Gov. Shapiro meets with Penn Med leader amid ‘existential’ threat posed by Trump; WHYY, February 27, 2025

Jared Mitovich, WHYY ; Gov. Shapiro meets with Penn Med leader amid ‘existential’ threat posed by Trump

"Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has met with the leader of the University of Pennsylvania’s Health System multiple times as Philadelphia’s largest private employer faces an “existential threat” from a loss of federal funding.

The meetings were described by the dean of Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, Jon Epstein, in a live-streamed message to the Penn Medicine community on Feb. 18 that was obtained by WHYY News. It remains unclear when exactly the meetings were held and whether Shapiro discussed with Epstein a statewide response to the challenges facing Penn and other state universities — including a precipitous decline in the National Institutes of Health’s support for research that has prompted schools to curtail graduate admissions and lay off employees.

In his message, Epstein — who was appointed to his position in a permanent capacity Feb. 11 — painted a dire portrait of Penn Med’s future amid a “chaotic pace of government regulations and executive orders,” many of which have placed the university directly in their crosshairs...

Caught in the middle of the political upheaval are graduate students, researchers and 49,000 employees of Penn’s health system — which the university says supports 79,990 jobs in the region and generates a $15.1 billion economic impact.

Penn’s graduate admission cuts are the difference between studying pharmacology and working at Costco for Keely Barton, a first-generation student whose research appointment at Georgetown University ends in the next month. She was rejected from Penn’s prestigious Biomedical Graduate Studies program Friday, even though she said she was told when she interviewed in early February not to worry about changes at NIH impacting admissions.

On Feb. 7, the NIH slashed the rate it pays universities to support indirect costs to 15%. The weekend she expected to be offered admission came and went...

“I think there’s an entire generation of scientists that could be lost to this,” she said. “We can’t survive as a society without an investment in science.”...

Earlier this week, state lawmakers held an at-times contentious meeting with Jameson in opposition to the school’s scrubbing of web pages related to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — with two officials walking out in protest of one top administrator’s referral to diversity as a “lightning rod."

In the message obtained by WHYY News, Epstein acknowledged that scrutiny of DEI has caused “considerable anger and pain” in the Penn Medicine community.

“For now, it’s clear that we need to modify some of our programs and websites in response to explicit government directives indicating that such diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts violate the law,” Epstein said, while cautioning that the school was not departing from its “core values.”"

A college president offers a class in standing up to Trump; The Washington Post, February 18, 2025

Opinion Perry Bacon Jr. , The Washington Post; A college president offers a class in standing up to Trump

"Many college presidents and deans are issuing mealymouthed statements, ending long-standing programs, removing content from websites and otherwise cowering in the face of the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education. Then there’s Michael S. Roth.

The president of Connecticut’s Wesleyan University wrote a piece in Slate that described some of the Trump administration’s rhetoric as authoritarian. He consistently reposts articles criticizing Trump’s decisions. He speaks and blogs firmly in defense of diversity, equity and inclusion, transgender rights and immigration.

Roth is demonstrating the kind of eloquence and resistance we desperately need from the leaders of not only colleges but also corporations, nonprofits and other organizations in the face of Trump’s onslaught against the rule of law, civil society and key American institutions."

Rubio named acting director of another US government agency: report; Fox News, February 6, 2025

Danielle Wallace Fox News; Rubio named acting director of another US government agency: report

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was tapped as the acting director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) just days ago, is taking on another new role in President Donald Trump's new administration. 

Rubio is now also serving as the acting director of the U.S. Archives, ABC News reported,citing a high-level official. Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

Trump signaled last month his intention of replacing the now-former national archivist Colleen Shogan, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, during a brief phone interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt. The National Archives notified the Justice Department in early 2022 over classified documents Trump allegedly took with him to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office. That would later result in an FBI raid, and Trump being indicted by former special counsel Jack Smith. However, Biden nominated Shogan to run the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) later in 2022, and the Senate confirmed her the following year.

