Neal has spent his entire professional career – in both the private and public sectors – at the intersection of public policy Treasury from May 2009 until September 2013 and Acting Secretary of the Treasury in January and February 2013 Neal served as the Treasury Department’s Chief Operating Officer and supervised all Treasury bureaus and domestic and international policy offices as well as its management public affairs and congressional affairs functions He was a key architect of the Obama Administration’s financial reform plan and played a critical role on international economic matters central banks and major international financial institutions on economic growth financial reforms and economic sanctions issues he was President and Chief Operating Officer of the property and casualty insurance companies of The Hartford Financial Services Group His government experience also includes time as Deputy Assistant and Deputy Counsel to the President for Economic Policy in the Obama Administration and as General Counsel of the U.S Treasury and member of the National Security Council staff at the White House in the Clinton Administration Neal is a member of the Board of Trustees of Yale University He is a board member of the Partnership for Public Service He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in History and holds a Master of Science in Development Economics from the University of Oxford With a diversity of experience and backgrounds – including former CEOs and more – we have built teams of sector experts that operate seamlessly across regions and global practice groups Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application a loving and caring presence in the lives of many passed away peacefully at home on December 26 and his career as the proprietor of Ram Industries Harold exemplified strength and dedication throughout his life He brought that same passion to his role as a father and grandfather where he was particularly proud of his time spent coaching little league One of Harold's greatest joys was attending the sporting events of his children and grandchildren cheering them on with unwavering support and enthusiasm His love for sports extended beyond his family Music was another passion that filled Harold's life with joy He found great pleasure in listening to big band music particularly enjoying the works of legends such as Benny Goodman He is further survived by his beloved neices Barbara and Joanne and nephews Jim and Bill Harold's legacy will surely live on through the many lives he touched with his kindness His memory will be cherished by all who had the privilege of knowing him Arrangements entrusted to Chicagoland Cremation Options in Schiller Park This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravie one of the nation's fastest growing health benefits innovators has named Steve Wolin as the company's new chief executive Wolin succeeds Gravie Co-founder and CEO Abir Sen who will continue as chairman of the board of directors Steve was the chief operating officer at Oscar Health "I'm incredibly excited for this opportunity to lead Gravie into the future as it continues to revolutionize the employer-sponsored health benefits market—especially for small and midsize firms whose unique challenges the industry has historically ignored," said Wolin "Gravie has been on a remarkable growth trajectory with a three-year compound annual growth rate of more than 150% while maintaining some of the best customer satisfaction scores I've ever seen in the employer space In an industry dominated by a handful of players whose business models no longer support the needs of small and midsize firms is a level-funded product with zero premiums and zero deductibles on the most common healthcare services Gravie is also the leader in Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA) working primarily with small and midsize businesses to help their employees find and pay for the individual market health plan that works best for them "With our two core products designed with the smaller employer in mind we are reimagining health benefits possibilities and working to make sure that the size of a group no longer dictates access to and the cost and value of benefits," said Co-founder & Chairman Abir Sen we have had ambitious goals to improve the healthcare ecosystem I can't think of a better person to carry that mantle forward than Steve who also has spent his career challenging the norms in healthcare and making the benefits landscape more inclusive and valuable." Wolin's immediate focus will be on further expanding Gravie's ICHRA capabilities and its network strategy and forging new long-term partnerships with national brokerages and channel partners has raised more than $263 million and currently employs 450 people Media Contact      Jeff Smokler410.370.1266 [email protected] Do not sell or share my personal information: The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University announced the launch of the Wolin Family Center for Intellectual Property Law (Wolin Center) as a groundbreaking initiative designed to shape the future of intellectual property law through legal education and industry collaboration MORE NEWS: Most Influential Women in Arizona from 2012-2024 THINGS TO DO: Want more news like this? Get our free newsletter here hands-on experiential learning and strategic partnerships the Wolin Center will serve as a national leader in preparing the next generation of attorneys to navigate the rapidly evolving IP landscape The center will focus on core areas of IP law — including patents copyrights and trade secrets — while also tackling emerging opportunities such as AI-generated content “We appreciate the Wolin family’s generous donation and their dedication to fostering innovation and legal education Their support enables us to create unparalleled opportunities for our students and to shape the future of intellectual property law.” The Wolin Center will foster industry collaboration through partnerships with leading technology companies Its initiatives will include student recruitment and mentorship public and corporate externships and clinical opportunities The Center will also be a convener of top IP leaders so that students can be at the forefront of discussions on topics such as international patent disputes and open-source licensing “The rapid advancement of technology is reshaping the legal landscape, and ASU Law is at the forefront of training the next generation of IP leaders,” said Douglas Sylvester professor of law and executive director of intellectual property at ASU Law “We are incredibly excited and thankful that the Wolin family felt our program deserved to be elevated by this association.”  The center is named for Harry and Tracy Wolin who met in the Phoenix area while working in Motorola’s intellectual property department a Silicon Valley-based semiconductor company general counsel and corporate secretary for more than 20 years Harry was vice president of intellectual property Harry is an alumnus of ASU Law having graduated with his JD in 1988 “It is beneficial for law firms and corporations to have young lawyers enter the workforce with a significant intellectual property background As a longtime corporate executive in the intellectual property space I’ve seen the value this provides.  ASU Law is uniquely positioned to provide an outstanding education in this arena given its existing programs and ability to engage with the robust IP community in the Phoenix area and beyond.  Tracy and I are pleased to be able to support this initiative and believe ASU Law will develop the preeminent intellectual property program in the country,” Harry said.  ASU Law has built a strong foundation in intellectual property law exceptional faculty and talented students who are shaping the future of the field The law school has expanded hands-on learning opportunities fostered key industry partnerships and strengthened its national reputation The naming of the Wolin Center will amplify these efforts education and real-world impact in intellectual property law the center will support students throughout their legal careers by offering scholarships patent bar preparation and lifelong engagement opportunities for alumni combined with our current faculty of more than 70 and dozens of courses ensures that ASU Law will remain a premier destination for aspiring IP attorneys For information on ASU Law’s centers, visit law.asu.edu/centers-and-programs Copyright © 2025 AZ Big Media  |  All Rights Reserved  |  Site by Blufish During our last grocery run, my roommate and I were shocked to see the price of eggs was almost $6 for a dozen We're both Penn State undergrads on strict food budgets so we decided to see if we could find an egg-like substitute until prices go down We cooked up a couple of plant-based alternatives and tested them on our most real-egg-loving friends First, we tried out a tofu scramble. My roommate is a vegetarian and instead of eggs she sometimes uses tofu to get more protein in the mornings She described the process of making tofu scramble as she turned on the stove Then Schroeder added the secret ingredient that she said makes the scramble taste like eggs — black salt, or Kala Namak She bought a one-pound bag online and has barely made a dent in it Schroder added oil to a preheated pan and began cooking the tofu scramble “Once the tofu scramble is done cooking a little bit I'm gonna add a little bit of cream cheese to the pan and a little bit of milk,“ Schroeder said and it's gonna be a little bit more moist than just doing the spices in the pan.” She bought the tofu for $1.75 at a bargain grocery store in State College We invited two egg-loving friends over to be our egg testers Robert Schiff and Graham Lively have never tried plant-based eggs before Schiff said he enjoys the taste of a good fried egg in the morning “You can’t beat the simplicity of a really good fried egg,” Schiff said he said the tofu scramble is closer to an egg than he expected “It doesn't quite exactly replicate a good egg but it gets closer than I would have expected Lively said if someone told him the tofu scramble was egg "But if you gave me this at a restaurant and you insisted that this was an egg The next egg-speriment was a mung bean omelet I call it an omelet because it holds together and doesn’t get stirred I blended up yellow mung beans with nutritional yeast We got a two-pound bag of mung beans for $7.99 and I’m estimating we’ll get about 24 omelets out of it This recipe takes more preparation than a tofu scramble I had to remember to soak the beans overnight then blend them for a couple of minutes until they were about the consistency of a smoothie This recipe makes three medium omelets per half cup of dried beans I left it untouched for a couple of minutes Schiff said the mung bean omelet reminds him of hummus or a falafel but an angry waiter screaming at me that this was indeed an egg would not convince me that it was an egg,” Schiff said “I would stand up for myself in that situation Lively said he also preferred the tofu eggs “I would eat tofu scramble purposefully,” Lively said "And I would eat this (mung bean omelet) occasionally on purpose but I would not eat this as an egg substitute." the tofu scramble costs about half as much as our three-egg omelet and the mung bean omelet is about a quarter of the cost But the mung bean omelet is not as convincing an egg substitute as the tofu scramble It will be easy — and cheap — to get through that two-pound bag of beans Have a tip for the WPSU newsroom? Email radionews@psu.edu Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers drew attention to the hardships of working-class and racially marginalized New Haveners in a speech on Monday evening carrying the perennial priorities of Yale unions into the second Trump era Walker-Myers, who represents West River’s Ward 23 and has served as the board’s president since 2015 delivered the annual State of the City address for the board’s Black and Hispanic Caucus “The suffering in the Black and brown communities has been going on so long some residents have lost hope and even given up on the American dream,” Walker-Myers said citing the quarter of New Haven residents who she said live in poverty “Our city must deliver on the promise of the American dream even while national leaders work tirelessly to undermine that.” The 24-minute speech served as a rallying cry for her colleagues and the UNITE HERE unions whose members helped fill the Aldermanic Chambers — a show of political force at a nationwide lowpoint for progressive activists Walker-Myers works as the chief steward of UNITE HERE Local 35 Yale’s union of service and maintenance workers After the Black and Hispanic Caucus’ leaders ceremonially entered the room and its chair spoke briefly Walker-Myers began her speech by criticizing President Donald Trump’s policies in general terms She devoted the bulk of her remarks to the longtime struggles of many residents of color dating back to racial segregation and UNITE HERE’s persisting efforts to promote “racial She commended workers at the Omni New Haven Hotel who went on strike in September, and called for state lawmakers to pass legislation that would aid striking workers.  