In a move that caught the Formula 1 (F1) world off guard, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has left the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team to join Scuderia Ferrari in 2025. He will be racing alongside Monaco driver Charles Leclerc, replacing Spaniard Carlos Sainz.

The British driver, whose contract began on Jan. 1, said he “could not be more excited” about this new challenge in a LinkedIn post. The post showed a photo of him in childhood, go-karting in a red helmet, Ferrari’s iconic color. 

“Today, we start a new chapter in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together,” Hamilton said when he visited the team’s headquarters in Maranello, Italy for the first time. 

Since he joined F1, Hamilton has constantly been at the front of the grid. Hamilton made his F1 debut in 2007 with McLaren, missing out on the title by a point in his rookie season. The following season, however, he won his first championship in 2008. He switched to Mercedes in 2013 and became one of the most decorated F1 drivers, winning six world titles with the German constructor. He has the most wins (105), most podium appearances (202) and most world championships (7), tied with Michael Schumacher, another F1 great. He was also knighted by the Prince of Wales in 2021. 

However, the last few years have been painful for Hamilton at Mercedes. Since the infamous 2021 season where he lost to Max Verstappen in the final race, Hamilton has failed to secure a single win in the next two seasons.

In 2022, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) introduced new ground-effect Regulations to promote closer racing and create more overtaking opportunities. Mercedes’ designs made their cars more vulnerable to these changes than others. 

“I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs. I know what a car doesn’t need. I think it’s really about accountability,” Hamilton noted in 2023 on his car struggles. 

“Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge,” he said after activating a release clause in his contract with The Silver Arrows. 

Ferrari, the sport’s oldest team, last won a driver’s championship with Kimi Räikkönen in 2008, who beat Hamilton by a whisker. Since then, the team has seen a downfall, affected by leadership turnover, strategic blunders, engine penalties and reliability issues. This season’s first two races confirm the Italian constructor’s troubles. In Australia, it finished eighth and tenth, whereas in China, both the cars were disqualified post-race.

By getting Hamilton onboard, The Prancing Horse is vying to undo their constructor and driver championship drought. 

“Lewis is coming with a huge experience … and this will help the team to continue to grow up and to improve step by step,” said Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur. 

Unlike his fellow drivers, Hamilton has rarely switched constructors. Nonetheless, he is gelling well with his new team. He is taking lessons to learn Italian and indulging himself in the culture. He gave a speech in Italian at the factory and tried to shake hands with all the employees. The team’s factory in Maranello is also a five-hour drive from Monaco, where Hamilton lives.

Vasseur called his relationship with Leclerc “mega-good.”

“The most important thing is to keep this relationship, to continue to work as a team and to push as a team,” he added.

“We knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “We accept Lewis’s decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate.”

To fill the void left, Mercedes has promoted 18-year-old Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He finished fourth in his debut at the Australian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest F1 debutant to score points. 

Thanks to Netflix’s “Drive to Survive,” F1 has enjoyed significant growth among American audiences. The country, which had just one race in 2018, will host three this season. According to Nielsen Sports, it has over 750 million fans worldwide, topping the charts of the most famous annual sporting series.

Hamilton does not fail to draw attention off-track as well. He is the latest ambassador for Lululemon, is chairing this year’s Met Gala, and he has co-produced the upcoming film titled “F1,” starring Brad Pitt. 

Although he is 40, Hamilton does not believe he is at the tail end of his career. With Ferrari, he has “this new burst of energy” to go for a record eighth world championship. In fact, he hit the ground running in the second race of this season itself, taking the pole position and winning the sprint race in the Chinese Grand Prix. 

“If I was fortunate enough to win another title, which is obviously what we are setting out to do, I don’t see myself stopping.”

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. From self-driving cars to chatbots, AI has transitioned from a futuristic concept to a modern reality, entrenching itself in hundreds of industries and revolutionizing how humans live. Recognizing this trend, the College of Engineering (COE) has set up an AI Makerspace in collaboration with NVIDIA to introduce Jackets to this emerging technology and prepare them for an AI-driven future. 

This makerspace, located in the CODA Data Center, is a cluster of High Performance 

Computers (HPCs) paired with NVIDIA’s AI Enterprise software. Penguin Solutions designed, built and deployed the software infrastructure that serves as a virtual gateway to a high-performance computing environment. 

Tech’s Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) provides infrastructure support. It helps with sustainable leading-edge Research Computing and Data (RCD) cyberinfrastructure, software and support for research and education requiring high-performance computing and other advanced research computing infrastructure. 

However, what makes this AI makerspace such a heavyweight is the 160 NVIDIA H100 and 144 NVIDIA H200 graphics processing units (GPUs) it houses. For context, if 50,000 students take 22 years to solve a multiplication operation, a single H100 GPU can solve the same problem in a second. 

