by Luca MainoldiRome (Fides Agency) – Two images capture more than any others the relentless efforts of Pope Francis to put an end to the wars that are tearing African peoples apart.The first image shows Pope Francis kneeling in the “Casa Santa Marta,” where he kisses the feet of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the designated vice presidents present, including Riek Machar, the president’s historic rival, and Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabio. It was April 11, 2019. With this extraordinary gesture, which came at the end of a two-day spiritual retreat attended by civil and church authorities from the African country, Pope Francis seemed to want to act on behalf of the peoples suffering from war, asking those in power who cause and fuel it to stop and give hope for peace.The Bishop of Rome accompanied this gesture with the following words: “To the three of you who signed the Peace Agreement, I ask you, as a brother, remain in peace. I ask you from the heart. Let us move forward. There will be many problems, but don’t be afraid, go forward, resolve the problems. You have started a process; may it end well. Although struggles will arise, these should stay “within the office,hands united”. “In this way, from simple citizens, you will become Fathers of the Natio”. Allow me to ask this of you from the bottom of my heart, with my deepest feelings.”South Sudan, a very young country that emerged in 2011 after seceding from Sudan, was plunged into a bloody civil war in December 2013 due to the conflict between the two rivals Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.When Pope Francis made this gesture, the country was in a delicate phase following the signing of a transitional peace agreement in August 2018. The successor to Peter called on the parties to the conflict to resolve the issues that had led to the conflict in order to finally bring peace to the people. On this occasion, Pope Francis also announced his intention to visit South Sudan. This took place in February 2023. A visit under the banner of ecumenism. Pope Francis was accompanied by the Primate of the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Pastor Iain Greenshields. An ecumenical pilgrimage of peace, as the Pope himself said: “I come as a pilgrim of peace.” In the ecumenical prayer that took place on February 4, 2023, at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, Pope Francis said: “My dear friends, those who call themselves Christians must choose a side. Those who follow Christ always choose peace; those who unleash war and violence betray the Lord and deny his Gospel. The attitude that Jesus teaches us is clear: to love all people because all are loved by our common Father in heaven as his children. The love of Christians is not only for their neighbor, but for everyone, because in Jesus everyone is our neighbor, our brother and sister, even our enemy (cf. Mt 5:38-48); all the more so those who belong to our own people, even if they are of a different ethnicity.”Another emblematic image of Pope Francis’ concern for the suffering of the peoples of the African continent is the opening of the Holy Door in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on November 29, 2015, with which he anticipated the beginning of the Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy, which was to begin officially on December 8.“Today Bangui becomes the spiritual capital of the world,” said Pope Francis in his homily. ”The Holy Year of Mercy comes ahead of time to this country. A country that has suffered for many years from war and hatred, from misunderstanding and lack of peace. But this suffering country also includes all those countries that bear the cross of war. Bangui will be the spiritual capital of prayer for the mercy of the Father. We all ask for peace, mercy, reconciliation, forgiveness, love. For Bangui, for the entire Central African Republic, for the whole world, for the countries suffering from war, we ask for peace!”Pope Francis’ relentless call for peace concerns not only the conflicts that are present in the media, but also the “forgotten” ones, many of which are scattered across the African continent: South Sudan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Pope Francis recalled that the repeatedly denounced “world war in pieces” appeals to the conscience of every individual.(Fides Agency 28/4/2025)
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Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
Before the start of the admissions campaign, the Polytechnic University held an Open Day. On April 27, more than 4,000 applicants and their parents visited the Main Academic Building of the university. For those who could not come in person, a live broadcast was organized in the Polytechnic group for applicants on VKontakte.
The event was opened by the Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education of SPbPU Dmitry Tikhonov, who spoke about the advantages of studying at the Polytechnic University and the prospects for students. Then the responsible secretary of the Admissions Committee Vitaly Drobchik acquainted the participants with the key changes in the admission rules for the 2025 academic year.
After the official part, the guests were able to visit the institutes’ stands, where they learned about the training areas and asked questions to the teachers and students. Various activities and presentations were prepared for the university’s guests. The Civil Engineering Institute held master classes on digital construction, life safety, and product design. Those interested in the humanities were able to learn about the professions of a digital linguist, psychologist, and specialist in foreign regional studies. The Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology held a master class on experiments with food pigments. The Institute of Industrial Management, Economics, and Trade organized a master class on commodity science, where schoolchildren learned to quickly determine the quality of products and identify signs of non-compliance with standards and possible counterfeiting.
The SPbPU Career Development Department presented job opportunities to applicants in an interactive format. Specialists talked about practices, internships and options for cooperation with the university’s partners. Organizations that offer targeted training at the university were also presented.
In addition, participants could visit a photo booth and take a sightseeing tour of the campus. At special consultation stands, guests of the university talked with employees of the Admissions Committee, activists of the United Student Council of Dormitories, representatives of the Black Bears-Polytech sports club and specialists of the Center for Work with Applicants.
At the end of the event, participants were treated to an impressive scientific show from the Institute of Physics and Mathematics, as well as an awards ceremony for the winners of the university competition.
The live broadcast was hosted by the Director of the Contingent Formation Center Varvara Sotova and a student of the Institute of Energy Victoria Chernova. They explained in detail the nuances of admission this year and talked about participation in the projects of the State Corporation Rosatom. The broadcast can be viewed inrecords in a group.
The Open Day once again confirmed the leading position of the Polytechnic University, the relevance of our scientific developments and educational programs. There was a lot of excitement near the career guidance zones of each institute. And the university strategy adapted for presentation to schoolchildren aroused keen interest among applicants and parents, because we are talking about success and prospects. We see how the interest of young people in engineering areas and the use of modern technologies related to artificial intelligence, digital engineering, new materials is growing. It is especially valuable that applicants come to us not just for a diploma, but for the competencies of the future, which will allow them to become sought-after specialists in high-tech industries, – noted Dmitry Tikhonov.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Chief Executive John Lee today met Slovak Republic Deputy Prime Minister for the European Union Recovery Plan & the Knowledge Economy Peter Kmec and the governments of the two places signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Science, Research & Innovation.
Mr Kmec and Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong signed the MOU on behalf of the Slovak Republic Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government respectively.
Mr Lee noted that the MOU is an important milestone in strengthening the ties between Hong Kong and the Slovak Republic on the innovation and technology (I&T) front, encouraging exchanges among scientific research organisations, scientific and technological talent and enterprises of the two places, and promotes co-operation in scientific research and innovation as well as the transfer of technology and innovation outcomes, contributing to the high-quality development of the two economies.
While Hong Kong is striving to become an international I&T centre and the Slovak Republic has announced various long-term digital transformation development strategies in recent years, Mr Lee said he believes that there is ample room for future co-operation between Hong Kong and the Slovak Republic in the application of I&T.
In terms of economic and trade development, Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong SAR Government will maintain close ties with the Slovak business community, and will organise promotion activities of various natures to keep them abreast of the latest developments and opportunities in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong SAR Government will also promote Hong Kong’s strengths and development potential, including the city’s close connections with international and Mainland markets, as well as the tremendous development opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt & Road Initiative.
ANDOVER, Mass., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI), a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, announced today that John T.C. Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at JP Morgan’s Annual Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 11:20 a.m. EDT.
A live webcast of the session will be available in the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at https://investor.mksinst.com/events-and-presentations and a replay of the event will be available for a limited time thereafter.
About MKS Instruments
MKS Instruments enables technologies that transform our world. We deliver foundational technology solutions to leading edge semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications. We apply our broad science and engineering capabilities to create instruments, subsystems, systems, process control solutions and specialty chemicals technology that improve process performance, optimize productivity and enable unique innovations for many of the world’s leading technology and industrial companies. Our solutions are critical to addressing the challenges of miniaturization and complexity in advanced device manufacturing by enabling increased power, speed, feature enhancement, and optimized connectivity. Our solutions are also critical to addressing ever-increasing performance requirements across a wide array of specialty industrial applications. Additional information can be found at www.mks.com.
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. bombed and defoliated vast areas of forest and protective mangroves.AP Photo
When the Vietnam War finally ended on April 30, 1975, it left behind a landscape scarred with environmental damage. Vast stretches of coastal mangroves, once housing rich stocks of fish and birds, lay in ruins. Forests that had boasted hundreds of species were reduced to dried-out fragments, overgrown with invasive grasses.
The term “ecocide” had been coined in the late 1960s to describe the U.S. military’s use of herbicides like Agent Orange and incendiary weapons like napalm to battle guerrilla forces that used jungles and marshes for cover.
As an environmental scientist and anthropologist who has worked in Vietnam since the 1990s, I find the neglect and slow recovery efforts deeply troubling. Although the war spurred new international treaties aimed at protecting the environment during wartime, these efforts failed to compel post-war restoration for Vietnam. Current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East show these laws and treaties still aren’t effective.
Agent Orange and daisy cutters
The U.S. first sent ground troops to Vietnam in March 1965 to support South Vietnam against revolutionary forces and North Vietnamese troops, but the war had been going on for years before then. To fight an elusive enemy operating clandestinely at night and from hideouts deep in swamps and jungles, the U.S. military turned to environmental modification technologies.
The most well-known of these was Operation Ranch Hand, which sprayed at least 19 million gallons (75 million liters) of herbicides over approximately 6.4 million acres (2.6 million hectares), of South Vietnam. The chemicals fell on forests, and also on rivers, rice paddies and villages, exposing civilians and troops. More than half of that spraying involved the dioxin-contaminated defoliant Agent Orange.
A U.S. Air Force C-123 flies low along a South Vietnamese highway spraying defoliants on dense jungle growth beside the road to eliminate ambush sites during the Vietnam War. AP Photo/Department of Defense
As news of the damage from these tactics made it back to the U.S., scientists raised concerns about the campaign’s environmental impacts to President Lyndon Johnson, calling for a review of whether the U.S. was intentionally using chemical weapons. American military leaders’ position was that herbicides did not constitute chemical weapons under the Geneva Protocol, which the U.S. had yet to ratify.
Scientific organizations also initiated studies within Vietnam during the war, finding widespread destruction of mangroves, economic losses of rubber and timber plantations, and harm to lakes and waterways.
A photo at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, historically known as Saigon, shows the damage at Cần Giờ mangrove forest. The mangrove forest was destroyed by herbicides, bombs and plows. Gary Todd/Flickr
Fires from napalm and other incendiary weapons cleared stretches of forest, in some cases scorching the soil so badly that nothing would regrow. AP Photo
“Rome Plows,” massive bulldozers with an armor-fortified cutting blade, could clear 1,000 acres a day. Enormous concussive bombs, known as “daisy cutters”, flattened forests and set off shock waves killing everything within a 3,000-foot (900-meter) radius, down to earthworms in the soil.
The U.S. also engaged in weather modification through Project Popeye, a secret program from 1967 to 1972 that seeded clouds with silver iodide to prolong the monsoon season in an attempt to cut the flow of fighters and supplies coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam. Congress eventually passed a bipartisan resolution in 1973 urging an international treaty to prohibit the use of weather modification as a weapon of war. That treaty came into effect in 1978.
Despite Congress’ concerns, there was little scrutiny of the environmental impacts of U.S. military operations and technologies. Research sites were hard to access, and there was no regular environmental monitoring.
Recovery efforts have been slow
After the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese troops on April 30, 1975, the U.S. imposed a trade and economic embargo on all of Vietnam, leaving the country both war-damaged and cash-strapped.
Vietnamese scientists told me they cobbled together small-scale studies. One found a dramatic drop in bird and mammal diversity in forests. In the A Lưới valley of central Vietnam, 80% of forests subjected to herbicides had not recovered by the early 1980s. Biologists found only 24 bird and five mammal species in those areas, far below normal in unsprayed forests.
