Latest news with #DrexelUniversity
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First Post
12 hours ago
- First Post
Why earthquake in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula is dangerous
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Russia's Far East Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday (July 30) has set off tsunami warnings in Japan, the United States and other countries across the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula is part of the Ring of Fire, a huge belt of active volcanoes and seismic activity that covers most of the Pacific Ocean read more A powerful wave washes past a building located near the shore, after a powerful earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin Region, Russia July 30, 2025 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. Social media via Reuters A massive earthquake hit Russia's remote Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday (July 30), prompting tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean. The 8.8 magnitude quake is the strongest to strike the planet since 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck northeast Japan, triggering a disastrous tsunami. The latest earthquake, shallow at a depth of 19.3 km, hit about 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the US Geological Survey. The earthquake's epicentre was the Kamchatka Peninsula, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what is it? We will explain. Catch all the updates on the . What is the Ring of Fire? The Ring of Fire is a huge belt of active and dormant volcanoes that spans most of the Pacific Ocean. It stretches from southern Chile and the US west coast through the islands off Alaska and down Japan to the Philippines. As per National Geographic, around 90 per cent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. Also, 75 per cent of all active volcanoes on Earth lie along this belt. The ring, shaped like a 40,000-kilometer horseshoe, runs from the boundary of the Pacific Plate to smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea plate to the Cocos and Nazca Plates, dotting the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire was formed as a result of the shifting of tectonic plates, which are massive slabs of the Earth's crust. These plates constantly move above the mantle, a layer of solid and molten rock below the Earth's crust. Volcanoes are formed along this ring when one plate crashes under another into the mantle – a process called subduction. 'What's special about the Ring of Fire is that multiple oceanic plates in the Pacific have subduction boundaries there,' Loÿc Vanderkluysen, a volcanologist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, told Live Science. The movement of tectonic plates also leads to earthquakes. When one plate is shoved beneath the other, 'there's lots of kicking and screaming as the plates grind against one another. And so that's where the biggest earthquakes on our planet take place,' Jeffrey Karson, a professor emeritus of tectonics at Syracuse University in New York, was quoted as saying by Live Science. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD More than 80 per cent of earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.0 or higher have occurred along the Ring of Fire. Most of the active volcanoes on the Ring of Fire are present in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, the islands of Japan and Southeast Asia, and New Zealand. Russia earthquake triggers tsunami warnings A tsunami was reported in coastal areas of Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, after an enormous 8.8 magnitude quake struck off Russia's remote and sparsely populated far eastern coast, as per Associated Press (AP). Tsunami warnings have also been issued for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand. A tsunami as high as 3-4 metres occurred in parts of Kamchatka, said Sergei Lebedev, regional minister for emergency situations, urging people to stay clear of coastlines. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a tsunami with a height of 40 centimetres was recorded in 16 locations. The US Tsunami Warning System also issued a warning of 'hazardous tsunami waves'. China's Ministry of Natural Resources' Tsunami Warning Center has issued alerts for the country's east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces, predicting waves between 0.3 to 1 meter. Mexico's Navy has forecasted waves of 30 to 100 centimetres (1 to 3.3 feet) on the Mexican Pacific coast. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The powerful earthquake that hit Russia's Far East was the strongest in over a decade. Helen Janiszewski, Assistant Professor, Geophysics and Tectonics Division at the University of Hawaii told BBC that the quake was among the ten most severe in recorded history. 'Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,' Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app, reported Reuters. Russia also reported two aftershocks of 6.3 and 6.9 magnitudes after the initial quake. Dozens more aftershocks above a 5 magnitude were also witnessed later. Evacuation orders Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued an evacuation advisory to over 900,000 residents in 133 municipalities along Japan's Pacific coast, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. People evacuated are seen on the roof of the fire station building after Japan issued evacuation alert following a major quake in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered a tsunami warning, in Mukawa Town, Hokkaido, Japan, July 30, 2025. Kyodo via Reuters Sirens were heard in Honolulu after officials in Hawaii ordered an 'immediate evacuation' of large parts of the island Oahu. 'Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,' the warning said. Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, urged people to 'stay calm' and move to 'higher ground' from low-lying areas. Japanese nuclear power plants along the Pacific coast have suspended work. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the company operating the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said 4,000 workers have been evacuated. The power plant had reported a nuclear meltdown in 2011 after the huge earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. With inputs from agencies
CNBC
a day ago
- Business
- CNBC
31-year-old raised $40,000 on GoFundMe to open one of few Black-owned camera stores in NYC—it brought in over $1 million last year
As a student at Drexel University, Dominick Lewis thought he would graduate from the school's Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program and become an officer in the Navy. "I didn't know what role I wanted to do in the Navy but I knew I wanted to serve this country," Lewis tells CNBC Make It. "Upon entering the NROTC program, I quickly realized that it wasn't for me, but I stuck through it for two years before I decided to leave." Around the same time Lewis started college, he discovered photography. While in Philadelphia for school, he'd explore the city and take pictures in his free time. "I bought a camera at 18 right out of high school and quickly became obsessed with photography. I would spend all my spare time outside taking pictures, meeting other people who were into taking photos, exploring and just learning the craft through trial and error," Lewis says. "Being a photographer to me means responsibility to tell the truth and to tell your story. I feel like the camera historically has been used as a tool for colonization and I feel like reestablishing the means of that camera to show black joy. It's your responsibility to document your own journey because no one will do it for you." Lewis dropped out of Drexel University after his sophomore year and went home to Florida to pursue photography full-time. He opened the Palm Beach Photo Studio in 2015, but the business only lasted about nine months before Lewis was evicted from the space. The studio's closure allowed Lewis a deeper understanding of what it takes to run a business and forced him to rethink his strategy for generating income. "It was a savior in itself because it allowed me to step away from it and rethink what that business structure looks like," Lewis says. "I built that studio because I wanted to do something for my hometown in Florida but it was definitely a limited market down there." Lewis took some time off to figure out what exactly he wanted to do next. In 2017, he started a photography brand and online store called " He sold gear for photographers and merchandise that he designed himself. "I taught myself how to make T-shirts in a little storage unit in South Florida that me and my brother were renting. I realized the brand needed to be in a bigger market, so I decided to move back to New York," he says. As a child, Lewis lived in New York but spent a lot of time Florida. When he dropped out of college, he went back to the Big Apple for a bit before officially moving himself and the business back there in 2018. In New York, Lewis lived with his grandmother while he worked to grow Photodom. At the time, Lewis was selling customized merchandise and organizing "photo walks" and gettogethers with other photographers. At the beginning of 2020, Lewis' bedroom was overrun with production materials, so he decided it was time to sign a lease for a proper studio. That February, he secured his first studio space in Brooklyn and because the pandemic forced so many film labs to close, people turned to Lewis to develop their own film. He started taking online orders and expanding his services. When protests against George Floyd's murder began across New York City later that year, Lewis felt it was vital for him to document this historic moment. "I took my spare time to go to a lot of the protests. One of the things I definitely noticed was that there was a lack of support from the businesses that were directly benefiting from the George Floyd protests," Lewis says. "I felt that starting something at that time, especially a physical camera store, could have been very impactful for the community." That summer, Lewis signed a lease for a second space in the same building that housed his studio. Around the same time, he launched a GoFundMe to help open the storefront. His initial goal was $25,000, but he raised almost $40,000 within a few days, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. "A lot of people were supportive of the efforts to make something that was black-owned and very personal to the community that we served," he says. "I knew the GoFundMe would be something that could help make the space feel more personal. I was shocked because I didn't think that many people knew about what I was doing." Lewis used the money from the GoFundMe to purchase inventory for the store and hire some employees. The brick-and-mortar location of Photodom officially opened in