More than 18 million Australians are enrolled to vote at the federal election on May 3.
A fair proportion of them – perhaps as many as half – will take advantage of early voting, which starts Tuesday April 22.
Hundreds of locations around Australia will morph into pre-polling centres for the next couple of weeks as we enter the final phase of the campaign.
Australians have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to vote early in recent elections. But there are some risks for voters if they jump the gun too quickly. And it’s upending the way parties and other candidates organise their campaigns.
Go early
The popularity of voting early has been on an upward trajectory in recent decades.
Research shows that in 2004, for instance, over 80% of Australians waited until polling day to cast their ballots.
But at the 2022 federal election, almost half of all Australians on the electoral roll voted early.
There were variations across jurisdictions. Queensland had the highest rate of pre-poll voting at 56.6%, while Tasmanians had the lowest at just 36.8%.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) was actively encouraging people to vote early due to COVID concerns. Nonetheless, the trend is unmistakable. Voters want to skip the queues on election day.
Logistical problems
Early voting has been the subject of much scrutiny, especially the length of time it is available to voters. The major political parties have expressed concern about the impact it has on campaign planning and logistics.
In its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of the 2019 election, the Liberal Party highlighted how pre-poll voting placed “significant pressure on political parties” and their ability to provide booth workers for the entire early voting period, which was almost three weeks long.
Similarly, Labor acknowledged “significant practical implications for political parties and campaign managers”. The Greens also indicated they were in favour of limiting the pre-poll period.
Following the rise in early voting at the 2016 and 2019 elections, the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters recommended pre-polling be restricted to a fortnight before election day.
The committee noted:
a two week period best balances the opportunity to participate in an election as a voter, with the logistic demands placed on those who participate as contestants.
The electoral laws were subsequently changed by the Morrison government in 2021.
But given Easter Monday and Anzac Day both fall within the fortnight preceding May 3, the early polling window for this election will be further reduced.
Campaign disruption
The rising popularity of early voting plays havoc with the campaign plans of all candidates.
In the past, when the overwhelming majority of voters waited for election day, it made sense for the major parties in particular to continually drip feed promises and announcements until the last day of voting.
Parties now have less time to pitch for support during the campaign. The critical window of opportunity to appeal to voters is the time between the election being called and when Australians flock to the polls at the start of early voting.
It is highly likely we have already seen all the major policies in this election, including the voter-friendly cost-of-living measures.
But the parties are in a bind, because they must continue to appeal to the significant number of voters who will be considering who to vote for right up until election day itself.
Skip the queue
While many people will be tempted to vote early, the Australian Electoral Commission’s website reminds us there are some conditions for pre-poll voting.
You can only vote early, either in person or by post, if on polling day you are:
travelling or unable to leave your workplace to vote
sick or due to give birth, or caring for someone who is
a person with a disability, or caring for someone who is
in prison serving a sentence of less than three years
prevented by religious beliefs from attending on election day
a silent elector, or reasonably fearful for your safety or wellbeing.
Aware of the temptation to pre-poll, the AEC says people who wait until election day won’t have to battle long queues. In fact, 75% of them will be in and out of the polling place in under 15 minutes.
The AEC says it’s worked out ways to minimise queuing on election day.
Voter beware
The numbers don’t lie. More and more voters are keen to participate in the democratic process before election day.
However, voting early could be a double-edged sword. It may be convenient, but there is always the risk candidates or parties could say or do something that antagonises a voter after they have cast their ballot.
As there is no way to withdraw an original vote or cast a new one if they change their minds, early voters are taking a risk.
Moreover, by voting early, people may be missing out on the sausage sizzle, the craft stands, and the bake sales that many communities hold on voting day. These election day traditions raise funds and add a special community feeling to the ultimate exercise of democracy – choosing a government.
Zareh Ghazarian does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative James E (Jim) Clyburn (6th District of South Carolina)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. – U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn (S.C.-06), Chair of the Democratic Faith Working Group, released the following statement on the passing of Pope Francis:
“I join in the worldwide mourning of the passing of Pope Francis.
“He was a leader of the faithful and a champion of human freedom. He lived a life marked by deep faith and was a world voice of conscience. Compassion and forgiveness were hallmarks of his life’s work and his Papacy will be remembered for reconciliation and unity. Pope Francis devoted himself to the sacred mission bestowed upon him.
“His advocacy for the “least of these” will prevail as a source of inspiration to millions of people around the world. We grieve for the loss of this great and holy man.”
In its second asteroid encounter, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million years ago. The spacecraft has begun returning images that were collected as it flew approximately 600 miles (960 km) from the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025.
The asteroid was previously observed to have large brightness variations over a 10-day period, so some of Lucy team members’ expectations were confirmed when the first images showed what appeared to be an elongated contact binary (an object formed when two smaller bodies collide). However, the team was surprised by the odd shape of the narrow neck connecting the two lobes, which looks like two nested ice cream cones. “Asteroid Donaldjohanson has strikingly complicated geology,” says Hal Levison, principal investigator for Lucy at Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado. “As we study the complex structures in detail, they will reveal important information about the building blocks and collisional processes that formed the planets in our Solar System.” From a preliminary analysis of the first available images collected by the spacecraft’s L’LORRI imager, the asteroid appears to be larger than originally estimated, about 5 miles (8 km) long and 2 miles (3.5 km) wide at the widest point. In this first set of high-resolution images returned from the spacecraft, the full asteroid is not visible as the asteroid is larger than the imager’s field of view. It will take up to a week for the team to downlink the remainder of the encounter data from the spacecraft; this dataset will give a more complete picture of the asteroid’s overall shape. Like Lucy’s first asteroid flyby target, Dinkinesh, Donaldjohanson is not a primary science target of the Lucy mission. As planned, the Dinkinesh flyby was a system’s test for the mission, while this encounter was a full dress rehearsal, in which the team conducted a series of dense observations to maximize data collection. Data collected by Lucy’s other scientific instruments, the L’Ralph color imager and infrared spectrometer and the L’TES thermal infrared spectrometer, will be retrieved and analyzed over the next few weeks. The Lucy spacecraft will spend most of the remainder of 2025 travelling through the main asteroid belt. Lucy will encounter the mission’s first main target, the Jupiter Trojan asteroid Eurybates, in August 2027. “These early images of Donaldjohanson are again showing the tremendous capabilities of the Lucy spacecraft as an engine of discovery,” said Tom Statler, program scientist for the Lucy mission at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The potential to really open a new window into the history of our solar system when Lucy gets to the Trojan asteroids is immense.”
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering and the safety and mission assurance for Lucy, as well as the designing and building the L’Ralph instrument. Hal Levison of the Boulder, Colorado, office of SwRI is the principal investigator. SwRI is headquartered in San Antonio and also leads the mission’s science team, science observation planning, and data processing. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for Lucy, as well as the L’Ralph instrument. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft, designed the orbital trajectory, and provides flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace are responsible for navigating the Lucy spacecraft. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, designed and built the L’LORRI (Lucy Long Range Reconnaissance Imager) instrument. Arizona State University designed and built the L’TES (Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer). Lucy is the thirteenth mission in NASA’s Discovery Program, which is managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. By Katherine KretkeSouthwest Research Institute Media Contact:Karen Fox / Molly WasserHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov Nancy N. JonesNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
From the iconic image of Earthrise taken by Apollo 8 crew, to the famous Pale Blue Dot image of Earth snapped by Voyager I spacecraft, to state-of-the-art observations of our planet by new satellites such as PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem), NASA has given us novel ways to see our home. This Earth Day, NASA is sharing how — by building on decades of innovation—we use the unique vantage point of space to observe and understand our dynamic planet in ways that we cannot from the ground. NASA has been observing Earth from space for more than 60 years, with cutting-edge scientific technology that can revolutionize our understanding of our home planet and provide benefits to all humanity. NASA observations include land data that helps farmers improve crop production, research on the air we breathe, and studies of atmospheric layers high above us that protect every living thing on the planet. “NASA Science delivers every second of every day for the benefit all, and it begins with how we observe our home planet from the unique vantage point of space,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Our satellites, Mars rovers, astronauts and other NASA Science missions send back beautiful images of our planet, from the smallest of plankton to the pale blue dot, to help give us a comprehensive, detailed view of our home that we especially celebrate each Earth Day.” NASA data and tools are vital to federal, state, local, and international governments to monitor and manage land, air, and water resources. From mapping the ocean floor to finding critical mineral deposits to alerting land managers when fire risk is high, NASA’s data and information informs nearly every aspect of our economy and our lives. “Another way NASA celebrates Earth Day is by sharing information about how our science benefits the entire nation, such as by providing U.S. farmers and ranchers with ongoing measurements of water, crop health, wildfire predictions, and knowledge of what is being grown around the world,” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “This data informs field level farming and ranching decisions with impact felt as far as the commodity-trading floor and our grocery stores.” Next up for NASA’s work to help mitigate natural disasters is a mission called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) which is a partnership between NASA and ISRO (India Space Research Organization). NISAR, which is targeted to launch later this year, will measure land changes from earthquakes, landslides, and volcanos, producing more NASA science data to aid in disaster response. The mission’s radar will detect movements of the planet’s surface as small as 0.4 inches over areas about the size of half a tennis court. By tracking subtle changes in Earth’s surface, it will spot warning signs of imminent volcanic eruptions, help to monitor groundwater supplies, track the melt rate of ice sheets tied to sea level rise, and observe shifts in the distribution of vegetation around the world. From our oceans to our skies, to our ice caps, to our mountains, and to our rivers and streams, NASA’s Earth observations enhance our understanding of the world around us and celebrate the incredible planet we call home. To download NASA’s 2025 Earth Day poster, visit: https://nasa.gov/earthdayposters
Written by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick Earth planning date: Friday, April 18, 2025 As the APXS operations person today, I was hopeful that we could plan a compositional measurement after brushing one of the bedrock blocks in front of the rover. However, it soon became clear that the rover was not on stable enough ground to safely unstow the arm and place APXS and MAHLI. Silver linings though; by not having any arm movement in this plan, which requires significant energy, we were able to conserve power for what we hope will be a busy week of upcoming science activities as we drive towards our next high priority area of interest – the so-called boxwork formations. These are large resistant ridges identified from orbit, which may be the result of fracturing, fluid flow and alteration within the sulfate unit that we are traversing through. We plan to image them on approach to gain insights into their context. Despite the loss of arm activities, we still have plenty of interesting observations planned for this 3-sol weekend. ChemCam will fire its laser at two separate rock targets, “Santa Ynez” and “Cahuilla”, which will also be captured with Mastcam documentation images. The targets are on two different bedrock blocks with the “Cahuilla” raster focused on a thin resistant layer. ChemCam will also use its remote imaging capabilities to obtain mosaics of the “Texoli” butte and another interesting feature, “Torote Bowl”. Mastcam will capture mosaics of “San Gabriel River” (an apparent angular contact) and of some sand troughs surrounding many of the bedrock blocks in this region. An image will also be acquired of a small, grey float pebble, “Piru Creek.” The environmental science group was also able to plan a number of activities to catch up on their regular cadence, which has been impacted by the recent power constraints. We are acquiring Navcam line of sight observations (x2), suprahorizon movies (x2), a zenith movie and a 360 degree sky survey, as well as a Mastcam sky survey. Coordinated ChemCam passive sky and APXS atmospheric observations are also planned. There is a ~19 m drive planned through this tricky terrain that will hopefully set us up for arm activities (APXS and MAHLI) in our new workspace next week. The plan is completed with standard RAD, DAN and REMS activities, as well as two MARDI images to record the terrain beneath the rover in the current and new workspace.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
Watch a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft dock to the International Space Station after a successful liftoff on April 21 at 4:15 a.m. EDT (0815 UTC). The spacecraft is carrying supplies – including food and essential equipment for the crew – as well as a variety of science experiments.
