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Lucky Strike Entertainment Hit With Bowling Alley Monopoly Suit
Private equity-backed Lucky Strike Entertainment Corp. was sued in federal court by consumers who allege the company unlawfully acquired bowling centers across the US to gain monopoly power and drive up prices, making the sport no longer an affordable pastime for families and leagues.
Appeals court appears poised to reject Hegseth’s bid to punish Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video
A federal appeals court appeared ready Thursday to reject Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s effort to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his call to US service members to refuse illegal orders.
When the state controls science
Evidence-based policy making is on the ropes and federal agencies are deeply compromised. There’s a historical precedent, unfortunately.
The National Academy of Sciences Elects Two Berkeley Lab Researchers
Two Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientists have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. They are part of a cohort of 120 new members and 25 international members. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and — alongside the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine — provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. The 2026 electees bring the total number of active members to 2,705 with 557 international members. Gary Karpen is a biologist senior faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Biological Systems and Engineering Division and a Professor of Cell and Developmental Physiology in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley. Karpen studies how the structure, organization, and maintenance of genetic material impact inheritance and cell function. His lab focuses on chromatin — a packaged form of DNA strands wrapped around proteins that comprises our chromosomes — with a particular emphasis on centromeres, rarely expressed sequences called heterochromatin, DNA repair, and regulatory RNAs. His research reveals insights into fundamental aspects of nuclear organization and genome regulation that are shared across the tree of life, broadening our understanding of cancer and other diseases, birth defects, and aging. Kam-Biu Luk is a Professor Emeritus of physics at UC Berkeley and a retired senior faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Physics Division. He is an experimental particle physicist whose research has focused on neutrinos: nearly massless, electrically neutral elementary particles that can pass through matter virtually undetected. Neutrinos are created during radioactive decay processes, including the fusion process occurring in stars and the fission process that powers nuclear reactors. Luk initiated and co-led the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment, a project based in China with more than 200 international collaborators. In 2012, the Daya Bay experiment discovered a new form of a phenomenon called “neutrino oscillation” in which neutrinos change from one type to another. For this discovery, Luk and his collaborator Yifan Wang received the 2014 American Physical Society Division of Particles and Fields W.K.H. Panofsky Prize for outstanding work in experimental particle physics, and he was also the co-recipient of the 2016 Breakthrough Prize. Luk is currently participating in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) hosted by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, which will investigate any potential difference in behavior between neutrinos and antineutrinos that may shed light on the evolution of the universe, especially why antimatter is absent in the present universe. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
What California’s Next Governor Needs to Know about Health Care
Rising costs, an aging population, and the specter of major federal funding cuts are among the challenges the next governor will face.
As federal scientists faced turmoil, the Devils Hole pupfish reached a crisis point
The Devils hole pupfish lives in just one spot in Death Valley. Wildlife officials have managed this iconic fish for decades, and last spring, just as the Trump administration was laying off all kinds of scientists, the wild population of this fish plummeted to only 20 individuals. Officials then took an irrevocable step.
New political map would keep Oak Ridge in U.S. Rep. Fleischmann's district
A political map of Tennessee lawmakers are weighing keeps Oak Ridge, a site of massive investment in science and defense, with a congressman with power over where federal money is spent.
Opinion - Bill Bishop: ‘Grievance politics’ thrives on chaos and confusion. That’s our system now
Columnist Chris Clayton noticed something odd in the Trump Administration’s budget for the Department of Agriculture. Since the USDA is the federal government’s primary contact with rural America, Clayton expected to see the word “rural” in the document. And it was there – 12 times in 92 pages. But there were other words that seemed...
Abortion reemerges as election issue amid challenges to mifepristone
On Friday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked a federal appeals court ruling that would have prevented the abortion pill mifepristone from being mailed.
State, federal lawmakers call for ban on endangered marine species capture after 2025 manta ray controversy
'The removal of even one individual — especially a reproductive-age female — can have significant and lasting consequences for population stability and recovery.'
Children’s Minnesota resists federal subpoena for private health records of patients
The Minneapolis-based provider accuses Trump administration of overreach in its campaign to eliminate pediatric transgender medical care.
FBI raids Sen. Louise Lucas’ Portsmouth office, cannabis business
Federal agents on Wednesday morning raided the Portsmouth office of state Sen. Louise Lucas, one of Virginia’s most powerful Democratic lawmakers, with multiple news outlets reporting an extensive law enforcement operation that included FBI agents, SWAT teams and court-authorized searches tied to several locations across the commonwealth.Fox News, who was first to report the news, said the FBI executed search warrants at several sites, including Lucas’ legislative office in Portsmouth. Staffers inside the building were ordered outside and were not allowed to re-enter as agents searched the premises. Witnesses saw federal agents carrying boxes out of the building.
Metropolitan Community College opens new small business development center
Metropolitan Community College has opened a federally designated small business development center to support Nebraska entrepreneurs with free resources.
