Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Chancellor of the University of Bath, has emphasised the significance of collaboration between India and the United Kingdom in higher education, stating that such partnerships would be mutually beneficial.
During his meeting with Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan on Sunday, Prince Edward highlighted the potential for enhanced academic cooperation, particularly in vocational education and training. He underscored the importance of learning beyond the classroom, noting that practical skills and experiential education play a crucial role in shaping individuals for the workforce.
The discussion also touched upon broader aspects of India-UK relations, including trade, sports, and cultural exchanges. Prince Edward commended India’s rapid growth in sports such as cricket and badminton and mentioned his attendance at the toss for the India-England T20 match in Mumbai later in the evening.
Governor Radhakrishnan welcomed Prince Edward to the state, remarking that India and the UK, as two of the world’s leading democracies, share deep-rooted ties. He noted that Indian students find it relatively easy to adapt to the UK’s education system and that fostering institutional collaborations between universities in both countries could be highly beneficial.
The Governor also highlighted areas for potential cooperation beyond education, including green energy, pharmaceuticals, and hospital management, acknowledging the UK’s advanced expertise in the latter. He further stated that Maharashtra’s universities would be encouraged to establish Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with British institutions to facilitate academic and research partnerships.
The discussions reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening ties between India and the UK across various sectors, with both sides expressing optimism about future collaborations in education and beyond.
British Deputy High Commissioner Harjinder Kang, Prince Edward’s private secretary Alex Potts, and John Nickel, head of the political and bilateral affairs department, were also present at the meeting.
Boise State launches School of Computing to shape Idaho’s technological future – Boise State University
Boise State University has launched its eighth school, the School of Computing, to provide Idaho with the highly skilled, computing-savvy workforce necessary to drive the state’s competitiveness, innovation and economic growth. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the school will align computing efforts university-wide to offer degree and training programs to enhance computing knowledge for students of all backgrounds and disciplines.
The school is guided by a vision built upon three foundational pillars: fundamental computing, computing in the disciplines and computing in society. The school seeks to grow Boise State into a national leader in computing education and research.
The School of Computing will:
Ira Burton, who brings a wealth of industry experience having worked at Micron Technology for 28 years, was appointed as the school’s inaugural director.
Burton will lead the School of Computing to serve as a powerful hub to empower continued collaboration, support new opportunities and partnerships across disciplines, and engage with internal and external partners as a point of entry to advance computed-related research, training, and awareness.
The School of Computing represents a bold step forward for the university. Boise State is uniquely positioned in the Intermountain West to supercharge computing across the university by uniting efforts to drive innovation, collaboration and excellence impacting Idaho and the region.
“As the state’s largest computer science program, Boise State has strong, longstanding partnerships with industry leaders in computing and microelectronics,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter. “The launch of the School of Computing will allow us to deepen industry relationships and foster the innovative, interdisciplinary approaches our faculty are known for in their research. The school positions us to offer new opportunities for students, researchers and industry partners for years to come.”
These initiatives align directly with Boise State’s strategic plan, supporting goals which enhance educational access, foster student and faculty success, and drive research activity.
“The launch of the School of Computing comes at an opportune time in the Boise State history of computer science and computing,” said Dean of the College of Engineering JoAnn S. Lighty. “Given the nature of technological advancement, computing is needed in every discipline, and the school, with its three pillars, will enable Boise State to meet the educational and research needs of the future.”
Lighty credited Tim Andersen, Department of Computer Science; Jodi Mead, Department of Mathematics; and Rich Stuppy, formerly of Kount; as the catalysts who brought the idea for the school together, provided the framework, and advocated for approval from the Idaho State Board of Education.
Tim Andersen said of designing the framework for the School of Computing: “Beyond the roles typically associated with computing, such as programmers, software developers, and web developers, Idaho companies need a wide range of computing-savvy talent. This includes professionals in sales, marketing, customer support, artistic and design fields, and even executive leadership. Our goal in creating the School of Computing was to collaborate across academic disciplines and organizations to provide educational opportunities that equip every Boise State student—regardless of their major—with essential computing skills. This ensures we can help produce the diverse talent Idaho companies need to stay competitive, thrive and grow.”
The School of Computing will serve as an umbrella for the entire university, embedding computational education, power, literacy and evolving technologies throughout academic experiences.
Unlike a traditional academic department, the School of Computing transcends college boundaries, bringing together faculty across 14 departments within the Colleges of Engineering, Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Health Sciences, and Innovation and Design, as well as the School of Public Service who are active in computing education and research.
Through this interdisciplinary approach, Boise State will serve as an institution that better understands how the world is fundamentally shaped by technology and its reliance on advancements in computation. As the school works to deepen the core understanding of computation, its capacities, and the impact of computation across disciplines and beyond, the school is also working to understand the impact these innovations have on society, the economy and the environment.
By understanding the societal impacts that computing can have, Boise State will better understand how computing technologies can be designed and utilized to maximize benefits for individuals and across society as a whole.