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until May, when it will depart and return to Earth with research and cargo, splashing down off the coast of California.
Learn more about the science aboard, including studies to produce gold nanoparticles and to test a vision-based sensor that could improve navigation: https://youtu.be/4841piONzVk
Follow the ISS blog for the latest updates: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/
The Prime Minister, Mark Carney, today issued the following statement on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis:
“Today, I join Canadians and Catholics around the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome – a shepherd of deep moral clarity, spiritual courage, and boundless compassion. From every corner of the globe, the prayers of the faithful go with Pope Francis as he journeys to his eternal rest.
“Through his teachings and actions, Pope Francis redefined the moral responsibilities of leadership in the 21st century. In Laudato si’ (Praised Be), his landmark encyclical, he gave voice to ‘the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’, reminding us that ecological degradation and social injustice are deeply intertwined and demand our shared, urgent leadership.
“His vision of fairness between the generations was rooted in concrete calls for action, policy, and personal responsibility. I had the privilege of working alongside His Holiness and his team through his Council for Inclusive Capitalism, and I saw firsthand his unwavering commitment to placing human dignity at the centre of our economic and political systems.
“At the Vatican meeting in 2014, ‘The Global Common Good: Towards a More Inclusive Economy’, Pope Francis issued a challenge that has guided me ever since. He likened humanity to wine – rich, diverse, full of spirit – and the market to grappa – distilled, intense, and at times disconnected. He called on us to ‘turn grappa back into wine’, to reintegrate human values into our economic lives.
“His Holiness understood, and taught, that value in the market must never eclipse values in society. He showed us that we must not only measure what we value, but also value what truly matters.
“With his visit to Canada and apology to Indigenous Peoples on residential schools, His Holiness heard from Survivors and their descendants about that system’s legacy of searing and enduring pain, and met it with an important step of accountability and healing on the shared path toward reconciliation.
“He extended his papacy to the furthest margins, always attentive to the poor and most vulnerable, as in all aspects of his lifelong service.
“Pope Francis leaves a spiritual and ethical legacy that will shape our collective conscience for generations to come. May we honour his memory by continuing to work for a world that reflects the solidarity, justice, and sustainability that he so powerfully embodied.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
04.21.25
Cantwell Hears From Healthcare Providers in Wenatchee: Medicaid Cuts Would be Devastating
Cantwell continues tour of WA to fight back against proposed Medicaid cuts; Cantwell reports highlight impacts to WA State health care if GOP cuts Medicaid to pay for lower taxes for the ultra-wealthy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, heard from health care providers in the Wenatchee Valley about the dangers of cuts to Medicaid being considered by Republican lawmakers.
At an April 17 roundtable hosted by U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D, WA-08) and joined by Sen. Cantwell, health care providers warned that such cuts would devastate the region’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care.
Cutting Medicaid, Sen. Cantwell said, “affects the programs, then affects the hospital, then it affects the workforce, then you end up with shortages, then you end up with deserts. Then you end up with, ‘Who wants to have a business there?’ It keeps cascading,” Sen. Cantwell said. “This is a crazy idea. This is not a sledge hammer — this is like a ticking time bomb that’s blowing up the foundation of the system. And we have to take your stories and go back [to D.C.] and convince these people that it’s not even worth thinking about.”
Wenatchee marked the fourth stop in Sen. Cantwell’s tour around the state to hear from folks who would be directly impacted by cuts to Medicare. Last month, Sen. Cantwell heard from voices across Washington state about the dangers of President Trump and the GOP’s proposed cuts to Medicaid. Doctors, patients, and health care providers in Seattle, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities warned that such cuts would devastate Washington state’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care.
WATCH:
FOX 13 Seattle: WA health leaders join Sen. Cantwell against proposed Medicaid cuts
KREM 2 Spokane: Spokane doctors, patients speak at Medicaid roundtable hosted by Sen. Cantwell
KAPP 35 Tri-Cities: MARIA CANTWELL: How proposed cuts to Medicaid could impact South Central Washington
In February, Sen. Cantwell released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that slashing Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy would have on Washington state’s health care system — especially in Central and Eastern Washington. In March, Sen. Cantwell released a second snapshot report highlighting impacts on the Seattle-area health care delivery system.
READ MORE:
The Seattle Times: Cuts to Medicaid would hurt WA’s children, poor
The Spokesman Review: Medicaid could be on chopping block after Northwest Republicans help pass House budget measure
The Tri-City Herald: Newhouse backs House GOP budget plan that could lead to cuts for Tri-Cities Medicaid users
Medicaid is the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Washington state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, ensures that eligible Washingtonians can afford to seek health care and see providers when they need to. The program also ensures that hospitals — which are required to treat everyone, regardless of their ability to pay — receive reimbursements for the significant number of low-income people they serve. Over 1.9 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Apple Health.
The House of Representatives has passed a budget resolution that would necessitate $880 billion in cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. Supporters of the bill claim that the text includes no mention of Medicaid — however, the extent of the cuts required by the legislation would mean that the committee has essentially no other options other than to hack away at Medicaid.
Video of yesterday’s roundtable in Wenatchee is HERE; photos are HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s opening and closing remarks are HERE.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Horen Greenford, Lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in Ecological Economics and Climate Policy, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University
With a federal election on the horizon, economic policy is once again taking centre stage. Yet missing from the national debate is a serious reckoning with the failures of neoliberalism and the urgent need for alternatives.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, with his experience across banking and global finance, is one figure who could potentially steer that shift. Carney’s career, spanning Morgan Stanley, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England and Brookfield Asset Management, has exemplified his competence within the bounds of economic orthodoxy.
As the Bank of Canada’s governor, Carney pre-emptively cut interest rates to cushion the blow of the 2008 financial crisis. Standard measures like interest rate cuts and quantitative easing are meant to keep economies afloat during downturns. While necessary, these steps remained squarely within the bounds of conventional economic thinking.
Today, however, those old tricks aren’t enough. The twin crises of climate collapse and socioeconomic inequality demand bolder policy and braver leadership from policymakers.
MMT scholars argue that countries that issue their own currency, like Canada, have monetary sovereignty. These governments don’t need to rely on bond markets for funding; instead, they can create money directly through public spending. And, when they do sell debt, there’s never a shortage of demand for it.
From this perspective, the real constraint isn’t money, but productive capacity: materials, energy and labour. Public debt is neither inherently dangerous, nor is it “owed” to anyone.
MMT also argues the “tax and spend” perspective is backwards — taxes are not needed to fund public spending. In its view, governments spend first, then tax to remove money from circulation to keep inflation under control.
Inflation risk stems not from government spending, but from economic over-demand or supply constraints. During periods of low growth, spending is not just safe — it’s essential, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inflation during the pandemic was driven predominantly by supply chain disruptions and gas price spikes, not overspending. Strategic taxation can be used to curb demand and reduce inequality when inflation emerges.
MMT’s job guarantee
The hallmark policy of MMT is a job guarantee — a public option for employment that would employ anyone wanting to work. This would effectively end structural unemployment while improving conditions for those employed in the private sector through competition.
Such an initiative would help unlock productivity needed to revitalize and decarbonize housing, transport, energy and other critical infrastructure.
Yet instead of embracing such ideas, centrist parties like the Canadian Liberal Party and United Kingdom’s Labour Party cling to outdated concerns over “fiscal responsibility,” echoing debates that have been outdated since the end of the gold standard in the 1970s.
The cost of playing it safe
Carney appears to have retreated into political caution and has avoided challenging fiscal conservatism in any substantive way. Immediately upon taking office, he capitulated to misleading narratives promoted by politicians like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and cut the consumer carbon price.
According to the government’s own analysis, only the top 0.13 per cent of Canadians stood to lose from a modest increase in the inclusion rate for taxing unearned income.
During the Liberal leadership race, Carney advocated for using public investment to attract private capital during a CBC News interview. Sidestepping a direct answer about whether he’d balance the overall budget, he instead committed to balancing “operational spending.” When pressed, he said he would run deficits when necessary to “invest [in] and grow Canada’s economy.”
Carney’s approach frames public spending as a way to mobilize private capital, rather than as a driver of public-led economic transformation. True to his background, his language casts the government as a shrewd investor, not a driver of structural change.
Carney also framed public investment as “borrowing,” which MMT clarifies is a misnomer: unlike a household or a business, a currency-issuing government doesn’t need to borrow in the traditional sense and faces no risk of running out of its own currency.
A bolder path forward is needed
Canada needs more than cautious tweaks to the status quo. A climate jobs program, like a Youth Climate Corps, could guarantee well-paid, meaningful work in communities across the country for anyone ready to contribute. Public opinion is already there: more than half of Canadians support a climate corps.
Public-sector competition in industries like housing and renewable energy could keep private firms efficient and accountable. During World War II, engineer and businessman C.D. Howe became Minister of the Department of Munitions and Supply and oversaw the creation of 28 Crown corporations that drove wartime production.