The source told ABC News that Rubio has been the acting archivist since shortly after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president last month."

Sean Rowe wants to realign the Episcopal Church; Religion News, October 14, 2024

  Yonat Shimron, Religion News; Sean Rowe wants to realign the Episcopal Church

"The Episcopal Church’s membership dropped just below 1.6 million in 2022, down 21% from 2013. Over the past two years the decline appears to be accelerating rather than slowing, occasioning headlines such as “Episcopal Withering on the Vine,” and “The Death of the Episcopal Church is Near.”

When casting for a new leader to replace Michael Curry, the denomination’s first Black presiding bishop, Episcopalians nominated Rowe on the first ballot. Rowe had been serving as bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania, and under a novel partnership, he also served as provisional bishop of the Western New York diocese, a collaborative model now being tried in other places.

At the same General Conference in which Rowe was elected, he was tasked with developing a plan to save $3.5 million on staff over three years.

Rowe, who has a Ph.D. in organizational learning and leadership, has already talked about cutting back the church’s hierarchy and moving resources down the ladder to church ministries.

His first two weeks in office have been busy. First, Donald Trump was elected president. Rowe issued a letter saying the mission of the church — striving for justice and peace, and protecting the dignity of every human being — would continue.

Then, Archbishop Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned over his handling of a child sex abuse scandal. The Episcopal Church is one of 42 autonomous churches that make up the worldwide Anglican Communion, with about 80 million members in 160 countries.

“Abuse in any form is horrific and abhorrent, and it grieves me that the church does not always live up to its ideal as a place where all of God’s children are safe,” Rowe said in a statement Tuesday. He also pledged to address any failures in safeguarding children in the Episcopal Church.

Rowe lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Carly, the executive director of the Cathedral of St. Paul. The couple have a 12-year-old daughter, Lauren. RNS spoke to Rowe, the youngest presiding bishop ever, about the challenges ahead. The interview was edited for length and clarity."

A Harris Presidency Is the Only Way to Stay Ahead of A.I.; The New York Times, October 29, 2024

THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, The New York Times; A Harris Presidency Is the Only Way to Stay Ahead of A.I.

"Kamala Harris, given her background in law enforcement, connections to Silicon Valley and the work she has already done on A.I. in the past four years, is up to this challenge, which is a key reason she has my endorsement for the presidency...

I am writing a book that partly deals with this subject and have benefited from my tutorials with Craig Mundie, the former chief research and strategy officer for Microsoft who still advises the company. He is soon coming out with a book of his own related to the longer-term issues and opportunities of A.G.I., written with Eric Schmidt, the former Google C.E.O., and Henry Kissinger, who died last year and worked on the book right up to the end of his life.

It is titled “Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit.” The book invokes the Bible’s description of the origin of humanity because the authors believe that our A.I. moment is an equally fundamental turning point for our species.

I agree. We have become Godlike as a species in two ways: We are the first generation to intentionally create a computer with more intelligence than God endowed us with. And we are the first generation to unintentionally change the climate with our own hands.

The problem is we have become Godlike without any agreement among us on the Ten Commandments — on a shared value system that should guide the use of our newfound powers. We need to fix that fast. And no one is better positioned to lead that challenge than the next U.S. president, for several reasons."

Norfolk Southern Fires C.E.O. After Ethics Investigation; The New York Times, September 11, 2024

Peter Eavis and Danielle Kaye, The New York Times; Norfolk Southern Fires C.E.O. After Ethics Investigation

"Norfolk Southern, the beleaguered freight railroad giant, said on Wednesday that it had fired its chief executive, Alan H. Shaw, for having an affair with the company’s chief legal officer.

In a news release, Norfolk Southern said Mr. Shaw, who became chief executive in May 2022, had a consensual relationship with its top lawyer, Nabanita C. Nag, who was also fired.

Mark R. George, the company’s chief financial officer, was named president and chief executive officer, Norfolk Southern said.