Only a handful of ecosystem restoration projects were attempted, hampered by shoestring budgets. The most notable began in 1978, when foresters began hand-replanting mangroves at the mouth of the Saigon River in Cần Giờ forest, an area that had been completely denuded.
Mangroves have been replanted in the Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve near Ho Chi Minh City, but their restoration took decades. Tho Nau/Flickr, CC BY
In inland areas, widespread tree-planting programs in the late 1980s and 1990s finally took root, but they focused on planting exotic trees like acacia, which did not restore the original diversity of the natural forests.
That project, completed in 2018, treated 150,000 cubic meters of dioxin-laden soil at an eventual cost of over $115 million, paid mostly by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The cleanup required lakes to be drained and contaminated soil, which had seeped more than 9 feet (3 meters) deeper than expected, to be piled and heated to break down the dioxin molecules.
Large amounts of Agent Orange had been stored at the Da Nang airport during the war and contaminated the soil with dioxin. The cleanup project, including heating contaminated soil to high temperatures, was completed in 2018. Richard Nyberg/USAID
Another major hot spot is the heavily contaminated Biên Hoà airbase, where local residents continue to ingest high levels of dioxin through fish, chicken and ducks.
Agent Orange barrels were stored at the base, which leaked large amounts of the toxin into soil and water, where it continues to accumulate in animal tissue as it moves up the food chain. Remediation began in 2019; however, further work is at risk with the Trump administration’s near elimination of USAID, leaving it unclear if there will be any American experts in Vietnam in charge of administering this complex project.
Laws to prevent future ‘ecocide’ are complicated
While Agent Orange’s health effects have understandably drawn scrutiny, its long-term ecological consequences have not been well studied.
Current-day scientists have far more options than those 50 years ago, including satellite imagery, which is being used in Ukraine to identify fires, flooding and pollution. However, these tools cannot replace on-the-ground monitoring, which often is restricted or dangerous during wartime.
The legal situation is similarly complex.
In 1977, the Geneva Conventions governing conduct during wartime were revised to prohibit “widespread, long term, and severe damage to the natural environment.” A 1980 protocol restricted incendiary weapons. Yet oil fires set by Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991, and recent environmental damage in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and Syria indicate the limits of relying on treaties when there are no strong mechanisms to ensure compliance.
Remediation work to remove dioxin contamination was just getting started at the former Biên Hoà Air Base in Vietnam when USAID’s staff was dismantled in 2025. USAID Vietnam, CC BY-NC
Some countries have adopted their own ecocide laws. Vietnam was the first to legally state in its penal code that “Ecocide, destroying the natural environment, whether committed in time of peace or war, constitutes a crime against humanity.” Yet the law has resulted in no prosecutions, despite several large pollution cases.
Both Russia and Ukraine also have ecocide laws, but these have not prevented harm or held anyone accountable for damage during the ongoing conflict.
Lessons for the future
The Vietnam War is a reminder that failure to address ecological consequences, both during war and after, will have long-term effects. What remains in short supply is the political will to ensure that these impacts are neither ignored nor repeated.
Pamela McElwee receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation, National Science Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant, Professor, Political Studies; Director, Canadian Opinion Research Archive, Queen’s University, Ontario
Pierre Poilievre stands between two workers — no women in sight — in a photo promoting the Conservative Party of Canada’s ‘More Boots, Less Suits’ campaign policies on the party’s website. (The Conservative Party of Canada website)
In 2025, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s strategy doesn’t appear poised to achieve the same success in terms of closing the gender gap. In fact, his rhetoric and platform both seem aimed at men, particularly younger and working-class demographics.
Like Donald Trump and other leaders of the populist right, Poilievre’s and the Conservative Party of Canada’s rise in the polls since 2023 has been in part due to strengthening their appeal to working-class voters, particularly men.
Poilievre has spent much of his time as CPC leader courting blue-collar workers and shifting the party’s agenda to include pro-worker policies. The culmination of this is its “More Boots, Less Suits” plan, a package of promises to boost training and apprenticeship grants, improve access to EI, harmonize health and safety policies and provide tax write-offs for trades people’s travel and subsistence costs for out of town work.
Male-dominated sectors
These may be good proposals, but these policies — and the rhetoric in which they were couched during the election campaign — don’t seem to offer much opportunity for the party to close the sizeable gender gap in voter intention.
The rhetoric is heavily masculine, including the “More Boots, Less Suits” tagline. The policies in the plan appeal to workers in sectors that are heavily male-dominated.
Drawing on my forthcoming chapter “Gender, Class and Voting Behaviour” in The Working Class and Politics in Canada (UBC Press), we can examine a simple question: does class affect men and women differently as they decide how to vote?
The CPC has considerable support among working-class voters, particularly predominantly non-unionized men, but far less support among working-class women, as my chapter shows based on analyses of the 2019 Canadian Election Study.
This gender difference arises, in part, because there are many more working-class men, according to occupational definitions, than there are working-class women, as noted above in terms of skilled trades.
Poilievre has made strong sector- and occupation-based appeals in this campaign, invoking the idea of blue-collar versus white-collar workers and campaigning on pro-trades policies.
There is a second issue beyond the gender-based occupational segregation in blue-collar jobs. Even among working-class voters, the appeal of the Conservative Party is significantly greater among men compared to women.
The graph below shows the predicted probabilities of a Conservative vote in 2019 for men and women voters grouped by working-class versus non-working class on a scale of zero to one (with control variables for other factors that influence CPC vote such as income, region and partisanship).
A gender gap is visible in both working-class and non-working class groups, but is largest in the working-class group, with working-class men heavily supporting the Conservatives.
What about this election?
We can assess these numbers as probabilities that can help us think through how voters might cast their ballots today.
What’s the probability they’ll vote Conservative? Based on the statistical analyses of 37,000 respondents to the Canadian Election Study in 2019, this chart tells us that for working-class men, more than one in two might be expected to vote CPC in 2025, which represents a majority preference.
In contrast, only one in four non-working-class women would. This makes for a big vote gap — a chasm even — as working-class men form the backbone of the party’s voter base.
Men and women have distinct pathways to supporting Conservatives. But key parts of the Conservative strategy in 2025 limited the party’s potential to appeal to women, even working-class women. “More Boots, Less Suits” offers little to women specifically, or provides them with an opportunity to see themselves reflected in the policy. The broader CPC platform mentions women only four times.
One mention of women appears in a promise to end intimate partner violence and consider aggravating factors for violence against vulnerable women.
The other three are in single policy promising to repeal a federal regulation on the rights of gender-diverse federal offenders.
There is a widening gender divide in Canadian electoral politics. The Conservative Party’s appeal to working-class men is clear, consistent and electorally meaningful. But this success comes at the cost of deepening the party’s gender gap, and this gap is not merely symbolic, but structural.
With women comprising more than half of the electorate, the Conservative Party of Canada’s current trajectory risks locking the party into a limited base. The “More Boots, Less Suits” plan may have mobilized one key demographic, but it did so while alienating another the party couldn’t afford to ignore.
Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Airline passengers wait at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint before boarding to flights in Denver in 2022.Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
As the Trump administration seeks to shrink the federal workforce, slash nonmilitary spending and curb opposition to its policies, it is taking steps beyond the firing and furloughing of thousands of government workers.
The government is also trying to strip hundreds of thousands of federal employees of their right to bargain collectively and have a voice in their conditions of employment.
Citing “national security” concerns, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 27, 2025, that canceled collective bargaining agreements at more than 30 federal agencies, commissions and programs, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration. A judge temporarily blocked the order’s enforcement on April 25.
Over three decades of researching American unions, I’ve never witnessed such a sweeping assault on collective bargaining rights, which give workers represented by unions the ability to negotiate with employers about the terms of their employment.
The Trump administration’s broad attack on federal workers’ rights arrived less than three weeks after an earlier, similar action by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Only a “flexible, at-will” workforce can possess the “organizational agility” needed to “safeguard our transportation systems and keep Americans safe,” she said. Employers may fire “at-will” workers at their discretion with few limitations.
Noem’s claim that unions and national security aren’t compatible strikes me as disingenuous.
Unionized workforces have displayed in recent history both patriotism and dedication in their efforts to keep Americans safe. Unionized firefighters, police officers and other first responders rushed to the World Trade Center attempting to rescue those trapped inside on 9/11, for example.
It is also worth noting that veterans comprise approximately 30% of the federal workforce. Their history of military service attests, I would argue, to their clear record of demonstrating loyalty and patriotism.
To my eye, the argument that federal workers belonging to unions compromises national security appears to be more rooted in ideology than evidence.
Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside the Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
TSA as a case study
The TSA emerged as part of President George W. Bush’s administration’s response to the 9/11 attacks in 2001; it designated newly hired airport security officers as federal employees.
At the time, Bush insisted that TSA security officers should not belong to a union. He invoked national security concerns, arguing that union representation would undercut the “culture of urgency” needed to wage the “war on terrorism.”
However, in recent years, TSA workers have obtained wage increases and stronger rights of appeal, along with other advances contained in a 2024
collective bargaining agreement that the American Federation of Government Employees described as “groundbreaking.” These gains included uniform allowances, greater input on safety concerns and a pledge to examine expanded child care options.
Now, the union has sued Noem, another Trump administration official and the TSA itself to block the administration’s rollback of these workers’ rights and protect their 2024 contract.
JFK empowered federal workers
Federal employees had historically organized unions to advocate and lobby for their interests.
However, these unions lacked the formal ability to negotiate with the federal government in a collective bargaining process where, as labor scholar Robert Repas has explained, “decisions are made jointly, rather than unilaterally,” or ultimately at managerial discretion.
Their members did not gain collective bargaining rights until 1962 when President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order making that possible. Kennedy’s action reflected the view that government employees should not be denied basic union rights enjoyed by their private sector counterparts.
Acknowledging concerns that union rights might limit the ability to exercise centralized command and control, Kennedy’s directive exempted the FBI, CIA and other agencies charged with national security functions from collective bargaining.
Federal employees covered by the 1962 executive order were also barred from striking. They could not negotiate over wages and benefits; power to make these decisions remained in the hands of Congress.
In 1978, Congress passed the Civil Service Reform Act, which expanded the right of federal employees to collectively bargain for better working conditions, which its authors said were “in the public interest.” This law created an authority to oversee federal labor relations and established an appeals board to adjudicate worker grievances.
Although federal employees did not enjoy as many rights as most union members in the private sector, they did gain a stronger voice in determining their working conditions and accessing grievance procedures to address workplace issues and concerns.
Reagan and the air traffic controllers union
Three years later, however, President Ronald Reagan fired over 11,000 air traffic controllers who had gone on strike, even though they lacked the right to do so. The Federal Labor Relations Authority subsequently decertified their union, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization – known as PATCO.
Besides seriously diminishing the labor movement’s power and influence, the PATCO strike also had important political consequences. In his book about this labor dispute, historian Joseph McCartin wrote that crushing the PATCO strike led the Republican Party “in the direction of an unambiguous antiunionism” and a heightened antipathy toward unions in the public sector.
Members of PATCO, the air traffic controllers union, hold hands and raise their arms during a strike in 1981. Bettmann/Getty Images
But Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, both Republicans, introduced a bill in March that would enshrine Trump’s executive order in law. If that bill were to become law, it would “end federal labor unions and immediately terminate their collective bargaining agreements,” Lee and Blackburn have said.
As the courts make their determinations and political opposition gathers, the American public has, I believe, an important question to answer. Is the spirit of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 – that “labor organizations and collective bargaining in the civil service are in the public interest” – worth upholding?
