Latest news with #Dewey
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Warship Challenged Beijing's South China Sea Claims, Navy Says
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 United States destroyer recently conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, challenging claims by China and other countries, the Navy told Newsweek. The U.S. naval operation took place near the Spratly Islands, a cluster of islands claimed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. The U.S. Navy said the operation was specifically intended to challenge restrictions on passage by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Newsweek also reached out to the Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese defense ministries outside of normal business hours on Monday by email for comment. Why It Matters The U.S. military has been maintaining its presence in the South China Sea—where China's sovereignty claims overlap with those of other countries—to uphold lawful use of the sea and international airspace, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight. The news of the recent U.S. freedom of navigation operation comes amid reports of a Chinese bomber deployment to a militarized island outpost in the Paracel Islands—located north of the Spratly Islands—and the return of an American aircraft carrier to the South China Sea. What To Know The U.S. Seventh Fleet—which maintains America's naval presence in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans—confirmed to Newsweek that on May 12, the destroyer USS Dewey asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands. "This freedom of navigation operation upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized by international law by challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam," the U.S. Seventh Fleet said in an email on Monday. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, "ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through [a] territorial sea." However, such passage must be conducted in a "continuous and expeditious" manner. The United States Navy destroyer USS Dewey conducts routine operations while transiting in the South China Sea on May 12, 2025. The United States Navy destroyer USS Dewey conducts routine operations while transiting in the South China Sea on May 12, 2025. Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Devin Monroe/U.S. Navy The Dewey—part of the U.S. Seventh Fleet's principal surface force—left the "excessive claim area" and continued transiting in the South China Sea after completing its operation. Meanwhile, a set of photos released by the U.S. Navy shows the USS Benfold, the Dewey's sister ship, operating at an undisclosed location in the South China Sea on May 12. The Benfold is also assigned to the U.S. Seventh Fleet as part of Destroyer Squadron 15. According to the caption, one of the photos shows an electronics technician with a Chinese name translating "incoming bridge-to-bridge voice communications" in the pilothouse of the Benfold—suggesting the American warship may have encountered the Chinese navy. U.S. military vessels and aircraft routinely interact with foreign forces while operating throughout the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Seventh Fleet told Newsweek, adding that all interactions were "consistent with international norms and did not impact the operation." United States Navy electronics technician 2nd Class Haoyu Zhao translates incoming bridge-to-bridge voice communications in the pilothouse of the destroyer USS Benfold while underway in the South China Sea on May 12, 2025. United States Navy electronics technician 2nd Class Haoyu Zhao translates incoming bridge-to-bridge voice communications in the pilothouse of the destroyer USS Benfold while underway in the South China Sea on May 12, 2025. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Monica Walker/U.S. Navy What People Are Saying The Pentagon said in its 2024 Freedom of Navigation Report: "Excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention…Unlawful maritime claims pose a threat to global mobility and commerce, as well as the legal foundation of the rules-based international order. If left unchallenged, excessive maritime claims could limit the rights and freedoms enjoyed by every nation." The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday: "On the South China Sea, there has never been any problem with regard to freedom of navigation and overflight there. China has always been committed to working with countries concerned to properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, while safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with laws and regulations." What Happens Next It remains to be seen how China, which has long claimed sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, will respond militarily to the recent U.S. Navy freedom of navigation operation.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As a college professor, I see how AI is stripping away the humanity in education
As the 2025 school year ends, one thing teachers, parents and the broader public knows for sure is that AI is here, and it is taking on more responsibilities that used to be left to the human brain. AI can now tutor students at their own pace, deliver custom content and even ace exams, including one I made for my own course. While a bit frightening, that part doesn't bother me. Of course machines can process information faster than we can. What bothers me is that we seem ready to let the machines and political discontent define the purpose of education. A recent Brookings report found that only one in three students is actively engaged in school. That tracks with what I have seen myself as a former high school teacher and current professor. Many students are checked out, quietly drifting through the motions while teachers juggle multiple crises. They try to pull some students up to grade level and just hope the others don't slide backward. It's more triage than teaching. I tested one of my own final exams in ChatGPT. It scored a 90% the first time and 100% the next. Colleagues tell me their students are submitting AI-written essays. One professor I know gave up and went back to in-class handwritten essays for his final exam. It's 