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CBS News
21-07-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Experts in Chicago explore how community-based strategies can fight climate change
Chicago is the stage for another major climate conference this week, hosting The Aspen Institute's Climate Conference for the first time. "This is about bringing people together from across sectors," said Greg Gershuny, who leads the energy and environment program at The Aspen Institute. "We could've done this for 80 straight days, and never run out of things to talk about." Gershuny said the conversations happening at the conference this week could ultimately make some real changes — not only in the Chicago area, but across the country. The conference began as a brand-new report, released Monday, reveals how communities can come together to reduce emissions contributing to climate change. For the first time, the report details how getting involved can make an impact — and how community-based strategies can significantly reduce emissions. The new report, "Changing the Game: Community-based strategies and climate mitigation," was prepared by the Redstone Strategy Group for the MacArthur Foundation, the Marin Community Foundation, and the Equation Campaign. Jorgen Thomsen, director of climate solutions for the MacArthur Foundation, was one of the experts behind the group. He said through the report and an analysis of projects across the country, they have found what they call community-based strategies — such as state and local legislation, renewable energy development, and decarbonization projects can lower emissions known to contribute to climate change. Considering federal rollbacks in both regulations and funding — which are poised to impact the air we breathe — the experts said philanthropy can make a real difference. Thery found for every single dollar spent on mitigation efforts, a metric ton of carbon dioxide can be reduced from the earth's atmosphere by 2030. That metric ton of carbon dioxide is the same weight as about 400 bricks. "You can actually have very significant return on investment by investing in communities and engaging communities," said Thomsen. The work documented in the report takes a close look at projects in states such as California, Ohio and New York. CBS News Chicago asked about Gary, Indiana, where a CBS News Chicago investigation recently exposed significant levels of industrial pollution and a consequent health impact on residents — bringing in medical researchers studying the connection to cancer. "That's the kind of dynamic we've been looking at in these other projects," said Thomsen, adding that Gary will be on the researchers' radar moving forward.
Associated Press
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Subaru Loves To Help
Originally published on Bringing the love of the game to every part of greater Philadelphia. By bringing activities, equipment, and passion for the game of soccer to Philadelphia and the surrounding communities, Subaru and the Union are partnering to provide opportunities for everyone to experience the greatness of soccer. GEAR FOR GOOD Every kid deserves the chance to fall in love with the game of soccer. But 1 in 2 families involved in youth sports say they've struggled to afford it, according to the Aspen Institute. We believe the cost of gear shouldn't cost kids the chance to play. That's why Subaru, its Philadelphia-area retailers, and the Philadelphia Union are getting soccer gear to kids who need it most through Gear for Good. Continue reading here. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Subaru of America
Forbes
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A Is For Aspen Anderson Ranch For The Arts
View of Anderson Ranch Arts Center and James Surls, 'Three and Ten Flowers', 2014, part of Anderson Ranch Arts Center 2024annual outdoor sculpture exhibition Courtesy Anderson Ranch Arts I've been going to Aspen since I was a teenager. At first, it was just for the skiing. Then I discovered that, as is true with most ski resorts, there is more to do there in the summer. Over the years, summer in Aspen has grown to have a dizzying array of activities, from seminars at the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Festival of Ideas, the Aspen Music Festival, the Food & Wine Classic, the Aspen Museum AIR Festival, to name but a few of the summer events. With summer, hiking, biking, dining and shopping become full time sports, in what I like to call the Switzerland of America. However, until my recent visit to Aspen and to the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, I never realized the extent to which Aspen has become a center for contemporary Art or the extent to which art is part of