FBI raids Spanberger ally office as federal corruption probe targets cannabis business
The FBI raided the office of Virginia Democratic state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, a key ally of Gov. Spanberger, in a corruption and marijuana probe.
Southwest Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison demands investigation into National Academies of Sciences funding
Southwest Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison is leading a push to investigate federal funding for one of the nation’s most prominent scientific organizations.
Trump border czar hints at ICE surge in N.Y. if lawmakers pass immigration bill
The "Local Cops, Local Crimes Act" would ban state and local law enforcement from coordinating with federal immigration enforcement for non-criminal violations.
College athletics leaders are begging for federal takeover. Another sport warns of ‘world of storms’
Wisconsin lab tapped to research psychedelic drug as mental health treatment
A Wisconsin-based medical research lab is one of just three organizations nationwide the federal government has tapped to move forward on research into psychedelic medications.
New data shows small business growth nationwide, mixed results in Shasta County
New federal data shows small businesses continue to grow nationwide, but in Shasta County the latest numbers paint a more mixed picture, with more businesses cl
See how federal workers respond to Elon Musk's '5 things' emails
Nonprofit Citizens for Constitutional Integrity released the first batch of emails from federal workers responding to Elon Musk's DOGE directive.
Michigan may force hospitals to disclose savings from drug cost program
The federal 340B program was meant to reduce drug costs for patients, but, according to some critics, instead it’s lining the budgets of big hospital systems. Others argue it’s keeping the little guys afloat.
Defiant border czar brushes away MAGA critics, says ‘mass deportations are coming’
White House border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday brushed off critics within President Donald Trump’s base who say the administration is not deporting enough people, while vowing to “flood the zone” with immigration officers in jurisdictions which pass legislation limiting cooperation with federal enforcement.
RFK Jr. launches plan to curb ‘overprescribing’ of psychiatric drugs
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced federal efforts to limit overprescribing and support deprescribing of psychiatric drugs, including antidepressants.
Reservists sue Pentagon over denied transition health care benefits
A class action lawsuit challenges a DoD policy that conditions eligibility for the Transitional Assistance Management Program.
$7.85M Sony PlayStation Store class action settlement
Sony Interactive Entertainment agreed to a $7.85 million class action settlement to resolve claims it violated federal antitrust laws by monopolizing the PlayStation digital game market.
CFPB Scales Back Small Business Lending Rule, Easing Burden On Smaller Lenders
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has finalized a scaled-back version of its small business lending rule under Regulation B, sharply narrowing which lenders must comply and what data they must collect.Published May 1 in the Federal Register, the rule revises the Bureau’s Section 1071 framework under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which requires lenders to collect and report data on small business credit applications.
Additional $20 million in federal rural health grants announced for North Dakota
North Dakota has announced more than $20 million worth of new grant opportunities under the federal Rural Health Transformation Program — including for workforce education, mental health services and to fill rural healthcare service gaps.
States Eye Aid To Prop Up Distressed Hospitals Amid Federal Medicaid Cuts
Hundreds of hospitals nationwide are bracing for Medicaid cuts as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Some state lawmakers are eyeing loans and other forms of financial aid to distressed hospitals in rural and urban areas, as healthcare providers warn of cuts to critical services and scramble for funding.
House passes tax package to end $555 million in business tax breaks | The Sum and Substance
Four bills roll back state tax breaks or decouple from federal tax incentives in order to raise revenue for a new Family Affordability Credit.
Iowa attorney general joins coalition to advocate for state control over sports gambling
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has joined 41 attorneys general in urging federal regulators to affirm state jurisdiction over sports-related event contracts, citing concerns over unregulated prediction markets.
Deadline Looms For Healthcare Providers To Improve Accessibility
New rules mandating greater disability access in healthcare are about to take effect, but recent actions suggest that federal officials may be mulling a delay.
Fulton seeks to block federal subpoena targeting 2020 election workers
The subpoena seeks personally identifying information for thousands of paid and volunteer election workers.
Trump Administration Demands Names of 2020 Election Workers in Georgia
The Justice Department again appears to be using the investigative power of the federal government to rehash debunked claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election.
Trump Administration Demands Names of 2020 Election Workers in Georgia
The Justice Department again appears to be using the investigative power of the federal government to rehash debunked claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election.
Bellaire breaks ground on recreation and entertainment complex
BELLAIRE – Ground was broken Monday morning for Bellaire’s recreation and entertainment complex. The project is made possible through a $1,468,912 through the federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program grant and $200,000 from the State Capital Budget Fund procured by Ohio State Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta. Construction will begin June 15. The complex will […]
Bellaire breaks ground on recreation and entertainment complex
BELLAIRE – Ground was broken Monday morning for Bellaire’s recreation and entertainment complex. The project is made possible through a $1,468,912 through the federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program grant and $200,000 from the State Capital Budget Fund procured by Ohio State Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta. Construction will begin June 15. The complex will […]
James Uthmeier opens civil investigation into Southern Poverty Law Center
The Florida civil probe comes as the SPLC is fending off federal criminal charges of misusing donations for infiltrating hate groups.
