Latest news with #UniversityofMaryland
The Star
a day ago
- Science
- The Star
It's tough to be an amphibian – sometimes a human touch is needed
A four-toed salamander crawling in a forest in Mendon, New York. — Photos: AP On a rainy March evening in New York, United States, John Bateman puts on his boots and a headlamp and heads to a wetland cut through by a busy road. As he walks, he scans the pavement for spring peepers, toads, salamanders and newts making their slow way as they migrate to new habitat each spring, and leans down occasionally to help guide one across. It's a small act that makes a big difference for these amphibians, who need different habitats for different stages of their life cycle – sometimes wetlands, sometimes drier uplands. Roads often separate these habitats, and migrating amphibians can get squished. They already face challenges from habitat lost to development. That's especially true for vernal pools, the small pools that show up each spring in forested ecosystems as snow melt and rainwater collect at low points on the ground. These pools hold water as late as July, and provide essential breeding habitat for amphibians like salamanders and frogs. Bateman helping a spotted salamander cross a road. Larger wetlands can enjoy federal protections, but not the vernal pools, which are too small and temporary. "Unfortunately, with urban sprawl and development, a lot of the forests are being cleared for new housing developments as people move out of the cities and into the suburbs," said Bateman, a professor of environmental conservation and horticulture at Finger Lakes Community College in New York. "When they clear these forest habitats, vernal pools are going to be buried and become new houses, condominiums, and neighbourhoods.' Water in a vernal pool, which show up each spring in forested ecosystems. The US Geological Survey calls amphibian declines "a global phenomenon' and one that's been underway in the US since at least the 1960s. The agency said populations are dropping almost 4% each year in the US. Development isn't the only threat. Amphibians are being affected by Earth's changing climate. The Appalachian region is particularly rich in salamander species, and with temperatures rising, their range is shifting northward, Bateman said. That concerns him. "At one point you hit the top and there is nowhere else to go," Bateman said. A warming climate also requires cold-blooded amphibians to spend more time hunting to get the food they need to maintain their metabolism, said Karen Lips, a University of Maryland biology professor whose research found salamanders becoming smaller as a result. Fass says that most people don't realise that frogs are endangered. Bateman isn't the only conservationist working to help amphibians. Margot Fass owns A Frog House, a centre for frog advocacy in Pittsford, New York. In April, she raised money and worked with 70 volunteers to build three vernal pools as part of Save The Frogs Day. The pools should help amphibians, but will also be a source of water for birds and other wildlife. Fass grows animated as she talks about chemical-free gardens and their importance to amphibians: "One spray of pesticides can kill a frog within an hour. It's just horrible." Both she and Bateman are strong believers in educating their communities to help amphibians. They often give talks in schools, libraries and to various groups. "It's amazing how few people really know that frogs are endangered or that a third of them have gone extinct," Fass said. A tiny little spring peeper, one of the many frog species that most people don't know about. The Genesee Land Trust, a not-for-profit conservation organisation, is another active member in preserving and protecting land in the greater Rochester region. It owns Cornwall Preserve in Pultneyville, New York, on the edge of Lake Ontario. The trust bought the property in 2016, becoming the first non-farmers to own the land in 200 years. They're preserving the historical farmland and in doing so have restored some wetlands and vernal pools. "The wetland immediately served a population of birds after we first started digging,' said Elliotte Bowerman, the trust's director of communications. Fass' frog pendant is special and pretty, too. Catching amphibians may just be a nostalgic childhood memory for most, but for Bateman it never lost its magic. He believes preserving wetlands and vernal pools is critical not only for the amphibians and the environment, but for the next generation to experience the childlike wonder of discovering these hidden creatures. "I think that the future generations are absolutely going to be at a loss to not have those experiences that I did as a child, to have that connection with nature," he said. – AP
Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
TEDCO's 2025 Entrepreneur Expo
Event Description TEDCO's 11th Entrepreneur Expo will be held Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at The Hotel at the University of Maryland. The Expo is a premier event in Maryland showcasing various resources from across the State and is jam-packed full of workshops, roundtable discussions, exhibiting companies and pitches, opening up great opportunities for entrepreneurs to network, learn, and be inspired. Join us for a day of celebration where you can expect to see 1000+ of the region's top entrepreneurs, business owners, angel and venture capital investors, legislators, and influencers. 2024 Entrepreneur Expo Highlights: - 1,000+ Attendees - 111 Inspiring speakers - 91 Exhibitors - 26 Startup Exhibitors - 24 Sessions - Countless opportunities to network and meet the leaders and influencers of Maryland's entrepreneurial community
CNBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Why U.S. policies like baby bonds and child tax credits can't convince Americans to have kids
