JEFFERSON CITY — The 2024 legislative session that ended Friday seemed more a referendum on Republican Party loyalty than a collective venture toward policy.
Constant infighting among Republicans over priorities and which ones were truly conservative led to days-long filibusters, name calling and the death of many conservative bills, including a top party priority: making it more difficult to amend the Missouri Constitution.
The divisions were so ingrained that the Senate Democrats, holding 10 seats in a 34-person body, delivered the deciding votes on some of the session's most important bills.
The hard-right Freedom Caucus has said their issue with mainstream Republican leaders in the legislature is a lack of dedication to “big red” policies like reducing personal property tax and preventing foreign countries from owning Missouri land.
Looking back at previous sessions, that argument doesn’t quite stack up. In the last several years Republicans have passed one of the nation's most strict abortion bans, limitations on transgender health care and enacted several income tax cuts.
The Freedom Caucus went to great lengths to disrupt Senate procedure and strong-arm leadership in an effort to pass their highest priority, changes to the initiative petition process. The impact was that they were tossed off Senate committees by the Republican leadership and later in the session failed to convince their Republican colleagues to embrace their priorities.
Less than two weeks before the constitutional deadline for the budget and with an important federal health care reimbursement that creates over $4 billion in revenue, Freedom Caucus members filibustered for 41 hours with the demand that leadership first bring up a resolution changing the approval threshold for state constitutional amendments.
Going into the last week of session, initiative petition reform still had not passed.
This week, the Freedom Caucus supported a motion among Republicans to end the Democratic filibuster on the issue through an extraordinary motion — the previous question — that hasn’t been used in the Senate since 2020. But only 16 Republicans would support that plan, which needed 18 votes, so it was never brought before the floor.
With that failure on Wednesday, the resolution was sent back to the House, which refused to budge on Thursday and sent it back to the Senate. On Friday the Senate adjourned without any further action and the effort died.
The failure to pass the resolution making initiative petition changes showed the inability of even a supermajority to act when splintered on such chaotic, disruptive lines.
Senate President Pro Tem. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said that this session showed that more can get done through compromise than confrontation.
"I'm walking out of here as a guy that has basically accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish and I did it in a way that was respectful and collegial," Rowden said in a press conference after adjournment.
Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, R-Independence, backed up that point saying, "I don't think Democrats won or Republicans lost (the session), I think decorum won."
Fiscal Year 2025 budget
A set of constitutionally mandated bills that fund the state's operations passed just three hours before the May 10 deadline. The final budget is $51.7 billion, $1 billion less than what the governor proposed, and about $2 billion less than last year's budget.
Three things stuck out in this year's budget: Infrastructure continued to be a major focus, spending was reduced to come in line with revenue projects and numerous members on both sides of the aisle were frustrated by the lack of transparency in the process.
Over the last two years, about $3.5 billion has been put into widening I-70 to six lanes statewide and I-44 in the southwestern part of the state. Both projects are about equally funded through debt and general revenue. The budget that was approved is expected to reduce the state surplus to about $1.5 billion.
Up-to-date numbers from the Office of Administration show a more rosy revenue picture than anticipated. So far Fiscal Year 2024 revenue receipts are up 2.7% year over year. That's far higher than the projected .2% growth in revenue used to craft the budget. If that revenue continues at the same pace and with a current general fund balance of over $4 billion there is a chance the state's surplus will hardly be tapped over the next year.
The declining budget also represents a return to normal state budgeting. Since the pandemic, states have received an unprecedented influx of federal COVID relief and infrastructure cash. That has led to record high appropriations that oftentimes don't get spent. In the FY 2023 budget, $10 billion of the $48 billion appropriated was never used. In 2018, only $2 billion of the $28 billion budget was left unspent.
No public comment was taken during the budget process and meetings between the House and Senate where the final budget package was finalized only existed behind closed doors. Senators only had a few minutes to review the bills before voting on them and House members had little time to debate as they passed the budget just hours before the constitutional deadline.
This backdoor process drew criticism from Democrats, Freedom Caucus members and the governor as many felt out of the loop.
Elections and initiative changes Fighting over changes that would make it harder to amend the Missouri Constitution again put the brakes on normal operating procedures on the Senate floor this session.
The Freedom Caucus has more than once sent the Senate into disarray over a piece of legislation that again failed to cross the finish line after years of attempts.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, would have asked voters whether the current threshold to amend the state constitution — a simple majority, or 50% plus one — should be raised to also require a majority vote in at least five of the state’s eight congressional districts.
This year’s proposal included two provisions that led the chamber to several lengthy filibusters totaling more than 100 hours. In addition to the threshold requirement, the provisions would ask voters to bar noncitizens from voting on constitutional amendments and to ban constitutional amendments sponsored by foreign governments.
These provisions are already state law and Democrats made a point of filibustering against those provisions.
Republicans this session also pushed a resolution that would ban ranked-choice voting in Missouri. SJR 78 was passed by the House on Friday. The question will now go to voters to decide.
Ranked-choice voting is a practice where voters rank their preferred candidates on a single ballot until a winner is declared after receiving a majority of the vote. The idea is to give voters more options once their top-ranked choice is eliminated by distributing their vote to their next preferred candidates. Opponents said the practice does the exact opposite by splitting the vote.
While it is not in state law, St. Louis practices a version of ranked-choice voting that will be protected if the ban passes.
Education bill An omnibus education bill, SB 727, raising the minimum teacher salary, allowing charter schools in Boone County and providing private school scholarships to low-income students, has already been signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson. The provisions of the bill, approved by the minimum vote required in the House, are estimated to cost the state $468 million.
The new state minimum salary for teachers is set at $40,000 a year beginning with the next school year and includes additional incentives for teachers with longer careers and those with master’s degrees.
The voucher-like scholarship program for private school students offers up to $6,375 per child for expenses such as tuition, textbooks and transportation. The program is funded by private donors who can claim tax credits.
The size of the bill ballooned from 12 pages to more than 150 because of amendments in the Senate. House leaders blocked amendments so that the bill would not have to be returned for another vote in the Senate out of concern it would die because of filibusters on other topics.
The law requires a public vote to approve any switch to four-day school weeks while providing incentives to schools that stick with five-day weeks.
New crime provisions A major public safety bill that passed during the final House session on Friday made changes to how children are viewed in the court system, increased punishment for various crimes and limited the authority of citizen police review boards, among other items.
The bill tracks legislation passed last year, except for two technical provisions that prompted a veto by Parson. The law increases the age under which children could be considered adults in felony offenses from 12 to 14.
On July 4, 2011, Blair Shanahan Lane was killed by reckless celebratory gunfire. A portion of the bill dubbed "Blair's Law" creates penalties for such activity. After the bill passed on a bipartisan basis Friday, House members rose for a round of applause directed at Blair Lane's mother, who was in attendance.
The bill also creates "Valentine's Law" raising punishments for fleeing a law enforcement stop. It is named for St. Louis County Detective Antonio Valentine, who died in a crash pursuing a person fleeing police.
And there is a provision known as "Max's Law" that increases punishment for injuring or killing law enforcement K-9 dogs.
Sludge regulations House Bill 2134, which would create new regulations for wastewater sludge under the Missouri Clean Water Act, gained bipartisan approval and was signed by Parson.
The bill gained traction as concerns about waste lagoons and land application practices by Arkansas-based Denali Water Solutions have been brought to light. The new law prevents companies like Denali from applying waste as fertilizer without a regulatory process and testing.
Denali was previously forced to cease operations in Missouri after 6,000 gallons of slaughterhouse waste spilled into a field, causing residents to complain about the smell and runoff concerns.
Regulatory Sandbox Act The House Friday gave final approval to SB 894 creating an avenue for new companies offering innovative products to be excused from meeting some state regulations for the first 24 months that they begin offering innovative products to consumers.
Companies would be required to apply and meet certain criteria to participate in the program.
The bill also creates an Office of Entrepreneurship within the Department of Economic Development that will promote policies and initiatives to support the growth of entrepreneurship of Missouri-based businesses with less than ten employees.
Eviction moratorium A bill passed on Friday barred any municipality from enacting an eviction moratorium. The bill, SB 865, comes in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic when cities across the country prevented landlords from evicting tenets. Realtors and apartment associations spoke in favor of the bill as they feel moratoriums violate the rights of property owners.
National Guard deployment Parson signed a bill on May 8 approving additional funding for a Missouri National Guard deployment to the southern border. The governor traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas, to sign House Bill 2016 into law and visit with members who have been deployed since March.
“The battle that we’re fighting down here at the border is keeping it from happening in our own borders, in our own state in Missouri,” Parson said before signing the bill.
Members of the National Guard are assisting with Operation Lone Star after being invited by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Operation Lone Star is a state-level border security effort at the Texas-Mexico border that began in 2021.
The $2.2 million in funding supports the operations of approximately 200 National Guard members and 22 Missouri State Highway Patrol officers for 90 days. Since the start of their mission, only around 50 guardsmen and 22 members of the highway patrol have served in Texas.
Sports wagering moves ahead After years of failed attempts to get legalization through the Missouri General Assembly, sports gambling appears to have found a more promising path.
Early in May, the Winning for Missouri Education committee along with a coaltion of Missouri professional sports teams submitted over 340,000 signatures for a ballot initiative to the Secretary of State's office desk.
If the Secretary of State verifies that enough signatures are genuine, the question would be put to voters in November. Thirty-eight other states have legalized some form of sports wagering.
The petition proposes a 10% tax on wagers to be collected by the Department of Revenue, deposited into the state treasury and credit to the "Gaming Proceeds for Education Fund," raising a projected $35 million.
Approximately $5 million in funds from the sports wagering tax would go into a fund to help compulsive gamblers and the rest would go to public school and higher education programs.
Child tax credits Bipartisan support and a State of the State address plug by Parson helped two bills, SB 742 and HB 1488, which would add provisions allowing for tax credits related to child care services to reach the Senate floor for consideration.
However, opposition from Freedom Caucus members of the Senate stalled action both in an effort to advance bills they felt deserved more priority and out of a general dislike of tax credits. The Senate version is sponsored by Sen. Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, while the House bill is sponsored by Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph.
Protecting IVF House and Senate bills to protect in vitro fertilization clinics got a flurry of attention but did not advance following an Alabama state court ruling that relied on a state abortion ban to restrict in vitro fertilization clinics.
The Missouri Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled in 2016 that IVF-created embryos were a matter of “marital property of special order.” This has provided legal protection for doctors and patients in the IVF field.
However, that court ruling cited abortion protection offered by Roe Vs. Wade, which was overturned in 2022. With Missouri having a similar abortion ban to the one in Alabama, leading advocates and lawmakers alike are concerned about what could lie ahead.
Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, filed SB 1486 which would specify that Missouri's abortion ban does not have a definition that includes in vitro fertilization embryos that have not been implanted in a body. Rep. Bill Allen, R-Kansas City, filed House Bill 2845 which states that the IVF process is protected under law and no one can be prosecuted for undergoing or administrating IVF.
Here is what happened to other legislative topics that garnered attention during the session but did not pass:
Protections for pesticide maker: HB 2763, sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl, R-Butler, would have protected pesticide manufacturers from claims that they failed to warn consumers of possible cancer risks in their products as long as the federal Environmental Protection Agency has approved those products.
Much of the debate before the House approved the bill focused on Bayer, the company with U.S. headquarters in St. Louis that purchased Monsanto, the original manufacturer of RoundUp pesticide. According to The Associated Press, the company is seeking to stem a tide of lawsuits claiming that Bayer’s products cause cancer.
Diehl, a farmer, said he drafted the legislation out of fear that Bayer would be forced to pull RoundUp off of the market, harming farmers ability to grow crops. The bill never made it to the Senate floor for consideration.
Presidential primaries: New voting laws passed in 2022 eliminated the presidential primary in Missouri. Following low voter turnout in this year’s Republican presidential caucus, SB 1120 and HB 2618, which would reinstate presidential primaries, passed out of their respective committees. The House bill passed with amendments that would create new residency restrictions for candidates vying for U.S. Congress. Ultimately, neither bill got floor consideration.
The Taylor Swift Act: Bills in both the House and Senate sought to address the impact of problematic images created by artificial intelligence but did not make it into law. While ten states provide some form of retribution for this type of crime, only Minnesota and New York statutes allow for both civil and criminal relief.
The Taylor Swift Act, House Bill 2573, offered by Rep. Adam Schwadron, R-St. Charles, targeted fake pornographic images. The bill was approved by the Special Committee on Innovation and Technology but never received a floor vote. The name of the bill referred to explicit AI-created images of the singer that went viral in January.
A similar bill, Senate Bill 1424, sponsored by Sen. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, did not get a hearing.
Media Literacy: Companion bills, House Bill 1513 and Senate Bill 1311, aimed to teach students about media and digital literacy. Neither bill advanced.
Danny's Law: Legislation that sought to protect 911 callers from prosecution when calling to report a hazing incident stalled in the House. The bill was named after former University of Missouri student Danny Santulli, who suffered irreparable brain damage after drinking too much when pledging a fraternity at MU in the fall of 2021.
Danny’s Law was meant to offer exoneration to those involved in hazing incidents if they’re the first to call for emergency help.
“As the mother of three college-age men, I understand this is a major issue,” said Rep. Jo Doll, D-St. Louis, who spoke during a March 7 committee hearing. “It’s really important to give kids the ability to call 911 without being afraid of the consequences to them.”
Protecting major water users: House Bill 2669, which sought to limit information being released to the public about major water users, was approved by a House committee but failed to get a floor vote. The bill was meant to protect the information of Missouri’s family farmers and would keep information about individually identifiable water users from being disclosed to the public.
Highway Commission changes: A bill, House Bill 2568, that would have changed the makeup of the Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission was voted down in a committee in Apri. Two other bills that would have either changed the makeup of the commission or done away with it altogether failed to move forward after being the subject of public hearings in early February.
Nursing restrictions: Missouri is one of only a few states not to allow nurse practitioners to practice independently without the authority of a physician. A House committee passed an amended version of one bill, HB 1773, sponsored by Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green, that would allow nurses to practice independently after 6,000 hours of work under a physician's supervision. The bill was never placed on the House calendar, a roadblock which some nurses point to opposition from House Floor Leader Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit.
Dmitry Martirosov, Molly Miller, Aidan Pittman, Grant Green and Madeline Shannon contributed to this story.
Cover image: State Representative Chantelle Nickson-Clark(cq) throws her papers at the end of the legislative session on Friday, May 17, 2024 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City. Nickson-Clark was the first Black woman elected to represent District 67 in St. Louis County in Nov. 2022.

