Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
EAST LANSING, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) visited Michigan State University (MSU) to tour the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ) and highlight the importance of federal funding for solving the most pressing challenges in healthcare. During the tour, MSU faculty and students demonstrated the innovative research and technologies made possible by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF), including cancer-sniffing insects, cardiac organoid models and wearable monitoring systems.
Peters was joined by Dr. Christopher Contag, Director of the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, and Dr. Jinxing Li, Assistant Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. During a press conference following the tour, Peters underscored the challenges that research institutions like MSU currently face amid federal funding cuts and uncertainty, which are impacting IQ’s ability to continue developing cutting-edge research that keeps Michiganders safe and healthy.
“As we saw firsthand today, the students and faculty at Michigan State University are developing cutting-edge health care solutions that will transform the way we can care for our patients and keep Michiganders healthy. However, recent executive orders made by the current administration have either stalled or completely terminated the federal funding that research institutions like MSU rely on to carry out this important work,” said Senator Peters. “These cuts are a big mistake. That’s why I made it a priority to come to MSU today to highlight how federal investments in research and innovation are effective and invaluable to our society.”
“At IQ, our biomedical research drives bold innovation — from “first-ever discovery” to “first-in-human” application. We’re not just focused on uncovering new biology, technologies, and therapeutic approaches; we’re committed to translating these breakthroughs into real-world impact,” said Dr. Christopher Contag. “I’d like to thank Senator Peters for coming here today to learn more about our mission, which is to lead at the frontier of discovery and be the first to bring those innovations to patients. With vital support from federal funding, we turn transformative ideas into solutions that can improve and save lives.”
“Earlier this year, I was thrilled to learn from a representative of Senator Peters’ office that my research project was set to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health,” said Dr. Jinxing Li. “However, the project has been delayed and is awaiting final funding authorization. Without a reliable funding timeline, we were unable to begin planning or recruiting the talented scientists needed to carry out this critical work. This experience underscores how timely and consistent federal support is essential to sustaining innovation, and we are grateful to Senator Peters for his continued advocacy for science, innovation, and the future of healthcare.”
To download photos from Peters’ event at MSU, click here.
MSU’s Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ) integrates a variety of researchers across scientistic disciplines to solves some of today’s most pressing issues in healthcare including cancer research, studying heart defects, and delivering therapies to treat muscular disfunction, all of which are supported by NIH and NSF grant funding. Peters, a graduate of MSU, has remained committed to the continued renewal of these grants and ensuring researchers at MSU and across Michigan have access to this funding. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Peters secured over $50 billion in the government funding bill that was signed into law last year for the NIH to support biomedical research and support institutions like the IQ Lab.
At this year’s May graduation ceremony, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University’s Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition for her contribution to education.
Although she has now stepped down from the role, Luamanuvao served as the university’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Pasifika, for 14 years. In that time has worked tirelessly to raise Pasifika students’ achievement.
“It’s really important that they [Pasifika students] make the most of the opportunities that education has to offer,” she said.
“Secondly, education teaches you how to write, to research, to critique, but more importantly, become an informed voice and considering what’s happening in society now with AI and also technology and social media, it’s really important that we can tell our stories and share our values, and we counter that by receiving a good education and applying ourselves to do well.”
When asked about the importance of service, Luamanuvao explained “there’s a saying in Samoan, ‘o le ala i le pule o le tautua’ so the road to authority and leadership is through service”.
“And we’ve always been taught how important it is not to indulge in our own individual success, but to always become a voice and support our brothers and sisters, and our families and in our communities who are especially struggling.”
Juliana Faataualofa Lafaialii, Samoa’s Deputy Head of Mission/Counsellor to NZ (from left); Philippa Toleafoa; Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban; Afamasaga Faamatalaupu Toleafoa, Samoa’s High Commissioner to NZ; and Labour MP Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds . Image: Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds/RNZ Pacific
As she accepted her honorary doctorate, she spoke about the importance of women taking on leadership roles.
‘Our powerful women’ “Yes, many Pacific people will know how powerful our women are, especially our mothers, our grandmothers, and great grandmothers. We actually come from cultures of very powerful and very strong women . . . it’s not centered in the individual women. It’s centered on the well-being of our families, and our communities. And that’s what women leadership is all about in the Pacific.”
She did not expect the honourary doctorate from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University because “I’ve always been aspirational for others. And we Pacific people have been brought up that we are the people of the ‘we’ and not the me.”
The number of Pasifika students enrolled at the University, during Luamanuvao’s time as Assistant Vice-Chancellor, increased from 4.70 percent in 2010 to 6.64 pecent in 2024. She said she “would have loved to have doubled that number” so that it was more in line with the number of Pasifika people living in New Zealand.
Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban and supporters during an International Women’s day event in Wellington. Image: RNZ Pacific
Two of the initiatives she started, during her time at the University, was the Pasifika Roadshow taking information about university life out to the wider community and the Improving Pasifika Legal Education Project.
Helping Pasifika Law students succeed was very important to her. While Pasifika make up make up only 3 percent of Lawyers, they are overrepresented in the legal system, comprising 12 percent of the prison population.
Another passion of hers was encouraging Pasifika to enter academia. “I think we’ve had an increase in Pacific academics in some areas. For example, with the Faculty of Law, we’ve got two senior Pacific women in lecturer positions . . . We’ve also got four associate professors, and now I’ve finished, there’s also a vacancy for another.”
Prior to her work in education Luamanuvao was the first Pasifika woman to enter New Zealand politics, in 1999.
First Pacific woman MP “I was fortunate that when I ran for Parliament, I ran first as a list MP, and as you know, within the parties, they have selection process that are quite robust, and so I became the first Pacific woman MP.”
“What motivated me was the car parts factory that closed in Wainuiomata, and most of the workers were men, but they were also Pacific, Māori and palagi, who basically arrived at work one morning and were told the factory was closing.”
“But what really hit me, and hurt me, that these were not the values of Aotearoa. They’re not the values of our Pacific region. These are human beings, and for many men, particularly, to have a job, it’s about providing for your family. It’s about status.
“So, if factories were going to close down, where was the planning to upskill them so they could continue in employment? None of them wanted to go for the unemployment benefit.
“They wanted to continue in paid work. So it’s those milestones that I make it worthwhile. It’s just a pity, because election cycles are three years, and as you know, people will vote how they want to vote, and if there’s a change, all the hard work you’ve put in gets reversed and but fundamentally, I believe that New Zealand and Pacific people have wonderful values that all of us try to live by, and that will continue to feed the light and ensure that people have a choice.”
Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban PhD and her husband Dr Peter Swain. Image: Trudy Logologo/RNZ Pacific
Although she first entered Parliament as a list MP, she subsequently won the Mana electorate seat. She retained the seat ,for the Labour party, from 2002 until she stepped away from politics in 2010.
During that time she was Minister of Pacific Peoples, 2007-2008, and even though Labour was defeated in the 2008 election, she continued to hold the Mana seat by a comfortable margin.
Mentoring many MPs Although she has left political life, Luamanuvao has also been involved in mentoring many Pasifika Members of Parliament, and helping them cope with the challenges and opportunities that go with the role.
One of the primary motivators in her life has been the struggles of her parents, who left Samoa in 1954 to build a better future for their children, in New Zealand. She acknowledged that all of her successes can be attributed to her parents and the sacrifices they made.
“Yes, well, I think everybody can look at a genealogy of history of families leaving their homeland to come to Aotearoa, why, to build a better life and opportunities, including education for their children.
“And I often remind our generation of young people now that your parents left their home, for you. And I’ve often reflected because my parents have passed away on the pain of leaving their parents, but there was always this loving generosity in that both my parents were the eldest of huge families.
“They left everything for them, and actually arrived in New Zealand with very little. But there was this determination to succeed.
“Secondly, they are a minority in a country where they’re not the majority, or they are the indigenous people of their country. So also, overcoming those barriers, their hard work, their dreams, but more importantly, the huge love for our communities and fairness and justice was installed in Ken and I my brother, from a very young age, about serving and about giving and about reciprocity.”
Although she has left her role in tertiary education Luamanuvao vows to continue working to support the next generation of Pasifika leaders, in New Zealand and around the Pacific region.
US President Donald Trump’s visit to Arab states in the Middle East this week generated plenty of multibillion-dollar deals. He said more than US$1 trillion (A$1.5 trillion) worth of deals had been signed with Saudi Arabia alone, though the real total is likely much lower than that.
Qatar also placed an order for 210 Boeing aircraft, a deal worth a reported US$96 billion (A$149 billion). Trump will no doubt present these transactions as a major success for US industry.
The trip also helped counter concerns about US disengagement from the Middle East. For more than a decade, local elites have viewed Washington’s attention as shifting away from the region.
This trip was a reaffirmation of the importance of the Middle East – in particular the Gulf region – to US foreign policy. This is an important signal to send to Middle Eastern leaders who are dealing with competing interests from China and, to a lesser extent, Russia.
And from a political standpoint, Trump’s lifting of sanctions on Syria and meeting with the former rebel, now president, Ahmed al-Sharaa was very significant – both symbolically and practically.
Until recently, al-Sharaa was listed by the United States as a terrorist with a US$10 million (A$15 million) bounty on his head. However, when his forces removed dictator Bashar al-Assad from power in December, he was cautiously welcomed by many in the international community.
The US had invested considerable resources in removing Assad from power, so his fall was cause for celebration, even if it came at the hands of forces the US had deemed terrorists.
This rapid turn-around is dizzying. In practice, the removal of sanctions on Syria opens the doors to foreign investment in the reconstruction of the country following a long civil war.
It also offers an opportunity for Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as Turkey, to expand their influence in Syria at the expense of Iran.
For a leader who styles himself a deal-maker, these can all be considered successful outcomes from a three-day trip.
However, Trump avoided wading into the far more delicate diplomatic and political negotiations needed to end Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and find common ground with Iran on its nuclear program.
No solution in sight for the Palestinians
Trump skirted the ongoing tragedy in Gaza and offered no plans for a diplomatic solution to the war, which drags on with no end in sight.
The president did note his desire to see a normalisation of relations between Arab states and Israel, without acknowledging the key stumbling block.
While Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have no love for Hamas, the Gaza war and the misery inflicted on the Palestinians have made it impossible for them to overlook the issue. They cannot simply leapfrog Gaza to normalise relations with Israel.
In his first term, Trump hoped the Palestinian issue could be pushed aside to achieve normalisation of relations between Arab states and Israel. This was partially achieved with the Abraham Accords, which saw the UAE and three other Muslim-majority nations normalise relations with Israel.
Trump no doubt believed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreed to just before his inauguration would stick – he promised as much during the US election campaign.
But after Israel unilaterally broke the ceasefire in March, vowing to press on with its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, he’s learned the hard way the Palestinian question cannot easily be solved or brushed under the carpet.
The Palestinian aspiration for statehood needs to be addressed as an indispensable step towards a lasting peace and regional stability.
It was telling that Trump did not stop in Israel this week. One former Israeli diplomat says it’s a sign Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lost his leverage with Trump.
There’s nothing that Netanyahu has that Trump wants, needs or [that he] can give him, as opposed to, say, the Saudis, the Qataris, [or] the Emiratis.
More harsh rhetoric for Iran
Trump also had no new details or initiatives to announce on the Iran nuclear talks, beyond his desire to “make a deal” and his repeat of past threats.
At least four rounds of talks have been held between Iran and the United States since early April. While both sides are positive about the prospects, the US administration seems divided on the intended outcome.
The US Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have called for the complete dismantling of Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium as a sure safeguard against the potential weaponisation of the nuclear program.
Trump himself, however, has been less categorical. Though he has called for the “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program, he has also said he’s undecided if Iran should be allowed to continue a civilian enrichment program.
Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium, albeit under international monitoring, is a red line for the authorities in Tehran – they won’t give this up.
The gap between Iran and the US appears to have widened this week following Trump’s attack on Iran as the “most destructive force” in the Middle East. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi called Trump’s remarks “pure deception”, and pointed to US support for Israel as the source of instability in the region.
None of this has advanced the prospects of a nuclear deal. And though his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE was marked by pomp and ceremony, he’ll leave no closer to solving two protracted challenges than when he arrived.
Shahram Akbarzadeh receives funding from Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, a non-profit research centre in Doha, Qatar.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli says the primary focus of the G20 platform is to increase multilateral cooperation for the recovery of the global economy.
“Since President Ramaphosa took over the Presidency of the G20 in December 2024, a lot of public discourse has already gone into what this could potentially mean for South Africa, particularly in a post-COVID-19 era where developing economies are still on a path to recovery,” Mhlauli said.
Mhlauli explained that the G20 initially focused largely on broad macro-economic issues but has since expanded its agenda to inter-alia include trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change and anti-corruption.
“The G20 was upgraded to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and in 2009, when it became apparent that the necessary crisis coordination would only be possible at the highest political level,” Mhlauli said.
In her address at a G20 public lecture held at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) south campus in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, Mhlauli said that since then, the G20 leaders have met regularly, and the G20 has become the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
“The primary focus of the forum is to increase multilateral cooperation for the recovery of the global economy, bring stability to the global financial system, promote long-term sustainable growth and strengthen global economic governance,” she said on Friday.
Mhlauli said South Africa will use the G20 Presidency to focus on inclusive and sustainable economic growth that benefits its citizens.
“Through the G20 Presidency, we will foster inclusive economic growth, industrialisation and employment.
“This Presidency is about demonstrating that our country is open for business. South Africa is an attractive destination for business services, and has sophisticated digital infrastructure, including mobile networks and high-speed broadband.”
On the economic front, the G20 will provide a massive boost, especially in areas such as tourism and hospitality.
“The over 200 expected G20 related meetings have already commenced in our country presenting opportunities for the country’s tourism, manufacturing, trade and other investment growth.
“We are also intently focusing on youth employment, closing the gender gap, reducing inequality and protecting the environment.
“The G20 will unlock new possibilities in artificial intelligence (AI), which has the potential to provide unprecedented economic and social opportunities,” Mhlauli said.
Meanwhile, Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) Acting Deputy Director-General, Sandile Nene, said South Africa’s hosting of the G20 will improve the economy.
“We are hoping that the G20 will make people invest in the country,” he said.
Kutlwano Mahosi, a first year Journalism student at TUT, told SAnews that G20 meetings will play a role in increasing the country’s economy as many people will be coming into the country.
“As people come to our country, they will be spending their money which will play a role in job creation,” she said.
Echoing same sentiments was fellow Journalism student, Andiswa Mchunu, who said hosting the G20 gives the country an opportunity to attract investors, thereby improving the economy.
“A better economy means more jobs and better life for South Africans,” Mchunu said.
South Africa assumed the role of Presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2024, taking over from Brazil. – SAnews.gov.za
Thank you for having me here today as part of the 12th Annual Conference on Financial Market Regulation. Before I begin, I must remind you that my views are my own as a Commissioner and not necessarily those of the SEC or my fellow Commissioners. I appreciate the collaboration of the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis, Lehigh University’s Center for Financial Services, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in hosting this conference. The Commission benefits from economic research on financial regulation.
Given that the SEC is a market regulator, I am disappointed when deprecation of economic fundamentals slips into the Commission’s work. An incident recounted by Ulysses S. Grant in his memoirs reminded me of a quibble I had with the justification for a recent Commission rulemaking. When Grant was about eight years-old, his father dispatched him to buy a horse: impressive, even if his negotiating skills proved not to be. Grant’s father thought the horse worth only twenty dollars, but told the young Grant—who desperately wanted the animal—that he should start by offering twenty dollars and could work his way up to twenty-five. The future Union general and U.S. president implemented his father’s instructions as follows: “Papa says I may offer you twenty dollars for the colt, but if you won’t take that, I am to offer twenty-two and a half, and if you won’t take that, to give you twenty-five.”[1] He paid twenty-five.
The incident in which he informed his counterparty to his own detriment was long a source of embarrassment for Grant, but how much more embarrassing it is for a market regulator to suggest that fully informed traders are a prerequisite for fair markets. The Commission took that position in its recent rulemaking to shorten beneficial ownership reporting timelines; it justified faster mandatory reporting of position build-ups on the theory that buyers who voluntarily sell at a price that has not incorporated all available information suffer harm by not having information that other investors have.[2] As I said at the time, the SEC was “invent[ing] investor harm . . . We want to encourage investors to ferret out information and find undervalued companies. Indeed, information asymmetries in this sense—where investors have equal access to disclosure from the issuer and insiders, but come to different conclusions about the long term prospects of a company based on their respective due diligence—are a feature, not a bug, of our capital markets.”[3] The eight-year-old Grant’s horse trade was his tutor on market principles.[4] So too the ninety-year-old SEC needs tutorials—provided by economists like you—to refresh our acquaintance with market principles.
Economists are essential partners in the difficult task of writing rules to protect investors and market integrity. You can help us analyze whether market behaviors are the natural outcome of supply and demand, innovation, and competition, or whether they are a consequence of the rules that govern that market. In the latter case, you can assist us in assessing whether regulation has changed the markets for better or worse. Economists understand that markets effectively solve problems that look intractable to many a regulatory lawyer, and that regulation often exacerbates problems or creates new ones. Economists, of course, are not perfect. They, right along with lawyers, can get entranced with the power and promise of regulatory lever-pulling. A commitment to basic economic principles, however, helps combat tendencies toward regulatory micromanagement. Accordingly, today, I want to enlist your help in thinking about exchanges.
Market structure issues are notoriously complicated to diagnose and to resolve, but economic research can help us do both. We have spent a lot of time in recent years tinkering with equity market structure. I have supported some of those changes, including improvements to market data infrastructure, enhanced execution quality reporting requirements, and tick size changes. I have objected to others out of a concern that they would lead to inferior execution and decreased investor choice. As I considered each equity markets initiative, even those I supported, I could not help but wonder: What would the market landscape look like if the SEC were not micromanaging it? Would we have so many exchanges? Would they be more heterogeneous? Would a single exchange offer different trading models? Would they be self-regulating, or would they have outsourced that responsibility? How would they charge for market data? Would off-exchange trading platforms, like ATSs, have developed differently or not at all? Would the internalization of trades be as prevalent? And, most important, would the market be better or worse for issuers, investors, and traders without all the micromanagement?
My starting point is that people do not need a government regulator to make markets. If one person has something that someone else wants, a market transaction can make both better off. Humans grasp this principle without external prodding; buyers and sellers organically find each other all the time and in all sorts of places. Third parties, from your local farmer’s market to a giant online marketplace, routinely step in to intermediate these sales. Again, their involvement occurs naturally: people, of their own volition, identify and fill a need to establish a market. Markets for bringing together suppliers and consumers of capital also emerge organically. Brokers to help people buy and sell and exchanges where such transactions could occur arose without government orchestration.[5] Innkeepers in Belgium and proprietors of coffee houses in London cultivated exchanges.[6] Eventually, some of these venues transformed into self-regulating exchanges.[7] The storied Buttonwood Agreement of 1792 established the first set of rules for commissions and how stocks could be traded on what would become the New York Stock Exchange, and rival exchanges grew and proliferated. Throughout the 1800s, exchanges—which their members owned—developed an increasingly sophisticated set of rules that governed trading, adjudicated disputes among members, and disciplined members for violations. More recently, we have seen the introduction of autonomous trading protocols to facilitate crypto transactions. Users of these protocols submit to regulation also, albeit by software code. The ability of markets to emerge, expand, and self-regulate without government involvement should keep us all humble.