The speech came two and a half months after Mayor Justin Elicker delivered his own State of the City speech to the Board of Alders The board president echoed the mayor’s focus on affordable housing and demands for more education funding from the state but her speech emphasized Yale’s relationship with the city in contrast to New Haven’s poorest residents “It saddens me to say sometimes that we have the best Ivy League school in the world right here in our city — and that’s a great thing — and still so many of our kids are below grade level in reading,” she said who sat in the third row of the public section to watch Walker-Myers’ address told the News afterwards that the city has to negotiate further with Yale next year to prevent its current annual voluntary contribution from dropping “That would be incredibly damaging to us and is very much on my mind,” he said adding that Walker-Myers is “someone that will be effective at helping us make a lot of progress.” a UNITE HERE researcher who was among the crowd of union affiliates to attend the speech called Walker-Myers a “fighter” for disadvantaged New Haveners and for the union The resolution has languished since the summer Asked by the News whether she planned to revive it Walker-Myers said she planned to discuss it with colleagues Walker-Myers focused on her aspirations to harness municipal power at the end of her speech “This is the year we’re going to get real uneasy some people going to get real uncomfortable,” she said “We’re going to do some things outside the box Walker-Myers declined to specify what policies she was referring to but said she and her colleagues would develop new ideas in conversations with constituents around the city Walker-Myers is the board’s first woman president Interested in getting more news about New Haven? Join our newsletter! News | Sep 12 Tsu Wolin-Brown has dedicated more than 40 years to the Salvation Army Wolin-Brown was among a small group of people in 1983 who started putting together holiday food baskets in Sharon Thompson’s garage She and other members of that group had recently taken EST human potential training and “wanted to do something that would make a difference.” That group has grown into a full-blown organization Those first efforts started with just a few people The children of those early volunteers often helped was filling food baskets before he could read and soon enough there was a Salvation Army Committee thanks to the Vail Religious Foundation and Hal Holman That group eventually became a formal chapter especially through occasional downturns in the national and local economy Wolin-Brown recalled that during the Great Recession that began in 2008 people who were once donors and volunteers found themselves asking for help with food and rent The same thing happened during the COVID-19 pandemic State and federal money poured in from multiple sources and the Salvation Army helped keep more than 600 households in their homes over the course of more than a year “We went from six to 10 households a month to like 89 a month for rental assistance,” Wolin-Brown said But none of that happened without a net of partners ranging from Catholic Charities to the Swift Eagle Foundation to the Vail Valley Charitable Foundation and others the chairwoman of the local Salvation Army Board of Directors said forging partnerships with those other nonprofits has been one of Wolin-Brown’s real gifts Those partnerships also enable the Salvation Army to provide assistance to people beyond what the Salvation Army’s rules allow That often includes negotiating with landlords in cases where a family with an injured family member can’t make rent one month but can get back on their feet a few weeks later “I don’t think people understand how hard she’s worked” on those projects the Salvation Army’s growth has included some fun projects Wolin-Brown recalled that a food client came in a few years ago and said “you need a community garden.” That idea led to the current garden in the back yard of the nonprofit’s current headquarters in Avon The garden led to further fundraising for a greenhouse Groups including Eagle Valley Behavioral Health SpeakUp ReachOut and others take advantage of an oasis you’d never know existed until you went out the back door of the modest building Working with those and other groups means Wolin-Brown rarely enjoys a quiet lunch with friends Barnett said when she and her longtime friend go to lunch So many people come up to say ‘thank you,’ especially once they hear she’s retiring.” Barnett said what she’s most noticed about Wolin-Brown is her compassion for those who need help and her ability to understand what people need “The job takes a lot of compassion,” Barnett said is that very little seems to rattle Wolin-Brown There are times calls will come during late night or early-morning hours to help set up food or cots for those in need following a fire or other disaster “This is what we do,” she’ll say The local board and Wolin-Brown were recently recognized by the national Salvation Army for their work The board was honored with the “gold standard” designation while Wolin-Brown was honored with a special coin for her more than 41 years of service “It was really cool for me to see as her board chair,” Barnett said Barnett has high hopes for Monica Villalobos-Russell although she acknowledged Villalobos-Russell has big shoes to fill while Wolin-Brown is stepping down from this role She’ll spend more time with her three grandchildren “But I won’t stop doing things,” she said “It’s fun to create new projects I’m not really going to slow down.” Kentucky Derby Parties The 151st Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at 4:57 p.m and here are a few places you can go for watch parties: Lookout Bar at Westin Riverfront in Avon Celebrate the Kentucky.. Easter events in the Vail Valley Church services An Easter tradition that’s been going on for over 30 years is the Vail Mountain Easter Sunrise Service bright and early on Sunday morning Après Madness Championship Party at Avanti F&B The NCAA College Basketball Tournament may have crowned a champion on Monday but Friday is when you can congratulate this year’s winner of Vail’s own form of competition:.. Après at The Amp For its third year in a row Ford Amphitheater has proven that it’s not just a summer venue the Swedish pop band that took the world by storm in the 1970s and early 1980s with its hits “Waterloo,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Dancing Queen,” will virtually.. Joseph R. Wolin: Your new exhibition at CLAMP features paintings and drawings that depict the male body and nature—plants and animals limned with a Pre-Raphaelite intensity of detail and differentiation we are led to assume that each species is an identifiable one based on copious observation or reliance on botanical illustration Yet I have also seen you draw similar compositions directly on walls without any apparent recourse to references Can you describe your working process for the works in the show Do you look at actual flora and fauna or their representations in the studio Are the plants and animals meant to be recognizable varieties Zachari Logan: I have several strategies related to how I record my use of flora has expanded exponentially This is due to an importance I have put on ideas of interconnection and what I call “queer rewilding.” My understanding of the world does not embrace a separation between the human body and the land I understand myself to be an inseparable aspect of a much larger whole I am interested greatly in simple empirical observations of the natural world and collecting; these actions yield a great deal of visual material for me Because of my discernment about land and body I often interpret my encounters of the world though reminiscence This reimagining or reinterpretation of visual information is approximate My depictions of flora become mindscapes—imprecise biologically but accurate or true as enchantments and as self-portraits I draw directly on gallery walls without visual sources as a sort of incantation I call that particular series Nomenclatures because each one is its own taxonomy of me of my mind and body’s movement on the day it was created “conjured” by the recalling of flora I have drawn for many years I began making these large wall drawings for exhibitions that were mounted during the pandemic as a reference to time and an acknowledgement of our own fragility and mortality After each exhibition the drawings are sanded and only traces are left to haunt the gallery walls under layers of paint That is not to say that I no longer use photographic source material still-life references in the studio or outdoors I engage these strategies when the work’s conception calls for it All these modes of reference are engaged in different works or series in All of My Little Landscapes My use of plant-life referred to as “weeds” is still a very relevant language of subjectivity for me often populating marginal areas—pushed out of the way of either farming monocultures or the manicured gardening found in suburbs and other intensely urban settings—become stand-ins for the queer body Their use is both celebratory and suggestive Because it has no purpose for human consumption but it still has a very real reason for surviving and thriving specifically as it relates to this exhibition the animals that populate the works are mostly moths and birds The birds that cover my body in the Saint Francis-esque drawing rather than the more usual me feeding the birds as one might do at a park—shifting one’s body in relation to the world as it is JRW: Might we think of your work as exploring a “land-body problem,” as opposed to the classic mind-body problem then we can see your recent drawings on old clothing as a symbolic garbing of oneself in nature I think that would be a really good way to put it The garments are definitely a symbolic garbing while at the same time they are a physical document of my body and that of my husband (due to the sharing of some of the items) the act of “drawing” began years ago as our bodies interacted with the clothing and continued in a different manner thorough the ink adornments of dense flora monochromatic drawings that utilize a color (usually graphite) possess an emotional register that heightens the image in terms of mood relates to its visual associations with both melancholy and magic JRW: While the male body appears embedded in nature it does not read as imperatively homoerotic from certain flowers and fruits themselves to the rather suggestive slivers of exquisitely glinting metallic in your recent Gold Leaf What is the queer part of “queer rewilding” Do you relate the exponentially increasing crisis of nature in some way to the ongoing struggle for queer rights ZL: I agree; there is sensuousness but no overt sexualization or homoeroticism in these works I feel that suggestiveness is a more effective or richer experience of the still image when working to queer gendered tropes or styles from art history I would claim that queerness is nature; that is the rewilding the crisis of nature overwhelmingly reveals other struggles related to human rights I work to visualize this rewilding—the queer as natural—through the subversion of coded gender norms the depiction of interconnecting human and botanical forms [e.g. the penis as a rooted outgrowth of dandelion in Hive No (from Wildman Series)] and the use of my own memory to recall naturally occurring forms in the depiction of irreal ones (the Fantasy Flower painting and Gold Leaf the famed red-headed muse of the Pre-Raphaelites whose brush with death at the bottom of a freezing tub of water aided in creating one of the most recognizable images in art history (John Everett Millais’s 1851–52 Ophelia) further galvanizing the female body as passive landscape to “inhabit.” In Spectre a male still-life taking on the role of both artist and model while you are well known for your drawings and pastels and also for sculptural works and installations your current exhibition intersperses works on paper and articles of clothing with acrylic paintings on panel Yet the panels are uniformly smaller than the other works while the works on paper are all uniquely sized and singly hung You seem to have coded the paintings as “minor,” possibly painting at this moment and how do you see it in relation to the rest of your work ZL: It could be said that I like to disrupt convention We have discussed this in relation to my content but they do play with viewers’ expectations The hierarchical relationship these two practices—painting and drawing—historically have held is one of preparation—drawing—and of execution—painting but rarely before our contemporary moment has drawing taken on its own life as a fully formed practice in and of and for itself I consciously play with these associations Drawings in this show range from medium-sized to monumental and contain the body in ways that drawings have historically done both simply exist beside one another here in conversation The title of this exhibition is a nod to the formal and material play in which I engage the song is a reflection on the life and afterlife of the work of Van Gogh as well as Mitchell’s own struggles with expression It beautifully commiserates with the desire to explore and express states of mind This conversation was conducted by e-mail between October 6 and October 15 * All images courtesy of the artist and Clamp Art Whitehot Magazine was founded by artist Noah Becker in 2005. Lyle Rexer is the author of many books, including How to Look at Outsider Art (2005), The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography (2009) and The Critical Eye: 15 Pictures to Understand Photography (2019). The Book of Crow, his first work of fiction, parts of which first appeared in the Brooklyn Rail, has recently been published by Spuyten Duyvil Press. Home Hornblower Group is excited to announce the appointment of Len Wolin as President of City Experiences Wolin will lead the strategic direction of City Experiences which encompasses Hornblower Group’s diverse portfolio of water- and land-based experience companies Wolin will be responsible for driving the unified strategy across the City Cruises with a sharp focus on optimizing operations and providing visionary executive leadership to ensure continued growth and success With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry Wolin brings a wealth of expertise in operational excellence Wolin served as Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations at Sonesta International Hotels where he was responsible for the performance and profitability of the company’s portfolio of more than 200 hotels He was instrumental in driving operational efficiencies all while generating significant revenue growth across multiple hotel brands “Len is a proven leader with a strong track record of delivering outstanding results and innovative strategies across the hospitality sector,” said Mike Flaskey “We are confident that Len’s expertise and vision will help elevate City Experiences as a global leader in immersive travel experiences We are thrilled to welcome him to our team and look forward to the many contributions he will make in this new role.”Before his tenure at Sonesta Wolin served as Senior Vice President of Global Hotel Operations at Club Quarters Hotels where he led operational strategy for the company’s portfolio of properties Wolin began and spent most of his career at Marriott International and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company where he held senior leadership positions and played a key role in enhancing operational performance and driving guest satisfaction at some of the world’s most renowned hospitality brands “I’m excited to join Hornblower Group and lead City Experiences as we continue to innovate and deliver exceptional travel and leisure experiences around the world,” Wolin said “I look forward to working alongside our talented team to drive operational excellence and build an even deeper sense of loyalty among our guests as they create lasting memories.” Wolin holds an MBA from the University of Maryland University College and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration The construction of CO2 transit terminal at Port Esbjerg in Denmark has officially started marking another milestone in the… U.K.