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A legacy of struggle She chose to give her life, leaving behind legacy of incredible struggle for democracy The former prime minister of Pakistan Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.—AFP/File Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary (which falls today) will be marked this year amidst another moment of political uncertainty in Pakistan. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); A few days before her assassination, Shaheed BB had vowed to protect her country from terrorists wanting to target its sovereignty. Despite knowing the danger and threat to her life, Shaheed BB wanted to be among her people and be a part of the democratic process. She believed that democracy was the best revenge. Her enemies were cowards, afraid of her strength and she was targeted on December 27th, 2007 – and assassinated. She chose to give her life, leaving behind a legacy of incredible struggle for democracy. Her sacrifice left a vacuum in Pakistan’s politics and left a permanent mark in the hearts of the people of Pakistan. General Zia imposed martial law on July 5, 1977. During that time, Shaheed BB came to Lahore with her brother Shahnawaz Bhutto and stayed with Begum Nadra Khakwani. She opposed the dictatorship with great courage and people appreciated her for that. She gave me an interview at that time, which reflects her political acumen. The first question I asked was: “You are a great admirer of your father’s work. When you heard the government had been toppled by a military dictator, what was your immediate reaction?” Her reply was that her parents were already informed at 2am and she came to know about it slightly later. There was a feeling of regret. It was not personal regret, but it was a sense of regret at the good work of the PPP being disrupted. About her father’s reaction, she said, “he wasn’t even worried about us, but he was worried about his country”. In response to a question about different foreign lobbies working against her father, she said that there were several reasons for the international conspiracies against him. He wanted to unite the Arab world and wanted them to be aware of their strength in unity. He also wanted to unite the developing world against exploitation by imperial powers and they did not appreciate this. Some people did not like that someone in Pakistan was striving to fight them on all these fronts. Politics demands sacrifice. Begum Bhutto mentioned in an interview that after becoming the First Lady, she had to give up her family life. She also said that it affected her children who had to be away from paternal love and attention. Benazir Bhutto understood these challenges, but she believed that growing up in such an environment gave her political consciousness. It empowered her to participate in political debates and be prepared for political struggles. She said that in politics, we have to be careful with our words so that they don’t hurt anyone or do not become a cause for complaint. It is by chance that some are born in affluent households while others are born in poor households. But poverty should not be anyone’s destiny, and we must work together to fight poverty in our country. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is now following in the footsteps of his mother, carrying forward her mission of serving the people, along with his sister Aseefa Bhutto Zardari who is currently the First Lady of Pakistan. The writer is the former press secretary for Benazir Bhutto.Ghost boats carry piles of decomposing bodies across the AtlanticIndian billionaire Gautam Adani on Saturday said "attacks" on his company made it "stronger", days after US prosecutors accused him and other officials of fraud. The November 20 bombshell indictment in New York accused the industrialist and multiple subordinates of deliberately misleading international investors as part of a multi-million-dollar bribery scheme. Addressing the allegations for the first time, the 62-year-old tycoon said his conglomerate was committed to "world-class regulatory compliance". "What I can tell you is that every attack makes us stronger and every obstacle becomes a stepping stone for a more resilient Adani Group," he said at an awards ceremony in the northern Indian city of Jaipur. Adani is suspected of having participated in a $250 million scheme to bribe Indian officials for lucrative solar energy supply contracts. The billionaire, however, said nobody from his company had been charged with any violation of corruption laws or "any conspiracy to obstruct justice". The US Justice Department said Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and one other official were charged "with conspiracies to commit securities and wire fraud and substantive securities fraud". More from this section Five others were charged "with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act," the department said. On Thursday, Adani's company said it had suffered a loss of nearly $55 billion in market capitalisation across its 11 listed companies since the US indictment was filed. With a business empire spanning coal, airports, cement and media, Adani Group has weathered previous corporate fraud allegations, suffering a similar stock rout last year. The conglomerate saw $150 billion wiped from its market value in 2023 after a report by short-seller Hindenburg Research accused it of "brazen" corporate fraud. Adani is a close ally of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was at one point the world's second-richest man, and critics have long accused him of improperly benefitting from their relationship. ash/aha777-777