Because markets arise and thrive on their own, government should involve itself only where it can improve their functioning. When it first wrote the securities laws, established the SEC, and gave it authority over exchanges, Congress decided that securities markets would benefit from government intervention. Congress recognized, however, the role exchanges played in regulating the markets and feared that too much direct regulation of the securities industry would prove ineffective.[8] Therefore, while the Exchange Act required exchanges to register with the Commission, their self-regulatory nature was retained. Congress charged exchanges with enforcing Exchange Act provisions against their members and disciplining any member that acted “inconsistent with just and equitable principles of trade.”[9] The Exchange Act preserved for them, however, what a later Congress described as “seemingly open-ended authority”[10]to promulgate rules so long as they were not inconsistent with the Exchange Act or state law.[11]
Four decades later, in the Securities Acts Amendments of 1975, Congress amended the Exchange Act to tighten Commission oversight of exchanges. New section 19(b) of the Exchange Act bolstered requirements for self-regulatory organizations (“SROs”), including the exchanges, to file and seek Commission pre-approval for all rule changes.[12] The “open-ended authority” that previously applied to exchange rulemaking was gone—replaced by an amended section 6(b)(5), which required that any rule promulgated by the exchange be designed to achieve a set of specific purposes and standards and prohibited exchanges from regulating “matters not related to the purposes” of the Exchange Act.[13]
The 1975 amendments also gave the Commission a new cross-exchange mandate to “facilitate the establishment of a national market system for securities.”[14] Given that a national market already existed, the Commission needed, in the words of the Commission’s then Chairman, to commit itself “to a search for, and the development of, the national market system that the Congress has ordered.”[15] Two years later, the SEC’s new Chairman lamented the “current rate of progress” and warned industry that if it did not take the lead in creating such a system that satisfied his vision for a national market system,[16] the SEC would.[17] The Commission took steps over the years to link markets in response to the 1975 directive,[18] but a fresh push came three decades later in Regulation NMS. Central to the 2005 effort was the controversial Order Protection Rule (“OPR”),[19] which was intended to ensure competition among orders across markets and reward market participants for publicly displaying quotes.[20]
At first glance, the exchange landscape looks vibrant. Right now, there are 16 operating exchanges that trade equities, and more exchanges are waiting in the wings. In the past half-year, the Commission has approved three new equity exchanges that have yet to commence operations.[21] The Commission currently is considering applications for two new equity exchanges. If all these exchanges are approved and begin operating, the market will have 21 equity exchanges, compared to 11 in 2014 and 8 (plus Nasdaq, which was not yet an exchange) in 2005. If twenty-one seems high, consider that in 1934, when exchanges were first required to register with the newly formed Commission, 36 exchanges operated throughout the country.[22] At that time, regional exchanges had sprung up to raise capital for local industries shunned by New York money. For example, in my hometown of Cleveland an exchange founded in 1900 helped raise capital for local firms in the newly emerging rubber industry and the always-present brewery industry.[23] Since then, however, the number of exchanges had been declining steadily until recently. In the 72 years between 1934, when exchanges were first required to register, and 2006, when Nasdaq registered as an exchange, few new exchanges formed, and fewer survived.[24] My cherished Cleveland exchange lasted only until 1949, when it merged with stock exchanges in Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and St. Louis to become the Midwest Exchange.[25]
While different types of exchange trading models exist and issuers have several listing options, the exchange landscape feels a bit like a modern subdivision with acres of undifferentiated houses. Some of these new exchanges have been innovative: they have offered new ways to trade, such as speed bumps and extended hours. But many exchanges offer few differences in terms of how stocks trade beyond their pricing and rebate models. Some entrants file applications that display no intent to innovate. Exchanges generally do not serve particular regions or industries as they once did.
This largely homogenous, proliferating exchange landscape may be a product of government regulation. One cause may be the Order Protection Rule, which generally prohibits transactions on an exchange from executing at a price that is inferior to the best price on any other exchange. In practice, to comply with this rule and with best execution obligations, market participants connect to all exchanges, even those with limited liquidity, on the chance that the best price could be located there. Consequently, an exchange can earn significant revenue through connectivity and market data fees regardless of how much trading volume it attracts or how many issuers choose to list there. Among the sixteen exchanges, half of them capture less than 1% of total market volume each.[26] Many exchanges sit within families operated by a single exchange operator. Each additional exchange brings new connectivity fees, new market data fees, and additional clout on the committee that sets those fees.
Even with all these exchanges, approximately half of volume takes place off-exchange. Here we see more variety. Alternative trading systems, or ATSs, have proliferated since the turn of this century and are trading venues with functionalities similar to those offered by exchanges. ATSs differ from exchanges largely as a result of regulatory policy, rather than market function.[27] Thirty-three ATSs currently trade equities, [28] and several of them have greater trading volume than some exchanges.[29] These ATSs offer different trading models to cater to different investors. In addition to off-exchange trading on ATSs, wholesalers, which internalize trades, execute a sizable proportion of total retail trades. ATSs and internalizers can do things, such as segmenting retail and institutional order flow, that exchanges cannot do. Statutory and regulatory prohibitions prevent exchanges from treating one set of market participants differently than another or inhibiting access to their quotations, while most ATSs are permitted to choose who can use their venue.[30] Moreover, ATSs and internalizers, which are not subject to Section 19(b) rule filing requirements, can be more flexible than exchanges so they can adopt new technologies more quickly.
The primary regulatory difference between exchanges and ATSs is that the former are SROs and the latter are not. Exchanges enjoy certain benefits as SROs, chief among which is that they are entitled to absolute immunity with respect to the regulatory functions delegated to them under the Exchange Act. Moreover, exchanges are able to substantially cap their liabilities through rule-based liability limits contained in their rulebooks. But they also face constraints that ATSs and internalizers do not. They have to regulate and surveil their own markets, monitor and supervise the conduct of their members, and enforce their own rules. If an exchange fails to enforce its own rules, the Commission may bring an enforcement action against it.[31] An ATS, even one with a higher market share than an exchange, has fewer and lighter obligations, although an ATS laboring under the burden of Regulation SCI might not feel lightly regulated.
Section 19(b) rule filing requirements can be particularly constraining on exchanges. Exchanges have to file with the SEC any new rule or amendment to an existing rule, which can lead to a lengthy public notice and comment process. This process makes initiating and changing operations, products and services, technologies, and fees cumbersome and slow, and can make it hard for an exchange to maintain an innovation as a trade secret.[32] Incidentally, this process also is burdensome for Commission staff. Moreover, after the exchange has gone through the costly and time-consuming process of seeking and gaining SEC approval for its innovation, other exchanges can copy it,[33] as has happened several times in the recent past. Exchange operators that have sought to supplement their exchange business with other profit-making activities also have run into the Commission’s broad reading of “facility” of an exchange.[34] If something is deemed to be a facility of the exchange, it is subject to the same regulation and rule filing requirement as the exchange itself, with all its added costs and burdens. Congress, in section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act, also prohibited exchanges from “regulat[ing] by virtue of any authority conferred by this chapter matters not related to the purposes of this chapter or the administration of the exchange.”[35] This prohibition is appropriate—allowing exchanges to capitalize on their authority as government-sanctioned SROs to force conduct unrelated to that authority can be very problematic.[36] But this statutory limitation does make it difficult for exchanges to differentiate themselves by catering to a specific segment of the market.
What, if anything, should be done about this state of affairs? We could consider more targeted changes to the rules governing the equity markets to enhance true competition among trading and listing venues. We could eliminate the OPR, limit its application to exchanges that meet certain thresholds, or modify it in other ways. We could narrow our interpretation of facility or provide exemptions with commercially reasonable conditions. We could offer more flexibility for trading venues to concentrate liquidity for less liquid stocks or more choice by issuers around how their stocks trade. We could consider whether the current liability limitations in exchange rulebooks are appropriate. And we should not be afraid to allow exchanges to try targeted experimentation along the lines of our 2019 effort to facilitate innovative proposals for changes in equity market structure to improve trading in thinly traded securities.[37]
We could also consider whether changes to exchange SRO status would be appropriate. Throwing out the exchange SRO model in its entirety would be premature, although questions about the model are not novel. The Commission has previously solicited comments about self-regulation.[38] And nearly thirteen years ago, my predecessor Commissioner Gallagher raised many questions about the SRO model, including whether exchanges should still be SROs.[39] Given the increased proliferation of exchanges and the further fragmentation of the equity markets since then, his questions remain worthy of consideration. Changes to the SRO status of exchanges would require Congressional action and demand careful thought and scrutiny before going forward. Exchanges without SRO status would likely no longer enjoy absolute immunity, but would also likely be freed, at least somewhat, of the burdens of the 19(b) rule filing process or the 6(b)(5) limitations on its rules being related to the purposes of the Exchange Act. Any such change would have to be undertaken with consideration of potential effects on market quality.
Even though our markets are regulated more intensely and with greater complexity than I would prefer, they work remarkably well. Retail investors have easier and cheaper access to these markets than ever. In the face of recent high volumes and volatility, the markets have performed well. Investors and issuers from all over the world look to U.S. markets to invest, raise capital, and trade. Altering the regulatory framework could diminish the quality of our markets, so we must undertake any change with care, proper deliberation, and concern for unintended consequences.
An audience of economists who appreciate opportunity costs recognizes that time spent on equity market structure is not available for other things. And many other issues clamor for the SEC’s attention. We ought, for example, to spend some time looking at the options markets, where the market and regulatory dynamics are considerably different than the equity markets. But here too we see exchange proliferation: Eighteen exchanges and counting trade options. The Commission has spent relatively little time on options issues, and I would like the agency to hold a roundtable to discuss, among other issues, the opaque and seemingly arbitrarily applied Options Regulatory Fee, strike proliferation, and new types of options. More economic research on these issues, and the options market in general, will help inform any future actions the Commission may take. Other issues that compete for Commission attention include small business capital formation, the decline in public listings, modernization of rules governing transfer agents, regrounding disclosure requirements in materiality, facilitating use of modern technology in communications with investors, increasing fixed income market transparency, and providing regulatory clarity for crypto assets, to name a few. Conferences like this one are so valuable precisely because your research can help us think about how best to spend our limited regulatory resources. Your work can identify problems to solve and weigh different solutions to those problems. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the conference.
Section 19(b) rule filing requirements can be particularly constraining on exchanges. Exchanges have to file with the SEC any new rule or amendment to an existing rule, which can lead to a lengthy public notice and comment process. This process makes initiating and changing operations, products and services, technologies, and fees cumbersome and slow, and can make it hard for an exchange to maintain an innovation as a trade secret.[40] Incidentally, this process also is burdensome for Commission staff. Moreover, after the exchange has gone through the costly and time-consuming process of seeking and gaining SEC approval for its innovation, other exchanges can copy it,[41] as has happened several times in the recent past. Exchange operators that have sought to supplement their exchange business with other profit-making activities also have run into the Commission’s broad reading of “facility” of an exchange.[42] If something is deemed to be a facility of the exchange, it is subject to the same rule filing process as the exchange itself, with all its added costs and burdens. Congress, in section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act, also prohibited exchanges from “regulat[ing] by virtue of any authority conferred by this chapter matters not related to the purposes of this chapter or the administration of the exchange.”[43] This prohibition is appropriate—allowing exchanges to capitalize on their authority as government-sanctioned SROs to force conduct unrelated to that authority can be very problematic.[44] But this statutory limitation does make it difficult for exchanges to differentiate themselves by catering to a specific segment of the market.
What, if anything, should be done about this state of affairs? We could consider more targeted changes to the rules governing the equity markets to enhance true competition among trading and listing venues. We could eliminate the OPR, limit its application to exchanges that meet certain thresholds, or modify it in other ways. We could narrow our interpretation of facility or provide exemptions with commercially reasonable conditions. We could offer more flexibility for trading venues to concentrate liquidity for less liquid stocks or more choice by issuers around how their stocks trade. We could consider whether the current liability limitations in exchange rulebooks are appropriate. And we should not be afraid to allow exchanges to try targeted experimentation along the lines of our 2019 effort to facilitate innovative proposals for changes in equity market structure to improve trading in thinly traded securities.[45]
We also could consider whether changes to exchange SRO status would be appropriate. Throwing out the exchange SRO model in its entirety would be premature, although questions about the model are not novel. The Commission has previously solicited comments about self-regulation.[46] And nearly thirteen years ago, my predecessor Commissioner Gallagher raised many questions about the SRO model, including whether exchanges should still be SROs.[47] Given the increased proliferation of exchanges and the further fragmentation of the equity markets since then, his questions remain worthy of consideration. Changes to the SRO status of exchanges would require Congressional action and demand careful thought and scrutiny before going forward. Exchanges without SRO status would likely no longer enjoy absolute immunity, but would also likely be freed, at least somewhat, of the burdens of the 19(b) process rule filing or the 6(b)(5) limitations on its rules being related to the purposes of the Exchange Act. Any such change would have to be undertaken with consideration of potential effects on market quality.
Even though our markets are regulated more intensely and with greater complexity than I would prefer, they work remarkably well. Retail investors have easier and cheaper access to these markets than ever. In the face of recent high volumes and volatility, the markets have performed well. Investors and issuers from all over the world look to U.S. markets to invest, raise capital, and trade. Altering the regulatory framework could diminish the quality of our markets, so we must undertake any change with care, proper deliberation, and concern for unintended consequences.
An audience of economists who appreciate opportunity costs recognizes that time spent on equity market structure is not available for other things. And many other issues clamor for the SEC’s attention. We ought, for example, to spend some time looking at the options markets, where the market and regulatory dynamics are considerably different than the equity markets. But here too we see exchange proliferation: Eighteen exchanges and counting trade options. The Commission has spent relatively little time on options issues, and I would like the agency to hold a roundtable to discuss, among other issues, the opaque and seemingly arbitrarily applied Options Regulatory Fee, strike proliferation, and new types of options. More economic research on these issues, and the options market in general, will help inform any future actions the Commission may take. Other issues that compete for Commission attention include small business capital formation, the decline in public listings, modernization of rules governing transfer agents, regrounding disclosure requirements in materiality, facilitating use of modern technology in communications with investors, increasing fixed income market transparency, and providing regulatory clarity for crypto assets, to name a few. Conferences like this one are so valuable precisely because your research can help us think about how best to spend our limited regulatory resources. Your work can identify problems to solve and weigh different solutions to those problems. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the conference.
[2] SeeModernization of Beneficial Ownership Reporting, Release Nos. 33-11253; 34-98704 (Oct. 10, 2023), 88 FR 76896, 76910-11 (Nov. 7, 2023), available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-11-07/pdf/2023-22678.pdf (“The informational advantage those ‘informed bystanders’ have over the selling shareholders in these transactions and the associated wealth transfers may be perceived by some market participants to be unfair. Thus, to the extent that a shortened initial Schedule 13D filing deadline would reduce these wealth transfers, thereby addressing this perceived unfairness, this change could enhance trust in the securities markets and promote capital formation.”) (footnote omitted).
[4] U.S. Grant learned another hard market lesson at the end of his life. One of his business partners turned out to be a Ponzi schemer, whose schemes impoverished Grant and dimmed his view of humanity. Grant spent his last years working to repay his creditors and rebuild his family’s fortunes. SeeThe Failure of Grant & Ward: A Cautionary Tale, available at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-failure-of-grant-ward-a-cautionary-tale.htm.
[5] See, e.g., C.F. Smith, The Early History of the London Stock Exchange, The American Economic Review, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Jun., 1929), pp. 206-216, at 206, available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/1807309?seq=1 (“Though the Stock Exchange, as a definitely organized body, was not founded until 1773, it had been in existence in the sense of a continuous and organized market for dealing in securities for about a century before that date. Like so many British economic institutions it owed nothing to deliberate creative action by the government, but it developed autonomously to meet the needs which the progress of industry and finance were creating.”).
[6] See, e.g., Marianna Hunt, How Belgium Created and Almost Lost the World’s First Stock Exchange, The Brussels Times Magazine (June 28, 2019), available at https://www.brusselstimes.com/59675/how-belgium-created-and-almost-lost-the-worlds-first-stock-exchange (describing the role of the Van der Beurse family, proprietors of the Ter Beurse Inn, in facilitating trades that ultimately led to the creation of an exchange); Edward Stringham, The Past and Future of Exchanges as Regulators, Chapter 9 in Reframing Financial Regulation: Enhancing Stability and Protecting Customers (Hester M. Peirce and Benjamin Klutsey ed. 2016), 232 (describing the role of Jonathan’s and Garraway’s Coffee Houses as places for stockbrokers to congregate). A contemporary play, set, in part, in Jonathan’s Coffee House, brings these informal markets to life: traders in stocks and bonds mingled and lured one another into trades with market-moving, breaking news of questionable veracity. See Susanna Centlivre, A Bold Strike for a Wife (1724), Act IV, Scene 1.
[7] See, e.g., Stringham at 234 (“Stockbrokers initially relied on the discipline of repeat dealings and reputation mechanisms similar to brokers in Amsterdam. . . . Over time brokers began to create more formal private rules and regulations to deal with unintentional default or intentional fraud. To do this brokers decided to transform coffeehouses into private clubs.”).
[8] Onnig H. Dombalagian, Demythologizing the Stock Exchange: Reconciling Self-Regulation and the National Market System, 39 U. Rich. L. Rev. 1069, 1074-75 (2005) (internal citations omitted).
[9] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b) (1934).
[10] Senate Report No. 94-75, S. Rep. 94-75 at 206 (1975) (describing Exchange Act section 6(c) as it was adopted in 1934).
[11] 15 U.S.C. 78f(c) (1934) (“Nothing in this title shall be construed to prevent any exchange from adopting and enforcing any rule not inconsistent with this title and the rules and regulations thereunder and the applicable laws of the State in which it is located.”).
[12] Senate Report No. 94-75, S. Rep. 94-75 at 207-08 (noting new requirements for public notice and comment and to provide justification for the rule change).
[13] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5) (“The rules of the exchange are designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest; and are not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers, or to regulate by virtue of any authority conferred by this chapter matters not related to the purposes of this chapter or the administration of theexchange.”).
[14] 15 U.S.C 78k-1(a)(2).
[16] See Harold M. Williams, The National Market System in Perspective (Dec. 1, 1977), at 30, available at https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/1977/120177williams.pdf (“systems which have been proposed as solutions to the problems of a national market system — if they are to survive as permanent elements of a mature system — must be tested for consistency or compatibility with the following criteria: Do they provide for interaction of all orders? Do they contemplate the linkage of all markets and market makers in the same security? And do they provide for and create, or tend to lead to the creation of, a truly national auction based on price and time priorities?”).
[17] Id. at 22. See alsoid. at 23-24 (“let me assure you that this Commission will discharge vigorously its full responsibility and authority under the Exchange Act and provide the necessary leadership to assure to progress which is both real and prompt.”).
[19] The two dissenting Commissioners at the time, one of whom was now Chairman Atkins, pointed out that “[i]n adopting the trade-through rule, the majority has opted for government-controlled competition over competitive market forces to determine the appropriate market structure.” Dissenting Statement of Commissioners Cynthia A. Glassman and Paul S. Atkins to Regulation NMS (June 9, 2005), available at https://www.sec.gov/files/rules/final/34-51808-dissent.pdf.
[22] Report of Special Study of Securities Markets of the Securities and Exchange CommissionPart 2, H.R. Doc. No. 88-95, at 917 (1963) (explaining that 24 exchanges were registered, 12 were exempt).
[24] National Stock Exchange (one of three exchanges with this name), which was affiliated with New York Mercantile Exchange, registered in 1960 and ceased operations in 1975. See S.E.C. Acts on Exchange, N.Y. Times, Oct. 18, 1975, available at https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/18/archives/sec-acts-on-exchange.html; see also Robert Metb, Market Place – A Small Stock Exchange’s Plight, N.Y. Times, Dec. 10, 1974, available at https://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/10/archives/market-place-a-small-stock-exchanges-plight.html. Two options exchanges, Chicago Board Options Exchange in 1973 and International Securities Exchange in 2000, also registered during this time.
[25] Tom Arnold, Philip Hersch, et al., Merging Markets, 54 J. of Fin 1083, 1090 (Jun. 1999). The Midwest Exchange would go on to merge with the New Orleans Exchange in 1959. It changed its name to the Chicago Exchange in 1993, was acquired by Intercontinental Exchange in 2018, and very recently continued its grand tour around the country when it moved to Texas and became NYSE Texas.
[27] Gabriel V. Rauterberg, Alternative Trading Venues in the United States: Incentives for Innovation in the U.S. Stock Market, in Financial Market Infrastructures: Law and Regulation (Jens-Henrich Binder and Paolo Saguato, eds., 2021), at 200-01.
[30] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5) (requiring that the rules of a national securities exchange are “not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers”); see also 17 CFR 242.610(a) (prohibiting exchanges from “imposing unfairly discriminatory terms that prevent or inhibit any person from obtaining efficient access through a member of the national securities exchange . . . to the quotations in an NMS stock displayed through its SRO trading facility”) and 17 CFR 242.301(b) (requiring only ATSs that meet certain volume thresholds to “to not unreasonably prohibit or limit any person in respect to access to services offered by such [ATS]”).
[31] 15 U.S.C. 78s(h).
[32] Rauterberg at 198.
[35] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
[36] An example of SRO status being leveraged inappropriately was the Nasdaq diversity rule, which sought to nudge issuers to recompose their boards of directors. All. for Fair Bd. Recruitment v. Sec. & Exch. Comm’n, 125 F.4th 159, 174-75 (5th Cir. 2024); see also Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, Statement on the Commission’s Order Approving Proposed Rule Changes, as Modified by Amendments No. 1, to Adopt Listing Rules Related to Board Diversity submitted by the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-nasdaq-diversity-statement-080621.
[40] Rauterberg at 198.
[43] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
[44] An example of SRO status being leveraged inappropriately was the Nasdaq diversity rule, which sought to nudge issuers to recompose their boards of directors. All. for Fair Bd. Recruitment v. Sec. & Exch. Comm’n, 125 F.4th 159, 174-75 (5th Cir. 2024); see also Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, Statement on the Commission’s Order Approving Proposed Rule Changes, as Modified by Amendments No. 1, to Adopt Listing Rules Related to Board Diversity submitted by the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-nasdaq-diversity-statement-080621.
Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet reintroduced the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection(GORP) Act to permanently protect key portions of the Gunnison Basin and the surrounding regions through a variety of public land management tools, including special designations focused on recreation, wildlife, scientific research, and conservation. U.S. Colorado Representative Jeff Hurd introduced companion legislation in the House.