-based PD Ports has outlined its plans to develop one of the U.K.’s largest offshore wind manufacturing and installation… Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has completed the acquisition Havfram Thordon Bearings has seen its RiverTough tailshaft bearing solution surpass 500 installations in the workboat sector.Primarily… we excel in creating stunning illuminated yacht names and logos and cutting-edge LED and fiber optic solutions Maritime Reporter E-News is the maritime industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service delivered to your Email five times per week Mayor Justin Elicker joined a band of local leaders from across the country to publicly challenge President Donald Trump defending municipal support for undocumented immigrants or the flow of federal dollars to academic institutions like Yale New Haven received free support from a progressive legal advocacy nonprofit based in Oakland that is mobilizing cities against Trump in the courts and the other is to stand up,” Elicker said in an interview complaining that too many other cities are choosing the former path we would have a much more powerful resistance to the unbelievably unethical things that are going on in Washington right now.” Public Rights Project which works on proactive legal strategy with state and local governments told the News she based the civil rights group on a model she had practiced as a student and then faculty supervisor at a Yale Law School clinic the San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project In starting Public Rights Project in 2017 — after she worked for Kamala Harris’ California attorney general’s office and 2016 Senate campaign — Habig wanted to fill a gap between local governments’ power and their ability to “make use of that authority in ways that advance civil rights,” she said Public Rights Project employs a dozen lawyers according to a spokesperson for the organization In addition to the leading plaintiffs San Francisco and Santa Clara County More jurisdictions were expected to join the lawsuit this week Elicker said New Haven joined the lawsuit after getting in touch with San Francisco’s legal team through Yale’s San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project the only direct cost to the city stemming from the lawsuit is a $328 fee for its top lawyer to be specially admitted to represent the city in the Northern District of California after her name appeared in the original lawsuit with an asterisk Public Rights Project had a $7 million operating budget last year Its major funders include the Ford Foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies and other foundations “The federal government can’t possibly carry out a mass deportation agenda without help from local governments,” said Habig, who teaches at Berkeley Law School “And so cities actually have a lot of leverage if they’re equipped to use it.” She declined to detail the extent and nature of the organization’s involvement in drafting the lawsuit complaint or assembling the coalition of plaintiffs A large group of plaintiffs can show judges the case’s magnitude and diffuse any potential retaliation from the Trump administration — a fear that Elicker said has kept many other mayors from taking a similarly prominent stand against the sanctuary city crackdown and other Trump policies “A number of my conversations with other mayors I wholeheartedly disagree with that decision,” Elicker said you’re less likely to get your head cut off And it doesn’t seem fair to me to allow some municipalities to stick their necks out when we all will benefit from the actions of those few municipalities.” Since 2006, New Haven has barred police officers from inquiring about residents’ immigration status or aiding federal immigration enforcement expanding the policy to all municipal employees in a 2020 “welcoming city” order The city has not yet lost any funding due to Trump’s sanctuary city executive order The lawsuit echoed one brought by San Francisco in 2017, in the first year of Trump’s first term, against another executive order targeting sanctuary cities. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the city’s favor in 2018 and 2019 creating a precedent likely to help the cities suing this year New Haven was not a plaintiff in that case Former Mayor Toni Harp, who led New Haven for the first three years of Trump’s first term, made a different kind of statement against Trump in 2018 — when she boycotted a White House gathering of mayors she had planned to attend to protest a Justice Department letter to other sanctuary jurisdictions Harp told the News this week that New Haven’s undocumented immigrant community has long benefitted from Yale Law School clinic work on individual deportation cases referring to ICE activity in the city during Trump’s first presidency were “vigorously trying to get those people back into our communities with their families.” Two weeks after the sanctuary city complaint New Haven and 44 other jurisdictions filed an amicus curiae brief in a cluster of cases challenging cuts to National Institutes of Health funding for scientific and medical research That case is in the District of Massachusetts When asked whether the city would join other legal actions against the Trump administration Elicker said he is “evaluating different opportunities as they arise” to confront what he called “an existential crisis in our country right now.” The sanctuary city lawsuit is set for a virtual hearing on May 6. Public safety concerns have taken center stage in the truncated run-up to a special Ward 28 alder election which pits a public school social worker and onetime alder against a retired housing official who won the Democratic endorsement Two weeks after the national general election, voters in the Beaver Hills neighborhood will return to the polls on Tuesday, albeit likely in lower numbers, to fill the Board of Alders seat left vacant by Alder Tom Ficklin’s DIV ’75 death last month served for six years on the board before losing her 2015 reelection bid to a challenger allied with Yale’s UNITE HERE unions has the support of the Democratic ward committee co-chaired by him and a UNITE HERE organizer — and of Robinson-Thorpe’s 2015 challenger 1 for me,” Hogan told a group of supporters gathered in his dining room on Saturday morning before they fanned out to knock on doors “We’ve all had a variety of instances that happened in the neighborhood,” he added gunshots outside his house and an attack on a member of Beaver Hills’ Orthodox Jewish community A group dubbed the “Kia Boyz” has attracted particular attention for stealing that make of cars. A coalition of police departments across the New Haven area has cracked down on auto theft in the past month Hogan hosted a meeting about neighborhood crime in early October with residents and police officers including New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson Hogan told the News he would like to see increased police presence in Beaver Hills more substantial consequences for repeat thieves and potential ways to “hold juveniles’ parents or family responsible for some of the property damage.” Robinson-Thorpe said the city should turn adolescents away from criminal activity through expanded youth programs, like a paid after-school program she once participated in as a student at Wilbur Cross High School. She also proposed that more offenders be sent to juvenile detention centers to learn from their wrongdoing, an idea that has received support from Mayor Justin Elicker “I believe in second chances for these kids because I think you can’t do better until you know better But I also believe in consequences,” said Robinson-Thorpe who recently earned a doctorate in social work and is backed by her own union “Even the kids that I deal with right now — keep letting them get away with stuff is setting them up for failure.” Public safety was also a priority for Ficklin who joined the Board of Alders in July 2022 and won reelection last year 9 set off the special election for a new alder to represent Ward 28 through the end of next year staying in Arizona at the time to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris led a Zoom ward committee meeting in which each candidate spoke An informal straw poll showed an overwhelming preference for endorsing Hogan who recently retired from a top post at New Haven’s Elm City Communities housing authority and previously worked for the Livable City Initiative his history in the ward and relationships — I think that’s the reason a lot of people support him coming out of the ward committee discussion,” Corbett said of Hogan Robinson-Thorpe said she has no interest in reviving the dissenting group or any conflict with the dominant union-affiliated alders whom she said she called as a courtesy before beginning her current campaign “I want to work with each and every one of them I don’t want to be the outcast,” Robinson-Thorpe said “I’m not trying to have a strained relationship You can’t move stuff with strained relationships That’s a lesson I’ve learned over just maturity and over decisions I made.” Although he is the Democratic pick and supported by Elicker said he would be comfortable breaking with the board’s majority to improve the city government’s financial efficiency and keep property taxes in check Another new factor in the race: the involvement of the New Haven Federation of Teachers Union president Leslie Blatteau ’97 GRD ’07 who canvassed for Robinson-Thorpe on Saturday said she wants the union to increase its political advocacy Blatteau linked her union’s top priority of increasing education funding to the much-discussed problem of juvenile crime “If Wilbur Cross is underfunded, and the facilities are clear evidence that that school has been underfunded,” Blatteau said So we shouldn’t be surprised that kids are feeling frustrated and coming out of a pandemic and not feeling like they have a lot of options.” Early voting for the special election took place from Thursday to Sunday at the Hall of Records downtown at the Floyd Little Athletic Center adjoining James Hillhouse High School Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article reason and desire stand in a relationship of constant tension Erickson Aero Tanker's MD-87 drops retardant on the Sierra Fire in Jurupa Valley to prevent the fire from moving in the direction of houses on the bottom of the mountain Photographer Marty Wolin said this location was perfect for capturing both the helicopters picking up water and the aircraft dropping retardant.  A Los Angeles County Fire Sikorsky S-76 Firehawk helicopter drops water through the smoke to combat a wildfire A CalFire Grumman/Marsh S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker makes an early departure from the Truckee Tahoe Airshow Neptune's BAe-146 drops retardant at the Nixon fire in Anza my son and I had to drive on numerous rough it is so difficult to get to the right location to get aircraft dropping and maintaining a safe distance from the fire," photographer Marty Wolin says Photographer Marty Wolin explains his process for this photo: "The most difficult thing with this photograph was trying to get to the location where Cal Fire's S-2 was dropping retardant before the sunset My son navigated as we drove down multiple rough dirt roads we had to climb a small hill so that we had a clear view and waited for We got this photograph within seconds before the Sun was obscured by a mountain There was only a very small opening to get a clear view because of all the trees and brush." a Cal Fire S-2T Turbo Tracker lands to refuel and load more fire retardant AeroFlite's BAe Avro RJ85 drops Phos-Chek on the Columbia Fire in Riverside there is normally only one side you can photograph from for a variety of reasons,"  photographer Marty Wolin says "When you get to the correct location to capture a drop and the light is perfect the retardant and aircraft are very vivid and clear." A pair of Coastal Air Service Air Tractors on the ramp at Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in The Dalles after several days of providing firefighting support 10 Tanker's DC-10 drops Phos-Chek at the Highland Fire near Aguanga 10 Tanker's DC-10 does a high-altitude drop to lay a thin layer of retardant across the Lytle Fire in Lytle Creek "In all the fires I've been to," Wolin says "this is first time I've seen 10 Tanker drop this high I also think that they dropped high because there were a lot of firefighters below." Two CL-415 Quebec Super Scoopers fly in to pick up water at a lake A helicopter and smoke from the fire are visible in the distance Siller's S-64 Skycrane lifts off at Redlands Municipal Airport The fire in the background is the Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest.  Cal Fire's S-2 does one of its last drops of the day at the Jack Fire in Beaumont Climate change is leading to warmer temperatures that mean longer fire seasons and more forest fires in many countries—and increased use of a wide variety of firefighting aircraft in many areas.  