Dyslexia, joined from London for a virtual fireside chat highlighting the global movement for recognizing and nurturing diverse thinking in schools and workplaces. “If we can teach dyslexic students in the way they learn, they will change the world,” Griggs noted.
Jessica Parker & Kimberly Becker, Co-Founders of Moxie, introduced their AI-powered academic writing tool designed to support student success through ethically guided, personalized feedback. “We build tools that adapt to learners—not the other way around,” said Parker.
Sam Johnston, Chief Postsecondary & Workforce Development Officer at CAST, framed UDL as a proactive, research-driven approach to building more flexible, accessible learning environments. “UDL is about designing for variability from the beginning—not retrofitting for differences later.”
Professor Arash Zaghi, co-creator of the initiative and lead behind Include Program (originally funded by the NSF RED grant), shared how cognitive diversity drives innovation in engineering and beyond. Zaghi is also the recipient of the prestigious White House PECASE Award—the highest honor for early-career scientists in the U.S. “This initiative isn’t about fixing students—it’s about fixing the system. We’re redesigning learning to work better for everyone, including those whose talents are too often missed.”
Staff attendee Nakeia Moore collaborates with guest speakers Stan Gloss and Jessica Parker during an interactive session. (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)
Jesse Sanchez, Managing Director of Programs at the Neurodiversity Alliance and an ADHD individual himself, shared his lived experience, and offered guidance on fostering student-led learning communities and promoting self-advocacy.
Stan Gloss, a dyslexic entrepreneur, also shared his lived experience and discussed neurovariability as a competitive advantage in business and workforce development.
Dr. Andi Kent from CETL led training on inclusive advising and instruction.
Professor Mary Elizabeth Bruder, UConn Health, shared a powerful personal perspective on parenting, self-advocacy, and the importance of early support.
Connie Syharat, Include Program coordinator and teaching faculty, presented an adapted version of UConn Engineering’s neurodiversity training tailored for broader campus application.
Why It Matters: A Science-Informed Strategy for Unlocking Potential
The Neurovariability Initiative offers a forward-looking, research-based approach to education that focuses on talent development and innovation. Grounded in neuroscience and learning science, it recognizes that differences in how students think and process information are natural and valuable—not obstacles to overcome.
Rather than relying on labels or diagnoses, this model is about improving educational systems to better serve all learners. By integrating proven strategies like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and responsibly implemented AI tools, UConn Waterbury is creating an environment where students are empowered to succeed based on their strengths, and where educators are equipped to support diverse ways of thinking and problem-solving—critical skills for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s leaders.
Guest speaker Andi Kent from CETL highlights the wealth of teaching and learning resources available to faculty and staff. (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)
“This marks an exciting shift in how we recognize and cultivate the full range of student talent across disciplines,” says Provost Anne D’Alleva. “UConn Waterbury is leading the way with an innovative, research-informed model that reflects our shared commitment to academic excellence, student success, and inclusive educational design. I’m proud to see this kind of bold, thoughtful leadership emerging from one of our regional campuses.”
What’s Next: Scaling for Long-Term Impact
Building on the success of this pilot, UConn Waterbury will move forward with:
Expanded training opportunities for faculty and staff;
Launch of a student learning and leadership community in Fall 2025 in partnership with the Neurodiversity Alliance;
Campus-wide adoption of Moxie, an AI-powered academic writing and research tool designed to support ethical, transparent, and personalized learning experiences;
Collaboration with CAST to evaluate and enhance the physical and instructional environment through a UDL lens;
Partnerships with K–12 schools like the Forman School and Waterbury Public Schools to co-develop flexible, strength-based academic pathways
“At UConn Waterbury, we’re not just teaching content—we’re cultivating adaptable thinkers, problem-solvers, and future innovators,” said Hoeft.
Judy Reilly, Director of the Werth Institute’s Center for Neurodiversity & Employment Innovation (CNDEI), shared: “This initiative is a critical leap forward—not just for student success, but for preparing a future-ready, innovation-focused workforce.”
Whether in advising, instruction, student life, or administration, faculty and staff across UConn Waterbury are playing a vital role in making the campus a place where all students can thrive.
As Christine Scott-Dougan, Associate Campus Director and attendee, shared: “At UConn Waterbury, we believe different ways of thinking lead to amazing ideas. Here, every mind is valued. I wish there were opportunities like this when I was in school.”
Sponsors: UConn Waterbury Enhancement Fund, R.I.S.E. Program, and Yale – UConn Haskins Global Literacy Hub.