Date: 05/16/2024

Reading time: 14 minutes, 2817 words

🪖 Military

Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg unanimously adopts motion expressing support for Armenia

The Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg unanimously adopted a motion expressing support for Armenia. The motion condemns the forced exodus of more than 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's military operation. It calls for the immediate release of Armenian PoWs by Azerbaijan.

Armenpress, Luxembourg lawmakers urge government to act for implementation of ICJ orders by Azerbaijan

Russia expels U.K. defense attache in tit-for-tat move

Russia has expelled Britain’s defense attache in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of one of its own diplomats from London last week. A. T. Coghill must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within a week.

Armenpress

Ruben Vardanyan's detention period was extended for another 5 months

Vardanyan was arrested on September 27, 2023, at the Azerbaijani checkpoint of Hakari Bridge. He was charged with three counts: financing terrorism, creating and participating in armed units and/or groups. Azerbaijan confirms presence of about 23 Armenian prisoners.

CivilNet, Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months

Training sessions will be held from June 11 to August 30

From June 11 to August 30, training camps of reservists will be held in Armenia. Up to 5,151 citizens will be involved in the training sessions, of which 4,647 are rank-and-file and junior non-commissioned officers. It is planned to provide 45 units of road construction equipment.

CivilNet

🏛️ Politics & Government

An opposition figure was killed in Azerbaijan

Natig Mehdi, a member of the opposition Musavat party of Azerbaijan, was killed in Baku. Mehdi's disappearance was reported by his nephew on May 9, and his death was announced on May 14. His colleague Elsevar Islamov is accused of the murder. Islamov worked as a security guard at a Baku school, and Islamov was the school's deputy financial director.

CivilNet

Zelenskiy visits Kharkiv describing the situation there as “extremely difficult”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy travelled to the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Thursday. He described the battlefield situation in the region as "extremely difficult" but under control. Zelenkiy postponed all his foreign trips on Wednesday as the situation deteriorated. Russia says it has taken control of 12 villages since it launched its attack.

Armenpress

Red Cross visits Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives visited Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan. Among those detainees are representatives of the former military and political leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku officially confirms capture of 23 Armenians, 17 of whom ended up in Baku after Azerbaijan's military aggression last September.

Armenpress

France accuses Azerbaijan of interference in New Caledonia riots

France accuses Azerbaijan of ‘interference’ in politics of its Pacific territory of New Caledonia, which has seen deadly riots in recent days. Azerbaijan swiftly denies the charge, adding to a growing number of tensions between France and the hydrocarbon-rich Caspian Sea state. The riots were sparked by moves to agree a new voting law that supporters of independence say discriminates against the indigenous Kanak population.

ArmRadio

No new Armenia-Azerbaijan border created, the border existing at time of USSR collapse being reproduced – PM’s Office

No new border is being created between Armenia and Azerbaijan; rather, the existing de jure border at the time of the USSR’s dissolution is being reproduced. The border description is exactly as presented on the 1976 map.

ArmRadio

Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation

Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

PanArmenian

Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan receives EU Delegation

Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan received the delegation led by Adrien Kirali, Director of Neighbourhood East and Institution Building of the European Commission. Interlocutors highly appreciated the Joint EU-US-Armenia high-level meeting held on April 5, 2024 in Brussels.

Armenpress, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with EU Trade Commissioner

Armenian, Jordanian Foreign Ministers express concerns over tense situation in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem

Political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan were held in Yerevan. The parties commended the current high level of political dialogue between Armenia and Jordan. The interlocutors exchanged views on the prospects of developing cooperation between the two countries.

Armenpress

Armenian Foreign Minister, PACE President exchange ideas on regional issues

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with the President of the PACE Theodoros Rousopoulos in Strasbourg on May 16. The interlocutors exchanged views on the issues related to Armenia’s engagement in the Council of Europe.

Armenpress, Armenia involved in efforts to reopen regional communications: Mirzoyan

Prime Minister Pashinyan meets with World Bank and International Finance Corporation leadership

Nikol Pashinyan received the World Bank's Senior Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Vice President Alfonso Garcia Mora. The progress of joint projects, as well as the potential for diversifying Armenia's economy, were discussed.

Armenpress

Speakers of the Parliaments of Armenia, Azerbaijan have brief conversation

Alen Simonyan and Sahiba Gafarova had a short conversation in Geneva. The main meeting of the speakers of the parliaments of the two countries is expected to take place in the evening.

Armenpress

Armenian Foreign Minister signs Oviedo Convention in Strasbourg

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan signed Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine (Oviedo Convention) Armenia is the 37th country to join the Convention.

Armenpress, Armenia signs Council of Europe’s Bioethics Convention

Government approves housing provision program for Nagorno-Karabakh displaced people

The government approved the housing provision program for forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno Karabakh. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan presented the relevant project.

Armenpress, The housing problem of Artsakh residents will be solved in 3 stages, 2-5 million drams will be given. the government accepted the plan, Armenian government approves program to support refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia to establish Embassy in Cyprus

Armenia will establish an embassy in the Republic of Cyprus, the residence in Nicosia. The project was included in the package of non-reportable issues at the May 16 session of the government. The justification for the project states that the two countries accept each other as traditionally friendly countries.

Armenpress, Armenia will have an embassy in Cyprus, Armenia to open embassy in Cyprus, Armenia will open an embassy in Cyprus, Armenia to open Embassy in Cyprus

Legal basis for border delimitation with Azerbaijan relies on the last maps of the USSR- Pashinyan

Pashinyan: It was fundamental for Armenia not to create new borders, but to reproduce the borders previously confirmed by the Alma-Ata Declaration. The last maps of the Soviet Union, de jure having legal significance, he said.

Armenpress, In the issue of border demarcation, Armenia has adopted the principle of "the border passes where it passes". Pashinyan, The border demarcation commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a protocol, Pashinyan on Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation agreement: ‘I think it’s major success’, Pashinyan commented on the agreement reached with Azerbaijan on the issue of border demarcation in Tavush

Armen Grigoryan and Bogdan Klich discussed regional and extra-regional developments

Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia Armen Grigoryan received the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate of Poland Bogdan Klich. The parties discussed the Armenia-Poland bilateral agenda. Ideas were exchanged on the possibilities of expanding cooperation in various fields, particularly focusing on promoting trade and economic relations.

Armenpress

World leaders should steer clear of Baku climate conference unless political prisoners are released

Hrair Balian: World leaders who stand for a rules-based international order must decline participation in the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku unless 23 Armenian political prisoners jailed illegally in Azerbaijan are released. Balian says Azerbaijan is one of the most corrupt despotisms on the planet. Azerbaijan wants to turn the COP29 into a “Cop of peace”, urging countries participating in the summit to observe a ‘Cop truce”

CivilNet

State revenue committee chairman meets with WBcolleagues

Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Rustam Badasyan met with his colleagues from the World Bank. The meeting discussed the progress of programs implemented with the assistance of the Bank. An agreement was reached on possible areas for further cooperation.

Armenpress

Slovakia's prime minister not in life-threatening condition – deputy PM

Slovak PM Robert Fico is no longer in a life-threatening condition after being shot several times, deputy prime minister says. Fico's surgery had gone "well" and he was "not in a [life-threatening situation] at this moment", deputy PM Tomas Taraba says. Earlier the defence minister said the prime minister was "fighting for his life" after being gravely injured in an attack.