September 2020. "My vision for the store was definitely to make it a one stop shop for photographers, especially analog photographers," Lewis says. "I wanted a space that carried a lot of different things. I always envision Photodom as an institution. A place that is very necessary for all purposes around it." The GoFundMe fundraiser introduced Lewis to other photography fans who were willing to donate their time and inventory to the store. By the end of 2021, a little over a year after opening, the camera store brought in $726,910 in total sales, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. At the time, Lewis was paying himself about $50,000 a year and had five employees. "It felt really good because I was able to find my own apartment and move out of my grandma's house. That was a big change for me; [I was] able to have a different lifestyle than what I was used to before," Lewis says. It's now been almost five years since Lewis opened his storefront and he says Brooklyn has embraced the business because it offers services that are hard to come by — like passport photos, for example. "The neighborhood loves us being here. People can feel comfortable going to and asking any type of questions that they want about cameras and photography," Lewis says. "Being one of the only black owned camera stores is a big responsibility. I feel like it's a very important thing to have this belonging because in the past, it could mean violence if you went to a space that was not meant for you," he adds. Recently, Photodom moved into a larger space and expanded its offerings to include classes and workshops. The business increased its total sales from over $700,000 in 2021 to $1,096,319 in 2023. By 2024, the total sales increased to $1,146,737. Lewis has been able to increase his staff to 10 employees and his yearly salary to $97,000. Photodom is going into its fifth year, and in that time, Lewis has seen his business go from selling merchandise out of his grandmother's house to designing his own camera and creating more of his own products. Next, Lewis wants to install a dark room in the store. He also hopes to open a second location in Harlem or in the South Bronx. Lewis' top advice for anyone aspiring to follow in his footsteps, he says, is to learn every aspect of the business. "Don't depend on a singular person to do it. I had to learn every role in the business and I think that's a very important skill to have," he says. "I learned how to make websites. I learned how to process film, I learned how to source products, I learned how to be the buyer and those are all skills that is necessary for a business to be able to operate successfully."
Hans India
a day ago
- Health
- Hans India
Eating chips, cookies can raise addiction risk akin to substance-use disorders: Study
New Delhi: Your favourite chips, cookies, soda -- ultra-processed foods -- can trigger addictive behaviours that meet the same clinical criteria used to diagnose substance-use disorders, warned a study. Researchers argued that failure to recognise this in diagnostic systems is a dangerous oversight with grave consequences for global public health. "People aren't becoming addicted to apples or brown rice," said lead author Ashley Gearhardt, Professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, US. "They're struggling with industrial products specifically engineered to hit the brain like a drug -- rapidly, intensely and repeatedly," Gearhardt added. The paper, published in the journal Nature Medicine, synthesised evidence from nearly 300 studies across 36 countries. Their findings demonstrated that ultra-processed foods can hijack the brain's reward system, triggering cravings, loss of control, and persistent use despite harmful consequences -- key features of addiction. Further, neuroimaging studies reveal that individuals with compulsive intake of these foods show brain circuit disruptions strikingly similar to those seen in alcohol and cocaine addiction. Notably, medications that reduce cravings for ultra-processed foods have also been found to reduce compulsive drug use, underscoring the shared neurobiological mechanisms. Importantly, Gearhardt and team highlighted that while conditions like nitrous oxide and caffeine use disorder have been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, despite abundant and growing support, ultra-processed food addiction has yet to receive even preliminary recognition as a condition worthy of further study. The manual classifies mental disorders based on limited evidence. "The bar for recognising addiction has been far lower in other cases," said co-author Erica LaFata, assistant research professor at Drexel University's Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science. "It's time ultra-processed food addiction was held to the same scientific standard." The study calls on public health leaders, clinicians, and policymakers to take immediate steps to formally recognise ultra-processed food addiction, fund research, and develop clinical tools for identification and treatment. They also urged the enactment of protective measures similar to those used in tobacco control -- including restrictions on marketing to children, clearer labeling, and public education. "We're not saying all food is addictive," Gearhardt said. "We're saying that many ultra-processed foods are designed to be addictive. And unless we recognise that, we'll continue to fail the people most affected -- especially kids."