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Telcos investment recovery in limbo as tariff hike backfires, price war with satcom services likely in 2025
EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste. Manufacturers are now obliged to fit devices sold in the 27-nation bloc with a USB-C, the port chosen by the European Union as the common standard for charging electronic tools. "Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port," the EU Parliament wrote on social media X. The EU has said the single charger rule will simplify the lives of Europeans and slash costs for consumers. By allowing consumers to purchase a new device without a new charger, it will also reduce the mountain of obsolete chargers, the bloc has argued. The law was first approved in 2022 following a tussle with US tech giant Apple. It allowed companies until December 28 this year to adapt. Makers of laptops will have extra time, from early 2026, to also follow suit. Most devices already use these cables, but Apple was more than a little reluctant. The firm said in 2021 that such regulation "stifles innovation", but by September last year it had begun shipping phones with the new port. Makers of electronic consumer items in Europe had agreed on a single charging norm from dozens on the market a decade ago under a voluntary agreement with the European Commission. But Apple, the world's biggest seller of smartphones, refused to abide by it and ditch its Lightning ports. Other manufacturers kept their alternative cables going, meaning there were about half a dozen types knocking around, creating a jumble of cables for consumers. USB-C ports can charge at up to 100 Watts, transfer data up to 40 gigabits per second, and be used to hook up to external displays. At the time of its approval, the commission said the law was expected to save at least 200 million euros (US$208 million) per year and cut more than a thousand tonnes of EU electronic waste every year. "It's time for THE charger," the European Commission wrote on X on Saturday. "It means better charging technology, reduced e-waste, and less fuss to find the chargers you need." (AFP)It's officially holiday-gift-buying season, and there's no better time to shop than . You'll get more gifts for your buck, and you won't have to wait in stores lines. But if you need some gift ideas, we've got you. Our editors spend hours every day scrolling for the best deals, testing new products and researching the best stuff. So when it comes to gift-giving, well, let's just say we'll bet you wish you were on our list this year. Seenlast Candle Warmer Lamp with Timer Ugg Euphoria Plush Faux Fur Reversible Throw Blanket Mulberry Silk Pillowcase, Standard Size Venustas Men's Polar Fleece Heated Jacket Lego Icons Tiny Plants Building Set Uproot Cleaner Pro Pet Hair Remover Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet (2024) Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar Scented Travelpro Platinum Elite Hardside Expandable Carry-on Luggage Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (Newest Model) L'ange Hair Le Styliste Luxury Hair Dryer ESW Beauty Raw Juice Cleanse Mask Set Asakuki 5-in-1 Essential Oil Diffuser Madewell Women's Cotton Cuffed Beanie Tile by Life360 Sticker, 2-Pack Britannica's First Big Book of Why Lillusory Oversize Cardigan Majestic Pure Sweet Orange Body Scrub Polar Verity Sense Optical Heart Rate Monitor Armband Polar Pacer Ultra-Light GPS Fitness Tracker Smartwatch for Runners Renpho Eyeris 1 Eye Massager with Heat Warm Pals Microwavable Lavender-Scented Spidey The Spider So lean on us! We've compiled the best gifts — the ones we're absolutely obsessed with— that you can get on sale during the , up to 60% off. For the winter homebodies, might we suggest a or a ? On the other hand, if you're shopping for a frequent flyer, we love a and these . Seriously, we're filled with gift ideas! If you don't see something on this list that strikes your fancy, for , , , the and more. "As someone whose greatest fear is burning my house down, I'm a little obsessed with these pretty yet practical gadgets. Not only do they allow you to enjoy the scent of your favorite candles without any flame, they can also extend their lives as well. I plan on getting a few of these to gift to family and friends this year; at under $30, it's a small price to pay for some peace of mind." "Who doesn't want to curl up in a ridiculously soft blanket during the winter months? There is nothing I love more than hanging on my couch underneath a pile of blankets, so I plan on adding this faux fur one from Ugg into the mix. It's machine-washable and neutral enough to go with any home decor. While this throw is on sale, I plan on snagging it right away." "I'm a huge fan of my silk pillowcase — I feel like royalty while sleeping on the smooth surface, but it also keeps my hair from breaking and frizzing at night. This holiday season, I'm going to spread the wealth and gift these to friends and family. At just $10, it makes the perfect stocking stuffer. You can also choose from tons of different colors — everything from neutrals to bright pink and teal — so there's a style for everyone on your list." "Do you know how hard it is to get a tween boy to wear any sort of coat or jacket? Well, I've finally found a workaround: This battery-pack-powered fleece. It's light enough not to bug a coat-averse kid from the get-go, and they can toggle between three heat levels by pressing a button. If you're not part of the bus-stop crew, never