The School of Computing builds upon Boise State’s long-standing reputation for achievements and diverse expertise across all university colleges, including:
Valuing all three pillars and the diverse, world-class expertise strengthens the Boise State community where students, faculty and industry partners collaborate to build a better future shaped by thoughtful and responsible technological advancement.
“The School of Computing is set to enhance Boise State University’s research enterprise by leveraging its strong foundation in computer science, cybersecurity, data science, and computational math science and engineering. Additionally, the school will energize our interdisciplinary research focused on solving complex, large-scale challenges.”
-Nancy Glenn, Vice President of Research and Economic Development
“The new School of Computing at Boise State will propel us into a future where innovation is boundless. Computing will enhance many of our scientific endeavors, and I look forward to even stronger partnerships between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering, which will benefit our programs in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, among other fields. The School of Computing will build a legacy where our pursuit of excellence is one of collaboration and impact for all Idahoans.”
-Leslie Durham, College of Arts and Sciences Dean
“The College of Business and Economics is excited to work in conjunction with the School of Computing and College of Engineering. By uniting our expertise, we have the opportunity to pioneer technological innovations and expand interdisciplinary research, notably bridging computing and business disciplines. This synergy will equip our students to navigate future challenges more adeptly and foster a generation of innovators and leaders able to blend computing prowess with business acumen crucial for the rapidly advancing technological landscape.”
-Mark Bannister, College of Business and Economics Dean
© 2025 All Rights Reserved Boise State University.
Leave a Comment
Canada's new prime minister is triggering an election campaign this weekend. Here’s what to know – The Associated Press
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, speaks after being announced the winner at the Liberal Leadership Event in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses the crowd at Pioneer Construction in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday March 19, 2025. (Gino Donato /The Canadian Press via AP)
Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, speaks after being announced the winner at the Liberal Leadership Event in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, speaks after being announced the winner at the Liberal Leadership Event in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses the crowd at Pioneer Construction in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday March 19, 2025. (Gino Donato /The Canadian Press via AP)
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses the crowd at Pioneer Construction in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday March 19, 2025. (Gino Donato /The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to trigger the process for an early parliamentary election this weekend for an expected vote on April 28.
The election will take place against the backdrop of a trade war and sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The governing Liberals had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared a trade war. Trump has repeatedly said that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state and he acknowledged Friday that he has totally upended Canadian politics.
What Trump hasn’t said is that the almost daily attacks on Canada’s sovereignty have infuriated Canadians, who are canceling trips south of the border and avoiding buying American goods when they can. The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.
The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But after decades of bilateral stability, the vote is now expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the United States.
Carney will visit Governor-General Mary Simon on Sunday and request to dissolve Parliament, a government official who wasn’t authorized to publicly give details so spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday.
Requests by the prime minister to the governor-general are rubber-stamped. Simon’s office holds a constitutional and ceremonial role as the representative of Canada’s head of state, U.K. King Charles III. Canada is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.
An election campaign lasting about five weeks will then officially begin.
People throughout Canada will elect all 338 member of the House of Commons, one for each constituency. There are no primaries or runoffs, just a single round of voting.
Canada is like Britain in that uses a “first past the post” system of voting, which means that the candidate that finishes top in each constituency will be elected, even if they don’t get 50% of the vote.
This has generally cemented the dominance of the two largest parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, because it’s difficult for smaller parties to win seats unless they have concentrated support in particular areas.
The party that commands a majority in the House of Commons, either alone or with the support of another party, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.
Carney replaced Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January, but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new leader on March 9 following a leadership race by the governing Liberal Party.
He was sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister on March 14. Carney said Thursday in this time of crisis that the government needs a strong and clear mandate.
Carney, 60, is among the two main candidates. He navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada and when in 2013 he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694.
His appointment won bipartisan praise in the U.K. after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries.
A highly educated economist with Wall Street experience, Carney worked for 13 years for Goldman Sachs in London, Tokyo, New York and Toronto, before being appointed deputy governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003. He has both financial industry and public service credentials.
Carney still hasn’t had a phone call with Trump yet. He has said that he’s ready to meet with Trump, if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty.
Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservatives, is Carney’s main challenger. The party and Poilievre were heading for a huge victory in Canada’s federal election this year until Trump’s near-daily trade and annexation threats derailed them.
Poilievre, 45, for years the party’s go-to attack dog, is a career politician and firebrand populist who says he will put “Canada first.” He attacks the mainstream media and vows to defund Canada’s public broadcaster. His party announced that it won’t allow media onboard his campaign buses and planes.
“President Trump’s tariffs and his rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state have clearly helped the Liberals in the polls while putting the Conservatives in an odd position, as their rhetoric exhibits some similarities with Trump’s and a significant minority of their supporters like the President’s populist style and ideas,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
Poilievre has said he will stand up to Trump.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Leave a Comment
In U.S. auto market, uncertainty reigns over the potential impact of Trump's tariff war – CBS News
Watch CBS News
/ CBS News
Los Angeles — With a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and vehicle parts from Canada and Mexico set to take effect on April 2 as part of President Trump’s trade wars, car shoppers are unsure about whether to buy now or risk facing higher prices later.