ND attorney general, Ethics Commission dismissed from free speech lawsuit over political ad law
A federal judge has dismissed the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office and North Dakota Ethics Commission from a former state lawmaker’s First Amendment suit challenging a political advertisement law.
AP, Washington Post, Reuters and Minnesota Star Tribune among Pulitzer winners for 2025 work
The Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for scrutinizing the Trump administration’s sweeping, choppy cuts and changes to federal agencies. The Associated Press won the 2026 Pulitzer
The Mifepristone Ruling Revives Pro-Choice Politics
A federal court’s ban on the mailing of abortion medication once again demonstrates the unpopularity of anti-abortion zealotry.
Oklahoma AG urges agency to let states regulate sports prediction markets
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pressing federal regulators to make clear that states — not the federal government — have authority over sports-re
DOJ: Eight indicted for illegal gambling business at Fort Wayne charity casino
Last month, a federal grand jury approved an indictment charging eight people in connection with an illegal gambling business in Fort Wayne.
Missing and Dead Scientists Spark Conspiracy Theories, Federal Probe
The scientists were all working on space and nuclear research, sparking conspiracy theories, a federal probe, and even comments from Donald Trump.
In depth: A flood of rural healthcare money could reshape Idaho, and seep into higher ed
This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 30, 2026. POCATELLO — A $930 million flood of federal grants could address Idaho’s rural healthcare needs — shortages that stretch across its landscape and reach into nearly all professions. The money could also bolster programs that serve small towns and align with Idaho State University’s […]
New Orleans youth sports group, facing funding cuts, could slash programs
A popular youth sports nonprofit may have to cut hundreds of kids from its rosters amid a loss of local and federal funding and a lack of facilities to accommodate growing demand.
DOJ unveils West Coast ‘Strike Force’ as new tactic used to tackle healthcare fraud
Federal authorities said the shift to regional “Strike Force” models have been shown to be successful, with 6,200 defendants prosecuted nationwide. The DOJ said this latest unit will take a special interest in Northern California.
Calvin Duncan cleared to assume New Orleans court clerk role in federal court ruling
A federal judge blocked a Louisiana law abolishing the Orleans Parish criminal clerk's office, allowing Calvin Duncan, who won the November election with 68% of the vote, to take office Monday.
GSU to launch mobile health clinic with help of federal grant
Once operational, GSU Health on Wheels is expected to serve 50 to 100 individuals per clinic event.
Colorado Democrats scramble to fund health care subsidies after loss of federal benefits
Colorado Democrats are struggling to devise a long-term plan to respond to higher health insurance costs after Republicans in Congress allowed federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. Individuals and families who...
Colorado Democrats scramble to fund health care subsidies after loss of federal benefits
Colorado Democrats are struggling to devise a long-term plan to respond to higher health insurance costs after Republicans in Congress allowed federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. Individuals and families who...
Fairview residents surprised by proposed behavioral health treatment center
Wasilla-based True North Recovery plans to expand its services to Anchorage using federal grant money held by the municipality.
US attorney doesn’t rule out continuing to investigate Federal Reserve Chair Powell
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Sunday that she may reopen a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, depending on what an inspector general’s probe uncovers over building renovations at the Federal Reserve.
Key U.S. science panels are being axed—and others are becoming less open
President Donald Trump and his administration downsized US science by historic margins last year as it reduced the workforce at federal research agencies by tens of thousands of people and terminated ...
Landlords want to be paid for pandemic losses and hope to reach a deal with the Trump administration
A group of landlords are hoping to settle with the federal government over what they say are billions of dollars in losses due to the federal eviction moratorium in place for nearly a year during the pandemic.
In Mississippi, a Democrat Challenges the Senator Who Blocked His Judgeship
Scott Colom, a state prosecutor, is running against Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican who denied him a seat on the federal bench. In a tough year for the G.O.P., Democrats see hope for his long-shot bid.
Places Trump's name or image is being added by the federal government
The Trump administration has made an aggressive push to add the president's name to buildings, battleships, money and government websites.
Lawsuit filed after family says man was shot and killed by LAPD during 2024 mental health crisis
The family of a man shot and killed by LAPD in 2024 has filed a federal lawsuit, alleging police could have used less-than-lethal options to de-escalate the situation.
When funding cuts came — these scientists turned to journalism | The Stony Brook Press
Amid funding cuts to scientific institutions across the country, Isako Di Tomassi co-founded the McClintock Letters initiative, a science communication project that publishes opinion pieces written by scientists about their work and why it should continue to be funded. From protecting apples in Washington state to developing novel insecticides in Indiana, the initiative has published over 200 op-eds, all written by scientists defending their federally funded science, across 46 states.
