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Los Angeles Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump's war on colleges makes for strange bedfellows on campus
Many top U.S. universities have been torn with strife for the last decade. Dating back to an uproar over a warning to students against donning offensive Halloween costumes at Yale and a conflagration over issues of race at the University of Missouri, both in the fall of 2015, front pages have carried a steady stream of headlines about provocative campus speakers, hateful speech, efforts to foster equality and belonging, viewpoint diversity, racism, antisemitism, the pandemic, the Israel-Hamas war, ousted university presidents, encampments and more. In the last two months, though, some of the academy's warring flanks have suddenly found a common foe. The Trump administration's campaign to defund research, hike endowment taxes, dictate admissions and faculty appointments and otherwise forcibly reshape universities has — for the moment — substantially united fractious faculties, student bodies, donor populations and alumni groups. To successfully repel this onslaught, university communities will have to sustain and build upon this improbable, newfound and fragile unity. Doing so will mean accepting the idea that, to make common cause, one need not hold every cause in common. The schisms tearing at elite universities reflect those forces dividing American society. Immigration, demographic change, new norms in terms of gender and sexuality and other shifts have challenged tradition-bound institutions, most of which were originally founded to serve white, affluent men. As student bodies and faculties gradually diversified over decades, they came to question aspects of how the universities were run, and to point out that vestiges of discrimination and exclusion stubbornly endure. This resulted in a heightened awareness of the role of race — and, to a lesser extent, sex and other aspects of identity — in shaping American society. Efforts to advance updated concepts of equality and equity raised issues in terms of the policing of speech and the ability to express divergent views on hot-button issues. After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, fierce conflicts arose over encampments, discriminatory harassment and the bounds of protest rights. Universities have found themselves torn between their responsibilities toward particular groups including Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, Black, Latino and Asian students, conservative and progressive activists and international visa-holders. The result, on campuses including Columbia, Harvard and elsewhere, is a cauldron of impassioned feelings about how the university has let various groups down. During the same period, and probably not coincidentally, public perceptions of higher education have plummeted, with the proportion of Americans expressing confidence in the sector dropping from 57% to 36% between 2015 and 2024, according to Gallup. As these viewpoints ricocheted across campuses, the Trump administration tilted the table. It began by banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs and followed by yanking back overhead contributions in support of scientific research. Then it imposed a set of demands on Columbia University in exchange for continued federal funding. The administration soon hit Harvard far harder, revoking larger sums of money and imposing more intrusive punishments, such as, most recently, attempting to block all international students from attending the university and severing all government ties and funding to the institution. Initially, some university constituencies voiced at least partial support for the administration's approach, arguing that such coercion was necessary to force campuses to face up to antisemitism, dominating ideological orthodoxies and other serious problems cited by the administration as grounds for their actions. Activist investor and alumnus donor Bill Ackman continues to insist that Harvard submit to Trump's demands, which he sees as a rightful antidote to the university's fecklessness. But even for others who might have initially favored government pressure for change, the administration's scorched-campus tactics and the draconian consequences for blameless students, faculty and research initiatives have gone too far. No matter their grievances with the university, most campus constituents are convinced that heavy-handed federal government intervention is no answer. Libertarians and conservatives view the overreach as an improper intrusion into the running of a private institution, worrying also about the precedent it sets. Free speech advocates recoil at the prospect of the government dictating hiring or curriculum decisions. Progressives are convinced that Trump's attack on the university aims to root out racial minorities and reassert white dominance. Many Jews are worried that their legitimate concerns about antisemitism are being self-servingly manipulated by others in ways that will leave them