“This change in leadership comes in connection with preliminary findings from an ongoing investigation that determined Shaw violated company policies” by engaging in a relationship with Ms. Nag, the company said. “Shaw’s departure is unrelated to the company’s performance, financial reporting and results of operations.”"

Chicago Public Library Debuts Initiative Offering Ebooks to the City’s Visitors During Special Events; Library Journal, August 23, 2024

Matt Enis, Library Journal; Chicago Public Library Debuts Initiative Offering Ebooks to the City’s Visitors During Special Events

"“Access to knowledge and information is the foundation of a thriving, equitable, and democratic city,” Mayor Johnson said in an announcement. “Thanks to Chicago Public Library and our dedicated librarians, we’re making this powerful initiative possible, ensuring that everyone in Chicago has the opportunity to learn, grow, and connect through universal access to literature.”"

A Good Way for ALA; American Libraries, July 24, 2024

  Cindy Hohl , American Libraries; A Good Way for ALA

"As the first Dakota president and Spectrum Scholar representing the 1% of Indigenous librarians, I will reaffirm that diversifying the field remains overdue. We need to focus on creating opportunities for our colleagues to be represented across every library type in this field. When leaders come together to support the entire community, that act of selfless service elevates collective goodwill among us. The same is true for work life. When we remember what our ancestors taught us and use those teachings to make informed decisions, we can avoid pitfalls along the path toward equitable service.

We also must have the goal of eliminating acts of censorship. On June 2, 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act was passed, granting us dual citizenship. Also known as the Snyder Act, it provided Native Americans with new identities in a step toward equality. While voting credentials were provided to some, several states decided to withhold the same rights from Native American women. Even as the remaining states finally provided voting privileges by 1975, barriers remain today in rural areas where polling locations are out of reach or tribally issued identification cards are not considered an acceptable form of identification by states.

Access to libraries can also be a challenge in these rural areas. We have the ability to accept tribal IDs for library access and create sustainable employment opportunities to ensure success without barriers. That way no one is left behind when acts of censorship are creating a division among us. If we work together in this way, everyone can see themselves written in stories, their voices can be heard, and no one is silenced.

Our core values help us see that what one holds sacred is a touchstone in advancing this work as we strive to serve everyone in ­#AGoodWay together."

Sasse’s spending spree: Former UF president channeled millions to GOP allies, secretive contracts; The Independent Florida Alligator, August 12, 2024

Garrett Shanley, The Independent Florida Alligator; Sasse’s spending spree: Former UF president channeled millions to GOP allies, secretive contracts

"In his 17-month stint as UF president, Ben Sasse more than tripled his office’s spending, directing millions in university funds into secretive consulting contracts and high-paying positions for his GOP allies.

Sasse ballooned spending under the president’s office to $17.3 million in his first year in office — up from $5.6 million in former UF President Kent Fuchs’ last year, according to publicly available administrative budget data.

A majority of the spending surge was driven by lucrative contracts with big-name consulting firms and high-salaried, remote positions for Sasse’s former U.S. Senate staff and Republican officials.

Sasse’s consulting contracts have been kept largely under wraps, leaving the public in the dark about what the contracted firms did to earn their fees. The university also declined to clarify specific duties carried out by Sasse’s ex-Senate staff, several of whom were salaried as presidential advisers."

Dr. Ruffini: Church leadership needed to shape ‘Ethical AI’; LiCAS News via Vatican News, August 2024

Joan April, Roy Lagarde & Mark Saludes - LiCAS News via Vatican News; Dr. Ruffini: Church leadership needed to shape ‘Ethical AI’

"“The digital world is not a ready-made. It is changing every day. We, we can change it. We can shape it. And we need Catholic communicators to do it, with love and with human intelligence,” said Dr. Ruffini. 