Armenpress, Slovakia PM Robert Fico no longer in life-threatening condition – deputy PM

Healthcare Ministry to receive additional 3 billion AMD to cover government-paid services

The Armenian government has decided to provide the country’s Healthcare Ministry with an additional amount of 3 billion drams to cover government-paid medical services for citizens. Half of this money will be spent on aid to low-income families, 400 million on emergency aid, 500 million on hemodialysis, 300 million on cancer treatment, 200 million on transplantation, and 100 million on treating infectious diseases.

ArkaAm

Yerevan Mayor visits Missak Manouchian’s tomb at French Pantheon

The official delegation led by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan visited the French Pantheon, where the remains of French national hero Misak Manouchian and his wife Meline are buried. The ceremony took place on February 21, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the execution of the executed soldiers.

ArmRadio

💵 Economy

EEU membership is beneficial for Armenia- Pankin

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexander Pankin said participation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is beneficial for Armenia. He said the growth of the Armenian economy and its involvement in the flows of commodity production cooperation is statistically confirmed by various indicators.

Armenpress

Granting market status to Armenia's economy discussed in USA

Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan met with U.S. officials in Washington. Focus was on Armenia-US bilateral trade and granting Armenia the status of a market economy. In January-March 2024, the Armenian-American trade turnover amounted to more than $108.9 million (37.4% decrease compared to the first quarter of last year)

ArkaAm

''Learn & Work: YSU Expo- 2024'' launched at Yerevan State University

"Learn & Work: YSU Expo- 2024" has gathered applicants, students, graduates, university divisions, and employers under one roof. The Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine CJSC has joined the Expo with great pleasure. The mining industry is one of the most important branches of Armenia's economy.

Armenpress

Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients

Yerevan State University students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. The Bank and the university have a history of successful collaboration. 10 YSU students were granted nominal scholarships of AMD 1 million each, while five others received tuition reimbursement.

ArkaAm, Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients

EBRD and EU boost funding for Armenian firms via Inecobank

The EBRD is providing a US$ 7 million loan to Inecobank for on-lending to Armenian firms. The EU is complementing this support with grant incentives of up to 15 per cent and free local and international consultancy services. At least 70 per cent of loans provided to Ineco Bank will be allocated towards funding investments in green technologies.

ArkaAm, EBRDis providingUS$ 10 million financial package to ArmSwissBank for on-lending to Armenian MSMEs, EBRD plans to invest up to 500 million euros in Armenia in 2024

EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso re-elected for a second term during annual meeting in Yerevan

Odile Renaud-Basso re-elected for a second term as the bank's president. The EBRD is the leading institutional investor in Armenia. The bank has invested more than €2.1 billion in 211 projects in the country’s financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors.

ArkaAm, EBRD Governors re-elect President Odile Renaud-Basso for a second term

Ardshinbank hostspanel discussion on economic and trade sanctions as part of 33rd EBRD Business Forum

Ardshinbank organized a panel discussion on economic and trade sanctions. The main objective of the discussion was to exchange views and assist participants in the practical implementation of sanctions compliance. The meeting also discussed the role of financial institutions in ensuring sanctions compliance, mechanisms for collaboration between the public and private sectors in combating sanctions evasion, and the importance of information transparency.

ArkaAm, Ardshinbank held a panel discussion on economic and trade sanctions within the framework of the 33rd EBRD conference (PHOTO)

Armenian customs find amphetamine in package from US, suspect detained

90 pills of amphetamine found in package sent from U.S. to Yerevan Zvartnots Airport. The package was sent via Globbing Shipping forwarder company. The drug, fully banned in Armenia, was found inside the package alongside edibles and personal items.

ArkaAm, SRC found 90 amphetamine tablets in a shipment sent from the USA to Yerevan (VIDEO)

Donations to Armenia:

Himnadram
ServicemenFund
Armenian Wounded Heroes
ArmeniaFund

"I have very little evidence... But that hasn't stopped me before." - Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld, asserting that Democrats may be preparing “electoral dirty tricks,” before admitting he has no basis to think so.

Criss-Cross Cohen Sauce

Trump’s attorneys spent the day bashing Trump’s former-fixer-turned-nemesis, Michael Cohen, on the witness stand. It wasn’t pretty.

• Lawyers for disgraced former President Donald Trump seemed to relish their chance to assault the credibility of the key witness against their boss in the ongoing Manhattan hush-money trial. Trump lawyer Todd Blanche dove in immediately, asking Cohen about the time he called Blanche a “crying little shit” on TikTok. Cohen admitted that sounded like something he would say (fact check: true!). Blanche threw more shade at Cohen, grilling him about social media remarks and contrasting Cohen’s recent Trump-ire with his past adoration. Blanche blasted Cohen as an infamous and convicted liar, while Trump “listened” on with his head back and his eyes closed.
  
• This trial is drawing near a close — and not a moment too damn soon. Cohen is the final witness for the prosecution, meaning prosecutors may rest their case as soon as Thursday. Next, Trump’s defense gets to call witnesses, if they have any. Trump once said he’d take the stand himself, then waffled about it. He’s done this two-step before: Promise big, then wimp out.
  
• Outside of the courthouse, Trump’s minions gathered to say the kinds of things that the judge has barred Trump from saying in a formal gag order. The most notable visitor: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who called the case an illegitimate sham, but never entered the courtroom. Others included Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), Governor Doug Burgum (R-ND), and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. New loyalty test alert!
  

Trump’s appeal to end the gag order was denied Tuesday morning, just as his MAGA faithful were mustering outside the courthouse to talk big into microphones on his behalf. But that, surely, was one big coincidence.

Look No Further Than Crooked Media

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Under The Radar

So… should we panic about the nerve-wracking New York Times poll data showing Trump leading President Joe Biden in five key battleground states? We’d be lying if we said we’re NOT breathing into a paper bag. But panic is not the order of the day, according to Pod Save America co-host, Dan Pfeiffer (who also hosts the Friends of the Pod exclusive, Pollercoaster). “The picture is not super pretty,” Pfeiffer said on today’s episode of the What a Day podcast. But, he continued, “no, you should not be running around like a chicken with your head cut off.”
First of all, this election cycle is still in its early days. Second, Biden doesn't need to carry all six battleground states to win the election. If Biden wins just Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, he’ll prevail, Pfeiffer pointed out. And in those three states, even this poll shows Biden within the margin of error among “likely voters” (rather than all registered voters, with whom Biden's numbers are worse).
Still, the president clearly has work to do. He’s not just behind Trump. He trails Democratic Senate candidates. Biden won Nevada by two points in 2020, but now lags Trump by a staggering 12 points among registered voters there. By contrast, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) leads her Republican challenger by two points in the Silver State. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is five points ahead of his Republican opponent in Pennsylvania, where Trump leads Biden by three points.
Curiously, the NYT poll also found that 17 percent of registered voters actually blame BIDEN for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, despite the fact that Trump appointed the justices who did this and then went around taking credit. Never mind, I think maybe we should panic again!

What Else?

The Biden administration told Congress it plans to move forward on a shipment of more than $1 billion in new weapons for Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed officials. The latest shipment includes over $700 million in tank ammunition and $500 million in tactical vehicles. The Biden administration has stressed its opposition to an Israeli assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah over fears of a humanitarian catastrophe, but has so far only withheld a single shipment of 2,000-pound bombs.
Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS) signed a new anti-trans bill Monday that bans transgender people from using bathrooms, locker rooms, or dormitories that do not correspond to their sex assigned at birth, or risk being sued. Reeves has already banned trans athletes from competing in women’s sports and banned gender-affirming care for minors.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken got on stage during a surprise visit to Kyiv and played guitar for a cover of Neal Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” The idea, seemingly, was to reassure Ukrainian leaders that the U.S. still supports their war against Russia, a few weeks after Congress approved a delayed $60 billion aid package. Is this what they teach in the School of Foreign Service?
Meanwhile, President Biden signed a bipartisan bill Monday that bans Russian imports of enriched uranium, the main fuel used by nuclear power plants. Russia accounts for more than a fifth of U.S. nuclear fuel, but Biden is looking to cut financial ties with the Kremlin. The bill, which allocates $2.7 billion for domestic uranium, was held up for months by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) while he threw a tantrum about some of his provisions getting nixed in the defense bill. Shocker. Don’t hurt yourself working so hard for America, Ted!
The Arizona Supreme Court agreed to delay enforcing the state’s 1864 near-total abortion ban until late September, which could bump the law from ever going into effect. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) signed a repeal earlier this month, but it won’t go into force before a stay on the ban is lifted, which would have potentially left a small window of time for Republicans to get doctors thrown in jail for performing abortions. Sorry, fellas, we know you really wanted to!
House Democrats opened an investigation into Trump’s disgraceful meeting with oil executives, in which he reportedly begged for $1 billion in campaign donations in exchange for axing dozens of Biden’s environmental policies.
Rudy Giuliani has been ducking his indictment by an Arizona grand jury last month for allegedly trying to overturn Trump’s loss in the state, and has yet to be served. Prosecutors reportedly made multiple attempts to hand the former U.S. attorney his summons, but have been unable to reach him in person or by phone. Maybe they should try summoning him from the underworld.

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Light At The End Of The Email

Popular children’s YouTube/TikTok star Ms. Rachel joined forces with Cameo to raise money for the Save the Children’s Emergency Fund, donating all proceeds towards children in Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ukraine.
A Georgia high school senior was accepted into 231 colleges and awarded $14.7 million in scholarships. Eighteen-year-old Madison Crowell is headed to High Point University on a full ride where she will major in exercise science with hopes to become a physical therapist. Wow… 231 colleges? Never mind tuition, just think of the application fees!

Enjoy

Crowsa Luxemburg on Twitter: "me when i send an email with one (1) typo"

[2.2 Main story spoilers, please only read if you have finished the story]

I've read many posts in this subreddit objecting to Sunday's philosophy on the basis that Sunday's ideals deprive other inhabitants of Penacony of their free will. I think that this does not strike at the heart of why one should object to Sunday's principles. I happen to have some formal training on the subject, so I will try my best to explain why Sunday's beliefs are objectionable. It is important to not simply get the direction of our opinions correct, but also the reason for believing the way we do correct as well.
In this post, I will address Sunday's philosophy and steel-man his arguments (i.e. addressing his arguments for their strongest possible position). I think that many people have felt that there is something right about Sunday's arguments -- we can look at this post for example. Using concepts from real-world political science scholarship, we can find that Sunday's arguments are not morally wrong. I will proceed to provide actual criticisms of Sunday's arguments after addressing our intuitive feelings to agree with Sunday.
A key assumption I make here is that we agree with Sunday/Robin/MC that freedom is good, and we want to maximize freedom under any regime or philosophy we adopt. From this angle, both Sunday and Robin + MC are correct, albeit that Sunday makes a critical misstep in execution that undermines the legitimacy of his entire plan. I'll explain it in the following sections.