Contact: Fumiko Hoeft, Campus Dean & CAO. wtby_leadership@uconn.edu
Nearly one in three workers in Canada is covered by a union contract, making union members a potentially powerful voting bloc at election time. It should therefore come as little surprise that federal parties have been making overt efforts to secure endorsements from labour unions and the votes of their members as election day nears.
But do union endorsements actually make a difference at the ballot box?
Our forthcoming survey-based research suggests that while most union members in Canada indicate their voting preferences are not swayed by union endorsements, satisfaction with one’s union significantly enhances the likelihood they’ll support union-endorsed candidates in federal, provincial and local elections.
Shifts in party-union relations
The NDP was viewed as the political arm of the labour movement and secured the lion’s share of union resources and endorsements for much of its history. However, as ties between the NDP and unions have loosened, so too have unions’ political allegiances.
In recent years, unions in Canada have made political endorsements that don’t align with traditional patterns. For example, after a decade of backing the provincial Liberals, many construction unions endorsed Conservative Premier Doug Ford’s re-election in the 2022 Ontario provincial election.
Although most other unions endorsed the opposition NDP, Ford’s union support garnered significant attention and was presented as an impressive game-changer by the media and political pundits.
In the 2025 Ontario election campaign, Ford used his commanding lead in the polls and a transactional brand of politics to lock down endorsements from an even broader cross-section of the union movement, winning additional support from firefighters, a Toronto-based hotel worker union, police unions and three large Unifor locals.
The union endorsements were symbolically significant for the Conservative campaign because they fractured labour movement opposition to Ford and provided pro-worker cover for a government with a decidedly mixed record on labour rights.
The Unifor endorsements, in particular, raised eyebrows because Canada’s largest private sector union had long championed anti-Conservative strategic voting, backing a mix of Liberal, NDP and Bloc candidates in election campaigns over the past decade.
These shifts have encouraged Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to appeal more to blue-collar union members, especially in male-dominated industries, to broaden his party’s working-class support.
The Conservatives have also no doubt been inspired by the success of United States President Donald Trump this regard.
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the vast majority of unions endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris over Trump. But exit polls indicated Trump still managed to win an impressive 45 per cent of the votes from union households, highlighting a potential disconnect between union leaders and their members on the question of endorsements.
The influence of union endorsements
Not all union endorsements carry the same weight, but they can play a strategically critical role in election campaigns depending on the dynamic.
Our survey-based research, to be published in an upcoming volume of Labour/Le Travail, reveals that while a small majority of union members in Canada feel union endorsements won’t impact their vote, such endorsements do modestly influence a good number of union members.
Outside of Québec, 37 per cent of surveyed union members report being “somewhat” or “much more likely” to vote for union-endorsed candidates. In Québec, the figure is slightly lower at 27 per cent. Conversely, only a small portion of members (11 per cent in the rest of Canada and 13 per cent in Québec) indicate a union endorsement will make them less likely to vote for their union’s preferred candidate.
Importantly, workers who indicated satisfaction with their union in the workplace are significantly more likely support union-endorsed candidates in election campaigns.
Satisfaction with one’s union matters much more to whether union members respond to an endorsement favourably than demographic factors such as age, gender, income or education level.
The survey results also suggest that union type does not make a significant difference in assessing the influence of endorsements on union members’ voting intentions. Members of public-sector unions are no more likely to respond favourably to union endorsements than members of private-sector unions, nor are members of construction unions or members of NDP-affiliated unions.
Lessons for parties and unions
Even with modest impacts on voting preferences, union endorsements may prove decisive in closely contested elections, especially in communities with large numbers of union voters.
For unions to maximize their political influence, however, they must first earn their members’ trust through effective workplace representation. Building this trust enhances the impact of endorsements by increasing member support for union-endorsed candidates.
