Daniel Aldrich

A Great Divergence Across States on Autonomy (opinion) As some states move to regulate public colleges more like K–12 schools, we may be witnessing the start of an epic natural experiment in governance, Neal H. Hutchens writes.

In conservative states, a spate of recent laws gives legislators and governors control over public higher education curriculum, take authority from faculty over educational decisions, and require the policing of faculty and programs for left-leaning bias. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

Trump's policies on illegal and legal immigration would reduce the projected number of workers in the United States by 6.8 million by 2028 and by 15.7 million by 2035 and lower the annual rate of economic growth by one-third, harming U.S. living standards thehill.com/homenews/adm...

Russian threat looms: Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance warned in its latest report that war no longer seems as unlikely as it did a few years ago, as it recommends maintaining food supplies of three to ten days. www.euronews.com/2025/10/19/g...

New #article from Lunga et al: Preventing Disasters Before They Happen: Lessons from Successful Disaster Risk Reduction in Southern Africa
TL;DR: locally embedded, yet scientifically informed, interventions enhance resilience and reduce disaster impacts.
www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17...

Mitigation efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and meet the Paris Agreement have been offset by economic growth - Communications Earth & Environment Global carbon dioxide intensity declined from 2015 to 2024 following the Paris Agreement, but total emissions still increased due to economic growth, according to a global analysis of population, gros...

Carbon intensity declined (i.e., improved) substantially over that period, but that overall carbon emissions rose, due to the rapid rise in world GDP, which more than canceled out the progress made www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Russia’s Coal Collapse Marks The End Of Fossil Fuel Post-War Illusion Russia’s Coal Collapse signals the end of the fossil era. From bankrupt mines to battery booms, the global energy transition is accelerating. Facing political resistance.

As Russia’s coal economy implodes, global energy markets are pivoting toward renewables and storage — the new engines of growth — even as a political backlash targets the science driving progress www.forbes.com/sites/we-don...

The poor - lowest quartile - seeing worst wages in years

American Infrastructure Is About to Get Even Worse Donald Trump is using the power of the White House to load public-works projects down with bureaucracy.

Political blackmail: Trump has frozen funds for construction of new tunnels to carry trains under the Hudson River, known as the Gateway project, and the extension of Manhattan’s Second Avenue Subway. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

State emergency officials say new rules and delays for FEMA grants put disaster response at risk State emergency management officials say they're facing funding challenges from the federal government that threaten the country's ability to respond to crises.

State crisis managers say severe cuts to federal security grants, restrictions on money intended for preparedness and funding delays tied to litigation are posing a growing risk to their ability to respond to emergencies apnews.com/article/fema...

Task Force Urges World Bank and International Monetary Fund to Prioritize Climate, Restructure Lending Policies - Inside Climate News As the World Bank and IMF hold annual meetings in Washington, D.C., a new report calls for these institutions to reform their lending models to drive the clean-energy transition and help developing co...

As the World Bank and IMF hold annual meetings in Washington, D.C., a new report calls for these institutions to reform their lending models to drive the clean-energy transition and help developing countries withstand climate shocks insideclimatenews.org/news/1510202...

Utility hit with backlash after troubling data emerges about its nuclear facilities: 'Fuel expenses are higher than projected' The Tennessee Valley Authority, which is a major utility serving more than 10 million people in the Southeast, is facing criticism.

Tennessee Valley Authority, which is a major utility serving more than 10 million people in the Southeast, is facing criticism after data revealed its nuclear reactors shut down unexpectedly 12 times over the past year. www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Renewable Energy Overtook Coal As the World’s Top Power Source for the First Time, Marking a New Era Renewable energy finally surpassed coal and it’s a turning point decades in the making.

In the first half of 2025, renewables led by solar and wind generated more electricity worldwide than coal, www.zmescience.com/ecology/rene...

FEMA staff sound the alarm on disaster preparedness at rally in front of agency headquarters Current and former FEMA staff have gathered for a “FEMA Solidarity Rally” outside the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

Current and former staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency demonstrated against workforce and program cuts during a “FEMA Solidarity Rally” on Friday, a potentially risky act of protest because some of the same staffers were placed on leave apnews.com/article/fema...