America's fertility rate is hovering around historic lows, with approximately 1.6 births per woman over her lifetime. This is below the level needed to sustain the population, which is 2.1 births per woman. "Our population will, in the not too distant future, start to decline," said Melissa Kearney, a professor of economics at the University of Maryland. "That's why this is an issue for governments and for the economy, and politicians are starting to pay attention." The economic implications of a shrinking population are broad. For example, fewer births mean fewer future workers to support programs like Social Security and Medicare, which rely on a healthy worker-to-retiree ratio. "The concern here in the U.S. is that if we see kind of dramatic declines in fertility, we will eventually see also kind of a drag on our economy and our capacity to cover all sorts of government programs like Medicare and Social Security," said Brad Wilcox, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia and director of the Get Married Initiative at the Institute For Family Studies. More from Personal Finance:House GOP bill calls for bigger 'pass-through' business tax breakTrump administration axes Biden-era barrier for crypto in 401(k) plansFewer international tourists may lead to 'staggering' economic losses Lawmakers from both parties have proposed various financial incentives to address declining fertility. The White House is considering lump-sum payments of $5,000 for each newborn, according to The New York Times. Last week, the House passed a massive tax and spending package that includes among other provisions, a bigger child tax credit and new "Trump Accounts" with $1,000 in seed money for newborns. However, Kearney said such policy measures are unlikely to meaningfully affect long-term fertility trends. "I think the kinds of financial incentives or benefits that we're providing just really aren't enough to really change the calculus of, a trade off of ... bringing a child into one's household or family," Kearney said. "That's an 18-year commitment. It's not just a one-year cost." The issue may go beyond money. It's common for fertility to decline during economic uncertainty, but it usually rebounds once the shock ends, experts say. Surprisingly, birth rates did not recover after the Great Recession. "That kind of caught a lot of demographers around the world flat-footed, because it also didn't happen in other countries," said Karen Guzzo, director of Carolina Population Center and a sociology professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "So this goes against a lot of this demographic history that we have, which led people to start thinking, okay, what exactly might be happening?" Even with stronger economic support, experts say America faces a deeper, more complex problem: a cultural shift in how people view parenthood itself. "More and more young adults are kind of assuming that what matters for them is their education, their money, and especially their careers," Wilcox said. Watch the video above to learn more about why government efforts to raise America's birthrate have struggled to address the deeper economic and cultural challenges.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How far would you go for friendship?
The relationships between friends are an integral part of many movies. In Friendship, Nonnas and Another Simple Favor, friends are everything. 'Men shouldn't have friends' is the tagline for the comedy Friendship, which follows a lonely man named Craig (Tim Robinson) in his attempt to befriend his charismatic neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd). Kate Mara plays Craig's often-ignored wife, whose many meaningful friendships are showcased in a pivotal party scene to contrast how bizarre and alone Craig is. Mara told Yahoo Entertainment that the movie feels so funny because its absurdity is strangely accurate, especially in its portrayal of male friendship. 'My relationships with my girlfriends are so honest and we talk about our feelings all the time,' she said. 'With men, conversations are much shorter and less emotional. … I think some of that is probably beneficial! Men move on very quickly from quarrels.' All that Craig's male acquaintances seem to want to talk about is 'the new Marvel' movie, which he hasn't seen yet, so he goes all in on Austin, who takes him to explore underground tunnels and introduces him to his ancient tool collection. Craig pays $100 to lick a toad in the back room of a cellphone store to investigate Austin's interest in ayahuasca. Ultimately, Craig's investment in furthering their bond threatens to ruin both of their lives. Men weren't laughing as much as women at the screening of Friendship that Geoffrey Greif attended, he told Yahoo Entertainment. Greif is a social work professor at the University of Maryland who has written widely about male friendship. He described it as 'cringey,' but also felt that it accurately portrayed how 'men have shoulder-to-shoulder friendships and women have face-to-face friendships.' 'Men get together and do things facing out, while women feel more comfortable sitting down and talking and looking at each other while they do this,' he explained. Friendship takes that to the extreme, but Greif said that 'extremes often get at what's going on.' 'Men do not feel comfortable pursuing other men for friendships. … They don't like for other men to come across as too needy,' he continued. 'Whether or not it will have universal appeal to all men, I doubt it. But if you move the needle 5 or 10% for men who see the movie and say, 'You know what, this helps me understand my friendships a little better.' … I think that can have a benefit.' Another recent film, Nonnas, shows men going to extremes for friendship, though it has a much more lighthearted tone. The movie centers around a man named Joe (Vince Vaughn) who hires real-life Italian grandmothers to make home-cooked meals at his restaurant. His relationship with his best friend, Bruno (Joe Manganiello), is central to the success of his business venture, though he struggles to express that at times. 