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field ‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field A field that once seemed like a direct path to stable, lucrative work is becoming less certain under AI, students and faculty told Spectator. By Ria Vasishtha and Arjun Menon May 3, 2026 Shanying Liu / Deputy Illustrations Editor Asia Genawi, SEAS ’29, first encountered artificial intelligence during her sophomore year at her high school in Indiana. Back in 2023, policies on AI varied widely—even within the same district—and some schools had no guidance at all. As Genawi began to see the effects of AI trickle into her classroom, she turned to guidance from her home state’s Department of Education, which she said she found “outdated and inaccessible.” Genawi spent the rest of her high school career dedicated to the issue, including writing a 15-page memo exploring varying AI policies across Indiana schools, which she sent to every Indiana state senator and representative whose contact information she was able to find. She later helped draft a bill that would have required public high schools to establish and share their own AI policies with students in an accessible format. But with so many other bills already awaiting referral, hers never made it to committee. When Genawi arrived at Columbia to study computer science, she found that the gaps she had spent years trying to address in Indiana had followed her there. Many students and professors were also grappling with what AI meant for the field. Across Columbia’s undergraduate schools, computer science has become the most popular major—accounting for around 11 percent of degrees awarded in Columbia College, 32 percent in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and 12 percent in the School of General Studies in 2024. While the number of computer science majors in SEAS grew from 166 to 173 during the 2024-25 academic year, the total number across the three schools fell around 4.5 percent from 393 to 375, driven by declines at Columbia College and General Studies. At Barnard, it has grown to become the second most popular major as of 2025, up from third the year prior. The number of degrees awarded have grown fivefold since 2016. Faculty members and students in the department told Spectator that the surge in the major’s popularity has been driven in large part by its apparent promise of a secure, well-paid career path. However, they noted that the recent rise of generative AI has compromised the sense of stability that once defined the field, even as interest in technical skills among students persists. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2024, out of 74 majors tracked, computer science had the fifth highest unemployment rate among majors at 7 percent, while computer engineering had the second highest at 7.8 percent. “Anecdotally, people are moving away from CS as a major,” Daniel Bauer, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, said. “They’re still taking some of our classes, right, because they think they need that, but they’re instead majoring in other things.” Bauer described a field that had shifted from what he called a “nerdy outlier discipline” to one that “everyone needs,” a sign that technical skills have become a baseline expectation across industries with the emergence of AI. “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a guaranteed path to a stable income. You get a six-figure job right out of your undergrad,’” Bauer said. Now, companies may see AI as a way to reduce demand for entry-level programmers, especially in what he calls “code monkey jobs,” roles where a large number of employees are “just writing out code nine-to-five.” Chris Murphy, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, described the current moment as the convergence of two forces: the downturn of the job market and generative AI coming onto the scene. “Things kind of started to really pick up in 2014, 16,” he said, recalling the years after the weaker 2010 market. Murphy added that this was also a period where “students were getting more experience outside of class than they were inside of class” through internships, jobs, and side projects. Murphy suggested that the earlier momentum helped make computer science feel like both an academic program and a reliable pathway into work. That feeling is harder to sustain now as the industry reconfigures, which is a shift that students are seeing firsthand. Rebecca Yu, SEAS ’27, said that during a recent internship in Big Tech, she saw that “every single tech company was racing to integrate” large language models. She added that her manager said her intern class was the first to complete their assigned projects, which she attributed to the increased efficiency that comes with AI. Frank Liu, SEAS ’29, said that with AI lowering the barrier to coding, companies now expect everyone to write code. “A lot of companies outright say if you’re not using coding in your job, you might get fired for not being productive enough,” Liu said. Yu similarly expressed that students increasingly have to accept AI being a part of industry workflow, adding that many also “make use of it to maximize their productivity.” Richard Li, CC ’28, described a “franticness” among his peers as the pace of change accelerates. He explained how “some new tool” is released regularly, noting that tools rise and fall in prominence within weeks. He has come to believe that he doesn’t need to “match that speed all the time” and keep up with every development. Li has learned that AI tools allow him to “take a breath” and “get back into the loop much easier than before” when he needs to. While some companies specifically target Columbia when hiring, sending representatives to campus career fairs and recruiting large numbers from Columbia, a computer science degree cannot be treated as a static credential, Yu described. “You can’t just get your degree and stop learning after that. You have to always be learning,” Yu said. “That is something you basically have to expect for your job.” AI has not only affected students’ decisions to major in computer science, but also reshaped how the subject is taught. Across departments, faculty