Even after 20 years of selling cars, general manager Brandon Wishengrad still can’t predict how impending tariffs will impact prices at his family’s Nissan dealership in Los Angeles.
Wishengrad admits he doesn’t know what to say to customers about whether prices could change.
“It’s tough to say,” Wishengrad said. “At the moment, I think we know just as much as anybody else does.”
The average cost of a new car could increase anywhere from $3,500 to $10,000 if the tariffs take effect, according to estimates from the Anderson Economic Group. That potential uptick also depends on where the parts come from.
Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at Edmunds, says it is a spreadsheet nightmare.
“A lot of the vehicles are final-assembled in the United States, but get engines, transmissions from Mexico and Canada,” Caldwell explained. “…If you look across the entire industry, there’s nothing that’s 100% American.”
Mr. Trump’ 25% tariffs took effect March 4, but one day later, he issued a one-month reprieve to U.S. automakers after talking to leaders from the Big Three automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Then on March 6, he also issued a pause until Apr 2 on all imports from Canada and Mexico that are covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Caldwell says that she suspects that in “many cases” automakers probably do not yet know what the tariffs will cost them.
“Especially things like, if a part does cross the border eight times,” Caldwell added.
She notes that while automakers “can build factories here in the United States, it’s just going to take time.”
In the meantime, Caldwell says anyone who drives a car should prepare to pay more.
“It’s not just people buying vehicles, I think anybody that is having to repair their vehicle or just service their vehicle are gonna experience higher costs as well,” Caldwell said.
When it comes to new cars, Caldwell believes buyer incentives and other discounts will be among the first to disappear.
“So if someone is looking to buy a new vehicle in the next few months, I’d say probably do it sooner rather than later,” Caldwell said. “We don’t know if the tariffs will go through ultimately, but if you can’t afford to take that gamble, I think it’s probably best to err on the side of caution.”
Wishengrad agrees that the back-and-forth about the trade war has become white noise for consumers.
“I do think so, eventually, you know, people start to tune that out.”
Carter Evans has served as a Los Angeles-based correspondent for CBS News since February 2013, reporting across all of the network’s platforms. He joined CBS News with nearly 20 years of journalism experience, covering major national and international stories.
© 2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright ©2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.
Leave a Comment
Brookings scholars analyze Trump’s order to dismantle the Department of Education – Brookings Institution
Commentary
March 21, 2025
Early Childhood Education Education Access & Equity Education Policy Higher Education K-12 Education
Children & Families Human Rights & Civil Liberties
Congress Government Reform Presidency
U.S. States and Territories
Governance Studies
Brown Center on Education Policy
This is part of the “Why we have and need a US Department of Education” series, which seeks to examine the role of the U.S. Department of Education at a time when the president of the United States has called for the Department’s demise. It considers what the Department does to shape education policy and practice in the United States. It also addresses misconceptions about the Department’s role and the president’s authority to dismantle it.
On March 20, President Trump signed a long-awaited executive order (EO) to “facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.” The EO directs the Secretary of Education to act aggressively, within the law, to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
In this piece, Brown Center scholars reproduce the full text of the EO and provide commentary with context and analysis.
“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to enable parents, teachers, and communities to best ensure student success, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Our Nation’s bright future relies on empowered families, engaged communities, and excellent educational opportunities for every child. Unfortunately, the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucracy those programs and dollars support — has plainly failed our children, our teachers, and our families.”
Primary decision-making power over education already belongs to families, their local communities, and states, as it always has. The U.S. Constitution says nothing about schools, leaving education policy up to state and local governments. The federal government plays a narrowly defined role in the U.S. education system—namely providing funding, enforcing federal civil rights law, and facilitating research and development. Notably, federal law explicitly prohibits the federal government from exerting control over school curriculum, operations, or staffing.
“Taxpayers spent around $200 billion at the Federal level on schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of the more than $60 billion they spend annually on Federal school funding. This money is largely distributed by one of the newest Cabinet agencies, the Department of Education, which has existed for less than one fifth of our Nation’s history.”
These historical claims omit important context. As noted on ED’s website, President Andrew Johnson created a cabinet-level Department of Education in 1867. It was quickly “demoted to an Office of Education in 1868” and existed continuously for more than a century under various cabinet-level departments before its 1979 restructuring as the current form of ED. Inclusive of this earlier history, the federal government has administered funding and other educational programs in some capacity for over 150 years.
“The Congress created the Department of Education in 1979 at the urging of President Jimmy Carter, who received a first-ever Presidential endorsement from the country’s largest teachers’ union shortly after pledging to the union his support for a separate Department of Education. Since then, the Department of Education has entrenched the education bureaucracy and sought to convince America that Federal control over education is beneficial. While the Department of Education does not educate anyone, it maintains a public relations office that includes over 80 staffers at a cost of more than $10 million per year.”