A GPU is a specialized processor that can handle complex computation tasks such as rendering high-resolution graphics, cryptocurrency mining and AI training.

This hub of supercomputers with cutting-edge technology, typically reserved for researchers or industry professionals, democratizes access to AI technology for students. With this makerspace, students can gain hands-on experience, deepen their skills and prepare to become the next generation of AI professionals.

Raheem Beyah, dean of the College of Engineering, echoed this sentiment: “The launch of the AI Makerspace represents another milestone in Georgia Tech’s legacy of innovation and leadership in education,” he said. “Thanks to NVIDIA’s advanced technology and expertise, our students at all levels have a path to make significant contributions and lead in the rapidly evolving field of AI.”

Currently, only classes, VIP teams and Create-X projects have access to this makerspace, with priority access to the COE. 

“This is the largest AI Makerspace dedicated completely to students,” said Arijit Raychowdhury, chair of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “I would say that AI is at a place where computing or learning how to program was 20 years ago.”

In Spring 2025 alone, 80 courses across various disciplines were redesigned to integrate the makerspace into their classes, allowing students to leverage its capabilities in their learning and research. 

The Institute has already started observing dividends for this exorbitant technology. Since its launch, 1,471 unique users have used 300,000 GPU hours. Booking the same usage from a third-party cloud service would cost at least 750,000 USD. 

Aya Samadi, whose capstone project in Spring 2024 utilized the makerspace, expressed how potent the resource is. 

“With the resources of the AI Makerspace, we were not only able to successfully train the model, but it was also much faster than if we had to use publicly available methods,” she added. 

The makerspace is a welcome addition to COE’s “AI for Engineering” initiative. As per this initiative, the graduates will be “well-versed in artificial intelligence principles and ready to enter an AI-native workforce.” 

The Institute has other HPC resources available on campus, which PACE maintains. The Phoenix cluster, Hive Cluster and Firebird cluster are a few examples. However, none of them are as powerful as the AI Makerspace. 

NVIDIA, which is at the forefront of GPU manufacturing, has partnered with The Institute to provide the AI hardware and software behind the makerspace. Moreover, it provides deep learning resources, including faculty-led workshops, certifications, curriculum-aided teaching kits and a developer community network to enhance student learning.

“AI supercomputers provide a platform to help drive powerful new discoveries that could solve some of the world’s most complex challenges,” said Cheryl Martin, director of Higher Education and Research at NVIDIA. 

“Georgia Tech’s AI Makerspace will provide students with access to NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform, equipping them with the technology to push the boundaries of AI learning and research.”

The AI Makerspace is not just a milestone for Tech but also a significant addition to Atlanta’s technological ecosystem.

“The City of Atlanta commends the leadership of Georgia Tech and the College of Engineering in advancing education and technology through the AI Makerspace,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Partnerships with industry leaders such as NVIDIA propel our students and workforce toward tomorrow, further enhancing Atlanta’s status as an innovation hub.”

Matthieu Bloch, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering, and his team are working behind the scenes to set up student governance of the makerspace, similar to that of other physical makerspaces across campus. His team is exploring ideas such as adding mentors and instructors, creating modules and certifications for first-time users and forming a committee to approve requests.

Such a structure will also help open the resource to student organizations, third-party-funded research and other non-instruction applications. 

Nonetheless, Bloch emphasized that classes will be prioritized. “Our number one priority is always going to be to support instruction first,” he added. 

Tech also plans to establish the AI Makerspace Omniverse in 2026, a sandbox for augmented and virtual reality. 

Despite being in use around the clock, the makerspace’s computing power is yet to reach its true potential. “300 GPUs is a lot of computing power,” Bloch emphasized. “I want the students to surprise us … My goal is to break it down so that I can go back and ask for more money to expand the makerspace,” he joked.

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Tiktok’s parent company, ByteDance, has until April 5 to sell the popular social media app to an American buyer, or it will face a ban in the country. Previously, TikTok went dark in the late hours of Jan. 18, 2025, as it failed to comply with Congress’s April 2024 law that asked ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations or shut down the app. On his first day in office, however, President Donald Trump issued an executive order delaying the enforcement of the ban for 75 days. 

“Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives as your online home for limitless creativity and discovery, as well as a source of inspiration and joy for years to come,” TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew said after the extension.

TikTok, known as Douyin in mainland China and Hong Kong, merged with lip-sync app Musical.ly and entered the international market in 2017. As of May 2024, it had more than 1.04 billion users worldwide and is available in more than 150 countries. The app attracted 170 million users in the U.S. and generated $16 billion by the end of 2023.   