New #article from Greger et al : From Protests on the Streets to a War in the East

TL;DR: Breaking down the social media conversations into disaster phases helps crisis managers better understand and support the needs of the affected populations

dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10....

New #chapter from Battison and Alexander: Social Connectedness in Pandemic Times: A Case Study of Australia’s Italian- Background Community
TL;DR: finance, medical access and emotional support, concentrated in family and friendship ties (bonding ties)
www.jstor.org/stable/jj.25...

As a resilience professional, your city looks to you to prepare for the next emergency. Design coastal wetlands plans to safeguard cities from rising tides. Develop communication to combat political radicalization. Apply for an MS in Resilience Studies now
cssh.northeastern.edu/polisci/prog...

New #article from Espia et al: Beyond Clientelism: State–Civil Society Relations in Disaster Risk Management Policymaking in the Philippines
TL;DR: institutions’ role in shaping engagement outcomes is viewed as more contingent
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

US Capitol Police investigating ‘vile and deeply inappropriate symbol’ found in GOP lawmaker’s office | CNN Politics US Capitol Police are investigating “a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol” found in GOP Rep. Dave Taylor’s office, the congressman said in a statement.

US Capitol Police are investigating “a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol” - a swastika- found in GOP Rep. Dave Taylor’s office www.cnn.com/2025/10/15/p...

Renewables In America Will Continue To Rise Despite The Loss Of Incentives - CleanTechnica Facing a loss of incentives, you might expect the installation of renewables to slow down, but in fact it is picking up speed.

Solar and batteries can be installed much faster than natural gas and nuclear power plants. Solar and batteries have also become cheaper, while the cost of building gas power plants has soared. cleantechnica.com/2025/10/15/r...

A Coal-Processing Plant Closed. Local E.R. Visits Dropped Sharply.

Researchers tracked trends in hospital visits from surrounding neighborhoods after a coal-processing facility near Pittsburgh shut down. ER visits for respiratory issues dropped by about 20 percent in the month following the shutdown of the plant. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/c...

Excited about our new #article: Linking social infrastructure and social capital: Barangay halls and basketball courts as cornerstones of community resilience
TL;DR: Identifies six core functions of social infrastructure shaping social capital
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Three universities — the University of Pennsylvania, MIT and Brown University — have rejected the compact, which says schools must revise “government structures” in the institutions that stifle free speech and crack down on vandalism thehill.com/homenews/edu...

Subsidizing Fossil Fuels, but Not Clean Energy

Coal, oil and gas interests in the U.S. received more than $16 billion in subsidies in 2023 www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/c...

This fan was built by academic platform managers

During shocks and disasters, what factors help us survive and thrive? In my book Building Resilience - on serious sale right now for < 3 USD - I argue that #socialcapital - the ties that bind us - are critical
www.amazon.com/Building-Res...

"Airports Will Be Flooded With Cancellations": Americans On Edge Over Early Warning For Thanksgiving Flight Delays Delays and cancellations are expected for Thanksgiving travel if the government shutdown continues.

Airports Will Be Flooded With Cancellations: Americans On Edge Over Early Warning For Thanksgiving Flight Delays share.google/2yZingSIxdFg...

For private flood insurance companies, the government shutdown is good for business With the government shutdown, the National Flood Insurance Program is no longer writing new policies. It's causing problems for would-be homeowners, but private companies have stepped in to help.

Another problem with the growth of the private insurers is that they "cherry-pick" the least risky homes and businesses in an area. That leaves the government program with the highest costs and creates issues for a program that has operated in the red. www.npr.org/2025/10/16/n...

America is ‘going broke slowly’ says J.P. Morgan, as national debt balloons and tariff revenue looks shaky | Fortune Even with Trump’s tariffs and Musk’s spending cuts, J.P. Morgan’s David Kelly warns, America is “going broke.”

With U.S. national debt now topping $37.8 trillion and interest payments exceeding $1.2 trillion, the debt-to-GDP ratio—already at 99.9%—will likely keep rising even under moderate growth. fortune.com/2025/10/14/a...