Though not explicit, the text here suggests that teachers’ unions are an entrenched interest that has captured ED and usurped local control of education. This suggestion is misleading. As described above, federal law prohibits ED from directing many aspects of public schooling, including staffing. Except for schools operated by the Department of Defense or Bureau of Indian Education, all other K-12 public school teachers are employees of state agencies or authorized affiliates. ED does not set teacher licensure requirements, staffing levels, or compensation schedules; rather, these are state and local functions. Prior research has shown teachers’ unions do exert influence over education policymaking, though this influence is primarily focused at state and local levels. It is unclear how dismantling ED would affect union influence, if at all.
“Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them. Today, American reading and math scores are near historical lows. This year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 70 percent of 8th graders were below proficient in reading, and 72 percent were below proficient in math. The Federal education bureaucracy is not working.”
This executive order, and the rhetoric surrounding it, takes liberties to present U.S. student performance in a particularly (and misleadingly) negative light. First, the NAEP’s long-term trend (LTT) assessments, which allow for comparisons across time, show gains in student performance from the 1970s until the present day (despite concerning declines over the last few years). Those gains are evident across multiple grades and subjects. Second, NAEP’s standard for “proficiency” is very high—and, as such, prone to rhetorical exploitation. Third, it would be extremely difficult to identify the effects of the U.S. Department of Education, itself, on student learning. We don’t know of any rigorous studies that claim to do so. Relatedly, it’s worth emphasizing that most of the Department’s spending goes to higher education (e.g., the student loan program), with federal funding accounting for only about 10% of K-12 school spending.
“Closure of the Department of Education would drastically improve program implementation in higher education. The Department of Education currently manages a student loan debt portfolio of more than $1.6 trillion. This means the Federal student aid program is roughly the size of one of the Nation’s largest banks, Wells Fargo. But although Wells Fargo has more than 200,000 employees, the Department of Education has fewer than 1,500 in its Office of Federal Student Aid. The Department of Education is not a bank, and it must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students.”
The Higher Education Act authorized the federal student loan program, recognizing that private banks would never have an incentive to offer sufficient or fair student loans to income-constrained students. When private banks do offer student loans, many engage in illegal loan management practices, such as incorrectly charging late fees, failing to update borrowers’ credit reports, and using illegal practices to collect outstanding debt. This raises serious questions about how private banks would serve America’s students, particularly with the recent attempts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has served as a watchdog for unscrupulous student loan practices.
It’s true that the federal student loan program needs additional resources and reform. As the EO notes, private companies typically allocate significantly more resources toward managing such a large financial portfolio. The Federal Student Aid (FSA) office has been historically understaffed. Recent reductions in force at ED have almost halved the office, exacerbating the challenges of effectively administering the student loan program or federal financial aid. The Trump administration has made it clear they do not actually intend to move those functions out of ED (since doing so would require congressional action). What the administration can do is continue to kneecap FSA, resulting in worse customer service and threatening students’ ability to access financial aid and successfully repay their loans.
“Ultimately, the Department of Education’s main functions can, and should, be returned to the States.
Sec. 2. Closing the Department of Education and Returning Authority to the States. (a) The Secretary of Education shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
There might not be a more important phrase in this executive order than “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.” ED was created by an act of Congress, the Department of Education Organization Act (1979). That same legislation established several offices and officers within ED, along with assigning specific responsibilities to the Department. This means that eliminating ED entirely—or eliminating or moving many of its key functions—would require another act of Congress. The Trump administration would need to overcome major political hurdles, including a potential Senate filibuster, to achieve this goal. It would confront similar obstacles if it sought to make structural changes to widely supported federal laws or programs, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Federal Pell Grant program.
Still, it’s clear the Trump administration plans to aggressively work to reduce ED’s size and impact. This includes making dramatic staffing changes, as we saw recently, that will affect ED’s ability to fulfill its core responsibilities.
“(b) Consistent with the Department of Education’s authorities, the Secretary of Education shall ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law and Administration policy, including the requirement that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology.”
The EO’s emphasis on the Department’s authority to ensure federally funded programs are not engaged in illegal discrimination in the form of promoting “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or “gender ideology” is noteworthy. That’s because the Trump administration has taken unprecedented and unconstitutional steps to weaponize ED’s authority to enforce federal civil rights laws. This section of the executive order indicates the administration’s intention to continue down that path.
To date, the administration’s approach has included redirecting much of the federal government’s enforcement work toward undermining local efforts to promote equity for transgender youth and students from historically racially and ethnically marginalized groups. To do so, the administration has: a) unlawfully attempted to redefine as illegal racial discrimination any race-conscious initiatives, including DEI programs; and b) promoted an interpretation of Title IX’s prohibitions on sex-based discrimination that frames any accommodations for transgender students as discrimination against girls and women.