fear — it would be a great gift for anyone who wants a little extra warmth without the bulk this winter." "Black thumb? No problem. These teeny-tiny plants are impossible to kill. This 758-piece set is one of the most popular Lego releases from the last year — and that's saying something since they recently earned the title of the most-searched toy brand on ." "This is a worthy stocking stuffer for any pet owner. It grabs hair from rugs, upholstery, pet beds — basically, any pet-loved place or perch — way more effectively than a vacuum, and you can use it over and over, so say goodbye to those annoying rollers of sticky tape. The only downside is that once you use it, you'll realize that your house has not actually been clean since you brought home Fido or Fluffy," "The best budget tablet just got a refresh, and while the updates are pretty modest, this is still an amazingly versatile device — especially at the Black Friday price of just $55. Amazon even managed to bake some new AI features into the Fire HD 8, like e-mail proofreading and natural-language web page summaries. Before you spend a small fortune on an iPad Mini, you owe it to yourself to catch Fire. Read my to learn more." — "I usually don’t wear earbuds since they tend to fall out of my ears, but a few months ago, Bose gifted me a pair of these Ultra Open Earbuds, and I can’t get enough of them! They fit like an ear cuff, so they actually stay put. Plus, they're not noise-cancelling, which I love because I can still hear the world around me. This makes me feel a lot safer while I’m out walking. And I’m definitely not alone in loving them — Oprah even featured them on her this year! Now that they're on sale, I’m thinking they’d make the perfect Christmas gift for my sister." "I use an artificial Christmas tree, so I love lighting up this Balsam and Cedar scent from to give my apartment that cozy holiday feel. This enchanting blend features aromatic balsam, cedarwood and juniper berry — it smells exactly like a real tree. It should last me through the holidays, though I might get a second just to be safe." "As someone who always travels with just a carry-on, no matter how long the trip, I have to say this Travelpro suitcase is a total dream! It rolls so effortlessly, and the contour grip handle feels super comfortable to hold. I love how both sections have zippered panels that help compress my belongings, plus there are multiple pockets for all my smaller items. The best part? It has an expansion zipper that gives me an extra two inches of space, which is a lifesaver when I get carried away with souvenir shopping!" "Even at full price, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max was the budget pick in our . At 50% off, it's a steal. Amazon's streamer may not have the easiest interface in the world, but it does have lightning-fast Wi-Fi, robust parental controls and some of the best gaming options anywhere — including support for Xbox Game Pass (basically console gaming without the console). All for a measly $30." "If you really want to treat someone this season, get them the L'ange Le Stylist hair dryer. It's super lightweight, dries hair fast and leaves hair silky smooth. My mom bought one over the summer and made me compare it to my Dyson, and I have to say, I like this one better! It's so much lighter. Unfortunately, she took hers on a trip abroad and it broke, but she loved it so much she bought another one. Now I feel like my beauty-loving teen goddaughter may need one for Christmas (and maybe me too)." "I love these ESW face masks. I often buy them to stick in birthday cards as a small treat or bring them on trips to share with friends. This 'juice cleanse' multipack comes with five fruit-forward masks for detoxing pores, brightening, moisturizing and soothing skin and providing anti-aging benefits. And just to note, I have sensitive skin that's prone to breakouts and they've always helped, never irritated my skin. They're great stocking stuffers, but I'll also give out a few to my girlfriends this holiday season." "More and more research shows that inhaling certain scents throughout the day (such as rosemary and peppermint) can lead to increased focus and mental clarity overall. This diffuser is wildly well reviewed and it will look cute in my (or my gift recipient's) office too." "When I tell my teenage daughter to put on a hat in the winter, she inevitably always grabs MY absolute favorite Madewell beanie. So this season, I'm gifting her one of her own. Normally, this cotton hat is $35 at Madewell, but right now Amazon has two colors on sale for less. I'm grabbing both!" — "I love my husband dearly, but he's never met a TV remote that he didn't near-immediately lose somewhere — in the couch cushions, under the coffee table, sometimes in different rooms from the television entirely. Tile Stickers have been a lifesaver for when we're struggling to locate the Roku clicker, soundbar remote, etc., and I have a feeling this two-pack will come in very handy for a variety of these kinds of items. They're perfect for gifting to any similarly-absent-minded loved ones too — stocking stuffer, anyone?" "My son just started asking 'why?' incessantly, so I'm leaning heavily into early learning resources. I love Britannica's educational books like this , and with 10 nieces (yes, all nieces) and my own two kids to nerd out with, I'll be sharing the love with titles like and ." "This oversize cardigan looks very similar to an expensive Jenni Kayne one that's $395, but obviously, this one is a fraction of the price. I got one last year and it's super soft, comfy and