further isolated and vulnerable. Collectively, there is fear that the administration's actions will cast a chill across the entire sector of higher education. Experts have sounded alarms that this battle could permanently destroy the worldwide esteem reserved for America's top universities, destroy the scientific partnerships between gown and government that have been a wellspring of discovery and innovation for more than 80 years, and give succor to American enemies as they watch us destroy our intellectual crown jewels. The notion of a British prime minister putting Oxford or Cambridge into the stocks or a French president defenestrating the Sorbonne or Sciences Po is unimaginable. So too the White House's current tarring and feathering of Harvard. Broad campus constituencies want their universities to withstand federal pressure. They are rallying through organizing efforts like a Harvard alumni collective calling itself 'Crimson Courage' and an outdoor demonstration held at Yale's recent reunion to protest cuts to research. Seeing its academic and athletic competitor in the hot seat, the Yalies chanted: 'Who do we love? Harvard!' — perhaps the first such sentiment in the two schools' 150-year rivalry. To successfully fight back alongside the university, its constituencies will need to rally not just those worried for their alma maters, but also the millions of Americans with a stake in higher education's role in society. An Associated Press poll indicates that 56% of Americans disapprove of Trump's attacks on higher education. By building and activating that majority, university supporters can make Trump's crusade a liability and, if his behavior on other politically costly policies is a guide, possibly press him to dial back or reverse course. To achieve this, business leaders and entrepreneurs will need to insist on the importance of top universities for talent and research. Civil rights leaders should rally behind the universities as pipelines for advancement. Conservatives will need to uplift the university in sustaining vital academic legacies and forms of knowledge. Activists will need to defend the campus as a training ground for citizenship. Each group will need to speak in terms that invite one another in, take account of varied concerns and — at least for now — put the universities' survival first. This does not mean that constituencies need to permanently give up their individual causes, but that they need to join to ensure that the university remains a place vibrant and independent enough to be worth fighting for. As our society has grown more polarized, it has become harder to find common ground across chasms of politics and principle. Motives are distrusted, and the inability to agree on everything can stand in the way of being able to agree on anything. By design, American universities have long been places where people from all backgrounds come together to live and learn, bridging across divides of geography, socioeconomics, race, tradition, lifestyle, religion and belief. The intellectual and professional paths forged and friendships formed over generations at American universities have helped solder together a multitudinous society united by a belief in democracy and country. With the university now under siege, those bonds will be tested. Their ability to hold and strengthen may determine whether the university can survive and thrive, and whether we as a people can as well. Suzanne Nossel is a member of Facebook's Oversight Board and the author of 'Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All.'
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Stopped enjoying chess & took a break: Tari, Norway's one-time next Carlsen
STAVANGER: Elite sports across all disciplines have two things in common. The world champion and the urge to appoint a young prodigy as the 'next ' as soon as possible. Sport is filled with examples. Sachin Tendulkar, Zinedine Zidane, Roger Federer... they have all seen their fair share of replacements fall by the wayside for no fault of theirs. But it does offer a cautionary tale or two about the dangers of calling somebody the 'next Messi'. Aryan Tari has felt it too. As soon as he won an age-group World Championship in chess, he became the next Magnus Carlsen. Immediately after Tari's triumph in 2017, the newly-minted GM was expected to walk the same path as Carlsen. For some time, Tari did. He eventually became Norway's No 2 and needed fewer than 30 rating points to become a Super GM (2700 and above). Then, a fall. Not just in terms of rating points but the Norwegian felt 'burnt out'. "It's been strange, honestly," he tells this The New Indian Express on the sidelines of Norway Chess. One would normally expect Tari to be playing in the event but he isn't. In Stavanger, he's helping out Fabiano Caruana. "The last two-three years, I felt I had some tough moments and wasn't enjoying (chess) as much. I took a break and I'm now having a bit more of a balance between chess and other things as well." After enjoying a peak Classical rating of 2672 in July 