Decomposing Sunday's Philosophy: Two principles

Sunday's philosophy can be broken down into two main principles: (1) people should not have to suffer because of their bodily constitution/environment/wealth; and (2) people should have the freedom to use their free time however they like, to achieve their own goals. I'll refer to (1) as the "Firefly principle", and (2) as the "Weekend principle".
Intuitively, we may find that there is nothing wrong with these two principles I've mentioned. This is why we might feel like we should agree with Sunday's ideals. How do we justify our feelings using robust academic concepts?
We can look at this through the idea of "negative" and "positive" liberty by scholar Isiah Berlin. This is the idea that freedom can be defined in two forms: (1) freedom from interference by others (including the environment); and (2) freedom to do things by being empowered with the means to do a given thing.

Negative freedom and the Firefly principle

We'll start with negative freedom and how it is promoted by the "Firefly principle". Basically, Sunday's argument is that people will be more free if they are removed from constraints of health, social status and wealth. Intuition suggests that this is correct, and we are right to follow that intuition. No one should have suffer more than others because they're born into worse circumstances. The famous social justice philosopher John Rawls would say that this suffering due to circumstances not of our own making is arbitrary and unfair.
People affected by their circumstances enjoy less freedom than others because they need to work hardework longecope with more challenges in order to simply live. This extra strain, from factors they cannot control, can be considered interference on a given person. They are forced to suffer the reductions in resources (time, money, etc.) in order to deal with the interference. I call this the Firefly principle because Firefly is the example Sunday uses when talking about this. Firefly is forced to deal with Entropy Loss Syndrome inherent to her circumstances of birth against her will, and has stated that she'd lead a far different life if she weren't bound to her circumstances. The way these circumstances of health, social status and wealth affect a person, against their will, directly contradicts the idea of negative liberty and being free from interference.
On the other hand, Sunday's proposal of removing this factors is convincing because we can see that it really increases the negative freedom of all people. They can reclaim resources that would otherwise be lost to the effects of interference from their circumstances of (lacking) health, social status and wealth. Assuming that we all believe that a greater freedom is preferable to a more limited one, it is clear that Sunday's philosophy, or at least the Firefly principle, is desirable.
In sum, the injustice of this arbitrariness makes us feel that the constraints of health, social status and wealth are morally bad; it is why we feel repulsed by it and in turn attracted to Sunday's ideas.

Positive Freedom and the Weekend principle

We move on to the idea of positive freedom and how we get more of it by following the Weekend principle. The one line that is most striking to most players is Sunday's example of an eternal succession of weekends to replace the working week. This is actually an extreme example which has overshadowed the underlying political position that Sunday holds, which led him to say such a thing. Sunday just wants to give people more resources -- in terms of time -- so that they may be free to pursue their life goals/ambitions. In political science, we call this the "life plan": it refers to what people want to do with their lives, given the resources that they have.
The relationship between the Weekend principle and positive freedom is a simple one. Being given time empowers one (i.e. increases one's positive freedom) because one has access to more resources to accomplish more of what they want. Again, intuitively, we see this as a good thing. We want people to be able to better pursue their dreams, to do what they want to do. To do things requires resources, and Sunday's proposal frees up more resources for people to use on their life goals.

Sunday's problem -- Unilateralism

There is, in fact, nothing wrong with Sunday's philosophy insofar as we consider these two principles. It is the reason that March and Himeko mention that it is difficult to refute Sunday's philosophy in the scene right before the first time you fight Dominicus. If we appreciate freedom and believe it to be desirable for all, Sunday's proposal is morally consistent with our want and appreciation of widespread freedoms.
We set aside the question of whether something done in a dream is as real as something done in reality. It is my belief that the dream/reality thing muddles the scholarly debate regarding Sunday's philosophy, since it is conventionally difficult for one to believe that something done in a dream is more significant that something done in reality. That sort of discussion is probably better left to students of philosophy, who can better argue about the significance of dreams and reality, rather than students of political science. I will deal strictly with the political implications of Sunday's philosophy.
The main problem with Sunday's philosophy is unilateralism. People have been right to point out that Sunday "did not ask for consent". In scholarly terms, we call this despotic/undemocratic behavior. Sunday has not consulted with anyone; he has not engaged in public deliberation; he is using power to enforce the system of government he wants.
Lack of consent is a big issue of course, but a greater concern is dictatorship. Sunday claims that he will be the only person awake, or something along those lines, but it is really a fancy way of saying that he will be sole dictator to dreamland, albeit a utopian one. Ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle might actually agree with Sunday's ideas: they had a deep distrust of the follies of the masses, and would rather a capable hand steer the ship of state. This is likely the role Sunday envisions himself in. That is, Sunday sees himself as the enlightened person who will manage paradise in its inhabitants' stead.
The problem arises from the fact that there is no democratic consultation. Classic arguments against dictatorships will apply to Sunday: what happens if he makes an error in judgment? What if he is unable to adequately respond to peoples' needs, even with the power and networking of The Family and its members combined? These are very pragmatic issues that any ruling organization will face, which I imagine will be an even greater problem for Sunday's lonesome.
To tie this back to our objective of promoting freedom, we observe that under Sunday's arrangement, no-one is guaranteed their freedom under Sunday's dictatorship. One may consider themselves free when Sunday's management aligns with their own interests and objectives, but we cannot guarantee the continuity of this alignment into the future. Those who have their goals misaligned with Sunday's vision of utopia will find themselves necessarily unfree, and with no recourse to alter, replace or escape Sunday's government. The prospect of becoming this group of people who are not adequately represented by Sunday undermines Sunday's entire project of increasing the freedom of the weak.

Conclusion (or TL;DR I guess)

Not only does Sunday face significant problems in running Penacony as its sole manager, he also runs the risk of being unrepresentative due to his unilateralism. Inhabitants of Penacony cannot be assured that Sunday will remain a benevolent ruler.
We know that he would likely be one because we have glimpses into his mind through the omniscient viewpoint of the player. However, no-one else in the story can be sure that Sunday will remain a responsive governor of Penacony. Further, there are no accountability mechanisms to depose Sunday and replace him with another leader should he turn out to be tyrannical or incompetent down the road.
In the field of Political Science, this is the problem of centralizing governmental powers. Generally, we want a government that can respond to the needs of its people. Many systems of government will try to avoid putting too much power in a single person, such that there may be checks and balances that will provide some way for people to hold government accountable for their actions and competence. Being able to choose one's government and its policies is a very important freedom. Sunday's benevolent dictatorship fails this requirement.
So how do we fix this? I highlighted the Firefly principle and the Weekend principle because they cohere very closely to real life ideas of socialism. The idea that people should be free from their circumstances, and should be free to apply themselves to whatever life plans they wish to pursue are key tenets of socialism. The only difference is that under socialism, people will decide societal priorities and use of social resources together in democratic fashion. It's entirely fine when people decide, out of their own volition, that they should use resources in a certain way that enhances their freedom. It is, however, problematic when this decision is done unilaterally, such as in Sunday's philosophy.
Outside of his dictatorial tendencies, Sunday really promotes some classic socialist ideas that are intended to address the moral badness of society's failure in addressing social inequalities and peoples' needs for self-fulfillment. He just needs more time to think over his philosophy and execute on it in a manner that is more democratic.
As a final word and to provide some further reading for those that have become interested in political science analysis, I recommend reading "Why not socialism" by scholar G.A. Cohen for a political-philosophical justification of Sunday's philosophy. It's a pretty short read (~20 pages?) and will help us better understand our intuitive agreement with Sunday's philosophy.

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Darrell Grant Quartet: MJ New - Thursday, June 13, 2024 at The Sound Room, Oakland
Darrell Grant's MJ New takes audiences on a journey from the heart of the HarlemRenaissance to Vienna, Brazil, and back again. Skillfully marrying classical counterpoint and the blues with refined swing inspired by their namesake, the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet, the group illuminates the diverse traditions of Black American Music.
Formed by Darrell Grant in 2013, MJ New brings together four storied West Coast scene-makers. Portland-based pianist/bandleader Darrell Grant is a veteran of the bands of Betty Carter, Tony Williams, and Roy Haynes. Since the release of his debut album Black Art, one of the New York Times'top ten jazz CDs, Grant has built an international reputation as a pianist, composer, and educator who channels the power of music to make change. He is the recipient of a Northwest Regional Emmy,Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship, MAP Fund grant, and the Governor’s Arts Award, his state’s highest arts honor. He is a Professor of Music at Portland State University, where he directs the Artist as Citizen Initiative.
Bassist, composer, arranger, educator, and bandleader Marcus Shelby is a figure synonymous with Bay Area jazz and the spirit of collaboration. A recipient of the Charles Mingus Scholarship, Shelby attended Cal Arts and studied with Charlie Haden and James Newton while working simultaneously with the all-star jazz ensemble Black/Note, who released a series of highly regarded albums in the1990s. Since moving to the Bay Area, he has led a highly regarded jazz orchestra and many smallgroups, with large-scale commissions focused on the history,present, and future of the African-American experience.
Vibraphonist Mike Horsfall has performed with Chuck Redd and Leroy Vinegar. He has recorded with Pink Martini, Nu Shooz Orchestra, and Tall Jazz, a trio he co-founded in 1989 which was voted into the Jazz Society of Oregon’s 2010 Hall ofFame. He serves on the music faculty at Willamette University.
Drummer Cecil Brooks III has recorded and toured with Stanley Turrentine, John Hicks, Geri Allen, and Pharoah Sanders. In addition to several albums as a leader and session work in both hard bop and bebop settings, Brooks is an award-winning producer of over 50 albums on the Savoy, Muse, & 32 Jazz labels and is the founder and proprietor of the celebrated New Jersey jazz club Cecil’s. He relocated to LosAngeles in 2010 a frequent performer at West Coast venues and festivals
Tickets - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/896351871577?aff=oddtdtcreator

It is military appreciation month, just before Memorial day, and what better way to thank the families of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice than stripping educational benefits to their families, with NO NOTICE that have been in place for more than 25 years!
Background: there has been a back and forth with the house/senate and the governor about the budget for 2024-2026. The first iteration contained language cutting the VMSDEP program. We pushed back with a petition containing 4000 signatures in 10 days and the governor offered amendments to strike the changes and push them to a study. House/senate then scrapped the version of the budget bill the governor bounced back to them so they "rewrote it". The "rewrite" which came out Saturday May 11, and is to be vote on Monday May 13, is worse than the language in the previous budget bill, and long story short, if the governor signs it, which all signs point to yes, the program is going to be shredded to pieces.
Some of the changes include:
-Control of VMSDEP (Virginia Military Survivor Dependent and Education Program) moves almost entirely to the State Council for Higher Education. In effect, the fox is allowed to guard the hen house. SCHEV has been crying poor as the program is a waiver program and "just too many people are using it", well, that's what happens when you spend 20 years at war. This also, with the exception of "eligibility verification" strips the program from the Department of Veterans Services. This is UNPRECEDENTED and would be the same as moving the GI bill to the Department of Education.
-VMSDEP will become a "last payer"- so you fill out FAFSA and get an SAI/EFC- typically its way higher than you can actually afford but its what the government says you can afford and you are required to pay that first before this program applies. Additionally, Pell grants, state grants, scholarships, etc will be applied in full first.
-It will no longer cover Grad school. It will no longer cover second degrees (effectively eliminating the usage for spouses)
-FAFSA must be on file (this is an entitlement, NOT a needs based program).
-Unless you have committed to a school for the summer or fall of 2024 BY MAY 15, 2024 (AGAIN ZERO NOTICE PERIOD) there is NO grandfathering option for families who have made the decision to move to or stay in Virginia due to qualifying for this program.
If anyone happens to be in Richmond tomorrow, its probably a great day to go for a General Assembly tour and you may just happen to run into others who are there looking to meet with representatives about this exact issue!