In addition, it has sidestepped the traditionally lengthy, detailed investigation process to issue rulings and punishments almost immediately. These punishments include withholding federal funds for potential civil rights violations. Whereas past administrations’ investigations might lead to negotiated settlement agreements with institutions, the Trump administration has moved quickly to withhold vast amounts of funding from institutions—as it did with Columbia University, for example—seemingly undeterred by the illegality of preemptive termination of funding, or the possibility that its actions will punish students, staff, or faculty who had nothing to do with the supposed violation.
“Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.”
This section of “General Provisions” contains the same legal language as other Trump executive orders. However, a couple of points specific to this order’s context are worth noting. First, Secretary McMahon acknowledged during her Senate confirmation hearing that the Trump administration cannot shut down the U.S. Department of Education unilaterally. Doing so, she said, would require congressional action. Second, if the Trump administration takes a more aggressive approach than what the law seems to allow, its actions almost certainly will be challenged in court (if not walked back by the Trump administration before it reaches that point).
Authors
Related Content
Katharine Meyer, Rachel M. Perera, Sarah Reber, Jon Valant
February 20, 2025
Katharine Meyer, Rachel M. Perera, Sarah Reber, Jon Valant
February 20, 2025
Lauren Bauer, Sofoklis Goulas, Michael Hansen, Katharine Meyer, Emily Markovich Morris, Rachel M. Perera, Sarah Reber, Sweta Shah, Jon Valant
February 20, 2025
The Brookings Institution is committed to quality, independence, and impact.
We are supported by a diverse array of funders. In line with our values and policies, each Brookings publication represents the sole views of its author(s).
Early Childhood Education Education Access & Equity Education Policy Higher Education K-12 Education
Children & Families Human Rights & Civil Liberties
Congress Government Reform Presidency
U.S. States and Territories
Governance Studies
North America U.S. States and Territories
Brown Center on Education Policy
Michael Hansen, Alex Hubbard
March 6, 2025
Rachel M. Perera
February 24, 2025
Cara Jackson, Daphna Bassok, Beth Boulay, Michal Kurlaender, Lindsay Page, Elizabeth Tipton
February 24, 2025
Get the latest from Brookings
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to conduct in-depth, nonpartisan research to improve policy and governance at local, national, and global levels.
Copyright 2025 The Brookings Institution
Leave a Comment
I'm A Psychiatrist & These Surprising Factors Can Impact Dementia – mindbodygreen
Login
With cognitive decline, it’s important to focus on early intervention and doing what you can to prevent the onset—but that’s not to say you can’t do anything about it once symptoms arise. Just take it from functional medicine psychiatrist Kat Toups, M.D.: On this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, she shares how she healed her own serious autoimmune disease and cognitive impairment.
“Gradually, there came a day that my brain came back online,” she recounts. “It was really exciting when I realized I could hold the seven digits of a phone number in my head and dial the number again.”
It was a three-year process, but since then, she’s learned how to help her patients heal much more quickly—in fact, she published a dementia study this past summer (along with neurologist Dale Bredesen, M.D., who we’ve also had on the show), in which 84% of patients with mild cognitive impairment got better after only nine months.
Still, prevention is the best medicine. To learn more about Toups’ specific protocol, be sure to tune into the full episode (or video below); for now, check out some underrated factors that can significantly impact your brain health over time:
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Your mouth is the gateway to your body and the beginning of your gastrointestinal tract (and we likely don’t have to remind you of the gut-brain connection). “[Your mouth] is right next to the brain,” adds Toups. “And what’s in the mouth and nose can travel right up into the brain so easily… It’s quite easy for bacteria to track up there.”
Specifically, research has found that the bacteria P. gingivalis, the key pathogen in periodontitis, was identified in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients1. Another study suggests a possible link between F. nucleatum (another periodontal pathogen) and Alzheimer’s disease2. “Different types of pathogens in our mouth are going to different parts of our body and turning on different diseases,” Toups adds, who recommends getting your oral microbiome tested if you can (she recommends MyPerioPath).
OK, this factor might not be so underrated, especially if you’ve been an avid mindbodygreen reader. Quality sleep is the foundation of well-being since poor shut-eye can affect everything from metabolism to mood to, yep, brain health. “Our brains detoxify and regenerate while we sleep, so we definitely need to take steps to protect our sleep and get enough sleep,” notes Toups.
In fact, the sleep-brain connection is so strong that poor sleepers have around a 68% higher risk of contracting Alzheimer’s. All that to say: Seriously try to prioritize your sleep. Whether you eat sleep-supporting foods, opt for a relaxing stretch before bed, or take a natural sleep aid, find the avenue that works best for you.
(794)
“Midlife hearing loss is a huge risk factor for dementia, and it is the biggest modifiable cause,” says Toups. “I mean, it’s easy to fix. You get a hearing aid.” Research backs up the claim: A 2020 Lancet commission report lists hearing loss as one of the top risk factors for dementia3 but notes that using hearing aids appears to reduce the excess risk.