2022, he's now at 2636. Elite chess is brutal as it involves a lot of travel, long hours of prep and can get lonely, especially without a team. The 25-year-old admits that he has felt lonely. "Chess can be very lonely as it's an individual sport. It's not always going to go like this (points his arm upwards), there will be ups and downs. You are travelling from tournament to tournament, hotel room to hotel room, very often alone. It can make you question 'what you are doing?' It can definitely be a tough sport. I was just thinking if there's more to life than just chess." Part of wanting to cultivate other things has sent Tari, who has featured in multiple Olympiads for Norway, back to university. "I'm now doing business at the University of Missouri," he says. But he will keep playing the game at the elite level. "I wouldn't say chess is now in the background, I love chess and will keep playing but when you are doing just one thing... it's always nice to get some new impulses. I recently qualified for the World Cup but I think I have more of a balance." When the conversation shifts to Carlsen, he readily accepts that 'there was a bit of pressure when I was 13-14'. "I don't think the chess world is really going to see another Magnus, maybe in the next 100 years, he's really unique. Okay, maybe there may be another Magnus just because of how popular chess is in India. But speaking of Magnus, he's sometimes not human to be honest. It can be hard to understand how he does what he does." Even as the watching world was keen to put a label, Tari wasn't one to compare. "I was just taking inspiration." He's now charting his own path.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Virat Kohli's judwaa' spotted serving prasad at Bhubaneswar temple; video goes viral: ‘Finally became the pooja path type'
A video from the Ananta Vasudev Temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is making the rounds online, but it's not your usual temple clip. What's caught everyone's attention isn't a religious ritual or architectural beauty, but a man handing out prasad who looks almost exactly like cricket superstar Virat Kohli. Originally shared by food vlogger Pratham Arora on YouTube, the video was later reshared on X by Sunil the Cricketer. Since then, it has crossed over a million views and sparked a wave of amused disbelief across social media. The footage shows a visitor recording his surroundings while waiting in line for prasad. As the camera lands on the man distributing it, viewers were stunned – dressed in a traditional dhoti with a moustache and features eerily similar to Kohli, the resemblance was hard to ignore. The caption said, 'I am convincing myself that person is not Virat Kohli.' I am convincing myself that person is not Virat Kohli. — Sunil the Cricketer (@1sInto2s) May 29, 2025 The Internet exploded with comments. 'Bro finally became the pooja path type,' one person said. Another user wrote, 'He is judwaa of Virat Kohli.' A third said, 'He has figured out what to do post retirement.' Another X user said, 'Virat after not quitting Chole Bhature.' One X user said, 'It's insane how many guys actually look like Virat Kohli. Even in my city there's this one guy who looks exactly like him.' Kohli continues to be a cultural phenomenon. In another recent example of his widespread influence, a student named Dinesh Kyama at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, walked the graduation stage holding up Kohli's iconic No. 18 Test jersey to roaring cheers from the audience, a tribute that shows just how deeply the cricketer has etched himself into the hearts of fans worldwide.
NBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Forget stadiums. These rockers may be coming to a back yard near you
The All-American Rejects are bringing back the house party. The rock band, who topped the charts in the early 2000s such with hits as 'Move Along' and 'Gives You Hell,' is popping up, playing surprise shows in small venues across the country. So far, the concert spots have included a backyard near the University of Missouri in Columbia, a barn in Ames, Iowa, and a Minneapolis bowling alley. The band's frontman, Tyson Ritter, said the musicians 'wanted to get back to the spirit of what started this band.' Shortly before each surprise show, the location is sent to fans in the area who have signed up for the band's text messages. With concert ticket prices skyrocketing, it's a novel approach to making live music accessible to fans. The band's drummer, Chris Gaylor, said he hopes the shows make fans 'excited to go to a show again and see it's possible to see something without having to pay exorbitant money.' Videos of the shows have been flooding social media. Some, taking to TikTok, offering up their back yards for potential future shows. The non-traditional tour has been widely well-received, though police appeared to shut down one event in Missouri. 'This thing got bigger than our band,' Ritter said. 'This thing became something, I guess, in the last week that spoke to people, and hit a nerve.'