Aspen-Snowmass' DNA. The Anderson Ranch is a four-and-a-half-acre art center that offers classes in pottery, ceramics, sculpture, painting, printmaking, 3D fabrication, woodworking, and metalworks, to people of all ages and all abilities. At the same time, artists come to the ranch as a retreat or to experiment in new mediums, to give lectures, workshops, and to hold public conversations about their work. Anderson's cross-disciplinary and welcoming pluralistic approach to arts education is part of its and Aspen's DNA. While in Aspen I met with (and got to hang out with) Peter Waanders, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ranch, Liz Ferrill, Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing & Printmaking (and who leads the Artist in Residence Program and the Critical Dialogue Program), and Evan Soroka, an Aspen native who is the Ranch's digital media manager, each of whom struck me as incredibly happy to be able to be part of the Anderson Ranch. 'Aspen has always been about the meeting of mind, body and the spiritual,' Waanders told me. The story of Aspen begins with Walter Paepcke, the son of German immigrants who took over his father's lumber mill and box-making company in Chicago. Paepcke built the company into the highly successful Container Corporation of America which, in turn, became known for commissioning great graphic designers and artists for their campaigns including Herbert Bayer, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Fernand Leger, Leonard Baskin, Ben Shahn, Joseph Cornell, and Willem de Kooning. In 1946, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke founded the Aspen Skiing Corporation, opening a chairlift on Aspen Mountain that same year. In 1951, seeking to create a forum for his passions, Paepcke founded the International Design Conference in Aspen (IDCA), which was modeled on the Bauhaus philosophy of collaboration between modern art, design, and commerce, and was led by Bauhaus member Herbert Bayer, with attendance by such design and art luminaries as Josef Albers, Louis Kahn. And Charles Eames. Paepcke believed that good design was good business, and he invited fellow tycoons such as Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus, and other executives to attend. The IDCA was soon joined by sister organizations, the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Music Festival. Paul Soldner leads a ceramics class at Anderson Ranch Courtesy Anderson Ranch Arts In 1966, as they were preparing to open the Snowmass ski area, the Paepckes decided Aspen needed an arts center. They turned to American ceramicist Paul Soldner who chose an old sheep farm The Anderson Ranch near Snowmass Village as the location for his center. Soldner brought in friends, colleagues, and other artists, including Peter Volkous who had taught ceramics at Black Mountain College and would go on to found the ceramics department at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Today, those early days are looked on fondly as the era of 'hippie potters.' Soldner and Voulkos were the mainstays of the ceramics center which they called 'The Center of the Hand.' They were soon joined by Cherie Hiser's photography program, called 'The Center of the Eye.' In the years that followed David Ellsworth launched a woodturning program, and a painting workshop was offered as well. Sam Maloof taught a woodworking workshop. In 1978 a printmaking studio was established. The Anderson Ranch, Waanders said, 'is a makers organization' that prioritizes 'process over final product.' In the 1980s, not only did the Ranch become a year-round center with winterized barns, but the Anderson Ranch was deeded all its property and buildings (which is as amazing as it is fortunate – imagine owning almost five acres of land in Aspen today!), and a visiting Artist program began. Over the years visiting artists have included Laurie Anderson, Christo, Takaski Nakazato, Starn Twins, Dennis Hopper, Maya Lin, James Rosenquist, Sally Mann, Larry Bell, and Jennifer Bartlett. In the 1990s a digital media lab was launched. Other artists who have participated in Anderson Ranch programs include Steve McQueen, Mickalene Thomas, Catherine Opie, and Frank Stella, Each summer the Anderson Ranch hosts a series of public artist lectures and Q&A sessions. Past participants include Marina Abramović (2013), The Haas Brothers (2016), Doug Aitken (2017), Njideka Akunyili Crosby (2018), Sanford Biggers (2019, Liz Larner (2022), Mickalene Thomas (2023), and Charles Gaines (2024), among others. Touring the facilities at the Anderson Ranch, it is hard to imagine any artist having access to as great a range of tools, machines, programs, and the people who can administer them. I walked through a large room that