Latest news with #HarvardUniversity
The Hill
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Stossel calls Trump ‘arrogant bully' but supports him targeting DEI, university funding
Journalist John Stossel said President Trump is an 'arrogant bully' during a special, John Stossel: Give Me Liberty!, set to air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NewsNation, while commending policy changes implemented by the White House. 'He's an arrogant bully, but I love it that he's changing the way things were,' Stossel told Connell McShane. The former Fox News reporter said he had 'mixed feelings' about Trump's takedown of some colleges and universities – he criticized the president for his attacks on the universities but indicated he supports pulling some funding. 'Why were we giving these rich institutions so much money anyway?' he asked, later adding, 'I don't like it when he threatens them.' The Trump administration revoked millions in grants from Harvard University, alleging that the school's administration is harboring students with antisemitic views for supporting Palestine amid the war in Gaza. 'America is what America is because everybody has a right to speak and say things that may be stupid or sometimes hurtful,' Stossel said. 'It's important that we have that right, and where Trump implies he's going to cut off the money, well, we shouldn't be giving them the money in the first place,' he added. Stossel noted that money might be better spent supporting the efforts of companies. However, he commended the president for supporting the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the federal government in a January executive order. 'It was captured by the left, and it made people afraid to talk to people who were different from them,' Stossel told McShane. 'A Harvard Business School study found that the companies that had good DEI programs the longest hired fewer Black female managers,' he added. 'It just poisons speech and thank God it seems to be over.'
West Australian
13 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Raymond Da Silva Rosa: Universities win support of the public by pursuing shared goals
Australian universities are often accused of being run like for-profit corporations — a charge that is only half-accurate. US economist Gordon Winston aptly described universities as part-car-dealer and part-Church, devoted partly to commerce and partly to ideals that lend it support from stakeholders. An effective combination of commerce and ideal principles is what enables universities to survive for centuries. The pure pursuit of for-profit commerce is too risky in the long run. During lean periods, it is the support of stakeholders who share the university's vision that allows it to survive. Two examples: the once great for-profit Hudson's Bay Company, founded in 1670, filed for bankruptcy in March 2025; in contrast, Harvard University, founded a few decades earlier in 1636, is still going strong, fortified by a US$53 billion ($81.6 billion) endowment made possible via generous donations from stakeholders who support its ideals. UWA's founding in 1911 shows the importance of shared vision. It wasn't the opportunity to make a profit that prompted the establishment of WA's first university. Rather, it was that the great and the good of Western Australia, including Sir John Winthrop Hackett, then-editor and owner of The West Australian, who wanted a university that reflected the State's ambitions. These ambitions are what prompted Thomas Walker, the-then WA minister for education, to urge his fellow inaugural UWA Senate members in 1912 to '… do things on a scale worthy of our great destiny!' Hackett provided essential funding that seeded UWA's endowment. Given their hybrid nature, an ongoing challenge for universities is knowing when to act like a charity and when to behave like a for-profit entity, with considerations such as efficiency in operations taking precedence over ideals. It's easy to get the balance wrong, particularly when the impact of misjudgment doesn't show up in the near-term. Research is one area where universities are at risk of imitating for-profit entities too closely. Managing research activity by using a measure such as the number of publications produced over a set period may appear reasonable to establish accountability and spur performance, but is misguided when pursuing high-impact research. To be clear, the principle 'publish or perish' has long applied to academics in universities. Historian Steven Turner says that as far back as 1737, a report that the professors at the university in Frankfurt-an-der-Oder were unknown because they published nothing resulted in a command from Berlin to the academics to begin writing. The issue is evaluating quality. University ranking systems, based mostly on research published in prestigious 'hard-to-get-into' academic journals, have made it easy for university managers to use these publications as