washes well — so I had to get two more. This year, I'm going to gift one to my mom. They're great for layering over a T-shirt with jeans or leggings and especially great for travel. I know my snowbird mother will take hers on the plane to Florida this year, and when she lands, it won't take up too much room in her tote bag." "This bright, invigorating all-natural scrub is made from some of the most skin-nourishing ingredients around, including sweet orange oil, dead sea salt, organic aloe vera juice and coconut oil. The scent is more tart than candy-sweet and it's amazingly effective for sloughing off dead skin cells. And the price can't be beat." "Not everyone likes wearing a watch or ring while exercising. For the fitness buff who wants to track their heart rate and intensity level without restricting wrist or hand movement, Polar's Verity Sense armband is the way to go — Polar is known for its top-notch heart rate products" "For anyone who runs, hikes or bikes and wants a GPS watch, this lightweight Polar Pacer is an excellent choice. It's also good for tracking general activity and fitness metrics and includes a built-in heart rate monitor." "If you're anything like me, then you stare at a computer for at least eight hours a day. And there's the time spent scrolling TikTok and Instagram after-hours. And, ya know, the hours spent bingeing the latest Netflix release. Well, this heated massager will nip the all-too-inevitable eye strain in the bud. Switch between five different modes until you find the right level of heat, vibration and compression. You can even play some music — either the stuff that comes pre-loaded or your own tunes via Bluetooth — to really zen out. It's a must for anyone looking to amp up their self-care routine in the year ahead, aka everyone you know." "Weighted blankets and toys can help kids calm down, and these lavender-scented, microwavable stuffed animals are on my list to buy for my own kids this year. This spider to match my son's Spiderman theme, and the for my daughter. Anything to make bedtime a little easier, right?" If you have , you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. . (And by the way, those without still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)The 11 weirdest things humans did to robots in 2024
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this past June and awarded it 4.5/5 stars — an impressive rating for a budget axe built in Indonesia. Most surprising, the review noted, is that the guitar is part of the SE line as it could quite easily sit alongside the Silver Sky, Fiore and NF 53 in the PRS USA Bolt-On range. If the model seemed like a bargain at its $799 price, it looks even better this Black Friday when you can . The PRS SE NF3 cuts an impressive figure with its Ice Blue Metallic finish and rosewood fretboard. Add in the new noise-cancelling Narrowfield pickups and the deal gets even better. The NF3 is a full-sounding Stratocaster-type guitar but, in true PRS style, it also has huge stylistic potential, with remarkable build quality to boot. It features a poplar body bolted to a slab-sawn maple neck with PRS’s Wide Thin profile on a 25-inch scale-length, with a trio of the company's own Narrowfield DD ‘S’ humbuckers to provide a wide tonal palette. , where a guitar is made isn’t really relevant any more. It’s about the builder, not the country. “When we first started traveling to overseas guitar manufacturing facilities, we found that almost all their training over the decades had been to go fast, while our teaching about how to make instruments was about how to go well,” Smith explains. “Once they knew how to go well, the guitars they produce are of the same caliber as what we make here. So, as a definitive statement, the country a guitar is made in does not matter much. The skill and care of the instrument makers does matter.” That much is evident in the SE NF3. Its specs reveal a beautifully sculpted poplar body bolted to a slab-sawn maple neck with PRS’s Wide Thin profile on a 25-inch scale-length, rather than the traditional Strat-like 25 1/2. Electronics include a trio of the PRS-designed Narrowfield DD ‘S’ humbuckers, whose tone is between a traditional single-coil and a humbucker. And indeed, rolling the master volume and tone controls and employing the five-way pickup selector lets you move between Fender Strat and Gibson SG voicing, giving the SE NF3 an impressively wide tonal palette. All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox! If there's one shortcoming reviewer Dave Burrluck found, it was the absence of a Tele-style bridge-and-neck pickup combination. “If we were to be picky, then the simple ‘seven-sound’ mod would expand your choices, not least allowing you to voice the neck and bridge pickups together." That mod would require nothing more than swapping out the stock tone control for one with a pull switch. “Indeed,” he continued, “installing that simple mod and a set of the SE locking tuners would really bring the NF3 dangerously close to the USA guitars. It really is that good.” Considering you’ll save $120 , you’ll have enough to take a sizable chunk out of what the suggested mods will cost. Christopher Scapelliti is editor-in-chief of and the former editor of , the world’s longest-running guitar magazine, founded in 1967. In his extensive career, he has authored in-depth interviews with such guitarists as Pete Townshend, Slash, Billy Corgan, Jack White, Elvis Costello and Todd Rundgren, and audio professionals including Beatles engineers Geoff Emerick and Ken Scott. He is the co-author of , a founding editor of magazine, and a former editor with , and . Apart from guitars, he maintains a collection of more than 30 vintage analog synthesizers.49ers coach Kyle Shanahan expresses confidence in struggling kicker Jake Moody