According to a 2019 report from the American think tank Peterson Institute of International Economics, TikTok is a national security threat. The report alleged that the app could share its users’ location, image and biometric data with its parent company. Furthermore, per the Chinese Internet Security Law, ByteDance will have to share this data with the Chinese government if asked to do so.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) opened an investigation into TikTok and ByteDance. In response, the U.S. Navy and Army banned their personnel from using the apps on all government-issued phones.

In 2020, Trump, in his first term, passed an order banning TikTok unless ByteDance divested app ownership. Companies like Microsoft and Oracle were rumored to be interested in buying TikTok’s operations in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but those deals never materialized. Nevertheless, the app was not banned because it received a preliminary injunction in September 2020.

Joe Biden was elected in 2021 and revoked Trump’s order. However, his administration also found TikTok’s activities suspicious and asked the Secretary of Commerce to investigate whether the app threatened U.S. national security. Multiple officials and experts, including Senator Marco Rubio, Representative Mike Gallagher and FBI Director Christopher Wray, also called for TikTok’s ban in the country. These investigations led to legislation passed in 2024, setting the conditions for the app.

If permanently banned, the U.S. will not be the first country where TikTok is unavailable. The app is completely banned in countries like India and Albania. Previously, the Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia governments issued bans that were eventually lifted. 

TikTok has consistently maintained that no data gets shared with China. It claims that American user data is saved on U.S.-based servers with a backup in Singapore and cannot be accessed by the Chinese government. Critics of the ban also raise the concern that there is insufficient public evidence to show that American user data has been accessed by or shared with the Chinese government.

Michael Specter, assistant professor in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, believes that much work must be done. “Data privacy is a real problem, and … it is not out of the question that TikTok’s data could wind up in the hands of [China]. That said, perhaps the focus should be on creating better data privacy and algorithmic fairness laws in general, rather than fixating on one company,” he said in an email to the Technique. 

The absence of TikTok could also affect the lives of millions of Americans. Per its 2024 report, TikTok added $24 billion to the economy and supported 224,000 jobs. 

“In just a few short years, the platform has gone from a novelty to a necessity for entrepreneurs looking to survive and thrive in even the most challenging economic environments,” the report said. 

Specter envisions a future without closed platforms like TikTok, whose centralized ecosystems can be arbitrarily purchased or manipulated. In his opinion, decentralized social media apps like Mastodon and BlueSky are the future of social media. These apps give users more control over their data and content, allowing them to make decisions about the platform through democratic processes.

“Think about a social media landscape that behaves a bit more like email, allowing the user to define their content preferences,” he said. “That’s exciting!” 

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Bernard Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, passed away on Nov. 4 at the age of 95.

In the vast landscape of American entrepreneurship, few names have left an impact as profound as Marcus’. As the co-founder of The Home Depot and a renowned philanthropist, his legacy goes far beyond home improvement. 

“The Georgia Tech community mourns the passing of Bernie Marcus,” President Ángel Cabrera told Tech’s News Center. “His passion for health science and technology, coupled with his confidence in our research vision, has helped solidify Georgia Tech’s reputation in fields such as stem cell bioengineering, nanotechnology, and cancer research, as well as student innovation and entrepreneurship. His philanthropic legacy will continue to bolster the Atlanta community for generations to come.”

Born in Newark, N.J., in 1929 to Russian Jewish immigrants, he was accepted into Harvard Medical School to become a doctor but could not afford the tuition. Instead, he graduated from Rutgers University and worked his way up to become the CEO of Handy Dan Improvement Centers, a Los Angeles-based chain of home improvement stores. 

He was fired from his job in April 1978, along with Arthur Blank, but the setback inspired Blank and Marcus to establish The Home Depot, whose first two stores opened in Atlanta in June 1979. 

His vision was to create a one-stop shop for affordable, high-quality home improvement products. This “big box” format, with its comprehensive range of products, attracted homeowners and contractors alike. 

As of 2021, The Home Depot employs approximately 500,000 associates and operates over 2,300 stores in North America. Its total revenue was $132.1 billion in 2020.

In his obituary, The Home Depot called Bernie an inspiration. “More than anything, he deeply believed in the company’s core values, particularly that of giving back. He never lost sight of his humble roots, using his success not for fame or fortune but to generously help others. In business and in charity, Bernie was unparalleled in generosity and goodwill,” the obituary said.

Marcus was a passionate supporter of education, research and innovation. His support of the Institute resulted in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building, a state-of-the-art facility that features the largest cleanroom laboratory dedicated to the fabrication and assembly of biomedical and semiconductor devices in the Southeast. The Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing has also been pivotal in advancing the manufacturing process of cellular medicines, making them more accessible and affordable.