“Adventurers across Colorado and the country come to the Gunnison Basin for its rugged canyons and untamed wilderness,” said Hickenlooper. “Protecting these additional 730,000 acres will help keep it that way for generations.”
“Coloradans have spent over a decade at trailheads and kitchen tables to find common ground and protect Gunnison County’s spectacular landscapes, economy, and natural resources,” said Bennet. “This bill proves that people with wide-ranging interests can develop a common vision to preserve our public lands for future generations.”
“Honored to lead the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act alongside Senator Bennet,” said Hurd. “This legislation reflects strong local support for the responsible stewardship of our land.”
Colorado Public Lands Day is Saturday, May 17th. Colorado was the first state to create a holiday for public land, demonstrating the deep connection Coloradans have to their public lands that define life in Colorado and drive our economy.
The bill is based on over a decade of collaboration with local governments, Tribes, and public lands user groups. It has the bipartisan support of six counties in Western Colorado, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and local municipalities. A wide variety of local businesses and public lands user groups, including summer and winter motorized recreation, conservation, mountain biking, whitewater recreation, rock climbers, ranchers, water users, and hunters and anglers, also support the bill.
The bill is supported by: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Gunnison County, Delta County, Hinsdale County, Saguache County*, Pitkin County, Ouray County, Town of Crested Butte, City of Gunnison, Town of Mt. Crested Butte, Town of Paonia, Town of Ridgway, Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association, Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association, Gunnison Trails, High Country Conservation Advocates, Gunnison Valley OHV Alliance of Trail Riders (GOATs), The Wilderness Society, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, Trout Unlimited, Gunnison Sno-Trackers, Gunnison Sustainable Tourism Outdoor Recreation Committee, American Whitewater, Wilderness Workshop, Western Slope Conservation Center, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, The Conservation Alliance, The Access Fund, Colorado Wildlands Project, Western State Ranches, Conservation Lands Foundation, and others. * Support applies only to the portion of the bill in their county
“Land is very important to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and throughout history we have lost a lot of land that has been taken from the tribe unjustly,” said Manuel Heart, Chairman Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. “To get land back for the tribe by putting it into Trust status as this legislation does, is important to the tribe’s children and grandchildren. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe appreciates Senator Bennet’s work on the GORP Act, supports the legislation and hopes it will move forward quickly in the US Senate. We deeply appreciate the support of Congressman Hurd for introducing this important legislation in the US House.”
“Colorado’s great outdoors are known around the world and this bill marks a valuable step in the protection and management of the incredible Gunnison Basin for future generations of Coloradans and visitors,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. “I appreciate Senator Bennet’s and Congressman Hurd’s leadership on this issue and look forward to continuing to engage on this bill with them as it moves forward.”
“As a former resident of the Gunnison Valley and Western Colorado University graduate, I am intimately aware of the importance public lands, wildlife and outdoor recreation are to local communities’ economy and environment,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “Our forests, water, wildlife and open spaces are some of our most precious natural resources and outdoor recreation drives visitors and residents to our state to enjoy our diverse opportunities. I commend Senator Bennet, Representative Hurd and the many diverse stakeholders on developing the locally driven Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act. I look forward to working alongside all interested parties as this legislation makes its way through the U.S. Congress.”
“The GORP Act is the product of the way we do business in Gunnison County: We sit down with our friends and neighbors and do the hard work of finding common ground and durable solutions that best serve our communities. Public Lands touch every aspect of our lives and are the backbone of our economy, our values and our way of life. I am proud of the work we have done to bring so many stakeholders- snowmobilers, ranchers, mountain bikers, hunters/anglers and conservationists to name a few- together,” said Jonathan Houck, Gunnison County Commissioner. “While GORP started in Gunnison County, I couldn’t be happier to stand with five neighboring Western Slope counties in support of this legislation, and I thank Senator Bennet for listening to our communities and to Congressman Hurd for supporting the hard work of his constituents in this part of his district.”
“Delta County is glad to have worked with Senator Bennet and Representative Hurd on the GORP Act,” said the Delta County Commissioners. “Its provisions for Delta County will provide public access to a boat ramp, ensure that the BLM can continue to permit existing motorized boat use, and bring forward a thoughtful balance of uses on public lands in the North Fork Valley. This legislation shows what’s possible when we roll up our sleeves and work together.”
“The Saguache County Board of Commissioners are pleased to support the introduction of Senator Bennet’s Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act (GORP), and eagerly anticipate the passing of this legislation,” said the Saguache County Commissioners. “We appreciate the multiple years the many stakeholders have committed to this project. We also want to thank Representative Hurd for joining the effort to lead this bill in the US House.”
“Pitkin County remains a strong supporter of public lands, and we believe in thoughtfully designating new Wilderness areas in sensitive landscapes, where it is appropriate,” said Greg Poschman, Pitkin County Commissioner. “I am deeply grateful for the dedication to their constituents and for the bold work of both Senator Bennet and Representative Hurd, as demonstrated by their advocacy for the GORP Act. We look forward to celebrating the ultimate success of two important new Wilderness designations in Colorado’s wild and pristine high country.”
“Hinsdale County was proud to have collaborated with Senator Bennet, Gunnison County and Ouray County on the GORP Act,” said Kristie Borchers, Chair, Hinsdale County Board of County Commissioners. “We are excited that a key portion of the scenic Cimarron area where Hinsdale, Ouray and Gunnison County come together will be protected by this legislation. This bill will help protect our watersheds and the landscapes that attract the visitors who help drive our mountain town economies in the San Juan Mountains. We look forward to seeing the GORP Act move forward in Congress and we are excited to see Congressman Hurd introduce a companion version of this bill in the US House. The support on the ground for GORP is bipartisan and it’s great to see the bill have bipartisan support in Washington DC as well.”
“The GORP Act sets the bar for collaborative and beneficial legislation,” said Lynn Padgett, Ouray County Board of County Commissioners. “I am forever grateful to Senator Bennet and his team and stakeholders like Gunnison, Hinsdale, and Ouray Counties for enthusiastically working together to include the proposed Uncompahgre Wilderness expansion and especially for protecting Turret Ridge. The peaks of the Cimarron range are unique in their scenery and geology. The GORP Act not only protects important migration areas for elk and key habitats for lynx and moose. The GORP Act protects our precious wildlands, vital to our local economy and quality of life. We deeply appreciate that Representative Hurd has now joined the effort to pass this bill in the US House.”
“As Mayor of Crested Butte I am beyond excited to see GORP being introduced as bipartisan legislation,” said Ian Billick, Mayor Crested Butte. “This is a testament to the community conversation shepherded by Senator Bennet, as well as his foresight and hard work. Serious kudos to Representative Jeff Hurd for stepping up to support this bill, making it clear that when local communities invest their blood, sweat, and tears in working through hard conversations, in this instance for more than 10 years, bipartisan progress is possible! Working together we can make good things happen.”
“Our groups have worked for nearly a decade to craft a vision for public lands in and around Gunnison County that will benefit our economy, environment, and quality of life into the future,” said members of the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative in a joint statement. “The GORP Act reflects the countless hours we spent working together and with communities around the Gunnison Basin. We are eager to see this thoughtful and well-vetted legislation signed into law.”
BACKGROUND
The GORP Act will protect over 730,000 acres of public lands in Western Colorado, safeguarding the region’s local economy, world-class recreation, ranching heritage, wildlife habitat, and clean air and water. The bill also includes provisions for recreational boating in Delta County and, at the request of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, transfers the Pinecrest Ranch from fee ownership to trust ownership.
Hickenlooper and Bennet first introduced the GORP Act in 2024.
The text of the bill is available HERE. Maps of the areas designated by the bill are HERE. A summary of the bill is HERE. You can find additional information, including support letters and answers to frequently asked questions on the GORP Act website HERE.
DAGS hires Yovo Stefanov as Business Transformation Project Director
Posted on May 16, 2025 in Main
Yovo Stefanov
DAGS is pleased to announce it has hired Yovo Stefanov as Director of the Business Transformation Office (BTO), a newly created office to support Statewide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system efforts to modernize business processes, beginning with the current Enterprise Financial System (EFS) project to revolutionize Hawai‘i’s financial and budget systems.
“Yovo’s job is to leverage the latest technology and best practices to improve the financial management capabilities of state departments, agencies, and elected officials by giving them accurate financial information in a timely manner so they can make informed decisions for the state,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan. “He will guide the changes related to EFS, from preparation to deployment, with a strong emphasis on change management.”
Stefanov’s expertise is in IT and change management. He was most recently at Hawaiʻi Gas as a senior project manager, but it was his work at First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) from 2019 to 2023 that most closely mirrors the work he will be doing now.
“I was a compliance systems manager at FHB for four years managing anti-money laundering efforts that included fraud, risk management and compliance, and related strategic initiatives. Our biggest project was to convert a 40-year-old mainframe system into modern banking software,” said Stefanov. “That’s much like what DAGS has with its 55-year-old legacy mainframe system.”
He draws comparisons to the complexity, magnitude and duration of the FHB project. “A bank is one of the few private sector businesses that can come close to the size of state government. I’m excited to bring my experience to the government sector and contribute to a large-scale modernization effort that puts Hawai‘i’s people first,” stated Stefanov.
Stefanov has also worked in the real estate, technology and utility industries, in a career that extends over 15 years. He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance and IT from Hawaiʻi Pacific University.
In his spare time, you can still find the former professional soccer player on the pitch, when he’s not sailing, kitesurfing, training for triathlons, coaching youth soccer or performing volunteer work.
“Am I with the right person?” Most of us have probably asked ourselves this question at least once in our life. I certainly have.
To help you out, your friends might ask: “Well, do you love them?” Then you go home and the conversation goes around in your head. “Yes, I love them!” you tell yourself. But how can you be sure? Are you ready to spend your whole life with just one partner?
The stomach flip you may have just had when reading the words “your whole life” is the emotion known as anguish – the overwhelming fear you feel when confronted with a big choice. I have felt anguish myself in this situation – and the philosophy of existentialism really helped me to make sense of it.
But let’s start from the beginning: why do we feel anguish? It arises from uncertainty – in our example, from the choice between staying with the person you’re with for a lifetime, or breaking up.
Anguish is the result of a conflict between two values that we equally cherish: in this case, love and freedom. It is painful because we want both options but can only have one, as they pull us in opposite directions.
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What we like more than freedom is certainty. Suppose I happen to possess a formula that will tell you with absolute certainty what is the best course of action for every decision you have to make in your life. You would feel no more anguish, and would have no doubt that the decision you made is the best one.
Would you want this formula? If the answer is yes, you have just admitted that certainty matters more to you than freedom.
People who conceive of themselves as being independent might think they want freedom more, and refuse my formula. They may even claim that they don’t mind feeling anguish. But chances are they’re yet to be faced with the biggest decisions a human being can encounter.
These people haven’t experienced freedom to the extent that it induces real anguish. After all, anguish is a clear sign of discomfort (which can even be felt physically) – and if we didn’t want certainty, we wouldn’t feel it in the first place.
Can anguish be overcome?
The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) said that anguish can’t be overcome. But there’s reason to disagree.
First, you need to understand that anguish is an intrinsic feature of life. Accept this, and you will be a little less scared by it.
What you also have to accept is that no one has the formula I described earlier. This may seem trivial, but when a big decision looms over us, sure enough we long for certainty and this formula. There is usually no objective “ideal” course of action, though.
Of course, we may have the illusion that we made the “right” or “wrong” choice in a certain situation. But that is narrative fallacy – meaning that in reality, we simply don’t know what would have happened had we made another decision.
Then comes the hard part. It takes courage to choose what you think is right for you. You should take comfort, though, in the fact that no one usually knows what’s most right for you better than yourself.
Insightful suggestions from good friends or families just uncover information that was already within you. No one sincerely accepts other people’s values if they weren’t theirs in some way already.
Study yourself, establish what beliefs you cherish over others, and start from there. If your choices are the consequences of your deepest beliefs, they are less likely to feel wrong or uncertain. Release the demand for certainty, and you’ll have neutralised anguish.
Luca Costa receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
When a downburst’s winds hit the ground, they shoot out horizontally in all directions, sometimes with enough force to shatter windows and overturn vehicles.
These winds behave in complicated ways, particularly in cities, as our latest research shows. Downburst winds can deflect off tall buildings, increasing the pressure on neighboring buildings’ windows and walls. The result can blow out glass and chip off facade. Even buildings designed to survive hurricanes can suffer major damage in a downburst.
As engineers, we study downbursts with the goal of designing buildings, components such as solar panels and windows, and infrastructure such as power lines that can stand up to that powerful force. To do this, informed by field measurements, we create our own powerful downbursts using a hurricane simulator known as the Wall of Wind at Florida International University.
An illustration of how the winds of a downburst fan out in open space. In a city with tall buildings, the wind can deflect off buildings, causing damage in unexpected ways. NASA/Wikimedia Commons
What is a downburst?
Downbursts can be as destructive as tornadoes, but their winds develop in a very different way.
A downburst forms when a thunderstorm pulls cooler, heavier air down from high in the atmosphere. As this rain-cooled air rushes downward, it gains speed. Once it slams into the ground, it has nowhere to go but outward, sending strong winds in all horizontal directions.
Dust in the air shows the curling rotation of a downburst’s winds. NOAA
The wind speed in a downburst can reach over 150 miles per hour. That’s the strength of a Category 4 hurricane and strong enough to knock down trees and power lines, damage buildings and flip vehicles.
These winds also rotate, but not in the same way tornadoes do. Downburst winds are typically considered straight-line winds, but they rotate around a horizontal axis as the wind curls upward after hitting the ground. Tornadoes, in contrast, spin around a vertical axis.
Powerful storm systems known as derechos are often made up of multiple downburst clusters, each containing many smaller downbursts, sometimes called microbursts.
Recreating Houston’s downburst in a warehouse
On May 16, 2024, a derecho hit Houston with a downburst that was so strong, it blew out windows in several high-rise buildings that had been built to survive Category 4 hurricanes. The winds also pried off chunks of buildings’ facades.
Two months later, Hurricane Beryl hit Houston with similar wind speeds, yet it left minimal damage to the downtown buildings.
When a downburst hit downtown Houston on May 16, 2024, it shattered windows on some sides of buildings but not others, and not always in the line of the storm. The damage offered clues to how downbursts interact with tall buildings. Cécile Clocheret/AFP via Getty Images
To understand how a downburst like this can be so much more destructive – and what cities and building designers can do about it – we simulated both the Houston downburst winds and Hurricane Beryl’s winds in the Wall of Wind.
The test facility is equipped with a dozen jet fans, each almost as tall as the workers who run them and powerful enough to simulate a Category 5 hurricane. Our team used these fans to recreate powerful downburst winds that hit horizontally with the maximum wind speeds near ground level. Then, we put several models of buildings to the test to see how roofs, windows, facades and the structures of power lines reacted under that force.
How the Wall of Wind’s fans mimic a downburst’s horizontal force.
In the Houston derecho, a downburst hit downtown with 100 mph winds. It cracked some lower windows, likely with blowing debris, but it also caused widespread unexpected damage midway up some of the buildings.
The Chevron Building Auditorium actually suffered the most damage on a side that wasn’t directly in the line of the storm but was facing another tall building. That left some intriguing questions. It suggested that the way the buildings channel the wind may have created a strong suction that blew out windows midway up the tower. Another burning question is whether building design codes are outdated when it comes to how well their cladding can stand up to these localized winds.
Using the Wall of Wind, we were able to test those pressures on models of the Houston buildings and see how downburst winds increased the pressured on a tall building model with excessive forces near the ground level.
The ability to simulate these winds is important for improving engineers’ understanding of the differences in how downbursts and other wind events exert force on buildings. The results ultimately inform building standards to help create more resilient and better-protected communities.
Building better power lines
Big storms, like downbursts, can also take down power lines.
Power lines extend hundreds of miles between cities and states, making them more susceptible to a hit from a localized severe storm, such as a downburst. If one of the towers falls, it can cause a chain reaction, like dominoes falling one after another. That can knock out power for large numbers of people.
The derecho that hit Houston with a downburst also crumpled transmission towers in Texas. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Low-rise and mid-rise buildings are also vulnerable to downbursts, but the effects are less well understood. Downburst winds are most intense between 10 and 300 feet above the ground, meaning the roofs and walls of some low-rises can be hit with intense horizontal wind.
Recent building codes have offered design guidelines to help ensure these buildings can withstand tornadoes. However, the way downbursts rotate in a short time around a building or a community of buildings puts pressure on the walls and the roof in different ways. Similar to straight-line winds, we expect high suction on the roof. Due to their short duration, varying wind direction and intense wind speed, downbursts may also cause excessive vibrations and varying pressure distribution on the roof components.
How microbursts form.
We’re now testing downburst damage to low- and mid-rise buildings to better understand the risks and help highlight changes that can make buildings more resilient.
As populations grow, cities are adding more buildings. At the same time, powerful storms are becoming more frequent and more intense. Understanding the effects of different types of storms will help engineers construct high-rises, low-rises and power lines that are better able to withstand extreme weather.
Amal Elawady receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
Fahim Ahmed, Mohamed Eissa, and Omar Metwally do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Published: May 16, 2025
U.S. Department of Transportation will collaborate with UMaine to support the Center’s development of low-cost, composite bridge materials.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Advanced Research Projects Agency–Infrastructure (ARPA-I) is moving forward with an $8 million partnership with the University of Maine’s (UMaine) Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) to further develop technologies that will deliver bridges at half the cost, in half the time, and with twice the lifespan of many current bridges. USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy called Senator Collins to inform her that the Department was moving forward with the partnership.
“The Advanced Structures and Composites Center has long been a leader in this innovative space, and I cannot think of a better partner for the federal government for this bridge building initiative,” said Senator Collins. “This investment will support cutting-edge research that has the potential to revolutionize how we construct our nation’s bridges—saving taxpayers money while creating good-paying jobs here in Maine.”
“We are delighted that ARPA-I has selected the University of Maine for this inaugural grant competition. It is a big day for UMaine and for providing more durable bridges to the public,” said Dr. Habib Dagher, Executive Director of the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. “We thank Senator Collins who has secured the funding which enabled the ARPA-I program competition to be carried out. Building on our years of work on composites materials, this funding will allow us to develop the X-BRIDGE, which will increase the speed of construction, increase the lifespan of bridges, and reduce lifecycle costs including installation and maintenance costs.”
The funding for this project comes from the USDOT’s ARPA-I Exceptional Bridges through Innovative Design and Groundbreaking Engineering (X-BRIDGE) program. ARPA-I’s cooperative agreement with the University of Maine will develop and integrate new advanced composite materials into bridge construction and to explore AI-assisted design tools. In partnership with UMaine, the X-BRIDGE program aims to demonstrate these technologies at scale through the construction of a prototype bridge.
UMaine’s X-BRIDGE project has a total of five major tasks, with a base year budget of $8 million plus two potential option years of $6 million each (totaling $20 million for the overall project). It covers the design of the University’s Composite Bridge System (CBS) and its utilization, developing and prototyping CBS technologies, and planning and ramp up to constructing a full-scale demonstration bridge using the CBS in partnership with Maine DOT. Full-scale construction of the demonstration bridge is expected to be primarily funded through an infrastructure owner and operator, and appropriate partnerships for construction will be finalized during the execution of the R&D project.
In addition to this partnership, Senator Collins has secured more than $18 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center through her role on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (May 16) continued her trip to Korea and visited Seoul National University (SNU). She exchanged views with the President of the University, Dr Ryu Hong Lim, on deepening higher education collaboration between Korea and Hong Kong, and promoted the “Study in Hong Kong” brand.
Dr Choi said that Hong Kong boasts a highly internationalised and diverse post-secondary education sector. A number of measures have been put in place by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government to enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international education hub. Apart from striving to host international education conferences and exhibitions, the HKSAR Government also encourages local post-secondary institutions to enhance collaboration and exchanges with their counterparts around the world in promoting the “Study in Hong Kong” brand on a global scale, as well as attracting more overseas students to study in Hong Kong through the provision of scholarships.
In addition, the HKSAR Government is developing the Northern Metropolis University Town to encourage local post-secondary institutions to introduce more branded programmes, research collaborations and exchange projects with renowned Mainland and overseas institutions in a flexible and innovative manner.
At the meeting, Dr Choi introduced to the SNU the various large-scale education mega events to be held in Hong Kong, for example the Learning and Teaching Expo to be held during Digital Education Week in July this year, and the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education Conference and Exhibition to be held in February next year. She welcomed representatives from universities in Korea to come to Hong Kong to take part in the events and forge collaborations and exchanges with institutions worldwide. She also welcomed students from Korea and other places to study in Hong Kong or participate in short-term student exchange programmes, and said that she looked forward to further strengthening education ties between Korea and Hong Kong.
Dr Choi also met Hong Kong students studying at SNU to learn about their school life. She encouraged them to return to Hong Kong to develop their careers after completing their studies.