'Men are terrible communicators, especially Italian men who have machismo. They have to kind of battle against that, but I think Italians have great capacity to have heart,' Manganiello told Yahoo Entertainment. 'They've got to kind of like wear themselves out before they get to the heart.' Bruno and Joe are longtime pals, and they see each other constantly, but they rarely go deep on their feelings. That makes it hard for them to reconcile after they fight. 'They don't even know how to look at each other,' Nonnas director Stephen Chbosky told Yahoo Entertainment. 'Just being a guy from Pittsburgh, it was very easy for me to relate to.' Though they struggle to communicate fully, their love for one another transcends their social conditioning. At the end of the movie, Bruno makes a major sacrifice for Joe to be able to keep the restaurant in business. Nonnas screenwriter Liz Maccie told Yahoo Entertainment that she wanted to show 'how good we can really be to each other.' Vaughn is something of an expert on male friendship, given how many buddy comedies, including Swingers and Wedding Crashers, he's starred in, . 'A good friend is loyal. … You can trust a friend,' he told Yahoo Entertainment. 'But a real friend will also let you be who you are. They're not trying to make you fit into your life. They'll accept you for whatever you are.' Nonnas aims to break the stigma that male friendships face onscreen and off. Sekoul Krastev, a decision scientist, told Yahoo Entertainment that the intimacy gap in male friendship 'isn't innate, it's learned.' 'Studies show that boys are just as emotionally expressive as girls until around age 6,' he said. 'After that, societal norms begin nudging boys toward independence and emotional restraint, leading to adult friendships that are often less verbally intimate.' Media portrayals can reflect and reinforce these friendship norms, he explained, 'sometimes encouraging closeness, and other times stigmatizing it.' In contrast with the male friendship movies of the moment, Another Simple Favor goes all in on exposing the many bizarre, unspoken rules of female friendship — especially between moms. In the original movie A Simple Favor, Anna Kendrick plays a mommy blogger named Stephanie who offers to help Emily (Blake Lively), the fabulous parent of her son's friend, with a basic task. It spirals out of control and Stephanie ends up putting Emily behind bars. That's why it's so bizarre when, in the sequel, Emily shows up at Stephanie's book signing to ask her to be her maid of honor at her destination wedding. Stephanie agrees, saying it'll be great content for her fans, but it's clear that she also feels an emotional bond with Emily that makes her willing to go to great lengths — in this case, a possibly mob-affiliated wedding in Capri — to uncover what's really going on with her. Paul Feig, who directed A Simple Favor, Another Simple Favor and other seminal works about female friendship like Bridesmaids and The Heat, told Yahoo Entertainment he became fascinated with the concept because he grew up with mostly girls and women as friends, and as an only child, was very close to his mother. 'I just find female friendships to be really wonderful and interesting,' he said. 'There's something fascinating to me about it versus male friendship, which … can be great too, but there's a 'bro-iness' about that kind of thing that I'm not interested in.' 'I'm such a sensitive person that I think I just enjoy [female] relationships — I find them very fun and funny. The way women bond and interact with each other is really lovely. … It doesn't tend to be as aggressive as male friendship and bonding can be,' he added. He's not the only person who sees the gender divide. As a clinical psychologist and mental health researcher, Ehab Youssef sees how deeply friendship can shape people's emotional well-being and how differently it plays out for men and women. 'Female friendships tend to be emotionally expressive, built on shared vulnerability and verbal connection, while male friendships often emphasize shared activities and loyalty through action rather than words,' he said. 'Neither is better, just shaped by cultural norms and socialization.' Seeing these dynamics portrayed onscreen — even if they're taken to extreme lengths — 'reflect or challenge what we experience in real life,' he said. 'When films capture the raw honesty, humor or heartbreak of real friendships, especially ones that defy stereotypes, it resonates,' Youssef said. 'It helps us feel seen, and sometimes, it even shows us new ways of being with the people we love.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Words of wit, wisdom and such: Commencement season arrives