He was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2015, acknowledging his contribution to the Institute.  

Marcus’s contributions to business are remarkable, but his legacy in philanthropy is even more profound. 

“My mother taught me to be generous. She believed that the more you give, the more you get,” he used to say. 

He had an enormous impact on Atlanta’s healthcare. He started The Marcus Institute with his wife, Billi Marcus, which was renamed the Marcus Autism Center. This not-for-profit subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta treats more than 5,500 children with autism and related disorders a year.

He was also involved in creating Project Share at the Shepherd Center, renowned for treating brain and spinal injuries. To ensure that military members and veterans get diagnosed and cared for without financial constraint, The Marcus Foundation underwrote the housing, transportation and care costs of any military personnel with brain or spinal injuries who were sent to Shepherd. 

In 1999, Marcus started The Homer Fund to care for Home Depot associates who suffer unexpected hardships. Since its founding, The Homer Fund has helped more than 194,000 associates.

With a net worth of $10.3 billion, Marcus also joined The Giving Pledge in 2010, a commitment by wealthy individuals to give away most of their money during their lifetime. By 2019, he had given away $2 billion to various philanthropic causes, which rose to $9.8 billion in 2024. He was recognized as one of the top 10 individuals who gave or pledged the most to charity in the United States in 2023. 

“To make a quarterly profit is one thing, but changing just one life is so much better,” Marcus wrote in a letter to Warren Buffett, as mentioned in his obituary from The Home Depot.

One of Marcus’s contributions to the city of Atlanta is the Georgia Aquarium. Opened in 2005, it remains one of the largest aquariums in the world and is one of Atlanta’s most visited attractions. Marcus envisioned the aquarium as an educational and recreational facility that would draw tourists to Atlanta and provide a source of pride for the community. Today, it is a hub of marine research, conservation and educational and recreational activities.

His contributions to the city have enriched the state in lasting ways. His decision to establish The Home Depot’s headquarters in Atlanta helped cement the city’s reputation as a significant business hub, creating thousands of jobs and attracting other corporations to the region.

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The area of Auburn Avenue, which has been undergoing massive transformation over the years, is finally returning to its historic glory. With a particular emphasis on restoring the historic building, the newly renovated and rehabilitated structures represent the rich history of “Sweet Auburn.” 

Brian Bell, an architect Professor, emphasizes Sweet Auburn’s historical significance. It has served as one of the focal points of the civil rights movement and is home to countless businesses, congregations, and social organizations. 

“I see [the area] as less as a piece of Atlanta but more as Atlanta itself,” Bell added.

Historic structures such as the Atlanta Life Insurance Building, Odd Fellows Building, Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and the YMCA building have already been restored or are under the drapes. A 65-foot portrait of John Lewis, a civil rights activist and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, already adorns a corner with plans to construct a memorial park at the base of the mural. 

Along with restoration, the area will see the addition of affordable housing, commercial spaces and parking spots. One of the housing complexes, Thrive Sweet Auburn, has emerged as a “one-stop shop” for Atlanta’s homeless community, which needs services and expert help. Within six months of its opening, it has already accommodated 200 families. 

Sweet Auburn is a historic district west of Downtown Atlanta. Activist John Wesley Dobbs named it “Sweet Auburn.” In 1906, after the racial riots in the city, multiple Black-owned businesses started to move to the safer area around the Atlanta University Center and Auburn Avenue.

It became Atlanta’s “three-legged stool of Black finance” during the Jim Crow era in the South, supported emerging African-American businesses and transpired as a national center of Black commerce. In 1956 Fortune magazine described Auburn Avenue as “the richest Negro street in the world.” It housed the second-largest and longest-running Black-owned insurance company and newspaper, respectively. In 1976, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark. 

When segregation ended, many shop owners moved to the more affluent parts of Atlanta. Simultaneously, the Downtown Connector bifurcated the area. This led to the decline of the area, and crime grew. In 1992, it was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. 

“It turned into a decaying memorial to a bygone era… a necessary though regrettable price for freedom,” said historian Gary Pomerantz. 

The area saw a resurgence when the Historic District Development Corporation (HDDC) took over, starting with the area surrounding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s house, eventually becoming the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. In 2014, the Atlanta streetcar was completed, running west along Auburn Avenue. It connects the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park to downtown and the tourist attractions of Centennial Olympic Park. 

The area celebrates the annual SpringFest, Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade every year. Edgewood Avenue, famous for its street art, runs through Sweet Auburn. 

In April 2023, Mercy Housing Southeast, in partnership with Project Community Connections, Inc. (PCCI), opened a brand-new affordable housing community for low-income families, veterans and formerly unhoused individuals. Mercy Housing is also working with HDDC, one of Atlanta’s oldest surviving community development corporations, to build another affordable housing community called Henderson Place. 