contained kiln after kiln: large ones, small ones, huge ones, wood fired, and gas powered, as well as 3-D clay printers. It is no wonder that so many artists want to come to the Ranch to experiment, learn, and extend their practice. The week before I arrived, Rainer Judd and Flavin Judd who administer the Donald Judd estate were there, and in the following weeks there would be lectures, conversations and visits with Kelly Akashi, Shepard Fairey, Catherine Opie, Dawoud Bey, Mickalene Thomas and Issy Wood. The Summer Series is curated by Summer Series Creative Director and CULTURED magazine founder and Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson. Aspen today is very much home to the wealthy. The joke/not-really-a-joke is that in Aspen the Billionaires are pushing out the Millionaires. No question that housing for those that work in Aspen is no longer affordable. You only need to walk the well-maintained streets of Aspen to find yourself surrounded by luxury brand retail store after retail store, such as Valentino, Prada, Dior, and Loro Piano. That being said, Aspen has always been a place, like New York and Los Angeles, where people who have been financially successful elsewhere choose to have a second home. Aspen's summer residents come from all over the country and are often art collectors themselves who appreciate and support The Ranch. During my visit I met dedicated ranch board members from Indianapolis, Houston, Chicago, Davenport, and Los Angeles. The Ranch also holds an annual fundraising event, which is the culmination of Ranch Week, with a live and silent auction of artworks, as well as having an International Artist Award honoree, who for 20025, is artist, filmmaker, and philanthropist Titus Kaphar, a 2018 MacArthur Grant Award recipient. Conversation between Titus Kaphar and Susan Wrubel following screening of Exhibiting Forgiveness in Aspen, Colorado Courtesy of Anderson Ranch Arts Kaphar is both an extraordinary artist as well as an exceptional human being. During Ranch Week, Kaphar held a screening of his feature film Exhibiting Forgiveness at the iconic and recently restored Isis Theater. Exhibiting Forgiveness is a very poetic, sensitive, and visually beautiful account of an artist's struggle regarding the father who traumatized and abandoned him, starring Andre Harrell and Anda Day. It is also an investigation of the lead character's relationship with his mother, his wife, his own son and how his inner turmoil plays out in his paintings, his choice of subject matter, as well as in his relationships with his gallerist and his collectors. After the screening, Kaphar was in conversation with Susan Wrubel, Executive and Artistic Director of Aspen Film where they discussed how the film, which can be seen on Hulu, is about 'correcting generational trauma,' Titus Kaphar and Deby Wisch in conversation at the Anderson Ranch Courtesy of Anderson Ranch Arts The following day, in conversation with documentary filmmaker Debi Wisch, Kaphar discussed his journey from Michigan to California, his discovery of art history, and the many attempts he made before being accepted into Yale's MFA program in art. Kaphar is known for his works that investigate art history and the erasure of Black lives. Kaphar said that he sees his work as 'neither Demonizing, not Deifying.' This was followed by a lunch where Kaphar discussed his NXTHVN (Next Haven) project, a not-for-profit arts studio located in two former manufacturing plants in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut that opened in 2019, offering studio internships to local high school students over 15, and to visiting artists who mentor them. Kaphar is hoping to create NXTHVN centers all over the country. Kaphar often tells his interns about their work: 'I don't care how many likes you get, if everything you make succeeds, then you are not trying hard enough.' Inside the Woody Creek Tavern Photo by Tom Teicholz I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Aspen offers other art experiences as well. There is the Hexton Contemporary Art Gallery right in the center of Aspen which just ended an exhibition of new work by Andy Millner, and the Aspen Art Museum which has a wonderful Sherrie Levine exhibition (Levine's work remains perplexing); and striking installations by Solange Pessoa and Carol Rama. The Aspen Art Museum's own annual auction ArtCrush is live online through August 2nd, with works by Anni Albers, Alex Katz and Michael Stipe. And, finally, no visit to Aspen is complete for me without checking in at the Woody Creek Tavern, Hunter Thompson's old hangout, where the burgers are as great as ever. Aspen in the summer can become the best of habits. This was my first visit to the Anderson Ranch. It won't be my last.