Technical.ly
5 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
Developers aren't discounting the tech industry — but only if companies value humans over AI
Tech workers are reckoning with years of declining market power and a fundamental shift in what it takes to build a sustainable career. That was front and center at PyCon US 2025 last week, the country's largest annual gathering of Python developers. The Pittsburgh conference took place against a backdrop of layoffs, AI disruption and growing uncertainty about the future of tech work. Attendees, who ranged from software developers to data scientists, said new AI tools are changing the tech industry. While some questioned the stability of tech work moving forward, others were optimistic it would lead to greater demand for developers, not less. 'If you want to create a full-fledged product with deeply thought features, it is something that needs a human touch,' Abhishek Amin, a DC-based software engineer who's been using Python for over a decade, told 'So, programming is not going to go anywhere, and it is as important as it has always been.' Even as AI tools become more capable of generating code, many developers said human expertise remains essential. Otherwise, companies risk exposing themselves to a host of vulnerabilities, according to Fahad Baig, a senior data architect from Phoenix, Arizona. 'I think there's less and less code actually written by people nowadays, but being able to understand and explain the code that's being generated is still extremely valuable,' Baig said. To compete in today's job market, knowing how to code still matters — but it's no longer the golden ticket that some say it used to be. Tech professionals at the conference said just knowing programming languages won't guarantee employment. 'Knowing the basics will always be important, I think,' said University of Missouri computer science student Alissa Chimienti, who's preparing to enter the job market, 'but you definitely need to strive above that. The job market is so over-flooded with people who know how to code that you really have to set yourself apart.' In Pittsburgh, programming languages, like SQL, Python or Java are some of the top skills in local job postings, though the number of postings has been declining in recent months. For many, learning Python still seems like a path to a successful, sometimes high-paying career, even if that's in industries other than tech. It was the fifth most in-demand skill in Pittsburgh in May 2025, according to Lightcast data, and in some regions, companies are willing to pay top dollar for it. 'Where I came from, Python is the highest paid [skill], because when you learn Python, you can enter different fields,' said Freilla Mae Espinola, a software engineer from the Philippines and executive director of the Python Asia Organization. Some attendees questioned whether programming skills will continue to lead to the kind of stable, high-paying careers they once did, so they're job hunting with a different ethos in mind. One software developer, Lan Phan, who recently moved to Pittsburgh, said she's more focused on finding work that's creatively fulfilling than simply secure. Within the current disrupted tech landscape, there's an 'opportunity for new creative companies to come about and take those skills that people have to do new things,' Phan. The 'enshittification' theory To better explain the current instability in the tech industry, Cory Doctorow, a science fiction author, activist and journalist who delivered the keynote address, offered a framework for understanding the broader forces at play. He spoke about 'enshittification,' his term for the decline of digital platforms as they prioritize profits over value. The idea is a 'tragedy in three acts,' Doctorow said. First, a platform is good to its users by creating real value. Then, the platform abuses those users by making things better for its business customers. And finally, the platform abuses its business customers in an attempt to harvest as much profit as it can. Doctorow theorizes that four forces can resist this process: competition, regulation, interoperability and labor. For many years, tech workers were that fourth and final constraint that held the line, but mass tech layoffs and increased competition for limited job positions have changed that. Last year, the industry saw more than 150,000 job cuts across nearly 550 companies. So far this year, more than 22,000 workers have been laid off, and according to attendees, some developers were even let go en route to the conference. 'Tech workers' power never came from solidarity; it came from scarcity,' Doctorow said. Doctorow urged developers not to give up their sense of agency. 'For every 'enshitifying' code there is 'disenshittifying' code waiting to be written,' Doctorow said. 'Every 10-foot wall invites the 11-foot code ladder.' As tech workers' power wanes, some look to unions Efforts to unionize in the tech industry have made headlines in recent years, but it's relatively new territory, according to keynote speaker Doctorow. 'Tech workers, we are a strange kind of workforce,' Doctorow said during his speech. 'We have historically been very powerful, able to command very high wages and respect, but we did it without joining unions. Union density in tech is abysmal. It is almost undetectable.' Since 2019, some established unions have launched campaigns to organize workers in the tech industry. Years of activism have culminated in some successful organizing, like Google employees forming the Alphabet Workers Union or the New York Times tech workers organizing under a new unit of the Times-Guild of New York. It's mostly the success stories that stand out, though. Everett Rommel, a data engineer from New Jersey, said he tried to organize in a previous position as a data analyst, but when that effort wasn't recognized by management, he decided to leave for a different job. 'We are losing our market power,' Rommel said, 'and unions are being pitched as a way to sort of gain back a little bit of market power.' Others argue that the fast-paced nature of the tech industry clashes with traditional union structures, where slower decision-making could hinder innovation. Still, Rommel said, organizing, or finding a new job if it doesn't work out, might be harder today, especially under the current administration. If tech workers are serious about building collective power though, Rommel said, there needs to be a push for sectoral bargaining. That would mean collective bargaining across the entire industry, not just individual workplaces. The tech workforce in some sense already does this. Open source communities and collaborative platforms already show how developers can come together across organizational lines, said Baig, the data architect from Arizona, but turning that spirit into labor power won't be easy. 'I don't know if you have that much power individually,' Baig said, 'but, collectively, I think there is a path where you can 'deshitify' the internet.'