In a bold move to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to renewable energy, the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) has unveiled the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) platform—a comprehensive one-stop hub designed to empower Nigerians with the tools and knowledge needed to embrace clean energy solutions. This initiative aligns with Nigeria’s Vision 30:30:30, which aims to generate 30,000 megawatts of electricity by 2030, with 30 per cent sourced from renewable energy. The DER platform provides practical resources, including a solar energy calculator, policy guidelines, financing options, and a verified directory of installers and resellers. It aims to address critical knowledge gaps and drive the widespread adoption of renewable energy across Nigeria, from bustling urban centers to underserved rural areas. CADEF’s executive director, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, at the launch of the platform in Lagos on Friday, emphasized the urgent need for accessible, accurate information about renewable energy systems such as solar panels, batteries, and charge controllers. She highlighted education as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s renewable energy transformation. “The state of electricity in Nigeria is no secret—demand far outstrips supply, and rural areas suffer the most. Beyond adoption, we must prioritize education and training to enable young Nigerians to maintain and manufacture renewable energy systems. This requires a complete overhaul of our educational curriculum to integrate renewable energy technologies,” she said. Ndukwe-Okafor also underscored the importance of financial support and government incentives in scaling renewable energy adoption. “The DER platform lists institutions offering loans for clean energy projects, but this is just one part of the puzzle. The government must eliminate tariffs on renewable energy imports and provide tax incentives for businesses adopting these technologies,” she stated. CADEF’s commitment to renewable energy extends beyond the DER platform. Its Green Labs Incubation program, developed in collaboration with Jacobs Ladder, focuses on equipping young Nigerians with the skills to innovate in the renewable energy space. To date, the program has trained over 80 participants, emphasizing entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and sustainable business practices “Our goal is to nurture self-reliant individuals who not only sustain themselves but also create jobs and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s green economy,” Ndukwe-Okafor said. CADEF envisions a future where Nigeria shifts from dependence on imported energy solutions to becoming a leader in local production and export. Ndukwe-Okafor stressed that a thriving renewable energy sector would boost industries, manufacturing, and Nigeria’s competitiveness on the African continent. She encouraged young Nigerians to seize emerging opportunities in renewable energy, citing fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and sustainable energy as areas ripe for innovation and economic growth. With the DER platform and initiatives like Green Labs Incubation, CADEF is taking a decisive step toward building a self-sustaining, energy-secure Nigeria that aligns with the country’s Vision 30:30:30.Pep Guardiola’s side at least avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions but alarm bells continue to ring at the Etihad Stadium after a dramatic late capitulation. A double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan, all in the space of nine minutes either side of the break, looked to have ensured a return to winning ways. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. City almost snatched a late winner when Jack Grealish hit the woodwork but there was no masking another dispiriting result. It was hardly the preparation City wanted for Sunday’s crunch trip to Liverpool, and the Feyenoord fans took great delight in rubbing that fact in. They sung the club anthem they share with Liverpool, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and chanted the name of their former manager Arne Slot, the current Reds boss. Guardiola arrived at the ground with a cut on the bridge of his nose and, once again, his side have been struck a nasty blow. Despite not being at their best, they had dominated early on against what seemed limited Dutch opposition. They threatened when a Gundogan shot was deflected wide and Haaland then went close to opening the scoring when he turned a header onto the post. Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther gifted City another chance when he passed straight to Bernardo Silva but Grealish’s fierce volley struck team-mate Phil Foden. Foden forced a save from Wellenreuther but City had a moment of alarm when Igor Paixao got behind the defence only to shoot tamely at Ederson. Nathan Ake missed the target with a header but some luck finally went City’s way just before the break when Quinten Timber, brother of Arsenal’s Jurrien, was harshly adjudged to have fouled Haaland. The Norwegian rammed home the resulting spot-kick and City returned re-energised for the second period. They won a corner when a Matheus Nunes shot was turned behind and Gundogan fired the hosts’ second – albeit with aid of a deflection – with a firm volley from the edge of the box. City turned up the heat and claimed their third soon after as Gundogan released Nunes with a long ball and his low cross was turned into the net by a sliding Haaland. 