This question warrants careful consideration and scrutiny. How the courts, Congress and the public respond will have enormous consequences for federal workers and the future of the union movement and the state of American democracy.
Bob Bussel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michel Anteby, Professor of Management and Organizations & Sociology at Questrom School of Business & College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University
But bureaucrats have historically stood for something else entirely. As the sociologist Max Weber argued in his 1921 classic “Economy and Society,” bureaucrats represent a set of critical ideals: upholding expert knowledge, promoting equal treatment and serving others. While they may not live up to those ideals everywhere and every day, the description does ring largely true in democratic societies.
I know this firsthand, because as a sociologist of work I’ve studied federal, state and local bureaucrats for more than two decades. I’ve watched them oversee the handling of human remains, screen travelers for security threats as well as promote primary and secondary education. And over and over again, I’ve seen bureaucrats stand for Weber’s ideals while conducting their often-hidden work.
Bureaucrats as experts and equalizers
Weber defined bureaucrats as people who work within systems governed by rules and procedures aimed at rational action. He emphasized bureaucrats’ reliance on expert training, noting: “The choice is only that between ‘bureaucratisation’ and ‘dilettantism.’” The choice between a bureaucrat and a dilettante to run an army − in his days, like in ours − seems like an obvious one. Weber saw that bureaucrats’ strength lies in their mastery of specialized knowledge.
I couldn’t agree more. When I studied the procurement of whole body donations for medical research, for example, the state bureaucrats I spoke with were among the most knowledgeable professionals I encountered. Whether directors of anatomical services or chief medical examiners, they knew precisely how to properly secure, handle and transfer human cadavers so physicians could get trained. I felt greatly reassured that they were overseeing the donated bodies of loved ones.
Weber also described bureaucrats as people who don’t make decisions based on favors. In other forms of rule, he noted, “the ruler is free to grant or withhold clemency” based on “personal preference,” but in bureaucracies, decisions are reached impersonally. By “impersonal,” Weber meant “without hatred or passion” and without “love and enthusiasm.” Put otherwise, the bureaucrats fulfill their work without regard to the person: “Everyone is treated with formal equality.”
The federal Transportation Security Administration officers who perform their duties to ensure that we all travel safely epitomize this ideal. While interviewing and observing them, I felt grateful to see them not speculate about loving or hating anyone but treating all travelers as potential threats. The standard operating procedures they followed often proved tedious, but they were applied across the board. Doing any favors here would create immense security risks, as the recent Netflix action film “Carry-On” − about an officer blackmailed into allowing a terrorist to board a plane − illustrates.
Advancing the public’s interests
Finally, Weber highlighted bureaucrats’ commitment to serving the public. He stressed their tendency to act “in the interests of the welfare of those subjects over whom they rule.” Bureaucrats’ expertise and adherence to impersonal rules are meant to advance the common interest: for young and old, rural and urban dwellers alike, and many more.
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff that I partnered with for years at the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth exemplified this ethic. They always impressed me by the huge sense of responsibility they felt toward all state residents. Even when local resources varied, they worked to ensure that all young people in the state − regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity − could thrive. Based on my personal experience, while they didn’t always get everything right, they were consistently committed to serving others.
Today, bureaucrats are often framed by the administration and its supporters as the root of all problems. Yet if Weber’s insights and my observations are any guide, bureaucrats are also the safeguards that stand between the public and dilettantism, favoritism and selfishness. The overwhelming majority of bureaucrats whom I have studied and worked with deeply care about upholding expertise, treating everyone equally and ensuring the welfare of all.
Did you eat cereal this morning? Or have you walked on a gravel path? Maybe you had a headache and had to take a pill? If you answered any of these questions with a yes, you interacted with a granular system today.
Scientists classify any collection of small, hard particles – such as puffed rice, sand grains or pills – as a granular system.
Even though everyone has interacted with these kinds of systems, describing the physics of how the particles collectively act when they are close together is surprisingly hard.
Granular systems sometimes move like a fluid. Think of an hourglass where sand, a very typical granular material, flows from one half of the glass to the other. But if you’ve run on a beach, you know that sand can also act like a solid. You can move over it without sinking through the sand.
As a geologist, I’m interested in understanding when a granular system flows and when it has strength and behaves like a solid. This line of research is very important for many agricultural and industrial applications, such as moving corn kernels or pills in a pipeline or shoot.
Understanding when a granular system might flow is also essential for geologic hazard assessments. For example, geologists would like to know whether the various boulders making up the slope of a mountain are stable or whether they will move as a rockslide.
Transferring forces between grains
To understand the behavior of a granular system, scientists can zoom in and look at the interactions between individual grains. When two particles are in contact with each other, they can transfer forces between each other.
Imagine this scenario: You have three tennis balls – the grains in this experiment. You place the tennis balls in a row and squeeze the three balls between your hand and a wall, so that your hand presses against the first ball. The last ball is in contact with a wall, but the middle ball is free floating and touches only the other two balls.
Tennis balls can act as grains in this simple granular system experiment. When you push against the tennis ball on the end, you exert a force, which acts upon the other two balls and eventually the wall. Jeremy Randolph-Flagg
By pushing against the first ball, you have successfully transferred the force from your hand through the row of three tennis balls onto the wall, even though you’ve touched only the first ball.
Now imagine you have many grains, like in a pile of sand, and all the sand grains are in contact with some neighboring grains. Grains that touch transfer forces between each other. How the forces are distributed in this granular system dictates whether the system is stable and unmoving or if it will move – such as a rockslide or the sand in an hourglass.
On the left are photoelastic discs used for two-dimensional experiments (9 mm diameter), and on the right are photoelastic grains used for three-dimensional experiments (14 mm diameter). Nathan Coon
Tracking forces in the lab
This is where my research team comes in. Together with my students, I study how grains interact with each other in the laboratory.
In our experiments, we can visualize the forces between individual grains in a granular system. While all granular systems have these forces present, we cannot see their distribution because force is invisible in most grains, such as sand or pills. We can see the forces only in some transparent materials.
To make the forces visible, we made grains using a material that is transparent and has a special property called photoelasticity. When photoelastic materials are illuminated and experience force, they split light into two rays that travel at different speeds.
This property forms bright, colorful bands in the otherwise transparent material that make the force visible. The brightness of the grains depends on how much force a grain is experiencing, so we can see how the forces are distributed in the granular system. The particles themselves do not emit light, but they change how fast light rays travel through them when they experience force – which makes them appear brighter.
On side A is a three-dimensional photoelastic grain without force applied, while on side B is the same grain once force is applied. In this case, we just squish the grain from the top and bottom. The brighter green bands start at the top and bottom of the grain where the force is applied and are the result of the photoelastic property. Jacqueline Reber
Scientists before us have used photoelasticity to visualize force in granular materials. These previous experiments, however, have examined only a single layer of grains. We developed a method to see the forces in not just a single layer of grains but throughout a whole heap.
Observing the forces on the outside of the heap of grains is pretty easy, but seeing how the forces are distributed in the middle of the pile is a lot harder. To see into the middle of the granular system and to illuminate grains there, we used a laser light sheet.
To generate a laser light sheet, we manipulated a laser beam so that the light spread out into a very narrow sheet.
With this light sheet, we illuminated one slice throughout the granular system. On this illuminated slice, we could see which grains were transferring forces, similarly to the previous two-dimensional experiments, without having to worry about the third dimension.
We then collected information from many slices across different parts of the grain heap. We used the information from the individual slices to reconstruct the three-dimensional granular system.
This technique is similar to how doctors reconstruct three-dimensional shapes of the brain and other organs from the two-dimensional images obtained by a medical CT scanner.
In 3D photoelastic experiments, the cart system shown at the top left is used to obtain regularly spaced laser light slices of the experiments, with the middle being sliced. The bottom left shows a schematic on how multiple slices can recreate a 3D object. The right shows three consecutive photos that are 0.7 cm apart – roughly one grain’s radius. The bright green crosshatch pattern shows how the forces are distributed between the individual grains. Nathan Coon
In our current experiments, we’ve been using only a small number of grains – 107. This way we can keep track of every individual grain and test whether this method works to see the force distribution in three dimensions. These 107 grains fill a cube-shaped box that is about 4 inches (10 centimeters) wide, tall and deep.
So far, the experimental method is working well, and we’ve been able to see how the force is distributed between the 107 grains. Next, we plan to expand the experimental setup to include more grains and explore how the force changes when we agitate the granular system – for example, by bumping it.
This new experimental approach opens the door for many more experiments that will help us to better understand granular systems. These systems are all around you, and while they seem so simple, researchers still don’t truly understand how they behave.
Jacqueline Reber receives funding from the Iowa State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Frontier Science Fund.
How does soap clean our bodies? – Charlie H., age 8, Stamford, Connecticut
Thousands of years ago, our ancestors discovered something that would clean their bodies and clothes. As the story goes, fat from someone’s meal fell into the leftover ashes of a fire. They were astonished to discover that the blending of fat and ashes formed a material that cleaned things. At the time, it must have seemed like magic.
As the centuries passed, people around the world began to use soap to clean the things that got dirty. During the 1600s, soap was a common item in the American colonies, often made at home. In 1791, Nicholas Leblanc, a French chemist, patented the first soapmaking process. Today, the world spends about US$50 billion every year on bath, kitchen and laundry soap.
But although billions of people use soap every day, most of us don’t know how it works. As a professor of chemistry, I can explain the science of soap – and why you should listen to your mom when she tells you to wash up.
You’ll be amazed at how much work it takes to make a bar of soap.
The chemistry of clean
Water – scientific name: dihydrogen monoxide – is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. That molecule is required for all life on our planet.
Chemists categorize other molecules that are attracted to water as hydrophilic, which means water-loving. Hydrophilic molecules can dissolve in water.
So if you were to wash your hands under a running faucet without using soap, you’d probably get rid of lots of whatever hydrophilic bits are stuck to your skin.
But there is another category of molecules that chemists call hydrophobic, which means water-fearing. Hydrophobic molecules do not dissolve in water.
Oil is an example of something that’s hydrophobic. You probably know from experience that oil and water just don’t mix. Picture shaking up a jar of vinaigrette salad dressing – the oil and the other watery ingredients never stay mixed.
So just swishing your hands through water isn’t going to get rid of water-fearing molecules such as oil or grease.
Here’s where soap comes in to save the day.
Soap, a complex molecule, is both water-loving and water-fearing. Shaped like a tadpole, the soap molecule has a round head and long tail; the head is hydrophilic, and the tail is hydrophobic. This quality is one of the reasons soap is slippery.
It’s also what gives soap its cleaning superpower.
To see what happens when you wash your hands with soap and water, let’s zoom in.
Picture all the gunk that you touch during the day and that builds up on your skin to make your hands dirty. Maybe there are smears of food, mud from outside, or even sweat and oils from your own skin.
All of that material is either water-loving or water-fearing on the molecular level. Dirt is a jumbled mess of both. Dust and dead skin cells are hydrophilic; naturally occurring oils are hydrophobic; and environmental debris can be either.
If you use only water to clean your hands, plenty will be left behind because you’d only remove the water-loving bits that dissolve in water.
But when you add a bit of soap, it’s a different story, thanks to its simultaneously water-loving and water-fearing properties.
Soap molecules come together and surround the grime on your hands, forming what’s known as a micelle structure. On a molecular level, it looks almost like a bubble encasing the hydrophobic bit of debris. The water-loving heads of the soap molecules are on the surface, with the water-fearing tails inside the micelle. This structure traps the dirt, and running water washes it all away.