It is military appreciation month, just before Memorial day, and what better way to thank the families of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice than stripping educational benefits to their families, with NO NOTICE that have been in place for more than 25 years!
Background: there has been a back and forth with the house/senate and the governor about the budget for 2024-2026. The first iteration contained language cutting the VMSDEP program. We pushed back with a petition containing 4000 signatures in 10 days and the governor offered amendments to strike the changes and push them to a study. House/senate then scrapped the version of the budget bill the governor bounced back to them so they "rewrote it". The "rewrite" which came out Saturday May 11, and is to be vote on Monday May 13, is worse than the language in the previous budget bill, and long story short, if the governor signs it, which all signs point to yes, the program is going to be shredded to pieces.
Some of the changes include:
-Control of VMSDEP (Virginia Military Survivor Dependent and Education Program) moves almost entirely to the State Council for Higher Education. In effect, the fox is allowed to guard the hen house. SCHEV has been crying poor as the program is a waiver program and "just too many people are using it", well, that's what happens when you spend 20 years at war. This also, with the exception of "eligibility verification" strips the program from the Department of Veterans Services. This is UNPRECEDENTED and would be the same as moving the GI bill to the Department of Education.
-VMSDEP will become a "last payer"- so you fill out FAFSA and get an SAI/EFC- typically its way higher than you can actually afford but its what the government says you can afford and you are required to pay that first before this program applies. Additionally, Pell grants, state grants, scholarships, etc will be applied in full first.
-It will no longer cover Grad school. It will no longer cover second degrees (effectively eliminating the usage for spouses)
-FAFSA must be on file (this is an entitlement, NOT a needs based program).
-Unless you have committed to a school for the summer or fall of 2024 BY MAY 15, 2024 (AGAIN ZERO NOTICE PERIOD) there is NO grandfathering option for families who have made the decision to move to or stay in Virginia due to qualifying for this program.

It is military appreciation month, just before Memorial day, and what better way to thank the families of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice than stripping educational benefits to their families, with NO NOTICE that have been in place for more than 25 years!
Background: there has been a back and forth with the house/senate and the governor about the budget for 2024-2026. The first iteration contained language cutting the VMSDEP program. We pushed back with a petition containing 4000 signatures in 10 days and the governor offered amendments to strike the changes and push them to a study. House/senate then scrapped the version of the budget bill the governor bounced back to them so they "rewrote it". The "rewrite" which came out Saturday May 11, and is to be vote on Monday May 13, is worse than the language in the previous budget bill, and long story short, if the governor signs it, which all signs point to yes, the program is going to be shredded to pieces.
Some of the changes include:
-Control of VMSDEP (Virginia Military Survivor Dependent and Education Program) moves almost entirely to the State Council for Higher Education. In effect, the fox is allowed to guard the hen house. SCHEV has been crying poor as the program is a waiver program and "just too many people are using it", well, that's what happens when you spend 20 years at war. This also, with the exception of "eligibility verification" strips the program from the Department of Veterans Services. This is UNPRECEDENTED and would be the same as moving the GI bill to the Department of Education.
-VMSDEP will become a "last payer"- so you fill out FAFSA and get an SAI/EFC- typically its way higher than you can actually afford but its what the government says you can afford and you are required to pay that first before this program applies. Additionally, Pell grants, state grants, scholarships, etc will be applied in full first.
-It will no longer cover Grad school. It will no longer cover second degrees (effectively eliminating the usage for spouses)
-FAFSA must be on file (this is an entitlement, NOT a needs based program).
-Unless you have committed to a school for the summer or fall of 2024 BY MAY 15, 2024 (AGAIN ZERO NOTICE PERIOD) there is NO grandfathering option for families who have made the decision to move to or stay in Virginia due to qualifying for this program.

I got into my top UC as a california resident. My parents refuse to pay for my education at all. My plan is to end up at med-school after college to become a psychiatrist. Is it worth it for me to go to my dream school for all 4 years, be able to do the sport I want, and get the “college experience” or should I do community college. I would immediately jump to cc being that im in California and it’s free but my home life isn’t the best and think it would affect me a lot mentally, living here for another 2 years. Additionally I know it is hard to make friends and I don’t think I would be challenged academically. I’m SO torn on what to do, I qualify for $6,000 middle class scholarship from FAFSA but the governor might lower the budget so idk if i can rely on that anymore. I’m applying to a ton of private scholarships but I dont know what the right thing to do is. My out of pocket a year would be around 15k(after federal loans). I would also take summer classes at CC if I end up going all 4 years to my UC. Thank you :)