According to Bell, the Tech community has also played a “tremendous” role in the architectural landscape of Sweet Auburn and of Atlanta as a whole. Gene Kansas, an alumnus of Tech, founded a commercial real estate company in Atlanta. In 2008, a tornado ripped the roof of the Atlanta Daily World Building, once home to the Atlanta Daily World,  the country’s oldest Black daily newspaper and District V, Atlanta’s first Black Girl Scout Troop. 

When a developer tried to demolish the building, the community opposed this petition. Kansas, in 2013, bought the building and rehabilitated it. While the upstairs was turned into 1930s-era style apartments, another Tech alumnus opened a juice bar and a coffee shop downstairs. One of the walls also features a mural of Roselyn Pope, an original District V scout. The restoration brought numerous awards and recognition to Kansas. However, the most profound impact was the future projects this restoration kickstarted in the area.

Talking about future architectural projects, Bell hopes that new constructions will prioritize sustainable methods, eco-friendly materials and design techniques that help restore our world.

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It was a busy week in New York as the city hosted the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from Sept. 24 to Sept. 30. Under the theme of “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations,” world leaders shared their thoughts and explored solutions to advance international peace and harmony.

The UNGA has 193 member states, two observer states (the Holy See and the State of Palestine) and 17 non-self-governing territories. It was created under the Charter of the United Nations (UN) in 1945 as the decision-making and representative body of the UN. It has equal representation of all member states and is responsible for budgeting, appointing the UN secretary-general and passing resolutions. It first convened in 1946 and has been holding annual regular sessions every September ever since. Its current president is Philémon Yang of Cameroon.

The general debate is one of the most important events of the UNGA’s regular session. During the debate, the member states speak about a chosen theme. By tradition, Brazil and the United States are the first two speakers. The rest of the order is decided by the level of representation, preference and other criteria, such as geographic balance. A total of 134 countries addressed the 79th session of the UNGA.

Many countries used the platform to criticize the actions of Israel in the Middle East. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of exploiting the Oct. 7 attacks to launch a “full-scale war of genocide” on the Gaza Strip.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Israel has made peace and will make peace again.”

“Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns … How long would the American government tolerate that? Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say: Enough is enough,” Netanyahu said in his speech, which saw walkouts by delegates. 

While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke about the importance of national sovereignty and reiterated China’s claim on Taiwan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov defended his country’s attacks in Ukraine and condemned what he called Western attempts at global domination and machinations in Ukraine.

In the last UN address of his term, President Joe Biden called for nations to unite against the wars in Europe and the Middle East and combat China’s growing global influence. 

“I truly believe we’re at another inflection point in world history. The choices we make today will determine our future,” he said.

In the final minutes, he also expressed his apprehensions about artificial intelligence. 

Along with the speeches, the countries also participated in the “Summit of the Future” to “address the critical challenges and gaps in global governance exposed by recent global shocks” and held plenary high-level meetings to combat the rising sea level, fight against the threat of Antimicrobial Resistance and achieve global nuclear disarmament. All these events align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that aim to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.”

On the sidelines, multiple independent meetings also took place between world leaders and other distinguished personalities.

After WWII, the UN was formed in 1945 to maintain international peace and security, give humanitarian assistance to those in need, protect human rights and uphold international law. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the UN with 15 members, including the five permanent members with veto powers. These permanent members include the U.S., the United Kingdom, Russia, China and France.

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On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice (DOJ) found that Georgia prisons violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and threatened to sue the State of Georgia if corrective actions were not taken. 

The Eighth Amendment protects citizens from excessive bail, fines and cruel punishments. In its 94-page report, the DOJ concluded that the prisons do not meet contemporary standards of decency and respect for basic human dignity, which puts employees and inmates at risk.

“People are assaulted, stabbed, raped and killed or left to languish inside facilities that are woefully understaffed. Inmates are maimed and tortured, relegated to an existence of fear, filth and not-so-benign neglect,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. 

Georgia officials are “deliberately indifferent to these unsafe conditions,” the report said. “The state has known about the unsafe conditions for years and has failed to take reasonable measures to address them.”

Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) responded that it is “extremely disappointed” with “years of expensive and unproductive court monitoring” by federal officials. It added that the report “reflect[s] a fundamental misunderstanding of the current challenges of operating any prison system.”

The report concluded that GDC is unable to protect incarcerated persons, especially persons from the LGBTQ community, from physical violence and sexual abuse. The report also claimed that the prisons are crippled by understaffing, systemic deficiencies and improper influence of gangs in prison life. 