In short, having strongly supported unions in the workplace helps to build strong unions in the political arena with improved capacity to deliver union members’ votes.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Naypyidaw (Agenzia Fides) – The severe earthquake in Myanmar has broken the international political isolation that had surrounded the country’s ruling military junta following the 2021 coup. This has given new strength to the position of ruling General Min Aung Hlaing, as diplomatic channels that had been closed for four years have been opened. By interacting publicly and directly with countries such as India, China, and Russia, with other Asian and non-Asian nations, and with international organizations to organize humanitarian aid, the General is presenting himself as Myanmar’s most important public authority.Last week, General Min Aung Hlaing spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and these talks led to a flow of international aid. A meeting between the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), from which Myanmar has been excluded, is also scheduled to take place soon and will almost certainly result in Burmese representatives returning to the table to organize regional humanitarian assistance.The earthquake occurred just weeks after the junta announced it would hold general elections at the end of 2025 – a program considered impractical and unrealistic given that 50 percent of the country is under the control of the resistance fighters. However, the tragic event of the earthquake has opened a new window for the Burmese leadership to interact with regional powers.According to analysts, the military junta could also exploit the crisis by denying aid to towns, villages, and populations close to the opposition groups. The resistance organization ‘Octopus’ also noted in a statement that “the army carried out several airstrikes on some towns and villages in the days following the earthquake.” “Myanmar’s youth are ready to help during this time of natural disaster. However, due to the forced recruitment imposed by the junta last year, many were forced to flee to border regions or abroad,” the organization said. “We are grateful for the humanitarian aid reaching earthquake victims. However, because the aid is administered by the military junta, we are deeply concerned that it is not truly reaching all those who truly need it,” the statement reads. In light of the ongoing aftershocks in Myanmar, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has provided emergency assistance to approximately 25,000 survivors in the Mandalay and Naypyidaw regions and assessed critical needs in the Mandalay, Magway, and Sagaing regions. A total of 45% of the 3.8 million internally displaced people who have already fled their homes as a result of Myanmar’s civil war live in the earthquake-affected areas. The UNHCR continues to call for “unhindered access for humanitarian agencies to assist communities in urgent need of assistance,” emphasizing the need for an immediate ceasefire in the civil war, a demand also made by the Burmese Catholic Church (see Fides, 31/3/2025), to enable relief efforts to proceed. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 2/4/2025)
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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
A relatively dry and mild March The northeast monsoon over the coast of Guangdong was gradually replaced by a relatively dry easterly airstream on March 8. While it was mainly cloudy with one or two light rain patches that morning, there were sunny periods that afternoon and in the following two days. With a band of clouds covering the coast of Guangdong, the weather became mainly cloudy from March 11 to 12, with one or two rain patches on March 12. Winds were weak over the coast of Guangdong on March 13. Locally, it was hot with sunny periods. With a humid easterly airstream affecting the coast of Guangdong the next day, the weather turned mainly cloudy with one or two light rain patches. Visibility was rather low in some areas and once fell to around 1 000 metres in the harbour.
With a trough of low pressure over inland Guangdong developing into a cold front and moving across the coastal areas on March 15, heavy showers and severe squally thunderstorms ahead of the cold front brought around 20 millimetres of rainfall and violent gusts to many places in Hong Kong that afternoon. Hail was even reported at Tai Po. Under the influence of the associated northeast monsoon, the weather became drier and cooler in the following six days. There were sunny periods on March 16. Affected by a band of clouds covering southern China, it became cloudier with one or two rain patches on the next two days. With the departure of the band of clouds and the influence of an anticyclone aloft, the weather turned fine and dry from March 19 to 25. Under the influence of a southerly airstream, the weather became relatively humid with rising temperatures from March 26 to 28. There were fog patches and the weather was hot on March 28. The temperatures at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 29.4 degrees that afternoon, the highest of the month. A cold front moved across the coast of southern China that evening and brought a few rain patches and significantly cooler weather to Hong Kong that night and the following two days. Under the persistent influence of the associated northeast monsoon, the last two days of the month remained cold in the morning.
There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in March 2025.
Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for March are tabulated in Table 2. Issued at HKT 15:00
On 24 March, it was formally agreed that Itaipú Binacional should finance the purchase of 3,000 hectares of land in Brazil to restore part of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense territory that had been dispossessed and flooded for the construction and operation of the Itaipú hydroelectric dam. The dam, one of the largest in the world, was built in the 1970s and 1980s as a joint project by the Paraguayan and Brazilian governments.
Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, declared that “The commitment to purchase 3,000 hectares of land in Brazil with resources from Itaipú Binacional is a result of the resistance of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense People. It does not, however, discharge the responsibility of the company and the governments of Brazil and Paraguay to provide full reparation to a people who have struggled for more than 40 years to recover their land”.
The commitment to purchase 3,000 hectares of land in Brazil with resources from Itaipú Binacional is a result of the resistance of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense People. It does not, however, discharge the responsibility of the company and the governments of Brazil and Paraguay to provide full reparation to a people who have struggled for more than 40 years to recover their land.
Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International
A week ago, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court endorsed a settlement agreement in a lawsuit brought by the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Brazil, representing the interests of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense Indigenous communities, against Brazilian state agencies and Itaipú Binacional. This legal procedure, supported by the Guaraní Yvyrupa Commission and other organizations, seeks redress for human rights violations suffered by the communities of Tekoha Guasu Ocoy Jacutinga and Tekoha Guassu Guavira in Brazil. The agreement includes the publication of an apology acknowledging the company’s responsibility for the violations and “damages” suffered by these Indigenous peoples during construction of the dam, and financing the purchase of 3,000 hectares of land for the communities, which comprise more than 5,000 members in the municipalities of São Miguel do Iguaçu, Itaipulândia, Santa Helena, Terra Roxa and Guaíra in the state of Paraná.