Canada already has a Crown corporation mandated to support affordable housing: the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This agency could be expanded to not only finance, but also tender contracts and build housing. It could be a federal landlord, with long-term goals of community management and ownership.
The more affordable units kept out of an increasingly profit-driven market, the more accessible housing will be. This would stabilize the market and provide a floor (and roof) for affordability.
Some MMT scholars and social movements have even called for a homes guarantee — a federally-funded program to guarantee a place to live for anyone squeezed out of the housing market.
Critics might say bold investment is politically infeasible. But is it? Or could one of Canada’s federal parties champion policies that inspire instead of capitulate? Traditionally, the NDP would pick up this mantle, but they ceded their place as the progressive vanguard after former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair promised to balance the budget in 2015.
The real risk isn’t ambitious reform, but relying on outdated tricks in a world that demands new solutions.
Daniel Horen Greenford receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Canadians watched the two leaders’ debates unfold last week in Montréal. The debates, and this election, occur at a pivotal moment in history. Canadians go to the polls as the future of global democracy and governance, and in fact the very independence of the country, is in the balance.
In crucial ways, the debates failed to meet the moment — and therefore will likely be forgotten as Canadians vote cast their ballots in a week. Unlike a past debate that focused on Canadian sovereignty between John Turner and Brian Mulroney in 1988, this one featured few knockout punches or memorable moments.
Shadows of the past
In the weeks prior to the debates, observers drew comparisons to that momentous English-language leaders’ showdown 37 years ago. That debate laid out a clear question for voters: Are you in favour of entering a free-trade agreement with the United States?
Prime Minister Mulroney was supportive of the agreement, while Liberal Leader Turner was sharply opposed, fearing for the country’s independence.
In the end, both Mulroney and Turner had a point. In the ensuing decades, free trade with the U.S. has brought both prosperity and dependence on the country as the Canadian economy became ever more deeply intertwined with that of the United States.
A hinge point in history
In 2025, we face an even more pivotal moment. The global order is shifting.
Given the gravity of the moment however, we heard comparatively little during the debates about how Canada must respond at this hinge point in history as Canadians adapt to a predictably unpredictable future.
There was some talk during the debate of Canada trying to reach the (Trump-demanded) NATO military target for military spending, but nothing about the fact that the future of the alliance is uncertain. European states are openly questioning the credibility of American support in the event of an attack and European leaders discussing defence strategies without American involvement for the first time since the Second World War.
It’s clear from such silences on the debate stage that Canadian voters, journalists, debate moderators and politicians alike are all still coming to terms with the depth of change in the world around them.
The debate was filled with talk of pipelines, housing strategies and domestic law and order. In fact, neither debate was much different from those of the past 20 years.
That’s not to suggest domestic challenges don’t require substantive discussion and policy proposals. As I and others have argued, the populist anti-incumbent wave that we saw sweeping Canadian and global politics in recent years can be traced to the sense that a portion of the population — younger voters in particular — feel left behind and ignored.
Nonetheless, in focusing so heavily on domestic and not global threats, the debate verged at times on the parochial.
Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet, for instance, tried to keep provincial jurisdiction and Québec’s interests top of mind. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s message, at its most effective, was that as the country turns to face new challenges, it cannot forget about the marginalized in Canadian society and abroad. Worthy points, but secondary to the larger moment.
Ultimately, the debate was dominated by the other two men on the stage with a real chance to govern the country next week: Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The two appeared united in their passion for the country and pipelines, and share some other priorities, notably facilitating interprovincial economic integration.
Conservative base is divided
In other respects, the two leaders diverged significantly in their views. Of all the leaders, Carney was the most willing to discuss the Trump threat, including when he suggested in his closing English remarks that Trump is “trying to break us so the U.S. can own us.”
For the majority of the debates, however, the Liberal leader focused primarily on the economic threat. He argued that the country must look away from the U.S., and instead build inward with investment in housing and energy at home, and build outward by identifying more reliable markets and allies abroad.
Poilievre’s messaging was more nuanced, moving in different directions to suit different audiences. No doubt this is because the country’s Conservative voting base is itself deeply divided between mainstream conservatives who share their fellow Canadians’ concerns about Trump and a populist faction that tends to identify with the MAGA movement in numerous ways.
In attempting to square that circle, Poilievre has signalled strong opposition to Trump and his tariffs — a point he repeatedly discussed during the debate — and called for measures to enhance Canadian productivity, notably in the energy sector.
At the same time, however, he endorsed other policies that evoke aspects of Trump’s own political agenda, something he largely avoided mentioning during the debates. Notable among are Poilievre’s promised war on “woke” culture. While not discussed in detail during the debates, disruptive questions from right-wing media outlets following the French debate illustrated just how close to the surface such issues remain.
The ‘new abnormal’
In the absence of a significant gaffe, knockout blow or other dramatic twist, the debates are unlikely to change many minds, and seem likely to soon fade from memory.
Initial post-debate polling suggests as much. Anyone leaning one way or another heard enough to affirm their views as they tuned into the debates, and nothing to make them question their choice.
Answers to larger questions about how Canada should move forward in this emergent new global order, amid daunting new threats to peace and democracy, remain only hinted at. Whoever wins the election, those questions will continue to be asked with increased urgency in the coming years.
Stewart Prest does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2
Media Advisory Monday, April 21, 2025
Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022.
What Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022, even during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2024 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. Among men, overall cancer incidence, measured as the rate of new cancer diagnoses, decreased from 2001 through 2013 and then stabilized through 2021. Among women, overall cancer incidence increased slightly every year from 2003 through 2021, with the exception of 2020. The report appeared April 21, 2025, in Cancer. Progress in reducing cancer deaths overall is largely the result of declines in both incidence and death rates for lung cancer and several other smoking-related cancers, the researchers noted. New diagnoses and deaths from lung cancer, for example, have declined in both men and women over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the incidence of cancers associated with obesity has been rising. These include female breast, uterus, colon and rectum, pancreas, kidney, and liver cancers. The report also shows that new diagnoses of breast cancer gradually increased over the study period, but the overall breast cancer death rate decreased. Cancer death rates in children declined steadily over the study period; those for adolescents and young adults also declined until recently, when the decline slowed and stabilized. From 2018 to 2022, cancer deaths decreased for each major racial and ethnic population group. From 2017 to 2021 (excluding 2020), cancer incidence was stable among men in each major racial and ethnic population group but increased among women in each major racial and ethnic population group. During the same time period, among men, incidence was highest in non-Hispanic Black men, whereas among women, incidence was highest in American Indian and Alaska Native women. The report also included an analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on observed cancer incidence in individual states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for the first two years of the pandemic. Cancer incidence declined sharply in 2020, likely due to pandemic-related disruptions in health care, but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021. The magnitude of the 2020 decline was similar across states, despite variations in COVID-19 policy restrictions. The researchers noted that these findings underscore the importance of providing access to health care, even during public health emergencies, to ensure the timely diagnosis of cancer. The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer is a collaborative effort among the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the American Cancer Society (ACS); and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).The report provides annual updates on cancer trends in the United States. The report is based on cancer incidence data from population-based cancer registries, funded by CDC and NCI and compiled by NAACCR, and on cancer death data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Vital Statistics System. For more about the report, see: https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/. Who
NAACCR: Recinda L. Sherman, Ph.D., M.P.H. ACS: Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., Ph.D. CDC: Jane Henley, M.S.P.H., and Lisa C. Richardson, M.D., M.P.H. NIH: Serban Negoita, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Kathleen A. Cronin, Ph.D., M.P.H.
The Study “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, Featuring State-Level Statistics after the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic” appears April 21, 2025, in Cancer. About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s contact center, the Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). About the American Cancer Society (ACS): The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. For more than 100 years, the American Cancer Society has been the preeminent cancer-fighting organization in the United States through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. We have helped lead the evolution in the way the world prevents, detects, treats, and thinks about cancer. For more information go to www.cancer.org. About the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC’s world-leading experts protect lives and livelihoods, national security and the U.S. economy by providing timely, commonsense information, and rapidly identifying and responding to diseases, including outbreaks and illnesses. CDC drives science, public health research, and data innovation in communities across the country by investing in local initiatives to protect everyone’s health. For more information, see www.cdc.gov. About the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR): The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc., is a professional organization that develops and promotes uniform data standards for cancer registration; provides education and training; certifies population-based registries; aggregates and publishes data from central cancer registries; and promotes the use of cancer surveillance data and systems for cancer control and epidemiologic research, public health programs, and patient care to reduce the burden of cancer in North America. For more, see naaccr.org. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health® ###
Sara Oyler-McCance’s selection for this award reflects recognition of her decades’ long contributions to the wildlife profession, including her distinguished career with USGS and leadership role at the Fort Collins Science Center, and her sustained and significant contributions to the field of conservation genetics and management of western wildlife.
Sara has set an exceptional example of how earning a wildlife degree from the University of Maine can empower students to go on to great professional and personal achievement.
The MEL provides essential science for the management of natural resources, supporting efforts to monitor, restore, and understand wildlife populations. With this, they have published hundreds of papers on the genetics and genomics of iconic wildlife like American bison, sage-grouse, wild horses, honeybees, Burmese pythons, and others pictured below.
Discoveries include identification and characterization of new species, like the Gunnison sage-grouse, novel technologies, like the use of eDNA for studying cryptic invasive species, and innovative solutions, like the use of genomic data mining to understand local adaptation in wildlife.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in Nature Medicine looks at blood pressure control for dementia.
Dr Julia Dudley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“This large trial of over 33,000 people in rural China provides further evidence that addressing high blood pressure could be one way to reduce dementia risk. This is consistent with a landmark report published in The Lancet last year, which highlighted untreated high blood pressure as one of 14 risk factors that account for almost half of global dementia cases. Existing medicines and lifestyle changes to reduce blood pressure could present a more accessible way to lower dementia risk for those with high blood pressure.
“While the results from this trial are reassuring, further studies are needed to understand how other risk factors like genetics interact with factors like high blood pressure to influence dementia risk. It will also be interesting to see whether interventions trialed in this study can work in other populations across the world.
“Looking after our heart and blood vessel health is something we can all do to improve our overall wellbeing and reduce our risk of dementia. With no current treatments available on the NHS to slow or stop the diseases that cause dementia, there has never been a more pressing need to promote good brain health and to gain a deeper understanding of how we can reduce our risk of developing dementia.