44' ⚽️ Man City 1-0 Feyenoord50' ⚽️ Man City 2-0 Feyenoord53' ⚽️ Man City 3-0 Feyenoord75' ⚽️ Man City 3-1 Feyenoord82' ⚽️ Man City 3-2 Feyenoord89' ⚽️ Man City 3-3 Feyenoord 🤯🤯🤯 #UCL — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 26, 2024 It seemed City were heading for a morale-lifting victory but a couple of Gvardiol errors changed the script. The Croatian, who had a torrid time in Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing by Tottenham, first horribly misplaced a backpass and allowed Moussa to nip in and round Ederson. Ordinarily that 75th-minute reply would have been a mere consolation and City would close out the game, but Gvardiol had another moment to forget eight minutes from time. Again he gave the ball away and Feyenoord pounced. The ball was lofted into the box and Jordan Lotomba fired a shot that glanced the post and deflected across goal, where Gimenez chested in. Ederson then blundered as he raced out of his area and was beaten by Paixao, who crossed for Hancko to head into an empty net. Amid some moments of unrest in the crowd, when objects were thrown, City tried to rally in stoppage time. Grealish had an effort deflected onto the bar but the hosts had to settle for a draw.
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Graduation day dawns sunny and warm for the first day of November, but the weather hardly matters for the joint MIT-Georgetown coding class, which takes place at the Correctional Treatment Facility, one of the two facilities that make up the DC jail complex. For twelve weeks, the students worked hard, hunched over laptops, squinting at characters and lines of code. Their work culminated in this: websites built from scratch and a certificate acknowledging their participation in college-accredited courses from these prestigious institutions. Today, they join over 200 other students at correctional facilities across the country who have completed the Brave Behind Bars program since the group’s founding in 2021. A graduation celebration looks different behind bars. Yellow and blue frosted cupcakes lined up next to lemonade and iced tea and chicken sandwiches sit waiting while the students proudly pose for photos with Marisa Gaetz, Brave Behind Bar’s co-founder. The food arrived much later than the students but no one seemed to mind; here you get used to waiting — especially for the rare celebratory occasion. Gaetz made the trek down from Massachusetts, taking a break from her PhD work to be here. She said she didn’t want to miss the chance to shake the students’ hands and tell them face to face all the things she enjoyed about working with each one of them. Her slow, precise way of speaking mirrors the painstaking work that these students have done in writing code to power websites. One by one, the students come up, take their certificate and pose for a photo with the people who made this program possible. The photos will have to do as a keepsake of this moment: the students can’t keep the physical copy – a precaution so no one else duplicates the certificate trying to pass it off as their own, an attempt to demonstrate good behavior to a judge without actually taking the class. These certificates will have to go to the students’ lawyers for safekeeping. It’s just one of the many precautions put in place for this course, one of the newest additions to prison and jail education. Here, safety questions always dominate. Whitelisted sites, limited computer time In a classroom next door, Taylor Swift plays over computer speakers as teams of two hunch over metal boxes and wiring. These students have chosen to learn about another piece of our information economy: repairing telecom equipment. The same tools these students wield to learn this lucrative craft could pose a real danger to their fellow detainees or jail staff outside this classroom. Their teacher, Timothy Saunders, painstakingly checks in and out the tools each class. He proudly tells me they’ve not had any issues on the safety front. Saunders boasts students can employ the skills they learn here to eventually earn six figure jobs. That is, of course, dependent on two things: that they get out, and once they do, that someone will hire them. The class is one of the many available to students in the lower security of DC’s two jail facilities. Administrators and detainees alike are grateful for the opportunities. Study after study shows incarcerated education helps do what citizens and policymakers alike say they want: keep people from committing more crimes. However, getting education for many people behind bars remains a challenge. Thirty years ago, the 1994 crime bill drastically cut funding for prisoner education. And while lawmakers restored this money in 2020 , across the country the gap between what kind of education prisoners would like and what they can access remains vast . This is doubly true because many of those behind bars lack even high school education - to say nothing of college or post-secondary training. The team responsible for education at the DC jail includes Jason McCrady, a former public-school counselor who noticed that so many of his students ended up behind bars that he got hired by the jail system to continue providing what education he could for those students. Technology education efforts got a boost during the pandemic, as visits and in-person services got further curtailed, and jails and prisons incorporated more digital