In their own statement, the communities accepted this restitution as an immediate remedy, but declared that it does not in any way cover the true extent of the damage caused to the Avá Guaraní Paranaense territory. In particular, the communities in Brazil insist that this restitution does not cover all of the land they are claiming, and that the 3,000 hectares to be acquired are not enough to avoid a situation of overpopulation that would prevent them from recovering their traditional livelihoods linked to cultivation, hunting, fishing and forest management.
The dam that Brazil, Paraguay and Itaipú Binacional present internationally as a model project for the production of supposedly clean energy is in fact built on the pain of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense People. Without their territory and the livelihoods it provides, the very cultural identity of these Indigenous peoples is at risk
Jurema Werneck, executive director of Amnesty International Brazil
“The dam that Brazil, Paraguay and Itaipú Binacional present internationally as a model project for the production of supposedly clean energy is in fact built on the pain of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense People. Without their territory and the livelihoods it provides, the very cultural identity of these Indigenous peoples is at risk.”, said Jurema Werneck, executive director of Amnesty International Brazil.
The Avá Guaraní Paranaense communities on the Paraguayan side of the border shared with Amnesty International their joy at the steps taken in Brazil and their disappointment at the lack of equivalent progress in Paraguay. For more than a decade, Amnesty International has denounced the continued violation of the human rights of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense People in Paraguay, in particular through lack of reparation, the precariousness that affects many of those displaced, and the violence directed against communities who, after years of waiting, have decided to reoccupy parts of their ancestral territory that have not been flooded.
Rosalía Vega, executive director of Amnesty International Paraguay, said that “the Avá Guaraní Paranaense communities are a single people who share an open wound inflicted by the Itaipú hydroelectric dam. It is therefore incomprehensible that acknowledgement of responsibility and steps towards reparation are not happening simultaneously. Both the Paraguayan and Brazilian governments and Itaipú Binacional must be held accountable and address the claims of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense communities on both sides of the border”.
The Avá Guaraní Paranaense communities are a single people who share an open wound inflicted by the Itaipú hydroelectric dam. It is therefore incomprehensible that acknowledgement of responsibility and steps towards reparation are not happening simultaneously. Both the Paraguayan and Brazilian governments and Itaipú Binacional must be held accountable and address the claims of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense communities on both sides of the border
Rosalía Vega, executive director of Amnesty International Paraguay
For these reasons, Amnesty International submitted an access to information request to Itaipú Binacional on both sides of the border, asking the company about the integrity of the measures taken to respect the right of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense People to free, prior and informed consultation and to redress the human rights violations committed during the construction of the dam. The request also addresses the company’s responsibility of due diligence to ensure that human rights are upheld at all times in its operations.
Amnesty International recognizes the resistance of the Avá Guaraní Paranaense People and reaffirms its commitment to accompany their struggle until justice and effective reparation for the human rights violations committed against them on both sides of the Paraná River are achieved.
For further information or to request an interview, please contact [email protected]
Melissa Lee Hein, World Food Program (WFP) Head of Communications in Myanmar said that the needs in the country are “huge, and support is needed. That support includes an end to the conflict, free and unimpeded humanitarian access, and also the resources to meet the needs.”
Addressing the press virtually today (01 Apr), Hein said “What we know is as of today, almost 3000 are dead and thousands more injured and missing, and the devastation is really alarming. Colleagues are reporting buildings turned to rubble, homes destroyed and significant and significant damage to road and bridges and other infrastructures. Electricity supplies are still down in many places and phone communication is patchy at best. And added to this the destruction of hospitals and a lack of clean water.”
She highlighted, “Before the earthquake, the humanitarian needs in Myanmar were already huge. We know that 20 million people were in need of humanitarian support, 15 million facing food insecurity, and more than three and a half million people displaced by the conflict over the past four years. So, the earthquake on Friday has made a bad situation really so much worse. And while people are resilient, after years of conflict and successive disasters, many have little or nothing to fall back on.”
She continued, “After the earthquake, a state of emergency was declared across six states and regions. Among the worst affected are Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Shan and Sagaing. And what we’re seeing is that the effect of the earthquake is largely concentrated in the northwest dry zone. And this is an area that was already suffering with chronic poverty, ongoing conflict and frequent displacement.”