To get the full effect, wash your hands at the sink for at least 20 seconds. Rubbing your hands together helps force the soap molecules into whatever dirt is there to break it up and envelope it.
It’s not just dirt
Along with dirt, your body is covered by microorganisms – bacteria, viruses and fungi. Most are harmless and some even protect you from getting sick. But some microorganisms, known as pathogens, can cause illness and disease.
They can also cause you to smell if you haven’t taken a bath in a while. These bacteria break down organic molecules and release stinky fumes.
Although microorganisms are protected by a barrier – it’s called a membrane – soap and water can disrupt the membrane, causing the microorganism to burst open. The water then washes the remains of the microorganism away, along with the stink.
To say that soap changed the course of civilization is an understatement. For thousands of years, it’s helped keep billions of people healthy. Think of that the next time Mom or Dad asks you to wash up – which will likely be sometime soon.
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
Paul E. Richardson receives funding from the NIH and NSF.
Cancer research in the U.S. doesn’t rely on a single institution or funding stream − it’s a complex ecosystem made up of interdependent parts: academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology startups, federal agencies and private foundations. As a cancer biologist who has worked in each of these sectors over the past three decades, I’ve seen firsthand how each piece supports the others.
When one falters, the whole system becomes vulnerable.
The United States has long led the world in cancer research. It has spent more on cancer research than any other country, including more than US$7.2 billion annually through the National Cancer Institute alone. Since the 1971 National Cancer Act, this sustained public investment has helped drive dramatic declines in cancer mortality, with death rates falling by 34% since 1991. In the past five years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved over 100 new cancer drugs, and the U.S. has brought more cancer drugs to the global market than any other nation.
But that legacy is under threat. Funding delays, political shifts and instability across sectors have created an environment where basic research into the fundamentals of cancer biology is struggling to keep traction and the drug development pipeline is showing signs of stress.
These disruptions go far beyond uncertainty and have real consequences. Early-career scientists faced with unstable funding and limited job prospects may leave academia altogether. Mid-career researchers often spend more time chasing scarce funding than conducting research. Interrupted research budgets and shifting policy priorities can unravel multiyear collaborations. I, along with many other researchers, believe these setbacks will slow progress, break training pipelines and drain expertise from critical areas of cancer research – delays that ultimately hurt patients waiting for new treatments.
A 50-year foundation of federal investment
The modern era of U.S. cancer research began with the signing of the National Cancer Act in 1971. That law dramatically expanded the National Cancer Institute, an agency within the National Institutes of Health focusing on cancer research and education. The NCI laid the groundwork for a robust national infrastructure for cancer science, funding everything from early research in the lab to large-scale clinical trials and supporting the training of a generation of cancer researchers.
This federal support has driven advances leading to higher survival rates and the transformation of some cancers into a manageable chronic or curable condition. Progress in screening, diagnostics and targeted therapies – and the patients who have benefited from them – owe much to decades of NIH support.
The Trump administration is cutting billions of dollars of biomedical research funding.
But federal funding has always been vulnerable to political headwinds. During the first Trump administration, deep cuts to biomedical science budgets threatened to stall the progress made under initiatives such as the 2016 Cancer Moonshot. The rationale given for these cuts was to slash overall spending, despite facing strong bipartisan opposition in Congress. Lawmakers ultimately rejected the administration’s proposal and instead increased NIH funding. In 2022, the Biden administration worked to relaunch the Cancer Moonshot.
This uncertainty has worsened in 2025 as the second Trump administration has cut or canceled many NIH grants. Labs that relied on these awards are suddenly facing funding cliffs, forcing them to lay off staff, pause experiments or shutter entirely. Deliberate delays in communication from the Department of Health and Human Services have stalled new NIH grant reviews and funding decisions, putting many promising research proposals already in the pipeline at risk.
Philanthropy’s support is powerful – but limited
While federal agencies remain the backbone of cancer research funding, philanthropic organizations provide the critical support for breakthroughs – especially for new ideas and riskier projects.
Groups such as the American Cancer Society, Stand Up To Cancer and major hospital foundations have filled important gaps in support, often funding pilot studies or supporting early-career investigators before they secure federal grants. By supporting bold ideas and providing seed funding, they help launch innovative research that may later attract large-scale support from the NIH.
Without the bureaucratic constraints of federal agencies, philanthropy is more nimble and flexible. It can move faster to support work in emerging areas, such as immunotherapy and precision oncology. For example, the American Cancer Society grant review process typically takes about four months from submission, while the NIH grant review process takes an average of eight months.
Ted Kennedy Jr., right, and Jeff Keith raise money for the American Cancer Society in 1984. Mikki Ansin/Getty Images
But philanthropic funds are smaller in scale and often disease-specific. Many foundations are created around a specific cause, such as advancing cures for pancreatic, breast or pediatric cancers. Their urgency to make an impact allows them to fund bold approaches that federal funders may see as too preliminary or speculative. Their giving also fluctuates. For instance, the American Cancer Society awarded nearly $60 million less in research grants in 2020 compared with 2019.
While private foundations are vital partners for cancer research, they cannot replace the scale and consistency of federal funding. Total U.S. philanthropic funding for cancer research is estimated at a few billion dollars per year, spread across hundreds of organizations. In comparison, the federal government has typically contributed roughly five to eight times more than philanthropy to cancer research each year.
Industry innovation − and its priorities
Private-sector innovation is essential for translating discoveries into treatments. In 2021, nearly 80% of the roughly $57 billion the U.S. spent on cancer drugs came from pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Many of the treatments used in oncology today, including immunotherapies and targeted therapies, emerged from collaborations between academic labs and industry partners.
But commercial priorities don’t always align with public health needs. Companies naturally focus on areas with strong financial returns: common cancers, projects that qualify for fast-track regulatory approval, and high-priced drugs. Rare cancers, pediatric cancers and basic science often receive less attention.
Industry is also saddled with uncertainty. Rising R&D costs, tough regulatory requirements and investor wariness have created a challenging environment to bring new drugs to market. Several biotech startups have folded or downsized in the past year, leaving promising new drugs stranded in limbo in the lab before they can reach clinical trials.
Without federal or philanthropic entities to pick up the slack, these discoveries may never reach the patients who need them.
A system under strain
Cancer is not going away. As the U.S. population ages, the burden of cancer on society will only grow. Disparities in treatment access and outcomes persist across race, income and geography. And factors such as environmental exposures and infectious diseases continue to intersect with cancer risk in new and complex ways.
Addressing these challenges requires a strong, stable and well-coordinated research system. But that system is under strain. National Cancer Institute grant paylines, or funding cutoffs, remain highly competitive. Early-career researchers face precarious job prospects. Labs are losing technicians and postdoctoral researchers to higher-paying roles in industry or to burnout. And patients, especially those hoping to enroll in clinical trials, face delays, disruptions and dwindling options.
Researchers have been rallying to protect the future of science in the U.S. AP Photo/John McDonnell
This is not just a funding issue. It’s a coordination issue between the federal government, academia and industry. There are currently no long-term policy solutions that ensure sustained federal investment, foster collaboration between academia and industry, or make room for philanthropy to drive innovation instead of just filling gaps.
I believe that for the U.S. to remain a global leader in cancer research, it will need to recommit to the model that made success possible: a balanced ecosystem of public funding, private investment and nonprofit support. Up until recently, that meant fully funding the NIH and NCI with predictable, long-term budgets that allow labs to plan for the future; incentivizing partnerships that move discoveries from bench to bedside without compromising academic freedom; supporting career pathways for young scientists so talent doesn’t leave the field; and creating mechanisms for equity to ensure that research includes and benefits all communities.
Cancer research and science has come a long way, saving about 4.5 million lives in the U.S. from cancer from 1991 to 2022. Today, patients are living longer and better because of decades of hard-won discoveries made by thousands of researchers. But science doesn’t run on good intentions alone. It needs universities. It needs philanthropy. It needs industry. It needs vision. And it requires continued support from the federal government.
Jeffrey MacKeigan receives funding from NIH National Cancer Institute. He has consulting agreements with Merck and scholarly activity with the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Van Andel Research Institute.
The excitement is building as Samsung Electronics America hosts the final round of its 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition on April 28, 2025 at Samsung DC in the heart of our nation’s capital. Ten National Finalist teams—each already awarded a $50,000 prize package of Samsung technology and classroom supplies—will take the stage to pitch their groundbreaking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) solutions to community challenges. But only three will emerge as National Winners, each securing a $100,000 prize package for their schools—part of more than $2 million in prizes up for grabs.
Be part of the action by tuning in to the livestream right here:
National Finalists Pitch Event: Monday, April 28, 2025 |9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET
National Winners Reveal Event: Monday, April 28, 2025 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET
Tove Jansson published her first Moomin book, The Moomins and the Great Flood, 80 years ago, in 1945. The story follows a family of hippo-like creatures called “Moomintrolls”, who become refugees after a flood washes away their home. Written at the end of the second world war, when millions were displaced, it reflects the struggles of rebuilding lives after disaster.
The official theme of the anniversary is “the door is always open”, reflecting the themes of acceptance, kindness and chosen families that run through Jansson’s books.
We’re celebrating 80 wonderful years of her magical creatures with a special screening of the 2014 film Moomins on the Riviera and a panel discussion. Come along to the National Science & Media Museum in Bradford on Friday May 23 to watch the film with us and take part in the Q&A with four expert Moominologists about the theme of the refugee experience in Jansson’s work.
As a City of Sanctuary and home to one of four public art commissions honouring Moomin 80, Bradford is the perfect place to mark this milestone. Tickets include a free ebook of expert articles about Jansson and her Moominous creations.
We’d love to see you there, so come along and join in the discussion. Readers of The Conversation get an exclusive 25% off the ticket price – you can book them here using the code Moomins25.
Source: The White House
Background
Under President Biden, the Federal government promoted a grotesque social and scientific experiment on American children. During the first three years of his administration alone, more than 7,000 children were administered puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Over 4,000 were subjected to sex-trait modification surgical interventions, such as mastectomies. These interventions were marketed to children on the basis of ideologically driven and financially motivated junk-science.
On January 28, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14187, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.” EO 14187 prohibits Federal departments from funding, sponsoring, assisting, or facilitating the chemical and surgical mutilation of minors and directs them to stop these immoral, unjust, and disproven practices more broadly to the greatest extent possible. The following sections summarize initial steps taken to implement this Order.
Restoring Scientific Integrity
Section 3(i) directs agencies to rescind or amend all policies that rely on the “Standards of Care Version 8” developed by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). These standards were not drafted based on scientific evidence, but on political considerations. During the drafting process, then-Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Levine, lobbied WPATH to drop its proposed age limits for surgical mutilation. Levine then issued Federal guidance titled “Gender-affirming Care and Young People,” which promoted the chemical sterilization and surgical mutilation of minors.
After President Trump took office in January, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) immediately removed this document, along with other pseudo-scientific information, from its webpages. On February 14, a court order compelled HHS to display this document and other pseudoscientific webpages. HHS followed the court order, but provided a notice that it disavows Levine’s document – and all materials that cite WPATH – in the strongest possible terms.
Section 3(ii) directs HHS to publish an evidence-based review of the literature on best-practices to promote the health of children who assert gender dysphoria. HHS has coordinated with a team of eight distinguished scholars, and will publish this review by the 90-day deadline.
Promoting Accurate Information
Section 3(b) directs HHS to use “all available methods” to increase data quality to improve practices “for improving the health of minors with gender dysphoria.”
The lead researcher of one notable study, funded by the National Institute for Health (NIH), withheld its results from the public for political reasons. The NIH has taken, and will continue to take, all necessary and proper steps to ensure accountability and transparency for all taxpayer-funded studies.