“The government also has a vital role to play in tackling the health and lifestyle factors that influence dementia risk – including cardiovascular health. This could mean introducing policies to reduce salt, sugar, and calories in processed foods, and lowering the NHS Health Check eligibility age in England from 40 to 30, so more people can start managing their blood pressure earlier in life.
“If you’re worried about your blood pressure, or haven’t had it checked for a while, speak to your GP or your local pharmacy may offer this service. If you’re over 40, you should ideally have your blood pressure checked at least every five years.”
Prof James Leiper, Director of Research, British Heart Foundation, said:
“There has been evidence for a long time that people who have high blood pressure have a higher risk of developing dementia, especially vascular dementia. The findings of this large trial, involving high blood pressure treatments that are already widespread, offer strong evidence that enhanced treatment of high blood pressure could in turn reduce the heightened dementia risk that comes with it.
“It will be important to see whether this reduced risk continues for longer than the four-year follow up period in the study, and whether similar effects are seen in other populations that receive the same treatment. If so, wider use of high blood pressure treatment in people with the condition could be recommended to fight the growing impact of dementia.”
Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. The condition is progressive and although no single behaviour is guaranteed to prevent dementia, we know that what’s good for your heart is often also good for your head.
“This study is one of the first big trials to test whether treating high blood pressure, supported by health coaching can reduce dementia risk, and the results appear to be promising.
“It is encouraging that the intervention worked in real-world, rural settings using non-physician healthcare workers, which may have implications for delivering care in areas with limited resources in the future. However, this four-year study cannot tell us whether the benefits will last in the long-term so we will continue to follow this trial.
“Research will one day beat dementia. This study takes another step forwards and we will be keen to see further studies provide more information about the impact of blood pressure control over the longer term and in other populations.”
Prof Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice Principal for Health for Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, said:
“the findings reported in Nature Medicine show that optimizing blood pressure control convincingly reduces risk of dementia. There have been prior studies suggesting correlation of blood pressure level and dementia risk -especially vascular dementia – but this is a very emphatic outcome of a trial. The trial is in a Chinese population so some people might say it isn’t generalisable, but we know from other research that the correlation of blood pressure level with adverse outcomes is consistent across populations. This is a really major advance in dementia prevention and will transform global blood pressure guidance and prevention strategies.”
Prof Ian Maidment, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, Aston University, said:
“There is already good evidence that we should control hypertension to reduce the potential risk of dementia.
“The study here showed that the intervention reduced the risk of dementia (as expected). However, the intervention would require significant modification. It was delivered by “village doctors” in rural villages in China. It would require significant changes for the UK and other similar healthcare systems; although potentially community pharmacists could deliver a similar programme.
“There are also a number of further limitations to consider before we should consider changing UK practice. The cohort were relatively young at baseline (62/ 63 years old) and only followed up for 48 months. In part due to these two factors, very few dementia cases actually arose during the trial: 4.59% (n=668) intervention vs 5.40% (n=734) in control. This represents 66 excess cases (734 minus 668; although the denominator is different. There were 17,407 people in the intervention group vs 16,588 in the control group). There was also no health economic data for the intervention delivered across 163 villages for 48 months.”
Prof Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology, University of Oxford, said:
“This is a landmark study with a very large sample size and a robust effect. It’s a wake-up call to treat high blood pressure intensively, not just to protect the heart but also the brain.”
“Remarkably, within just four years, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of dementia by aggressively treating raised blood pressure. Although many patients and their GPs understand how important it is to treat blood pressure, they might not appreciate what a risk it poses for developing dementia. In my clinic, I recommend keeping BP consistently below 140/80.”
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and President of the British Neuroscience Association said:
“This paper by He and team based at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center tested whether treatment for high blood pressure was associated with a reduction in risk of developing dementia. The team randomly assigned 163 villages in rural China to treat people with high blood pressure with medication and coaching to help them manage blood pressure and in 163 similar villages, people received standard care. The team observed that the people in the group receiving treatment for two years had a 15% reduced risk of developing dementia to the control group . This randomized, controlled trial provides further strong evidence supporting the importance of managing blood pressure and other cardiovascular risks to protect the brain during ageing. It is important to note that treating high blood pressure was not a fool-proof guarantee as some people receiving treatment still developed dementia. Although lifestyle modification is not a guarantee of avoiding dementia, strong evidence suggests there are things we can all do to keep our brains healthy and reduce dementia risk as we age including keeping mentally, physically, and socially active, treating conditions like hearing loss and high blood pressure, and avoiding things like head injury, too much alcohol, and smoking.”
Prof Atticus Hainsworth, Professor of Cerebrovascular Disease, St George’s, University of London (SGUL), said:
“It is encouraging to see further support for the concept that intensive blood pressure control reduces dementia risk. Jiang He and colleagues report a large clinical study, sampling older people from over 300 Chinese villages (almost 34,000 participants). Blood pressure was treated with cheap, readily-available drugs, managed by community healthcare workers who were not specialist doctors. They found a significant reduction in dementia risk among those villages where blood pressure was treated intensively. The implication is clear. We have an intervention that moves the needle on dementia risk, that can be delivered to large numbers of people in their communities, at modest cost.
“There are parallels with a previous large clinical trial of intensive blood pressure lowering in older North Americans (the SPRINT-MIND study). The reduction in risk was similar – about 15%. In both studies, the beneficial effect did not depend on using specific drug type to lower blood pressure. And in both, an effect of treatment was apparent after 12-18 months (though both studies continued for a longer duration).
“Replicating experimental findings doesn’t always happen. Here we are looking at similar findings from two big trials in different settings – rural China and (largely urban, primarily white) North America. These concordant findings may prompt changes in healthcare policy guidelines.”
Prof Toby Richards, Department of Allied and Public Health, School Of Health, Sport And Bioscience at the University of East London, said:
“Dementia is a rising problem in society today.
“In this large community based clinical trial in 34,000 people, the authors have shown two important findings. Firstly, that non-medical staff can provide medical information and deliver primary care protocols effectively in a community setting. And secondly that effectively lowering blood pressure to
“The data reinforce recent European Society of Cardiology 2024 guidelines aiming for a lower blood pressure and a structured algorithm of treatment.
“This has important ramifications for individuals. Blood Pressure can be relatively easy to measure at home enabling individuals to take control and autonomy for their health and these data show benefit in reducing the risk for developing dementia.
“In a resource strapped NHS these data also show that an algorithm of Treatment based on the European Society guidelines can be implemented by non-health care professionals, potentially at pharmacy level.
“In summary these data support treating blood pressure to
‘Blood pressure reduction and all-cause dementia in people with uncontrolled hypertension: an open-label, blinded-endpoint, cluster-randomized trial’ by Jiang He et al. was published in Nature Medicine at 16:00 UK time on Monday 21st Monday.
Prof James Leiper: No conflicts of interest to declare.
Prof Sir Mark Caulfield: Mark Caulfield was President of the British and Irish Hypertension Society between 2009-11 and served on the European Society of Hypertension Council.
Between 2013-21 he was Chief Scientist for Genomics England, a Department of Health and Social Care Company
Prof Ian Maidment: No declarations of interest.
Prof Masud Husain: I don’t have any conflicts of interest.
Prof Tara Spires-Jones: I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several other charities and non-profit institutions.
Prof Atticus Hainsworth: I have co-authored a publication with one of the authors, Dr Jeff Williamson, on a related topic. I lead the Vascular Experimental Medicine group in DementiasPlatformUK. I serve on a scientific panel for AriBio Ltd.
Prof Toby Richards: Professor Richards has declared no conflicts of interest.
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The team of the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work of the State University of Management took part in organizing the forum “School of Information and Spiritual Security”.
The goal of the forum is to develop a methodology for creating popular media content in the area of preserving traditional spiritual and moral values, fostering religious culture, patriotism and all-Russian civic identity, taking into account the experience of young people.
Speakers at the Forum included the Chairman of the All-Russian Interethnic Union of Youth, Director of the Scientific, Methodological and Project Center for Strengthening Interethnic Friendship and Citizenship of the State University of Management Kantemir Khurtayev, expert of the Council for Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation Alexey Vaits, expert of the State Duma Committee on Nationalities Anna Bakaeva, head of the Department of Educational and Cultural Work of the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work of the State University of Management Alexandra Kobylyanskaya and others.
The event was attended by 50 people: opinion leaders, activists of youth national communities and regional associations, as well as interethnic student associations of Moscow universities, representatives of the Central Asian republics and the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District, bloggers and residents of the Center for New Media.
Participants had the opportunity to analyze effective methods and tools for preserving traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, get acquainted with the key principles of forming religious culture, and improve their skills in creating popular content based on modern methods of conveying values. The leisure part included a screening and discussion of the film “Paradise Under the Feet of Mothers” and a house concert.
The organizers were the All-Russian public movement for promoting friendship and harmony among young people “All-Russian Interethnic Union of Youth”, the Centralized religious organization “International Islamic Mission” and the Scientific, Methodological and Project Center for Strengthening Interethnic Friendship and Citizenship of the State University of Management under the Coordination Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia with the assistance of the Fund for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 21.04.2025
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.
The President’s directive to expand timber production touches on a number, whole-of-government efforts needed to improve forest management. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) plays an important role in defending those agencies’ actions, and recently the division successfully defended projects in Montana, Idaho, and California that underscore this work.
In Montana, ENRD defended the Forest Service’s South Plateau Landscape Area Treatment Project on the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The project is designed to increase landscape resiliency to insects and disease, help protect a nearby community from wildland fire and contribute to a sustained yield of timber products. The magistrate judge recommended the district court uphold the project after finding, among other things, consistent and science-based support in the project’s approach to grizzly bear and lynx and their habitat.
In the Central District of California, ENRD defended the North Big Bear Landscape Restoration Project in the San Bernardino National Forest. The project will thin trees and reduce wildfire risk, and the district court’s decision affirmed the Forest Service’s review of the science and makes clear that thinning trees is not always controversial and thus subject to additional levels of scrutiny.
A third case in Idaho focused on two large forest health restoration projects on Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. The projects will improve forest health, reduce fire risk, and provide timber that will support the social and economic structure of local rural communities and provide for regional and national needs. The Forest Service had done an extensive environmental impact statement and other work to comply with a 2021 order from the district court. The court found that the Forest Service’s work addressed its concerns and provided thorough analyses, paving the way for the projects to proceed.