She said, “Just 48 hours after the earthquake hit, the World Food Program was delivering emergency food supplies to people in Nay Pyi Taw. That was on Sunday. On Monday, teams started to provide food and cash assistance in Shan and Sagaing. And today, distributions of emergency food from WFP started in Mandalay.”
She also said, “People are sleeping outside. If they’re lucky they have maybe a sheet or a tarp for cover and some have nothing. In one of the worst parts of the city, WFP team said that almost every house had been destroyed either by the earthquake or a major fire that followed in that area. So, people are anxious and afraid even if buildings are standing many don’t want to return home for fear of collapse, aftershocks are still a regular occurrence.”
Responding to the immediate health needs of the thousands of people injured in the strong earthquakes that rocked Myanmar, WFP has provided nearly 3 tons of medical supplies to hospitals in the worst hit Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay.
The supplies comprising of trauma kits and multipurpose tents have reached a 1000 bedded hospital in Nay Pyi Taw and is soon reaching the Mandalay General Hospital, the two main hospitals treating the injured in these areas.
These supplies were rushed from the emergency stockpile in Yangon to the earthquake affected areas within 24 hours of two strong earthquakes of 7.7 magnitude and 6.4 magnitude hitting central Myanmar on Friday.
Rescue operations are ongoing. Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Shan South and East and Sagaing are among the worst hit.
According to WFP, Hospitals are overwhelmed with thousands of injured in need of medical care.
The supplies that reached the hospitals today comprised of multipurpose tents to also create space for the increasing number of injured; and trauma kits to treat severe wounds and fractures.
WHO is preparing the second dispatch comprising of Inter-Agency Emergency Health Kits tomorrow morning, with each kit having supplies to treat 10 000 people for three months.
WHO is providing operational support to the rapid response teams deployed in the hospitals of the affected areas.
Preparations are on for WHO and partners to roll out a rapid needs assessment to better understand needs and gaps in the affected areas for a tailored response.
The scale of deaths, injuries and damage to health facilities are not yet fully understood.
The casualties are likely to be highest in urban areas of Mandalay, Sagaing and Nay Pyi Taw where the earthquakes caused largescale destruction of structures and building.
As per initial reports, in Nay Pyi Taw some public and private health facilities including a large polyclinic have been damaged.
Information from Sagaing is limited as electricity and communication is largely disrupted.
WHO has reached out to the global Emergency Medical Teams Network to identify teams willing to be deployed with field hospitals in Myanmar. So far 26 EMTs have expressed interest.
The situation in Myanmar is concerning in view of the huge demand on the already fragile healthcare in conflict-hit areas.
Prior to these earthquake, 12.9 million people were estimated to be in need of humanitarian health interventions in Myanmar in 2025.
Operation Shanela continues to register commendable progress in the fight against crime with 13 633 suspects having been arrested through the multidisciplinary operation.
“Through high visibility patrols, stop and searches and the tracing of wanted suspects, police are hard at work in stamping the authority of the state,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.
A number of takedowns and major drug busts were recorded which include the confiscation of R50 million worth of crystal meth during an intelligence driven operation in Aliwal North in the Eastern Cape.
Another major success was the interception of a truck and vehicle car hijacking syndicate in which four suspects were arrested. In this case, numerous truck trailers, vehicle parts, heavy-duty machinery, forklifts, and copper plates all valued at R10 million were discovered at a farm in Ventersdorp in the North West.
Additionally, 145 stolen sheep were recovered in Qumbu within 24 hours after they were stolen during a farm attack while also 18 000 units of Abalone to the value of R15 million was also seized in the Eastern Cape.
Other arrests made across the country include the arrest of 2 192 wanted suspects for crimes such as murder and attempted murder. A total 137 suspects were arrested for murder, with a majority of these suspects being arrested in KwaZulu-Natal (32).
Additionally, 259 suspects were arrested for rape, 95 of the arrests were made in KwaZulu-Natal and 220 drug dealers were arrested in the past week with the majority of these suspects arrested in the Western Cape (57).
“[A total] 113 suspects were arrested for being in the illegal possession of firearms, with the majority of these suspects were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal (36),” said the SAPS adding that the 1072 illegal foreign nationals were also arrested.
The police also recovered 131 firearms and 1510 rounds of ammunition that were confiscated.
Additionally, a joint operation conducted by Gauteng Counterfeit Unit, Vispol, Commercial Crime unit, Brand Protectors, and border police resulted in the seizure of counterfeit and illicit goods including clothing, consumables, toys and cellphone accessories worth over R35 million.
“Police will continue with their operations by asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country,” said the SAPS. –SAnews.gov.za