communication tools. In the DC jail, this meant secure tablets. These devices greatly expanded the opportunities those awaiting trial would have for education and communication. At the same time, facilities have put guardrails in place. Communications, much like those over the phone, can be monitored. The functionality is limited. The students in the coding class have even more access to technology but unlike their peers on the outside, they only get limited hours each day on the laptops they use to code and they can only visit a limited number of sites pre-approved by the jail. For Gaetz, and her students, jumping through the hoops is worth it. Not taking education for granted The United States, put plainly, locks up a lot of people. But the people behind bars aren’t evenly distributed across society. This means that many people in the United States don’t have a personal connection to a system that detains and monitors nearly five million people, according to the latest statistics from the Department of Justice. This lack of connection, activists say, is one of the stumbling blocks to reform. For Gaetz, her connection to the correction system began in 2016. Her undergrad philosophy professor, Lee Perlman, taught a course at a local prison and so Gaetz tagged along. “Within minutes of sitting in that class my perception of incarcerated people was transformed,” she recalls. “Someone in that class told me that before he had taken classes while incarcerated no one had believed in him. And this one time a week not only is he treated like a human being but a student and someone whose opinion matters.” She immediately understood the power of education in an entirely different paradigm than her own. “MIT has some of the smartest students in the world,” she says “we all kind of feel like we’d do well and here I was with these students who had never had the encouragement that many of us take for granted.” She signed up to assist in that philosophy class. The years went on, she finished up her undergrad degree in math and philosophy and started a PhD program in theoretical math. She’d dabbled in computer science courses and taught herself to code as a kind of hobby. When the pandemic struck, and jails and prisons began experimenting with more connectivity, Gaetz - along with Emily Harberg and Martin Nisser - launched a coding boot camp in 2021 , first starting with women’s correctional facilities in New England. The program is straightforward. The trio aided by an ever-expanding group of expert mentors teach the students the basics of how to write code, with a bespoke website serving as their final project. But as with any education, along the way, the students pick up additional skills. Coding requires patience and confidence, but also collaboration. “A lot of people on Day One are honest and say they don’t think they can do it,” Gaetz says. ”Seeing that they’re able to do it can be really empowering.” Gaetz understands that some might feel uneasy about teaching even basic coding to people who’ve committed or are accused of committing crimes. But she maintains students graduate with the ability only to build a website, not hack or commit other cybercrimes. Opportunity outside of prison Although there are already rumblings of AI taking away coding jobs, Gaetz says today AI gets used mostly to assist in coding while most software engineering jobs still require an actual person. Besides, some of the students who come to class have little experience with computers, so the course builds literacy, confidence and problem-solving skills alongside the basic coding. All skills that most employers expect their new hires to have. Which leads to the next obvious question: Can these students use these skills to earn a living? In the DC classroom, the students put together websites speaking to their passions or interests. Their topics varied: One student with scotch tape holding his glasses together, created a site to explain the high sociological toll of poverty. Another made a site as a tribute to the positive power of music. The class’s sole female student, Iesha Marks, who goes by Tazz, built a website to help women, like her, who suffer domestic violence. Like so many behind bars, Tazz’s story contains elements of trauma. Her defense team wrote in court documents of her PTSD from a stabbing. And she, in turn, stands accused of causing grave harm. In 2021 she pleaded guilty to attempted assault with a gun. And though she’s professed her innocence, she’s been held on charges of that she shot and killed a man, Donald Childs, on a busy DC street in July of 2023 an offense to which she has pleaded not guilty. Her defense holds up her good record during the year plus of her detention, including her participation in the coding class, as evidence she’s demonstrating stability and should be released with supervision so she can care for her children ahead of the trial. A judge disagreed and ordered her held until her trial date, May of 2026. In between bites of her lunch, Tazz recalled that at the beginning, she wasn’t sure she could tackle this topic. Now scrolling through her site, full of resources for other survivors, she lights up with the possibility: maybe she created space for other women to find help and hope. It’s not just Tazz in DC. Gaetz explains that some of their earliest successes involved working with women behind bars. Some of the coding program’s first students were female inmates in New England. Some of the alumni from this group created and maintain a site called Reentry Sisters devoted to helping women in Maine rebuild their lives