“Individuals incarcerated by the Georgia Department of Corrections should not be subjected to life-threatening violence and other forms of severe deprivation while serving their prison terms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia.

In a letter to Gov. Brian P. Kemp, the investigating authorities noted all the violations along with minimum remedial measures that the state must take.

“In the event we are unable to reach a resolution regarding our concerns, [the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA)] authorizes the Attorney General to initiate a lawsuit 49 days after issuance of this notice letter to correct the alleged conditions we have identified,” the letter also said. 

Under CRIPA, the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia launched the investigation in 2016. They investigated 34 state-operated and four private prisons that house almost 50,000 people, the fourth-highest state prison population in the country. 

Initially, the investigation was focused on the level of protection provided to incarcerated persons who are from the LGBTQ community. However, all incarcerated persons were included in the ambit of investigation in 2021.

The DOJ worked with four highly qualified expert consultants and visited 17 geographically and demographically diverse GDC prisons. They also conducted hundreds of private, one-on-one interviews and brief conversations with incarcerated persons, GDC facility staff, investigators, local coroners, first responders and prosecutors. Further, they reviewed tens of

thousands of records from GDC, other Georgia state agencies and third-party stakeholders, despite the resistance and lack of access to records, physical spaces and incarcerated persons.

The report said that prisons are riddled with large, sophisticated gangs. Despite raids and arrests to stop these smugglings, “these efforts have been insufficient” to stop the trafficking of drugs, weapons, smartphones and other electronic devices in the jail. 

The report found that the homicide cases totaled to at least 142 in the last six years, with five cases in four different facilities in a single month in 2023. The report also recounts several physical and sexual abuse of LGBTQ inmates.  A transgender woman reported being sexually assaulted at knifepoint, and another inmate stated he was “extorted for money” and sexually abused after six people entered his cell.

Additionally, the report claims that the actual number of physical violence might be higher due to poorly-conducted investigations, incorrect reporting and victims being reluctant to report abuse.

“GDC reported in its June 2024 mortality data that, for the first five months of 2024, there were six homicides, even though at least 18 deaths were categorized as homicides in GDC incident reports,” the report said.

The report also said that only 50% of correctional officer positions were filled. 

In the end, the report also included 12 pages of “minimum remedial measures.” The report recommends the GDC fill at least 90% of allocated posts, implement a plan to document and investigate violent incidents adequately, reevaluate the housing and inmate classification process, clamp down on contraband, including weekly searches of housing units, improve its physical-plant deficiencies and introduce sexual abuse prevention measures, including improving the housing assignment process for LGBTQ inmates.

“We can’t turn a blind eye to the wretched conditions and wanton violence unfolding in these institutions,” Clarke said. “The people incarcerated in these jails and prisons are our neighbors, siblings, children, parents, family members and friends.”

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While the United States spent the Fourth of July celebrating 248 years of independence, major elections took place across the pond. The United Kingdom (UK) voted Keir Starmer and his Labour Party into power, overthrowing the Conservative Party (Tory) after 14 years. Of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, Labour secured a historic 412 seats, whereas the Tories could only collect 121 seats, giving the Labour Party a generous majority. Starmer took oath as the Prime Minister (PM) on July 5. 

The UK has a first-past-the-post voting system. The House of Commons’s 650 seats represent constituencies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the four countries that constitute the UK. To garner a majority, any party needs at least 326 seats to lay a stake in forming the government. After the parliament was dissolved early by former PM Rishi Sunak, he called for a general election, announcing that voting would take place on July 4 and the results to be declared on July 5. 

“Across our country, people will be waking up to the news that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this nation,” Starmer said, addressing his supporters on the morning of July 5.

Starmer, a former barrister, entered politics after being elected a member of the House of Commons in 2015. He was elected as the leader of the Labour Party and the leader of the Opposition in 2020, replacing Jeremy Corbyn. 

“Many political observers and Tory politicians announced a long-term dominance of the Conservative Party and the possible end of Labour Party relevance [in 2019]. The world of politics can turn upside down so quickly. Now, Labour is poised to achieve a historic victory and many in Europe are wondering about the long-term viability of the Tories,” said Tech INTA professor Kirk Bowman.

After the result, the former PM and the leader of the Tories, Sunak, took responsibility for their defeat and congratulated Starmer. He also said he had heard people’s anger and decided to step down as Tory leader. Kemi Badenoch is likely to be his successor. 

With 121 seats and a 23.7% vote share, the Tories faced their worst defeat in election history. Multiple opinion polls predicted this result, however. 

Since forming a government in 2019, the Tories have been riddled with controversies and bad governance. Then PM Boris Johnson was criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his ministers were seen breaking social distancing norms and attending social gatherings when the pandemic was at its peak. This “Partygate” scandal eventually forced Johnson to resign in July 2022. 