MIAMI and NEW YORK and LONDON, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyber A.I. Group, Inc. (“CyberAI” or the “Company”), an emerging growth Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and IT services company engaged in the development of next-generation Cybersecurity technology, announced today the appointment of industry leading expert and adjunct professor at NYU, Dr. Peter J. Morales as the Company’s Chief Technology Officer.
Dr. Morales brings over 30 years of pioneering experience across finance, education, enterprise technology and the defense sectors, with a long-standing commitment to ethical innovation, advanced systems architecture, and AI expertise. As CTO at CyberAI, Dr. Morales is expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating the CyberAI’s strategy and scaling AI-powered solutions by driving the launch of the Company’s next-generation AI-driven cybersecurity IP through its CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™ initiatives.
CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™ represents a paradigm shift in Cybersecurity, committed to monetizing proprietary technology and providing clients with a holistic solution to cybersecurity threats by safeguarding digital assets. CyberAI intends to become a cost-effective solution to comprehensive Cybersecurity services for middle market companies on a global basis. This is in addition to CyberAI’s short-term objective of acquiring, consolidating and transforming IT services companies aggregating $100 million in revenues within the next 12 to 18 months with an anticipated listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
“We are honored to announce the appointment of Dr. Morales as our new Chief Technology Officer,” stated Walter Hughes, CEO of CyberAI. “His proven track record of building secure, scalable systems across both public and private sectors—including developing technology infrastructure at the NYSE and leading cloud initiatives at NYU— makes Dr. Morales uniquely qualified to guide our global technology initiatives, including CyberAI Sentinel 2.0, as we acquire and evolve top-performing IT service companies toward our stated objective of achieving $100 million in revenue.”
Over the years, Dr. Morales has held executive and academic leadership roles that bridge advanced technology with strategic innovation. At the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), he served as VP, CIO, and CISO, leading programs in cybersecurity, software development, data analytics, and enterprise systems. In addition, over 10 years at NYU, Dr. Morales led a global peer-to-peer collaboration platform initiative, launched a PMO, oversaw the university’s first AWS cloud migration, and cultivated a research partnership with NASA Langley, resulting in a Space Act Agreement.
His early career included developing mission-critical systems for the U.S. Navy’s F-18 aircraft and building high-performance trading infrastructure for the American and New York Stock Exchanges. Dr. Morales also led the creation of a pioneering diagnostic platform for pediatric neurological research at North Shore University Hospital.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to challenges where complex systems, human ingenuity, and mission-critical outcomes intersect, and that’s exactly what CyberAI represents,” said Dr. Morales. “CyberAI’s model—rooted in acquiring established, high-performing companies and enhancing their value through practical, responsible A.I. adoption—is exactly the kind of approach that intrigues me. With its visionary strategy and strong momentum, CyberAI is positioned to transform the IT services landscape and I look forward to helping integrate and elevate their CyberAI Sentinel 2.0 initiatives through secure, intelligent systems that drive real-world impact.”
Dr. Morales holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Engineering Management from NYU Tandon School of Engineering, as well as a Doctorate in Computer Science with a specialization in computational econometric modeling. He has been a PMP-certified project manager for more than 20 years and is Scrum Master certified.
In addition, Dr. Morales continues to teach in NYU’s M.S. programs in Project and Systems Management, and he serves on the boards of the EPIC Education Foundation and NABU, a UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) NGO. He has also delivered project management training across numerous New York City agencies and taught advanced tech and leadership courses at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.
“Dr. Morales brings the kind of visionary yet grounded leadership that is essential to CyberAI’s long-term success,” said Alfonso J. Cervantes, Jr., Executive Chairman of CyberAI. “As we execute on our global acquisition strategy, we are not simply aggregating companies—we are transforming them into next-generation technology enterprises. His leadership ensures we can generate our own proprietary technology into industry leading AI innovation, operational efficiency, and cyber resilience.”
Through AI innovation, CyberAI Sentinel 2.0 is designed to empower enterprises with intelligent, adaptive, and proactive protection, while also leveraging CyberAI’s expanding customer base as the Company continues to grow through its M&A initiatives.
About Cyber A.I. Group
Cyber A.I. Group, Inc. (“CyberAI”) is an international company engaged in the acquisition and management of worldwide Cybersecurity and IT services firms. CyberAI is pursuing a highly proactive “Buy & Build” strategy to rapidly expand operations internationally by acquiring a broad spectrum of IT services companies and repositioning them to address fast-growing market needs for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence markets. The Company has developed an active pipeline of 300+ perspective acquisitions which are in various stages of analysis. The Company’s initial target is to acquire multiple companies representing aggregate revenues annualizing $100 million within the next 12 to 18 months with an anticipated listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). CyberAI’s business model is focused on the acquisition and consolidation of IT services worldwide with proven ability in broad conventional technology services with strong cash flow and enhance performance through A.I.-driven Cybersecurity initiatives. This emphasis on conventional companies with strong revenues and EBITDA distinguishes CyberAI from the explosion of A.I. startups that may be pinning their future on a single technological breakthrough which may never materialize. This “Buy & Build” strategy provides CyberAI with the maximum flexibility for diversification and risk management for moving into new fields and addressing fast moving market opportunities. For additional information, please visit: cyberaigroup.io.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Speech by Irina Chechik
As part of the III National (All-Russian) scientific and practical conference with international participation “Current issues of economics and management in construction”, the Department of Intercultural Communication of SPbGASU organized and held a section “Language training of future professionals” on April 17.
In her welcoming speech, the head of the Department of Intercultural Communication Elena Selezneva emphasized the importance of including the section in the work of the university conference, since knowledge of foreign languages, understanding of cultural characteristics, and the ability to effectively interact with representatives of other cultures are becoming key competencies for specialists in any field. A separate greeting was addressed to young scientists participating in the section: students, postgraduates.
Professor of the Department of Intercultural Communication Elena Chirkova shared her thoughts on the importance of live communication: “In a world where digital technologies are rapidly changing the usual forms of communication, it is live communication that remains the foundation on which true understanding and deep mutual perception are built.” The professor is confident that live communication is not just an exchange of information. It is an exchange of emotions, cultural characteristics and unique experience that cannot be fully conveyed through screens and virtual platforms. This is especially true for learning foreign languages – a process that requires not only knowledge, but also live interaction, immersion in the cultural context and direct dialogue with teachers or native speakers. With the availability of online courses and programs for additional practice, it is live language learning, including dialogues, discussions, exchange of experience and cultural characteristics, that forms real language competence.
Participants from St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Tyumen, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and others discussed the improvement of language training strategies, improving the quality of teaching foreign languages, including Russian as a foreign language. Particular attention was paid to the introduction of new technologies, primarily artificial intelligence, to solve current problems of language education.
Associate Professor of the Department of Intercultural Communication Irina Chechik and Senior Lecturer of the Department Natalia Savelyeva prepared a report “Study of the language of the specialty by foreign students-architects based on local history texts (initial stage of training)”. In her speech Irina Chechik noted the enthusiasm with which students-architects perceive local history texts containing information about the architectural monuments of St. Petersburg. Irina Vladimirovna gave examples of such texts from a new teaching aid developed by teachers of Russian as a foreign language of the Department of Intercultural Communication.
In this textbook, the authors chose popular science texts. Grammar is given through constructions (models), which are practiced in exercises. Each text contains information about the history of the object, archival photographs. Students are asked to compare different architectural monuments, which gives additional opportunities to include speech activity.
Senior Lecturer of the Department of Intercultural Communication Valeria Ryabkova presented a report on “The Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Language Training of University Students”. Valeria Valeryevna noted the explosive growth of interest in this topic. Artificial intelligence in education opens up many new opportunities: it allows developing and implementing teaching methods for specific disciplines, simulating speech and thinking activity, implementing automated control and providing feedback. Valeria Ryabkova reviewed specialized and universal generative chatbots and gave an example of a task from her textbook on English for forensic experts using artificial intelligence. According to the speaker, specific pedagogical technologies for the use of generative artificial intelligence are not yet available, and we are at the stage of analyzing the accumulated experience.
“Artificial intelligence has a certain didactic potential, but requires careful control from teachers. First of all, we ourselves must learn to use it and teach our students to use it,” Valeria Ryabkova summed up.
We thank all section participants for their fruitful work and exchange of valuable experience!
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.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia and AUSTIN, Texas , April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inspire Semiconductor Holdings Inc. (“InspireSemi” or the “Company”), a chip design company that provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads, is pleased to announce that today it is providing a general business update by live webinar at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time).
Key topics the business update covers include:
Announcement that the Company’s improved flagship Thunderbird 1 product has been sent for production with first wafers expected to be in hand in July, 2025
Operations between now and return of first wafers and plan for production readiness
Impact of tariffs on the Company
Update on Market, Customer and sales outlook
A further financing commitment for US$3M expected to close in May, 2025 as further discussed below
To join the Business Update please use the following Zoom link:
A recording of the business update will be made available in the Investors section of the Company’s website at https://inspiresemi.com/investors/.
Details of Additional Funding
The Company has received a funding commitment for a private placement comprised of proportionate voting share units (“PV Units”) for total proceeds of US$3,000,000.10 (the “Financing”). The Financing will be wholly subscribed for by the investor (the “Investor”) who previously subscribed under the convertible loan agreement dated September 23, 2024 (as described in the Company’s press release dated September 23, 2024) pursuant to the Investor’s right of first refusal thereunder.
On closing the Investor will be issued PV Units at a price per PV Unit of US$9.50. Each PV Unit consists of one proportionate voting share in the capital of the Company (each a “PV Share”) and one half of one PV Share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole warrant a “PV Warrant”). Each whole PV Warrant will be exercisable for one PV Share at a price per share of US$9.50.
The Company expects the Financing to close in May 2025, and will provide further updates on the same by further press release.
About InspireSemi
InspireSemi provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High-Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads. The Thunderbird I ‘supercomputer-cluster-on-a-chip’ is a disruptive, next-generation datacenter accelerator designed to address multiple underserved and diversified industries, including financial services, computer-aided engineering, energy, climate modeling, cybersecurity, and life sciences & drug discovery. Based on the open standard RISC-V instruction set architecture, InspireSemi’s solutions set new standards of performance, energy efficiency, and ease of programming. InspireSemi is headquartered in Austin, TX.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). Statements concerning InspireSemi’s objectives, goals, strategies, priorities, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and the business, operations, financial performance and condition of InspireSemi are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass.
Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information regarding: (i) the business plans and expectations of the Company including expectations with respect to production of Thunderbird I and development of future projects and; (ii) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (iii) expectations regarding the Financing. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this presentation, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of InspireSemi, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to the Company including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking information reflects management’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to them and on assumptions they believe to be not unreasonable in light of all of the circumstances. In some instances, material factors or assumptions are discussed in this news release in connection with statements containing forward-looking information. Such material factors and assumptions include, but are not limited to: (i) statements relating to the expected performance and production timeline of Thunderbird I (ii) business and future activities of, and developments related to, the Company after the date of this press release; (iii) the closing of the Financing (iv) expectations for other economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors related to the Company or the technology industry generally; (v) the risk factors referenced in this news release and as described from time to time in documents filed by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca; and (vi) other events or conditions that may occur in the future. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and, other than as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations
JAKARTA, 21 April 2025 – ASEAN and China reaffirmed their shared commitment to further advancing the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) at the 26th Meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Cooperation Committee (ACJCC), held today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.
China reaffirmed its steadfast support for ASEAN Community-building efforts and ASEAN’s central role in regional affairs. China also underscored ASEAN as a key priority on China’s neighbourhood diplomacy.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on recent developments in ASEAN and China, and reviewed the progress of ASEAN-China CSP over the past year. Notable progress has been made in the final year of the implementation of the ASEAN-China Plan of Action (POA) 2021-2025 and its Annex to advance the CSP.
Under the framework of the existing POA, ASEAN and China continued to strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas such as non-traditional security, trade and investment, science and technology, green economy, digital ecosystems, agriculture and food security, clean energy, tourism, education, public health, culture, and disaster management.
Under the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges 2025, both sides looked forward to various projects and activities to be conducted, to implement the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation in People-to-People Exchanges adopted last year.
The two sides also discussed other deliverables of ASEAN-China cooperation this year, including, among others, the expected signing of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 upgrade, the establishment of the ASEAN-China Tourism Ministers meeting, and the adoption of a new POA (2026-2030) to further advance the ASEAN-China CSP and contribute to the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
China also put forward proposals for enhancing cooperation with ASEAN in maritime cooperation, artificial intelligence, transport, blue economy, women and children health, and environment.
The Meeting was co-chaired by Permanent Representative of Malaysia to ASEAN, H.E. Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, and Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN, H.E. Hou Yanqi, and attended by Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat. Timor-Leste attended as Observer.
A mourner holds a portrait of Pope Francis at the Basílica de San José de Flores in Buenos Aires, a church where the pope worshipped in his youth.AP Photo/Gustavo Garello
Pope Francis, whose papacy blended tradition with pushes for inclusion and reform, died on April, 21, 2025 – Easter Monday – at the age of 88.
Here we spotlight five stories from The Conversation’s archive about his roots, faith, leadership and legacy.
1. A Jesuit pope
Jorge Mario Bergoglio became a pope of many firsts: the first modern pope from outside Europe, the first whose papal name honors St. Francis of Assisi, and the first Jesuit – a Catholic religious order founded in the 16th century.
Those Jesuit roots shed light on Pope Francis’ approach to some of the world’s most pressing problems, argues Timothy Gabrielli, a theologian at the University of Dayton.
Gabrielli highlights the Jesuits’ “Spiritual Exercises,” which prompt Catholics to deepen their relationship with God and carefully discern how to respond to problems. He argues that this spiritual pattern of looking beyond “presenting problems” to the deeper roots comes through in Francis’ writings, shaping the pope’s response to everything from climate change and inequality to clerical sex abuse.
Early on in his papacy, Francis famously told an interviewer, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Over the years, he has repeatedly called on Catholics to love LGBTQ+ people and spoken against laws that target them.
An LGBTQ couple embrace after a pastoral worker blesses them at a Catholic church in Germany, in defiance of practices approved by Rome. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
But “Francis’ inclusiveness is not actually radical,” explains Steven Millies, a scholar at the Catholic Theological Union. “His remarks generally correspond to what the church teaches and calls on Catholics to do,” without changing doctrine – such as that marriage is only between a man and a woman.
Rather, Francis’ comments “express what the Catholic Church says about human dignity,” Millies writes. “Francis is calling on Catholics to take note that they should be concerned about justice for all people.”
At times, Francis did something that was once unthinkable for a pope: He apologized.
He was not the first pontiff to do so, however. Pope John Paul II declared a sweeping “Day of Pardon” in 2000, asking forgiveness for the church’s sins, and Pope Benedict XVI apologized to victims of sexual abuse. During Francis’ papacy, he acknowledged the church’s historic role in Canada’s residential school system for Indigenous children and apologized for abuses in the system.
But what does it mean for a pope to say, “I’m sorry”?
Members of the Assembly of First Nations perform in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on March 31, 2022, ahead of an Indigenous delegation’s meeting with Pope Francis. AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino
Annie Selak, a theologian at Georgetown University, unpacks the history and significance of papal apologies, which can speak for the entire church, past and present. Often, she notes, statements skirt an actual admission of wrongdoing.
Still, apologies “do say something important,” Selak writes. A pope “apologizes both to the church and on behalf of the church to the world. These apologies are necessary starting points on the path to forgiveness and healing.”
Many popes convene meetings of the Synod of Bishops to advise the Vatican on church governance. But under Francis, these gatherings took on special meaning.
The Synod on Synodality was a multiyear, worldwide conversation where Catholics could share concerns and challenges with local church leaders, informing the topics synod participants would eventually discuss in Rome. What’s more, the synod’s voting members included not only bishops but lay Catholics – a first for the church.
The process “pictures the Catholic Church not as a top-down hierarchy but rather as an open conversation,” writes University of Dayton religious studies scholar Daniel Speed Thompson – one in which everyone in the church has a voice and listens to others’ voices.
In 2024, University of Notre Dame professor David Lantigua had a cup of maté tea with some “porteños,” as people from Buenos Aires are known. They shared a surprising take on the Argentine pope: “a theologian of the tango.”
Pope Francis drinks maté, the national beverage of Argentina, in St. Peter’s Square on his birthday on Dec. 17, 2014. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
Francis does love the dance – in 2014, thousands of Catholics tangoed in St. Peter’s Square to honor his birthday. But there’s more to it, Lantigua explains. Francis’ vision for the church was “based on relationships of trust and solidarity,” like a pair of dance partners. And part of his task as pope was to “tango” with all the world’s Catholics, carefully navigating culture wars and an increasingly diverse church.
Francis was “less interested in ivory tower theology than the faith of people on the streets,” where Argentina’s beloved dance was born.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Mountain, the leader in GMP-compliant Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software for life sciences, is pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Pensabene as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and Christian Rockwell as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). These strategic additions to the executive leadership team reinforce Blue Mountain’s commitment to growth, innovation, and delivering exceptional value to its customers.
Keith Pensabene brings extensive experience in revenue generation, sales leadership, and business development within the Life Sciences sector. Coming from leading companies including Accenture, IQVIA, Pilgrim QMS, and STARLIMS, Keith joined Blue Mountain as Chief Growth Officer where he was responsible for building strategic go-to-market partnerships to accelerate the company’s global footprint. As CRO, he will be responsible for driving Blue Mountain’s revenue strategy, optimizing sales performance, and expanding market opportunities. Pensabene’s proven track record of success in scaling businesses and fostering strong client relationships will be instrumental in accelerating the company’s growth trajectory.
Further bolstering the leadership team, Christian Rockwell brings a wealth of experience in building marketing organizations to support high growth technology businesses at companies including Advarra, Sparta Systems, Misys and Oracle. As CMO, Rockwell will oversee all aspects of marketing, including brand positioning, product marketing, digital marketing, and go-to-market initiatives. His expertise in executing data-driven marketing strategies will support Blue Mountain’s mission to enhance its industry presence as the market leader and connect with a broader audience.
“We are thrilled to welcome Keith and Christian to their roles at Blue Mountain,” said David Rode, CEO at Blue Mountain. “Their leadership, industry expertise, and strategic vision will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and scale as a business. We look forward to their contributions in driving sustainable growth and strengthening our market position.”
About Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain is the leader in enterprise asset management for Life Sciences. For over 35 years, Blue Mountain has been committed to delivering innovative and high-quality solutions that ensure regulatory compliance, enable operational efficiency and equipment uptime, and provide insights that optimize asset lifecycle management. Trusted by more than 400 Life Sciences companies, the Blue Mountain industry-leading cloud platform helps companies master end-to-end GMP asset management from set-up to installation and from training to validation. Blue Mountain is backed by Accel-KKR and headquartered in State College, PA.
New research improves ocean weather forecasts, enhancing public safety and economic growth
U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researchers published a new paper that explains how atmospheric wind affects eddies, an ocean weather phenomena of spinning ocean currents. “Our theory and findings provide a roadmap for incorporating interactions between winds and ocean eddies into operational and long-term forecasting,” said Hussein Aluie, a co-author on the paper and professor at the University of Rochester.
“Accurate ocean forecasts are essential for navigation and shipping, fisheries management, disaster response, coastal management and climate prediction,” Aluie said. These economic sectors rely on accurate forecasts to plan for potentially dangerous conditions.
Aluie and a team of researchers used satellite imagery and climate models to discover that not only do atmospheric winds dampen eddies, like previously thought, but they can also energize them. Prevailing winds that move longitudinally across the globe, like westerlies and trade winds, slow eddies when they move in the opposite direction but energize them if they spin the same way.
Between the eddies are ocean weather phenomenon called strain, which account for about half of the ocean’s kinetic energy. The team found that strain is also dampened or energized by wind-like eddies.
“The new energy pathways between the atmosphere and the ocean that we discovered can help design better ocean observation systems and improve climate models,” said Shikhar Rai, the study’s first author and a doctoral student at the University of Rochester, in a university statement.
People are more likely to believe an explanation when they see direct evidence of it. In the U.S., the percentage of people who recognize that global warming is happening is higher in counties that experienced record high temperatures in the previous decade. But understanding what’s happening and why also matters. That’s because people’s existing knowledge shapes how they interpret the evidence they see.