Today and yesterday (May 15), Dr Choi paid courtesy calls on the Chinese Ambassador to Korea, Mr Dai Bing, and the Consul General of China in Jeju, Mr Chen Jianjun, respectively to introduce Hong Kong’s latest education policy.
Yesterday, she also participated in a side event of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Education Ministerial Meeting to visit an elementary school in Jeju to learn about the school’s experiences in promoting AI and digital innovation education.
Dr Choi concluded her visit to Korea today and will depart for a visit to the United Kingdom tomorrow (May 17).
OpinionNo6/20concerningtheproposalforaregulationoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilestablishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility (COM(2020) 408)
Special report 07/2022:SME internationalisation instruments:A large number of support actionsbut not fully coherentor coordinated
Special report 15/2022: Measures to widen participation in Horizon 2020 were well designed but sustainable change will mostly depend on efforts by national authorities
Special report 21/2022: The Commission’s assessment of national recovery and resilience plans: overall appropriate but implementation risks remain
Specialreport23/2022:SynergiesbetweenHorizon2020andEuropeanStructuralandInvestmentFunds:Notyetused to full potential
Special report 24/2022: e-Government actions targeting businesses Commission’s actions implemented, but availability of e-services still varies across the EU
Opinion 04/2022concerning the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/241as regards REPowerEU chapters in recovery and resilience plans and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, Directive 2003/87/EC and Decision (EU) 2015/1814 [2022/0164 (COD)]
Special report 26/2023: The Recovery and Resilience Facility’s performance monitoring framework: Measuring implementation progress but not sufficient to capture performance
Special report 13/2024: Absorption of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility: Progressing with delays and risks remain regarding the completion of measures and therefore the achievement of RRF objectives
11)Maletić,I.,Lončar-Galek,D.,Mencer,J.,et.al.,ApplicationoftheBudgetAccountingPlan2003/2004, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2003
12)Maletić,I.,Vašiček,V.,Vašiček,D.,IntroductiontoBudgetaryAccounting2002,CroatianAssociationof Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2002
14)Maletić, I., Vašiček, D., Jakir-Bajo, I., et al.,Budgetary system: Accounting, Finance, Audit,Taxes, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2000
ANNEX 2: ANSWERS BY IVANA MALETIĆ TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Questionnaire for the renewal of Members of the Court of Auditors
Performance of duties: lessons learnt and future commitments
1.What are your main achievements as a member of the ECA? What were the biggest setbacks?
I consider all the audits and opinions I have worked on to be an important contribution to the work of the EU and the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of EU actions. In particular, I would like to highlight my work on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), where I was reporting Member of both opinions on the draft regulations as well as for several special reports, such as the reports on the Commission’s assessment of the national recovery and resilience plans, the performance monitoring framework, the absorption of RRF funds and the RRF labour market reforms. In all these opinions and reports, I emphasized the importance of good management of public funds, regardless of whether the financing is based on the reimbursement of costs or the fulfilment of set conditions. The rules of sound financial management, which imply legality and regularity of the underlying transactions as well as effectiveness and efficiency, must be at the core of every programme. In addition, transparency of public spending and accountability are the basis for building citizens’ trust in institutions not only at the EU level, but also in each member state. I am proud to have emphasized these values in the audits of the RRF and, together with my colleagues, I have never given up on insisting that the fundamental principles set out in the Financial Regulation should be respected.
One of the biggest obstacles regarding our work on the RRF was to ensure not only a coherent audit approach across audit teams and audit chambers within ECA but also consistency of our messages. In addition, the novelty of the RRF as such was a challenge, as it required everyone to get acquainted with a new and in parts still changing legal framework in a relatively short period of time. For some of our audits this resulted in the audit reports being published later than we initially planned. In addition, the limited access to information, specifically the limited access to FENIX, was an obstacle for our early RRF audits but we managed to overcome these limitations, at least to a certain degree.
In addition to my audit work I was also involved in different committees like the Internal Audit Committee or the Audit Quality Control Committee. One of my main contributions as chair of the Internal Audit Committee was for example the revision of the rules of procedure of the committee and the revision of the charter of the internal audit service. My role as Member of the Audit Quality Control Committee allows me to actively contribute to the quality of our audit reports as well as the methodology applied in our work.
2.What are the main lessons learnt in your field of competences / results achieved in your duties and audit tasks?
As stated above, the main focus of my audit work in ECA was related to the RRF. The RRF considerably differs in design and legal basis from other EU programmes and thus required us to reflect not only on our audit approach but also the way we work.
Auditing a “performance-based instrument” to some extent blurs the line between performance audits and audits on the legality and regularity of EU funding. One of my achievements was to significantly contribute to and thereby shape our work on this new instrument and ensure coherence across different tasks. In addition, from the very beginning, I had a very strategic view on the RRF audit work as it was and still is essential, that our audits, taken together, allow us to draw lessons not only for the RRF but also for future similar instruments. The performance audits that I proposed for the RRF after working on the opinion on the regulation enabled us to have a comprehensive overview of the design and functioning of this new instrument a year before the end of the program.
3.What added value could you bring to the ECA on your second term and/or particularly in the area you would be responsible for? Would you like to change your area of responsibility? What motivates you?
In my second term I would firstly like to finish my work on the RRF, in particular finalizing the ongoing and planned RRF audits, such as transparency and traceability of RRF funding, public administration, education as well as an audit related to the overall results and impact of the RRF. These audits would build on my experience in this field and would further contribute to improving the design of future similar programmes, and the link with the European Semester including the country specific recommendations.
In addition, I would like to enlarge my portfolio and get more involved in other policy areas and programs within Chamber IV, such as research and innovation, competitiveness or economic governance, strategic autonomy and economic security. This would allow me to build on the experience gained through my audits on “Synergies between Horizon 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds” and “Measures to widen participation in Horizon 2020”.
In more general terms, I believe that, in line with ECA’s rotation policy for auditors and managers, rotation should also be considered for Members, in particular in the case of two terms of office. Consequently, I would not exclude moving to another Chamber.
4.How do you make sure to reach the planned audit objectives of an audit task? Have you ever been in the situation where you could not realize the audit task and for which reasons? How do you operate in such controversial situations?
Due to the good cooperation between the audit teams and my office, I was able to carry out all audits successfully and in line with the defined scope. Therefore, I have never been in a situation where we could not finalize an audit or not achieve the audit objectives. The only issue I did encounter was the delay of publication for some audits, due to factors outside our control like temporarily limited access to audit evidence, the complexity of the evidence provided or unavailability of key staff in member states or the Commission.
In case I ever encountered significant obstacles that would put the finalization of an audit at risk, I would try to overcome these obstacles through open and constructive communication that would allow us to find a solution together. I strongly believe that all of us, as auditors and auditees, have the same goal, which is to deliver work of high quality, and ultimately to ensure legality, effectiveness and efficiency of publicly funded programmes, including those funded by the EU. Therefore constructive communication, trying to understand different perspectives and patience are key elements for successfully resolving any controversial situation.
5.If you were reconfirmed for a second mandate and hypothetically, if you were elected Dean of a Chamber in the ECA, how would you steer the work to define its priorities? Could you give us two or three examples of areas to focus on in the future?
The Chamber is managed by all of us together – the Members of the Chamber and the director. To that extent, the role of the Dean is, with the help of the other Members of the Chamber, to take an active role in defining the priorities of our work and therefore the selection of audits.
In case I was elected as Dean of a Chamber, I would pay particular attention to an effective communication within the Chamber and Court as well as with our main stakeholders, like you, when defining audit priorities. In my view this would allow us to have a comprehensive view of the most relevant areas we should focus on in our work and to ensure that the timing or our audits maximises their added value. Furthermore, a comprehensive audit planning needs to be strategic, going beyond a short-term planning, but should also allow for flexibility, where needed.
Regarding areas to focus on (in Chamber IV) in future I would consider competitiveness, economic governance and, as a transversal topic, simplification as extremely relevant in the light of the challenges the EU is currently facing.
For competitiveness, our audits could focus on the areas of research and development and the functioning of the single market, with the aim of strengthening capacity, removing barriers and achieving synergies. This includes reflecting on possibilities for faster and simpler methods of financing research and scientific projects.
In the field of economic governance, it would be important to include audits specifically related to times of crisis, such as: transfer prices or whether the economic governance model is fit for purpose in this regard.
Furthermore, ECA’s work could potentially add considerable value in the simplification process, for example by assessing the different simplification procedures and how they could be improved.
6.If you had to manage the selection of audit tasks in view of the preparation of the ECA annual working programme, on which basis would you make your choice among the list of priorities received from the Parliament and/or the CONT committee?
What would you do if a political priority does not correspond to the ECA risk assessment of the Union’s activities?
The planning process within the ECA is very detailed and involves all auditors and managers, as well as all Members and their offices. When planning, we consider several different factors, e.g. policy risks, materiality, timing, audit coverage, the likely impact of an audit and stakeholder interest. These are also the main elements we consider when making our choice among the list of priorities received form the Parliament or CONT committee.
The selection of audit topics is primarily based on their potential added value, and therefore topics of important political and strategic interest are always taken into account, even though they may not be highest priority in terms of risk. Furthermore, I would like to note that “risk” has many dimensions and should not be reduced to materiality.
As you are well aware, the number of audit proposals is significantly higher than the number of audits we can carry out each year. Some proposals, while politically very relevant, may not come at an ideal time, e.g. as the implementation of the instrument is at an early stage. Others may not be entirely feasible due to the political or security situation in the audit area or even our audit mandate.
Maintaining our independence in defining our work programme is essential, and the limited resources inevitably mean that not all audit proposal can be considered or not be considered at that moment in time. However, input from our main stakeholders is extremely valuable to us and will always be considered. It is also important that we communicate very clearly to the stakeholders, especially the European Parliament, why some of the proposals were not included in the programme and whether or not they may be considered in the future.
Management of portfolio, working methods and deliverables
7.Producing high quality, robust and timely reports is key:
–How would you ensure that the data used in an audit are reliable and that the findings are not outdated?
–How would you improve the quality and pertinence of the recommendations?
To ensure that data used in audit are reliable it is important to know the sources and understand exactly how the data is collected, compiled and verified. While performing our audits, we always assess the accuracy and completeness of data and cross-reference it where needed, considering the source and nature of the data and the control systems in place.
I believe that the recommendations in our audit reports are in general of a high quality and pertinence. Any good recommendation is rooted in solid audit work while considering aspects of feasibility as well “value for money”. These aspects have and always will be the guiding principles for the recommendations included in my audit reports.
In general, a thorough planning, as well as timely and well targeted audits are the best way to ensure that our observations and recommendations come at the right time and have the maximum potential impact. In my view, more focussed and thereby quicker audits should therefore be considered wherever feasible.
8.Theaim of the ECA’s reform is to establish a stronger accountability relationship between the audit team and the rapporteur member:
–Given your experience, do you think that the role of a member is to be more involved in the audit work?
–Would you change the way you work with an audit team? If yes, how?
I believe that the Member is ultimately responsible for the audit, its quality, relevance and objectivity. It is not possible to present the results of the audit work and advocate for the recommendations without a thorough understanding of the audited area and the observations. It is therefore essential that the Member works closely with the audit team and follows the audit work. Personally, I enjoy working with the teams, we always have constructive discussions from the selection and planning of the task to defining the audit scope and approach and finally the drafting of key messages and recommendations. I strongly believe that working together brings the best results and allows us to learn from each other.
As I have always worked closely with the audit teams, I do not intend to change this approach in the future.
9.What would be your suggestions to further improve, modernise the ECA functioning, programming and work (audit cycle)? After your first mandate, could you give us a positive aspect of the ECA working and a negative one?
In an ever faster changing environment, the duration of our audits is something we may have to reflect on. As mentioned above, shorter, more focussed audits should therefore be considered, if the audit topic allows for it.
Moreover, we should continue to encourage cooperation between audit chambers in particular on cross cutting issues such as the RRF, energy independence and security, or the now increasingly important priority defence. This cooperation across Chambers should include a flexible allocation of resources.
For me the most positive aspect of the ECA is its staff – they are highly qualified and motivated and work hard to deliver quality audit work and meaningful reports. In addition, the ECA is a very supportive environment that encourages continuous learning, improvement and progress. The fact that audits are carried out in teams, facilitates learning from each other and a culture of togetherness and collegiality.
10.Under the Treaty, the Court is required to assist Parliament in exercising its powers of control over the implementation of the budget in order to enhance both the public oversight of the general spending and its value for money:
–With the experience of your first term, how could the cooperation between the Court of Auditors and the European Parliament (Committee on Budgetary Control) on auditing the EU budget be further improved?
In my experience, the cooperation between the ECA and the European Parliament is already very good. We have established a continuous dialogue with the Parliament, including the Parliament contributing to the selection of audit tasks and ECA Members regularly being invited to present audit reports. This cooperation is key in ensuring that we maximize the added value of our audits, in particular in the context of the discharge procedure.
While the cooperation is already very positive, we could of course always intensify or explore new ways of cooperation like joint workshops or regular briefings for the MEPs in key areas of interest. In a way, communication is essential and should always go two-way: ECA should know of the challenges the Parliament is facing and the best way ECA can support it in its work whereas the Parliament should be aware of the possibilities as well as boundaries ECA has in its work.
–Similarly, how to strengthen relations between ECA and national audit institutions?
Cooperation with the EU SAIs takes place within the framework of the Contact Committee, with day-to-day contacts are maintained through liaison officers appointed by each institution.
National SAIs are informed about our audit visits and regularly participate in these visits as observer. In addition, the ECA organises five-month internships for auditors from the SAIs of Candidate Countries.
While the cooperation with SAIs is already very positive, coordinated audit work in key areas of common interest could be encouraged to further strengthen the cooperation and increase the potential impact of our work. Exchange of staff in form of temporary secondment should also be continued to facilitate a continuous exchange of views, and future cooperation.
11.How will you support the Parliament in the achievement of the shortening of the discharge procedure? What actions can be undertaken from your side?
Cooperation and commitment of all involved institutions are needed to accelerate the processes and avoid delays. On the ECA’s side we make an effort to give priority to the Statement of Assurance and ensure timely adoption of the documents through flexibility in terms of scheduling additional Court meetings when needed. As a result, we managed to publish our last two annual report more than one month before the legal deadline.
This is complemented by a similar effort for our performance audits. I always planned my performance audits in a way that we can, in terms of content as well as time, support the discharge procedure. It is however important to note that the timing of our reports depends on several factors, some of which are outside our control.
Independence and integrity
12.What guarantees of independence are you able to give the European Parliament, and how would you make sure that any past, current or future activities you carry out could not cast doubt on the performance of your duties at the ECA?
I think that the best guarantee I can give you is my work at the ECA in which I always advocated for the respect of the basic principles of legality, regularity and sound financial management, no matter the circumstances. I believe that as independent auditors, we must always fight for the transparent use of public funds and warn of any shortcomings that are an obstacle to respecting the basic principles of sound financial management.
In addition, I will continue to fully adhere to the Code of Conduct for ECA Members. I have no business interests or external activities that could raise any doubt concerning my independence and I would never even consider an activity that may compromise the performance of my duties as ECA Member.
13.How would you deal with a major irregularity or even fraud in EU funds and/or corruption case involving persons in your Member State of origin? Were you in this situation during your current mandate?
I can repeat my reply on the same question for nomination for the first ECA mandate, since I was and will remain committed to that: I advocate a zero-tolerance towards fraud and corruption because they are extremely dangerous for any society – they destroy competition and opportunities for growth and development. It is precisely by efficient identification and elimination of corruption that we can provide the best possible assistance to our member states. Rules must be abided by and legality and regularity in using public funds is the foundation from which we should never allow any deviation.
I did not encounter any cases of fraud, irregularity of corruption during my current mandate.
14.The existence of conflict of interests can trigger a reputation risk for the ECA. How would you manage any conflict of interest?
I absolutely agree that a conflict of interest poses reputational risks for the ECA. Avoiding these conflicts is at the core of my work and in line with our Code of Conduct, I avoid any situation that is liable to give rise to a conflict of interest, or that could objectively be perceived as such.
Should such a situation arise, I would communicate the potential conflict of interest in line with the ECA’s procedures and would not accept any tasks for which a personal interest could influence the independent performance of my duties. I have so far not been in any such situation.
15.Are you involved in any legal proceedings? if so, what kind?
No, I am not involved in any legal proceedings.
16.What specific commitments are you prepared to make in terms of enhanced transparency, increased cooperation and effective follow-up to Parliament’s positions and requests for audits?
For me, transparency in the performance of public affairs and the use of public money is a fundamental principle and one of my core values, and I fully support efforts that contribute to greater transparency. Your requirements are crucial in this regard, and I have been and always will be ready to listen to you and respond to any requests you may have regarding our audit work. We have a common goal, which is to deliver results and value for money in the implementation of EU policies and programmes, and it is important that we share our knowledge and experience. I look forward to every invitation from the Parliament to present our reports, or to participate in thematic discussions and any other form of cooperation.
Other questions
17.Will you withdraw your candidacy to a renewal of mandate if Parliament’s opinion on your appointment as Member of the ECA is unfavourable?
I consider that the authority of the European Parliament which results from the democratic legitimacy of elected MEPs must be observed in full and their decisions must be applied. In accordance with that, in the event of the Parliament’s negative opinion on my appointment I will withdraw my candidacy.
18.Being appointed Member of the ECA requires full attention and dedication to the institution itself and to ensure trust for the Union among its citizens:
–What are your views on the best way to assume these professional duties?
I completely agree with you that being a Member of ECA requires full attention and dedication. For me, being an ECA Member means to be devoted and work hard. We lead by example and if we are not motivated and committed, we cannot expect that from others. In addition, we owe it to the EU citizens to perform to the best of our abilities and add value not only for the EU institutions but to them. And this is what I tried to do from the very first day and will continue to do so in future.
–What are your current personal arrangements in terms of number of days of presence in Luxembourg? Do you plan to change these arrangements?
I moved to Luxembourg, together with my family, when I joined ECA. I work and live in Luxembourg and have no intention to change this in my second mandate.
ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONSFROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT
The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
Date adopted
14.5.2025
Result of final vote
+:
–:
0:
22
2
4
Members present for the final vote
Georgios Aftias, Arno Bausemer, Gilles Boyer, José Cepeda, Olivier Chastel, Caterina Chinnici, Tamás Deutsch, Dick Erixon, Daniel Freund, Niclas Herbst, Virginie Joron, Ondřej Knotek, Kinga Kollár, Giuseppe Lupo, Marit Maij, Jacek Protas, Julien Sanchez, Jonas Sjöstedt, Cristian Terheş
Substitutes present for the final vote
Maria Grapini, Erik Marquardt, Karlo Ressler, Bert-Jan Ruissen
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote
Pablo Arias Echeverría, Francisco Assis, Sunčana Glavak, Csaba Molnár, Michal Wiezik
Today, President Donald Trump has designated the following individuals to serve on the advisory boards of the Religious Liberty Commission. On May 1st, the President signed an Executive Order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission. He designated Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as chair and Dr. Ben Carson as vice chair, as well as 11 other commission members. Today, he has designated individuals to serve on the three advisory boards comprised of religious leaders, legal experts, and lay advisors, respectively.
Bishop Salvatore Cordileone. Salvatore Cordileone is the Archbishop of San Francisco and a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth and also of its Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
Pastor Jentezen Franklin. Jentezen Franklin is the Senior Pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church based in Gainesville, Georgia. He has written multiple books including the bestseller, Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Archbishop Elpidophoros is the eighth Archbishop of America elected since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1922. He has been an active member of the World Council of Churches and has advanced religious freedom for decades.
Father Thomas Ferguson. Father Thomas Fergusonis the pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria, Virginia. He is the author of Catholic and American: The Political Theology of John Courtney Murray.
Rabbi Mark Gottlieb. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb is Chief Education Officer of Tikvah and founding dean of the Tikvah Scholars Program. Prior to joining Tikvah, Rabbi Gottlieb served as head of school at Yeshiva University High School for Boys and principal of the Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. Rabbi Gottlieb is a trustee of the Hildebrand Project and serves on the Editorial Committee of Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought.
Pastor Jack Graham. Jack Graham is Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, and author of multiple books, including The Jesus Book: Reading and Understanding the Bible for Yourself. Dr. Graham has served as Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and has helped lead various national prayer initiatives. From 2002-2004, he served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Rabbi Yaakov Menken. Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the Executive Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values. He previously co-founded and edited Cross-Currents.com, an online journal of Orthodox Jewish thought and opinion. Rabbi Menken is a fellow of the Amud Aish Memorial Museum, focusing upon the study of modern anti-Semitism, and author of The Everything Torah Book.
Bishop Thomas Paprocki. Thomas Paprocki is the Bishop of Springfield, Illinois. He coined the “Fortnight for Freedom,” a campaign of American Bishops to defend religious liberty. The episcopal board chair for the Catholic Athletes for Christ, Bishop Paprocki has completed 24 marathons and authored Running for a Higher Purpose and Holy Goals for Body and Soul.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades. Kevin Rhoades is the Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. He currently chairs the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Religious Liberty. In addition to his religious liberty work, Bishop Rhoades sits on the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, ad hoc Committee against Racism, and served on the board of directors for the National Eucharistic Congress.