In a recorded speech delivered during the 7th National Catholic Social Communications Convention (NCSCC) in Lipa City, south of Manila, on August 5, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication (Vatican News' parent organization, underscored the Church’s responsibility to guide technological advancements with moral clarity and human-centered values.

“So the basic question is not about machines, but about humans, about us. There are and always will be things that a technology cannot replace, like freedom, like the miracle of encounter between people, like the surprise of the unexpected, the conversion, the outburst of ingenuity, the gratuitous love,” he said. 

Organized by the Episcopal Commission on Social Communications (ECSC) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the convention aims to explore advancements and risks in AI, offering insights on leveraging the technology for positive impact while addressing potential negative consequences."

This might be the most important job in AI; Business Insider, July 21, 2024

 Lakshmi Varanasi , Business Insider; This might be the most important job in AI

"Generative AI can hallucinate, spread misinformation, and reinforce biases against marginalized groups if it's not managed properly. Given that the technology relies on volumes of sensitive data, the potential for data breaches is also high. At worst, though, there's the danger that the more sophisticated it becomes, the less likely it is to align with human values.

With great power, then, comes great responsibility, and companies that make money from generative AI must also ensure they regulate it.

That's where a chief ethics officer comes in...

Those who are successful in the role ideally have four areas of expertise, according to Mills. They should have a technical grasp over generative AI, experience building and deploying products, an understanding of the major laws and regulations around AI, and significant experience hiring and making decisions at an organization."

Five Questions to Ask Before Implementing Generative AI; Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, July 3, 2024

 Ann Skeet, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University ; Five Questions to Ask Before Implementing Generative AI

"While you don’t want to get too far into the weeds, you can ask for the sources of data that the system is being trained on, says Ann Skeet, senior director of leadership ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and coauthor of Ethics in the Age of Disruptive Technologies: An Operational Roadmap. “[Directors] can also advise proactively choosing an AI system that has an identifiable training data set.”"

New York’s First Black Librarians Changed the Way We Read; The New York Times, June 19, 2024

 Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times; New York’s First Black Librarians Changed the Way We Read

"Today, figures like Schomburg and the historian and activist W.E.B. Du Bois (another collector and compiler of Black books) are hailed as the founders of the 20th-century Black intellectual tradition. But increasingly, scholars are also uncovering the important role of the women who often ran the libraries, where they built collections and — just as important — communities of readers.

“Mr. Schomburg’s collection is really the seed,” said Joy Bivins, the current director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, as the 135th Street library, currently home to more than 11 million items, is now known. “But in many ways, it is these women who were the institution builders.”

Many were among the first Black women to attend library school, where they learned the tools and the systems of the rapidly professionalizing field. On the job, they learned these tools weren’t always suited to Black books and ideas, so they invented their own.

At times, they battled overt and covert censorship that would be familiar in today’s climate of rising book bans and restrictions on teaching so-called divisive concepts. But whether they worked in world-famous research collections or modest public branch libraries, these pioneers saw their role as not just about tending old books but also about making room for new people and new ideas."

How to start winning the information war; The Washington Post, April 2, 2024

 

Joseph I. Lieberman

 and 

Gordon J. Humphrey

, The Washington Post; How to start winning the information war

"Joseph I. Lieberman was a U.S. senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013 and the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000. Gordon J. Humphrey is a former U.S. senator from New Hampshire. Lieberman drafted this piece with Humphrey in the months before Lieberman died on March 27...

Formerly, we thought about national security in terms of battles on land, at sea and in the air. The newest battlefield is the human mind. Our adversaries are fully deployed on that field of battle. We are all but absent. Thus, we are losing the information war by default to malefactor regimes in Russia, China and Iran.

What explains this alarming state of affairs? Lack of leadership and lack of means. No one is in charge of telling America’s still-inspiring story to the world. For three years, the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, part of the State Department, has urged the White House and Congress to designate a lead official in the information war. The recommendations appear to have been ignored. This reflects inattention at the very top.