members no longer treat work done outside the classroom as a reliable measure of understanding, shifting instead toward in-person exams, quizzes, and attendance checks. While homework once made up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a student’s grade in computer science classes, Murphy said that breakdown has since flipped, with exams and quizzes now accounting for the majority. “The assumption—especially among pessimists—is that they’re using it to do their homework,” Murphy said. “They take the homework assignment. They put it into generative AI. Out comes the solution. Submit solution. The end.” Murphy said that faculty members ranged in their responses from fully prohibiting AI use to actively teaching students how to effectively work with AI. He said he shifted his approach this year after his teaching assistants called his belief that students weren’t using the technology “naïve,” and now permits students to use AI on assignments. His surveys of students in his introductory classes have told a more complicated story than the one so-called pessimists offer: Around 60 to 70 percent of students who reported using AI said they used it to have concepts explained to them, to clarify assignment instructions, to generate test cases, or to create practice questions. “Those are all ways that you might have had a tutor in the past to do that, and now you have this AI essentially as your tutor,” he said. Bauer has taken a different approach, teaching students how to use AI productively without sacrificing the core principles of the discipline. “People who are trained to actually use AI tools productively, while being in charge of designing the overall project, will be very much in demand in the next couple of years,” he said. Over the past year, a working group of computer science faculty has been redesigning the introductory and intermediate programming sequence to integrate generative AI as both a subject and a tool, representatives from SEAS wrote in a statement to Spectator. The effort is “coordinated” across the department, “not course-by-course,” with a systematic assessment of how AI integration is affecting student outcomes underway to shape the next round of changes. The goal, the department explained, is for students to be able to “read, verify, and reason about code, whether they or a model wrote it.” Tony Dear, senior lecturer in the computer science department, is piloting individualized AI feedback in a discrete mathematics course, while a machine learning course is also testing a Socratic AI dialogue system designed to “guide inquiry rather than supply answers,” the statement reads. Beyond individual courses, SEAS funded seven cross-departmental faculty projects in generative AI this past academic year, spanning biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, according to the statement. This phenomenon extends beyond the computer science department. SEAS’ new AI minor, which it announced in November 2025, reflects the University’s attempt to adapt. The minor is specifically designed for noncomputer science majors and aims to provide “essential AI knowledge” while emphasizing practical and responsible use across disciplines, according to the SEAS website. At the center of the minor is AI in Context, a course taught by a team of faculty from the departments of computer science, applied mathematics, philosophy, music, literature, and the Writing Center, the representatives told Spectator. Bauer described it as targeted at students who want to bring AI into fields like economics or biology, rather than as a path into software engineering itself. At the graduate level, SEAS announced a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence in February, with the inaugural cohort starting in the fall. While recognizing how AI has helped them navigate coursework, students also described its rise as isolating, even among members of the Application Development Initiative, one of Columbia’s largest computer science clubs. “As people start to ask AI for questions that they would normally ask students and members, it starts to isolate people” Li said. Alexa Kafka, BC ’27, echoed Li’s sentiment, pointing out that computer science has always been a collaborative discipline with code reviews and pull requests, even as AI makes independent work easier. Despite this, Kafka noted that she hasn’t been to office hours “in at least a year.” Bauer added that faculty are exploring long-term solutions to the assessment problem. “One of the things that we’re trying to do at the department or school level is to maybe move towards computerized testing facilities,” Bauer said, referring to ideas in the department to revitalize computer labs as an alternative to pen-and-paper exams. “We have to accept that this is the reality, for better or worse.” But more exams, students say, does not mean better learning, nor does it reflect how computer science is actually done. “Code is so variable and can be approached in so many directions, there’s never just going to be one correct answer. There can be multiple optimal solutions,” Kafka said. Students also expressed concern that the shift toward exam-heavy grading pulls focus away from the applied, project-based work that better reflects both discipline and industry expectations. ADI has tried to respond more quickly than the curriculum can. Through a vibe coding workshop this past semester, club members said they wanted to help students understand not just that AI exists, but how to use it deliberately. “Vibe coding” refers to the practice of prompting AI to write code for a task or project, and has become widespread enough that ADI felt the gap in formal instruction was worth addressing, according to Sophia Huang, BC ’29. The workshop introduced students to the concept of context engineering, which Shaina Sahu, SEAS ’27, described as not just writing a prompt, but optimizing “the rest of the relevant information that you would feed into the model.” Without that, students said that AI-generated code can fail at scale or introduce difficult-to-detect bugs. Genawi said the shift toward AI has changed what it means to be good at computer science. “I think the shift