Telegraph
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Pete Hegseth bans Pentagon officials from ‘evil globalism' conference
Pete Hegseth has banned Pentagon officials from speaking at a security conference because it promotes 'evil globalism'. Senior figures in the US defence department were set to speak at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado this week, following a tradition under both Democrat and Republican administrations. However, Mr Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has blocked his department from taking part in the four-day event, which is hosted by the Aspen Institute think tank. Kingsley Wilson, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told Just the News that Mr Hegseth's office believes it 'promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the president of the United States'. The department 'has no interest in legitimising an organisation that has invited former officials who have been the architects of chaos abroad and failure at home', she continued. 'They are antithetical to the America First values of this administration.' Figures still scheduled to appear John Phelan, the Navy secretary, Emil Michael, the defence undersecretary for research and engineering, and Doug Beck, director of the department's defence innovation unit, were among several senior Pentagon officials due to speak this week, according to Politico. Ms Wilson did not clarify her comments and the Pentagon declined to provide further details. However, attendees tend to come from a more traditional foreign policy perspective than Mr Trump's 'America First' wing of the Republican Party, which has a strong isolationist streak and is deeply critical of former administrations. Those expected to speak at the conference this week include Condoleezza Rice, George W Bush's secretary of state, David Petraeus, Barack Obama's former CIA director, and Mark Esper, defence secretary in Donald Trump's first administration. Diplomatic figures from the current administration are still scheduled to appear, including Tom Barrack, the US ambassador for Turkey, and Adam Boehler, the presidential envoy for hostages. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman said: 'Senior department of defence officials will no longer be participating at the Aspen Security Forum because their values do not align with the values of the DOD [department of defence]. 'The department will remain strong in its focus to increase the lethality of our warfighters, revitalise the warrior ethos, and project peace through strength on the world stage. 'It is clear the ASF [Aspen Security Forum] is not in alignment with these goals.' The conference hosts said in a statement that it had 'welcomed senior officials – Republican and Democrat, civilian and military – as well as senior foreign officials and experts, who bring experience and diverse perspectives on matters of national security' for more than a decade. 'We will miss the participation of the Pentagon, but our invitations remain open,' they added. 'The Aspen Security Forum remains committed to providing a platform for informed, non-partisan debate about the most important security challenges facing the world.'
News18
15-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Pentagon Withdraws Military Top Brass From Aspen Security Forum Citing Anti-Trump Bias
Last Updated: The Aspen Security Forum, hosted annually by the Aspen Institute, is considered one of the nation's premier gatherings on national security The US Department of Defence has abruptly pulled approximately a dozen high-ranking military officials from participating in this week's Aspen Security Forum, citing the Aspen Institute's alleged left-leaning political orientation and its inclusion of vocal critics of President Donald Trump, according to a report by Just The News. Despite being listed on the event's agenda, senior defence leaders, including the Secretary of the Navy and the Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, will no longer attend the event, a source confirmed to Just The News. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told the news website: 'The Department of Defence has no interest in legitimizing an organization that has invited former officials who have been the architects of chaos abroad and failure at home." The Aspen Security Forum, hosted annually by the Aspen Institute — often dubbed 'the mountain retreat for the liberal elite" — is considered one of the nation's premier gatherings on national security and foreign policy. However, the Pentagon's decision signals growing tensions between the Biden administration and the Trump-aligned Department of Defence. Wilson further added, 'They are antithetical to the America First values of this administration. Senior representatives of the Department of Defence will no longer be participating in an event that promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States." Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who was also scheduled to speak at the forum, has similarly pulled out. At the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit this weekend, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the administration's stance, stating the DoD under past Democratic leadership had been 'distracted by experiments in left-wing ideology." The Pentagon's withdrawal is being interpreted as a symbolic rejection of institutions perceived as hostile to Trump's political platform, and a broader statement on where this administration intends to draw its ideological lines. view comments First Published: July 15, 2025, 08:18 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