Lizz Truss replaced him. Following a disastrous economic policy that had to be rolled back, Truss also resigned within 49 days of her appointment, becoming the shortest-serving UK PM. 

Eventually, Sunak took the reins and served as PM and the leader of Tories going into the recent elections. 

Despite a massive win for Labour, the results reflect dissatisfied Britons. Turnout was 59.9%, the second-lowest since 1885, and Labour only secured 33.8% of the vote share, the smallest of any majority government in history. 

Journalist Fraser Nelson described this victory as a “Potemkin landslide.” In political discourse, a Potemkin village is something that looks better on the surface than it actually is.

This election also saw a rise in the appeal of other parties, as they amassed around 43% votes, the highest in history. Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK emerged as the third biggest party in vote share. The centrist Liberal Democrats earned 71 seats, the highest after Tory and Labour, and the Green Party and independent candidates also performed well. 

Starmer is aware of his fractured mandate and hopes “to restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country.” 

Starmer’s cabinet includes Rachel Reeves, the first female chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lammy, the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, the home secretary and John Healey, the defense secretary. Angela Rayner was named Britain’s deputy PM and secretary of state. 

Starmer has promised to control illegal immigration across the English Channel. However, he has decided to halt Sunak’s controversial plan to send asylum-seekers back to Rwanda. 

Regarding the future of the UK’s ties with the European Union (EU), he said that “the election of Kier Starmer will open paths to strengthen UK-EU ties, even without formally rejoining the European Union. The UK may choose to join individual EU institutions, such as the popular Erasmus student exchange program.” Starmer will be hosting 47 European nations in England for a meeting of the European Political Community on July 18. 

As the political landscape of Europe is seeing a rise in right-wing ideologies and ultranationalism, Starmer summarized what lay ahead in his inaugural speech: “Our work is urgent and we begin it today.”

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Even the scorching sun, hot winds and temperatures beyond 110°F did not deter Indian voters from participating in the world’s largest electoral process, as more than 600 million voters cast their votes to elect their Prime Minister for the next five years. The incumbent candidate Narendra Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were elected to power for the third consecutive time, albeit with a weaker mandate.

“Today is a glorious day… [the] National Democratic Alliance [NDA] is going to form the government for the third time. We are grateful to the people,” said Modi in a speech at BJP’s headquarters, referring to his alliance with the NDA. “This is a victory for the world’s largest democracy,” he added.

The voting took place in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The voter turnout was around 66%, and the results were declared on June 4.

About 968 million people—nearly thrice the population of the United States—were eligible to vote for electing candidates that will serve in the Lower House of the Parliament called the Lok Sabha. It has 543 seats, representing a total of 543 constituencies in the country. The candidates are usually affiliated with a political party, although independent candidates are not unheard of. 

Any party or alliance of parties that wins at least 272 seats in the Lok Sabha is invited to form the government and choose a Prime Minister. The government’s term lasts for five years. 

The BJP and its alliance with NDA were opposed by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) party, which consists of more than two dozen opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress (INC).

Unlike the exit polls, which predicted a thumping victory for the BJP, the party surprisingly failed even to reach a majority of seats. Although it was the single largest party with 240 seats, it had to rely on its alliance with the NDA to win 272 seats and form the government with 293 seats. 

This is uncharted territory for Modi and the BJP as they will lead a coalition government with the NDA for the first time since coming to power. In the 2014 and 2019 elections, BJP won 283 and 303 seats, respectively. Thus, they were able to govern solely under their agenda. 

This time, however, the BJP’s allies will play a significant role in how the government operates for the next five years. The NDA’s demands will be accommodated and their consent to make every decision will be sought. If neglected, they can also withdraw their support and topple the government. 

The BJP will be “heavily dependent on the goodwill of its allies, which makes them critical players who we can expect will extract their pound of flesh, both in terms of policymaking as well as government formation,” said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

There is jubilation in INDIA’s camp. Though the party failed to form the government, they prevented the BJP from garnering a majority. INDIA won 234 seats. INC, the largest party in the alliance, won 99 seats and has nearly doubled its tally from 52 seats in 2019.

“This is [the] public’s victory and a win for democracy,” INC President Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters in a press conference after the results were declared.

The BJP asked for votes in Modi’s name, who had an approval rating of 75% in February 2024 after ten years in power. He is known for his polarizing rhetoric. According to experts, building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya would boost support for Modi nationwide. 

INDIA raised the issues of rising unemployment and inflation in the country. According to a 2022 World Bank report, India’s youth unemployment rate was 23.2%. The BJP candidate’s failure to win the Faizabad seat, which houses the Ram Temple, showed that the surge of support in the area that many expected from the temple’s construction did not materialize. 