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Contributor: A refresher course in American truths
Is it possible, at this deeply ideologically divided time, to articulate a set of principles of American constitutional democracy that those across the political spectrum can agree upon? This was our goal in creating, along with Drexel University law professor Lisa Tucker, a project we titled, 'We Hold These Truths.' Our objective was to have a diverse group of individuals draft these principles, to release them on the Fourth of July, and to use them for public education. The first step was to recruit about 20 prominent individuals from across the ideological spectrum to volunteer their time to be part of the drafting effort. As we reached out to people, we were delighted at the enthusiastic response. The drafters included former Republican Govs. Christine Todd Whitman and Brian Sandoval. It included prominent Democrats such as Stacey Abrams, Pete Buttigieg and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin. Retired four-star Army Gen. Wesley Clark and civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill were among the first to agree to participate. We recruited a conservative former U.S. Court of Appeals judge, Thomas B. Griffith, and a liberal one, David Tatel. Best-selling author Brad Meltzer joined the drafting group. We added prominent law professors, former Yale Law School dean Harold Koh and New York University professor Melissa Murray. And we succeeded. In a little over a month, we were able to come to unanimous agreement on a set of basic principles of American constitutional democracy. We hope these principles remind us that what unites us as a country, our deeply held underlying values, is greater than what divides us. We decided early on to focus on five areas: the rule of law, democracy and elections, separation of powers, personal freedom, and equality. We divided into five subgroups to work on these topics and to propose principles to the entire drafting group. There then was the opportunity for responses and revisions. The key, of course, was to make the statements sufficiently specific so they were not platitudes, but also general enough to be articulation of basic values. For the rule of law, we stressed that to preserve liberty, fairness and the stability of our democratic society, the power of government and other actors must be limited by law and they must be accountable. All people, no matter their station, must stand equal before the law, subject to the same rules, protections, privileges and sanctions. The rule of law demands due process, that before the government may deprive any person of life, liberty or property, the individual must have a meaningful opportunity to challenge the deprivation before an independent and neutral adjudicator. Law enforcement — investigations, prosecutions, adjudications and pardons — must be conducted according to law, with respect for human dignity and without regard to the personal or political interests of the executive. And the rule of law cannot be preserved without an independent judiciary that is neither subject to intimidation by the executive or legislative branches of government, nor beholden to the demands of political parties. For separation of powers, we stressed that a fundamental structural feature of the Constitution, and its chief safeguard of our liberty, is separating and placing limits upon the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government such that they check and balance one another's power. For democracy and elections, the crucial point is that the one depends on the other. We elect representatives to make the laws we must abide by. To succeed, elections must be transparent and fair. A democratic society enfranchises voters to the fullest extent possible, makes elections accessible and refrains from erecting unnecessary barriers to voting. Voter suppression is antithetical to democracy, and it exists when eligible voters are unable to register to vote, cast a ballot or have that ballot counted. Also, our constitutional republic depends upon our shared commitment to the peaceful transfer of power, to accepting, honoring and respecting election results regardless of whether our preferred candidate wins. The personal freedoms accorded throughout the Constitution and its many amendments are an essential protection against government tyranny and reflect the inherent rights of every person in the United States. Democracy depends on freedom of speech and the press. The government has no right to intimidate or punish anyone simply on the basis of their views and ideas. The Bill of Rights protects those suspected and accused of crimes with provisions that limit police searches and arrests, ensure the privilege against self-incrimination and provide for fair trials. Our society respects fundamental aspects of autonomy, including the liberty to make important decisions about one's life. Finally, equality is a precondition of freedom. We all are free only when each of us, not just some of us, is free from discrimination, exclusion and threat. Our differences are our strength, not our weakness. Where autocracy and authoritarianism demand allegiance to uniformity, democracy demands the opposite — differences of people and opinion. Every person's voice is of equal worth in the workplace, the public square and the voting booth. Equality of opportunity — in education, employment and participation in our democracy — is a right, not a privilege regardless of color, ethnicity, religion, poverty or wealth. The government's decisions about our lives must be free of discrimination, racism, prejudice, and favoritism. Readers can find the principles, beginning July 4, at 249 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our hope is that Americans of every political persuasion will reaffirm these values, acknowledging that government of, for and by the people — not monarchy, autocracy or religious rule — is the best way to secure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are not naive about what can be achieved through this effort. But we strongly believe that there is value in reminding ourselves, in the words of the Declaration of Independence, of the truths that we hold to be self-evident. Erwin Chermerinsky is the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and a contributing writer to Opinion Voices. J. Michael Luttig served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit from 1991 to 2006; he was appointed by President George H.W. Bush. If it's in the news right now, the L.A. Times' Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