a measure of productivity and quality. The problem is that prestigious journals favour conventional wisdom when accepting papers. Mostly, it's OK because conventional wisdom is mostly right. The drawback is that radical ideas, which happen to be correct, risk getting rejected. Famously, UWA's Barry Marshall and Robin Warren took years to convince a sceptical medical establishment that gastritis and peptic ulcers were due to stomach infection caused by the bacterium helicobacter pylori. Fortunately, they persisted and weren't sacked for research underperformance in the interim. It's straightforward to improve a chronically unproductive research team by managing them via the numbers. It's much harder to develop a high-performance culture that identifies talented people and promotes risk-taking and persistence. In such an environment, breakthroughs won't appear on schedule. There will be many failures and an occasional large triumph. Fine judgment, not numbers, is the key to high performance research management. Universities win the support of the public not by wholesale adoption of the methods of industry but by pursuing shared goals. Universities can't be held to account too closely and will often disappoint, but in the long run it is vital they win the trust and affection of the community that supports them. It's tricky work. Winthrop Professor Raymond Da Silva Rosa is an expert in finance from The University of Western Australia's Business School
Extra.ie
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
From politics to concerts to whiskey: Inside Lord Henry Mount Charles' life
Slane Castle owner Lord Henry Mount Charles has passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer. News of Lord Henry's death broke on Thursday with his family confirming he had passed peacefully in the late hours of Wednesday, June 18 'following a long and valiant battle with cancer.' They added that the beloved husband, father, grandfather and custodian of Slane Castle inspired 'all who knew him' with his courage and unwavering spirit. Slane Castle owner Lord Henry Mount Charles has passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer. Pic: Courtesy of Slane Castle But who exactly was the late Lord Henry? Henry Conyngham was the eldest son of the 7th Marquess Conyngham and his first wife, Eileen Wren Newsom, obtaining the courtesy title of the Earl of Mount Charles in 1974. As a youngster, Henry attended Harrow School in London before studying at Harvard University. Following the death of his father in 2009, Henry succeeded him as the 8th Marquess Conyngham, but was still more often than not referred to by his former title. Lord Henry Mount Charles. Pic: RTÉ Lord Henry married twice — he married Juliet Kitson in 1971, and the pair went on to have three children together before their divorce in 1985. Lord Henry and Juliet's children are Alexander, Henrietta and Lord Gerald. The same year he divorced Juliet, he went on to marry Lady Iona Charlotte Grimston. The pair welcomed the arrival of their only daughter Tamara in 1991. Alex Mount Charles at Slane Castle. Pic: Sean Dwyer The late Lord Henry also has three doting grandchildren through his son Alexander and his wife Carina Bolton. The pair are parents to Lady Laragh, Rory Nicholas and The Honourable Caspar. In 2023, Lord Henry defied ongoing health issues as he walked his youngest daughter, Lady Tamara Conynham, down the aisle as she wed her long-term partner, Cian Speers. The nuptials took place on the grounds of the family's ancestral home, Slane Castle. The crowd at Slane Castle to watch Rolling Stones in 2007. Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland Slane Castle was built in the late 18th century, with the Conyngham family living on the grounds since, with Alex and his family now residing in the castle with his wife (Countess) Carina. In 1981, Lord Henry began bringing rock concerts to the sleepy village of Slane, Co Meath, with Thin Lizzy headlining the first event alongside a then 'up and coming' Irish band called U2. Since then the castle grounds, which features views across the River Boyne, have hosted the biggest names in the world including Bruce Springsteen in 1985; Robbie Williams; Metallica and most recently Harry Styles. In 2015, the family ventured into the alcohol business and opened their own whiskey distillery on the grounds of Slane Castle. As well as being a businessman, Lord Mount Charles tried his hand at politics as well, entering the 1992 general election in the Louth constituency as one of the Fine Gael tickets. Unfortunately his bid was unsuccessful, but he didn't allow it to deter him. In 1997, Lord Henry ran as an Independent as he contested the elections to Seanad Éireann as part of the Dublin University constituency. Lord Henry withdrew his name from the contest for a nomination to run in the 2004 European elections. He was set to run for the East constituency and would have run for Fine Gael.