Taking photos like the ones here while staying safe can mean donning full fire gear while enduring temperatures of 100F and lugging camera gear over challenging terrain Aerospace photographers entered these photos in the 2024 Aviation Week Photo Contest As the fire season stretches into December offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation has won a new assignment for one of its jack-up rigs enabling it to work off the coast of Poland for the first time Two months after the Noble Resolve jack-up rig secured its first job in Spain which will see it undertake plug and abandonment work on 13 wells from the second quarter of 2024 Noble disclosed its first drilling campaign offshore Poland would be done by the same rig The jack-up’s latest assignment is for one well which will be drilled for CEP Central European Petroleum in the Wolin concession starting in October 2024 in direct continuation after its special period survey (SPS) has been carried out This deal spans 45 days at a daily rate of $140,000/day The 593 km2 Wolin concession area was awarded by Poland’s Ministry of the Environment on December 1 granting CEP the exclusive rights to explore the main targets are natural gas accumulations in the Main Dolomite margin trend and the Rotliegend Sandstones While describing Wolin as a major natural gas use area with the LNG facility the company underscored that its endeavors to boost Poland’s natural gas supply help the country with its efforts to decarbonize the economy commented: “This contract marks a milestone for Noble as we drill offshore Poland for the first time We have nearly 300 employees in our Gdansk office who are especially proud of this achievement and we appreciate the trust placed in our crew by Central European Petroleum.” Based on the rig owner’s earlier statement, the jack-up had operated with a fuel load containing 20% sustainable diesel (HVO) since its Dutch drilling campaign began in November 2023 to reduce CO2 emissions from drilling operations It is unclear whether this will continue for the upcoming drilling programs Currently, Noble Corporation is working on enlarging its fleet to 41 rigs by pursuing a merger with Diamond Offshore Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox The Pioneers of Offshore Engineering GustoMSC part of NOV’s Marine and Construction business is recognized for providing advanced design & engineering consultancy for mobile offshore units and reliable equipment and technical knowledge into realistic & innovative ideas The performance of new and existing jack-ups A lively crowd of largely suburban Republicans descended on downtown New Haven on Monday to usher in the second Trump era — and pine after an elusive rightward shift in Connecticut About 70 of the state’s Trump faithful gathered at the nightclub 144 Temple for an inauguration watch party sponsored by the Connecticut Republican Party a silent auction featuring whiskey and vodka bottles boos for prominent Democrats as they appeared onscreen a Trump impersonator brought in from Long Island and who sat with her husband near a life-size cardboard cutout of a shirtless Rocky Balboa with Trump’s face mostly covering Sylvester Stallone’s She said she wants Trump to prioritize establishing a “closed border” and a sense of national unity adding that “people’s eyes are opened” after he won not just the Electoral College but also the popular vote “There’s so much divisiveness in this administration in Joe Biden’s administration,” she said in the administration’s waning minutes citing an excessive emphasis on identity politics and combating racism After Trump finished the oath of office in the Capitol rotunda the Village People song “YMCA,” a standard at his rallies while the traveling impersonator Thomas Mundy launched into the newly sworn-in president’s signature dance The atmosphere grew raucous before quieting for the half-hour inaugural address erupting in cheers at the boldest statements about what Trump’s second term portends: “From this moment on America’s decline is over.” “For American citizens is liberation day.” “We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars.” State Republican leaders were in Washington for Inauguration Day a jeweler and real estate agent in East Hartford who considers himself a Democrat even after voting for Trump three times Although most attendees came from outside New Haven Agnelli said the location offered a change from Republican events held in and around Hartford Agnelli estimated that — between the auction the lunch for sale and the $30 or $40 tickets — the event would bring in between $5 and $10 thousand for the Connecticut Republican coffers “It means everything to me that you’re all here,” Gary Byron a conservative radio host and another host of the event “We’ve been talking about this for the last four years my friends: We have to turn Connecticut red a 27-year-old toolmaker from Milford who attended the watch party said undocumented immigrants should know the risks of entering the country illegally and try to gain legal status if they can “I’m sure there’s some legal recourse they can take to become documented here then it’s unfortunate but they should do their best,” he said No matter the fears swirling in the surrounding city “I couldn’t have imagined a better place to watch,” McBride said He said he relished the “countercultural spirit of people here,” proudly cheering Trump in the unfriendly territory of a Democratic stronghold “knocked it straight out of the park — straight to Mars.” Donald Trump is the 45th and 47th president of the United States A former high-ranking New Haven firefighter will return to the Elm City to take up a top City Hall position overseeing public safety agencies and a range of other municipal operations Mayor Justin Elicker announced last Monday that he was nominating Justin McCarthy to be the next chief administrative officer a mayoral appointment that requires approval by the Board of Alders McCarthy spent 15 years in the New Haven Fire Department culminating in a two-year stint as assistant fire chief of administration before he moved in 2023 to the same role in Greenwich A press release from the mayor’s office praised McCarthy for a “proven track record of administrative leadership and emergency incident command experience.” He has also taught as an adjunct professor in the fire science program at the University of New Haven “The chief administrative officer is one of the most important positions in city government charged with overseeing several departments and hundreds of government employees dedicated to keeping our residents safe and the nuts and bolts of government operating smoothly,” Elicker said in the press release “Justin McCarthy has served on the front lines of city government and in senior municipal leadership positions with excellence and distinction,” the mayor added Five months earlier, the Board of Alders had granted Rush-Kittle an exemption from the typical requirement that city officials live in New Haven so that she could rejoin her family in Rocky Hill, near Hartford. The exemption followed an ordinance enacted last March permitting alder-sanctioned flexibility for top mayoral lieutenants in “exceptional circumstances.” McCarthy told the News he currently resides in Branford saying that “personal reasons” led him to leave New Haven a couple of years ago But he plans to move back to the city soon as he enters one of its highest unelected offices “When I found out that Regina Rush-Kittle was going to be leaving her post I thought about the work that I had done with her and thought that that could be a unique challenge,” McCarthy said “And it gave me the opportunity to return to a city that I’m very passionate about.” McCarthy first came to live in New Haven as an undergraduate at UNH after growing up in Norwalk and Westport He said he comes from a “family of firefighters” and joined the New Haven Fire Department in 2008 initially focusing on Dixwell and ultimately rising to the rank of assistant chief in 2021 He earned a law degree from Quinnipiac University in 2020 McCarthy said his work in the fire department put him in contact with some of the other city agencies he will likely soon supervise but the new role will give him a different vantage point and require some learning on the job “I understand their workings operationally but I’ve never delved into their personnel matters I’ve never delved into their budgetary requests or understanding the back end of it So that’s something that’s going to require He will then need to be confirmed by the Board of Alders within 180 days — the same window in which without an approved exception to the residency mandate Correction (1/20): A previous version of this story misspelled the name of New Haven’s police chief Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy and Republican challenger Matthew Corey disagreed about economic policy border security measures and former President Donald Trump in their only debate of the election season on Wednesday night The two candidates met at the WTNH television studio in downtown New Haven for the 45-minute face-off, less than a week before Election Day and after 10 days of early voting had already passed in Connecticut. Murphy defeated Corey by over 20 percentage points in 2018 and is now running for a third Senate term Murphy acknowledged widespread concerns about the cost of living while threading a needle to praise the state of the economy under a Democratic administration “I think people are hurting in this country But people feel powerless in this country,” Murphy said adding that large corporations and billionaires wield too much power Murphy proposed cracking down on “price gougers,” echoing Vice President Kamala Harris’ talking points called for reduced corporate and income taxes and pitched himself as a business-friendly alternative to the two-term incumbent “Are you better off today than you were four, or in the case of Senator Murphy, six years ago?” Corey said. When asked how he would diverge from Trump, Corey — who attended Trump’s Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden — said Murphy discussed his role negotiating a bipartisan border bill that failed in Congress after Trump expressed opposition Corey said the government should escalate deportations starting with undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes Murphy warned of Republican policy on abortion saying that Republicans would pass a national abortion ban while he supports national protections to restore Roe v Corey said Murphy was trying to use abortion as a “fear tactic” in the campaign and that states should decide their own approaches to abortion He then changed topics to voice his opposition to transgender students’ participation in women’s sports adding that he would support withholding federal funding from schools that allow such participation “When are men in this country going to start standing up for women?” Corey said Murphy said that school districts should decide individually how to handle transgender athletes and that Republicans’ broadsides against them contributed to transgender children’s disproportionate mental health struggles The senator expressed support for federal legislation to limit teenagers’ use of social media calling the platforms’ algorithms a “poison.” Corey said parents should oversee their children’s tech use without government intervention “If Donald Trump wins and uses the power of the presidency to punish his political enemies then I’m not sure that any of the other issues matter because we won’t be able to fight them out in the public sphere,” Murphy said Corey and Murphy had nearly identical answers to one question in the so-called lightning round at the end of the debate One of the two moderators asked Corey first whether he had used cannabis since recreational marijuana became legal in Connecticut in 2021 On 31 January 2025 the ferry Wolin made its final voyage on the Świnoujście–Trelleborg route marking the end of its distinguished 18-year tenure Originally built in 1986 at Norway’s Moss Rosenberg shipyard the ferry was launched as MF Öresund for the Swedish shipowner Statens Järnvägar In 2007 it was acquired by Polska Żegluga Morska and renamed Wolin It was then one of the longest vessels in the Polish shipowner’s fleet operating on the Unity Line route between Świnoujście in Poland and Trelleborg in Sweden the vessel has been spared the scrapyard and has found new owners it will continue to serve under the name Golden Carrier This is the second ferry in the shipowner’s fleet which operated in the Polska Żegluga Bałtycka fleet from 1979 to 2005 The former Wolin departed Świnoujście for her new career on 20 March 2025 there has been considerable turnover among Polish ferry operators three ferries departed the Baltic: Jan Śniadecki which was sold to Greek shipowner Ainaftis and renamed Tahalassitis and replaced by the more modern and larger Epsilon The introduction of the large new ferry Varsovia prompted Cracovia to be chartered to Algerian shipowner Nouris El Bahr Ferries while Baltivia was sold to Georgian shipowner e60shipping and renamed Dioscuria Ships monthly is published every month and has a cover price of £4.99 Three New Haveners of different generations arrived as delegates at last week’s Democratic National Convention bringing varied opinions on the late-stage change in their party’s presidential ticket They came home both invigorated by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and drained from four days of nonstop activity at the quadrennial partisan extravaganza The Democrats representing Connecticut in Chicago included the convention’s youngest delegate who is entering his senior year of high school in New Haven and will turn 18 in October it felt more like a party than it did a political event,” Schonberger “It was a little bit insane to be in the room with these figures that have been the face of the Democratic Party as I’ve grown up.” Days at the convention are long for the nearly 4,700 delegates The Connecticut delegates met for an early breakfast before attending sessions with constituency groups and elected