has kind of gone towards what can you create and what can you do, instead of, what do you know,” she said. Indeed, during ADI DevFest, its annual hackathon, Li said more teams are trying to complete their projects than in years past. While sign-ups have historically outpaced submissions, Li said this is beginning to change because teams “have a tool that completes the vision for them.” While many students see AI as an equalizer that lowers the barrier to entry for coding and technical work, Murphy said it also creates new equity concerns inside the classroom around who can afford stronger tools and who already knows how to use them. “The equity issues I worry about are students who have access to paid versions of things versus free versions of things,” he said. Although popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude have free versions available, both have paid models that can reach over $100 per month, which output different qualities of code. Murphy also pointed to differences in prior exposure to AI literacy itself. “Students who go to high schools or K-12 education, where they’re taught AI literacy, prompt engineering, context engineering, they understand how to do this, as opposed to students who go to schools who don’t teach that,” he said. “Then they come in, and then they’re somehow expected to know how to use these tools.” For Genawi, those disparities begin long before students arrive on campus. “It’s very interesting to consider how lucky you were geographically,” she said. “To be born where you were is influencing your ability to get access to these spaces.” Students like Yu, though broadly apprehensive about the future of computer science, are not without hope. “I’m optimistic, because I think if you’re truly passionate about CS, there will definitely be a place in the field to do something you want to do,” she said. Senior Staff Writer Ria Vasishtha can be contacted at ria.vasishtha@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Staff Writer Arjun Menon can be contacted at arjun.menon@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook. Produced with Spectate by Emily Ta
Fugees rapper Pras reports to prison to begin 14-year sentence
SAFFORD, Ariz — Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of the Fugees has reported to federal prison to begin a 14-year sentence following a conviction over illegally funneling millions of dollars
School of Public Health lays off lecturers, staff amid budget shortfall
Citing reduced federal research funding and declining international enrollment, the Public Health School laid off four lecturers and 15 staff
The politics of Trump's ballroom
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Trump was about a half-hour into his second speech of the day, musing about the danger he faced last week at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Saturday night, it was good for one thing. People are loving my ballroom now,” Trump told a crowd last night. “That’s the only thing. They love my ballroom.” Ever since he was hustled off stage at the Washington Hilton last week, after an attempted shooter breached the dinner’s security perimeter and sent guests diving to the floor, the president has argued that the incident is proof for why his White House ballroom is needed. Only his planned $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project, Trump has reasoned, can keep a president truly safe at major events. It’s true that a bunch of GOP lawmakers have jumped on board with new legislation and words of support for Trump’s project. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Rand Paul and other prominent Republicans went on TV to talk about the need for a ballroom. But as we reported at The Washington Post this week, “people” aren’t really changing their minds on Trump’s ballroom. A new Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that most Americans still oppose the ballroom project: 56 percent against it versus 28 percent in favor. The numbers are the same as a poll from last year, the Post’s polling whiz Scott Clement found. Other new polls have found similar margins, too. “I’m just not a giant fan, especially of extravagance,” one independent voter told me. “I mean, in the era we’re in right now, given how much people are struggling, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to spend $400 million on a ballroom.” How we got here The Washington Post has followed Trump’s ballroom project very closely. (My colleague Jonathan Edwards may have written the most total words of any reporter about the project; I may be second.) The project exploded as a national issue after Trump tore down the White House’s East Wing after initially promising not to touch it.1 Historic preservationists sued, and about a month ago, a federal judge ordered a halt to ballroom construction.2 The only way the ballroom could proceed, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled, was if Congress explicitly authorized Trump’s plans. (An appeals court has stayed Leon’s order for now.) The judge’s ruling raised an obvious question: would Congress authorize the project? Keep in mind, “authorization” doesn’t mean that Congress needs to necessarily fund the planned $400 million project; they could just sign off on the private donations that Trump has solicited to pay for the ballroom.3 But GOP lawmakers really didn’t want to talk about the ballroom, we reported at The Post just a few weeks ago. One major reason was the ballroom’s bad polling — not a small detail with many of their own midterm elections looming. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, and Trump’s advocacy, may have changed the political conversation around the ballroom. As this week’s polling shows, it doesn’t seem to have affected the fundamental questions surrounding the project. To put it another way, voters still say that cost-of-living concerns are top-of-mind heading into the midterms. Some Republican and independent voters have told me that they see the ballroom as a vanity project that will help Trump but do nothing for their own lives. It might not help Republicans that Trump has dismissed some of the cost-of-living concerns. He’s described “affordability” as a buzzword manufactured by Democrats whose policies helped cause inflation. “They’ve got one good line of bullshit,” Trump said in his first speech yesterday, delivered at a Florida retirement community known as The Villages. Thanks for reading Dan Diamond's newsletter! Subscribe for free to stay up-to-date on my work. Subscribe Speaking of Trump’s speeches… I’m down in Florida because it’s my “duty week” as a White House reporter — basically, I follow the president wherever he goes. (And then hand the baton off to one of my Washington Post colleagues next week.) As part of my duty week, I’ve spent a few days covering the White House’s reaction to Saturday’s attempted shooting, including officials’ review of the security protocols to protect the president. Trump was restrained in the wake of the incident, addressing the nation from the White House briefing room about the need for peaceful dialogue and trying to lower the temperature. But he’s clearly been itching to get back out of the White House, and I was curious to hear how his Florida speeches would go. And — to my ears — it was an unburdened Trump. Not the one we saw Saturday night in the White House briefing room, but the one we witnessed on the campaign trail in 2024. Loose, dropping profanities, mocking everyone, including members of his team. “We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being. Where’s Dr. Oz? Where the hell are you, stand up,” Trump said, referring to Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made. He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you, I don’t care. I said, ‘You work out the details.’” I wrote up the speech, as Trump headed to West Palm Beach to deliver more remarks a few hours later. The White House didn’t like my story. Their rapid-response team called it the work of a “total loser”4 and “a miserable TDS-ridden moron.” You can be the judge of whether it’s a fair story or the product of someone afflicted with “TDS.” (The White House’s shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”) I’ve pasted the story below with a gift link, meaning that you don’t need to be a Washington Post subscriber to read it. It might prompt you for an email address, though. Meanwhile, I’ll be down in Florida for the rest of the weekend, covering the president. It’s TBD whether those stories will be deemed TDS-afflicted, too. 1 Jonathan details the past six months of ballroom fallout, reactions and the implications for executive authority here. I also had a great time talking about Trump’s ballroom and other projects with Australia’s ABC News Daily on a podcast this week. 2 The judge allowed underground construction and national security-related work to continue. But that hasn’t been enough for Trump, who says the ballroom itself is essential for his protection. 3 The ballroom donors include companies like Palantir, Google and Amazon. For transparency, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, where I work. No one has ever interfered with our team’s coverage of the ballroom or our mentions of Amazon or Bezos, and if that changed, I’d speak out. 4 To be fair, I’ve spent the morning working on stories and writing this Substack post rather than enjoying the beautiful Florida weather. So they may be onto something about who’s winning and who’s losing.
The Cannabis Industry’s New Best Friend? President Trump
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Spirit Airlines begins winding down operations, canceling all flights
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Appeals court limits abortion pill access nationwide
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Small Business Administration opens disaster loan applications for March 6 tornadoes
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Business Lookahead: Eyeing oil, US jobs, and European earnings
STORY: From high oil prices and the conflict in the Middle East to U.S. jobs data and corporate earnings, here’s what you need to watch in business and finance in the week ahead.:: Crude and currencyOil prices briefly topped $120 a barrel this week to hit their highest level since 2022 as the war with Iran enters a third month.While the U.S. and Iran face pressure to end a conflict that has shut the Strait of Hormuz, the world watches anxiously as the biggest-ever disruption to energy supplies unfolds.For each week the Strait is closed, keeping oil elevated, the greater the economic risks via higher inflation or weak growth or, for some, both. Oil importer Japan just intervened to prop up a yen that has been weakened by the conflict.A new month is now underway and some traders will be mindful of that old adage, "Sell in May and go away.":: Jobs gyrationsAs the U.S. economy grapples with fallout from the Middle East war, Wall Street's radar turns to Friday's April monthly payrolls report.The U.S. economy likely created 73,000 new jobs, economists polled by Reuters forecast. In March, payrolls increased by 178,000, the most since December 2024, but that followed a sharp decline in February.The U.S. employment data comes amid signs of hawkishness at the Federal Reserve, as Donald Trump pick Kevin Warsh prepares to take over as chair with the U.S. president keen on rate cuts.:: Starmer’s statusThursday's local elections in Britain, usually a non-event for investors, could move markets in a big way, with opinion polls pointing to a heavy defeat for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party.A heavy defeat could spark more widespread demands for his dismissal among his own lawmakers and stoke expectations of a successor more willing to run looser budgets. That would bring more bad news for British bonds.::European earningsIt's a big week for European earnings with Shell and Commerzbank among those reporting.On aggregate, profits are expected to grow 3.2% in Q1, according to LSEG I/B/E/S. Under the surface, it's a little bit more complicated. Growth is expected to be driven by just three sectors: financials, tech and energy. The latter is seen as the biggest beneficiary of the Iran war due to higher oil and gas prices.But if the war, and energy surge, persist, the overall outlook for Europe's earnings could turn.