As for lack of means, since 1999, when Congress unwisely abolished the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), the United States has lacked the capability to fight back using counternarrative. We have the invaluable Voice of America, of course, but VOA’s product is news. News is not counternarrative. It is not the marshaling of truth and fact to tell our story. Putin’s high standing in domestic polls and in some nonaligned countries is proof we need more than news to achieve victory on the battlefield of the human mind. We need counternarrative as well.

Joe Biden was one of 49 senators who voted against abolishing the USIA. It should be an easy walk for the president to take the steps necessary to get us on the offensive."

Panel of Distinguished AI Experts Discuss Challenges of AI Regulation with the Honorable Ro Khanna; Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, March 27, 2024

Ann Skeet, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University ; Panel of Distinguished AI Experts Discuss Challenges of AI Regulation with the Honorable Ro Khanna

"Leadership takes many forms, and often the most important thing leaders can do is listen. The Institute for Technology Ethics and Culture at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and the Santa Clara School of Law hosted a roundtable discussion on March 18, 2024, with Congressman Ro Khanna and leaders from industry, civil society, and academia. Congressman Khanna wanted to hear from experts in his district to inform his thinking about AI regulation. I was honored to moderate the discussion.

Opinions were as diverse as the group bringing them forward. It was observed that many of us are used to speaking so frequently with those in our own field that the chance to connect with those in other areas reveals sharp differences in perspective. Several participants felt, for example, that deepfakes are not something to be too concerned about since they are easily identifiable, whereas others felt there are still many people who struggle to identify them.  People are often confused by false images or voices and as technology advances, this confusion will only deepen."

READ: Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation letter; CNN, January 2, 2023

 CNN Staff, CNN; READ: Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation letter

"The following is Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation letter, issued on January 2, 2024:..."

Clarence Williams, The Washington Post; This Arlington librarian is pushing back against book bans

 Clarence Williams, The Washington Post; This Arlington librarian is pushing back against book bans

"There is something to offend and upset everyone, and if there isn't we're not doing our job," Kresh said."

Opinion: Harvard’s Claudine Gay should resign; The Washington Post, December 23, 2023

Ruth Marcus , The Washington Post; Opinion: Harvard’s Claudine Gay should resign

"Perhaps the most disturbing example is the least academic — Gay’s borrowing of words from another scholar, Jennifer L. Hochschild. In her acknowledgments for a 1996 book, Hochschild described a mentor who “showed me the importance of getting the data right and of following where they lead without fear or favor” and “drove me much harder than I sometimes wanted to be driven.”

Gay’s dissertation thanked her thesis adviser, who “reminded me of the importance of getting the data right and following where they lead without fear or favor,” and her family, “drove me harder than I sometimes wanted to be driven.”

Now, can I just say? Acknowledgments are the easiest, and most fun part, of writing a book, the place where you list your sources and allies and all the people who helped you get the manuscript over the finish line. Why not come up with your own thanks? What does it say about a person who chooses to appropriate another’s language for this most personal task."

Marybeth Peters: Renaissance Woman of Copyright; New York City Bar Association Podcasts, December 13, 2023

 New York City Bar Association Podcasts; Marybeth Peters: Renaissance Woman of Copyright

"Lawyer. Leader. Public Servant. Trailblazer. Friend.

Marybeth Peters, the second-longest serving Register of Copyrights (1994 - 2010), died on September 29, 2022, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 83. With her passing, Register Peters left behind a lasting and far-reaching legacy in her storied 40-plus year career as a distinguished attorney, respected copyright law expert, and the director of the U.S. Copyright Office, where she helped shape and implement critical new laws, including the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act among others. In addition, Register Peters was remembered as a mentor, teacher, and friend who touched the lives of everyone around her with grace and her unforgettable laugh.

Presented by the New York City Bar Copyright and Literary Property Committee, committee member Theodora Fleurant, a trademark attorney based in New York City, and Jose Landivar, an Associate at Coates IP, lead an unforgettable series of conversations with some of the people closest to Register Peters to look back on her life and legacy, including:

•	Shira Perlmutter, the current Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office
•	Maria Pallante, President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers who formerly served as the 12th Register of Copyrights
•	Richard Dannay, Counsel at Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.
•	Eric Schwartz, Partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, and former Acting General Counsel and Senior Legal Advisor to the Register of Copyrights
•	David Carson, current Copyright Office Claims Officer who, formerly served as head of the Copyright Policy Team in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and as General Counsel of the U.S. Copyright Office

This podcast paints a fascinating portrait of a leading U.S. and international copyright law expert. It seeks to inspire listeners with lessons in leadership, courage, innovation, and dedicated public service.

This podcast would not have been possible without the support of the U.S. Copyright Office (https://www.copyright.gov/) and audio provided by the Copyright Clearance Center.

Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. Copyright Office.

Access a transcript of this episode here: https://bityl.co/MvSf"

A Farewell Letter; The Suffield Observer, October 1, 2023

  Julie Styles - Director, The Suffield Observer; A Farewell Letter

"By the time you read this, I will have departed from my role as Director of the Kent Memorial Library. My plans to resign have been brewing for several months, despite having just started this position last fall. My decision was based on many factors, and it wasn’t an easy one to make. For the most part, it boils down to the fact that while I was hired to be a professional library director, I was not actually allowed to do my job as one.

The purpose of a public library is not to keep rows of books nice and neat for casual readers to pick something out to help them pass the time. While that is one of the services we proudly offer, it is not the core of our mission. The role of the library is to connect its patrons with information, facts, and literature that help them with all aspects of their lives. A library’s role is not to shield people from controversial issues, but rather to provide resources that help people to understand those issues. It should support the discourse that is happening in the community, not sanitize or whitewash it. Most importantly, a library should represent, reflect, and wholeheartedly welcome the diverse lives and interests of its entire community.

The way a public library is managed should not be influenced by politics. When the government of a town directs library staff to remove or relocate books based on certain topics, it is censorship. And it sends the message that some people in the community, and the stories that represent their lives, aren’t important. That some people’s lives don’t deserve to be treated equally. That only some people’s stories are worth drawing attention to.

Over the past year, people who do not understand the purpose of a library, or the tenets of the library profession, have asked me to make changes that are antithetical to established library best practices, including: increase late fines to generate more revenue for the town, tag all LGBTQIA+ books with warning labels, avoid putting up displays addressing current affairs or ones that represent marginalized communities, and to disregard patron privacy. I’ve been repeatedly told that I am “legally obligated” to include books covering “both sides” of every display topic in order to remain “neutral” (a statement that is both incorrect and very disturbing: are we to provide racist books alongside anti-racist resources? Anti-Semitic books next to ones celebrating Hanukkah or describing the Holocaust?). It’s also been suggested that I stop following the guidance of the American Library Association (ALA), despite the fact that an ALA-accredited Master’s in Library Science degree is required for my job.

Certainly, as a professional, educated, and experienced librarian, I have disagreed with directives and suggestions such as these. My duty as a librarian is to honor the First Amendment rights of everyone. To protect the privacy of our patrons. To not assign any kind of moral value to the books we provide. To let readers—and the caregivers of young readers—decide for themselves what is appropriate. To serve everyone in town—without judgment.

Unfortunately, I have not been allowed to do that. Instead, I have been instructed to run the library in ways that conflict with my professional ethics, experience, and training. So, it is time for me to move on.

It’s been an honor to serve the Suffield community for the past year, as best I could. I have gotten tremendous support and great feedback from many Suffield residents. The Friends of KML and the Library Foundation have been wonderfully supportive, as have most of the members of the Library Commission. And if I could, I would bring the entire staff of KML with me, as they are, each and every one talented dedicated and fantastic to work with. I hope going forward, their jobs provide them with fulfillment, inspiration, and a sense of pride, wherever their careers may take them."