officials throughout the morning they packed the United Center to hear speeches from party leaders and others supporting Harris and her running mate returned to Chicago — where he had attended his first Democratic convention as a child in 1968 — for his 14th convention said he felt exhausted from a schedule that typically lasted from 6 a.m until past midnight last Monday through Thursday “I’m energized — energized other than the lack of sleep.” President Joe Biden won Connecticut’s Democratic primary election in April, largely unopposed except for a campaign promoting the “uncommitted” option as a protest of Biden’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza. “Uncommitted” won 21 percent of the vote in New Haven Dunleavy and Democratic Town Committee Vice Chair Audrey Tyson won a contest in May to join the group of eight representing Connecticut’s third congressional district in Chicago They pledged to vote for Biden’s nomination — but when Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 the delegates became free to decide whom to support “I think he would have won,” Dunleavy said “I didn’t like the way he was treated in the exit A lot of people who were close to him over the years instead of handling things quietly with respect to him a part-time social worker who has worked to mobilize voters in Ward 29 for 15 years and was previously a delegate at the 2008 and 2016 conventions Both veteran Democrats said Biden’s endorsement of Harris played a pivotal role in their decisions to back her had heard doubts about Biden from other young people before he left the race “There was a lot of almost depression and fear when it came to a Biden-Trump rematch,” he said “you could feel this energy of rallying behind this candidate who might not have gotten there in the most conventional way but was really a signal and sign of hope in a party that I think had really gone through some rough times in the past year.” All three New Haven delegates voted for Harris and Walz in the virtual voting process that formally nominated the duo in early August One of Connecticut’s 74 delegates voted “present” to protest Gaza policy Dunleavy observed what he called “the very beginning of jockeying” for potential gubernatorial candidates should Gov Tyson enjoyed former First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech but disliked the convention’s long lines all three are looking to the work that lies ahead before Election Day “I want to make sure that we get people out to vote Tyson said she tends to ask them what new policies they want to see implemented “And I let them know that this is the person that’s going to definitely make sure that you’re going to get that,” she said Although Connecticut is all but certain to send its seven Electoral College votes to Harris and Walz the three local delegates told the News that New Haveners can contribute to the national campaign by donating money traveling to volunteer in battleground states such as Pennsylvania or phone banking from home The trio were not the only New Haveners to serve as delegates in Chicago Representative Rosa DeLauro and state Treasurer Erick Russell were automatic superdelegates by virtue of their positions a healthcare provider and a Democratic organizer in her neighborhood Miguel Pittman is a businessman who owns a soul food restaurant with his wife and chairs New Haven’s Development Commission The two Hill North residents are competing in a special election on Monday to represent Ward 3 on the Board of Alders. The seat became vacant on Aug. 1, when fourth-term Alder Ron Hurt resigned amid a scandal concerning his termination from a drug rehabilitation center for a sexual relationship with a former patient in the largely Latino and Black district will test the popularity of a citywide political apparatus allied with Yale’s UNITE HERE unions Although the unions and the local Democratic Party arm have not endorsed any candidate Hubbard has aligned herself with incumbent officials — receiving support from Mayor Justin Elicker and others — while Pittman has run as an independent-minded alternative “We see a ward that is a product of years of political neglect and broken promises,” Pittman told a crowd of several dozen supporters at a campaign rally on Saturday “This community needs a strong leader that is willing to stand up against the strings-attached politics of the city of New Haven I’m running to be the alder of the people.” which marked a reaffirmation of the political status quo Hubbard did not seek UNITE HERE’s endorsement or financial support Hubbard told the News she values the union’s political advocacy but wanted to manage this campaign separately given the stained reputation of Hurt who worked closely with the union and the related political organization New Haven Rising “I didn’t want anything to reflect back on me for what people may assume from the previous alder,” Hubbard said “Sometimes you are just guilty by association.” The Democratic Town Committee did not pick a nominee for the special election because the Ward 3 committee did not have time to meet the nomination deadline after the special election timeline was announced Both contenders said they have funded their own campaigns said he could not provide a total of campaign expenditures Supporters described Pittman, who owns Sandra’s Next Generation with his wife Sandra, as someone who gives back to the community through holiday charity at the celebrated soul food restaurant Pittman said he has lived in the ward for over three decades Hubbard said she moved there five or six years ago and has spent about $1000 of her own money to fund the campaign.  “My bank account may actually be in the negative right now,” she said “I’m a real person that comes from real struggles I couldn’t afford a fancy golf cart to ride up and down the street But God blessed me with two feet to go up and down steps and knock on doors and talk to my residents.” The competing candidates have highlighted similar concerns they would take to City Hall without articulating specific policy proposals Both stressed the scourge of drug use and criticized the presence of an APT Foundation methadone clinic in the neighborhood Both said the New Haven Police Department needs more officers to patrol the area Pittman touted his testimony last week at the Board of Zoning Appeals in opposition to a proposed live poultry market that would have slaughtered chickens on its premises Hubbard emphasized the need for more youth programs in the Hill But the candidates’ greatest differences have lied in their efforts to cast themselves as the more authentic community figure and in their postures towards New Haven’s current leadership “The difference is experience,” Pittman said adding that he did not feel welcome at the ward’s Democratic committee they don’t want to have a conversation with you Pittman told the News he has never voted for Elicker for mayor and voted for a challenger candidate in March’s co-chair elections hard-working and humble in her political work The mayor objected to Pittman’s view of UNITE HERE’s political influence “The anti–quote-unquote-establishment narrative is one that people often bring up when they are not interested in finding concrete solutions to problems in the city,” Elicker said it takes partnership and it takes hard work to get things done.” Ward 3 has historically had among the lowest turnout of any of New Haven’s 30 wards Only 10 ballots were cast in the special election’s early voting which occurred from Wednesday through Saturday at the Hall of Records downtown The winner of the election will serve until the end of 2025 firm Noble Corporation to operate in Poland plans to explore natural gas deposits along the Polish coast The extraction potential in this area could significantly impact the region's economic development Drilling operations are scheduled to last 45 days According to "DGP," each day of work will cost Noble Corporation around $140,000 Specializing in international drilling services the company is capable of conducting extraction operations in waters up to 100 meters deep and drilling to depths exceeding 9 kilometers located near the LNG terminal in Świnoujście is strategically positioned to facilitate the transport and utilization of resources Natural gas deposits within CEP's concession on Wolin could amount to the equivalent of over 300 million barrels of oil The company is already in discussions with potential buyers indicating readiness to move forward with the project Although initial plans aimed for gas extraction to start in 2027 delays will push back the project timeline The search is taking place on the Baltic Sea bed and is visible from both Poland and Germany Local residents were alarmed by a large flame above the LNG terminal in Świnoujście near the Polish-German border but were told that this was part of a controlled testing procedure The CEP company has subcontracted US corporation Noble Resolve and Scottish company Zenith Energy from Aberdeen to survey Poland's Baltic coast for natural gas, according to previous reports. Discovery of Baltic gas deposits could boost Poland’s energy security Rolf G. Skaar, CEO of CEP, told Polish state news agency PAP that the discovery of natural gas deposits, estimated at approximately 16.5 billion cubic meters based on initial data, could have a significant impact on Poland’s energy security. The gas could be used for the Polish market and exported to Europe via the existing pipeline network. Additionally, it could replace coal in electricity production, helping to reduce CO2 emissions in Poland. Flame above LNG terminal explained as controlled testing Recently, local residents from the nearby Polish islands of Wolin and the Polish-German island of Usedom were concerned by the appearance of a clear, high flame above the LNG terminal in Świnoujście. Iwona Dominiak, spokeswoman for GAZ-System, said in a statement published by the local portal iswinoujscie.pl that this was the result of planned and controlled testing conducted by the LNG terminal’s staff "as part of the cooling of the facility." To ensure the safety of ongoing expansion work at the gas terminal, a small portion of the raw material had to be neutralized by burning it. This is why the flame was visible, but it posed no danger to local residents, GAZ-System's Dominiak said. The offshore drilling platform was installed in the Baltic Sea near the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Świnoujście, northwestern Poland, close to the German border. Photo: PAP/M.Bielecki The drilling platform used by Noble Resolve is designed to work in waters up to 100 meters deep and to drill to a depth of over 9 kilometers. The research work for the project is expected to last about 45 days. Source: Radio Poland/PAP/iswinoujscie.pl/Noble Resolve ExplorationPoland offshore gas exploration well shows early promiseOperator is working to firm up resource estimates at Wolin East-1 well Todd Wolin enters his 11th year at UAlbany while beginning his second season as the program’s Associate Director for Track and Field/Cross Country His coaching duties include the combined events while also overseeing the pole vault.  In addition Wolin is the Meet Director for all UAlbany Invitationals as well as the program’s historian and record keeper Matthew Campbell and Anika Hibbard in the high jump Hibbard placed ninth at the USATF Junior National Championships jumping 5-07.00 Hibbard had previously broken the UAlbany school record 3 times during the outdoor season culminating with a jump of 5-09.25 at the UAlbany Spring Classic Campbell placed second at the Jamaican Olympic Trials and fourth at the North American and Caribbean Championships in San Salvador Campbell previously placed seventh at the NCAA Outdoor Division I Championships earning First Team All-American honors with a personal best leap of 7-02.25 Bowen placed eighth at the Ibero-American Championships in Rio de Janiero Brazil and sixth at the Sao Bernardo do Campo Grand Prix in São Bernardo do Campo Bowen holds UAlbany’s school record for both the Indoor and Outdoor high jump at 7-03.25 Last year Bowen set the Panamanian National records for both the indoor (7-01.75) and outdoor (7-03.00) high jump Wolin’s athletes earned a number of honors: One NCAA First Team All-American with Campbell’s seventh place finish one IC4A Championship as Campbell led a 1-2 finish with teammate Kingsley Ogbonna and four America East Championships – Ogbonna winning both indoor and outdoor High Jump Championships Hibbard capturing the outdoor High Jump title and Senior Paige Vadanis winning the Indoor Pentathlon Vadnais and Letti Hibbard became the first three women to place in a single event when they placed third fourth and sixth at the Outdoor ECAC Championships Vadnais would go on to be the first woman from UAlbany to compete in the Decathlon setting a School record scoring 6,084 points in winning the Jerry Jasinski Vermont State Championships Wolin coached seven student-athletes to 12 All-American honors: Marc Pallozzi (Javelin) (High Jump-2x) and Matthew Campbell (High Jump) Wolin’s student-athletes have set 25 school records captured 10 IC4A and 73 America East Championships He has seen his athletes set school records broken in the men’s decathlon men’s and women's indoor and outdoor high jump men’s and women’s hammer throw men’s and women’s 400m hurdles both men’s and women’s indoor 60m hurdles men’s and women’s shuttle hurdle relays men's and women's indoor and outdoor pole vault Alfonso Scannapieco and Freddie Wills III -- have posted three of the top five scores all-time in the heptathlon at the America East Championships and all have won numerous individual conference titles Wolin’s athletes are responsible for America East Championship records in the following events: David Parker - indoor heptathlon Joe Greene - 400m hurdles and Alexander Bowen Jr Wolin has also had a hand in the success of NCAA East Regional hurdler qualifiers Jean Juste Kingsley Ogbonna and Anika Hibbard and pole vault qualifiers Luke Schoen and Alfonso Scannapieco His athletes have re-written UAlbany's top-ten lists with over 150 appearances Wolin has coached UAlbany’s all-time top point scorers