Cornell University’s James Antaki had a $6.7 million Department of Defense grant for his life-saving PediaFlow device, designed to improve blood flow in infants with heart defects, revoked without explanation. This follows three decades of research and prior successful grant applications, jeopardizing the project’s completion and potentially impacting hundreds of lives. The sudden cancellation is attributed to a broader trend of funding cuts under the current administration, impacting numerous research projects across various fields. Without restored funding, Antaki’s team faces layoffs and project termination, hindering progress towards a crucial medical device for infants with life-threatening heart conditions.
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Billy Evans, partner of Elizabeth Holmes, has launched Haemanthus, an AI-powered biotech startup focusing on affordable medical testing. Utilizing Raman spectroscopy, the company aims to create commercially available diagnostic tools using various biological samples, including blood, sweat, urine, and saliva. Despite Holmes’s 11-year prison sentence for Theranos fraud, she reportedly advises Evans, though she is not formally involved in the company’s operations. Haemanthus hopes to significantly reduce the cost and accessibility barriers of this technology, currently utilized primarily in research settings.
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Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry, Pakistan’s current Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), is the son of UN-designated terrorist Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, who also aided Osama bin Laden. Chaudhry, a three-star general, regularly justifies Pakistan’s actions, including its history of sponsoring terrorism. Mahmood, despite being celebrated in Pakistan for his nuclear work, founded the banned extremist organization Ummah Tameer-e-Nau and allegedly shared nuclear knowledge with al-Qaeda. This familial connection highlights the deep-seated issue of Pakistan’s support for terrorism and its implications for regional stability.
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A group of Quakers is undertaking a 300-mile march from New York City to Washington, D.C., to protest the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies. This action reflects a long history of Quaker activism for social justice, including past efforts against slavery and war. The march aims to demonstrate solidarity with marginalized groups targeted by the current administration and deliver a 17th-century document advocating religious freedom, highlighting its continued relevance. Participants emphasize the incompatibility of the administration’s actions with constitutional principles and the spirit of American pluralism.
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Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on May 7th, successfully targeted nine terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for a deadly April 22nd attack. The operation, which continues, achieved its strategic objectives with precision. Following the operation, increased cross-border tensions led to a ceasefire agreement on May 10th, despite numerous Pakistani drone intrusions across 36 locations. The IAF successfully countered these intrusions using kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
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The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act, introduced by Senator Mike Lee and Representative Mary Miller, aims to create a consistent nationwide definition of obscenity to combat the spread of explicit content online. The bill updates the outdated legal definition of obscenity, clarifying standards for prosecuting the transmission of such material across state lines. This modernized definition removes ambiguities in current law, offering law enforcement clearer tools to identify and remove obscene content. By establishing consistent criteria, the act seeks to prevent criminals from exploiting differing state definitions to evade prosecution.
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Despite initial disinterest expressed by Vice President Vance, escalating conflict between India and Pakistan, marked by air force engagements and drone incursions, forced the U.S. into immediate action. This intervention, mirroring President Clinton’s response to a similar crisis, stemmed from grave concerns about the potential for nuclear escalation. The attacks on Pakistan’s Nur Khan air base, a key military and nuclear-adjacent installation, heightened these fears significantly. The proximity of the base to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal triggered urgent U.S. involvement.
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During a press conference, Pakistan’s Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed publicly acknowledged the Pakistani military’s role in the 2019 Pulwama attack, referring to it as a display of “tactical brilliance.” This admission contradicts years of official denials and follows a similar statement by a former Pakistani minister. The statement, made alongside other high-ranking military officials, effectively dismantles Pakistan’s previous claims of innocence and its requests for evidence from India. The admission highlights the military’s significant influence over Pakistan’s government and its willingness to openly claim responsibility for the attack.
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To bolster Ukraine’s defenses against Russia, the UK military is supplying realistic decoys of tanks and air defense systems. These printed models, designed to mimic actual weaponry, are strategically deployed to create the illusion of greater UK arms shipments. This deception tactic aims to deplete Russian resources by targeting inexpensive fakes rather than real military hardware. The initiative involves collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and industry, producing highly convincing decoys difficult to distinguish from genuine equipment at typical engagement ranges. This approach, employed alongside similar strategies by Ukraine and Russia, is now considered a crucial aspect of modern warfare.
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Despite his self-proclaimed title of “dealmaker-in-chief,” President Trump has privately expressed frustration over his inability to resolve the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. He confided in donors that the complexities of negotiating with Vladimir Putin, who seeks complete control over Ukraine, and the longstanding history of conflict in Gaza have proven significant obstacles. These difficulties contrast sharply with Trump’s past self-promotion as a skilled negotiator. While the White House counters with claims of progress, including a ceasefire in Yemen and the release of American detainees, critics highlight the gap between Trump’s ambitious promises and the actual outcomes.
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John Q. Hosedrinker