We found that in many southern states − such as Alabama, Mississippi and Texas − the correlation between the percentage of bachelor’s degrees at the county level and climate concern was weak. Higher education levels didn’t seem to make much of a difference in how concerned people were about climate change.
However, in northern states − such as Maine, Vermont and Michigan − the education effect was stronger. We believe this difference is in part because climate change is more perceptible in colder states. A 1-degree temperature rise in Florida may not feel significant, whereas in Maine or Wisconsin, it would be more noticeable as winters became shorter and signs of spring came earlier.
We believe the results suggest that higher education helps people who are exposed to perceptible warming shifts better understand the changes they are experiencing; it’s the pairing of both that makes the difference.
We wondered whether political ideology might be driving the trends we were finding. Southern states also tend to be more politically conservative.
When we controlled for political leanings, however, our analysis found that the education effect appeared to be mostly influenced by whether people had experienced perceptible warming in recent years.
There were two outliers: Despite being cold states that have experienced the effects of climate change, North and South Dakota had low education effects when it came to climate concern. One possible explanation is that fossil fuels are central to their economies, shaping local attitudes toward climate change.
Nationally, our study suggests that higher education leverages people’s experience with climate change to increase their climate concern. It isn’t just having a college education alone, as the different results from warmer and colder parts of the country show. It is experiencing rising temperatures that makes the difference. The more perceptible the warming, the greater the effect.
Young people are growing up with climate change
A generation ago, climate change seemed to be more theoretical prediction than common experience for most people in the U.S.
This may be part of the reason why a sense of urgency has been slow to develop, even though three-quarters of Americans recognize that global warming is happening. Generations that grew up in the mid-20th century, when seasons and climate seemed constant, had little reason to expect change.
Younger generations may see the world differently. For them, climate change has been a reality in their developing years. Given their personal experiences and interest in science, we believe higher education will have a powerful effect.
R. Alexander Bentley 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 Stan Meiburg, Executive Director, Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has announced plans to review or reverse dozens of environmental protection regulations.Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin have announced their intent to reconsider dozens of current regulations in an effort to loosen standards originally imposed to protect the environment and public health. But it’s not as simple as Trump and Zeldin just saying so.
There are some explicit restrictions that prevent loosening of existing environmental standards for clean air and water. In general, though, if the administration has evidence to support its claims that the protections should be reduced and the administration follows the process required by law, it is possible to loosen the restrictions. But as a former longtime senior leader at EPA and student of environmental policy, I know that process is not easy – and it’s not meant to be.
As examples of how the process of changing the rules and standards works, let’s look at the provisions of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Similar provisions exist in the nation’s wide range of environmental protection laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act; the Toxic Substances Control Act; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and others.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announces plans to review several environmental regulations on March 12, 2025.
Keeping the air clean
The Clean Air Act sets uniform national standards for air quality, and it created the rules by which states create plans to meet those standards.
One section of the law, Part C of Title I of the act, is titled “Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality.” Its provisions are meant to prevent states that meet the national standards from allowing air quality to get worse in the future.
Its basic effect is to require that new sources of pollution, or existing ones that make significant equipment changes, use the best available technology that meets or exceeds the minimum federal standards for pollution control. Additional protections apply to sensitive areas like national parks.
For areas that did not yet meet the standards, a set of amendments passed in 1990 included one that prevented air quality from getting worse. That provision, known as the “anti-backsliding rule,” says that no state whose air did not meet the standards before Nov. 15, 1990, can change its plan “unless the modification insures equivalent or greater emission reductions.” And once a state’s air quality improves to meet the standards, the state must follow maintenance plans to make sure the air quality doesn’t get worse.
Protecting the water
Under the Clean Water Act, states set water quality standards to protect drinking water and water for recreation, as well as to protect wildlife.
The Environmental Protection Agency has interpreted key sections of the law to require that states ensure that whatever companies discharge into the water from factories or other operations don’t degrade downstream water quality – even if the existing conditions are better than the minimum standards. Known as “anti-degradation provisions,” these rules mean water that is currently far cleaner than the standards require can’t legally be made more dirty, even if only a little bit.
Many federal standards can be weakened, so long as the EPA follows the Administrative Procedure Act’s process.
Since the 1970 passage of the Clean Air Act, the national air quality standards have not been weakened. Technology standards for air and water pollution controls have tightened over time because of advances that improved performance while reducing costs.
To change the rules under the Clean Air Act, the EPA must first provide evidence that the existing rules are no longer appropriate. Without that evidence, any changes may be overturned by the courts as not founded in facts – in legal terms, “arbitrary and capricious.” The first Trump administration’s efforts to change the rules failed in many court cases on this basis.
This review process is also required of the EPA’s intended effort to revoke the so-called “endangerment finding,” which establishes the agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. If successful, that revocation would undo the legal grounds for carbon dioxide and methane pollution standards for motor vehicles, electric utilities, oil and gas production, and large industrial sources.
Such an effort will certainly end up in court. The endangerment finding began with a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that required the EPA to assess whether greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health and welfare. In 2009, the agency found that they did. In 2012, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that finding, and the Supreme Court declined to reconsider the case.
Algae floats on Lake Erie. Algae blooms can be caused by water pollution. AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Other ways to reduce environmental protections
The Trump administration’s stated plans for amending water pollution rules illustrate that rolling back protections can also mean undoing efforts to strengthen restrictions, if those efforts did not get finalized before 2025.
For instance, in June 2024, the Biden administration’s EPA notified the public that it intended to tighten restrictions on manufacturing plants’ discharges of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, into surface water or public sewage-treatment systems. Those are a large category of human-made chemicals, used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat, which can be harmful to human health at some levels. These chemicals don’t break down easily and therefore are often called “forever chemicals.”
But the changes were never finalized, and on the second day of Trump’s second term, the new administration announced that the proposal had been withdrawn.
In general, U.S. environmental laws do not prevent the EPA from weakening protection standards. But merely announcing the agency’s intention to do something doesn’t make it so.
In a recent executive order, Trump claimed he could take an action without public notice and comment “because I am ordering the repeal.” But federal law specifies that the process of change requires explicit descriptions of scientific and technical reasons and evidence that justify any proposed actions, and a notice-and-comment process that involves the public.
In the meantime, the existing standards remain in place, enforceable by citizen lawsuits even if the federal government decides not to enforce them. Agencies require technical and legal expertise to craft rules that can survive inevitable challenges in the courts. Many of those experts have been fired or laid off by the Trump administration, making the job of changing regulations more difficult.
Stan Meiburg is a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network, a non-partisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. He is also a 39 year alumnus of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is a professional colleague with Sid Shapiro, whose Conversation article is cited in this piece.
Why don’t humans have hair all over their bodies like other animals? – Murilo, age 5, Brazil
Have you ever wondered why you don’t have thick hair covering your whole body like a dog, cat or gorilla does?
Humans aren’t the only mammals with sparse hair. Elephants, rhinos and naked mole rats also have very little hair. It’s true for some marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, too.
Scientists think the earliest mammals, which lived at the time of the dinosaurs, were quite hairy. But over hundreds of millions of years, a small handful of mammals, including humans, evolved to have less hair. What’s the advantage of not growing your own fur coat?
I’m a biologist who studies the genes that control hairiness in mammals. Why humans and a small number of other mammals are relatively hairless is an interesting question. It all comes down to whether certain genes are turned on or off.
Hair benefits
Hair and fur have many important jobs. They keep animals warm, protect their skin from the sun and injuries and help them blend into their surroundings.
They even assist animals in sensing their environment. Ever felt a tickle when something almost touches you? That’s your hair helping you detect things nearby.
Humans do have hair all over their bodies, but it is generally sparser and finer than that of our hairier relatives. A notable exception is the hair on our heads, which likely serves to protect the scalp from the sun. In human adults, the thicker hair that develops under the arms and between the legs likely reduces skin friction and aids in cooling by dispersing sweat.
So hair can be pretty beneficial. There must have been a strong evolutionary reason for people to lose so much of it.
Why humans lost their hair
The story begins about 7 million years ago, when humans and chimpanzees took different evolutionary paths. Although scientists can’t be sure why humans became less hairy, we have some strong theories that involve sweat.
Humans have far more sweat glands than chimps and other mammals do. Sweating keeps you cool. As sweat evaporates from your skin, heat energy is carried away from your body. This cooling system was likely crucial for early human ancestors, who lived in the hot African savanna.
Of course, there are plenty of mammals living in hot climates right now that are covered with fur. Early humans were able to hunt those kinds of animals by tiring them out over long chases in the heat – a strategy known as persistence hunting.
Humans didn’t need to be faster than the animals they hunted. They just needed to keep going until their prey got too hot and tired to flee. Being able to sweat a lot, without a thick coat of hair, made this endurance possible.
Genes that control hairiness
To better understand hairiness in mammals, my research team compared the genetic information of 62 different mammals, from humans to armadillos to dogs and squirrels. By lining up the DNA of all these different species, we were able to zero in on the genes linked to keeping or losing body hair.
Among the many discoveries we made, we learned humans still carry all the genes needed for a full coat of hair – they are just muted or switched off.
In the story of “Beauty and the Beast,” the Beast is covered in thick fur, which might seem like pure fantasy. But in real life some rare conditions can cause people to grow a lot of hair all over their bodies. This condition, called hypertrichosis, is very unusual and has been called “werewolf syndrome” because of how people who have it look.
Petrus Gonsalvus and his wife, Catherine, painted by Joris Hoefnagel, circa 1575. National Gallery of Art
In the 1500s, a Spanish man named Petrus Gonsalvus was born with hypertrichosis. As a child he was sent in an iron cage like an animal to Henry II of France as a gift. It wasn’t long before the king realized Petrus was like any other person and could be educated. In time, he married a lady, forming the inspiration for the “Beauty and the Beast” story.
While you will probably never meet someone with this rare trait, it shows how genes can lead to unique and surprising changes in hair growth.
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.
SAN FRANCISCO and BOSTON, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 5AM Ventures, a leading life science venture capital firm, is pleased to announce the addition of operational leadership and investment professionals who bring extraordinary experience to the organization. The appointments of Joshua Grass as Venture Partner, John Kelly as Partner, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and Lauren Daniel as Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel will strengthen the firm’s investment capabilities, financial and operational governance, and regulatory oversight as it continues to expand its portfolio.
“We’re thrilled to welcome these exceptional leaders to our team,” said Andy Schwab, Managing Parter at 5AM Ventures. “Their collective expertise will be invaluable as we continue to pursue new growth opportunities for our investors and portfolio companies.”