HHS is reviewing data tools to ensure that Federal data collection reflects biological reality and provides medically useful information.
Stopping Taxpayer-Funded Child Experimentation and Mutilation
Section 4 directs HHS to “immediately take appropriate steps to ensure that [medical] institutions receiving federal research or education grants end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”
HHS has eliminated 215 such grants, saving taxpayers over $477 million. Two examples include: a $1,319,024 grant to the Center for Innovative Public Health research for “#TranscendantHealth – Adapting an LGB+ inclusive teen pregnancy prevention program for transgender boys;” and a $5,955,310 grant to Boston Children’s Hospital for “TransHealthGUIDE: Transforming Health for Gender-Diverse Young Adults Using Intervention to Drive Equity.”
Ensuring Proper Medical Treatment
Section 5 directs HHS to take all appropriate actions to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children. On March 5, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Quality and Safety Special Alert Memo entitled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which alerted providers to the dangers of chemical mutilation as well as the lack of medical evidence supporting their use. Among other provisions, the letter stated that:
it is of utmost importance that all providers follow the highest standards of care and adhere closely to the foundational principles of medicine, especially as it comes to America’s children. This CMS alert to providers on the dangerous chemical and surgical mutilation of children, including interventions that cause sterilization, is informed by a growing body of evidence and protective policies across the world.
Within days, similar letters were sent by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
This administration is preparing other actions in accordance with Section 5. HHS, through CMS, is also exploring every avenue to increase access to detransition care.
Pursuant to Section 6, the Department of Defense has required its health services contractors to discontinue child mutilation as a covered benefit. Pursuant to Section 7, the Office of Personnel Management has excluded coverage for the mutilation of the children of the Federal civilian workforce beginning in Plan Year 2026.
Ensuring Equal Protection and Rule of Law
Pursuant to Section 8, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has prepared guidance regarding enforcement of 18 U.S.C. § 116, prioritizing protection against female genital mutilation, and will convene State Attorneys General to coordinate enforcement. It has also initiated investigations of multiple entities that have misled the public about the long-term side effects of chemical and surgical mutilation under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
DOJ has drafted and submitted legislation creating a private right of action, with a long statute of limitations, for children whose bodies have been chemically and surgically damaged and their parents, for additional review. DOJ will also establish a “Parental Rights Task Force” to vindicate the rights of parents in states like California, where parental refusal to consent to the mutilation of their children can enable the state to remove children from parental custody, and to further uphold parents’ recognized constitutional rights.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The 9th International Arctic Summit “Arctic: Prospects, Innovations and Regional Development”, dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Geographical Society, was held in two cities – Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the Northern capital, the participants of the large-scale event were hosted by the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
At the opening of the summit in the Technopolis Polytech research building, guests were greeted on behalf of the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, by the Head of the Department for Development of Interaction with the Arctic Region of the St. Petersburg Committee for Arctic Affairs, Sergei Nikolaev.
The regional head’s address states that St. Petersburg is the center of Russia’s Arctic competencies, and the exchange of regions’ accumulated experience and the discussion of pressing issues of the development of the Far North are the key to strengthening our country’s position in the Arctic.
As Yuri Fomin, Vice-Rector for Research at SPbPU, noted in his greeting, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University not only trains personnel for enterprises in the northern region, but also conducts research in areas that are relevant for the Arctic: development of autonomous energy, construction in the Far North, infrastructure, logistics, security, etc.
The developments of our scientists are aimed at solving the problems outlined by the President of Russia at the VI International Arctic Forum. This is strengthening the transport and logistics contour of the Arctic, ensuring the energy independence of the region, mining, construction in difficult weather conditions, – said Yuri Vladimirovich and wished the forum participants successful and fruitful work.
Participants of the plenary session and thematic sections discussed many problematic issues related to the geopolitical, environmental and economic situation, harsh climate conditions and the shortage of highly professional personnel for the Arctic zone. At the Polytechnic site, they sought and proposed solutions, shared experiences and found partners.
Experts, including representatives of SPbPU, outlined the goals, main directions and mechanisms for implementing the tasks set, and also noted the importance of the activities of the Russian Geographical Society in the development of the Arctic.
Nikolay Vatin, Director of the Scientific and Technological Complex “Digital Engineering in Civil Construction”, spoke at the plenary session. He also held a thematic session “Development of Science and Technology in the Interests of Arctic Development. Information Partnership of Arctic Regions”.
At the special session “Scientific and technical projects and modern technologies for the development of the Arctic zone: Russian industry, world practice” Liliya Talipova, senior lecturer of the Higher School of Industrial, Civil and Road Construction of SPbPU, gave a report. She spoke about the development of a GIS platform for the design of linear objects in the Arctic.
The round table, dedicated to improving the quality of life of the population of the Arctic, was attended by IPMEiT teachers Maxim Polyukhovich, Alexey Ulyanov and Yulia Logvinova. The topic of their presentations was a model for designing workplaces for the region. In the round table session dedicated to Arctic energy, SPbPU professor Viktor Elistratov made a report on the use of renewable energy sources in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
Students of the Polytechnic University also took part in the summit. Thus, at the thematic session “International Relations in the Arctic”, Zoya Merkulova, a master of the Higher School of Technosphere Safety of SPbPU, presented a report “Comparison of Russian and Foreign Experience in Industrial Safety Applied to Enterprises in Arctic Regions”.
Summing up the forum, the director of the Arctic 2025 summit Gennady Cherepov thanked the participants and noted the productivity of all sections. In conclusion, the winners of the competition of scientific research works aimed at sustainable development and exploration of the Arctic within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology were awarded. Based on the materials of the summit, a scientific collection of the Russian Science Citation Index will be prepared and published.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northstrive Biosciences Inc. (“Northstrive”), a subsidiary of PMGC Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) (the “Company,” “PMGC,” “we,” or “our”), is proud to announce that Co-Founder Deniel Mero was recently featured in an exclusive interview hosted by Bear Bull Traders, a leading global online stock trading community for professional and aspiring traders.
During the interview, Mr. Mero discussed Northstrive’s recent milestone: receiving preliminary meeting responses from the FDA regarding Northstrive’s nonclinical studies and clinical development plans for EL-22, administered in combination with GLP-1 receptor agonists. EL-22 is leveraging a myostatin-engineered probiotic approach to address obesity’s pressing issue of preserving muscle while on weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Bear Bull Traders is a respected trading education platform founded by bestselling author Andrew Aziz. Along with its 595,000 YouTube subscribers, Bear Bull Traders has an extensive network of over 7,000 active members and 100,000 newsletter subscribers worldwide, Bear Bull Traders offers a dynamic environment for traders through expert mentorship, live trading rooms, educational courses, and a vibrant, supportive community.
“We are honored to share our story with the Bear Bull Traders community, that, like Northstrive, is committed to leveraging innovation,” said Deniel Mero, Co-founder of Northstrive Biosciences. “We believe the FDA responses encourage a path forward for filing an IND application to conduct a Phase 2 clinical trial in overweight or obese patients; addressing one of obesity’s biggest unmet needs.”
The full interview featuring Deniel Mero can be viewed here.
About Northstrive Biosciences Inc.
Northstrive Biosciences Inc., a PMGC Holdings Inc. company, is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and acquisition of cutting-edge aesthetic medicines. Northstrive’s lead asset, EL-22, leverages an engineered probiotic approach to address obesity’s pressing issue of preserving muscle while on weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists. For more information, please visit www.northstrivebio.com.
About PMGC Holdings Inc.
PMGC Holdings Inc. is a diversified holding company that manages and grows its portfolio through strategic acquisitions, investments, and development across various industries. Currently, our portfolio consists of three wholly owned subsidiaries: Northstrive Biosciences Inc., PMGC Research Inc., and PMGC Capital LLC. We are committed to exploring opportunities in multiple sectors to maximize growth and value. For more information, please visit https://www.pmgcholdings.com.
About Bear Bull Traders
Bear Bull Traders is an international trading education community founded in 2015 by Andrew Aziz. With over 100,000 members globally, Bear Bull Traders offers comprehensive education, expert mentorship, and community support to empower traders toward success in financial markets.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “potential,” “would” and “future” or similar expressions such as “look forward” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, activities of regulators and future regulations and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. These and other risks are described more fully in PMGC’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2025, and its other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
The $5.48 million Rigetti-led consortium will include Iowa State University, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the University of Connecticut, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The project aims to develop a deeper understanding of how Rigetti’s novel chip fabrication process, Alternating-Bias Assisted Annealing (ABAA), reduces defects in superconducting qubits.
BERKELEY, Calif., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI) (“Rigetti” or the “Company”), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, announced today that it was granted an Air Force Office of Scientific Research award to further develop its breakthrough chip fabrication technology, Alternating-Bias Assisted Annealing (ABAA). The $5.48 million Rigetti-led consortium, including Iowa State University, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the University of Connecticut, and *Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), aims to develop a detailed understanding of how ABAA impacts the chip on a microscopic level — which will shed light on defects in superconducting qubits and open new avenues for understanding and mitigating them.
Addressing defects in superconducting qubits is a fundamental challenge in building large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers. Last year, Rigetti introduced ABAA which entails applying a series of alternating low-voltage pulses at room temperature to the oxide barrier of the Josephson junction, a critical part of Rigetti’s superconducting qubits. Rigetti researchers discovered that this technique enables qubit frequencies to be precisely targeted prior to chip packaging. This improves the fidelity of two-qubit gates and the scalability of the technology. Unlike more complicated solutions that address the problem of tuning frequency, which often require laser trimming of the chip, ABAA is a simple and scalable process that only requires sending pulses of voltage to the chip.
Rigetti devices that have been manufactured leveraging ABAA show a reduction in two-level systems (TLSs). TLSs are defects in a qubit’s material that impact qubit performance by pulling energy from the qubit or dephasing it. Ultimately, understanding the effects of ABAA on TLSs will lay the groundwork for scaling the fabrication of superconducting quantum devices and other applications that rely on amorphous materials in tunnel junctions and dielectrics.
“This project gives us access to the resources and expertise to unlock the full potential of ABAA and gain a foundational understanding of defects in superconducting qubits,” says Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO. “We already know that superconducting qubits have advantages in speed and scalability. Deepening our knowledge of superconducting qubit defects puts us in an even better position to scale our systems with improved performance.”
Rigetti continues to support the U.S. Government’s commitment to maintaining quantum computing leadership and advancing the field. Rigetti was recently selected to participate in DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, which aims to determine if any approach to quantum computing can achieve utility-scale operation by 2033.
*Funded separately though Laboratory for Physical Sciences, University of Maryland
About Rigetti Rigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. In 2021, Rigetti began selling on-premises quantum computing systems with qubit counts between 24 and 84 qubits, supporting national laboratories and quantum computing centers. Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera™ QPU was introduced in 2023 supporting a broader R&D community with a high-performance, on-premises QPU designed to plug into a customer’s existing cryogenic and control systems. The Company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high-performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Learn more at www.rigetti.com.
Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this communication may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including but not limited to, expectations with respect to the Company’s business and operations, including its expectations related to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research award and work with Iowa State University, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the University of Connecticut, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to develop a detailed understanding of how Alternating-Bias Assisted Annealing (ABAA) impacts the chip on a microscopic level, unlocking ABAA’s full potential, and expectations that deepening knowledge of superconducting qubit defects improves Rigetti’s position to scale systems with improved performance. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events and can be identified by terminology such as “commit,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “intend,” “strive,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “aim,” “goal,” “outlook,” “anticipate,” “assume,” or “continue,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Rigetti and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: Rigetti’s ability to achieve milestones, technological advancements, including with respect to its roadmap, help unlock quantum computing, and develop practical applications; the ability of Rigetti to complete ongoing negotiations with government contractors successfully and in a timely manner; the potential of quantum computing; the ability of Rigetti to obtain government contracts and the availability of government funding; the ability of Rigetti to expand its QCS business; the success of Rigetti’s partnerships and collaborations; Rigetti’s ability to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Rigetti or others; the ability to continue to meet stock exchange listing standards; costs related to operating as a public company; changes in applicable laws or regulations, including taxes and tariffs; the possibility that Rigetti may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors; Rigetti’s estimates of expenses and profitability; the evolution of the markets in which Rigetti competes; the ability of Rigetti to execute on its technology roadmap; the ability of Rigetti to implement its strategic initiatives, expansion plans and continue to innovate its existing services; disruptions in banking systems, increased costs, international trade relations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare, and terrorist attacks; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable law. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
As the world’s population grows, it is becoming more and more important to develop more environmentally and economically sustainable ways of producing food.
As part of an ongoing $10 million grant from the USDA, led by Kumar Venkitanarayanan, CAHNR associate dean of research and graduate education and professor of animal science, Abhinav Upadhyay, assistant professor of animal science, has developed a course to teach the next generation of agricultural workers and researchers about sustainable poultry production.
“We are aiming to educate the next generation workforce to understand that food production is important but at the same time it should not come at the cost of losing our planet,” Upadhyay says.
The course is designed as a follow-up to Upadhyay’s longstanding course on the fundamentals of poultry science. The new course was offered for the first time in fall 2024.
Students are introduced to the basic tenets of sustainability, why it is important, and why the scientific community is interested in making agriculture reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment now.
“In the scientific world, there is a lot of discussion as to how are we going to provide this human population with nutritious food that is also sustainable,” Upadhyay says. “Because what we cannot do is have an intensive farming model where we destroy forests or don’t care about the industry’s implications on climate.”
The course then moves into more specific information on raising poultry more sustainably and the specific challenges this industry faces in terms of human, animal, and environmental health.
For the final project in the course, students work in groups to create a proposal for their own sustainable poultry production research project.
Through this assignment, students get to experience how research proposals are actually evaluated in the professional scientific world with their peers serving as anonymized reviewers.
“These students don’t have a lot of research experience,” Upadhyay says. “But it was still very impressive to see how they could crosslink the ideas that were discussed in the course and then come up with a project of their own.”
The course had 12 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the fall. It will be offered again in fall 2025. The course is open to all UConn students.
“I was happy to see that the first time we introduced this course, it has significant interest among graduate and undergraduate students,” Upadhyay says.
Mackenzie Connors ‘25 (CAHNR) is one undergraduate student who took the course in the fall.
Connors says she valued how the course exposed her to new information not just about poultry sustainability, but also the grant writing process, even as she plans to attend veterinary school after graduation.
“It taught me a lot about sustainable poultry and also about writing grants,” Mackenzie says. “For somebody who will do that in the future, that is a very, very good course. And even if you’re not planning to take that career path, it’s good exposure.”
Upadhyay and his colleagues at Appalachian State University, University of Minnesota, and University of Arkansas published an article in Poultry Science, highlighting the course.
“The aim of the research article was to share with the entire global scientific community what we are doing,” Upadhyay. “We are expecting, in the future when people read this article, they will reach out to us for potential collaborations.”
Upadhyay will continue to offer the course at UConn and eventually share it with other universities as an online course. The course will be consistently updated to reflect new research and regulations related to sustainable poultry production.
“In order to develop a strong workforce in the U.S. we are developing this course and UConn is at the crux of it,” Upadhyay says.
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.
Srinagar (Fides Agency) – The Parliament of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir passed a resolution today, April 28, expressing its dismay at the terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam (Kashmir), which killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists. The resolution pledges to resolutely combat “plans to disrupt harmony between communities and hinder progress.” Meanwhile, tensions remain high on the border between India and Pakistan following the attack by Pakistan-based terrorist groups, which India has described as an “act of war.” Violations of the ceasefire were reported for the fourth consecutive day along the Line of Control (LoC), the temporary border dividing Indian-controlled and Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir.Meanwhile, the Indian government has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative content and disinformation against India.On the Pakistani side, the government in Islamabad banned Indian airlines from using its airspace due to escalating tensions between the two countries. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that Pakistan “seeks peace in the region”: “Pakistan condemns all forms of terrorism and has nothing to do with the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir,” he said. He reiterated that Pakistan was ready to “cooperate in a transparent and impartial investigation into the terrorist attack.” He recalled that the Pakistani people themselves had been victims of terrorism over the past two decades, with thousands of their citizens losing their lives. Commenting on India’s decision to suspend cooperation with Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty, he said, “Using water as a weapon is unacceptable.”There is only one Catholic diocese (with about 7,000 faithful) in the Indian state of Kashmir, which covers the entire territory. The Bishop of Jammu-Srinagar, Ivan Pereira, expressed his deep shock and condemned the “horrific terrorist attack against innocent tourists.” “This senseless act of violence,” said Bishop Pereira, ‘casts a dark shadow on our collective conscience’ and constitutes ‘an attack on the sanctity of human life and a betrayal of the values we hold dear as a nation: peace, harmony, and the dignity of every human being.’ He assured that he would pray unceasingly for peace.Meanwhile, in central India, the Catholic community of the Diocese of Indore paid their respects and celebrated the funeral of Sushil Nathaniel, a 57-year-old Catholic who was one of the tourists killed in Kashmir. Nathaniel, regional director of an insurance company, was on vacation in Kashmir with his wife and two children, who managed to escape. According to his wife Jennifer, the terrorists stopped Nathaniel and asked him what his faith was. Nathaniel admitted he was Catholic. They then asked him to kneel and recite the “Kalima” (the six phrases that are the foundation of the Islamic faith, a declaration of loyalty to Allah), and Nathaniel confessed he did not know them. So they shot him in the head in cold blood. The Bishop of Indore, Monsignor Thomas Kuttimackal, celebrating the funeral, praised Nathaniel’s “courage in not hiding his faith even under threat of arms,” calling him “a martyr.” (PA) (Fides Agency 28/4/2025)
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Director of the Federal Service for Financial Monitoring Yuri Chikhanchin discussed with high school students the problem of financial security of young people, including droppers. The meeting, organized at the initiative of the Higher School of Economics, took place at Moscow School No. 2107, which is part of the network Distributed Lyceum of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
“CLASS Hour” with the head of Rosfinmonitoring brought together students in grades 10-11. The event was also attended by Deputy Vice-Rector, Director for Strategic Work with Applicants of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Alexander Chepovsky and Principal of School No. 2107 Elena Naumova. The meeting was moderated by Marina Shemyakina, Head of the Center for Inter-Olympiad Training of Schoolchildren and Students of the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Yuri Chikhanchin emphasized the importance of increasing the financial and legal literacy of schoolchildren and students. As the head of the department noted, criminals increasingly use minors as droppers and it is important for young people to understand the consequences of such actions, not to transfer their bank cards and account information to third parties.
Useful knowledge on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from threats can be gained by participating in the International Financial Security Olympiad. The Olympiad also provides an opportunity to get to know the work of financial intelligence officers and the anti-money laundering system in general.
“We are always waiting for young specialists who have modern knowledge and skills in the field of information technology, finance, economics, international law. Universities of the International Network Institute in the field of AML/CFT (counter-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. – Ed.) prepare future financial intelligence officers. We invite you to become part of this big family,” said Yuri Chikhanchin.
Alexander Chepovsky noted the active work of the Higher School of Economics in the field of financial security: “Since 2024, we have become part of the International Network Institute in the Sphere of AML/CFT (INI) and actively support financial security events for schoolchildren and students, and also create our own projects. For example, this academic year we are launching the minor “Financial Security and Computer Investigations” for second-year students, which will provide the necessary knowledge base and form important legal, financial and digital competencies. Upon completion of the training, students will receive an official document on microqualification. And school graduates, when entering a number of bachelor’s and specialist’s degree programs at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, receive preferences for high results in the International Olympiad on Financial Security, of which we are a co-organizer as a member of the INI.”
During the “CLASS Hour”, students asked the head of the Russian financial intelligence service questions, took part in the thematic game “True or Fake” and solved a practical case in the role of analysts.
As part of the meeting, a tour of the school museum of historical large-scale miniatures of the Great Patriotic War “Muzimmion” was also organized.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
BELLEVUE, Wash., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Seeking to redefine workplace culture and training, Atana today announced that Deena Perro and Brett Seller have joined the company’s growing sales team as demand for its award-winning solutions increases. Named one of Nucleus Research’s “Hot Companies to Watch” for 2025, Atana offers comprehensive, turnkey solutions backed by behavioral science that enable transformational change at scale, which has become increasingly important in today’s rapidly evolving workplace.
Bringing more than 20 years of experience in workforce solutions sales to Atana, Perro has joined the company from Plum, where she served as Director of Sales. Before that, Perro held sales positions at Eskalera, pymetrics, Infor, Manpower Group and Monster, developing deep industry knowledge and expertise. Perro’s earlier career highlights included Sprint, Verizon and Salomon Smith Barney Holdings. In addition to her professional success and proven track record, Perro is the mother of teenage twins, a testament to her personal belief that with resilience, grit and hustle, it is possible to achieve the impossible.
Like Perro, Seller also comes from within the industry and joins Atana from Plum, where he spent nearly four years, most recently in the role of Sales Director. Prior to Plum, Seller worked at Infor for almost six years, first as Account Executive, Infor Talent Science and later as Enterprise Account Executive, Infor Workplace Solutions. He got his start in the HR technology space in sales development at PeopleAnswers before Infor acquired the company in 2014. Seller is celebrated by peers and customers alike for his ability to build trust-based relationships and infuse kindness, empathy and levity into the sales process.
At Atana, Perro will oversee the Eastern U.S. sales territory while Seller is responsible for the Central U.S.
“As more companies turn to us for solutions that deliver meaningful organizational change, demand for Atana’s scientific approach to training and development is escalating. With backgrounds that combine sales and HR tech, Deena and Brett are not only the right people to drive Atana’s growth as we move forward, but they are also joining us at a critical time in our journey,” said John Hansen, Atana Chairman and CEO. “Deena and Brett’s industry expertise and records of achievement will be invaluable to our company and our clients.”
About Atana
Bringing together decades of experience, award-winning courses, and a powerful analytics platform, Atana takes learners from best intentions to actionable and measurable behavioral change at scale. With Atana, employers can build more inclusive workplaces through engaging content and science-backed learning and development. For more information, please visit atana.com.
CALGARY, Alberta, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Benevity Inc. today announced the appointment of Ian Goldsmith as Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer, the first such dedicated role in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social impact software industry.
With more than 30 years of experience in product and data leadership, Goldsmith will lead the strategic deployment of artificial intelligence throughout Benevity’s Enterprise Impact Platform, revolutionizing its capabilities. His focus will include machine learning, AI-powered analytics, and generative AI to create transformative, scalable solutions that help companies realize greater business and societal value from their purpose initiatives.
“Ian’s appointment marks a significant milestone in the Benevity journey to reimagine what’s possible as we pioneer responsible AI innovation,” said Chris Maloof, CEO, Benevity. “This focus will further help organizations create lasting value by connecting business goals with purpose outcomes. AI is central to Benevity’s core strategy and we fundamentally believe it will be transformative for the CSR industry and social impact. We are excited to take the lead.”
Goldsmith will work closely with Benevity’s global community of more than 900 clients and other thought leaders to design AI-powered solutions to solve real-world challenges at scale.