Rabbi Eitan Webb. Rabbi Eitan Webb co-founded the Chabad House of Princeton in 2002, with his wife Gitty and has served as a Jewish Chaplain at Princeton University since 2007. In addition to his service to university students, Rabbi Webb serves on the board of directors of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation and of the Sinai Scholars Society.
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel. Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel is the Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, an American organization that represents Orthodox Jews. In 2020, he helped organize one of the largest gatherings of Orthodox Jews in U.S. history.
Advisory Board of Legal Experts
Francis Beckwith. A Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Affiliate Professor of Political Science, and Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy at Baylor University, Dr. Beckwith teaches and publishes in the areas of religion, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics. A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy) and the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis (Master of Juridical Studies), he has published over 100 academic articles, book chapters, reviews, and reference entries.
Jason Bedrick. Jason Bedrick is a Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where he focuses on policies that promote education freedom, religious liberty, classical education, and restoring the primary role of families in education. Bedrick is the co-editor and co-author of two books, including Educational Freedom: Remembering Andrew Coulson, Debating His Ideas and Religious Liberty and Education: A Case Study of Yeshivas vs. New York.
Josh Blackman. A national thought leader on constitutional law and the United States Supreme Court, Blackman serves as a professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston where he holds the Centennial Chair of Constitutional Law. Blackman was selected by Forbes Magazine for the “30 Under 30” in Law and Policy and is the President of the Harlan Institute.
Gerald Bradley. Gerard Bradley is professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches Legal Ethics and Constitutional Law. He directs the Natural Law Institute and co-edits The American Journal of Jurisprudence, an international forum for legal philosophy. Bradley has been a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, and a senior fellow of the Witherspoon Institute, in Princeton, New Jersey. His most recent books are an edited collection of essays titled, Challenges to Religious Liberty in the Twenty-First Century.
Alyza Lewin. Alyza Lewin is the President of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. Lewin is also a co-founder and partner in Lewin & Lewin, LLP where she specializes in litigation, mediation and government relations. Her experience includes criminal defense, civil litigation and anti-discrimination matters. Lewin served as President of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists from 2012 – 2017.
Kristen Waggoner. Kristen Waggoner is the CEO, president, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom: the world’s largest legal organization advancing every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth.
Advisory Board of Lay Leaders
Abigail Robertson Allen. An on-air reporter for over ten years, Abigail Robertson is the co-host of Heaven Meets Earth, a podcast of the Christian Broadcasting Network that highlights modern-day miracles and divine encounters.
Gene Bailey. Gene is a host on The Victory Channel, a faith-based Christian television network. He is known for hosting programs like FlashPoint, which discusses current events and prophecy, and Revival Radio TV, which explores historical and modern-day spiritual awakenings.
Mark David Hall. A professor at Regent University in the Robertson School of Government, Dr. Hall is a scholar of early America. Prior to Regent, he was the Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor of Politics at George Fox University. Hall has written or edited a dozen books including, Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth, Great Christian Jurists in American History, and Faith and the Founders of the American Republic.
Alveda King. Building upon the efforts of her father, Rev. A.D. King, and her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Alveda King has dedicated her life to the civil rights issues of our time. King is Chair of the Center for the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute and Board Member to Priests for Life. She previously served on the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission.
Christopher Levenick. Director of the Program for Civic Renewal with the Connelly Foundation, and the editor-in-chief of Philanthropy Magazine, Levenick has explored religion in the United States throughout his career. Writing for Claremont, AEI, and other publications, Levenick has long traced strands of the Founding manifesting themselves in the character of American Christianity, compared the principles of constitutional interpretation with those of scriptural exegesis, and explored the implications of pluralism on the exercise of religion in the public square.
Sameerah Munshi. Sameerah has courageously spoken out against forcing children to learn radical gender ideology in schools. She testified before the Montgomery County School Board, in a case that is currently before the Supreme Court, and has worked with the Coalition of Virtue and the Religious Freedom Institute.
Ismail Royer. Ismail Royer serves as Director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute. Since converting to Islam in 1992, he has studied religious sciences with traditional Islamic scholars and spent over a decade working at non-profit Islamic organizations. Royer has worked with nonprofits to promote peace between faiths. His writing has appeared in multiple publications and he co-authored an article on Islam on Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World.
Ryan Tucker. Ryan Tucker serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Christian Ministries with Alliance Defending Freedom. He oversees all litigation efforts to maintain and defend the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian ministries, and religious schools to exercise their rights under the First Amendment.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. Sheikh Hamza is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam and is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. He is an advisor to the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. For almost a decade, Hamza was consecutively ranked as “The Western world’s most influential Islamic scholar” in The 500 Most Influential Muslims. During the first Trump administration, he served on the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights.
[. However, that relationship has shifted significantly in recent times and continues to evolve, demonstrating the need for more research and a greater understanding of the changing North American dynamic.
Currently, North America faces a significant gap in dedicated research activity specific to the study of Canada-U.S. relations and policy – and there is a particular shortage of this research from a western Canadian perspective.
Understanding and navigating the changing geopolitical landscape is crucial, and partnering with researchers abroad is becoming increasingly vital. That is why Alberta’s government is investing $6.5 million over three years in the New North America Initiative, led by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, to help Alberta navigate this new reality.
“A strong and collaborative relationship with the United States is essential to Alberta’s long-term success. This initiative will deepen academic and policy partnerships, and expand Alberta’s research capacity, to support and develop effective responses to shifts in Canada-U.S. relations.”
The New North America Initiative will help fill the significant gap in Canada-U.S. policy research and collaboration in North America and foster increased collaboration with the United States. By working with universities across North America, post-secondary institutions in Alberta can expand their research capacity and build key partnerships between institutions in both countries. Over the next three years, the initiative will bring key research and industry partners together to help Alberta better anticipate, manage and mitigate U.S. policy shifts.
“The New North America Initiative will help Alberta take strategic and thoughtful action as we navigate relations between Canada and the U.S. This initiative will open new research pathways and help establish strong new connections and partnerships, while also empowering and developing capacity for the next generation of students. There is very little dedicated research directed to the study of Canada-U.S. relations at Canadian universities, and increasing our knowledge on this topic right now is crucial.”
This initiative will also build upon the expertise of researchers at the University of Calgary and other post-secondary institutions, relevant think tanks and business associations in Alberta. The New North America Initiative will connect thought leaders, government officials, the private sector and think tanks in Alberta and across the continent to increase understanding and share new ideas on relations with the U.S. In addition to coursework and hands-on involvement in research, the initiative will help train students in specific skills and knowledge to work for government, private sector and civil society in a new era of relations with the U.S.
“The University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy is taking the lead at a critical moment in Canada-U.S. relations by gathering the expertise of our researchers and partners to provide evidence-based public policy guidance to government.”
The University of Calgary School of Public Policy
Founded in 2008, the School of Public Policy advances public policy in Canada and works to improve policy capacity in government and enhance policy discourse outside of government. By conducting evidence-based research and fostering dialogue among policymakers, academics and the public, the School of Public Policy aims to inform and shape effective policy solutions for complex societal challenges while focusing on four key areas: social policy and health, energy and environmental policy, fiscal and economic policy, and international policy and trade.
“With the crisis in Canada-U.S. relations, it’s clear our traditional policies and the ways we engage the Americans, and their federal and state governments, have not been enough. We need new thinking and new ways of engaging, and we need the work behind this to come from new places and new voices on both sides of the border. That’s what the New North America Initiative will deliver.”
As part of the launch of the New North America Initiative, a roundtable discussion will be held with researchers from post-secondary institutions across Canada and the U.S. The discussion will explore opportunities for Alberta-based researchers to serve as a ready resource of information, intelligence and capacity to help inform policy. It will also allow these researchers to hear diverse perspectives from experts across the United States and Alberta and help build collaborative relationships.
Quick facts
The New North America Initiative’s initial primary focus is on issues affecting Alberta/Canada-U.S. relations.
The initiative will include researchers from Alberta and the United States, including from the:
Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced 39 appointments and reappointments to various state boards, authorities and commissions.
Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
Donald Dowless currently serves as President of Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, a role he has held for over a decade. He holds a Ph.D. in religion from Baylor University, a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to his presidency, Dowless teaches Christian studies and has instructed more than 10 different courses. His academic experience includes teaching at North Carolina State University, Campbell University, Southeastern Seminary, and Emmanuel University of Oradea. He has also completed missionary work in Romania and West Virginia. Dowless and his wife are active members of Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church in Silver Creek, Georgia.
Georgia Board of Athletic Trainers
Yusuf Jamal Ali was reappointed.
Jeffrey Hopp serves as Director of Sports Medicine at Marietta City Schools and has led the Blue Devils’ athletic training program for over 20 years. He oversees student athletic trainers and has organized international trips for them to countries including Costa Rica, Ireland, and France. Prior to this, Hopp provided athletic training to Cobb and Cherokee County schools through Resurgens Orthopedics and was head athletic trainer for the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe. He has worked with the Minnesota Vikings, the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, and the 2007 U.S. National Paralympic Track and Field Championships. He was a founding member and chairman of the Georgia Concussion Coalition, contributing to the passage of the GA Return to Play Act. Hopp holds a B.S. in athletic training from Minnesota State University and resides in Dallas, Georgia, with his wife, Julie.
Georgia Board of Landscape Architects
Chad Baker, Jon Calabria, and Rebecca Kirk were reappointed.
Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council
Stan Stalnaker is a member of the Tift County Board of Commissioners, currently serving his third term. He is a certified county commissioner through the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and holds a specialty track certification in public safety. Stalnaker is a 29-year veteran of the Georgia State Patrol, holds the rank of Captain, and currently serves as the Director of GSP’s Aviation Division. He holds a master’s in public administration from Columbus State University, is a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College, and a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session #261, in Quantico, Virginia. Stalnaker and his wife Keisha reside in Tifton, where they attend Liberty Baptist Church. They have one son who attends Georgia Southern University.
Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers
Melissa Cantrell and Anne K. Smith were reappointed.
Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council
Mary McCartin Wearn is the President of Georgia Humanities. She formerly served as founding dean of the School of Arts and Letters at Middle Georgia State University, where she led regional partnerships and public-facing arts and culture programs. She holds a Ph.D. in english from UGA, a B.A. in english from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and a B.S. in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University.
Georgia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Ibrahim Dabo, Paula Harmon, Anne McQuade, and Allison Morrison were reappointed.
State Board of Workers Compensation
Benjamin Vinson was reappointed as Chairman.
Frank McKay was reappointed.
State Charter School Commission
Scott Sweeney is a Senior Business Advisor at InPrime Legal, a business law firm recognized as a 2019 Small Business ROCK STAR by the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. He has served on numerous national, state, and local boards, including as past president of the Georgia Education Committee, a legislative affairs committee member for the Georgia School Boards Association, and a member of both the CTAE Business & Advisory Committee and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee. Sweeney spent eight years on the Cobb County Board of Education, holding leadership roles including chair, vice-chair, budget liaison, and Facilities and Technology Committee liaison. He later served on the Georgia State Board of Education from 2019 to 2025, representing the 6th and later the 11th Congressional Districts. During his tenure, he served as chairman and chaired the District Flexibility and Charter Schools Committee. Sweeney holds a B.A. in economics from UCLA and resides in East Cobb with his wife, Sandy, and their two sons.
State Board of Certification of Librarians
Kathryn R. Epps was reappointed.
Catherine M. Lewis serves as Associate Vice Provost of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books at the University Libraries and as Professor of History at Kennesaw State University. She manages a multimillion-dollar budget and leads a staff of nearly 100 professionals. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Arts in english and history from Emory University, as well as a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in american studies from the University of Iowa. She has curated more than 40 exhibits for institutions across the country, including the Atlanta History Center, the Brennan Museum, Delta Airlines, Augusta National Golf Club, and United Way. She has co-authored and co-edited over 15 books, regularly presents at national and international conferences, and has helped secure major grants for Kennesaw State from organizations such as the U.S. State Department, the American Association of Museums, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Bona Fide Coin Operated Amusement Machine Operator Advisory Board
Shawn Fellows, Mills Flemming, Natalie Jones and Chandra B. Yadav were reappointed.
Georgia Child Support Commission
Chuck Efstration, Houston Gaines, Emanuel Jones and Brian Strickland were reappointed.
Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board
Marlon L. Day is a Senior Director at Quest Valuation & Advisors, where he performs appraisals across a wide range of property types and markets. He is an accomplished research and financial analyst and a certified general appraiser with more than 22 years of experience in preparing and presenting valuation analyses. His project experience includes multi-family residential, office, retail, warehouse, industrial, mixed-use, infrastructure, special-use properties, expert witness testimony, and diminution in value. His practical business expertise is supported by a Master of Business Administration in finance. Day and his wife have three children.
Board of Natural Resources
Steven Hufstetler and Brent Layton were reappointed.
State Board of Registration for Foresters
James Harley Langdale was reappointed.
Georgia Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Advisory Board
Robert Balkcom serves as the South Adjutant of the Georgia State Patrol, overseeing the operations of Troops F, G, H, I, J, and K, as well as the South Nighthawks DUI Task Force, the Recruiting Unit, the Implied Consent Unit (ICU), the Criminal Interdiction Unit (CIU), the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT), the State of Georgia SWAT Team, and four Communication Centers. Prior to assuming this role in 2020, Balkcom served as Troop F Commander. He began his law enforcement career as a police officer with the Savannah Police Department in 1992 and joined the Georgia State Patrol as a Trooper Cadet at Post 42 – Savannah in 1994. After graduating from the 71st Georgia State Patrol Trooper School in 1995, he was assigned to Post 42 – Savannah. Balkcom was promoted to Corporal at Post 45 – Statesboro in 2006. In 2009, he was selected as Commander of the newly formed Nighthawks South DUI Task Force and promoted to Sergeant in 2011. He advanced to Sergeant First Class at Post 11 – Hinesville in 2013, Lieutenant in Troop I in 2018, and Captain in Troop F in March 2020. Balkcom graduated from Reidsville High School in 1987 and earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Georgia Southern University in 1991. He is also a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College and holds a master’s degree in public safety administration from Columbus State University. He and his wife, Nicole, have lived in Reidsville for the past 40 years.
North Georgia Mountains Authority
Jeff Andrews currently serves as the Fourth Congressional District Representative on the Board of Natural Resources. He began his career in the long-term care industry in 1981 as marketing director for a continuing care retirement community in Birmingham, Alabama. He was later promoted to executive director and then southeast regional vice president. In 1988, Andrews became senior vice president of corporate development, where he led the addition of 17 properties to the management portfolio, helping establish the company as the largest for-profit, third-party manager of retirement housing in the United States. By 1990, Andrews co-founded Retirement Management Corporation and served as its president until its acquisition by Sun Healthcare in 1998. In 1999, he founded Wellington HealthCare Services, LLC, which grew to 11 owned facilities before being sold in 2007. He retained a significant ownership stake and helped the company meet key operational goals. He continues to lead Wellington, which currently manages 17 facilities.
North Georgia Mountains Authority- Chair
Patrick Denney is a graduate of West Georgia College with a BBA in marketing and a lifelong resident of Carroll County. He owns and operates SLM Recycling, SLM Steel and Fabrication, and Heavy Equipment Repair. An avid outdoorsman, Denney manages farm, timber, and hunting land in both Carroll and Heard Counties. He was appointed to the Board of Natural Resources in 2020 and has served on the North Georgia Mountains Authority since 2021. He and his wife, Lynne, have four children and reside in Bowdon.
State Properties Commission
Yi Jeng “Jay” Lin was reappointed.
Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists
Gregory Keith Moffatt was reappointed.
State Board of Registration for Professional Geologists
Jack L. Kittle, Jr. is a retired water and environmental resource manager with Aqua Terra Consultants. With over 40 years of experience, Kittle worked with major clients such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Geological Survey. He earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1975. An active member of the Decatur community, Kittle helped charter and establish the Decatur Parks and Recreation Pedestrian Committee in 2013 and served on the committee for over 10 years.
Veterans Service Board
Darius “Pete” Peterson was reappointed.
Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies
em>Salem, OR — Please join the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM), in partnership with the Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office, AARP, Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities, and the Oregon State University Extension Service for a two-part virtual educational series on how to help older adults prepare for the disasters we face every year in Oregon such as ice storms, wildfires, and extreme heat. This series is intended for organizations, community groups, faith-based organizations serving older adults, emergency management professionals, and anyone else interested in this topic.
Older adults often face unique challenges when it comes to disaster preparedness—such as living on fixed incomes, relying on mobility devices, or experiencing social isolation. This educational series will offer practical guidance for individuals and organizations working with older adults to strengthen emergency readiness across the state.
Part 2: May 21, 2025 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. PST Topics include:
Managing medications during disasters
Avoiding scams and misinformation post-disaster
Supporting mental health and reducing social isolation
Who Should Attend: Organizations, faith groups, and individuals who support older adults, along with emergency management professionals and community preparedness advocates.
Missed Part 1 of our Older Adult Preparedness Series? Watch the recording from April 23, 2025, click the link below to watch the recording on YouTube:
Video Recording (English) (Spanish) (Russian) (Vietnamese) (Chinese)
Topics covered include: • Building partnerships between emergency managers and aging service providers • Planning for evacuation, sheltering, and medical equipment needs • Signing up for emergency alert systems
The series is free and open to the public. Sessions will be offered in English with interpretation in Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, and American Sign Language (ASL). Recordings will be available on OEM’s YouTube channel.
Register here: Virtual Event Registration
For questions or accommodation requests, contact: community.preparedness@oem.oregon.gov
Jefferson City — Today, during a ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol, Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Charles D. Hausman was promoted to the rank of Major General.
“This promotion is a testament to Major General Hausman’s remarkable leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to our state and nation,” said Governor Kehoe. “In the months since General Hausman assumed command, he has led Missouri’s soldiers and airmen at home and abroad through both day-to-day trainings and missions to their vital assistance with multiple rounds of winter storms and flooding across the state. On behalf of all Missourians, congratulations to General Hausman and the Hausman family on this well-deserved promotion.”
Governor Kehoe selected Major General Hausman as the next Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard on January 8, 2025, and he took command on February 1. With over 36 years of service in the Missouri National Guard, the General has an extensive military career with a high level of expertise in operational leadership, military strategy, and interagency coordination.
“It is an honor and privilege to be entrusted with this responsibility,” General Hausman said. “Leading the exceptional soldiers and airmen of the Missouri National Guard as we carry out our mission of serving the people of Missouri and this great nation is the honor of a lifetime.”
General Hausman enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1988, joined the Missouri National Guard in 1989, and transferred to Aviation in 1993. He has commanded at every level from company to brigade and held key staff positions such as Executive Officer of the 35th Combat Aviation Brigade, Deputy Director of Manpower and Personnel of Joint Force Headquarters, Deputy Commander of 70th Troop Command, and Director of Aviation and Safety of Joint Force Headquarters.
In addition to his assignments within the United States and Missouri, General Hausman has had several assignments abroad including in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.
A seasoned aviation officer and combat veteran, he has earned multiple military awards including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with Numeral Two, and the Master Army Aviator Badge. He is qualified in the TH-67, UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, AH-64D Apache, and is qualified as an instructor pilot in the OH-58A/C and AH-64A Apache.
The General received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology from the University of Central Missouri in 1991 and a Master of Science degree in Aviation Safety from the University of Central Missouri in 1993. He completed a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies through the United States Naval War College in 2015.
General Hausman is a native of Saint Joseph, Missouri, and currently resides in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, and has two adult children, Alex and Libby.
Pictures of the promotion ceremony will be available on Governor Kehoe’s Flickr page.
Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was shot dead during a TikTok livestream.@V___marquez / Instagram
Valeria Marquez, a beauty influencer, was shot dead by a man on May 14 while live streaming on TikTok at her beauty salon in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. The authorities are investigating the case as a suspected femicide, where women or girls are killed on account of their gender.
The killing of Marquez is part of a gender-based violence epidemic that has gripped Latin America for decades. The threat of such violence there is so severe that in 2020, as the world battled COVID, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, called it a “shadow pandemic”.
The situation in Mexico is especially alarming. A 2021 report by Amnesty International found that at least ten women or girls are murdered in the country every day. The report added that the authorities have largely proved unwilling to take action to stop the killing.
On the surface, Mexico has made significant strides in improving gender equality. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo became the first woman to be elected as Mexico’s president in 2024. There are also several female governors heading powerful Mexican provinces, and female political leadership can be found in great numbers in regional and municipal bodies.
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But despite the visible presence of women in public life, parts of Mexican society remain deeply sexist. Researchers see the prevalence of machismo, a culture that encourages an extreme sense of masculine pride, as having facilitated male dominance over women.
Femicide in Mexico became particularly rife in the 1990s. The introduction of the North American free trade agreement saw many factories producing goods for export set up near Mexico’s border with the US. These factories are known as maquiladoras.