in America East history for both men and women in Wills (138 points) and McShine (123 points) Of the 73 America East Champions Wolin has worked with a few have captured mutliple titles: Wills won three individual titles under Wolin in the high jump (indoor and outdoor) and the decathlon McShine won three indoor and two outdoor high hurdle championships and two pentathlon crowns Scannapieco has four pole vault and two heptathlon titles Bowen won the high jump title seven times in a row between indoor and outdoor followed by Campbell (1) and Ogbonna (2) for 10 consecutive men’s high Jump championships Michelle Anthony captured five high hurdle titles and partnered with Tynelle Taylor-Chase (one high hurdle and three 400 Hurdle titles) to have a steak of six straight for UAlbany over three years Wilfredo de Jesus Elias has three weight throw and two hammer throw titles David Parker – two heptathlon championships In total Wolin’s student-athletes have won 73 America-East Championships - High Jump - 18 (Men 12 In addition to his responsibilities at UAlbany Wolin is beginning his eighth year as the America East Conference representative on the Division I Track & Field Executive Committee for the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) He is one of two non-head coach in the nation on the committee He will also serve as the liaison to the Track & Field community in the Capital Region Wolin is the past president of the IC4A Conference the oldest Track & Field conference in the country at 140 years He was the only 1st person other than an athletic director or head coach to hold this position since the conference’s 1st championship in 1876 Wolin came to UAlbany after coaching track & field and cross country at John F The four-time Nassau County indoor and outdoor track Coach of the Year headed five county championship teams Anthony's High School boys' track & field program leading the Friars to a Catholic League outdoor title in 2001 before returning to JFK in August of the same year He coached five high school All-Americans and over 30 nationally-ranked athletes in 19 different events He was also the head track & field coach of the U.S junior track & field team at the 2005 World Maccabiah Games as well as the assistant track and field coach for the United States Para-Olympic Track Team from 1992 to 2000 Wolin coached the Long Island Region women's track and field team at the Empire State Games from 2004 to 2006 and was the team's high jump/pole vault coach from 1989 to 2003 Wolin received his associate's degree in culinary arts from Washtenau Community College in 1985 and a bachelor's degree in food systems management from Eastern Michigan University in 1988 weight throw and pentathlon are on the school's all-time lists In 1995 he earned his Master’s in Special Education at C.W Wolin is USA Track & Field Level 1 certified He currently resides in Ballston Lake with his wife Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Sheldon Wolin dedicated his career to championing not just a new politics but a new kind of politics—one that refused to substitute top-down administration for the messy uncertainties of democracy Sheldon Wolin published Politics and Vision in the early months of 1960 He was thirty-seven and a junior ranking professor at the University of California He had written a few academic articles here and there and an unpublished dissertation on English constitutionalism but no one was really sure what to expect from his first book It wasn’t exactly a good moment to be publishing in the field of political theory Most of his political science colleagues had by the late 1950s turned toward more quantitative and empirical fields Those who hadn’t—figures like Judith Shklar Eric Voegelin—were lamenting its fading significance After a half century of total war and economic calamity political and moral thought appeared to have lost its mooring “The grand tradition of political theory that began with Plato is Added Strauss in a book that came out the same year political philosophy is in a state of decay…if it has not vanished altogether.” Even one of the discipline’s leading figures at the time—Isaiah Berlin—went so far as to ask But Wolin did not want to join in the rueful panegyrics to a dying discipline He wanted to give the “political theory enterprise” a new sense of meaning and purpose—a new vision “In many intellectual circles today there exists a marked hostility toward political philosophy in its traditional form,” Wolin wrote in the programmatic opening of Politics and Vision if it does not give pause to those who are eager to jettison what remains of the tradition of political philosophy may at least succeed in making clear what it is we shall have discarded.” especially for a young scholar who had only recently turned his full attention to political theory (While teaching political science at his alma mater Wolin had primarily considered himself a “generalist.”) What followed was of an even less modest scope: a 529-page survey of Western political thought from its origins in Plato and Aristotle to contemporary social science Wolin was not only working within the tradition of political philosophy; he was writing a history of the entire corpus what he called politics’ “tradition of discourse.” Beginning with a critical survey of Greek philosophy Politics and Vision concluded with a wide-ranging critique of the modern tradition—a tradition that Wolin believed began with Machiavelli and Hobbes reached its apex in the democratic revolutions of the eighteenth century and ended with the “sublimation of the political” into the political economies of Smith One of Wolin’s central arguments was that the Western tradition of political philosophy was often antidemocratic and antipolitical in nature Classical political philosophy and modern political economy emerged in moments of institutional crisis when the reigning powers were becoming increasingly illegitimate and civil war was on the horizon not to democratize politics but to close it off Classical thought attempted to do this by substituting philosophy for public opinion Liberal and Marxist theorists hoped to use economic policies in order to create societies that were no longer riven by social divisions The constitutive features of democratic politics were neglected if not intentionally suppressed There was a sense of tragedy and disappointment cut into the narrative of Politics and Vision which seemed strange for a book that was also trying to salvage political philosophy began the tradition with the hope of finding what was political—that is what was common and public—but ended up developing a theory that curtailed politics’ more democratic impulses Augustine sought to fashion a new kind of polity—a City of God—that subsumed politics into the kingdom of heaven Saint Simon and Marx hoped to replace the conflict—the contestation the differences and disputes—inherent in political life with classless societies and the liberals of the New Deal had all succumbed to social and economic understandings of political activity the central task of politics was organizational; political institutions needed to “manage” a society’s economic and social welfare Politics was the art of overseeing society from on high rather than enabling a polity to realize its potential through political—that is Wolin was a child of the Depression and the New Deal and had fought in the Pacific theater during the Second World War The first experience drew him toward the beneficence of the liberal administrative state Serving as a bombardier in America’s B-24 “flying boxcars,” Wolin was haunted by the ways in which the managers of this same liberal administrative state could so easily abstract questions of life and death into data sets and matters of technical proficiency If he had begun Politics and Vision a liberal he was a critic by the time he finished it the book marked the beginning of his “journey from liberalism to democracy.” What “democracy” meant for Wolin in Politics and Vision was never entirely clear it remained more of a problem than a political program that helped Wolin interpret and judge the outcomes of Western thought it wasn’t some empyrean abstraction extracted from the heavens Neither was it the idealized musings of a philosopher king Like the mid and late 1950s when Wolin wrote the book the early 2000s had a certain end-of-ideology feel to them Many of my contemporaries were still reeling from the shock that there would be another four years of the Bush administration Left politics appeared to be loosely organized into two—sometimes intersecting—camps: the antiwar and civil libertarian activism around our so-called “war on terror” and the anti-globalization activism around NAFTA and sweatshops was oriented around a set of rejections rather than any kind of affirmation While many of us resisted the idea that we were at the “end of history” in the Clinton and Bush years none of us had any clue about how to make history begin anew The programmatic features of Wolin’s ambitions immediately sunk in He was insisting that not only had something gone terribly wrong with the way in which we had conceptualized politics but that we needed a new kind of politics one that did not substitute the messy uncertainties of the cave with some kind of static philosophical standpoint We could neither escape the cave nor really transcend it the acts of disobedience were what life in the cave—what democratic politics—ought to be While other political theorists in the 1950s were turning back to the past—to classical antiquity or religion or tradition—in the hope of finding some kind of anchor for the drift and uncertainty that appeared to characterize the modern age Wolin was committed to working out a moral and political outlook that was in and of this world who served as a lodestar for much of Wolin’s life Wolin did not want to eschew the present in favor of the past Neither did he want to acquiesce to the view held by many liberal intellectuals and politicians of his time that politics should be more instrumental in nature that after the totalitarian furies of the first half of the twentieth century what a modern society needed was not more but less politics—a society built on sound economics and stable rule of law rather than the heat and conflict of public participation Wolin lived this imperative as much as Politics and Vision articulated it Later in life he penned an essay titled “Fugitive Democracy,” and I think this nicely captures his political activities throughout much of his adult life: he was always on the hunt for those democratic experiences that remained subterranean in a mass bureaucratic society as the country was swept up in a wave of anti-communist paranoia he became active in various civil libertarian organizations and he also began to publicly debate his liberal and conservative colleagues on issues as diverse as academic freedom and foreign policy when a series of protests erupted on the Berkeley campus that democracy—it seemed—had found Wolin instead of the other way around the Berkeley campus was a hotbed of activism Many students had participated in the flurry of organizing and voter registration in Mississippi that previous summer and the campus had also been the site of a heated confrontation between faculty and the administration over academic freedom and civil liberties (the university administration required all of its instructors to sign so-called “loyalty oaths”) The campus had become such a cauldron of activism that by mid-September 1964 the Berkeley administration decided to ban all political activity on campus except for the activities of the Young Democratic and Republican clubs The student response was not long in coming a group of students associated with the civil rights group CORE set up a table in front of the administration building in protest The police were called shortly thereafter and a former graduate student—refused to pack up the table or show his ID three thousand students gathered around the car to prevent Weinberg’s arrest While the CORE table was a planned provocation the gathering that followed was spontaneous A young man by the name of Mario Savio took off his shoes and climbed onto the roof of the police car to address the crowd Berkeley students and community members signed up to speak on topics ranging from local segregation policies to the relationship between the university and the defense industry At the center of many of the speakers’ complaints was a common theme: not only the issue of free speech on campus—or the various systems of discrimination and suppression in postwar America—but the constrained nature of political life more generally the laws and norms of American democracy appeared to often be everything but democratic under Jim Crow and the everyday threat of violence But many young and black Americans in the North also felt they had also been left out of the political decision-making process “The same rights are at stake in both places,” as Savio explained referring to his time in the South as a Freedom Summer activist: “the right to participate as citizens in democratic society and the right to due process of law.” Eventually Weinberg was released and the crowd dispersed The activists’ central demand was no longer only free speech but a more democratic As Weinberg himself put it: “free speech was what we were after and what we organized around but one of the things in essence we were fighting for was to develop a sense of community Wolin was in front of the administration building that Thursday in the fall of 1964 and he and a group of faculty members became central in the struggle that followed Wolin organized a faculty committee that offered support to the growing number of undergraduate and graduate students and began to lobby the administration to recognize the students’ claims Wolin also became one of the first interpreters of the campus protests that were now emerging at many major research universities Wolin and Schaar echoed the complaints of the student protesters that October morning: what was at stake was not just free speech The confrontations on campuses throughout the country—and throughout much of the North Atlantic—were