“So if people are having hearing loss now, please get that checked out early,” Toups says. You might think that hearing loss is a natural part of aging, and to some degree it might be, but “if you’re not hearing properly, you’re not getting those inputs into your brain all the time,” Toups adds. “As people are aging, they should have that on their awareness.”
In Toups’ practice, “We definitely see higher levels on average of things like mercury, lead, and cadmium, but we can detox these things quite easily,” she says. Research has associated some of those metals (namely lead and cadmium) with impaired cognitive function and cognitive decline4, especially as our world grows increasingly more toxic. However, as Toups notes, you can support your natural detoxification processes in the name of brain health.
One of her tips? Sweating. “Sweating is a great way for our bodies to detoxify,” she says. “And there’s been nice studies done that show we will excrete heavy metals when we sweat5.” She recommends opting for hot yoga or sauna bathing—basically any activity that will encourage sweating.
Just make sure you rinse off shortly after: “After you do a sauna or heavy exercise, go jump in the shower with some soap and wash it off because you’ve just mobilized all these toxins, and you don’t want them to dry and reabsorb back into your body,” she explains.
If you’re serious about protecting your brain as you age, you’ll want the above factors on your radar. They may be less obvious, but according to Toups, they can make a significant difference over time.
We hope you enjoy this episode! And don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music!
(794)
"I woke up this morning and I feel much better."
Bobbi Brown, founder Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
Morgan Chamberlain
Kami McBride
Sarah Regan
Jason Wachob
Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., CDN
Vishen Lakhiani
Morgan Chamberlain
Ava Durgin
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Morgan Chamberlain
Kami McBride
Sarah Regan
Jason Wachob
Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., CDN
Vishen Lakhiani
Morgan Chamberlain
Ava Durgin
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Morgan Chamberlain
Kami McBride
Sarah Regan
Jason Wachob
Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., CDN
Vishen Lakhiani
Morgan Chamberlain
Ava Durgin
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Jason Wachob
Morgan Chamberlain
Kami McBride
Sarah Regan
Jason Wachob
Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., CDN
Vishen Lakhiani
Morgan Chamberlain
Ava Durgin
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Jason Wachob
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Leave a Comment
Top programming languages to learn in 2025: Python, JavaScript, Rust, and more – GeekSided
Programming languages are the building blocks of innovation, and choosing the right one can help shape your career and the projects you can take on, especially as industries like artificial intelligence, web development, and app design continue to expand. But with so many options available, how do you decide where to start?
In this guide, we’ll explore the most promising programming languages for 2025, considering factors like versatility, demand, and ease of learning to help you find the best option for you.
Renowned for its readability and versatility and a favorite here at GeekSided, Python is popular in web development, data science, artificial intelligence, and automation. Its extensive libraries and supportive community make it an excellent choice for beginners and professionals alike. We even have several tutorials right here.
Use Python for web development, AI, automation, game development, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, and much more.
JavaScript is another extremely popular language. As the backbone of web development, JavaScript enables dynamic and interactive web pages. With frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js, it’s easy to get started, which helps it remain essential for front-end and back-end development.
Use JavaScript for web development, data visualization, chatbots, and more.
Rust is a high-performance language with a strong focus on safety that is ideal for system-level programming. Its growing popularity has a lot to do with its ability to prevent common programming errors, making it a strong alternative to languages like C++.
Rust is particularly good at system-level programming, which includes creating operating systems, file systems, and device drivers. It’s also common in blockchain and cryptocurrency environments, and it’s a great choice where security is paramount.
Top modern programming languages driving the future of development
Google created Go as an efficient and simple software development language. It’s particularly well-suited for cloud services and distributed systems. It’s a statically typed programming language that is easy to learn.
Go is popular for developing cloud systems, DevOps tools, command line tools, machine learning, and even game development.
Swift is an Apple programming language for iOS and macOS app development. Its modern syntax and performance optimizations make it a preferred choice for mobile application development. It’s fast, safe, and expressive.
Use Swift when developing iOS and macOS applications. It’s also a great choice for cross-platform development. Machine learning, embedded systems, game development, and creating apps for IoT are all possible with this language, and it’s incredibly easy to learn.
Follow GeekSided for more tips on choosing the best programming language.
© 2025 Minute Media – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
Leave a Comment
Candiace Dillard Bassett Sheds New Light on Her "Intense" Postpartum Health Scare with Baby No. 1 – Bravo
To read this article, you must have a Bravo subscription.
The RHOP alum also revealed if she plans to welcome a second child with her husband, Chris Bassett.
Although she’s enjoying the experience now, Candiace Dillard Bassett admits her entry into motherhood was far from easy.
Watch The Real Housewives of Potomac Sundays at 8/7c and next day on Peacock. Catch up on Bravo.
The Real Housewives of Potomac alum addressed the new chapter in a recent sitdown with Entertainment Tonight, recalling her “horrifying” health scare after giving birth to baby No. 1.
As she previously revealed, the first-time mom experienced abdominal pain just two days after she and her husband, Chris Bassett, welcomed their son, Jett Maxwell Lee Bassett. Candiace said the pain eventually became so severe that she struggled to walk or make any movements. She went on to develop a series of fevers, some as high as 103.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Honestly, I felt like, ‘Could I die?’” she recalled. “That was my greatest fear. If I die, he will never know his mom. I would lay in the bed in pain holding him (Jett) and cry… I had a blood clot in my ovary that was causing me a lot of pain. I had to be on blood thinners for eight-10 weeks. It was scary. It was really intense and too much reality. I just wanted to have a baby.”
She continued: “You’re in such a mom cloud you don’t think about your own health, but you have to remember to check in with your body and listen to your body because you just never know.”
With the help of doctors and medication, Candiace managed to quickly recover and is now savoring her new mom role.
“It’s amazing,” she said about motherhood. “I’ll be honest. I’m gonna tell you guys the truth. Motherhood is ghetto. It is the most raggedy, amazing, beautiful, crazy hood I’ve ever belonged to. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but it definitely has its challenges… Jett is the sweetest baby and I would not trade him. He’s everything.”
Candiace Dillard Bassett Offers a Rare Look at Chris Bassett with Their Baby Son, Jett
Candiace Dillard Bassett Is Leaving The Real Housewives of Potomac: “See You Later”
All About Candiace Dillard Bassett’s Mom Dorothy Watts
Since welcoming Jett in early October, Candiace has shared regular updates on her bundle of joy, including a full tour of his nursery and a peek at his first-ever snow day. However, Candiace and Chris have chosen to conceal their baby’s face on social media — and plan to do so for as long as possible.
“My mom is always like, ‘When are you gonna show the baby?!? He’s so cute! Everyone needs to see the baby!’” Candiace said. “We will show him, obviously, eventually. But just for now, we are just enjoying having him to ourselves and it’s been really beautiful.”
The RHOP alum also gushed over Chris’ role as a father and explained how the family addition changed their marriage.
“You develop a different kind of love for your spouse when you see your spouse loving on this thing that you grew,” she said about Chris, who has three children from previous relationships. “And just seeing him be so gentle and morph into dad mode, he’s amazing. He was always a great dad but to see him be a dad to brand new dad is a blessing.”
So, are the Bassets looking to expand their family with a second child? Candiace said she’s open to the idea but isn’t making any promises.
“I wish I would have started earlier,” she said about her pregnancy journey. “I would have so many more. I’m shocked. That’s weird to say. We’re gonna have maybe one more. Don’t get excited. One more maybe.”
Get more details on Candiace’s latest career move and her Grammy aspirations.
Get news and updates about your favorite shows, plus 3 free credits to watch locked content.
Peacock is the streaming home of your favorite Bravo shows plus so much more.
Leave a Comment
How Smarter Health Insurance Choices Are Helping Businesses Save Money – South Florida Reporter
Businesses are feeling the squeeze from rising healthcare costs. As expenses continue to climb, finding affordable health insurance is more important than ever. Many companies are rethinking how they offer benefits, searching for ways to cut costs without leaving their teams behind. High-deductible health plans, self-funded programs, and other creative approaches are becoming popular as companies aim to strike a balance between affordability and quality care.
Making smarter choices about health insurance consultants can lead to healthier finances and happier employees. Companies willing to try new approaches often find they can create a workplace culture that values both well-being and the bottom line. These strategies can help businesses stay competitive and keep their teams supported.
One option businesses are exploring is high-deductible health plans combined with health savings accounts. These plans generally come with lower premiums, averaging about $6,737 a year for individuals and $19,819 for families. This makes them a more budget-friendly choice compared to traditional insurance. Employees with these plans often make more thoughtful decisions about when and how they use healthcare services, helping to cut down on unnecessary visits.
HSAs add extra value by offering triple tax advantages. Contributions are tax-deductible, funds grow tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses aren’t taxed. Many employers make contributions to their workers’ HSAs as an added incentive. Educating employees about how to use their HSAs effectively can help them make smarter financial and healthcare decisions.
With self-funded health plans, companies take on the role of managing and paying for their employees’ healthcare costs directly, rather than purchasing a traditional insurance policy. This gives businesses the freedom to customize benefits based on what their teams actually need. Adjusting coverage as trends and needs shift allows for a more personal approach to healthcare benefits.
Cutting out the middleman also cuts out added costs. Without paying insurance companies’ profit margins and administrative fees, businesses often save money. If claims are lower than expected, companies keep the leftover funds. Regularly reviewing claims data can reveal areas to save even more.
Value-Based Insurance Design rewards employees for staying on top of their health. Lowering or removing out-of-pocket costs for check-ups, screenings, and treatments for chronic conditions motivates workers to catch issues early. Companies that cover these preventive services often see fewer sick days and reduced medical expenses over time.
Studies show that promoting preventive care pays off. Healthier employees miss fewer workdays and are generally more productive. At one manufacturing company in Ohio, adding no-cost annual physicals and wellness screenings led to a 25% drop in sick days within a year. Clear incentives, along with reminders about available services, can help boost participation and encourage employees to take an active role in their health.
HRAs are another way businesses can offer healthcare benefits without paying sky-high premiums. Companies set aside a fixed amount of money to reimburse employees for approved medical expenses. This structure makes it easier to offer customized benefits while sticking to a predictable budget.
Letting employees choose their own health insurance plans with the help of HRAs can lead to greater satisfaction. Workers have more say in their healthcare choices, and businesses can manage costs by capping reimbursements. Gathering employee feedback regularly helps companies adjust and improve these programs.
Encouraging employees to be thoughtful about healthcare spending can result in big savings. Providing price comparison tools and clear information about services gives workers the power to make more cost-conscious decisions. This kind of transparency often leads to reduced healthcare expenses.
Offering educational resources like financial wellness programs, workshops on healthcare literacy, and information about options like telemedicine and generic medications can help employees manage their choices more confidently. One company, after launching a series of lunchtime healthcare literacy workshops, reported a 20% increase in employees choosing cost-effective care options, including switching to generic prescriptions and using telemedicine services.
Rising healthcare costs don’t have to drain company resources. Businesses that take a proactive approach—whether through high-deductible plans with HSAs, self-funded programs, or HRAs—can manage expenses while still offering valuable benefits. Investing in preventive care and giving employees the right tools, like price comparison platforms and telemedicine options, helps control costs without sacrificing quality. The key is flexibility and continuous evaluation. Companies that adapt to their workforce’s needs while keeping an eye on financial sustainability will build a benefits strategy that works for both employees and the bottom line.
Log in to leave a comment
Want daily news updates? Just add your email and you’re on the list. (We will never spam you).
Join Our Newsletter
Sign up to receive news right to your inbox every day
Leave a Comment
Yale Student Film festival to feature award-winning speakers – Yale Daily News
The Yale Student Film Festival team will host its annual film festival this April.
Luciana Varkevisser
Staff Reporter
Courtesy of Yale Student Film Festival
This spring, the Yale Student Film Festival team will be hosting its ninth annual film festival featuring award-winning filmmakers and the best of student filmmaking.
The Yale Student Film Festival screens student films from around the world. Submissions are sorted into five categories: narrative, experimental, documentary, animation and high school. Films are then reviewed by a panel of judges, including industry professionals and Yale faculty members. The festival will include screenings of submissions and a featured screening of a film from David Hemingson ’86.
This festival is “an opportunity to see some of the best shorts that are being made around the world in one auditorium,” said co-director of the festival Gabrielle Burrus Bustamante ’26.
The submission team received over 600 films from 20 countries. Out of that pool, only 50 were selected for awards and screenings. The festival itself will include screening blocks for those films that were chosen, award ceremonies and parties.
This film festival is unique in the sense that it is curated specially for college filmmakers, giving them the opportunity to gain production and critical skills in filmmaking.
In addition to student screenings, the festival will host renowned film industry professionals to lead Q&A-style talks and workshops.
Big Apple Film Festival’s Women Filmmakers Short Film 2019 winner, Patrice Bowman ’15, will lead a color grading workshop. Producer of “Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind,” Anthony Bregman ’88, and producer of “Past Lives,” Pamela Koffler ’87, will lead a session on independent producing. Writer and co-executive producer of “The Boys,” Michael Saltzman ’86, will lead a talk on TV writing and producing.
A full list of the festival’s workshops and networking events can be found on their website.
With the appearance of talented Yale alumni, in addition to films by Yale students, the festival team hopes to bring light to the artistic talent of the Yale community.
“I’m interested in making a community for young filmmakers,” said director of programming Marissa Blum ’24, “and to give a name to Yale as a place for student filmmaking.”
The festival will host three feature screenings. The Connecticut premiere of the documentary “Roleplay,” a film following a group of Tulane students as they confront sexual violence on their campus, will include a post-screening conversation moderated by Yale Communication and Consent Educators. The film’s producer Jenny Mercein ’95 and director Katie Matthews will be present for the screening.
The sci-fi mystery “Karmalink” will be screened and joined by producer Valerie Steinberg — producer of the 2022 Cannes festival Caméra D’Or award-winner, “War Pony.”
The festival’s “spotlight screening” of “The Holdovers” will be joined by writer and producer of the Oscar-nominated film, David Hemmingson.
The festival is a “center for student filmmaking in the northeast” and aims to “celebrate the next generation of filmmakers,” said festival co-director Eli Berliner ’26.
Because the festival boasts submissions from across the world, some events will have the option of virtual attendance.
The festival’s goal is to bring together filmmakers and film lovers alike. It is open to all students, regardless of major.
“One of our main missions is making the Yale Student Film Festival as accessible as possible,” wrote director of publicity Miette Maoulidi ’25 in an email to the News. “This means our tickets are free and available to anyone, no matter their academic institution or major. We are screening so many great films that the public deserves to see!”
The festival will be hosted April 11-14 in various locations across Yale’s campus.