The emergence of maquiladoras created low-skilled job opportunities. And a generation of women sought economic freedom by working in the factories. By 2006, more than half of the workers at maquiladoras were women, largely the result of their comparatively low wage demands.
While this culture shift allowed women greater economic autonomy, it also created deep resentment from some men. A spate of murders were carried out in the Mexican border city Ciudad Juárez in the 1990s, which claimed the lives of roughly 400 women.
Research has established a connection between female employment in the maquiladoras and the consequent rise in femicide in Mexican border towns. Many of the women killed in Ciudad Juárez worked in the maquiladoras.
Some people also point to the fact that the culture of male chauvinism in Mexico – and throughout Latin America more broadly – is pervasive.
When the Mexican government in 2020 established a hotline to report issues of domestic abuse and violence against women in the country, it was flooded by tens of thousands of reports. But when journalists asked the then president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, about this figure he brushed it aside: “90% of those calls that you’re referring to are fake.”
Culture of impunity
Gender-based violence in Mexico and in large parts of Latin America does not exist solely because of the culture of extreme masculinity. It also thrives because of institutional failure to bring the perpetrators to justice.
There are robust laws and regulations to protect women against abuse in Latin America. The inter-American convention on the prevention, punishment and eradication of violence against women, signed in the Brazilian city of Belém in 1994, is a good example.
It was adopted by all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, formalising violence against women as a violation of their human rights. However, despite the presence of this legal framework, there has not been a corresponding decline in rates of femicide.
Criminal impunity is one of the greatest hindrances to addressing the issue of femicide throughout the region. In Mexico, for example, more than 90% of all crimes go unsolved. And in Brazil, many cases of violence against women go unreported.
When they are reported, the victims and their families often face obstacles in the judicial system. Despite a 39% increase in the number of femicide cases in Brazil from 2019 to 2020, the sentencing for this crime only increased by 24%.
According to a World Bank report from 2023, there is an institutional complicity in perpetrating violence against women in Honduras. The report alleges that the country’s national police force “turn a blind eye to the soaring number of femicides”.
Similarly, according to Diana Portal, of the ombudsman’s office in Peru, femicide in the country is spiralling out of control because the negligent state machinery is incapable of addressing the issue. Consequently, criminals feel they can “rape, disappear or kill a woman without consequence”.
Latin America and the Caribbean has never had a dearth of female public figures. The region has had more than a dozen female leaders as of 2025. Argentina, Brazil and Chile have recently had female heads of state, while Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico currently have female presidents. Mexico’s patron saint, Virgen de Guadalupe, is also a woman.
However, the presence of these high-profile figures in public life has not deterred sections of society from targeting women with violence.
Incensed by the culture of impunity and male chauvinism that perpetuates femicide in Latin America, the late Pope Francis denounced the practice. In a visit to Peru in 2018, he said violence against women cannot be treated as “normal”. “It is not right for us to look the other way and let the dignity of so many women, especially young women, be trampled upon.”
Unfortunately, despite the moral homily contained in his message, Latin America has been utterly incapable of addressing this subculture of gender violence.
Amalendu Misra is a recipient of Nuffield Foundation and British Academy fellowships.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Cassie Brummitt, Assistant Professor in Film and Television Studies, University of Nottingham
Sinners, a blues-soaked horror film set in 1930s Mississippi, was preemptively tagged by many film industry insiders as an inevitable flop. But it became a word-of-mouth sleeper hit that continues to draw huge audiences globally, weeks after its release.
On its opening weekend, premium screening formats such as in Imax cinemas accounted for 45% of the film’s ticket sales. Indeed, Imax technology has been central to the marketing of Sinners.
Trailers declared that the film was “shot with Imax cameras” and its cast and crew have discussed their experiences working with this technology in interviews. Director Ryan Coogler even takes us to film school in a ten-minute video where he talks about his love of physical film reels, explaining the differences between seeing Sinners in different aspect ratios – particularly Imax.
Imax is both a filmmaking format and a viewing technology. Imax cameras use large physical film reels and are very unwieldy due to their size, so they’re a rare filmmaking method and are usually only associated with big-budget directors such as Christopher Nolan.
This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.
Sinners was shot using Imax cameras as well as an Ultra Panavision 70 camera. These cameras shoot in a completely different aspect ratio to normal films. The result is a much shallower depth of field and greater image resolution that allowed Coogler and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw to best “tell the story with the flat horizon of the Mississippi landscape.”
Imax cinema screens are specially designed to display this immersive, high-quality format. But what many people don’t know is that there are different kinds of Imax.
“True” Imax requires massive screens that use a specific aspect ratio (1:43:1) and special film projectors capable of playing the extra-large film reels. There are only two auditoriums in the UK that fit this description – the British Film Institute’s Imax in Waterloo and the Ronson Theatre Imax screen in the Science Museum – and both are in London.
The kind of Imax you’re likely to have experienced in your local cinema uses digital projectors, and often the screens will vary in size – though they are still bigger than average.
Regardless, the ongoing popularity of high-quality formats like Imax is a result of audiences increasingly seeking out the cinema for immersive, “premium” screening experiences.
The draw of Imax in offering a spectacular, high-intensity experience is a big part of why it was central to Sinners’ marketing campaign. Media academic Leora Hadas, in her book Authorship as Promotional Discourse in the Screen Industries, claims today’s movie marketing is largely about giving a film a distinct identity that makes it feel different among the overwhelming number of entertainment options we can choose from.
It makes total sense to play on Imax’s reputation for quality and spectacle in promoting a prestige film like Sinners. But I think it’s also trying to tell us something even more significant about the value of the cinema space for watching films.
The rise of streaming services has led to many changes in audience viewing habits. We can now access a wide range of content for a monthly subscription equal to the cost of a single cinema ticket.
The traditional model the film industry is built on – where a film’s success is judged by how much money it makes in cinemas – is increasingly precarious. This has caused much anxiety for film studios and cinemas alike, as more and more films are released straight to streaming platforms. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos even said recently that making films for the cinema is an “outdated concept”.
Crucially, Imax is a technology that can only be experienced in cinemas. After Sinners opened to an explosive US$58 million (£43 million) at the box office globally, Coogler penned an open letter thanking cinema audiences, saying it was “always a film that we wanted to make for audiences in theaters … to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can”.
This letter makes his stance on the value of cinema very clear: “I believe in cinema. I believe in the theatrical experience. I believe it is a necessary pillar of society.”
Coogler’s efforts to promote the “theatrical experience” can encourage us all to celebrate the cinema as a space for entertainment, immersion and art. Clearly, his message has resonated: the BFI Imax screen in London has brought Sinners back due to popular demand.
But the film’s marketing strategy also reveals the underlying vulnerability of an industry fighting to survive in an era of competition from streaming services. Imax technology contributes to Sinners’ identity as a prestige film, but it also creates a narrative around the value of preserving the cinema.
Cassie Brummitt 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: The Conversation – UK – By Edward Armston-Sheret, IHR Fellow, School of Advanced Study, University of London
By July 1858, the English explorer John Hanning Speke had been in Africa for 18 months. His eyes and body were weakened by fever, and he still hadn’t found what he set out to discover – the source of the River Nile.
Squinting through the heat on July 30, however, he spotted a body of water, about four miles away, surrounded by grass and jungle. At first, he could see only a small creek, flanked by lush fertile land used for growing crops and grazing by local people. But he pressed onward, dragging a reluctant donkey through jungle and over dried-up streams.
It wasn’t until August 3 that he could comprehend the full size of the lake. After winding up a gradual hill near Mwanza, located in the north of modern-day Tanzania, Speke was finally able to see a “vast expanse” of “pale-blue” water. He gazed on the lake’s islands and could see the outline of hills in the distance. Speke was arrested by the “peaceful beauty” of the scene. At the same time he was excited – he was convinced that this lake was what he’d been looking for. He was right. The Nile is the lake’s only outlet, and the huge body of water – now known as Lake Victoria – is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake.
Lack of time and money prevented Speke from travelling any further, so he came to understand the lake’s size by speaking to local people. As he didn’t speak any African languages, such conversations had to be translated multiple times. Thankfully, he had Sidi Mubarak Bombay to help him, a key figure in the expedition, who spoke both Hindi (which Speke could understand) and Swahili.
Despite another multi-year expedition from Zanzibar travelling inland to the area, in his own lifetime, Speke struggled to prove his claims. That’s because he only saw part of the lake and was unable to follow the river that flowed out of it the whole way to the coast. He died in 1864 from self-inflicted wounds sustained during a strange shooting incident, shortly before speaking at a debate about the source of the Nile.
But at least he is remembered by history. Bombay and the hundreds of African men and women who made his journey possible have since been largely forgotten. Such people did most of the hard work of exploration, building camps, navigating, cooking food and caring for Speke when he was sick.
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They are not the only ones. As a researcher specialising in the history of geography, I’ve spent almost eight years examining Victorian and Edwardian exploration and learned about the lives and experiences of African and Asian explorers, including Bombay. They included men and women who were formerly enslaved and were either forced into the work, or paid a pittance. Some of the women were forced into sexual relationships and marriages. Many were killed or badly injured in floggings at the hands of their brutal “masters” keen to administer punishment for perceived transgressions.
Their names should be in the pantheon of exploration, but all too often they are either ignored or misrepresented within the historical record. These are just some of their stories.
The illness and suffering Speke endured left a lasting mark on his body. Though he claimed to have fully recovered, his fellow British explorer on the expedition, the eccentric Richard F. Burton, argued in his book The Lake Regions of Central Africa (1860) that Speke had sustained brain damage from sun stroke. In reality, he might have been showing the after effects of malaria and hearing loss. At one stage, a beetle had crawled into his ear, leaving him deaf for a month.
Even so, Speke led a further expedition to Africa to try to prove once and for all that he had “discovered” the source of the Nile.
He also published two books on his journeys. In the front of one, he used an etching of himself (based on a painting) standing before Lake Victoria. A copy of this painting still hangs in the headquarters of the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington, London.
The image depicts Speke as a heroic and masculine figure. What we don’t see are the men and women who did the hard work of bringing Speke to the lake in the first place.
Sidi Mubarak Bombay was one of the most important figures within Speke’s expeditions. From Speke’s book about the expedition, which included a short biography of Bombay, we know he was born in 1820 near the modern border of Tanzania and Mozambique. His mother died when he was young, yet he remembered life in his village as one of “happy contentment” until, at the age of 12, when he was captured and enslaved by Swahili-speaking merchants.
He was then marched to the coast in chains before being sold at a slave market in Zanzibar. The man who bought him then transported him to India. Eventually, his owner died, and Bombay was freed. He returned to East Africa and enlisted in the Sultan of Zanzibar’s army. There, he met Speke and joined the East African Expedition in February 1857 and was paid five silver dollars a month.
The appointment changed Bombay’s life. The expedition was led by Burton, who had become famous for travelling to Mecca and Medina disguised as a Muslim pilgrim. Bombay became a key member of the expeditionary party.
Not only did he translate both Burton and Speke’s orders, but he also negotiated with local leaders for food, shelter and safe passage through their territory and cared for the explorers when they were sick. Bombay developed an active interest in the expedition’s work. In his book, Speke wrote that “by long practice, he has become a great geographer”.
When Speke returned to Zanzibar in 1860 for his next expedition, Bombay was one of the first men he recruited. He stayed with the expedition on its multi-year journey from Zanzibar to Cairo. Bombay went on to work for other European explorers, including Henry Morton Stanley who searched for the “lost” explorer David Livingstone, and Verney Lovett Cameron, who sought to investigate the lakes and rivers of Africa.
With Lovett Cameron, Bombay crossed equatorial Africa from coast to coast, completing much of the journey on foot. Even Victorian geographers recognised Bombay’s contribution, and he eventually received an award and pension from the Royal Geographical Society.
Anonymous labour and explorers’ violence
Bombay was a remarkable man. But Speke’s explorations also depended on many people we know far less about.
Both of Speke’s journeys to Lake Victoria were huge undertakings, involving hundreds of people. Much of the hard work was carried out by Nyamwezi porters from the central region of modern-day Tanzania. These men often worked on the pre-existing trade routes that connected the lake regions to the east African coast.
They carried the explorers’ supplies, basic equipment, trade goods and food. Explorers’ accounts often describe these people in racially offensive ways. Even so, their private letters also show their reliance on them.
An image from Speke’s book Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile, illustrated by James Grant, showing ‘Speke’s faithfuls’. Wiki Commons
On his journey to Lake Victoria, Speke struggled to recruit enough porters and complained: “I cannot move independently of the natives, and now the natives are not to be got for love or money [sic]. This alone has detained me here four whole months doing nothing.”
Alongside the porters, Speke also employed Swahili-speaking men from Zanzibar. These men often had their origins in East Africa and had often been enslaved in childhood. In his published account, Speke portrayed them in terms that drew on colonial tropes about childlike Africans.
In one letter to the British consul in Zanzibar, sent on December 12 1860, he was more positive, saying that such men do “all the work and do it as an enlightened and disciplined people”. These contrasting assessments perhaps reflect Speke’s varying mood. However, the different way he wrote in public might also be part of an effort to emphasise the difficulty of the journey and his leadership qualities.
Yet explorers sometimes struggled to maintain control over the parties they led. One problem was the fact that, once away from the coast and the power of the Zanazibari state, expedition members could easily slip away. Understandably, porters were more likely to leave an expedition when conditions became bad and food scarce.
Violent punishments were also a common feature of expeditions in this region. The explorers did not invent them – such punishments were also used by Arabic or Swahili-speaking merchants travelling in the area – but they showed little hesitation in using them. In his book on their 1856-59 expedition, Burton boasted that the expedition’s porters referred to him as “the wicked white man”.
Porters referred to Richard F. Burton as ‘the wicked white man’. Hulton Archive
On Speke’s second expedition to Lake Victoria, his Scottish companion Grant described how one man “roared for mercy” when he was flogged 150 times after stealing cloth to buy food. In a letter to the Royal Geographical Society on February 17 1861, Speke wrote that this was the maximum number of lashes he would give out “for fear of mortal consequences”.
Later expeditions, such as those led by the Welsh-American explorer Henry Morton Stanley were even more violent.
During the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition (1887-89), Stanley decided to divide the party, leaving a “rear column” behind. Conditions in this group soon deteriorated, due to food shortages and disease. The column’s leader, the explorer Major Edmund Bartlott, carried out a string of violent punishments. One Sudanese porter was executed, while a Zanzibari man was flogged so many times that he died of the injuries.
Bartlott was only stopped from carrying out further acts of violence when he was killed by an African man fearful that he was about to attack his wife.
Women and girls on African expeditions
When Speke’s final expedition arrived in Cairo in 1863, having travelled from Zanzibar, the party also contained four young women who were photographed there. Their presence shows that African women often formed part of explorers’ expeditionary parties.
Sometimes the women joined voluntarily, often as the partners of porters. Others were enslaved women and girls purchased by other expedition members. One of the girls photographed in Cairo was named Kahala. Along with an older girl named Meri, she had been “given” to Speke by the queen mother of the African Kingdom of Buganda during Speke’s extended stay in the country.
Women and girls in Speke’s party in Cairo, from his Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile, 1863. CC BY-SA
Speke’s relationship with Meri took a remarkable turn. In an unpublished draft of his book, now held at the National Library of Scotland, he described her as “18 years or so” and “in the prime of youth and beauty”.
The manuscript also implies that their relationship had a sexual dimension, although it’s unclear if this was consensual. On April 12 1862, Speke claimed that he spent the night “taming the silent shrew” – alluding to a play by William Shakespeare in which a husband torments his strong-willed wife into submission. Even in his highly edited published account, Speke described himself as a “henpecked husband”.
His account then described the breakdown of their relationship in early May 1862. The breakup, Speke wrote in the unpublished draft of his book, “nearly drove my judgement from me” and left him with a “nearly broken … heart.” After this, Meri apparently showed “neither love, nor attachment for me”, suggesting she had shown some before this.
Speke eventually “gave” the younger girl, Kahala, to Bomaby because “she preferred playing with dirty little children to behaving like a young lady”. At first, Kahala was unhappy about this transfer and tried to run away. But she was soon found and returned to the party. She then stayed with the expedition to Cairo and travelled with Bombay when he returned to Zanzibar.
It was not unusual for women to try to join expeditionary parties. Explorers often had concerns about the presence of unmarried women within their ranks. For instance, in his book To The Central African Lakes and Back (1881) Joseph Thomson, who led an expedition to the Lake Regions of central Africa between 1878 and 1880, reported finding a woman in the expedition’s camp who was trying to reach the coast.
On the advice of the expedition’s experienced African headman James Chuma (who, like Bombay, became involved in multiple expeditions), Thomson forced the woman to marry one of the expedition’s porters. The woman does not seem to have been happy with this arrangement. While she stayed with the expedition for a while, she slipped away when they neared the coast.
We only know the names of a small fraction of the women involved in such expeditions. Grant wrote a book on their journey that gives further details about women in the party.
In it he noted that several of the porters travelled alongside female partners who were “generally carrying a child each on their backs, a small stool … on their heads, and inveterately smoking during the march. They would prepare some savoury dish of herbs for their men on getting into camp, where they lived in bell-shaped erections made with boughs of trees”.
Such passages give us only a tantalising glimpse of these women. We’re left without a detailed knowledge of their names or lives. But we do know that they contributed to these expeditions in important ways.
Isabella Bird and Ito
More well known are the stories of the growing number of British women who became explorers in the Victorian era. Foremost among them was Isabella Bird.
Isabella Bird wearing Manchurian clothing from a journey through China. New York Public Library
Born in 1831 to an upper-middle class family and less than 5ft tall, Bird did not begin her career as an explorer until middle age. She was also disabled. At the age of 18, Bird had a “fibrous tumour” removed from the base of her spine and afterwards lived with chronic back pain. She travelled, often on horseback, to every continent of the world except Antarctica. Bird was also one of the first women admitted to the then all-male Royal Geographical Society in 1892.
Bird’s gender and disability shaped how she travelled. Unable to walk for long distances, she often rode cross-saddle, rather than the more traditionally feminine side-saddle, which she found painful. In some places, she faced specific hostility because she was a woman.
Yet, in other ways, Bird’s journeys had shared similarities with those made by men. Like them, she often depended on local people during her journeys. When she travelled through Japan in 1878, she relied on the services of an 18-year-old Japanese man named Itō Tsurukichi. He played a vital role in her journey across the country, arranging much of her travel, translating conversation with local people and explaining what she was looking at.
In Bird’s published accounts, her descriptions of Tsurukichi are often laced with racial prejudice. She often referred to him as a “boy” and was disparaging about his physical appearance. Her perspective on him did soften a little, however, as their journey continued. She was impressed by his qualities as a translator and the fact that he was continually trying to improve his linguistic skills.
Tsurukichi’s essential role was also illustrated when Bird attended a Japanese wedding to which he was not invited. She complained that it was like being “deprived of the use of one of her senses”.
Bird’s account also raises questions of who the leader of their journey through Japan was. “I am trying to manage him, because I saw that he meant to manage me,” she wrote in her book Unbeaten Tracks in Japan (1880). Bird also reported an incident where a Japanese boy thought “that Ito was a monkey-player, ie. the keeper of a monkey theatre, I a big ape, and the poles of my bed the scaffolding of the stage!”
Bird viewed the child’s misunderstanding as amusing, but it does suggest that some outsiders thought Tsurukichi was leading the party. He was clearly a skilled guide and translator, and he went on to become one of the foremost tour guides in Japan, taking numerous western travellers around the country.
Like Burton and Speke, Bird often depended on guides on her journeys. Sometimes, she led much larger groups. In such situations, others cooked her food, packed her tent, and translated conversations with local people.
When she travelled in China in the 1890s, Bird was carried across much of the country in an open chair on the shoulders of three separate groups of chair-bearers. She often didn’t record the names of the men who did such work and only described their labour in quite general terms – though she did photograph some of them and her chair.
However little men like Bombay and Tsurukichi are remembered, it is at least possible to recover their names.
Scott and Antarctica – exploration in an unpopulated land
In the early 20th century, the exploration of Antarctica was a thoroughly masculine affair. Some women did apply to join Antarctic expeditions, such as those led by Ernest Shackleton, but their applications were turned down. Antarctic expeditions were also less ethnically diverse than those in the Arctic. In the north, explorers often relied on the skills and labour of Indigenous people. There were also Black explorers, including Matthew Henson, an African-American man who claimed to be one of the first men to stand on the North Pole.
Antarctica presented a unique challenge: it is unpopulated, and when British explorers made their first attempts to explore its interior in the early 20th century, they had no idea what to expect.
In contrast to diverse expeditions elsewhere in the world, Antarctic expeditions were comparatively homogenous undertakings. British expeditions, led by Robert Falcon Scott and Shackleton, mostly employed white men from within the British empire. Sledging journeys in Antarctica were quite egalitarian compared with expeditions in Africa and Asia. Sledging often required upper and middle-class officers and scientists to work collaboratively with working class sailors, who often pulled sledges forward by sheer force of muscle.