“Benevity has such an incredible history of innovation in CSR technology and stands out as a company with a powerful mission to help businesses and people do more good in the world,” said Ian Goldsmith, Chief AI Officer, Benevity. “I’m thrilled to join the company and accelerate that impact by enabling new ways of doing good that support strong business outcomes.”
Prior to joining Benevity, Goldsmith held senior leadership roles at MeridianLink, Waycare, and Akana. Goldsmith has advanced AI strategy for global brands while staying committed to responsible AI innovation and continuous learning. His work has delivered meaningful change with thoughtful integration of AI capabilities in product, data, and user experience across industries including technology, finance, and transportation. Goldsmith holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge.
About Benevity Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is the leading global provider of social impact software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. Recognized as one of Fortune’s Impact 20, Benevity offers cloud solutions that power purpose for many iconic brands in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 22 languages, Benevity has processed more than $15 billion in donations and 79 million hours of volunteering time to support 470,000 nonprofits worldwide. The company’s solutions have also facilitated 1.3 million micro-actions and managed 845,000 grants worth $16 billion. For more information, visit benevity.com.
Media Contact: Indrani Ray │ Press & Analyst Relations │ 1.647.574.9559 │ press@benevity.com
On April 16, 2025, the Earth Science Division at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley held an Earth Science Showcase to share its work with the center and their families. As part of this event, kids were invited to share something they like about the Earth. These are their masterpieces. Sora U. Age 9. “Wildlife”
Written by Eleanor Moreland, Ph.D. Student Collaborator at Rice University
Perseverance has been busy exploring lower “Witch Hazel Hill,” an outcrop exposed on the edge of the Jezero crater rim. The outcrop is composed of alternating light and dark layers, and naturally, the team has been trying to understand the makeup of and relationships between the light and dark layers. A few weeks ago, we sampled one of the light-toned layers, which we discovered was made up of very small clasts, or fragments of rocks or minerals, at “Main River.” Since then, we have learned that the dark layers tend to be composed of larger clasts compared to the light layers, and we’ve been searching for a place to sample this coarser-grained rock type. Sometimes, these coarser-grained rocks also contain spherules, which are of great interest to the science team because they provide clues about the process that formed these layered rocks. Perseverance first looked at a dark layer at “Puncheon Rock” with an abrasion. We then examined a dark layer at “Wreck Apple,” near “Sally’s Cove,” but we could not identify a suitable surface to abrade. So, while team members searched for other locations to study the coarse-grained units and spherules, Perseverance drove south to “Port Anson.”
Port Anson was intriguing because, from orbit, it showed a clear contact between the light layers of Witch Hazel Hill and a distinct unit below it. And, although the rocks below the Port Anson contact do show interesting compositional differences with those of Witch Hazel Hill, they weren’t the coarse-grained rocks we were looking for. We still performed an abrasion there, at Strong Island, before driving back up north for another attempt at investigating the coarser-grained rocks. We aimed for “Pine Pond,” which neighbors “Dennis Pond,” to abrade at “Hare Bay.” With the data just coming down over the weekend, the team will be hard at work to figure out if we captured the coarse grains and spherules, and if it is representative of rocks we have seen before or not. The image below is a close-up of this most recent abrasion patch at Hare Bay — what do you think? Stay tuned to find out!
Priority question for written answer P-001600/2025/rev.1 to the Commission Rule 144 Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza (ECR)
Ukraine, as an EU candidate country, has committed to reforms in the field of minority rights. However, the Romanian community in the Odesa region (124 475 people according to the 2001 census) is facing violations of the right to education in their mother tongue due to the unjustified use of the term ‘Moldovan language’ instead of ‘Romanian language’ in schools – a practice inherited from the Soviet era.
Although the Government of Ukraine adopted a decision on 18 October 2023 (minutes no. 115), and the Ministry of Education and Science issued a statement on 16 November 2023, to correct this terminology, 10 schools in the Odesa region (subject to administrative litigation no. 640/8013/21 since 2021) are still required to use the incorrect term. This administrative and legal deadlock undermines trust in Ukraine’s accession process and contradicts EU standards regarding the protection of minorities.
What measures will the Commission take to support the correct implementation of the Ukrainian Government’s decisions regarding the official recognition of the Romanian language in schools in the Odesa region?
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The 19th All-Russian scientific and practical conference “PR and Advertising Technologies in Modern Society” was held in the White Hall of the Polytechnic University. This year’s theme “Engineers of Meanings in Discourses of Strategic Sovereignty” was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The grand opening of the title conference of the Higher School of Media Communications and Public Relations of the Humanitarian Institute began with a minute of silence in memory of the fallen heroes. Then, the Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies of SPbPU Maxim Pasholikov and the Director of the Humanitarian Institute Natalia Chicherina addressed the participants and guests of the event with words of welcome.
This year, the conference topic is unusually relevant. This is due to the fact that our university became the winner in the “Priority 2030” program (entered the first category) and today must solve very serious problems facing the entire country: to ensure the technological leadership of the country. Do humanities scholars have the opportunity to influence these processes? The answer is undoubtedly yes. The field of advertising and public relations itself is so technological today that it is difficult to separate it from the issues of achieving strategic and technological leadership, – noted Natalia Vasilievna.
Presenters Daria Shevchenko and Nikita Sokol, 1st and 3rd year students of the Advertising and Public Relations program, spoke about a special conference project – the art exhibition “Victory Day”, which was prepared by students and teachers of the Higher School of Music and Sociology of the State University of Culture.
Awarding the winners, the director of the Higher School of Music and Social Sciences Marina Arkannikova noted the level of professionalism of the works: Victory in the Great Patriotic War is one of the key events in the history of Russia and the entire Russian world. For all of us and for the country, Victory Day is a memory of the millions of those killed, a symbol of national unity, a tribute to veterans, historical memory and pride that we are obliged to pass on from generation to generation.
More than 300 experts from different countries participated in the business program. Plenary reports were presented by three scientists. Professor of the St. Petersburg State University, President of the Association of Public Relations Teachers Dmitry Gavra spoke about the concept of national communication sovereignty. Associate Professor, Director of the Higher School of Social Sciences and Public Relations, Member of the Expert Council of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy Marina Arkannikova presented a report “Cultural Sovereignty in Development Discourses”. Member of the Executive Council of the Russian Public Relations Association, political consultant, media technologist Alena Avgust presented an unconventional approach to reading the 809th decree.
The plenary session left a strong impression on me. All three speakers demonstrated deeply developed topics on current communication problems in modern conditions. And although there was little “cross” discussion or controversy, I liked how the speakers consistently presented their positions. In general, the conference successfully combined theoretical depth with a practical focus, – noted first-year student of the Advertising and Public Relations program Irina Pyatnitskaya.
The work continued panel discussions “Engineers of meanings as subjects of memory politics and identity politics”, “Modern AI technologies in development discourses”, “80 years of Victory in the collective memory of generations”.
An important point of the business program of the second day was the round table “Synergistic wars in national discourses. Representation of the SVO in the politics of memory”, prepared jointly with the All-Russian Public Opinion Center (VTsIOM) and fighters of the special military operation. Participants discussed issues of the features of cognitive, mental wars, the preservation of historical memory and the formation of a communicative heritage about the SVO.
In addition, student sections were held for students, postgraduates and young scientists. The conference ended in the White Hall of SPbPU, where the evening “Engineers of Victory” was held, dedicated to the memory of polytechnicians – participants of the Great Patriotic War.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Suzanne Martindale, of Oakland, has been appointed Chief Deputy Commissioner at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Martindale has been the Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Consumer Financial Protection at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation since 2021, and a Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law since 2019. Martindale was a Student Loan Justice Fellow at the Student Borrower Protection Center from 2018 to 2021. She held multiple positions at Consumer Reports from 2010 to 2021, including Senior Policy Counsel and Western States Legislative Manager, Senior Attorney, and Staff Attorney. She was a Pro Bono Attorney at the East Bay Community Law Center from 2015 to 2018. She is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Martindale earned a Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Arts degree in Humanities from University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $207,600. Martindale is registered without party preference.
Yvonne Hsu, of Washington D.C., has been appointed Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs at the California Civil Rights Department. Hsu was the Chief of Staff of Rural Housing Service at the United State Department of Agriculture from 2023 to 2025. She was the Chief Policy and Government Affairs Officer at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum from 2021 to 2023. Hsu was a Senior Housing Policy Specialist at the National Council of State Housing Agencies from 2020 to 2021. She was a Senior Advisor at the Office of United States Representative Katherine Clark in the United States House of Representatives from 2019 to 2020. Hsu was an Independent Consultant from 2018 to 2019. She held multiple positions at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017, including Policy Advisor at the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and Special Assistant for Public Engagement at the Office of Public Affairs. Hsu held multiple positions in the Office of United States Representative Adam Schiff in the United States House of Representatives from 2008 to 2014, including Senior Legislative Assistant and District Representative. Hsu was the Outreach Coordinator at the Housing Rights Center from 2006 to 2008. She earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Sociology and History from the University of California, Riverside. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $160,200. Hsu is a Democrat.
Jaimie Huynh, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Strategic Engagement, Equity and Partnerships at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Huynh has been Acting Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice and Equity at the California Environmental Protection Agency since 2025, where she has held multiple roles since 2022, including Environmental Justice Scientific Advisor and Climate Change Advisor. She was an Environmental Justice Enforcement Liaison at the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery from 2018 to 2022. Huynh was a California Sea Grant Fellow at the California State Lands Commission from 2017 to 2018. She earned a Master of Advanced Studies degree in Climate Science and Policy and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Environmental Systems – Policymaking from the University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $144,972. Huynh is a Democrat.
Robert Jenkins, of Victorville, has been appointed Administrator of the Veterans Home of California, Barstow at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Jenkins has been Acting Administrator of the Veterans Home of California, Barstow since 2024, where he has held multiple roles since 2012, including Staff Services Manager II and Health and Safety Officer. Jenkins was a Firefighter/Security Officer Captain at the Veterans Home of California, Yountville, at the California Department of Veterans Affairs from 2010 to 2012. He was a Structural Firefighter at the Tule River Tribal Reservation Fire Department from 2009 to 2010. Jenkins was a Paid Call Firefighter/Engineer at the San Bernardino County Fire Department from 2009 to 2010. He was a Correctional Facility Fire Captain at the California Institution for Men-Chino Fire Department from 1997 to 2008. Jenkins was a Correctional Facility Firefighter at the Centinela Fire Department from 1993 to 1997. He was a Paid Call Firefighter/Captain at the San Bernardino County Fire Department from 1986 to 1997. Jenkins was a GS-06 Firefighter/Driver Operator at the Barstow Logistics Marine Base Fire Department from 1992 to 1993. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $160,428. Jenkins is a Democrat.
Joseph “Joe” Nation, of South Lake Tahoe, has been appointed to the Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee. Nation has been a Professor of the Practice in the Public Policy and Human Biology Programs at Stanford University since 2007. He was the Principal at Joe Nation Consulting from 1992 to 2024. Nation was the Senior Advisor to the President at the RAND Corporation from 1991 to 2024. He was an Assemblymember for District 6 in the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2006. He was an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of San Francisco from 1992 to 2000. Nation is a member of the Economic Advisory Board, Bay Area Council, and Climate Cabinet Action. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Policy Analysis from Pardee RAND Graduate School, a Master of Science degree in Diplomacy and Security from Georgetown University, and Bachelor of the Arts degrees in Economics, German, and French from University of Colorado, Boulder. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Nation is a Democrat.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Apr 25, 2025
News What you need to know: More Californians than ever are connecting with earthquake warning services as the MyShake app reaches over 4 million downloads. SACRAMENTO – During Earthquake Preparedness Month, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a major milestone: the…
Apr 25, 2025
News What you need to know: California is working with state, local, and federal agencies in a historic project to repopulate the North Yuba River with native fish and help protect the state’s waterways and ecosystems. MARYSVILLE – Governor Gavin Newsom announced a…
Apr 24, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Leia Bailey, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Bailey has been Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach…
The Indian Digital Gaming Society (IDGS) has announced the top 10 finalists of the Innovate2Educate: Handheld Device Design challenge. The competition, organised by the IDGS in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as part of the upcoming World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, is aimed at driving innovation among the youth at the intersection of technology, education, and gaming, inspiring breakthrough ideas and design for handheld devices that can revolutionize learning experiences.