emblematic of a more significant failure in postwar politics “The student problem,” as they argued in a series of articles for The New York Review of Books should not be interpreted of as only “a policy question a state of affairs intimating a more general disorder.” Wolin and Schaar elaborated on the students’ grievances in a series of essays on the highly bureaucratic and technical society nature of postwar American society had come to realize that the political and economic crises of the first half of the twentieth century were the result of the state’s inability to govern industrial society politicians in the United States and in much of Europe began to reorient policymaking so that society was more easily administered from the top down by an expert class of technically knowledgeable elites This may have helped fuel the propulsive economic growth of the postwar years But for Wolin and Schaar it also caused many Americans to feel left out of the political process “The institutions of our national government have become bureaucratized to an extraordinary degree,” they argued in 1970 and impersonal.” “Even though the stakes are limited,” they added a couple months later “the rules of the game are many and confining.” The basic fact is “that the last decade has seen a profound ‘de-authorization’ of many of the major institutions.” From universities and other sites of cultural production to the presidency there was a growing sense that those in power could no longer provide the democratic experiences needed to legitimize their authority “The coalition that has governed this land since 1932 is shattered,” Wolin and Schaar lamented “On all sectors of the political spectrum there is a growing doubt that the liberal myth and logic will dominate the American future.” The experiences of the 1960s at Berkeley transformed Wolin into an activist and public figure After university officials dropped their ban of on-campus political activity Wolin turned his eye to higher education itself He and a group of faculty and student activists organized a “reconstitution” movement that hoped to reorganize Berkeley into a collection of more local and more participatory academic bodies and he also became an outspoken critic of the professionalized nature of higher education insisting that undergraduate and graduate programs should have a more civic component to them he believed that education should be a laboratory for training democratic citizens Wolin’s understanding of political theory was also transformed After the publication of his and Schaar’s articles for the New York Review as a book in 1970 (The Berkeley Rebellion and Beyond: Essays on Politics and Education in the Technological Society) Wolin began to see more clearly how political theory could contribute to American politics Political theory not only could help conceptualize the public; it could call it into being It could lend its analytical categories to intellectuals and politicians and popular movements It could serve as a guide to contemporary questions of justice and obligation in particular in moments of war and economic crisis Just as Wolin and Schaar were preparing The Berkeley Rebellion and Beyond for publication spoke on Locke and Wolin was supposed to offer a new reading of Hobbes a figure that he was at times critical of in Politics and Vision Wolin used the lecture as an opportunity to modify the criticisms of the political philosophy tradition that he had made in his first book and Marx were given a new position in his understanding of the role political thought could play in expanding public life theory is the means for making a great political gesture and action is looked upon as a vehicle for rendering a great theoretical statement In this they stand at the opposite pole from our contemporaries whether it be the philosopher who believes that ‘philosophy leaves everything as it was,’ or the empirical political scientist who hesitates to cross the mythical line between fact and value.” The political theorist ignores “formal protocols which thought has decreed for its own sanity and certitude he has resembled the bisected lover of Plato’s Symposium who has forever searching for his other half The theorist’s wholeness awaited that deed which would unite idea and act.” Political theory was not merely to be an academic enterprise but a public one It not only outlined the complaints and demands his Hobbes lecture (which eventually had a small print run as Hobbes and the Epic Tradition of Political Theory) his often-cited essay “Political Theory as Vocation,” and his many essays in the New York Review of Books Wolin’s arguments really began to sing by the early 1970s His career came to reflect one of the main tenets of Politics and Vision: that the political theory enterprise was far from dead; on the contrary Whatever antidemocratic features were imbricated in the history of the discipline’s classical and modern traditions were exactly that—history Wolin now began to see how political theory could itself help bring about a new politics how it could hunt down those fugitive moments of democracy I was lucky to have interviewed Wolin for my dissertation research over several days this past spring From my small post on the ninth floor of Columbia’s Butler Library and from his on the other side of the country in Salem his frightening time in the “flying fortresses” of the Second World War the boredom and frustrations of his graduate years at Harvard his short stint at Oberlin College (where he was a member of a political science department of three) What stood out was not only the fast-paced staccato of his speech He wondered how a magazine like Dissent broke even He observed how easy it was for his generation to make it as academics and worried about how hard it had become for mine Political theory really was a calling for Wolin an enterprise that required moral and political commitment and he believed all political thought should that can be found in many of his later essays was how the political theory enterprise he had helped bring back to life and back into the public in the 1960s had become so Alexandrian: how it had retreated into an elite body of knowledge and ideal theories that were reserved only for its community of inquirers One can only imagine his wonder at the title of a forthcoming book by one of political theory’s leading deans political theory needed no additional adjectives It already was exactly what it purported to be: political Wolin despaired a bit over the way radical democratic aspirations of the 1960s appeared to splinter and grow more diffuse in the 1970s and ‘80s supporting student activists organizing against South Africa’s apartheid He helped educate a new generation of political theorists which may have had a short print run but—like one of its inspirations Dwight Macdonald’s politics—helped carry the torch of democratic radicalism during a period between social movements and political generations renew the energies of many radicals—Christopher Lasch Michael Rogin—who had felt dispirited by the disappointments of the 1960s much of Wolin’s sense of hope and possibility appeared to have become somewhat diminished by the 1980s Democracy in America was now truly fugitive Like Wolin’s tragic figures in Politics and Vision American democrats had originally set out “to solve problems in place of an active demos [the political system that developed in the Untied States] substituted professionalized representation of interests By splintering the demos into disparate interests it scotched the possibility of collective action.” Democracy in America could now only have an “occasional character” in Wolin’s opinion Movements and campaigns could now only come in short bursts Democracy could only exist outside formal political institutions—as transgressions and isolated acts breaking from the norms of public life I have always struggled a bit with his later work Wolin still seemed to carry the torch of democratic radicalism but he had also come to believe it was no longer capable of leading to substantive change “Any prospect of revitalizing democracy in American should not assume that we can start afresh,” Wolin wrote near the end of Democracy Incorporated The first step should be to reflect on the changes of the past half century that have distorted the cultural supports of democracy and eroded its political practices while preparing the way for a politics and political culture favorable to inverted totalitarianism.” But this was an uphill task—the work of political renewal even more so If not the “inverted totalitarianism” that Wolin predicted Inverting the way authoritarian regimes politicize other spheres of life twenty-first century capitalism has not only come to economize those public domains that had once given us a collective sense of meaning; it often now rules them The Greeks believed public life was corrupted when the demands of another sphere—the family interpersonal relations—intruded on the commonweal of the political domain capitalism intrudes into virtually every sphere of life Politics has revealed itself more clearly than ever to be the domain not only of the interests but of elite interest “Democracy Incorporated” is pretty close to the mark One of the interesting features of Politics and Vision—and one often missed by those who only read its first edition—is that Wolin wrote the book twice: first in 1960 and then again in 2004 The second edition is listed as an “expanded version.” But it includes an entirely new book within it—over 300 new pages that make several significant revisions to its predecessor (he opens his second edition with old Prufrock’s line: “And time yet for a hundred indecisions / And for a hundred visions and revisions”) Perhaps one of the most pronounced changes is Wolin’s attitude toward Marx and his critical view of political economy Marx represented just one more example of the economizing tendencies of the modern political tradition: the ways in which nineteenth- and twentieth-century social science subsumed politics into economics as Wolin’s student Nicholas Xenos has pointed out foreseeing how the administrative features of the state become those of the private sector and how public life becomes restricted to those elite bodies with accumulated economic power it must first relocate politics in the economy,” Wolin wrote in his second edition It now needed to also recognize and critique “the power-nature of economic formations.” By constructing the terms and desires through which the proletariat could recognize itself by offering the political gestures needed for action Marx also helped “revive the dormant ideals of a politically active demos.” Like many of Wolin’s tragic theorists—Plato Dewey—Marx may have been caught “wandering between two worlds one dead / The other powerless to be born.” * But Marx wandered nonetheless a prophet of despair and an incorrigible optimist hoping to carry our hopes and desires into a new age Returning every so often to Wolin’s work this fall as I prepare for my own seminar on these tragic theorists I realize that this can be said of Wolin as well Over a long career as a public intellectual Charles Mills used his gut-punching wit and moral clarity in defense of racial justice Views that were fringe in Perot’s day have taken center stage in national politics little magazines can articulate those demands and alternatives that are just left of the possible Our hope is that these ideas will trickle up Please consider donating to Dissent. Your contribution will ensure that we continue to publish articles like this one. Donate $10, $50, or $500; we are grateful for gifts of all sizes the causes behind the decline of American empire and the rise of a new and terrifying configuration of corporate power he calls “inverted totalitarianism.” and in revealing the novel fusions of economic with political power that he took to be poisoning democracy at its root.” Wolin throughout his scholarship charted the devolution of American democracy and in his last book, “Democracy Incorporated,” details our peculiar form of corporate totalitarianism “One cannot point to any national institution[s] that can accurately be described as democratic,” he writes in that book the class-biased judicial and penal system Inverted totalitarianism is different from classical forms of totalitarianism It does not find its expression in a demagogue or charismatic leader but in the faceless anonymity of the corporate state Our inverted totalitarianism pays outward fealty to the facade of electoral politics traditions and language of American patriotism but it has effectively seized all of the mechanisms of power to render the citizen impotent they yearn for political stability rather than civic engagement protection rather than political involvement.” Inverted totalitarianism, Wolin said when we met at his home in Salem, Ore., in 2014 to film a nearly three-hour interview constantly “projects power upwards.” It is “the antithesis of constitutional power.” It is designed to create instability to keep a citizenry off balance and passive and transfer of jobs abroad create not just fear but an economy of fear a system of control whose power feeds on uncertainty Inverted totalitarianism also “perpetuates politics all the time,” Wolin said when we spoke “but a politics that is not political.” The endless and extravagant election cycles are an example of politics without politics “Instead of participating in power,” he writes “the virtual citizen is invited to have ‘opinions’: measurable responses to questions predesigned to elicit them.” that “the subject of empire is taboo in electoral debates.” The citizen is irrelevant He or she is nothing more than a spectator allowed to vote and then forgotten once the carnival of elections ends and corporations and their lobbyists get back to the business of ruling “If the main purpose of elections is to serve up pliant legislators for lobbyists to shape such a system deserves to be called ‘misrepresentative or clientry government,’ ” Wolin writes a powerful contributing factor to the depoliticization of the citizenry as well as reason for characterizing the system as one of antidemocracy.” is that the public