BALTIMORE — Leadership comes down to five things. Or maybe three. This day is all about you, unless it's really about the family and friends who got you here. Live globally, but embrace the home and the hearth. It's commencement season, and this month, speakers sent the graduates of Maryland's colleges and universities off to the rest of their lives with these and other necessarily pithy words of wisdom, many of them blessedly brief. As at least two speakers noted, they were the only thing standing between the graduates and their hard-earned diplomas — and maybe an adult beverage. 'We always joke commencement speakers should think of themselves as the body at an Irish wake, you have to be there, but no one expects you to do much,' said Paul Orzulak, a former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. The co-founder of the communications firm, West Wing Writers, Orzulak has written more than 100 commencement speeches, a task he enjoys for how it allows the newly graduated in the seats to see themselves in the accomplished person at the podium. But, he said, it's also a challenge in these TED Talk- and social media-pervasive times. 'People narrate their lives so much now,' he said. 'There's a sharper expectation for wit and humor.' This year's commencement speakers face a unique set of circumstances along with the usual pomp, with colleges targeted by the Trump administration on a range of issues, from cuts to federal funding to allegations of antisemitism linked to the pro-Palestinian protests that flared after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. 'If [the University of Maryland] is a guide, going in a more light-hearted direction is one answer to the complicated year colleges and universities have experienced,' Shawn J. Parry-Giles, professor and chair of the department of communication at the University of Maryland, College Park, said in an email. 'I anticipate some will try to avoid politicizing commencement this year,' she said. 'Right now, campuses are more likely hoping that graduation ceremonies can be a respite from such political controversies by placing the focus on providing a joyous space for families and friends to gather to celebrate their graduates.' UMD had the beloved and ever upbeat Muppet, Kermit the Frog, as its commencement speaker. While other colleges didn't go quite that cuddly a route, most speakers tended to lead with positive messages, even if they referred to the political backdrop of the times. The exception — as might be expected given the speaker and the setting — was Vice President JD Vance, who strongly criticized previous administrations while promoting the message of the current one at the U.S. Naval Academy graduation in Annapolis. Steven D. Cohen, a professor of business communications at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, said 'now more than ever' commencement speakers should use their platform to inspire, 'whether you're a frog or a celebrity or a politician.' READER POLL: Who gave the best commencement speech? Kermit the Frog, Dawn Moore, Wes Moore or JD Vance? Cohen, who also works as a communication coach and trainer, said the best speakers offer their audience a glimpse of themselves beyond the success that warranted them the commencement gig. 'When you open up, and show a piece of yourself, the failures you've had, the challenges,' he said, 'there's an authenticity there that you don't always see at that level.' Here are excerpts from some of the commencement speeches given by speakers in Maryland this month. At the University of Maryland Eastern Shore commencement on May 16, Moore spoke about how what matters is not what you plan to do but what you actually did. 'As young Black men and women, you will often be told your achievement alone will be enough. Being the first Black partner in the history of the firm will be enough… Being the first Black governor will be enough,' he said at the historically Black university. 'But those are all answers to what you will do and actually say very little about what you did do.' 'I don't want the answer to what I did in life being: 'He made history,'' the governor said. 'I want the answer to be: 'He made child poverty history.' I want the answer to be: 'He made food and housing insecurity history.' I want the answer to be: 'He made inequitable pay between men and women history.' 'That is the difference between a mindset of 'I will' and a mindset of 'I did.' And as governor, I've tried to act accordingly.' Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO of financial services organization TIAA, spoke at Morgan State University in Baltimore on May 17. The third Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company, Brown Duckett noted her mother attended segregated school, as she offered lessons in leadership criteria, including what she said might be the most important: optimism. 'I know the world feels heavy right now, and many of our problems might seem insurmountable. But I assure you, friends, we live in a country that on its worst day still has innovation and renewal in its DNA,' she told attendees. Befitting her role as head of the trillion-dollar retirement services company, she also offered practical, financial advice: Contribute to your 401(k), especially if your employer matches contributions. 'If you don't remember one word that I have said today, I want all of you to remember the word compounding… A dollar saved today is worth more than a dollar saved tomorrow,' she said. '[Matching contributions,] that's free money. Don't leave coins on the table. Trust me. Your future self will say thank you.' Jonathan Karl, ABC News White House correspondent, spoke in Chestertown to Washington College graduates on May 18. He described keeping a photo of the young protester facing down a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989 as a reminder of how the media must bear witness to events that governments may try to erase or revise. 'There are people in positions of power and authority who pretend that Jan. 6 was peaceful, that we didn't witness a violent attempt to overturn a presidential election… There are people who would like to cover-up that truth just like the Chinese covered up the truth of Tiananmen Square… It's true that the students of Tiananmen Square tried to stand up for their own freedom and their country's freedom… It's true the Capitol came under attack again on Jan. 6… Don't believe those who tell you there is no real truth. That's a lie.' Maryland's first lady told graduates and guests at the University of Baltimore commencement on May 21 that she's learned 'big lessons about solving big problems:' Division is a barrier, collaboration is the path to success, and strengthening community elevates the work. 