A refresher course in American truths
Is it possible, at this deeply ideologically divided time, to articulate a set of principles of American constitutional democracy that those across the political spectrum can agree upon? This was our goal in creating, along with Drexel University law professor Lisa Tucker, a project we titled, 'We Hold These Truths.' Our objective was to have a diverse group of individuals draft these principles, to release them on the Fourth of July, and to use them for public education. The first step was to recruit about 20 prominent individuals from across the ideological spectrum to volunteer their time to be part of the drafting effort. As we reached out to people, we were delighted at the enthusiastic response. The drafters included former Republican Govs. Christine Todd Whitman and Brian Sandoval. It included prominent Democrats such as Stacey Abrams, Pete Buttigieg and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin. Retired four-star Army Gen. Wesley Clark and civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill were among the first to agree to participate. We recruited a conservative former U.S. Court of Appeals judge, Thomas B. Griffith, and a liberal one, David Tatel. Best-selling author Brad Meltzer joined the drafting group. We added prominent law professors, former Yale Law School dean Harold Koh and New York University professor Melissa Murray. And we succeeded. In a little over a month, we were able to come to unanimous agreement on a set of basic principles of American constitutional democracy. We hope these principles remind us that what unites us as a country, our deeply held underlying values, is greater than what divides us. We decided early on to focus on five areas: the rule of law, democracy and elections, separation of powers, personal freedom, and equality. We divided into five subgroups to work on these topics and to propose principles to the entire drafting group. There then was the opportunity for responses and revisions. The key, of course, was to make the statements sufficiently specific so they were not platitudes, but also general enough to be articulation of basic values. For the rule of law, we stressed that to preserve liberty, fairness and the stability of our democratic society, the power of government and other actors must be limited by law and they must be accountable. All people, no matter their station, must stand equal before the law, subject to the same rules, protections, privileges and sanctions. The rule of law demands due process, that before the government may deprive any person of life, liberty or property, the individual must have a meaningful opportunity to challenge the deprivation before an independent and neutral adjudicator. Law enforcement — investigations, prosecutions, adjudications and pardons — must be conducted according to law, with respect for human dignity and without regard to the personal or political interests of the executive. And the rule of law cannot be preserved without an independent judiciary that is neither subject to intimidation by the executive or legislative branches of government, nor beholden to the demands of political parties. For separation of powers, we stressed that a fundamental structural feature of the Constitution, and its chief safeguard of our liberty, is separating and placing limits upon the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government such that they check and balance one another's power. For democracy and elections, the crucial point is that the one depends on the other. We elect representatives to make the laws we must abide by. To succeed, elections must be transparent and fair. A democratic society enfranchises voters to the fullest extent possible, makes elections accessible and refrains from erecting unnecessary barriers to voting. Voter suppression is antithetical to democracy, and it exists when eligible voters are unable to register to vote, cast a ballot or have that ballot counted. Also, our constitutional republic depends upon our shared commitment to the peaceful transfer of power, to accepting, honoring and respecting election results regardless of whether our preferred candidate wins. The personal freedoms accorded throughout the Constitution and its many amendments are an essential protection against government tyranny and reflect the inherent rights of every person in the United States. Democracy depends on freedom of speech and the press. The government has no right to intimidate or punish anyone simply on the basis of their views and ideas. The Bill of Rights protects those suspected and accused of crimes with provisions that limit police searches and arrests, ensure the privilege against self-incrimination and provide for fair trials. Our society respects fundamental aspects of autonomy, including the liberty to make important decisions about one's life. Finally, equality is a precondition of freedom. We all are free only when each of us, not just some of us, is free from discrimination, exclusion and threat. Our differences are our strength, not our weakness. Where autocracy and authoritarianism demand allegiance to uniformity, democracy demands the opposite — differences of people and opinion. Every person's voice is of equal worth in the workplace, the public square and the voting booth. Equality of opportunity — in education, employment and participation in our democracy — is a right, not a privilege regardless of color, ethnicity, religion, poverty or wealth. The government's decisions about our lives must be free of discrimination, racism, prejudice, and favoritism. Readers can find the principles, beginning July 4, at 249 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our hope is that Americans of every political persuasion will reaffirm these values, acknowledging that government of, for and by the people — not monarchy, autocracy or religious rule — is the best way to secure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are not naive about what can be achieved through this effort. But we strongly believe that there is value in reminding ourselves, in the words of the Declaration of Independence, of the truths that we hold to be self-evident. Erwin Chermerinsky is the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and a contributing writer to Opinion Voices. J. Michael Luttig served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit from 1991 to 2006; he was appointed by President George H.W. Bush.