Joshua Grass, Venture Partner Joshua is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with deep executive management, business development and operational expertise. He was most recently CEO of Escient Pharmaceuticals, a 5AM-backed biotech company developing small molecule therapeutics for neurosensory and inflammatory diseases. Escient was acquired by Incyte in 2024. Prior to Escient he was CEO of Modis Therapeutics after spending 15 years as a member of BioMarin’s senior executive management team leading Business and Corporate Development. Joshua earned a B.S. in Biology from California Polytechnic State University and an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from William E. Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.
John Kelly, Partner, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer John, a seasoned finance and operations professional with twenty-five years of experience, has joined 5AM Ventures as CFO and COO. He was previously CFO and Principal at Axonic Capital responsible for oversight of all aspects of the diverse, multi-strategy funds, management company, general partner and family office entities, including financial and tax reporting, treasury, counterparty management, cost center allocation and budgeting, payroll, and HR programs. John holds a B.S. in Accounting from Villanova School of Business.
Lauren Daniel, JD, Chief Compliance Officer & Deputy General Counsel Lauren brings over fifteen years of experience in fund legal with a strong focus in regulatory compliance and risk management. Before joining 5AM, she served as Chief Compliance Officer and Counsel for Advent Global Opportunities, the public equity-focused platform of the global private equity firm Advent International. Since she joined in August, Lauren has been leading 5AM’s compliance efforts, ensuring that the firm continues to uphold the highest standards of regulatory adherence and governance practices. Lauren holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a J.D. from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
“With Joshua, John, and Lauren onboard, we are excited to scale and refine our financial operations and enhance our ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes, while continuing to identify and nurture next-generation life science companies aimed at developing transformative therapeutics for patients,” said Kush Parmar, Managing Partner at 5AM Ventures.
ABOUT 5AM VENTURES Founded in 2002, 5AM Ventures is a leading venture capital firm focused on investing in and building next-generation life science companies. Based in San Francisco, Boston, and New York City, 5AM takes a hands-on approach to investing and company building, often going beyond traditional board roles to leverage our diverse team of scientists, clinicians, drug developers and executives throughout a company’s life. With more than $2.2 billion raised since inception, 5AM has invested globally in over 140 public and private companies.
5AM has helped guide portfolio companies to meaningful value-accretive outcomes. Across the 5AM funds, over 30 portfolio companies have entered the public markets (e.g., through IPOs) and over 20 portfolio companies have been acquired through M&A. A full list of portfolio companies, including those companies which have entered the public markets or been exited through M&A, are available on our website.
Following the successful launch of NASA’s SpaceX 32nd Commercial Resupply Services mission, new scientific experiments and supplies are bound for the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying approximately 6,700 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory for NASA, lifted off at 4:15 a.m. EDT Monday, on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival will begin at 6:45 a.m., Tuesday, April 22, on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms. The spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock at approximately 8:20 a.m. to the zenith, or space-facing, port of the space station’s Harmony module. The resupply mission will support dozens of research experiments during Expedition 73. Along with food and essential equipment for the crew, Dragon is delivering a variety of science experiments, including a demonstration of refined maneuvers for free-floating robots. Dragon also carries an enhanced air quality monitoring system that could help protect crew members on exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and two atomic clocks to examine fundamental physics concepts, such as relativity, and test global synchronization of precision timepieces. These are just a sample of the hundreds of investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory each year in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Such research benefits humanity and helps lay the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis campaign, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future missions to Mars. The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the orbiting laboratory until May, when it will depart and return to Earth with time-sensitive research and cargo, splashing down off the coast of California. Learn more about the commercial resupply mission at:
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-32
-end- Julian Coltre / Josh FinchHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven SiceloffKennedy Space Center, Florida321-876-2468stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Rashid Mangushev
Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Geotechnics at St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Rashid Abdullovich Mangushev was awarded a high state award.
On April 16, by the decree of the President of Russia “On awarding state awards of the Russian Federation”, Rashid Abdullovich was awarded the honorary title “Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation”.
Rashid Mangushev is a recognized specialist in the field of geotechnics, author and co-author of more than 280 scientific papers, 11 original inventions and patents.
Congratulations on your well-deserved award and we wish you further success!
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NEW YORK, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Enzo Biochem, Inc. (OTCQX: ENZB), life sciences company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Enzo Biochem, Inc. previously traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Enzo Biochem, Inc. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “ENZB.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.
Trading on the OTCQX Market offers companies efficient, cost-effective access to the U.S. capital markets. Streamlined market requirements for OTCQX are designed to help companies lower the cost and complexity of being publicly traded, while providing transparent trading for their investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.
“Enzo Biochem, Inc. is pleased to begin trading on the OTCQX, which provides an excellent platform for investors to engage with the company as we continue to provide exceptional life science products and services,” said Kara Cannon, CEO of Enzo Biochem, Inc.
About Enzo Biochem, Inc. Enzo Biochem, Inc. has operated as a life sciences company for over 45 years. The primary business of Enzo today is conducted through its Life Sciences division, which focuses on labeling and detection technologies from DNA to whole cell analysis, including a comprehensive portfolio of thousands of high-quality products, including antibodies, genomic probes, assays, biochemicals, and proteins. The Company’s proprietary products and technologies play central roles in translational research and drug development areas, including cell biology, genomics, assays, immunohistochemistry, and small molecule chemistry. The Company monetizes its technology primarily via sales through our global distribution network and licensing. Enzo Life Sciences is operated through the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Enzo Life Sciences, Inc. and its wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries.
About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market.
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Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Cole Messa and Ken Sims, from the University of Wyoming, and Mark Stelten, geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and deputy scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
The Basalts of Warm River and Shotgun Valley, which erupted about 1.17 million years ago after the formation of Henrys Fork Caldera in southeast Idaho. Photo by Brandi Lawler, University of Wyoming, August 8, 2018.
Digital elevation model of Yellowstone National Park and vicinity, showing the location of the calderas formed during each of Yellowstone’s three most recent volcanic cycles. The youngest caldera-forming eruption produced Yellowstone Caldera (green line), located within Yellowstone National Park. Henrys Fork Caldera (blue line), was formed as a result of Yellowstone’s second caldera-forming eruption, approximately 1.3 million years ago, and has since been filled in with basaltic lava flows that cause the flat, low-relief topography in that region. Figure modified from Christiansen et al. (2007).
The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field has produced three caldera-forming eruptions over the last 2.1 million years, including the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff (2.1 million years ago), the Mesa Falls Tuff (1.3 million years ago), and the Lava Creek Tuff that produced Yellowstone caldera 631,000 years ago. Between these large eruptions, numerous lava flows and domes erupted within the calderas produced by these large eruptions. Although most eruptions at Yellowstone tend to be rhyolite in composition—high in silica and very viscous, which is why eruptions can be very explosive and also produce thick lava flows—these magmas represent the end product of a large magmatic system that extends from ~4 km depth to the base of the crust (~40 km). In fact, rhyolite is only present in significant quantities between approximately 4 km and 15 km depth in crust, whereas the rest of the magmatic system is likely dominated by basalt, which comes from deeper in the Earth, is lower in silica content, and is much more fluid.
Map of Yellowstone caldera showing the distribution of rhyolites erupted after the formation of Yellowstone caldera and basalts erupted outside the caldera.
Geologists have long known that large, shallow rhyolite magma bodies like that at Yellowstone need a large supply of heat to keep remain active and not freeze solid. This heat source is probably related to the transport of hot, basaltic magmas from deep in the crust to shallower portions of the crust where rhyolite resides. Furthermore, an influx of heat from deeply sourced basalts may be required to “prime” the rhyolite system for an eruption. In other words, the influx of heat into the shallow crust can cause the proportion of liquid magma in the magmatic system to increase, possibly leading to an eruption.
To test these ideas and better understand the role that the deeper, basaltic part of the magmatic system plays in priming eruptions in the shallow, rhyolitic part, a research group representing a collaboration between the University of Wyoming’s High-Precision Isotope Laboratory (WILD) and the USGS Volcano Science Center recently measured eruption ages using the argon dating technique on suite of samples collected from throughout the Henrys Fork Caldera region, located just west of present day Yellowstone caldera near the town of Island Park, Idaho. Henrys Fork Caldera is home to much of Yellowstone’s basaltic activity and has gone mostly unresearched since mapping efforts by the late Dr. Robert L. Christiansen were completed in 2001. The new eruption ages, coupled with field mapping efforts, revealed that Henrys Fork Caldera is home to multiple episodes of basaltic lava flow activity over the past 1.3 million years. Importantly, each of these episodes coincides with a period of known rhyolite eruptive activity in the Yellowstone region.
This alignment of eruption timing led the researchers to suggest that periods of volcanic unrest at Yellowstone are characterized by an increase in activity in the lower, basaltic portion of the magmatic system that provides the heat necessary to spur the shallow, rhyolitic portion of the magmatic system into growing and/or erupting. These periods of increased activity in the lower portion of the magmatic system are manifested on the surface as periods where numerous basaltic magmas erupt outside the caldera, while rhyolites, which are less dense, “block” the basalt from rising where a rhyolite magma chamber is present—namely in the area of Yellowstone caldera—but may erupt themselves. This explains why Yellowstone caldera is characterized by numerous episodes of rhyolite lava flow activity that correlate in time with basaltic activity outside the caldera.
Another striking conclusion from the new research is the identification of a basalt eruption that is just 35,000 years old located in the Henrys Fork Caldera region. Previously, it was thought that the youngest eruption in the region was the rhyolite lava of the Pitchstone Plateau about 70,000 years ago, while the youngest known basalt flow was 120,000 years old. The new result means that this 35,000 year old basalt is now the youngest Yellowstone eruption known. The younger age implies that basaltic activity remains possible west of Yellowstone National Park, and that the deeper, basaltic portion of Yellowstone magmatic system has been active since the last known eruption of rhyolite at Yellowstone.
The new research was published in the journal Geology: “New 40Ar/39Ar Eruption Ages Reveal an Important Temporal Relationship Between Mafic and Silicic Volcanism in the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field.”
The Pinehaven Basalt, which erupted in Henrys Fork Caldera, southeast Idaho, about 35,000 years ago. Photo by Brandi Lawler, University of Wyoming, August 6, 2018.