2025 and we're back to blue books. I recently surveyed and interviewed high school social studies teachers across the country for a study about democratic education. Every one of them said they're struggling to design assignments AI can't complete. More: U.S. lawmakers, Nashville music industry members discuss AI: 'Making sure we get this right is really important' These aren't multiple-choice quizzes or five-paragraph summaries. They're book analyses, historical critiques and policy arguments—real cognitive work that used to demand original thought. Now? A chatbot can mimic it well enough to get by. So what do we do? Double down on job training? That's what I fear. A lot of today's education policy seems geared toward producing workers for an economy that's already in flux. But AI is going to reshape the labor market whether we like it or not. Pretending we can out-credential our way through it is wishful thinking. John Dewey, the early 20th century pragmatist, had the answer over 100 years ago. He reminded us that school is never just a pipeline to employment. It is a place to learn how to live in a democracy. Not just memorize facts about it, but participate in it. Build it. Challenge it. Schools are not about the world; they are the world — just with guidance by adults and peers, and more chances to fail safely … hopefully. In Dewey's model, teachers aren't content deliverers. They are guides and facilitators of meaning. They are people who help students figure out how to live together, how to argue without tearing each other apart, how to make sense of the world and their place in it, how to find their purpose and work with peers to solve problems. That's not something AI can do. And frankly, it's not something our current test-driven, job-metric obsessed education system is doing either. Parents and community members also play an important role in shaping this type of education, which would lead to a healthier and more robust democracy for call. More: From GPS gaffes to fabricated facts: AI still needs a human co-pilot If we let AI define the boundaries of teaching, we'll hollow it out. Sure, students may learn more efficient ways to take in content. But they'll miss out on the messy, human work of collaboration, curiosity, disagreement and creation. And in a world increasingly shaped by machines, that may be the most important thing we can teach. The challenge isn't to beat AI at its own game. It's to make sure school stays human enough that students learn how to be human—together. Dustin Hornbeck, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies. His opinion does not represent that of the University for which he works. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: AI is transforming education. We're struggling to keep up | Opinion
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
$7.5M in additional funds approved for Manatee County canal cleanup ahead of hurricane season
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Manatee County has been working to clear ditches, drains, canals, and other waterways ahead of this hurricane season. In March, commissioners approved $2 million in funding to start the work, and just this week, an additional $7.5 million was approved to continue into other areas. Contracted crews fired up their chainsaws along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard Wednesday, focusing on clearing overgrown vegetation and debris from the Braden River. In all, the county aims to clear 204 miles of stormwater canals and creeks. Contract manager for the property management division in Manatee County, Jeff Bare, said this work should give residents some peace of mind going into this hurricane season. The area where they focused their work this week saw significant flooding following Hurricane Debby last August. 'This will definitely help. They have removed literally tons of debris from the river out here. The ponds in their neighborhood all flow into that river, and with the blockages that were in the river, it would prevent or slow down the water leaving their ponds, thus creating more of a hazard of potential of flooding again with substantial rainfall,' said Bare. The top priority right now is on the county's major waterway systems, such as Gamble Creek, Braden River, Buffalo Creek, and Cabbage Slough. 'If you don't have those major canals open, it doesn't matter if your small canal has no blockages. If your water backs up because it can't leave a large system like this, it's still going to back up into those residential areas. This is really the first step and a major step to allowing those smaller blockages to not have as big of an effect,' said Bare. Residents who suffered damages last year are not looking forward to yet another hurricane season, but are optimistic the county's efforts will make a difference. 'I feel great, they are doing what they are doing. I wish it was a little sooner, but I am thankful for anything and everything they do at this point,' said resident Robert Dewey. Dewey has lived in the Lakewood Ranch community for the last five years and said he hopes to see this kind of work become routine in years to come. 'This is a maintenance issue. You just can't pretend it is going to be fine and walk away from it, especially with all of the development going on. It is changing everything in terms of the water runoff and where it goes. I hope the county realizes this needs to be an ongoing maintenance thing, every five years, every 10 years, but you can't just pretend it is not gonna be an issue,' said Dewey. We are told the first phase of work is almost finished, but the goal is to complete the remainder of the work ahead of the peak of this year's storm season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Owners Block Stairs So Cat Won't Wake Them—Then Opera Starts Blaring