Source: https://home.iitk.ac.in/~hcverma/Article/Macaulay-Minutes.pdf

As it seems to be the opinion of some of the gentlemen who compose the Committee of Public Instruction that the course which they have hitherto pursued was strictly prescribed by the British Parliament in 1813 and as, if that opinion be correct, a legislative act will be necessary to warrant a change, I have thought it right to refrain from taking any part in the preparation of the adverse statements which are now before us, and to reserve what I had to say on the subject till it should come before me as a Member of the Council of India.
It does not appear to me that the Act of Parliament can by any art of contraction be made to bear the meaning which has been assigned to it. It contains nothing about the particular languages or sciences which are to be studied. A sum is set apart "for the revival and promotion of literature, and the encouragement of the learned natives of India, and for the introduction and promotion of a knowledge of the sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories." It is argued, or rather taken for granted, that by literature the Parliament can have meant only Arabic and Sanscrit literature; that they never would have given the honourable appellation of "a learned native" to a native who was familiar with the poetry of Milton, the metaphysics of Locke, and the physics of Newton; but that they meant to designate by that name only such persons as might have studied in the sacred books of the Hindoos all the uses of cusa-grass, and all the mysteries of absorption into the Deity. This does not appear to be a very satisfactory interpretation. To take a parallel case: Suppose that the Pacha of Egypt, a country once superior in knowledge to the nations of Europe, but now sunk far below them, were to appropriate a sum for the purpose "of reviving and promoting literature, and encouraging learned natives of Egypt," would any body infer that he meant the youth of his Pachalik to give years to the study of hieroglyphics, to search into all the doctrines disguised under the fable of Osiris, and to ascertain with all possible accuracy the ritual with which cats and onions were anciently adored? Would he be justly charged with inconsistency if, instead of employing his young subjects in deciphering obelisks, he were to order them to be instructed in the English and French languages, and in all the sciences to which those languages are the chief keys?
The words on which the supporters of the old system rely do not bear them out, and other words follow which seem to be quite decisive on the other side. This lakh of rupees is set apart not only for "reviving literature in India," the phrase on which their whole interpretation is founded, but also "for the introduction and promotion of a knowledge of the sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories"-words which are alone sufficient to authorize all the changes for which I contend.
If the Council agree in my construction no legislative act will be necessary. If they differ from me, I will propose a short act rescinding that I clause of the Charter of 1813 from which the difficulty arises.
The argument which I have been considering affects only the form of proceeding. But the admirers of the oriental system of education have used another argument, which, if we admit it to be valid, is decisive against all change. They conceive that the public faith is pledged to the present system, and that to alter the appropriation of any of the funds which have hitherto been spent in encouraging the study of Arabic and Sanscrit would be downright spoliation. It is not easy to understand by what process of reasoning they can have arrived at this conclusion. The grants which are made from the public purse for the encouragement of literature differ in no respect from the grants which are made from the same purse for other objects of real or supposed utility. We found a sanitarium on a spot which we suppose to be healthy. Do we thereby pledge ourselves to keep a sanitarium there if the result should not answer our expectations? We commence the erection of a pier. Is it a violation of the public faith to stop the works, if we afterwards see reason to believe that the building will be useless? The rights of property are undoubtedly sacred. But nothing endangers those rights so much as the practice, now unhappily too common, of attributing them to things to which they do not belong. Those who would impart to abuses the sanctity of property are in truth imparting to the institution of property the unpopularity and the fragility of abuses. If the Government has given to any person a formal assurance-nay, if the Government has excited in any person's mind a reasonable expectation-that he shall receive a certain income as a teacher or a learner of Sanscrit or Arabic, I would respect that person's pecuniary interests. I would rather err on the side of liberality to individuals than suffer the public faith to be called in question. But to talk of a Government pledging itself to teach certain languages and certain sciences, though those languages may become useless, though those sciences may be exploded, seems to me quite unmeaning. There is not a single word in any public instrument from which it can be inferred that the Indian Government ever intended to give any pledge on this subject, or ever considered the destination of these funds as unalterably fixed. But, had it been otherwise, I should have denied the competence of our predecessors to bind us by any pledge on such a subject. Suppose that a Government had in the last century enacted in the most solemn manner that all its subjects should, to the end of time, be inoculated for the small-pox, would that Government be bound to persist in the practice after Jenner's discovery? These promises of which nobody claims the performance, and from which nobody can grant a release, these vested rights which vest in nobody, this property without proprietors, this robbery which makes nobody poorer, may be comprehended by persons of higher faculties than mine. I consider this plea merely as a set form of words, regularly used both in England and in India, in defence of every abuse for which no other plea can be set up.
I hold this lakh of rupees to be quite at the disposal of the Governor-General in Council for the purpose of promoting learning in India in any way which may be thought most advisable. I hold his Lordship to be quite as free to direct that it shall no longer be employed in encouraging Arabic and Sanscrit, as he is to direct that the reward for killing tigers in Mysore shall be diminished, or that no more public money shall be expended on the chaunting at the cathedral.
We now come to the gist of the matter. We have a fund to be employed as Government shall direct for the intellectual improvement of the people of this country. The simple question is, what is the most useful way of employing it?
All parties seem to be agreed on one point, that the dialects commonly spoken among the natives of this part of India contain neither literary nor scientific information, and are moreover so poor and rude that, until they are enriched from some other quarter, it will not be easy to translate any valuable work into them. It seems to be admitted on all sides, that the intellectual improvement of those classes of the people who have the means of pursuing higher studies can at present be affected only by means of some language not vernacular amongst them.
What then shall that language be? One-half of the committee maintain that it should be the English. The other half strongly recommend the Arabic and Sanscrit. The whole question seems to me to be-which language is the best worth knowing?
I have no knowledge of either Sanscrit or Arabic. But I have done what I could to form a correct estimate of their value. I have read translations of the most celebrated Arabic and Sanscrit works. I have conversed, both here and at home, with men distinguished by their proficiency in the Eastern tongues. I am quite ready to take the oriental learning at the valuation of the orientalists themselves. I have never found one among them who could deny that a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia. The intrinsic superiority of the Western literature is indeed fully admitted by those members of the committee who support the oriental plan of education.
It will hardly be disputed, I suppose, that the department of literature in which the Eastern writers stand highest is poetry. And I certainly never met with any orientalist who ventured to maintain that the Arabic and Sanscrit poetry could be compared to that of the great European nations. But when we pass from works of imagination to works in which facts are recorded and general principles investigated, the superiority of the Europeans becomes absolutely immeasurable. It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in the Sanscrit language is less valuable than what may be found in the most paltry abridgments used at preparatory schools in England. In every branch of physical or moral philosophy, the relative position of the two nations is nearly the same.
How then stands the case? We have to educate a people who cannot at present be educated by means of their mother-tongue. We must teach them some foreign language. The claims of our own language it is hardly necessary to recapitulate. It stands pre- eminent even among the languages of the West. It abounds with works of imagination not inferior to the noblest which Greece has bequeathed to us,-with models of every species of eloquence,-with historical composition, which, considered merely as narratives, have seldom been surpassed, and which, considered as vehicles of ethical and political instruction, have never been equaled-with just and lively representations of human life and human nature,-with the most profound speculations on metaphysics, morals, government, jurisprudence, trade,-with full and correct information respecting every experimental science which tends to preserve the health, to increase the comfort, or to expand the intellect of man. Whoever knows that language has ready access to all the vast intellectual wealth which all the wisest nations of the earth have created and hoarded in the course of ninety generations. It may safely be said that the literature now extant in
that language is of greater value than all the literature which three hundred years ago was extant in all the languages of the world together. Nor is this all. In India, English is the language spoken by the ruling class. It is spoken by the higher class of natives at the seats of Government. It is likely to become the language of commerce throughout the seas of the East. It is the language of two great European communities which are rising, the one in the south of Africa, the other in Australia,-communities which are every year becoming more important and more closely connected with our Indian empire. Whether we look at the intrinsic value of our literature, or at the particular situation of this country, we shall see the strongest reason to think that, of all foreign tongues, the English tongue is that which would be the most useful to our native subjects.
The question now before us is simply whether, when it is in our power to teach this language, we shall teach languages in which, by universal confession, there are no books on any subject which deserve to be compared to our own, whether, when we can teach European science, we shall teach systems which, by universal confession, wherever they differ from those of Europe differ for the worse, and whether, when we can patronize sound philosophy and true history, we shall countenance, at the public expense, medical doctrines which would disgrace an English farrier, astronomy which would move laughter in girls at an English boarding school, history abounding with kings thirty feet high and reigns thirty thousand years long, and geography made of seas of treacle and seas of butter.
We are not without experience to guide us. History furnishes several analogous cases, and they all teach the same lesson. There are, in modern times, to go no further, two memorable instances of a great impulse given to the mind of a whole society, of prejudices overthrown, of knowledge diffused, of taste purified, of arts and sciences planted in countries which had recently been ignorant and barbarous.
The first instance to which I refer is the great revival of letters among the Western nations at the close of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth century. At that time almost everything that was worth reading was contained in the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Had our ancestors acted as the Committee of Public Instruction has hitherto noted, had they neglected the language of Thucydides and Plato, and the language of Cicero and Tacitus, had they confined their attention to the old dialects of our own island, had they printed nothing and taught nothing at the universities but chronicles in Anglo-Saxon and romances in Norman French,-would England ever have been what she now is? What the Greek and Latin were to the contemporaries of More and Ascham, our tongue is to the people of India. The literature of England is now more valuable than that of classical antiquity. I doubt whether the Sanscrit literature be as valuable as that of our Saxon and Norman progenitors. In some departments-in history for example-I am certain that it is much less so.
Another instance may be said to be still before our eyes. Within the last hundred and twenty years, a nation which had previously been in a state as barbarous as that in which our ancestors were before the Crusades has gradually emerged from the ignorance in which it was sunk, and has taken its place among civilized communities. I speak of Russia. There is now in that country a large educated class abounding with persons fit to
serve the State in the highest functions, and in nowise inferior to the most accomplished men who adorn the best circles of Paris and London. There is reason to hope that this vast empire which, in the time of our grandfathers, was probably behind the Punjab, may in the time of our grandchildren, be pressing close on France and Britain in the career of improvement. And how was this change effected? Not by flattering national prejudices; not by feeding the mind of the young Muscovite with the old women's stories which his rude fathers had believed; not by filling his head with lying legends about St. Nicholas; not by encouraging him to study the great question, whether the world was or not created on the 13th of September; not by calling him "a learned native" when he had mastered all these points of knowledge; but by teaching him those foreign languages in which the greatest mass of information had been laid up, and thus putting all that information within his reach. The languages of western Europe civilised Russia. I cannot doubt that they will do for the Hindoo what they have done for the Tartar.
And what are the arguments against that course which seems to be alike recommended by theory and by experience? It is said that we ought to secure the co- operation of the native public, and that we can do this only by teaching Sanscrit and Arabic.
I can by no means admit that, when a nation of high intellectual attainments undertakes to superintend the education of a nation comparatively ignorant, the learners are absolutely to prescribe the course which is to be taken by the teachers. It is not necessary however to say anything on this subject. For it is proved by unanswerable evidence, that we are not at present securing the co-operation of the natives. It would be bad enough to consult their intellectual taste at the expense of their intellectual health. But we are consulting neither. We are withholding from them the learning which is palatable to them. We are forcing on them the mock learning which they nauseate.
This is proved by the fact that we are forced to pay our Arabic and Sanscrit students while those who learn English are willing to pay us. All the declamations in the world about the love and reverence of the natives for their sacred dialects will never, in the mind of any impartial person, outweigh this undisputed fact, that we cannot find in all our vast empire a single student who will let us teach him those dialects, unless we will pay him.
I have now before me the accounts of the Mudrassa for one month, the month of December, 1833. The Arabic students appear to have been seventy-seven in number. All receive stipends from the public. The whole amount paid to them is above 500 rupees a month. On the other side of the account stands the following item:
Deduct amount realized from the out-students of English for the months of May, June, and July last-103 rupees.
I have been told that it is merely from want of local experience that I am surprised at these phenomena, and that it is not the fashion for students in India to study at their own charges. This only confirms me in my opinions. Nothing is more certain than that it never can in any part of the world be necessary to pay men for doing what they think pleasant
or profitable. India is no exception to this rule. The people of India do not require to be paid for eating rice when they are hungry, or for wearing woollen cloth in the cold season. To come nearer to the case before us:-The children who learn their letters and a little elementary arithmetic from the village schoolmaster are not paid by him. He is paid for teaching them. Why then is it necessary to pay people to learn Sanscrit and Arabic? Evidently because it is universally felt that the Sanscrit and Arabic are languages the knowledge of which does not compensate for the trouble of acquiring them. On all such subjects the state of the market is the detective test.
Other evidence is not wanting, if other evidence were required. A petition was presented last year to the committee by several ex-students of the Sanscrit College. The petitioners stated that they had studied in the college ten or twelve years, that they had made themselves acquainted with Hindoo literature and science, that they had received certificates of proficiency. And what is the fruit of all this? "Notwithstanding such testimonials," they say, "we have but little prospect of bettering our condition without the kind assistance of your honourable committee, the indifference with which we are generally looked upon by our countrymen leaving no hope of encouragement and assistance from them." They therefore beg that they may be recommended to the Governor-General for places under the Government-not places of high dignity or emolument, but such as may just enable them to exist. "We want means," they say, "for a decent living, and for our progressive improvement, which, however, we cannot obtain without the assistance of Government, by whom we have been educated and maintained from childhood." They conclude by representing very pathetically that they are sure that it was never the intention of Government, after behaving so liberally to them during their education, to abandon them to destitution and neglect.
I have been used to see petitions to Government for compensation. All those petitions, even the most unreasonable of them, proceeded on the supposition that some loss had been sustained, that some wrong had been inflicted. These are surely the first petitioners who ever demanded compensation for having been educated gratis, for having been supported by the public during twelve years, and then sent forth into the world well furnished with literature and science. They represent their education as an injury which gives them a claim on the Government for redress, as an injury for which the stipends paid to them during the infliction were a very inadequate compensation. And I doubt not that they are in the right. They have wasted the best years of life in learning what procures for them neither bread nor respect. Surely we might with advantage have saved the cost of making these persons useless and miserable. Surely, men may be brought up to be burdens to the public and objects of contempt to their neighbours at a somewhat smaller charge to the State. But such is our policy. We do not even stand neuter in the contest between truth and falsehood. We are not content to leave the natives to the influence of their own hereditary prejudices. To the natural difficulties which obstruct the progress of sound science in the East, we add great difficulties of our own making. Bounties and premiums, such as ought not to be given even for the propagation of truth, we lavish on false texts and false philosophy.
By acting thus we create the very evil which we fear. We are making that opposition which we do not find. What we spend on the Arabic and Sanscrit Colleges is not merely a
dead loss to the cause of truth. It is bounty-money paid to raise up champions of error. It goes to form a nest not merely of helpless placehunters but of bigots prompted alike by passion and by interest to raise a cry against every useful scheme of education. If there should be any opposition among the natives to the change which I recommend, that opposition will be the effect of our own system. It will be headed by persons supported by our stipends and trained in our colleges. The longer we persevere in our present course, the more formidable will that opposition be. It will be every year reinforced by recruits whom we are paying. From the native society, left to itself, we have no difficulties to apprehend. All the murmuring will come from that oriental interest which we have, by artificial means, called into being and nursed into strength.
There is yet another fact which is alone sufficient to prove that the feeling of the native public, when left to itself, is not such as the supporters of the old system represent it to be. The committee have thought fit to lay out above a lakh of rupees in printing Arabic and Sanscrit books. Those books find no purchasers. It is very rarely that a single copy is disposed of. Twenty-three thousand volumes, most of them folios and quartos, fill the libraries or rather the lumber-rooms of this body. The committee contrive to get rid of some portion of their vast stock of oriental literature by giving books away. But they cannot give so fast as they print. About twenty thousand rupees a year are spent in adding fresh masses of waste paper to a hoard which, one should think, is already sufficiently ample. During the last three years about sixty thousand rupees have been expended in this manner. The sale of Arabic and Sanscrit books during those three years has not yielded quite one thousand rupees. In the meantime, the School Book Society is selling seven or eight thousand English volumes every year, and not only pays the expenses of printing but realizes a profit of twenty per cent. on its outlay.
The fact that the Hindoo law is to be learned chiefly from Sanscrit books, and the Mahometan law from Arabic books, has been much insisted on, but seems not to bear at all on the question. We are commanded by Parliament to ascertain and digest the laws of India. The assistance of a Law Commission has been given to us for that purpose. As soon as the Code is promulgated the Shasters and the Hedaya will be useless to a moonsiff or a Sudder Ameen. I hope and trust that, before the boys who are now entering at the Mudrassa and the Sanscrit College have completed their studies, this great work will be finished. It would be manifestly absurd to educate the rising generation with a view to a state of things which we mean to alter before they reach manhood.
But there is yet another argument which seems even more untenable. It is said that the Sanscrit and the Arabic are the languages in which the sacred books of a hundred millions of people are written, and that they are on that account entitled to peculiar encouragement. Assuredly it is the duty of the British Government in India to be not only tolerant but neutral on all religious questions. But to encourage the study of a literature, admitted to be of small intrinsic value, only because that literature inculcated the most serious errors on the most important subjects, is a course hardly reconcilable with reason, with morality, or even with that very neutrality which ought, as we all agree, to be sacredly preserved. It is confined that a language is barren of useful knowledge. We are to teach it because it is fruitful of monstrous superstitions. We are to teach false history, false astronomy, false medicine, because we find them in company with a false religion.
We abstain, and I trust shall always abstain, from giving any public encouragement to those who are engaged in the work of converting the natives to Christianity. And while we act thus, can we reasonably or decently bribe men, out of the revenues of the State, to waste their youth in learning how they are to purify themselves after touching an ass or what texts of the Vedas they are to repeat to expiate the crime of killing a goat?
It is taken for granted by the advocates of oriental learning that no native of this country can possibly attain more than a mere smattering of English. They do not attempt to prove this. But they perpetually insinuate it. They designate the education which their opponents recommend as a mere spelling-book education. They assume it as undeniable that the question is between a profound knowledge of Hindoo and Arabian literature and science on the one side, and superficial knowledge of the rudiments of English on the other. This is not merely an assumption, but an assumption contrary to all reason and experience. We know that foreigners of all nations do learn our language sufficiently to have access to all the most abstruse knowledge which it contains sufficiently to relish even the more delicate graces of our most idiomatic writers. There are in this very town natives who are quite competent to discuss political or scientific questions with fluency and precision in the English language. I have heard the very question on which I am now writing discussed by native gentlemen with a liberality and an intelligence which would do credit to any member of the Committee of Public Instruction. Indeed it is unusual to find, even in the literary circles of the Continent, any foreigner who can express himself in English with so much facility and correctness as we find in many Hindoos. Nobody, I suppose, will contend that English is so difficult to a Hindoo as Greek to an Englishman. Yet an intelligent English youth, in a much smaller number of years than our unfortunate pupils pass at the Sanscrit College, becomes able to read, to enjoy, and even to imitate not unhappily the compositions of the best Greek authors. Less than half the time which enables an English youth to read Herodotus and Sophocles ought to enable a Hindoo to read Hume and Milton.
To sum up what I have said. I think it clear that we are not fettered by the Act of Parliament of 1813, that we are not fettered by any pledge expressed or implied, that we are free to employ our funds as we choose, that we ought to employ them in teaching what is best worth knowing, that English is better worth knowing than Sanscrit or Arabic, that the natives are desirous to be taught English, and are not desirous to be taught Sanscrit or Arabic, that neither as the languages of law nor as the languages of religion have the Sanscrit and Arabic any peculiar claim to our encouragement, that it is possible to make natives of this country thoroughly good English scholars, and that to this end our efforts ought to be directed.
In one point I fully agree with the gentlemen to whose general views I am opposed. I feel with them that it is impossible for us, with our limited means, to attempt to educate the body of the people. We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern, -a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect. To that class we may leave it to refine the vernacular dialects of the country, to enrich those dialects with terms of science borrowed from the Western nomenclature, and to render
them by degrees fit vehicles for conveying knowledge to the great mass of the population.
I would strictly respect all existing interests. I would deal even generously with all individuals who have had fair reason to expect a pecuniary provision. But I would strike at the root of the bad system which has hitherto been fostered by us. I would at once stop the printing of Arabic and Sanscrit books. I would abolish the Mudrassa and the Sanscrit College at Calcutta. Benares is the great seat of Brahminical learning; Delhi of Arabic learning. If we retain the Sanscrit College at Bonares and the Mahometan College at Delhi we do enough and much more than enough in my opinion, for the Eastern languages. If the Benares and Delhi Colleges should be retained, I would at least recommend that no stipends shall be given to any students who may hereafter repair thither, but that the people shall be left to make their own choice between the rival systems of education without being bribed by us to learn what they have no desire to know. The funds which would thus be placed at our disposal would enable us to give larger encouragement to the Hindoo College at Calcutta, and establish in the principal cities throughout the Presidencies of Fort William and Agra schools in which the English language might be well and thoroughly taught.
If the decision of His Lordship in Council should be such as I anticipate, I shall enter on the performance of my duties with the greatest zeal and alacrity. If, on the other hand, it be the opinion of the Government that the present system ought to remain unchanged, I beg that I may be permitted to retire from the chair of the Committee. I feel that I could not be of the smallest use there. I feel also that I should be lending my countenance to what I firmly believe to be a mere delusion. I believe that the present system tends not to accelerate the progress of truth but to delay the natural death of expiring errors. I conceive that we have at present no right to the respectable name of a Board of Public Instruction. We are a Board for wasting the public money, for printing books which are of less value than the paper on which they are printed was while it was blank-for giving artificial encouragement to absurd history, absurd metaphysics, absurd physics, absurd theology-for raising up a breed of scholars who find their scholarship an incumbrance and blemish, who live on the public while they are receiving their education, and whose education is so utterly useless to them that, when they have received it, they must either starve or live on the public all the rest of their lives. Entertaining these opinions, I am naturally desirous to decline all share in the responsibility of a body which, unless it alters its whole mode of proceedings, I must consider, not merely as useless, but as positively noxious.