The top 10 finalists have been selected from 1856 registration of innovative ideas after rigorous evaluation by an expert jury panel comprising industry leaders, technologists, educators, and designers. The jury includes Mr Indrajit Ghosh, Co-Founder, Eruditio; Mr Rajeev Nagar, Country Manager, Inda and SAARC, Huion; and Mr Jeffrey Cray, Co-Founder and Product Head, Squid Academy.
The 10 finalists are:
1. KARNATA PARVA – Code Craft Junior (Karnataka)
2. VIDYARTHI – Smart Learning Tablet for Kids: An Interactive and Adaptive Educational Companion (Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh)
The young innovators have developed the Smart Learning Tablet—a low-cost, voice-assisted, interactive educational device powered by ESP8266 or Raspberry Pi. Designed with children in mind, this tablet provides a screen-free, internet-free alternative to traditional and digital learning tools that are often inaccessible due to high costs and connectivity barriers.
Blending traditional writing methods with modern technology, the Smart Handwriting Learning Device is designed to transform how children learn to write. The device offers real-time interactive feedback, a multilingual learning experience, and an offline, affordable solution tailored especially for early learners in underserved areas.
EduSpark is an affordable, AI-powered handheld device designed to spark curiosity and accelerate cognitive growth in young children aged 6 to 8. Apart is its adaptive AI engine as children play educational games—ranging from Sudoku and math challenges to mazes and memory puzzles—the device adjusts difficulty in real-time, helping each learner progress at their own pace.
5. APEX ACHIEVERS – BODMAS Quest: Gamified Math Learning For Smarter Education (Tamil Nadu)
BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction) often poses challenges to young learners, slowing their confidence and progress in mathematics. BODMAS Quest changes that by transforming learning into an immersive, reward-based journey.
6. SCIENCEVERSE – The Imperative of Interactive Educational Handheld Devices for Children (Indonesia)
7. V20 – VFit – Interactive Learning Through Play (Tamil Nadu)
8. WARRIORS– Maha-shastra (Dehi)
Maha-Shastra is an innovative educational ecosystem designed to reshape the learning experience for students aged 5 to 18. . Built for inclusivity and scalability, the platform combines quizzes, real-time simulations, AI-powered tutoring, and multilingual support to meet the diverse needs of learners across India and beyond. Its core is a handheld AI-powered device that engages students through interactive games, adaptive quizzes, and offline collaboration using LoRa-based meshtastic networks
9. KIDDYMAITRI– A Handheld Mathematical Gaming Console (Mumbai, Odisha, Karnataka)
Over half of Indian students tested fell below global minimum standards in foundational numeracy. Recognizing this critical challenge, Team Kiddymaitri took inspiration from NEP 2020, focusing on native language learning, technological integration, and traditional Indian values to develop a truly local and impactful learning solution.
The top 10 shortlisted teams will present their ideas at a special showcase during the WAVES 2025 in Mumbai. The winners of the challenge will be felicitated at the grand finale by the ministry.
About WAVES
The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.
Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.
WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced that the eighth edition of the Global Fast Track (GFT) 2025 is now open for applications until September 21. This year, the programme will be expanded to include other verticals in addition to fintech, unleashing business opportunities for more technology companies in Hong Kong and worldwide. The year-long hybrid programme provides participants with one-on-one meetings, live pitching opportunities, mentorship, and tailored business matching with corporate clients, investors and service providers. A separate competition track will select semi-finalists from each vertical to pitch in person during the Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival 2025 in November, with the grand finale taking place at the main conference. Shortlisted companies will also have access to exclusive networking events during the week for potential partnerships.
The Global Head of Financial Services, FinTech & Sustainability at InvestHK, Mr King Leung, shared, “The Global Fast Track has grown into more than just a fintech-accelerating platform. The expansion into additional verticals beyond fintech reflects a growing trend of technology converging across multiple industries. To date, the GFT has supported over 1 000 fintech companies from more than 50 economies, helping them showcase cutting-edge innovations and expedite market entry into Hong Kong and beyond. We are thrilled to build on this success and continue to offer unparalleled access to a regional network of more than 120 investors, corporate and service champions, mentors, and industry leaders.”
The Head of Startups at InvestHK, Ms Jayne Chan, added, “It is exciting to see the expansion of this meaningful programme this year, as we welcome applications from verticals beyond fintech, including the newly dedicated ‘Innovation & Technology’ or deep tech vertical. Together, we aim to unlock the true potential of innovation across industries and provide a launchpad for transformative solutions. I look forward to welcoming high-calibre start-ups and scaleup applicants from around the world and witnessing the remarkable outcomes this programme will deliver.”
Explore the Seven Expanded Global Fast Track Verticals
The GFT 2025 includes seven key verticals, covering a broader range of categories than ever before:
FinTech;
Artificial Intelligence;
GreenTech;
Blockchain & Digital Assets;
InsurTech & HealthTech;
Innovation & Technology; and
Mainland China Track (in Mandarin).
Glimpse of GFT 2025 Featured Partners
HKSTP Global Connect
For the GFT 2025, InvestHK is once again partnering with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s Global Connect Programme to support start-ups in expanding their presence in Hong Kong. The programme offers a comprehensive soft-landing package, including:
Financial grants of up to HK$100,000;
Access to co-working space;
Investment and business matching;
1-on-1 consultations for setting up businesses in Hong Kong; and
Training and networking.
Accenture FinTech Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific
Established by Accenture in collaboration with Hong Kong Cyberport, the FinTech Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific (FILAP) bridges growth-stage fintech start-ups with senior executives from world-leading financial institutions. Since its launch, FILAP alumni have collectively raised over US$1.1 billion in funding and developed 552 Proof of Concepts across nearly 90 companies. Through the GFT 2025, applicants will have the opportunity to fast-track to FILAP 2026 Interview Day, providing access to expert mentorship and exclusive connections to global financial leaders.
The GFT 2025 is an unparalleled opportunity for qualified innovators to showcase their profile in front of thousands of attendees and key corporates and investors looking for solutions and investment opportunities. Previous finalists have come from around the world, including Canada, France, Israel, Mainland China, Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
For details of the entire programme of the GFT 2025 and the application process, please visit here.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Brandon Schmandt, Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences and Chenglong Duan, Postdoctoral researcher, both at Rice University.
When standing in many places in Yellowstone National Park, the signs of a buried heat source are unmistakable, making one inclined to wonder “how far beneath my feet is there magma”? The answer is important to fundamental science questions about magma reservoirs as well as for understanding the potential hazards from Yellowstone. And it’s just a darn interesting question, too!
A 53,000-pound vibroseis truck, with a hydraulic vibration plate that creates signals like tiny earthquakes. Here, the truck is parked at a roadside pullout near the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Jamie Farrell, University of Utah, September 2020, taken under Yellowstone National Park research permit YELL-2020-SCI-8146. Support for the field research was provided by the National Science Foundation (EAR-1950328).
There is a long history of physical and chemical measurements that provide evidence for magma beneath Yellowstone caldera, with estimates for the depth to the top of the reservoir ranging from about 3 to 9 km (about 2 to 5.5 mi) beneath the surface. Most prior seismic imaging estimated smooth 3-D structure that is informative regarding the approximate size, shape, and location of magma storage. A limitation is that the resulting edges of the reservoir are blurry. Sharpening the view is important, as better knowledge of the depth and characteristics of the top of the magma reservoir would give additional insights into magma storage and release of magmatic gases.
To obtain that sharper view of the top of the magma reservoir, and to determine its depth and whether it is marked by a gradual or sharp transition, a group of seismologists used a controlled seismic source and hundreds of seismometers to image the subsurface. The “controlled source” was a 53,000-pound truck with a vibrating hydraulic plate that creates seismic signals, like tiny custom earthquakes. During the summer of 2020, the truck created these custom earthquakes on numerous paved roadside turnouts throughout the caldera. The work was done in the middle of night to avoid impacting park visitors, both from the minor ground vibrations and any traffic delays. The seismic signals created by the truck were measured at several dozen permanent Yellowstone Seismic Network stations, as well as about 600 temporarily installed seismometers that were deployed along roads and trails specifically for this seismic experiment. The seismic waves generated by the truck were tuned to bounce off the magma chamber, with the data from that reflection hopefully providing new insights into just where the top of the magma chamber is located and what it looks like.
And the results are in, recently published in the journal Nature by Duan et al. 2025 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08775-9). The answer? There is a very sharp transition marking the magma chamber top at about 3.8 km (2.4 mi) depth beneath the northeastern part of the caldera near the Yellowstone River.
Seismic reflection data showing the top of the magma reservoir beneath Yellowstone Caldera along a cross section that runs from Canyon Village in the northwest (X) to near Lake Butte in the southeast (X`). The top panel shows seismic P-wave (compressional wave) reflectivity, with evidence for the sharp reservoir top labeled. The middle panel shows seismic reflections where P-waves convert to S-waves (shear waves) as they reflect off the top of the reservoir. Combined information from the two reflection types helps constrain the total fluid fraction and relative amounts of bubbles and magma at the very top of the reservoir. The bottom panel shows a schematic cartoon interpretation in which a large reservoir that is several kilometers thick mostly contains a small amount of magma in the pore space between crystals, and a thin layer at the very top transiently accumulates bubbles that rise through the magma and temporarily reside in pore space between crystals and some melt.
Beyond locating the top of the magma reservoir and determining that the boundary is less than about 100 m thick, the seismologists estimated the concentration and type of fluids present at the very top of the reservoir. They found that a two-part mixture of only magma and solid mineral crystals would not fit the strength of the reflected seismic signals, but a three-part mixture with supercritical fluid bubbles, magma, and solid mineral crystals can explain the reflections much better. This result is consistent with geochemical models that indicate bubbles would be coming out of magma stored at depths as shallow as 3.8 km (2.4 mi). At greater depths, and correspondingly greater pressures, the elements that form the bubbles would stay dissolved within the magma. But at the depth measured from the new seismic data, bubbles would emerge from the magma and rise to form a cap layer atop the magma reservoir.
That might sound alarming—bubble accumulation in magma reservoir can be an important step toward creating the conditions suitable for eruption—but it depends on the concentrations of magma and bubbles. Fortunately, the Yellowstone magma system appears to be in a stable configuration. The seismic reflection results suggest about 14% fluid and about 86% solid crystals in the cap layer of the reservoir. Under these conditions, bubbles are expected to rise efficiently toward the surface, which prevents excessive build-up of pressure. And indeed, this fits with gas measurements that find magmatic gases emitted at the surface in many areas of Yellowstone National Park.
Finding evidence for bubbles atop the Yellowstone magma reservoir gives new perspectives that align with the long-term view of a magmatic system that is mostly solid and currently stable. The results also highlight that it may be within reach to measure bubble accumulation beneath volcanoes in general, demonstrating once again that using Yellowstone as a natural laboratory can help better understand volcanoes and their eruptions elsewhere on Earth.