Shackleton, Scott and Edward Wilson before their march south during the Discovery expedition in 1902. Sledges visible in the background. National Library of New Zealand
On the British National Antarctic Expedition, Scott completed a long sledge journey to the Polar Plateau with stoker William Lashly and petty officer Edgar Evans. The men cooked, ate, slept and laboured together. Scott, an officer, found the experience revealing, learning much about the working-class men’s experiences in the Royal Navy. Antarctic explorers were more willing to acknowledge the manual labour that made their expeditions possible than Burton, Speke or Bird, partly because this work was done by white men.
Some working-class sailors – such as Edgar Evans, Tom Crean, or William Lashly – did achieve a certain degree of celebrity. But others figures are overlooked. On Scott’s expedition he employed two men from within the Russian empire to help care for and train the expedition’s ponies and huskies: Dmitrii Girev and Anton Omelchenko. Apsley Cherry-Garrard, the expedition’s assistant zoologist, noted that they “were brought originally to look after the ponies and dogs on their way from Siberia to New Zealand. But they proved such good fellows and so useful that we were very glad to take them on the strength of the landing party”.
Girev, from the far east of Russia specialised in looking after the expedition’s Siberian huskies, while Omelchenko, born in Ukraine, specialised in caring for the ponies who would haul Scott’s supplies towards the South Pole. They therefore played a vital role in the expedition. In their accounts, Scott and Cherry-Garrard referred to these adult men using the infantilising term “boys” – thereby stripping them of their status as full and equal members of the expeditionary party.
Even among the British expedition members, there were still significant disparities in how labour on polar expeditions was rewarded or reported. Working-class men, mostly sailors drawn from the Royal Navy, did much of the hard, unglamorous work. They were also paid much less than officers and scientists.
On Scott’s two Antarctic expeditions, much of the day-to-day work at base camp – such as cooking, cleaning, and collecting ice to melt into drinking water – was carried out by working-class sailors.
On his final expedition, the explorers spent the winter in a small hut on Ross Island. One man, Thomas Clissold, worked as the expedition’s cook. Frederick Hooper, a steward who joined the shore party, swept the floor in the morning, set the table, washed crockery and generally tidied things. “I think it is a good thing that in these matters the officers need not wait on themselves,” Scott commented in his diary. “It gives long unbroken days of scientific work and must, therefore, be an economy of brain in the long run.”
He had adopted a similar approach on his first expedition, which left some sailors frustrated. “We don’t have any idea of what has been done in the scientific work, as they don’t give us any information,” James Duncan, a Scottish shipwright on the British National Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904) complained in his diary. “It’s rather hard on the lower deck hands.”
Even memorials to Antarctic explorers perpetuate many of the heroic myths of exploration. If you walk around London today, you might stumble on the statue of Scott in Waterloo Place or one of Shackleton outside the headquarters of the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington. Such statues embody much of what we often get wrong about exploration, depicting explorers as solitary. Expeditions were collective projects, and many of the people involved haven’t had their contributions fully recognised.
In many parts of the world, expeditions were large, diverse undertakings. Yet many of the people who did most of the work have been forgotten. My research seeks to put them in the spotlight and recover something of their lives and experiences.
Expeditions are extreme situations in which human bodies are pushed to (and sometimes beyond) their limits. Because of this, they vividly illustrate the various ways humans depend on each other – for care, food, shelter, transport and companionship. Today, human societies are more complex and interdependent than ever. Though often in less extreme or dramatic ways, like explorers, we all depend on other people for survival.
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Edward Armston-Sheret has received funding from the Institute of Historical Research (via the Alan Pearsall Fellowship in Naval and Maritime History), the Royal Historical Society, The Royal Geographical Society, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (via the Techne Doctoral Training Partnership).
A viral social media post suggested a large fries and large coke was an effective migraine treatmentKrakenimages.com/Shutterstock
Whether it’s one or two coffees to get us going in the morning or a bar of chocolate after a stressful day, many of us self-medicate when we’re tired, stressed or sad. But when we have a headache, most of us head straight for the painkillers.
Lately, though, a viral hack has been making the rounds: that a large Coca-Cola and fries can stop a migraine in its tracks.
And oddly enough, it’s not total nonsense.
The caffeine in Coca-Cola acts as a vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows blood vessels. This helps counteract the dilation of blood vessels that occurs during a migraine – a key trigger for pain.
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When vessels widen, they can press on and activate nearby pain-sensitive nerves, especially those of the trigeminal system, which carries sensory information about touch, pain and temperature from the head and face to the brain, leading to that familiar throbbing headache. That’s why caffeine is often included in over-the-counter headache medications.
Meanwhile, the sugar and salt in Coke and fries may help restore balance to blood sugar and electrolytes, both of which can be disrupted during a migraine attack.
But to really understand why this combo might work, we need to unpack what’s actually happening during a migraine.
The four stages of migraine
Migraines can be sparked by a wide range of factors: hormonal shifts, stress, skipped meals, certain foods, even changes in the weather or visual overstimulation. But, once one begins, it follows a specific pathway that makes it distinct from other types of headaches.
A migraine is no ordinary headache. It’s a full-body experience with four distinct stages – two of which occur before the pain even hits. That means there’s a window in which to stop the episode in its tracks, and many migraineurs (people who suffer from migraines) already self-medicate by doing just that.
Prodrome
Prodrome is the first stage, which can begin hours or even days before the headache. You might feel tired, irritable, or unusually low in mood. Most people who get migraines are surprisingly bad at spotting this phase, even though it’s the best time to intervene.
During prodrome, people often crave certain things. Many migraineurs report yawning more, which helps regulate dopamine, or seeking out hugs and affection, which boost serotonin. Others might drink ice water to calm their autonomic nervous system. Others still might reach for the large Coke and fries.
These responses aren’t random. All of these are unconscious attempts to rebalance the neurological systems that go haywire during a migraine. Irregular serotonin, dopamine and nervous system function are all known contributors to migraines.
And that brings us to arguably the ultimate migraine hack: chocolate. While it’s sometimes blamed as a trigger, chocolate is rich in compounds that help raise serotonin levels.
Because low serotonin is a known factor in migraine onset, a craving for chocolate might be your brain’s way of correcting a chemical imbalance. For some people, a bit of chocolate in the early stages may help ward off an attack.
Aura
Aura comes after the prodrome phase, and it’s when some people experience visual disturbances like flashing lights, or odd sensations like pins and needles. About 80% of migraine sufferers don’t experience the aura phase, but the same wave-like changes happen inside their brains.
These symptoms come from a burst of electrical activity in the brain that is subsequently suppressed, which alters blood flow and causes the constriction of blood vessels. Whether a person notices these effects depends on the structure and sensitivity of their cerebral cortex.
The brain relies on a stable supply of blood for nutrients and oxygen — but direct contact with blood is toxic to brain tissue. That’s why we have the blood-brain barrier, a filter that protects brain cells.
The pain comes next. The body takes vascular changes in the brain seriously and headache pain is one way it warns us that something could be wrong. Any disruption to blood flow – too little or too much – is potentially dangerous. A blocked vessel can lead to ischemic stroke, while a ruptured vessel causes hemorrhagic stroke.
The pain phase begins when earlier blood vessel constriction gives way to a rebound dilation. This sudden widening of vessels activates pain receptors — and voilà: the familiar, throbbing pain of migraine – and it can be debilitating.
For many people who suffer from migraines, once the pain hits, food is the last thing on their mind. That’s why many turn to triptan medications instead of fast food, which rebalance serotonin and histamine (another regulator of blood flow) once the migraine is underway.
Postdrome
Postdrome kicks in after the worst of the head pain subsides. This migraine hangover is more than just feeling worn out, though – it’s a distinct phase of a migraine attack. Known medically as the postdrome phase, it follows up to 80% of migraine attacks and can bring symptoms strikingly similar to a traditional hangover: nausea, fatigue, dehydration, body aches and mental fog.
For many people, this lingering phase can be just as disruptive as the migraine itself, making recovery a drawn-out and exhausting process. It can take days or even weeks to transition through all four phases of a migraine.
Still, prevention is better than cure and recognising the early signs of a migraine, then responding in ways that support the brain’s neurobiology, can make a huge difference.
Migraines are complex, personal and frustratingly unpredictable. But knowledge is power. And while no single solution works for everyone, recognising the prodrome phase and supporting your nervous system before pain sets in may be your best shot at heading off an attack.
Whether it’s recognising the craving for chocolate as a biological warning sign, sipping iced water, getting a hug, or yes – even reaching for a Coke and fries – these small interventions have roots in brain science. They reflect our body’s efforts to protect itself. Developing your personal treatments based on how your brain responds can help you stay one step ahead of the pain.
Amanda Ellison 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.
Lichens on stone, those “still explosions” as the great American poet Elizabeth Bishop named them, remain unseen to most, which is remarkable when you consider how commonplace they are. It seems these ecologically and culturally significant whatever-they-ares unfairly fall victim to something akin to plant blindness, a known phenomenon and tendency of people to overlook plants, which many of us – when we first encounter lichens – identify them as, even though that’s not what they are at all.
Part of the problem is that they’re not studied in schools because they’re awkward outsiders and are not perceived to fit in with the objectives of the science curriculum. So I was surprised to see lichens leap into the public imagination following the Just Stop Oil protest at Stonehenge at the summer solstice in June, 2024.
Just Stop Oil protesters spray an orange substance onto Stonehenge stones. Just Stop Oil
Much of the outrage seemed to be in reaction to a quote from one of the protesters about the stones being inert: “It’s time for us to think about what our civilisation will leave behind – what is our legacy? Standing inert for generations works well for stones – not climate policy.” Inert? “Well, what about the rare lichens growing on them?”, was the response from some people, seeing them as separate from the stone, and for others more important even.
English Heritage, the current custodians of Stonehenge, talked about the stones as being “testament to the desire of people – from prehistoric times to today – to connect with nature, the Earth, the Sun and the Moon, as well as crucially, each other”. And this very publication printed a response suggesting we should care more about the effects of climate change on our cultural heritage rather than the inconsequential actions of the Just Stop Oil protesters.
What’s more, a senior druid said he sympathised with the group’s message but was critical of their actions at the sacred site, warning against additional measures to protect the stones, given the summer solstice is the only day in the year that people can “connect with the stones and have a proper relationship”.
Relationship – a word that is often only reserved for connections between people, or people and animals, or animals and other animals, not people and what would otherwise be something seen – in western eyes at least – as abiotic, or non-living, lifeless, inert stones. Or are they?
For a lichenologist specialising in saxicolous (or stone) lichens, what’s particularly interesting to me is what lichens have to say about stone and its inertness, its lifelessness, the sweeping “abiotic” label that western thinking assigns to it.
This is because lichens are transforming our understanding of stone in both ecological and cultural contexts, and this could have major implications not only for the conservation of our cultural heritage, but also the broader field of conservation and how we understand and relate to the natural world.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
What exactly is a lichen?
To start with, how we see lichens themselves is changing. Trying to agree on a definition of lichens that pushes them into one of science’s neat little cubby holes has proved as difficult as trying to distinguish stone from rock. A symbiotic association between a fungus (a mycobiont) and a photosynthetic partner, usually an alga or a cyanobacterium (a photobiont), is where we’d got to. And to accommodate our Linnaean classification system of living things we’ve treated them as we would a single species, naming them after the fungus.
But the reality is, whereas all those other living things are assigned a single species name to sit at the end of a single branch of Darwin’s tree of life, lichens recline over several, perhaps many branches, giving us the side-eye. They simply don’t fit. This has led some researchers to consider alternative ways of seeing them, including recently defining them as complex ecosystems due to the presence of additional microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria. This sea change has been challenged, however, and the debate about “lichenhood” looks like it will go on as it has done since the mid-1860s.
More than their biology
The notion that lichens are ecosystems, or perhaps become ecosystems, really appeals to my geographer sensibilities. It frees the lichen from species-scale thinking yet doesn’t overshadow the symbiosis that also defines certain relationships involved. What we see and define as a lichen, can in fact become more complex over time.
One of the arguments against the idea that they are ecosystems is that it would require us to include the mineral, soil or plant substratum that the lichen grows on. As scientist William Sanders writes, “For most biologists, a lichen removed from its substratum is still a lichen.”
I spend a lot of time looking at stone-dwelling lichens through a lens and under a microscope, and to me the co-habitational interplay between the stone, the lichen’s hyphae (or thread-like anchors) and its thallus (or main body) are intimate and dynamic, and ultimately a relationship that defines the lichen itself.
Lichens become more than their biology, mainly because they are in situ for such an extensive length of time and even often incorporate their substrate into their main body. Depending on the environment, individuals can colonise rock and stone for decades, centuries, thousands of years even; it’s been proposed that some of the oldest found in northern Alaska are in the range of 10-11,500 years old. And so, they blur the boundary between the biotic (living) and the abiotic (non-living), which occur on a continuum when you escape a species-scale view.
Verrucaria baldensis is an endolithic lichen that embeds in stone. At the surface of the stone, it can leave pits where its fruiting bodies detach. I call it the Moon Lichen because that’s exactly what it looks like up close; the surface of the Moon, the pits becoming craters. But when you look at it from above, or even in cross-section to see how it embeds in the stone, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had vanished, or was actually mainly stone. The relationship between the biology and the geology becomes so close that there seems good reason to consider the two together when observing it.
Verrucaria baldensis, a lichen that submerges in stone and is reminiscent of the Moon’s surface. Nicholas Carter, CC BY
The moment stone is quarried or exposed in some other way, colonisation of its surface begins, by cyanobacteria, algae and so on. This means that when that stone finds its way into a wall, a building, a monument or sculpture somewhere it has already started transforming, metamorphosing into something that acts alive. And so, at the surface, the stone is taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replacing it with oxygen, contributing to our net zero aspirations.
And when a lichen forms on it, in time, that stone becomes part of the lichen, and so contributing to the biodiversity of the site. We don’t see it, or think about it even, but it’s happening. We just need to start seeing stone differently, dynamically, more than the mineral. For a Unesco World Heritage Site like Blenheim Palace, where I’ve been conducting lichen surveys and whose vision is partly to enhance the ecological value of the site, seeing stone in this way is highly beneficial.
Arguably, much of how we define something depends on our relationship with it and how we choose to see it. How we value the living in relation to the non-living plays out in how we define lichens; we need to acknowledge the importance and value of both. In doing so, we are altering our perception of stone and our relationship with it. For there to be effective conservation, we need to value stone and other non-living entities because of the close relationships involved.
The reverse situation also occurs. In the field of heritage conservation, stone, the abiotic, relocated by humans, is often valued over and above the biotic, for example lichens, which can be found colonising and occupying it. We tend to want to preserve rather than conserve stone when it comes to cultural monuments and structures, so huge sums of money are spent on cleaning historic buildings and sculptures, including on the use of biocides, many of which can be dangerous for human health and the environment.
Metaphors for resistance and resilience
It’s when we start to understand the cultural contributions as well as the ecological and conservation benefits of lichens to heritage that we start to lean towards and come up with more effective nature-based solutions in relation to the deterioration of stonework.
After all, lichens occur in our folklore, and have stories to tell, and so bring a flavour of intangible cultural heritage, as well as sometimes protecting stone surfaces from other deteriorative agents. What’s interesting here is that heritage scientists have often talked about stone in human terms, when diagnosing decay for example. So stone forms blisters and has a memory even, storing past traumas related to environmental pollution.
And lichens are also influencing a cultural and artistic re-evaluation of stone, such that contemporary artists and writers are exploring the symbiotic relationships lichens have with stone, viewing them as metaphors for resistance, resilience and interconnection. In this way, lichens highlight stone’s living narrative, bridging biology and geology in relation to the human condition.
There’s an interesting parallel to draw here in terms of life defined by relationships. A developing theme in anthropology focuses on the intra-actions among humans and the mineral world. In her article on this, Nadia Breda’s ethnography discovers a European form of animism that “attributed subjectivity, intentionality, ability and agency to non-humans, revealing an interspecies network of relationships hidden by the western naturalistic worldview”.
In the company of the Piave, an Italian river where water and stones were described by old gatherers as living beings, Breda signposts an anthropology of life where “stones are living in this moving world of humans, stones and water” in a world where “life is not an intrinsic property of objects but a condition of being dependent on the context, and vitality is not a property of isolated individuals, but of the total field or relationships in which they are interacting.”
By observing lichens and listening to voices outside of a western perspective, we see stone as something more than lifeless, a way of reconnecting with the natural world – which we desperately need.
We form relationships and emotional attachments to the biological world with relative ease, but we need to nurture these connections with physical elements too, and not just when they hold cultural or symbolic significance. As such, we need to advocate for soil integrity, for example, as much as for saving endangered species. Ethical debates such as rights and conservation should not just focus on the biological, and what we see as the physical must be spoken about in terms of moral obligations.
Stone is significant to lichens as well as many human cultures, representing more than inert matter, carrying meaning, history and spiritual significance. Focusing too rigidly on a binary distinction obscures the integrated nature of ecosystems and diminishes these broader environmental and human connections, which can offer valuable insights into sustainability and environmental stewardship. This is less about making distinctions, but building more connections.
Nicholas Carter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353May 15, 2025
Cotton to Rubio and Bessent: Investigate Harvard’s Ties to the Chinese Communist Party
Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to encourage an investigation of potential sanctions violations at Harvard University. Recent reports suggest Harvard has engaged in prohibited behavior with Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), which explicitly violates the Trump Administration’s human rights sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
In part, Senator Cotton wrote:
“I write urging the Departments of State and Treasury to investigate reports of potential sanctions violations at Harvard University. A recent report suggests that Harvard is engaging in prohibited behavior with Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a Chinese state-owned organization that implements China’s genocidal and forced labor polices in the Uyghur region.”
Full text of the letter can be found here and below.
The Honorable Marco RubioSecretaryU.S. Department of State2201 C St. NWWashington, D.C. 20451
The Honorable Scott BessentSecretaryDepartment of the Treasury1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, D.C. 20220
Dear Secretary Rubio and Secretary Bessent:
I write urging the Departments of State and Treasury to investigate reports of potential sanctions violations at Harvard University. A recent report suggests that Harvard is engaging in prohibited behavior with Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a Chinese state-owned organization that implements China’s genocidal and forced labor polices in the Uyghur region.
According to a recent business intelligence firm report, Harvard renamed its Public Health School the “Harvard T. Chan School for Public Health” after receiving a $350 million donation from the Chan family and its Morningside Foundation in 2014, which has significant ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Harvard engages in activities that glorify China’s Cultural Revolution and is linked to the China’s Thousand Talents Program. Most troublingly is the report that Harvard trained XPCC personnel and other senior Chinese officials on healthcare financing.
In 2020, the Trump Administration imposed human rights sanctions on XPCC under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act for XPCC’s involvement in severe human rights abuses. The Act prohibits any contribution of funds, goods, and services, to XPCC. Harvard University’s actions appear to violate these sanctions.
As the Trump Administration rightfully acknowledges, American universities’ unique ability to foster intellectual creativity and scholarly rigor are driving factors in our nation’s success. However, these values are contrary to the ideological capture sought by the CCP. I respectfully ask that your departments investigate these reports of potential sanctions violations by the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health in order to thwart the CCP’s on Harvard’s campus.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and the Trump Administration’s commitment to combat CCP influence at our institutions of higher education.
Sincerely,
Tom CottonUnited States Senator
The pressure of decarbonising industrial sectors is weighing on workers.
The UK’s Labour government seeks a low-carbon and homegrown energy supply by 2030. The scale and pace of this transformation is unprecedented in the country’s power sector, and will involve building twice as much transmission infrastructure (pylons, cables, substations) in the next five years as was built over the last decade.
Much of the workforce will be drawn from the construction sector, which employs 2.3 million people. Construction forms the dominant supply chain to the 17 major infrastructure projects involved in an overhaul of the electricity grid that will connect new wind farms in the North Sea and northern Scotland to homes and businesses across Great Britain.
The workers “on the tools” who will carry out much of this transformation are struggling. The latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics suggests that the suicide risk of construction workers is three times higher than the male national average. Scholars of construction project management have identified a toxic workplace culture in the industry, citing aggressive market competition and demanding performance metrics.
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This is a problem that is largely being ignored. When planners at the National Energy System Operator assessed the UK’s capacity to build a clean power sector by 2030, they considered the absolute number of workers needed, the skills required and how employment is changing in the sector.
Their assessment failed to consider the broader implications for workforce mental health and wellbeing of such a quick and comprehensive upgrade – but it is people who are going through a rapid transition, not just infrastructure.
Construction workers already endure long hours and stress due to tight deadlines. A rapid transition to green power will substantially increase their workload, unless managed carefully.
Our report, published July 2024, looked into wellbeing and suicide in the construction industry. We concluded that the UK government, major infrastructure owners such as National Grid and their supply chain partners who provide specialist design and construction services, must work together to solve this problem.