​

Hi, everyone.
I was diagnosed with EDS 2 years ago when I was 23. I was and am relieved to finally have answers regarding my chronic pain, joint hyper-mobility, and other issues, but I am so sad because EDS robbed me of my dreams of becoming a professional flute player.
I earned my degree 3 years ago (before my diagnosis) in flute performance. I have been playing flute since I was 10 or 11, and it is a huge part of who I am. I started playing competitively when I was 13. I was accepted into various All State ensembles, Honor Bands, and marching bands in which I performed on national television. I was also 1 of 4 flute players out of the entire state selected to perform in the Governor’s School for Excellence. When I went to college, I majored in flute performance and secured a full-ride scholarship for my abilities.
I’ve obviously had the swan-neck deformity in all of my fingers, but it wasn’t too painful when I began playing. However, as I aged and my EDS progressed, I noticed the pain in my fingers (they’d start locking in the hyper-flexed position while I was playing) and my wrist (I began developing carpal tunnel syndrome frequently) getting worse and worse. By the time I was finished with college and had earned my degree, I would often leave flute lessons and rehearsals crying because I was in so much pain.
I can no longer play flute at a professional level. I can still play for fun, but my degree is basically useless. I had always wanted to be a professional flute player, and because of my EDS, my dreams are absolutely crushed. I was misdiagnosed for so long — had I been diagnosed properly before going to college, and before graduating from college, I wouldn’t have chosen to major in flute performance because I would’ve known that it was just going to get worse.
I often wonder what kind of musician I would be today had it not been for my EDS.

already asked on OSU so im hoping to get more responses on here to understand my situation
My sai index is -1500 I believe and I am so so grateful that I received the Morrill scholarship at OSU (full tuition) on top of the Governor's Merit Scholarship (5K) to start with. I am already committed and I plan on dorming at Ohio State. Based on my own research, this leaves about 10-13k left needed to be covered in terms of the total cost of attendance (dorms+meal plan). I am relatively low income applicant so I am trying to bring down the COA to nearly everything covered. This is also because I plan on going to med school and want to limit my debt as much as possible in undergrad. Will OSU's financial aid be able to cover the rest of this or will it be likely that they may not give me much based on scholarships that I already received? If I do not receive much, will I be able to negotiate it based on what other schools gave as well or is that not possible with schools like Ohio State? Thank you!

My sai index is -1500 I believe and I am so so grateful that I received the Morrill scholarship (full tuition) on top of the Governor's Merit Scholarship to start with. I am already committed and I plan on dorming at Ohio State. Based on my own research, this leaves about 10-13k left needed to be covered in terms of the total cost of attendance (dorms+meal plan). I am relatively low income applicant so I am trying to bring down the COA to nearly everything covered. This is also because I plan on going to med school and want to limit my debt as much as possible in undergrad. Will OSU's financial aid be able to cover the rest of this or will it be likely that they may not give me much based on scholarships that I already received? If I do not receive much, will I be able to negotiate it as well or is that not possible with schools like Ohio State? Thank you!

Hey guys it’s Kareem, one of your elected Student Senators. Here’s my monthly Senate recap for April!
You can find the senate docket here.
This was a meeting with several important approvals, and also the first meeting of our new 2024/25 Student Senate Caucus; a new team of student senators.
I’m grateful to have been re-elected to the Senate by all of you, and also grateful to be re-elected as Co-Chair of the Student Senate Caucus by my fellow student senators.
Here’s some highlights I think may be of interest to students:
First, we received a presentation on UBC’s 2024/25 Budget. The budget had already been approved by the Board of Governors, and this was a formal procedure to keep Senators informed. I argued to the administration that this presentation should have come to Senate before the budget was approved, so that feedback given by Senators could actually be taken into consideration. I also highlighted that the only time the budget document mentions food is in relation to revenue, and that with a lack of affordable food outlets on campus, data from food banks such as the AMS food bank are showing exponentially increasing demand. The university should be responding to this with increased financial support towards these food banks.
We approved a change to the Guaranteed Program Placement Policy for students going into engineering programs. Incoming Engineering students who are “select top applicants,” and are recipients of scholarships such as the Loran Award, Presidential Scholars Award, or Schulich Leader Scholarship, will be able to have guaranteed placement into an engineering specialization (excludes Eng Phys) as long as they maintain an 80%+ average in their first year. This is an expansion of the policy, which currently only applies to Presidential Scholars. This change aims to improve acceptance and retention rates of top applicants.
The Senate also removed grade 11 requirements for high school students applying from high schools in BC. What this entails is that students will no longer have to take specific grade 11 courses, such as a Language 11 course, for admission to UBC. Specific Faculties/Programs may still have their own requirements however, and grade 11 courses will still be used to assess academic performance, but UBC will not require a specific list of grade 11 courses to be taken anymore.
Another change was the requirements for UBC’s Conditional Admissions Program. Applicants who meet UBC’s academic requirements but do not meet sufficient English Language Requirements may receive conditional offers to UBC through the Conditional Admission Program. In this program, students are admitted to UBC on the condition that they first complete a certificate from the UBC English Language Institute. This option is currently available to the top 50% of admitted students, but will be expanded to the top 75% just for the 2024 Winter Session. This change will exclude students pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science or Applied Science.
Several new major awards have been approved by the Senate. A new Endowed award is the Dr. Margaret Carlson Fellowship in Music which provides fellowships totalling $10,500 to graduate music students. Two new annual awards include the Thunderbird Award for IBPOC Students, worth $10,000, and the Babcock Canada Award in Mechanical Engineering for Indigenous Students, worth $5000.
Multiple new courses have been approved. A few I find interesting include PLAN 448 - Special Topics in Urban Studies (this is my major so I’m biased lol), HIST 203 - The Global War on Terror, KIN 434 - Exercise, Nutrition, and Metabolism, and PHRM 324 - Primary Care Pharmacy Practice. We also approved revisions to The Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs Program.
We also dis-established the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, which was mostly just a formal procedure, as the Institute had been largely restructured into the Peter Wall Legacy Fund following an agreement between UBC and Peter Wall in 2022. The committee with the responsibility of advising on the future of the Institute is recommending UBC explore the creation of a new UBC Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies.
And that’s all for now folks!
If you have any questions about the Senate, governance at UBC, or anything else, please feel free to reach out!
My UBC work email is [kareem.hassib@ubc.ca](mailto:kareem.hassib@ubc.ca)
Thanks for reading!