when they return to society from long prison stints. The well-designed site has hopeful stories and helpful tips. It also serves as a reminder of the perilous period that awaits even the most diligent student of this program. ‘I have gray hair because of coding’ Steve Johnson, an early graduate of the program, recalls that fear well. Released from prison during 2021 he remembers the fear when his parole officer demanded he get work within two weeks. With a conviction for armed robbery, despite time served, he struggled to land a job. He turned to the internet, searching for someone who could help him find a job or get the education he’d need for this new economy. The search yielded a familiar name: Lee Perlman, Gaetz’s undergraduate professor. “I cold called him,” Johnson recalled and within a day they’d connected, made a plan and got Johnson into the coding program. Johnson loved Brave Behind Bars so much he stayed on after graduation as a teaching assistant. “That role has been very helpful being on the other end, when you’re teaching something to someone you have to know it inside out,” he says. “The thing that I like the most is being able to help someone who is not very proficient and making their life easier by integrating some sort of tech-based solution for them.” Johnson’s story, by many measures, represents a best-case scenario. In the years since his release he learned a top digital skill, is teaching others, and has done numerous contract coding jobs. He loves it because although it’s hard and coding “has given me gray hair” you can work “anywhere with Wi-Fi.” His experience has also led to an appointment on a board that advises governments on how to think about education behind bars - something he evangelizes and deeply hopes to improve. Put simply: Johnson loves finding a problem and working to identify solutions. Yet even with this experience, Johnson worries that his past still holds him back. His jobs have all thus far been with organizations interested in rehabilitation and prison reform. He wonders if they hire him to get some kind of credibility in the space. He longs to be judged, for good or for ill, for his current skill not his criminal record. So now he’s trying for yet another reinvention, a 17-week tech incubator program with Defy Ventures, an organization that teaches formerly incarcerated people business chops. He figures if he can’t convince the boss of his bonafides, maybe he could become the boss himself. Then he could hire whomever he wanted based on what they bring to the job today and not get hung up on anyone’s past. This is what some refer to as a double sentence: the steep hill people returning from prison have to face in order to get jobs or rent apartments. Once you’ve done the time, how do you convince people they can trust you? For Johnson the question is a pragmatic one. “Do you want your neighbor to re-offend?” he muses. The data on this point is clear: better education and job opportunities make that prospect less likely. And here again, Johnson has adeptly identified the problem, but unlike writing a code, this problem lacks a tidy solution. Changing minds takes more time and patience even than fixing buggy code.On Friday, the Sacramento Kings decided to part ways with head coach Mike Brown, according to ESPN's Shams Charania . The team has lost its last five games and has failed to show any progress this season despite the offseason addition of DeMar DeRozan. Brown joined the Kings in 2022, amassing 107 regular-season wins in 195 regular-season games during his tenure. Firing head coaches with winning records isn't usually the done thing. Brown took over a Kings team that was mired in mediocrity. He turned them into a consistent playoff threat, ending a 16-year drought, and got them playing some exciting basketball. Furthermore, Brown is just 18 months removed from being voted the 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year. Speaking to the media ahead of the Golden State Warriors' loss to the LA Clippers, Steve Kerr expressed his disappointment at the Kings' decision. “When you think about where that franchise was before Mike got there and where they’ve been the last couple of years, the job he and his staff have done — it’s just really shocking,” Kerr said. “I know they’ve been in a tough spell, but this is the NBA. We all go through tough spells.” Firing Brown is a knee-jerk reaction to a rough run of games. The Kings aren't going to find a better coach on the free-agent market, and their reputation will undoubtedly have suffered. For the first time in almost 20 years, the front office was making smart decisions. It was building slowly and allowing the coach to develop the younger talent on the roster. By firing Brown, the Kings have set themselves back. Elite-level coaches will likely be reluctant to sign on with the franchise. After all, if winning games isn't enough to create security, there's little reason to find the job enticing or even find a reason to commit. It's hard to see how the Kings improve by parting ways with Brown, especially midway through the season. Sacramento must now find a way to pivot. The front office can't dilly-dally in their search for a new leading voice. The longer it drags its heels on making a hire, the more incompetent it will look. After two and a half seasons of stability, the real Kings have begun to shine through. If they had thought they faced an uphill battle to keep De'Aaron Fox before, their handling of this situation would have likely made that task twice as difficult.
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