'That work is more important now than ever before. As a society, we have become increasingly divided — and I don't just mean politically — I mean physically. We send an email rather than meeting in person. We send a text rather than talking on the phone. … 'The greatest ideas in the world were developed in person,' she said. 'The greatest businesses in the world were built with people creating together. Community is our lifeblood. It's the only hope we have as a state to secure our future.' Sonja Santelises, the outgoing CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, looked to the future at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 'What in the world do I do now? Asking that question today feels even more consequential in light of the current state of the world — and this is coming from an urban school superintendent, so you know when I say it's a little turbulent, it's really rocky,' she said. 'Many of us believe this is also a unique time for a different type of leader to emerge… Right now, you are the engine for that type of new leader… True leadership is not a position, but it is a way of moving in the world that seeks to solve problems on behalf of others and motivating others to do the same. 'Don't just lead in your field, lead in life… You actually don't have to give up on the fullness of life. I never wanted to only have one aspect of myself, and you should not settle for that either… Make sure you take care of your relationships. Make sure you take care of these pieces that are you. Love hard, love deeply and make sure [you know]... that if you are going to raise children and have a family, you are doing one of the most important things in our world that we could have done. Sal Kahn, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, the free online educational platform, spoke at Johns Hopkins University about AI and how rapidly it was changing life compared to previous advances. 'Whether you find this thrilling or terrifying or both, your feelings are valid. But make no mistake, this is the most epic of backdrops to your story. AI and other transformative technologies are neither good nor evil. They amplify human intent. Fire can warm or destroy. A knife can harm or create. Likewise, AI can amplify the negative intent of criminals and autocrats or the positive intent of artists, researchers, policymakers and educators. Whether the singularity leads us to dystopia or utopia is not a coin doss. It depends on what you people with creativity, intellect, integrity and positive intent choose to do with it.' Kermit 'spoke' at the University of Maryland, College Park. A snippet: 'Life is not a solo act. It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece… It's important to stay connected to your loved ones, stay connected to your friends and most important of all, stay close to your dreams, no matter how big, no matter how impossible they seem. The truth is, dreams are how we figure out where we want to go, and life is how we get there.' At Bowie State University's commencement, U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks harkened back to the bravery and endurace of the activist turned South African president, Nelson Mandela, whose fight for justice kept him going through 27 years in prison. 'Mandela's story endures throughout history because he endured,' she said. 'He never let the conditions of the world around him determine what he believed in. 'Now, you might look around at the current state of the world and wonder if I know what I'm talking about,' Alsobrooks said. ' My response to that is to just live a little longer. Hold on for a little while. The callous and self-centered personalities may seem popular now. But not forever. 'Even in his letters to his adversaries detailing his unwavering demands for justice, Mandela remained dignified,' she said. 'The fire in him burned, but it didn't turn him bitter or spiteful… And that's your charge — to stand on principle, and resist letting the circumstances of the moment push you off your game.' Krish Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, the refugee resettlement agency, spoke at Goucher College of her own family leaving Sri Lanka to escape civil war and immigrating to the U.S., where her father found work in the city school system. 'You see, back then, American leadership meant offering refuge and opportunity to families like mine. Sadly, that promise is being tested these days — and I often wonder, had my family tried to come today, would we be welcomed?' Noting Goucher was the first college to require every student to study abroad, she lauded their 'global spirit.' 'You come from 43 states and 47 different nations — a living mosaic of backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. And in an age where some voices try to stoke fear of difference or draw lines between 'us' and 'them,' you offer a powerful counterexample. Your value lies in your curiosity, your empathy, your courage to challenge the status quo, and your willingness to build bridges where others would build walls. And that global perspective has never been more urgently needed.' 'The Trump administration has reversed course, no more undefined missions, no more open-ended conflicts,' Vice President J.D. Vance said at the Naval Academy. 'We're returning to a strategy grounded in realism and protecting our core national interests. Now this doesn't mean that we ignore threats, but it means that we approach them with discipline, and that when we send you to war, we do it with a very specific set of goals in mind… That's how military power should be used, decisively with a clear objective. We ought to be cautious in deciding to throw a punch, but when we throw a punch, we throw a punch hard, and we do it decisively, and that's exactly what we may ask you to do.'