Major infrastructure owners offer mental health services, such as confidential counselling, legal advice and financial guidance, to help their own employees manage personal or work-related issues. But most workers on the tools are not directly employed by these owners. Most are self-employed, or hired by construction firms, of which 99% are small- and medium-sized enterprises.
More than 96% of construction firms have fewer than 15 employees. Smaller suppliers of specialist trade skills, like electrical and mechanical installation, have fewer employment protections and more compressed schedules, and are even less likely to have the capacity to provide these services.
Some infrastructure owners and big construction companies extend their health and wellbeing services to these smaller suppliers. However, in an industry that is dominated by competitive tendering, which favours suppliers that keep costs low, it is no surprise that uptake has been low.
Owners of infrastructure assets like electricity pylons and substations can drive workplace improvements by adopting procurement models that prioritise suppliers that are offering measures to improve worker wellbeing.
Research from one of us (Jing Xu) and fellow project management expert Yanga Wu, has shown that the top-down prescriptive approach traditionally applied to health and safety in construction does not work for wellbeing. This requires a bottom-up approach, that makes it easy for workers to tell managers what they are struggling with and what they think would help.
The construction sector also faces a shortage of workers and skills required for the green transition. The industry training board forecasts that the industry must attract the equivalent of 50,300 extra workers a year to meet expected levels of work over the next five years.
In the power sector, however, there is the additional complication of an ageing workforce, as well as differences in employment conditions between permanent and contract staff. Key expertise is at risk of being lost with retirements. Older workers often face additional pressure, not only to meet performance targets but also to compensate for gaps in expertise, and all within a fast-paced environment.
To improve mental health and wellbeing among a diverse workforce requires engaging with workers directly and ensuring their voices are heard. This involves more than upgrading technical skills. Research to better understand how organisations can care for their workforce in the context of increasing pressures due to achieving net zero is also vital.
Further research and collaboration with infrastructure owners and major construction contractors could help manage the risks and provide valuable insights for other sectors that will need to follow suit, such as heating, transport and agriculture.
It is imperative to consider what a transition means: the technical transition of replacing outmoded technology, as well as the social transition, which prioritises not only skills but workplace mental health. Without a focus on both policy and people, clean power will not be delivered.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Oestrogen and progesterone are the primary sex hormones in females, playing powerful roles throughout life – from puberty and periods to pregnancy and eventually menopause.
During adolescence, these hormones surge, kick-starting the menstrual cycle. In adulthood, they fluctuate month to month, driving ovulation and menstruation. But between the ages of 45 and 55, their levels start to decline.
This signals the beginning of perimenopause – the transitional phase leading to menopause, which is officially marked when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period. After that, hormone levels settle at a lower, steady baseline, ushering in the postmenopausal stage.
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Oestrogen and progesterone don’t just affect the reproductive system, they also act directly on the brain. Both hormones can cross the blood-brain barrier and influence neural function. Oestrogen tends to excite brain activity, enhancing alertness and mood, while progesterone is more calming and balancing.
When these hormone levels begin to fluctuate during perimenopause, they can disrupt many of the systems they regulate, especially in the brain. Common symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, memory problems, mood swings, poor sleep and even depression are not just nuisances. They’re signs that the central nervous system is being affected.
These neurological symptoms can have a domino effect on physical and mental health. In fact, research shows thatwomen are more likely than men to experience frailty and cognitive decline in later life – a trend that may be linked to the hormonal shifts around menopause.
That’s why it’s so important to approach menopause as a whole-body, whole-brain experience and not just a reproductive event.
Experiences of menopause
Along with colleagues from Nottingham Trent and Northumbria universities, I conducted research that explored how women describe their personal experiences of menopause. The findings were eye opening.
When asked to sum up menopause in one word, participants offered responses like:
“Anxiety.” “Horrific.” “Bizarre.” “Depression.” Many expressed frustration at the lack of clear, trustworthy information and a feeling of isolation. One woman said: “I don’t know what my body is capable of doing from one minute to the next … the pain, it’s just horrible.”
Another described overwhelming fatigue: “I haven’t got the energy I had when I was young.” While others reported profound mental health struggles: “I had this thing where I hated myself”, “I would have a rage within me, which wasn’t me normally”, “I had depressive episodes and was very poorly.” One participant reported that she was “feeling overwhelmed and panicked about doing anything, even leaving the house”.
These stories reveal the reality behind the statistics – menopause can be deeply destabilising, and for some women, life altering.
The more symptoms women experience, the more their quality of life can be affected. But there is hope. Research shows that higher levels of physical activity are linked to fewer and less severe menopausal symptoms.
That’s why our research team has taken our findings beyond the lab. Through public events and workshops, we’re helping women learn about how nutrition, brain health, and exercise can support them through the menopausal transition. And the impact goes beyond biology: gaining knowledge has been shown to boost self-confidence and help women feel more in control and less alone.
There’s still much to learn about the full impact of menopause on the brain and body, but one thing is clear: supporting women through this major life stage is not optional – it’s essential.
By continuing to share knowledge, break taboos and support one another, we can change the story of menopause from one of confusion and isolation to one of empowerment, understanding and resilience.
Jessica Piasecki receives funding from The Royal Society and MyAge. She is affiliated with Power Group — National Institute of Women’s Health and Performance and Relative Energy .Deficiency-Sport (RED-S) interest group
The line between entertainment and advertising is increasingly blurred thanks to social media. People no longer just consume content, they experience it – laughing, sharing and commenting. And brands have caught on.
The days when people sat through a 30-second TV ad because they had no choice are long gone. Now they can quickly swipe past anything that feels too much like selling.
Instead of posting directly to consumers, brands increasingly engage with each other. They crack jokes, offer praise and even poke fun at competitors. Brands are becoming more human in their interactions – especially with each other.
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Brand “banter” doesn’t feel like an ad (even though it has a commercial purpose). It can feel unscripted, human and weirdly fun, cutting through in a way traditional advertising can’t.
Our research shows that consumers are more likely to notice and engage with these interactions. The content feels less like marketing and more like shared digital culture. It can feel unexpected and entertaining, and invites audiences into a “moment”.
Humour, especially online, is a powerful emotional hook. It invites people to share the content – great news if you have a product to sell. In a noisy digital world where brands compete for eyeballs, humour helps to get people’s attention.
But it also fosters emotional connection, and can make brands feel human-like to consumers. When we see brands behaving playfully or being especially complimentary towards each other, our research shows they are more like to engage and remember them. It turns passive scrolling into active participation.
A good example is the Duolingo Death meme. The brand’s chaotic cartoon owl faked its death on Instagram and the result was viral engagement.
The post was liked by more than 2.1 million people. Other brands such as Walmart, FedEx, Kellogg’s and Five Guys joined in. Even pop star Dua Lipa paid tribute on X. What felt like spontaneous chaos was actually a smart, strategic move that tapped into meme culture, humour and community trends.
The same can be said for the caterpillar cake battle between supermarket Aldi and Marks & Spencer. This public brand-to-brand feud over their respective cakes exploded into a public spectacle and legal action from M&S. Despite being locked in a trademark row, Aldi and M&S ribbed each other with witty social media posts.
But rather than harming either brand, the playful roasting humanised them, drawing attention and affection from consumers.
In on the joke
Our research also found that when brands talk to each other, (rather than just talking at consumers), it can be an effective marketing device. These exchanges are more engaging than traditional brand-to-consumer posts because they feel unexpected and unscripted.
We found that people don’t just enjoy the interactions. They walk away with more positive feelings towards the brand and are more likely to buy from them. These interactions break the “fourth wall” of advertising and let consumers feel like they’ve been let in on a joke.
Humour often works by violating expectations. But whether consumers find something funny or awkward depends on how we interpret that violation. And there’s a catch: it needs to feel benign rather than malign.
American fast food chain Wendy’s is renowned for its sharp-witted social media presence, often engaging in playful jabs at competitors like McDonald’s. But one post, in response to McDonald’s promise to use fresh beef in all of its quarter pounders, apparently went too far.
Wendy’s posted: “So you’ll still use frozen beef in MOST of your burgers in ALL of your restaurants? Asking for a friend.” While many customers found the remark humorous, others viewed it as mean-spirited and unprofessional.
So banter – when it verges on being aggressive – can risk alienating consumers who prefer respectful brand interactions.
Of course, the line between clever and cringe-worthy is thin. When brands try too hard to be funny or provocative, they risk being perceived as inauthentic, self-serving or out-of-touch. Worse, they can alienate audiences or trivialise serious issues. The performative nature of online branding means that missteps are both public and memorable.
And brands must be self-aware. It’s crucial that they understand their brand purpose and identity, their “cool” factor, and who their real customers are.
As brands seek their place in a saturated landscape, characterised by constant content overload and fleeting consumer attention, these moments of humour and light-hearted engagement can serve as relief valves. But they’re also strategic tools. Brands are using playfulness to build emotional connection, cultural relevance and visibility in an overcrowded digital space.
So the next time a brand makes you laugh, pause and consider: Was it just a joke, or was it also a very clever move?
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A 115-year-old Surrey woman named Ethel Caterham has officially been handed the title of the oldest living human alive.
Many people reading this news may wonder what Caterham’s secret is.
While it isn’t usually a good idea to take health and longevity advice from supercentenarians (as they’re often the exception rather than the rule), there are some lifestyle pointers that we can take from research on groups of long-lived people that might help us increase our chances of living a longer life.
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1. Physical activity
Physical activity is good for you – who knew? Research shows that people who are more physically active each day tend to live longer, healthier lives. One study found that going from no physical activity to about 75 minutes per week of brisk walking increased life expectancy by about two years.
But perhaps less well known is just how bad inactivity is for your health and longevity. It’s a tad difficult to explain, but the positive effects of exercise are actually different from the negative effects of inactivity. That means that you can have a positive influence on your health by being both more active and avoiding being inactive.
Yet as good as structured exercise is for you, it can’t by itself offset the harms of inactivity and sitting all day. Research even shows that being sedentary is associated with higher risk of premature death from any cause.
If you want to live longer, you should try to avoid sitting for long periods of time if possible. Practical tips for this include standing up every 30 minutes, going to see someone in the office instead of calling or emailing them and standing on public transport during commuting. This, plus the aim to do about 30 minutes moderate exercise most days will help maximise your odds of a long, healthy life.
2. Eat your veggies
The advice many kids dread: eat your vegetables if you want to live a long time.
A recent study that followed around 100,000 people over a 30 year period found that people who made it to 70 years of age in good health (meaning they had no chronic diseases) typically ate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and fewer trans-fats, red or processed meats, fried foods and sugary foods. Importantly, this study doesn’t say that you must be a vegan, or never eat red meats – it only identifies trends within diets associated with healthy ageing.
When and how much you eat may also play a role when it comes to ageing. Research on caloric restriction and intermittent fasting in animals has shown both can increase lifespan. Our preliminary work in humans has also shown that following a fasting diet for three weeks can cause similar, positive metabolic shifts that match what we’ve seen in animals that will live longer. However, larger studies over longer time-frames are needed to establish effects on healthspan and lifespan in humans.
In a study of about 500,000 British people, irregular sleep patterns were associated with a 50% higher risk of early death compared to those with regular sleep patterns. Shift workers showed higher risk for strokes, and nurses who worked rotating shifts for decades were less healthy and had earlier deaths at retirement compared to nurses who didn’t work shifts.
While this data suggests that good quality, regular sleep is important for good health, how much sleep you need and when you should go to bed appears to be highly individualistic. This makes giving population-wide recommendations difficult – which is why the NHS recommends adults get between 7-9 hours sleep.
Possibly linked is the effect of social connections. Those that live more socially active lives also tend to live longer. In fact, people over 65 who are socially active daily are three times more likely to live for five more years compared to those that almost never engage in social activities.
It’s a common finding that strong social networks appear to enhance longevity. This may be due to the way social connections help us alleviate stressors in our lives.
The role of genetics
While there are many lifestyle habits we can change, one thing we can’t control when it comes to our lifespans is genetics. Some research suggests that naturally-occurring mutations in genes associated with longevity are more common in long-lived people.
Although it’s hard to tease out the role of genetics versus lifestyle when it comes to lifespan, current predictions suggest that longevity is between 20-40% related to genetics.
But good genetics aren’t everything. Although Ethel Caterham has made it to the remarkable age of 115 – and one of her sisters lived to be 104 – Caterham’s two daughters pre-deceased her at 71 and 83 years of age.
And even if you do win the genetic jackpot and follow a good lifestyle, you would still be very lucky to make it to Caterham’s grand old age of 115. Cells mutate, clots form, biological luck runs out. Still, if you want to maximise your odds of living longer and staying as healthy as possible, aim to be more physically active each day, eat a good diet, get a good night’s sleep and keep stress levels low.
Bradley Elliott receives funding from the Physiological Society, the British Society for Research on Ageing, the Altitude Centre, and private philanthropic individuals, and has consulted for industry and government on longevity research. He is on the Board of Trustees of the British Society for Research on Ageing.
When we think about the future of food, it’s unlikely that crickets, meal worms or grasshoppers come to mind. But believe it or not, insects might just be one of the most promising answers to two big global problems: feeding a growing (and ageing) population and fighting climate change.
As the world’s population heads towards 10 billion by 2050, we’re going to need a lot more food – and especially more protein.
In Ireland, where our research was based, this matters even more because our population is ageing. Older adults need more protein to stay healthy and independent as they age, but often they don’t eat enough of it.
At the same time, we also have to take care of the planet. Producing traditional protein sources like beef, pork and chicken uses up a lot of land, water and energy – and creates a lot of greenhouse gases.
So, where do insects fit in?
Insects are packed with high-quality protein. They also contain good fats, vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc. Some species are just as nutritious, if not more so, than chicken or beef.
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Even better, they’re much more sustainable. Insects need very little space, water, or food to grow, and they produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions. For example, crickets need 12 times less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein.
This makes them a great option for countries like Ireland which wants to cut down on its environmental impact while still providing healthy food for everyone, including older adults who need extra protein to prevent muscle loss and frailty.
Despite all the good things about insect protein, most people in Ireland aren’t exactly rushing out to eat a cricket sandwich. I led a research project, conducted by Sarah Mae Crosse, Aoife Finlay and Sarah Dooley, which looked at what Irish adults think about eating insects. We found that while some people are open to the idea, many still say “no thanks”.
The main reasons? Disgust, fear of the unknown and not knowing how to cook or prepare them. People also worry about taste and texture. One participant said: “It’s just weird – it makes my stomach turn,” while another admitted they’d be okay with it “as long as I don’t see any legs sticking out”.
Increasing appeal
The way insects are served also makes a big difference. People are much more willing to try insect protein when it’s ground up into a powder and added to foods they already like, like protein bars, pasta, bread, or burgers. In this form, it’s just another ingredient and it doesn’t look like a bug anymore.
Another big factor is education. When people learn about how insect protein can help the environment and support healthy ageing, they’re more likely to give it a go. In our student-led focus groups, some participants changed their minds after hearing about the benefits. “I didn’t realise it was so high in protein or that it’s good for the planet,” one said. “I’d try it now, especially if it tasted okay.”
Getting more people on board with insect protein isn’t just about making it tasty – it’s also about trust. Clear rules and food safety standards from the government can help people feel more confident about trying something new. Plus, supermarkets and food producers need to make these products easy to find and affordable.
Schools, colleges and community groups can play a big role too. Cooking demos, taste tests and education campaigns can make insect protein seem less weird and more like a smart, forward thinking choice. As more people try these foods and share their experiences, the idea of eating insects could go from gross to normal.
It might take time, but insects could become an important part of the Irish diet. They’re good for our health, especially as we get older, and they’re good for the planet too. The key is helping people understand the benefits, get over the “ick” factor and find ways to enjoy them in everyday meals.
With the right mix of science, education and smart marketing, we might all be munching on insect powered protein foods before long.
Catherine Norton receives funding from government funding, research council grants and industry.
With thanks to Sarah Mae Crosse, Aoife Finlay and Sarah Dooley, undergraduate students at the University of Limerick, who conducted this research.
A former professor of theology and librarian at the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Charles Kilby Bellinger, 63, was arrested in October 2024 by the Fort Worth Police Department after TCU’s IT staff reported they had detected pornographic images with concerning file names, including “infant” and “toddler,” on Bellinger’s work computer. He was charged by federal complaint, which stated that investigators found multiple sexually explicit images of pre-pubescent minors on a hard drive and an SD card removed from Bellinger’s office.
In early January 2025, Bellinger pled guilty to federal charges of possessing child pornography. Today, he was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, who also ordered that Bellinger pay restitution of $6,000 to certain victims and that Bellinger be taken into custody immediately following the hearing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Meacham praised the work of the law enforcement agencies that conducted the investigation, including the U.S. Secret Service, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and the Texas Christian University Campus Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
In 1954, the Finnish artist Tove Jansson was commissioned by the Evening News in London to draw comic strips about the Moomintrolls. The strip was syndicated by hundreds of newspapers, introducing the Moomins to an international audience and marking a dramatic turning point in her career.
Between 1954 and 1959, Tove Jansson drew 21 comics, some in collaboration with her brother Lars Jansson, who continued to draw the comic strip until 1975.
The success of the Moomin in the Evening News brought Tove Jansson economic security and helped her with the mortgage of her studio in Helsinki. However, over time, the assignment also became a burden on her creative work – a time-consuming and demanding obligation.
Perhaps because of this personal conflict, the comics often explore themes such as the struggle of artistic creation, the role of the artist and the value of art. Jansson had previously created humorous and satirical commentaries on the art world in various artists’ magazines in Finland, but here she places the Moomin at the heart of the creative process.
Unlike the novels and picture books, the Moomin comic strips were created for adults and can be described as satire. Jansson uses the compact format to comment on society, including the art world. The growing conflict in her own life, between the Moomintrolls and her artwork, is brought into focus in the comic strips.
This is part of a series of articles celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Moomins. Want to celebrate their birthday with us? Join The Conversation and a group of experts on May 23 in Bradford for a screening of Moomins on the Riviera and a discussion of the refugee experience in Tove Jansson’s work. Click here for more information and tickets.
The theme of the purpose of art and artistic creation is playfully introduced in one of the first comic strips, Moomin and the Brigands. Here Moomin and his friend Sniff embark on a quest for fortune. They engage in several schemes, including capturing rare creatures and selling them to the zoo, marketing magic rejuvenation potions and creating modern art.
While visiting a Hemulen (a really uptight counterpart to the Moomintrolls who love rules), Moomin and Sniff accidentally break several precious items in her home. Among the broken objects is a large statue of Rebecca at the Well, which falls from its pedestal and shatters. Rebecca at the Well is a classic biblical motif, which often portrays a model of feminine virtue, symbolising divine guidance and exemplifying ideals of hospitality and moral character.
The friends awkwardly attempt to reassemble the statue by gluing it together. The result is a strangely angular and expressive piece of art, referencing fragmented cubist portraits. Cubism, which emerged around 1907 to 1908, aimed to represent reality in a radically new way by bringing together subjects and figures, resulting in objects that appear fragmented and abstracted.
Sniff immediately sees the potential of the new Rebecca. “She’s more modern now,” he exclaims joyfully. The friends carry the statue to an enthusiastic art dealer who sells it for £500 in his gallery.
The episode with the deconstructed Rebecca is, of course, a funny caricature of the trend-sensitive art market. But the shattered statue with its intricate shapes was also a commentary on the debates about the “incomprehensible” and “obscure” nature of modernist art in Nordic countries during the time.
The destruction of the Rebecca can also be seen as an act of iconoclasm – the breaking of icons or monuments – or rather, a parody of it. While usually associated with vandalism, here, the iconoclastic act leads to the creation of something new. This expresses a desire for renewal and a liberation from restrictive conventions. It is, however, worth noting that Rebecca retains her symbol of virtue – the water jug – even after this pivotal encounter.
Drawing on the work of French philosopher and anthropologist Bruno Latour, iconoclasm can be understood as both destructive and constructive – an ambiguity that also applies to Jansson’s interpretation of the motif.
Later in the story, the money offered by the modernist Rebecca lures Moomin to the field of the arts. For a brief moment, he assumes the role of a painter and wholeheartedly embodies the romanticised ideal of the poor, misunderstood artist.
Moomin dons a Rembrandtian black velvet beret, but despite this, appears lost and bewildered in his new role, muttering: “I only want to live in peace and plant potatoes and dream!”
In a scene of self-parodying metafiction, he is blinded by his oversized beret and ends up tumbling down a cliff, abruptly ending his artistic career.
Tove Jansson’s Moomin comic strips for the Evening News use satire to explore artistic creation, the role of the artist, and the art world.
Through Moomintroll’s and Sniff’s pursuit of fame and fortune via the accidental modernist deconstruction of Rebecca, Jansson satirises romantic notions of the artist, the commercialisation of art and the professions surrounding artistic production. These themes are deeply connected to Jansson’s own experiences as an artist and author, constantly balancing between various professional and artistic demands, between children’s books, public obligations and painting.
Elina Druker is employed as a professor and researcher at Stockholm University, Sweden.
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