“One could feel the magic of democracy. The people anonymously but unitedly sent a message to the ruling party,” said Professor Shatakshee Dhongde, who was in India during the last week of elections. “They have confidence in the ruling party, but that confidence should not be taken for granted. If the government does not perform well, the people will choose other leaders to replace them,” she added.

Modi is the only Indian leader after Jawaharlal Nehru to have been elected Prime Minister for three terms. He took oath on June 9 and announced a 71-member cabinet the day after. Modi faces a significant task as he seeks to leverage India’s high economic growth rate and geographical location to its advantage on the world stage.

The post Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time appeared first on Technique.

On April 21, students from all over campus will assemble at the Campanile outside the John Lewis Student Center and participate in the Out of the Darkness walk around Tech Green in solidarity with people struggling with mental health. The walk involves four laps around Tech Green, followed by speakers and events highlighting the effects of mental health struggles on students. 

Andrew Pietkiewicz, a second-year ISYE student at Tech, is leading the volunteer efforts to organize and promote suicide prevention around campus in cooperation with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). 

Based out of New York City, AFSP is an organization that advocates for research and suicide prevention. Its mission is to “save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates have increased by 36% between 2000 and 2021. There were 48,183 suicide deaths in 2021, which was about a life lost every 11 minutes. Furthermore, it was estimated that 3.5 million Americans planned suicide, whereas 1.7 million attempted it that year. 

Ever since its establishment in 1987, AFSP has connected tens of thousands of people who have lost a loved one. It also leads suicide prevention campaigns in hundreds of local communities and lobbies at federal, state and local levels to promote suicide prevention research and initiatives. Out of the Darkness is one of AFSP’s biggest initiatives to fundraise and engage youth in the fight against suicide. 

Out of the Darkness has been a staple event in recent years to garner support for mental health services and raise awareness around suicide prevention. Pietkiewicz plans to improve the event this year to make it more inclusive to the diverse Tech community and encompass established mental health resources. 

“We are trying to engage people from all parts of the Tech community. We have a team from SGA registered, we’ve engaged with alumni and we have people [who] work in local counseling centers attending,” Pietkiewicz said.

To get involved with the Out of the Darkness walk, students can register with an established team or support the movement as an individual. Students can register at afsp.com/GATech.

“Teams are not the only way someone could participate, so if you are interested in this opportunity, we strongly encourage individuals to come out, meet people and get connected. That way, you can also get engaged even if you don’t have a specific organization,” Pietkiewicz said.

Not only will the event have prizes like free Chick-fil-A sandwich vouchers and tickets to the Georgia Aquarium and Atlanta History Center, but it will also have meaningful activities recognizing all those affected by mental health struggles. 

“The honor bead ceremony is one of the most important recognitions of mental health struggles and serves to unify students who have been touched by this issue. [The ceremony] involves people picking different color beads and wearing each color as a symbolic meaning relating towards mental health or suicide,” Pietkiewicz said. “Each color bead is for someone who has lost a family member to suicide or someone who has struggled with suicidal thoughts in the past or even LGBTQ mental health.”

The entire event connects the community and facilitates a supportive environment for all students in the tech community. “Our goal is to bring everyone together and recognize that we may have different connections to this cause, but at the end of the day, we are all … standing together,” Pietkiewicz said.

The campaign has raised just under $7,000 and is aimed to surpass $8,000 by the event day on April 21. Pietkiewicz said that 20% of the funds raised for the event will be used for the organization’s upkeep. The rest will sustain AFSP’s advocacy, policy and other programs. “That is a relatively high [percentage] number for charities,” he said. 

Standing in solidarity with people who lost their loved ones is the best way for the Tech community to help suicide prevention on campus, according to Pietkiewicz. He also wishes that prominent organizations on campus were more upfront about suicide prevention. 

“I think we need to recognize that it is a problem on campus and we can’t necessarily shy away from it,” Pietkiewicz said. 

Although there are many clubs for students to engage in and forge relationships, students can get weighed down by their classes and struggle to make friends they can turn to during tough times. 

“Connect[ing] with the individual and trying to prevent people from becoming isolated and making sure people find community at Tech is really important,” Pietkiewicz said. 

On an individual level, he urges readers to check in on their friends and let them know that you are there for them. 

“I would advise [students] … to reach out [and] don’t be afraid to … ask them how they’re really doing,” he said. 

Tech has various resources that students struggling with mental health issues can refer to. These services include psychoeducational screening and individual, group or couples counseling. Students can access these resources at mentalhealth.gatech.edu or call 404-894-2575 to speak to a counselor; counselors are available for appointment, and staff members are available at all hours for crisis support.

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