Appeals court blocks FDA rule that allows women to obtain abortion drugs by mail
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Nebraska business leaders, Gov. Pillen step up support for Union Pacific-led merger
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Gov. Abbott, HHSC Announce $56 Million in Federal Funding for Rural Health Care Providers to Modernize Equipment, Infrastructure | Texas Health and Human Services
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'Sham' network accessed 300,000 medical records, including Michigan's
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Trump says Spirit given 'final proposal' on bailout
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Indiana to end HIV outreach program amid federal funding cuts
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Health clinics exempt from drug discount rule change
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Obamacare Enrollment Drops Sharply as Costs Rise
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Nebraska rolls out Medicaid work requirements, putting thousands at risk of losing coverage
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‘Move fast and break things’ not way to fix Colorado’s roads
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Sheriff’s indictment adds to New Orleans’ year of political turmoil
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Florida college sports panel eyes agent rules, NIL trusts
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Reeves establishes Mississippi office for Rural Health Transformation Program funds
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The Politics Hour: How federal worker cuts are changing the region
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Yakima Federal Helps Small Businesses Manage Cash Flow More Efficiently
First Experience Digital deployment of CashFlow Central brings modern, unified AP and AR into one digital experience MILWAUKEE, April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, announced today that Yakima
From busy to billable: Time management strategies for business-generating lawyers
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Research commissioner pitches EU to US scientists and investors
Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva is just back from a two-day trip to San Francisco, where she pitched the EU as the place to be for US researchers looking to move and US venture capitalists looking to invest. A Commission spokesperson told Science|Business that Zaharieva used the trip to “promote Europe as a stable, rule-based and vibrant innovation destination.” She emphasised Europe’s excellent infrastructure and predictable funding, particularly through the European Research Council (ERC) and Europe Innovation Council.These are already proving tempting, with applications from US-based researchers to ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) calls increasing substantially over the past few years. According to the Commission, the number of US-based applicants for the annual ERC Consolidator Grant call rose from 19 in 2025 to 64 in 2026, while US bids to the ERC Advanced Grant call rose from 23 in 2024 to 114 in 2025. Meanwhile, US applications to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme rose from 352 in 2024 to 998 in 2025.Pressure on US scientists to seek alternative employment has increased since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Jobs at federal science agencies have been slashed, funding cut in some research areas and international scientific partnerships turned upside down. He has also made unprecedented attempts to control university affairs.During her trip, Zaharieva made a point of highlighting the protection of academic freedom in Europe, “especially in areas like climate change, renewable energy, and health, where US funding has faced cuts,” the spokesperson said.She also underlined the EU’s “attractive long-term career opportunities and relocation support for top researchers from anywhere in the world,” especially through its new Choose Europe for Science initiative.“Transatlantic cooperation remains essential to tackle global challenges while safeguarding shared values such as academic freedom and openness,” Zaharieva wrote on social media ahead of her visit.Related articlesERC walks back stricter resubmission rules for 2027Don’t feel guilty about poaching scientists fleeing Trump, US science body tells EuropeHer itinerary took in Stanford University’s business school and school of medicine, where topics for discussion included entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration. She also met with venture capital firms, including Playground Global, Forgepoint Capital and Akkadian Venture Capital, as well as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the US.Other meetings included Jensen Huang, the chief executive of AI chip manufacturer Nvidia, and local business associations such as the Bay Area Council and EuroCham. European delegations in the area also received visits, including Advantage Austria and France’s La French Tech, and the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco.
Federal judge rejects Colorado GOP’s effort to block unaffiliated voters from participating in party’s 2026 primaries
U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer said excluding unaffiliated voters days before the state’s ballot certification deadline, and just weeks before ballots start being mailed out, would create too much confusion.
Report: Oklahoma health system performs poorly across all racial, ethnic groups
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CEO of ECU Health urges House Ways and Means Committee to abandon "one size fits all" healthcare solutions
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StanChart Sells Some Card Business to India Lender in Pullback
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Mark Sanford suspending congressional bid. Will launch advocacy targeting national debt instead.
Mark Sanford has dropped out of the SC 1st District race after a month and will start a nonprofit aimed at tackling the federal debt. He says he can do more outside Congress.
Owner of autism center raided by feds tied to another business billing Minnesota Medicaid
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UNM Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center Partners with Department of Neurosciences to Promote Greater Rigor and Reproducibility in Research
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has won a three-year $2.6 million federally funded grant intended to bolster the transparency, rigor and reproducibility of HSC research. The initiative, funded by the National Institute of...
UNM Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center Partners with Department of Neurosciences to Promote Greater Rigor and Reproducibility in Research
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has won a three-year $2.6 million federally funded grant intended to bolster the transparency, rigor and reproducibility of HSC research. The initiative, funded by the National Institute of...
How the Voting Rights Act Helped Latinos in California
The federal law had been a “game changer” for Latino voters, but Wednesday’s ruling could weaken Asian Americans’ political power in the state.
FCC orders ABC stations, including Houston’s KTRK, to re-apply for broadcast license amid political squabble
The Federal Communications Commission ordered KTRK and seven other television stations owned by Disney to file for renewing its license by May 28 — years earlier than anticipated.
Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged as Powell's chairmanship nears end
Federal Reserve policymakers left interest rates unchanged in April amid concerns about elevated inflation and as Fed Chair Jerome Powell's term as central bank chairman draws to a close.
Former Oregon State NIL collective Dam Nation files lawsuit against Blueprint Sports
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New court filing details timeline and suspect’s extensive arsenal in White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting
A Secret Service officer saw a shotgun-wielding suspect fire his weapon toward the stairs that led to a hotel ballroom where President Donald Trump, members of his Cabinet and some of the nation’s top journalists had gathered Saturday for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, federal prosecutors alleged in a new court filing Wednesday.
Former FBI Director James Comey surrenders to law enforcement at Virginia courthouse
Former FBI Director James Comey has surrendered to law enforcement at federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia.