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☆ Fossils reveal head of the world’s largest known arthropod, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In a quest to find the first complete head, researchers conducted an analysis of Arthropleura fossils belonging to two juvenile individuals uncovered in the 1970s in France. Researchers studied scans of two Arthropleura fossils trapped in stone. Both fossilized insects still had most of their legs, and one of them had a complete head, including antennae, eyes, mandibles and its feeding apparatus — the first Arthropleura head ever documented, Lhéritier said. Researchers believe the two Arthropleura fossils belonged to juveniles because they reach just 0.9 inch (25 millimeters) and 1.5 inches (40 millimeters) long. But other fossils that preserve additional aspects of the arthropod’s body, including the head of an adult, will need to be found.

Persons: —, Arthropleura, we’ve, ”, Dr, Greg Edgecombe, Mickaël Lhéritier, Lhéritier, ” Edgecombe, Arthrorpleura, Lheritier, ” Lhéritier, “, James C, Lamsdell Organizations: CNN, Adv, Claude Bernard University Lyon, Mines, West Virginia University Locations: France, Great Britain, eadp6362, what’s, North America, Europe, Montceau, millipedes

☆ Don't hate billionaires like Jeff Bezos — they make our lives better, 2 experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But two experts say the uber-wealthy are often huge contributors to society — and trying to eliminate them could badly backfire. It's become increasingly popular to make claims such as "billionaires shouldn't exist" and "any billionaire is a policy failure." But these moral criticisms of billionaires are unconvincing because people overstate billionaires' power and influence and overlook the benefits of some billionaires. There's a widespread belief that governments should tax billionaires primarily and spend that money on public goods and anti-poverty programs. Instead of saying that every billionaire is a policy failure, we should instead embrace the idea that every billionaire is a policy success.

Persons: Critics, —, Jessica Flanigan, Richard L, Chris Freiman, It's, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Jobs, Bezos, Warren Buffett, isn't, Taylor Swift, LeBron James Organizations: Service, Morril, University of Richmond, West Virginia University, Business Locations: multimillionaires

☆ States target AI and deepfakes as election interference threat looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Piper Hudspethblackburn | Piper Hudspeth Blackburn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

While Michigan, Washington, Minnesota, Texas and California already had laws regulating deepfakes, Minnesota updated their law this year to require a candidate to forfeit their office or nomination if they violate the state’s deepfake laws, among other provisions. In states such as New York, New Mexico and Alabama, victims can seek a court order to stop the content. Katie Hobbs signed his proposal into law in May, along with another AI bill that requires disclosures in campaign ads. Big Tech has already taken some steps to moderate deepfake content. TikTok and Meta (the parent company of Instagram, Threads and Facebook) announced plans in recent months to label AI content, while YouTube requires creators to disclose when videos are AI-created.

Persons: deepfakes, Amy Beth Cyphert, Cyphert, Alexander Kolodin, Kolodin, it’s, ”, Katie Hobbs, Robert Weissman, Chuck Schumer, Sen, Mitch McConnell, Weissman, Sean Cooksey, It’s, Jessica Rosenworcel, ” Jonathan Uriarte, there’s, Dar’shun Kendrick, “ there’s, ” Kendrick, Alex Curtas, CNN’s Oliver Darcy, Sean Lyngaas, Donie O’Sullivan, Yahya Abou, Ghazala Organizations: CNN, Republican, Democrat, Department of Homeland Security, West Virginia University’s College of Law, ” Arizona Democratic Gov, Big Tech, Meta, YouTube, Swift, Public Citizen, House, Federal, Commission, Federal Communication Commission, FCC, . State Locations: Florida, Hawaii , New York , Idaho , Indiana, New Mexico , Oregon , Utah , Wisconsin , Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Washington , Minnesota , Texas, California, deepfakes, Minnesota, New York, New Mexico, Alabama, Florida , Mississippi, Utah, Wisconsin, Oregon and Mississippi, statehouses, robocalls, Georgia, . Arizona

☆ AI stock frenzy resembles dot-com bubble and may explode disastrously, experts warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Experts say the AI mania has shades of the dot-com and housing bubbles and could end painfully. AdvertisementExperts say the frenzy around AI stocks resembles the last two major market bubbles — and could end in disaster if investors get spooked. "This is the goofiest and likely most dangerous concentration of overvaluation I've seen in 34 years investing and throughout financial history," Bloomstran said. Some experts have compared Nvidia to Cisco, the network hardware company whose stock ballooned during the dot-com bubble before ultimately crashing. No one can predict if the AI craze will end with a devastating crash like the dot-com and housing bubbles, or usher in a new market regime led by Nvidia and its kin.

Persons: —, Nathan Burks, Adetokunbo Fadahunsi, Ann Marie Hibbert, Burks, Hibbert, Chris Bloomstran, Semper Augustus, I've, Bloomstran, John Chambers, Robert Galbraith, it's Organizations: Service, George Mason University, Big Tech, Nvidia, Microsoft, Cisco, REUTERS, Wall Street Journal Locations: West Virginia

☆ Fossil found on a beach by tween reveals massive marine reptile
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. CNN —As Earth Day approaches and the Wonder Theory newsletter celebrates three years of arriving in your inboxes, I look to the future with hope. “And it’s up to you to choose what sort of impact you make.”Ocean secretsDr. Dean Lomax, (from left) Ruby Reynolds, Justin Reynolds and Paul de la Salle are shown with the fossil discovery in 2020. Dean LomaxIn May 2020, Ruby Reynolds, then 11, and her father, Justin, were searching for fossils on a Somerset beach along the English coast when she spotted something unusual. And when it came to sheer size, the marine reptile likely rivaled the blue whale, currently the largest living animal.

Persons: Jane Goodall, Goodall nurtures, Goodall, ” Goodall, Dean Lomax, Ruby Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, Paul de, Justin, ”, Gaia BH3, Nigel Raine, Dr, Matt Kasson, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Paul de la Salle, Indian Institute of Technology, ESA, West Virginia University, Explorations, NASA, International, CNN Space, Science Locations: Somerset, India, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Guatemala, France, Australia, Naples , Florida, what’s, Canada

☆ Strange fungus turns cicadas into zombies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But some of these insects won’t succeed in their goal of procreating — instead, they’ll be controlled like zombies into spreading a strange fungus that hijacks cicadas’ bodies and behavior. At some point, the insects are exposed to spores of the fungus Massospora cicadina. Courtesy Angie Macias/WVUDespite having a chalky gumdrop of spores instead of genitals, the infected cicadas still attempt to mate, with gusto. Both male and female cicadas infected with Massospora flick their wings to draw in amorous, soon-to-be-infected males. But attempting to mate is just one part of how infected cicadas spread the fungus.

Persons: procreating —, John Cooley, It’s, ”, Matt Kasson, Angie Macias, ” Cooley, ” Kasson, Kasson, Cooley, “ We’re, “, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Connecticut, West Virginia University, WVU, Midwest Locations: Hartford, Illinois, Chicago

☆ The allure of fasting diets for successful people — and where it falls short
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Intermittent fasting diet plans, meal kits, fitness trackers, and biological age tests can all offer something to busy people who want to feel in control. More than one in 10 Americans (12%) tried intermittent fasting in 2023, according to one food and beverage industry-backed survey. The business of intermittent fasting phone apps is blossoming and is on track for more growth in the next five to 10 years. There are many ways to do intermittent fasting — from skipping breakfast to whole days without foodPeople have been fasting for as long as people have been people. AdvertisementThe case against fasting to lose weight and live longerFirefighters in San Diego tried intermittent fasting out during the pandemic, with good results.

Persons: —, Chris Hemsworth, Podcaster Andrew Huberman, Hugh Jackman, Dwayne, Johnson, Terry Crews, It's, Sam Altman, biohacking, Dave Asprey, Gary Vaynerchuk, Bryan Johnson, Jack Dorsey, it's, Hippocrates, Daniel Belsky, There's, Satchidananda Panda, I've, Krista Varady, Dr, Peter Attia, you've, Satchidananda, He's, Randy Shropshire, nix, Valter Longo, Longo, Belsky, Stephen Kritchevsky, Mark Cucuzzella, Nir Barzilai, Nir Barzilai Nir Barzilai, Barzilai, Panda, That's, Cucuzzella Organizations: Service, Business, Columbia University, 16ers, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of Illinois, Getty, Cancer, gerontology, USC, Firefighters, Wake Forest University, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Locations: Greece, Chicago, San Diego, New York

(AP) — Rebuilding Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge could take anywhere from 18 months to several years, experts say, while the cost could be at least $400 million — or more than twice that. Realistically, the project could take five to seven years, according to Ben Schafer, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University. “The lead time on air conditioning equipment right now for a home renovation is like 16 months, right?" But experts say it's better to look to more recent bridge disasters for a sense of how quickly reconstruction may happen. Hota GangaRao, a West Virginia University engineering professor, said the project could cost as little as $400 million.

Persons: Baltimore’s, Francis Scott Key, Ben Schafer, “, Schafer, they’re, Dali, Jim Tymon, ” Tymon, Tymon, Joe Biden, Minnesota Sen, Amy Klobuchar, ” Klobuchar, ” Badie, Badie, Hota, That’s, ” GangaRao, ” Norma Jean Mattei, ” Organizations: Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, Sunshine, American Association of State, Transportation, West Virginia University, The University of New Locations: ANNAPOLIS, Md, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Mississippi, Maryland, The University of New Orleans

☆ About 42% of US adults know someone who died by overdose, new survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Lately, there’s been so many overdose deaths that were inadvertent. She applauded the new RAND survey for shedding light on what adults go through when they lose someone to overdose. “Those are some of the regions where we see the highest number of overdose deaths. This is also rarely discussed in scientific and policy circles,” Pollini said of the RAND survey. “Because the data come from a survey of adults, the study does not provide insight into how overdose deaths impact children.

Persons: Gail D’Onofrio, D’Onofrio, “, there’s, ” D’Onofrio, ”, Alison Athey, Athey, Kerry Nolte, ” Nolte, Nolte, “ I’ve, I’ve, Kurt Kleinschmidt, it’s, Kleinschmidt, ” Kleinschmidt, ” Robin Pollini, –, ” Pollini, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, RAND Corporation, Yale School of Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital, RAND, University of New, East South, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, West Virginia University, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, CNN Health Locations: United States, Connecticut, University of New Hampshire, New England, East South Central, Alabama, Kentucky , Mississippi, Tennessee

NEW YORK (AP) — West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said Friday that he is not running for president, according to his spokesman Jonathan Kott. Manchin announced his decision in a speech at West Virginia University, as part of a national listening tour he was making. “I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run,” he said in his speech in Morgantown. Larry Hogan, last week ruled out a 2024 presidential bid as well, announcing a Senate bid instead.

Persons: Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, Jonathan Kott, Manchin, ”, Utah Sen, Mitt Romney, Romney, Dean Phillips, Biden, Larry Hogan, Will Weissert Organizations: —, West Virginia University, Democrat, Senate, GOP, Utah, Federal, Commission, Saturday, Democratic Minnesota Rep, Democratic, Maryland Gov, Associated Press Locations: Virginia, Morgantown, New Hampshire, Arizona, Michigan, Washington

☆ Joe Manchin will not run for president
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday that he will not mount a 2024 campaign for president. “I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run,” the retiring Democratic senator said in a speech at West Virginia University in Morgantown. Manchin has been on a national listening tour as he weighed jumping in as a third-party presidential candidate, potentially on the No Labels ticket. He has criticized President Joe Biden for being too liberal but also said that he would refuse to be part of any effort that would help Donald Trump return to the White House.

Persons: West Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Manchin Organizations: CNN, West, Democratic, West Virginia University Locations: West Virginia, Morgantown, Manchin

☆ Opinion | This Tech Titan Wants to Turn West Virginia Into a ‘Start-Up State’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

John Chambers grew up in West Virginia and went on to run what was once the world’s most valuable company, the computer networking firm Cisco Systems Inc. Now he is trying to help economically lagging West Virginia by making it a “start-up state” akin to Israel, which has been called the start-up nation. I interviewed Chambers recently about his hopes and the magnitude of the challenge. Chambers was born in 1949 while his parents were in medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He grew up mostly in Charleston, W.Va., and earned a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from West Virginia University. Chambers became a salesperson for IBM, then for Wang Laboratories, before joining Cisco in 1990, six years after the company was founded in Silicon Valley.

Persons: John Chambers, Chambers, “ Organizations: Cisco Systems Inc, Case Western Reserve University, West Virginia University, Mountain, IBM, Wang Laboratories, Cisco, JC2 Ventures, John, John Chambers College of Business Locations: West Virginia, Israel, Cleveland, Charleston, W.Va, Mountain State, Ravenswood, ”, Silicon Valley, mater

☆ Rare earth discoveries mean coal mines could have a key role to play in the energy transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Boy_anupong | Moment | Getty ImagesFrom Pennsylvania to the north of England, coal mines helped to power the Industrial Revolution, turbocharging the economic growth of countries around the world. SubscribeIn May, U.S. firm Ramaco Resources offered some insight into how coal may have a role to play in the years ahead. "It is expected they can be mined using normal surface mining techniques and processed in a more economic and environmental manner than conventional REE mines." Elsewhere, researchers at Penn State have also been focusing on ways to source rare earths and critical minerals via waste from coal mines. Across the Atlantic, efforts to repurpose old coal mines so that they can be used for many more years to come have also been taking shape.

Persons: Ramaco, REEs, CNBC's Kelly Evans, Randall Atkins Organizations: Greenpeace, UN, International Energy Agency, CNBC, Ramaco Resources, Weir International, U.S . Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, China, West Virginia University, U.S . Department of Energy, Penn State, Geothermal Engineering Limited Locations: Pennsylvania, England, U.S, REE, Wyoming, United States, China, Scotland

☆ Can you hack your brain? These companies are driving innovation in the field of brain stimulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

These forms of deep brain stimulation require a surgical procedure during which electrodes — which generate electrical impulses to control any abnormal brain activity — are implanted into certain areas of the brain. With enough advancement in the field, doctors expect brain stimulation techniques for both severe disorders and health-and-wellness purposes will ultimately become noninvasive. Three major players There are only three companies with FDA-approved deep brain stimulation, or DBS, treatments: Medtronic , Abbott Laboratories and Boston Scientific . The spinal cord stimulation, or SCS, business is a hotbed of innovation right now, deep brain stimulation also is a key area." There is still plenty of doubt, however, about the efficacy of at-home brain stimulation devices, which offer a less direct approach to brain stimulation and don't always require FDA oversight.

Persons: —, Bernstein, Lee Hambright, Hambright, Ali Rezai, Medtronic, Abbott, Rezai, Morningstar, Debbie Wang, Wang, Elon Musk, it's Elon Musk's, Casey Halpern, it's, Halpern, Taiwan's Organizations: Drug Administration, FDA, Abbott Laboratories, Boston, Rockefeller Neuroscience, West Virginia University, American Neuromodulation Society, Boston Scientific, DBS, FactSet, Neuroscience, BCI, University of Pennsylvania, TMS Locations: neuromodulation

Manchin never defended the remark but was criticized by West Virginia Republicans for what his party’s nominee said. By 2022, coal mining employees in West Virginia made up nearly 30% of all coal employees in the country. John Deskins, director of the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research, said 75% of West Virginia’s coal jobs were disappearing before coal production dropped because of mechanization. West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said Trump never fulfilled his promise. He said the state Democratic Party was branded “anti-jobs and anti-coal” because of environmental policies coming from the national party.