Going to be vague-ish to avoid doxxing! If ya'll want more information please feel free to PM or comment :)
Demographics Gender: Female Race/Ethnicity: East Asian Residence: New England Income Bracket: ~250K Type of School: Medium-sized Semi-Competitive Public High School (sends ~3 kids/year to ivy leagues, 20-30+ to T20s) Hooks: Parent is long-time Tufts faculty member. Intended Major(s): International Relations, Political Science, Economics.
Academics GPA (UW/W): 4.0 UW Rank (or percentile): N/A # of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: AP Calc BC, AP Econ, APES, APUSH (4), AP Chem (5) + all honors.

• I theoretically could have taken more APs but my school doesn't offer as many as other schools might and didn't have much I was particularly interested in.

Standardized Testing SAT: 1570 (790 M, 780 R&W) Other: Several National Latin Exams for Vocab testing, etc. Extracurriculars/Activities

1. Campaign Intern – 2022 Midterm State Dem. Party Campaign (11th)
   1. Worked primarily under State Senator in order to advocate for Dem. majority + governor, ballot questions, etc. Extensive grassroots canvassing. Union partnerships. Focused on advocating for passage of question regarding change in taxes in order to fund public schools' free lunches post-COVID.
2. Campaign Manager Intern – 2024 State Senator Campaign (12th)
   1. Re-hired again by State Senator to run signature-gathering campaign for 400+ in order to re-run. Democratic caucuses representative for Sen. Volunteer mobilization. Student recruitment. Canvassing.
   2. + ADDED AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN UPDATED RESUME TO SCHOOLS ~2 MONTHS AFTER APPLICATION DEADLINE.
3. Intern – 2023 City Ward Councilor Campaign (11th)
   1. Win in closely contested municipal elections through grassroots campaigning to gather support for progressive underdog. Heavy focus on preservation of accessible transportation, environmentally friendly parks, zoning laws.
4. IntervieweCoordinator – Oral History Project (10th-11th)
   1. Conducted project on important historical event in my cultural background by interviewing people about their experiences w/ the aim to preserve history in face of government censorship under Teacher Recc #1.
5. Officer – Debate Club (9th-12th)
   1. Typical things. Participated in comps, etc.
6. Publications Editor – Junior Classical League/Latin Club (10th-12th)
   1. Typical things, again, but this time consistently placed top 3 in state comp. every year!
7. Opinion Editor – School Newspaper (9th-12th)
   1. Typical things! Geared my section to write about more political and current event topics, however.
8. Independent Writer (9th-12th)
   1. 70K+ words in total of various short stories, poems, and movie scripts. Lots published in local newspapers, school literature magazines, etc.
9. JV: Co-Captain, V: 1B – JV & Varsity Softball (9th-12th)
   1. Self-explanatory!
10. Lead Student Volunteer – Tutoring Place (9th-11th)
    1. Specifically focused on Asian-American community impacted by COVID.

Awards/Honors

1. Medal from State's National History Day Comp (10th)
2. Various medals, awards, and honors from National Latin Exam (10th-12th)
3. Various school awards about writing & social studies (11th).

Letters of Recommendation
(My guidance counselor read both of my recommendation letters and said that they were some of the best he's ever seen. Not sure how reliable this opinion is!)

1. HISTORY/ECON TEACHER (9/10) – Extremely close to him from the start of 10th grade. He supervised + advised my oral history project during my time TAing for him. Said that my recc letter was the best & easiest he's ever written in his decades of teaching.
2. ENGLISH TEACHER (8/10) – Also close to him, but not as close to him as #1. 11th and 12th; got to see a lot of my writing skills (creative, argumentative, analytical), as well as my public speaking skills.
3. STATE SENATOR (6/10) – Worked with him a bunch for internships. He's pretty involved in Harvard's community and is a Harvard alum. Not sure if this had an impact at all, tbh.

Interviews

1. Brandeis (Optional) – 7/10
   1. 15 minute in-person interview with a Brandeis admission employee who was a year older than me! Talked about my passion about political science and campaigning with her, who was also interested in polisci. 15 minute interview doesn't really do much though, but maybe it did get me the fat package I got?
2. Tufts (Optional) – 9/10
   1. 30 minute Zoom interview turned into 1.5 hours. Didn't realize my interviewer was literally a part of Tufts' Office of Trustees until after! We talked about Tufts only briefly because I knew a lot from hanging around Tufts campus while my dad was working + participating in Tufts' faculty community events. The other one hour was us talking about our town's politics, my school's culture (she had a younger child in private school and was curious about my town's public school), my campaign experience, which I thought went really well!
      1. PS– she ended up congratulating me on my acceptance 30 minutes after my acceptance result came out and asked if we could go get coffee together + offered a personal campus tour!
3. Georgetown – 3/10
   1. This was horrible. My very first interview and my interviewer made it very uncomfortable for me to talk about my struggles as a POC and political advocacy, so my interview felt very bland and one-sided. (She was very much legacy, white, and wealthy). She also kept emphasizing how she had multiple of these and how she was on a very strict time limit, which made me feel as if she were rushing me and that I was a waste of her time. I'm 99% sure she had crammed all of her interviews on that Saturday, so.
4. Princeton – 5/10
   1. Not horrible, not great. My interviewer and I met in a local cafe and she talked about herself more than there was room to talk about me. Overall, I left feeling like I could've said more about myself, but there was also no time/space to do so.
5. Harvard – 7/10
   1. My best interview. My interviewer very much made the interview feel like a conversation and she was genuinely interested in the political work I had done despite us having completely different interests (her, a STEM major, me, humanities). By the end, I felt like I had given it my best shot and she seemed relatively pleased.

Essays Not great, not bad. Nothing outstanding, I would say, but definitely above average. My CommonApp and my supplements reflected my passions for politics as well as my background and passions as a regular human. Decisions Acceptances:

• UMass Amherst (in-state) – EA
• University of Vermont ($84K + Honors) – EA
• Brandeis (Humanities Fellow Scholarship: $96K, Intl Business Scholars Program) – RD
• Tufts – RD -> COMMITTED
  • I get free tuition, so this was a no brainer out of all of my decisions! + excellent IR program and close to home.
• Northeastern NUin ($36K) – EA
• Wesleyan – RD

Guaranteed Transfer:

• Boston University – RD

Waitlists:

• Colby – RD
• Middlebury – RD
• NYU – RD
• Williams – RD
• Harvard – RD

Rejections:

• Columbia – ED
• Brown – RD
• Yale – RD
• Princeton – RD
• Georgetown – RD

Comments:
You're probably wondering why I didn't ED to Tufts knowing that they have an incredible IR program and get free tuition and are close to home. I don't know. My parents wanted me to give a shot at other schools and they were willing to pay more money if I had gotten into a better school, but we agreed that otherwise I would be going to Tufts. I feel really fortunate and lucky for being in the position that I'm in, and although this process was literal hell it all worked out!

https://www.wric.com/news/politics/capitol-connection/disabled-veterans-urge-youngkin-to-use-line-item-veto-on-budget-language-affecting-college-tuition-waiver-program/
Virginia has had a program in place to provide education for family members of severely disabled veterans. Two lawmakers added in a budget change that on the surface looks kinda of “okay”—family members would have to use any approved scholarships and FAFSA money first. But it’s very unclear if this requires families to use EFC in FAFSA. It seems like it does. So families would still have to pay or students take loans out the way it was written.
Governor Youngkin could veto it out of the budget tomorrow which is the last day to do so. I called and emailed. I don’t know what else to do? I only just found out about it. If there’s others that can call or email Youngkin and those two lawmakers tonight than that might help? This is so defeating.

Chance me for: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, CMU, BU, Boston College, UVA, NYU, Duke, UCLA, USC, JHU, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Harvard.
Demographics: White Female, Suburban Public School. Single parent on FAFSA (just my mom. Father went to prison when I was young), annual income about 40K for family of 3. NEED financial aid.
Intended major = public health, biology, microbiology with maybe a minor in economics.

• Academics: 1480/1520 PSAT, 1570 SAT. UW GPA is a 3.96, W is a 4.49. Taken 11 APs this far (already took nearly all science APs offered and will take all by end of senior year), scheduled to take 8 more next year. Class rank = idk but top 10% of class.

ECs:

• Speech and Debate, director of speech. Oratory and informative. Placed at a lot of local tournaments. Qualified to NCFL nationals.
  
• Work with a global nonprofit centered in Africa to foster economic education + public health education. Manage all Western operations and onboarding of professors for teaching.
  
• Research. Work with university professor to conduct microbiology research. Published paper in legitimate but not huge journal. Summer research program too.
  
• Science fair. Presented and competed in local fairs, got awards from local colleges, directors award from the fair, and perfect score but no ISEF :(
  
• Writing. Published in some of the largest national economic think tanks. Work has also been syndicated internationally.
  
• TSA. Won state competition in the data science event and placed in some other events too. Went to nationals. Currently VP and will automatically become President next year.
  
• Ghostwriting. Made over $15,000 ghostwriting over 300 articles on psychology.
  
• Volunteer at local library. Around 120 hours over the summer.
  
• Started own e-commerce company for ethnic food. Ok kind of a flop to be honest total revenue is in 5 figures…
  
• Currently writing a book but I’m not sure it will get done by the time I apply.
  

Awards:

• NSDA Award of Superior Distinction + NSDA All American (National debate awards)
  
• TSA 1st place in data science (state awards)
  
• Several local science fair awards and scholarships (regional)
  
• Don’t know if this counts but Feedspot ranked me in the top 50 global economics podcasters
  
• Carson Scholar (national)
  
• Governor’s STEM Competition Finalist (state)
  
• Scholarship to go to Spain for free (one of 3 in school selected, school award but partnered with AFS)
  
• AP Scholar with Distinction (national)
  
• Multi state essay contest on biomedical engineering winner