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- General
- Newsweek
Residents Move Into 1950s Home—Years Later Make Shock Discovery in Basement
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Minnesota homeowner has sparked intrigue across Reddit after discovering an unusual key hidden in the rafters of their basement—years after moving into their 1950s-era house. The post, titled "Odd key in the basement rafters..." was shared by u/edrift101 to the r/Weird subreddit on June 16 and included a couple of images showing a tarnished old key. "We found this years after moving into our new home," the user wrote in the caption. "No idea how long it's been there, but the house was built in the 1950s (Minneapolis, MN). Doesn't match anything in the house or the garage," the poster said, adding "maybe there's a secret keyhole somewhere in the house, ala Locke & Key [fictional television series]? That could be fun." The discovery in the Reddit post comes as U.S. homeowners face soaring housing costs. According to a 2024 report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, millions of potential homebuyers have been "priced out of the market by elevated home prices and interest rates." The home price surge was reported in 97 of the top 100 markets, with higher rises in the northeast and Midwest regions, the report found. 'Treasure Stashes' The recent post drew a wave of speculation and amateur detective work from Reddit users eager to weigh in on the mysterious artifact, which bears a resemblance to what many call a "skeleton key." "That appears to be a warded lock key," wrote u/whitecholklet. "Sometimes called a skeleton key or warded lock pick, it could be used to open a lot of older style locks. People hid them in their house in case they lost a key or sometimes just used it as a key." Other Redditors chimed in with their own theories—ranging from the practical to the imaginative. One user, u/la_picasa, speculated that the original lock was likely replaced at some point, saying "the lock(s) it was used for probably got changed at some point in time. If you're just now finding that though, I would be searching the rafters in hidden spots for treasure stashes! People used to hide cash up in there." Some comments ventured further off the beaten path. "Similar keys work in some old mouse and rat traps I have seen," noted u/TheSunRisesintheEast. "It is supposed to keep the poisoned bait from being accessed." Others considered more sentimental or historical origins. "Maybe it is the very first key for the first front door when the home was built???" suggested u/SILVERSKID70. Another user, u/NoVillage7217, said: "If it's in the basement, it could have gone to a hope chest stored there in the past." Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system. A stock image of a rusted key on a wooden table. A stock image of a rusted key on a wooden table. Getty Have you ever made a unique discovery in your home? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Now, US wants to review students' social media accounts as visa process resumes
After a brief suspension, the United States has resumed processing student visa applications, but with a strict new condition. All applicants must now make their social media accounts public for review by consular officers, the State Department announced on Thursday. The move comes after last month's announcement by the Trump administration that had temporarily halted new appointments for student and exchange visitor visas. Now that the suspension has been lifted, the visa process is restarting, but not without new hurdles. According to the State Department, any applicant who refuses to unlock their social media accounts for public viewing could face rejection. Officials will review posts and messages for any content considered hostile to the US government, its culture, institutions, or principles. Previously, the US had already introduced some social media checks, particularly targeting returning students suspected of joining protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. But the new rule expands that inspection to all new applicants. A State Department notice made public on Wednesday confirmed that the May suspension had been revoked. However, it said that those unwilling to share their social media activity could be seen as attempting to hide something, a potential red flag during the visa screening process. One applicant, a 27-year-old PhD student from China studying in Toronto, told the Associated Press that he was relieved to finally secure a visa appointment for next week. 'I've been refreshing the website a couple of times every day,' said the student. He's aiming to begin a research internship in the US this July. Students from India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines have been closely monitoring visa portals and press briefings to track any updates. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the previous order, reflecting the broader Trump administration's push to tighten immigration controls. That includes not just stricter student visa rules, but also increased deportations and pressure on academic institutions. Harvard University has recently come under fire from the administration for allegedly failing to curb speech and anti-Israel protests. Separately, the US Embassy in India issued a warning to current and prospective students. It stressed that visa holders must follow all rules attending classes regularly and staying enrolled or risk losing their student status and future visa eligibility. India, now the largest source of international students in the US for the first time since 2008-09, had over 3.31 lakh students enrolled in American universities in 2024, overtaking China.