Persons: Joe Manchin’s, Robert C, Byrd, Jennings Randolph, Jay Rockefeller, Manchin, Joe Biden's, Jim Justice, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Trump, Hillary Clinton, John Deskins, ”, Mike Pushkin, “ Donald Trump, Robert Rupp, " Rupp, ” Rupp, Rupp, “, “ He’s, Biden, Jim Crow, William Hal Gorby, you’re, ” Manchin, Pat McGinley, ” McGinley, Democratic Sen, Mike Caputo, Kavish Harjai Organizations: U.S, Senate, West Virginia's, Democratic, Mountain State, Republican Gov, Biden, Senate Energy, Natural Resources Committee, West Virginia Republicans, West Virginia University, of Business, Economic Research, West Virginia Democratic, Democrats, Retired West Virginia Wesleyan, New, Democrat, Immigrants, Black, West Virginians, ” West Virginia University, Big Branch, Big, Mine Safety Administration, Massey Energy, West Virginia Democrats, United Mine Workers, America, Democratic Party, Press Locations: CHARLESTON, W.Va, Washington, Manchin, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, West, Towns, Europe, ”, Randolph, Los Angeles

☆ Manchin’s retirement may end up being his biggest tease yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But the West Virginia senator’s Thursday announcement that he won’t seek reelection next year only refreshed a perennial question arising from his savvy instinct for accumulating power: What exactly is he up to? Second, the announcement immediately stoked speculation that Manchin is mulling a third-party presidential bid. Manchin’s decision to quit Washington comes as a formidable potential Republican challenger, West Virginia Gov. And if Manchin can’t win in the MAGA stronghold of West Virginia, it’s impossible to believe any other Democrat can. West Virginia was once a Democratic bastion, however.

Persons: Joe Manchin, won’t, ’, Jim Justice, Manchin, Donald Trump, “, he’d, ” Manchin, he’s, Joe Biden, Trump, CNN’s Manu Raju, “ I’ve, Biden, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Cornel West, Jill Stein, Hillary Clinton, she’d, ”, Scott Jennings, David Axelrod, Barack Obama, ” Axelrod, Trump ? Democratic Sen, Mark Warner, Virginia doesn’t, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Robert Byrd, John Kilwein, keener, Kyrsten Sinema, John Denver’s, John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, ” Kilwein Organizations: CNN, West Virginia senator’s, Republican, West, West Virginia Gov, GOP, Democrats ’, White, Senate, Democrats, Trump, Democratic, Harvard, Green Party, Biden, Democrat, Republicans, Trump ? Democratic, West Virginians, West Virginia University, “, ”, Arizona Sen, White House, Republican Party Locations: West Virginia, Washington, MAGA, Montana and Ohio, New Hampshire, battlegrounds, Farmington, Appalachia, Arizona, . West Virginia, Manchin’s

☆ Opinion: The 2,000-year-old advice for coping in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. A surprising number claimed to think about the ancient empire as often as ‘every day’ or least every week or two. It became a meme (are you even in a relationship if she hasn’t asked you about the Roman Empire? They marvel at their absolute dominion, their mastery of every strand of civilisation — and then how that power suddenly slipped away. Biden on Wednesday took steps to speed up the ability of Venezuelans in the US to obtain work permits.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Seneca, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Bobby McFerrin’s musing, David M, Perry, hasn’t, Jo Ellison, —, Marcus Aurelius, that’s, David Perry, “ There’s, ” Perry, Paula M, Krebs, “, Donald Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, Trump, …, ’, ” Cupp, Roe, Wade, Cupp, he’s, Dean Obeidallah, Trump’s, Patrick T, Brown, Bill Bramhall, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, David Zurawik, Rupert, Murdoch, Roger Ailes, Richard Nixon, ” Murdoch “, Walt Handelsman, Kevin McCarthy, Max Burns, Donald Trump, today’s MAGA, ” Clay Jones, Chuck Schumer, Elena Sheppard, Sen, John Fetterman, baring, Fetterman, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim Yo Jong, Sung, Yoon Lee, “ Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Kim Jong, ” “, Hunter Biden isn’t, Alexis Coe, George Washington’s, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Bush, Hunter, … Hunter, Joe Biden, Biden, Peter Bergen, Mike Pence, … Biden, Bergen, ” Lisa Benson, Martin Sheen, Melissa Fitzgerald, Gurney, John F, Melissa, Andy, Michael Bociurkiw, ” Bociurkiw, Volodymyr Zelensky “, Zelensky, Lanhee J, Chen, ” Chen, Keir Giles, It’ll, Jennifer Wexton, Barbara Comstock, Alex Brandon, Jill Filipovic, Democrat “, ” Wexteon “, Eric Adams, Julian Zelizer . Biden, ” Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Frida Ghitis, Agatha Christie, China Adam H, Sobel, Holly Thomas, Russell Brand, Akanksha, Dan Perry, Gilead, Netanyahu government’s, Gene Seymour, Jann, Reggie B, Maren Morris, Matt Winkelmeyer, ” Maren Morris, Nicole Hemmer, Morris ’, Morris, Jason Aldean’s “, Oliver Anthony’s “ Rich, Richmond ”, “ Rich, ” Hemmer, Anthony himself, ‘, Hemmer Organizations: CNN, Financial Times, West Virginia University, Modern Language Association, WVU, West Virginia, Republican, Press, Florida Gov, White, Content Agency, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch Media, Fox News, Capitol, Agency, Democratic, fied Republican Party, Republican Party, Justice Department, Qatari, Amnesty International, Kennedy Center, UN, Assembly, CBS, Ukraine’s, Republicans, Democrat, Progressive Supra, GOP, Walton, Mobile, North, Richmond Locations: Rome, Ukraine, TikTok, Roman, Roman Republic, Washington, ”, Korean, North Korea, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Dulles , Virginia, Virginia, New York City, United States, China, Las Vegas , Nevada

☆ West Virginia Budget Cuts Are a Taste of Higher Ed’s Future
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( James Piereson | Naomi Schaefer Riley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Michigan Tech has come out on top and Harvard at the bottom in the largest-ever survey looking into the state of free speech on America's college campuses. Most elite colleges, including Penn and Yale, trail larger state schools with more working-class students. Images: Shutterstock/FIRE Composite: Mark KellyGordon Gee thinks higher education is at a “crossroads.” If it takes the wrong turn, it will head over a demographic and financial cliff. To save West Virginia University, of which he is president, in February he announced significant cuts, including the elimination of 169 faculty positions and some 30 academic programs and departments that were either lacking enrollment or too expensive to maintain.

Persons: Mark Kelly Gordon Gee Organizations: Michigan Tech, Harvard, Penn, West Virginia University Locations: Yale

☆ West Virginia University Slashes Majors and Cuts Staff Despite Protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones Locations: virginia

☆ Why It’s Alarming That Poland Can Test Women for Abortion Pills - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Patrick Adams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Women who suffer miscarriages and stillbirths in El Salvador are sometimes accused of homicide and sentenced to years or even decades in prison. Now that Roe has been overturned, U.S. abortion-rights advocates are bracing for cases like these to become increasingly common in America. A small but growing group of abortion “abolitionists” are calling for women who get abortions to be charged with murder and criminally punished — even put to death. Amid these concerns, reproductive rights activists need to prepare for the possibility that testing for abortion drugs could happen here, too. Should prosecutors in Poland inspire copycats in American states, no health care provider should enable or support such a move.

Persons: Roe, ”, —, what’s, it’s, United States “, Glen P, Jackson Organizations: Republican, Food, West Virginia University Locations: Europe, El Salvador, America, Poland, copycats, Wroclaw, United States

NEW YORK (AP) — Prize-winning fiction writer Deesha Philyaw, who struggled to find a publisher for what became her acclaimed debut “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” has a 7-figure deal for her next two books. Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Thursday that it had signed up Philyaw and will publish her novel “True Confessions” in 2025. Mariner calls the book a “biting satire” of the Black church and “a deeply provocative” story about family, friendship and “sexual agency." Philyaw, who attended several different churches as a child, is centering the novel around a megachurch leader named Schar. It won the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Story Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and is being adapted for television by HBO Max.

Persons: —, Deesha Philyaw, ”, Philyaw, Schar, “, Breonna Taylor Organizations: Church Ladies, Mariner, HarperCollins Publishers, West Virginia University Press, PEN, Faulkner, Los Angeles Times, HBO Max Locations: “, York

☆ The Great College Pricing Sham
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( James S. Murphy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

I use quotation marks, because merit aid is granted to half the students at public colleges and 84% at private colleges. Today the average merit-aid discount at private colleges is $23,000 — leaving the student to cover the remaining $30,000 or $40,000. At four-year public colleges, tuition now accounts for 52% of operational revenue, versus 48% from state funding. To make college more accessible, we need to make greater public investments — at both the state and federal levels — in higher education. James S. Murphy is a higher education policy analyst at Education Reform Now.

Persons: Joe Biden, YouGov, Gen, Gen Zers, You'll, Pell Grant, Dominique Baker, —, Getty, Ben Sasse, who's, Sasse, David Feldman, William & Mary, Ford, Feldman, they're, Sandy Baum, It's, There's, Baum, They're, Josh Shapiro, Spencer Cox, shouldn't, James S, Murphy Organizations: Insider, Harvard, of California, Southern Methodist University, Ivy League, U.S . News, Honda, Porsche, University of Florida, McKinsey & Company, University of Oklahoma, University of Kentucky, Ford, Apple, Fordham, Appalachian, William &, Technology, West Virginia University, WVU, Urban Institute, Google, Reform, Twitter Locations: United States, Italian, Appalachian State, America, Pennsylvania, Utah

☆ Allies of Joe Manchin believe the West Virginia Democrat could retire from the Senate to lead his alma mater, West Virginia University
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is keeping everyone on their toes regarding his plans for 2024. A New York Times report suggested Manchin could step down to lead West Virginia University. The influential West Virginia Democrat may run for reelection to the Senate, which would give the party their best chance of holding the seat. Or he could simply call it quits after a decadeslong political career in West Virginia, which in recent years has morphed from a Democratic redoubt to a Republican stronghold. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: Watch how Joe Biden has aged from 1974 to 2022However, allies of Manchin told The New York Times of another potential option for the senator: retiring to become the president of his alma mater, West Virginia University.

Persons: Sen, Joe Manchin, Manchin, Joe Biden, Gordon Gee, Chuck Schumer, Jim Justice, Joe Biden's, Biden, Schumer Organizations: New York Times, West Virginia University, Service, West, West Virginia Democrat, Senate, White, Democratic, Republican, West Virginia University . E, Times, The Times, GOP Gov, The New, The New York Democrat Locations: West Virginia, Wall, Silicon, mater, The New York

Instead, the student population at West Virginia University has dropped 10% since 2015, while on-campus expansion continued. Lawmakers recently approved a higher education funding formula rewarding schools for degree attainment, workforce outcomes and graduate wages. Mary Manspeaker, an English Ph.D. student, said she left her home state at 18 because she didn't see opportunity in West Virginia. He said the conflict reflects the fundamental question in higher education right now: How do we assess value? "And it might be in cash, endowment and buildings, but it could arguably be in other things.”___Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia.

Persons: Jim Justice, “ We’ve, ”, Gordon Gee, “, Gee, Joey Demes, Demes, Craig Blair, Marshall, hasn’t, Eric Tarr, Lisa Di Bartolomeo, Di Bartolomeo, ’ ”, Mary Manspeaker, Peter Lake, Lake, ” ___ Raby Organizations: West Virginia's, Gov, Marshall University, West Virginia University, Lawmakers, Marshall, WVU, —, American Federation of Teachers, ”, GOP, Republican, Center, Excellence, Higher Education Law, Florida's Stetson University Locations: MORGANTOWN, W.Va, West, East Coast, Morgantown, U.S, West Virginia, Appalachia, Charleston , West Virginia

☆ West Virginia University Banked on Growth. It Backfired.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Melissa Korn | Kris Maher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: virginia

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