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 cat from South Florida was tired of his owners ignoring him early in the morning, so he took matters into his paws, and internet users can't cope with what he did. In a viral TikTok video shared on Saturday under the username @ Dewey's owners wake up to opera music blasting full volume from their keyboard, which their cat had learned to operate all by himself. "Never forgot when our kitten learned how to turn on the keyboard to wake us up at 6 a.m. We ignored his meows for too long, he had to get creative," the poster writes in the clip. Meanwhile, her partner, still in bed, can be heard saying: "He turned on the demo of 'Nessun Dorma,'" which ironically means "no one shall sleep" in Italian. As she moves the camera down to the lower floor, where the keyboard is, viewers can see furniture blocking the staircase, preventing the cat from being able to reach the bedroom. Then, the tabby cat appears on the ground floor, out of nowhere, looking up at her, pleased that his trick worked. "Dewey, is this what you wanted?" she yells at him. Cats are way smarter than we give them credit for. Not only do they know their names, but it has recently been discovered that they can also associate their family members, humans and felines, to their respective names. Bondi Vet explains that while a cat's brain only measures about two inches and weighs around an ounce, its structure is about 90 percent similar to that of humans. Moreover, experts believe that their intelligence is comparable to that of a 2-year-old child. While some believe that breeds like Bengals, Siamese, and Abyssinians are the smartest cats, Bondi Vet says that true problem-solving intelligence is based more on the individual cat rather than its breed. A stock image shows a cat's paws on a keyboard. A stock image shows a cat's paws on a keyboard. getty images The video quickly went viral on TikTok and it has so far received over 558,400 views and 104,800 likes on the platform. One user, Amy Hanich, commented: "This is hilarious! Nessun Dorma means no one sleeps... basically. The whole premise of the song is that the princess won't let the towns people sleep until they find out the name of the love interest." WhoWoreWhatJewels said: "The song reflects his feelings of hunger and denial." Kelly Briggs added: "That's what you get for blocking the stairs." Newsweek reached out to @ for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Influencer Lindsay Dewey Reflects on First Mother's Day Without Son After His Death at 22 Months
Lindsay Dewey is reflecting on her first Mother's Day after the death of her son Dewey's 22-month-old son, Reed, died in February after an unsecured mirror fell on top of him "A piece of me is missing, and always will be," Dewey wrote in part in an Instagram postParenting influencer Lindsay Dewey is reflecting on her first Mother's Day without her son. On May 11, 2025, Dewey honored her son, Reed, with a heartfelt post on Instagram. The upload featured a carousel of images of them together, paired with a caption in tribute. "Took me a while to make this but this is what I've wanted all day…. To just hold Reed in my arms. Just like this," she began. "Never thought I'd have to copy and paste a picture of my baby to have him in my arms again. I miss it so much. A piece of me is missing, and always will be." Related: Parenting Influencer's 22-Month-Old Son Tragically Dies After Unsecured Mirror Falls on Him "But I thank God for allowing me to be a mom," Dewey continued. "My 3 babies are/ were my world and it's been a dream of mine since I was a very little girl. I still find myself in awe that I'm living my dream. Beautiful, happy, and healthy babies who call me mama.. What more could I ever ask for?" "Although today is hard and definitely feels different, I'm still grateful and blessed," she added. "Never would have imagined that I'd be in this position. I have felt very strong today... which feels odd to me… feels like I'm doing this whole grief thing wrong because how am I feeling mostly 'okay' today... of all days?" Dewey's 22-month-old son, Reed, died in February after an unsecured mirror fell on top of him. According to Dewey's Instagram Stories summarizing the fatal incident, the toddler was playing with a suction cup bowl by sticking it onto a mirror and pulling it back and forth. Eventually, the motion brought the fragile surface down, and the mirror fell on top of Reed at their home in Idaho. Elsewhere in Dewey's caption, she said she is "thankful" for her "sweet little loves" — even on the "hard and frustrating days," adding, "Lord knows there are many... (like today when all I wanted was a nice picture with them…lol). But it's a true gift and honor to raise these babies." Related: Puzzler "It's a duty I will never take lightly or for granted. A house full of babies and chaos is the best feeling," she wrote. "Happy Mothers Day to all the incredible mommies. We have such an anointed and high calling... Own it and be proud of it!" Dewey concluded her post, "And to the ones who are feeling that void, missing a puzzle piece, and dealing with grief that comes with it, you're not alone and you're doing great. 🤍" Last month, Dewey remembered Reed on what would have been his second birthday on April 25. 'April 25, Reed would've turned 2 years old. We gathered together to honor and remember the perfect and precious little boy he was. Yesterday was everything I wanted and more," she wrote. "So very grateful for all the friends and family who flew out from California and all over, to be here to support us. It truly meant the world seeing everybody we know and love all in one place, for one purpose." Dewey shared that her child's organs were donated to five recipients. "I've been telling myself 'If he doesn't get his miracle, he will become one' and that's the only thing that's getting me through. Even though his wasn't saved, he is saving lives," Dewey captioned her emotional update on Feb. 21. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "The worst day of our lives became the best day of someone else's and for that I will forever be grateful for our little hero baby. You're someone's miracle, Reed Michael. 5 little kids miracle to be exact. I couldn't stop thinking about the families who got the best call of their life, their answered prayer," she continued. "Even though this is not fair on every single level, we're so proud of you baby." A local clothing brand called Little Hunters Wife has since produced a line of t-shirts and sweatshirts in Dewey's late son's memory. On March 7, the store shared that all profits from the "Remembering Reed" collection would be donated directly to Dewey and her husband, Eric. Read the original article on People