is “denied the use of state power.” Wolin deplores the trivialization of political discourse a tactic used to leave the public fragmented antagonistic and emotionally charged while leaving corporate power and empire unchallenged “Cultural wars might seem an indication of strong political involvements,” he writes The notoriety they receive from the media and from politicians eager to take firm stands on nonsubstantive issues serves to distract attention and contribute to a cant politics of the inconsequential.” “The ruling groups can now operate on the assumption that they don’t need the traditional notion of something called a public in the broad sense of a coherent whole,” he said in our meeting “They now have the tools to deal with the very disparities and differences that they have themselves helped to create It’s a game in which you manage to undermine the cohesiveness that the public requires if they [the public] are to be politically effective distinct groups that inevitably find themselves in tension or at odds or in competition with other groups so that it becomes more of a melee than it does become a way of fashioning majorities.” such as those of Nazi fascism or Soviet communism But “under inverted totalitarianism the reverse is true,” Wolin writes “Economics dominates politics—and with that domination comes different forms of ruthlessness.”He continues: “The United States has become the showcase of how democracy can be managed without appearing to be suppressed.” is “legitimated by elections it controls.” To extinguish democracy it rewrites and distorts laws and legislation that once protected democracy reinterpret laws to strip them of their original meaning in order to strengthen corporate control and abolish corporate oversight He writes: “Why negate a constitution, as the Nazis did, if it is possible simultaneously to exploit porosity and legitimate power by means of judicial interpretations that declare huge campaign contributions to be protected speech under the First Amendment or that treat heavily financed and organized lobbying by large corporations as a simple application of the people’s right to petition their government?” Our system of inverted totalitarianism will avoid harsh and violent measures of control “as long as … dissent remains ineffectual,” he told me “The government does not need to stamp out dissent The uniformity of imposed public opinion through the corporate media does a very effective job.” “Through a combination of governmental contracts joint projects involving university and corporate researchers universities (especially so-called research universities) and researchers have been seamlessly integrated into the system,” Wolin writes “confident that in its domestic pursuit of terrorists the powers it claimed but by the shadowy and ubiquitous character of terrorism as officially defined.” The indiscriminate police violence in poor communities of color is an example of the ability of the corporate state to “legally” harass and kill citizens with impunity The cruder forms of control—from militarized police to wholesale surveillance now a reality for the underclass—will become a reality for all of us should we begin to resist the continued funneling of power and wealth upward only as long as we participate in the illusion of a participatory democracy The moment we rebel and refuse to take part in the illusion the face of inverted totalitarianism will look like the face of past systems of totalitarianism “The significance of the African-American prison population is political,” he writes “What is notable about the African-American population generally is that it is highly sophisticated politically and by far the one group that throughout the twentieth century kept alive a spirit of resistance and rebelliousness criminal justice is as much a strategy of political neutralization as it is a channel of instinctive racism.” Wolin expresses consternation for a population severed from print and the nuanced world of ideas as “tyrannical” because of its ability to “block out eliminate whatever might introduce qualification or dialogue.” He rails against what he calls a “monochromatic media” with corporate-approved pundits used to identify “the problem and its parameters creating a box that dissenters struggle vainly to elude The critic who insists on changing the context is dismissed as irrelevant The constant dissemination of illusions permits myth rather than reality to dominate the decisions of the power elites as 14 years of futile war in the Middle East and our failure to react to climate change illustrate When myth begins to govern decision-makers in a world where ambiguity and stubborn facts abound the result is a disconnect between the actors and the reality They convince themselves that the forces of darkness possess weapons of mass destruction and nuclear capabilities: that their own nation is privileged by a god who inspired the Founding Fathers and the writing of the nation’s constitution; and that a class structure of great and stubborn inequalities does not exist A grim but joyous few see portents of a world that is living out “the last days.” Wolin was a bombardier and a navigator on a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber in the South Pacific in World War II he advanced with American forces as they captured islands in the Pacific During the campaign the military high command decided to direct the B-24 bombers—which were huge and difficult to fly in addition to having little maneuverability—against Japanese ships a tactic that saw tremendous losses of planes and American lives nicknamed “the flying boxcar” and “the flying coffin,” to attack warships bristling with antiaircraft guns exposed for Wolin the callousness of military commanders who blithely sacrificed their air crews and war machines in schemes that offered little chance of success “It was terrible,” he said of the orders to bomb ships particularly flying low trying to hit the Japanese navy—and we lost countless people in it “We had quite a few psychological casualties … men who just couldn’t take it anymore,” he said “just couldn’t stand the strain of getting up at 5 in the morning and proceeding to get into these aircraft and go and getting shot at for a while and coming back to rest for another day.”Wolin saw the militarists and the corporatists who formed an unholy coalition to orchestrate the rise of a global American empire after the war as the forces that extinguished American democracy He called inverted totalitarianism “the true face of Superpower.” These war profiteers and militarists advocating the doctrine of total war during the Cold War They also worked in tandem to dismantle popular institutions and organizations such as labor unions to politically disempower and impoverish workers they eventually will be “eviscerated by their own expansionism.” There will never be a return to democracy until the unchecked power of the militarists and corporatists is dramatically curtailed National defense was declared inseparable from a strong economy The fixation upon mobilization and rearmament inspired the gradual disappearance from the national political agenda of the regulation and control of corporations The defender of the free world needed the power of the globalizing not an economy hampered by “trust busting.” Moreover since the enemy was rabidly anticapitalist every measure that strengthened capitalism was a blow against the enemy Once the battle lines between communism and the “free society” were drawn the economy became untouchable for purposes other than “strengthening” capitalism The ultimate merger would be between capitalism and democracy Once the identity and security of democracy were successfully identified with the Cold War and with the methods for waging it the stage was set for the intimidation of most politics left or right The result is a nation dedicated almost exclusively to waging war “When a constitutionally limited government utilizes weapons of horrendous destructive power and becomes the world’s largest arms dealer,” Wolin writes “the Constitution is conscripted to serve as power’s apprentice rather than its conscience.” That the patriotic citizen unswervingly supports the military and its huge budget means that conservatives have succeeded in persuading the public that the military is distinct from government Thus the most substantial element of state power is removed from public debate Similarly in his/her new status as imperial citizen the believer remains contemptuous of bureaucracy yet does not hesitate to obey the directives issued by the Department of Homeland Security the largest and most intrusive governmental department in the history of the nation Identification with militarism and patriotism along with the images of American might projected by the media serves to make the individual citizen feel stronger thereby compensating for the feelings of weakness visited by the economy upon an overworked For its antipolitics inverted totalitarianism requires believers Sheldon Wolin was often considered an outcast among contemporary political theorists whose concentration on quantitative analysis and behaviorialism led them to eschew the examination of broad political theory and ideas was not a dead relic but a vital tool to examine and challenge the assumptions and ideologies of contemporary systems of power and political thought was “primarily a civic and secondarily an academic activity.” It had a role “not just as an historical discipline that dealt with the critical examination of idea systems,” he told me but as a force “in helping to fashion public policies and governmental directions in a way that would further … the goals of a more democratic more educated society.” His 1969 essay “Political Theory as a Vocation” argued for this imperative and chastised fellow academics who focused their work on data collection and academic minutiae with his usual lucidity and literary flourishes Wolin’s magnificence as a scholar was matched by his magnificence as a human being to support the Free Speech Movement and wrote passionately in its defense Many of these essays were published in “The Berkeley Rebellion and Beyond: Essays on Politics and Education in the Technological Society.” Later he was one of a handful of faculty members who joined students to call for divestment of investments in apartheid South Africa He once accompanied students to present the case to Princeton alumni “I’ve never been jeered quite so roundly,” he said “Some of them called me [a] 50-year-old … sophomore and that kind of thing.” Wolin published Democracy: A Journal of Political Renewal and Radical Change In its pages he and other writers called out the con game of neoliberalism the rise of unchecked corporate power and the erosion of democratic institutions and ideals The journal swiftly made him a pariah within the politics department at Princeton.“I remember once when I was up editing that journal I left a copy of it on the table in the faculty room hoping that somebody would read it and comment,” he said And during all the time I was there and doing Democracy I never had one colleague come up to me and either say something positive or even negative about it Max Weber whom Wolin called “the greatest of all sociologists,” argues in his essay “Politics as a Vocation” that those who dedicate their lives to striving for justice in the modern political arena are like the classical heroes who can never overcome what the ancient Greeks called fortuna Wolin writes in “Politics and Vision,” rise up nevertheless “to heights of moral passion and grandeur harried by a deep sense of responsibility.” Yet [the contemporary hero] is a figure as futile and pathetic as his classical counterpart The fate of the classical hero was that he could never overcome contingency or fortuna; the special irony of the modern hero is that he struggles in a world where contingency has been routed by bureaucratized procedures and nothing remains for the hero to contend against Weber’s political leader is rendered superfluous by the very bureaucratic world that Weber discovered: even charisma has been bureaucratized We are left with the ambiguity of the political man fired by deep passion—‘to be passionate is … the element of the political leader’—but facing the impersonal world of bureaucracy which lives by the passionless principle that Weber frequently cited Wolin writes that even when faced with certain defeat all of us are called to the “awful responsibility” of the fight for justice “You don’t win,” Wolin said at the end of our talk That’s why politics is a vocation for Weber It’s not an occasional undertaking that we assume every two years or every four years when there’s an election It’s a constant occupation and preoccupation was to understand it not as a partisan kind of education in the politicians or political party sense but as in the broad understanding of what political life should be and what is required to make it sustainable He’s calling for a certain kind of understanding that’s very different from what we think about when we associate political understanding with how do you vote or what party do you support or what cause do you support Weber’s asking us to step back and say what kind of political order and the values associated with it that it promotes Wolin embodied the qualities Weber ascribes to the hero He struggled against forces he knew he could not vanquish He never wavered in the fight as an intellectual and He was one of the first to explain to us the transformation of our capitalist democracy into a new species of totalitarianism He warned us of the consequences of unbridled empire or superpower His “Democracy Incorporated” was ignored by every major newspaper and journal in the country All his fears for the nation have come to pass If we held up a scorecard we would have to say Wolin lost but we would also have to acknowledge the integrity and the need for independent journalism has never been greater A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher Independent journalism like Truthdig doesn't just report the news — it helps cultivate a better future Your tax-deductible gift powers fearless reporting and uncompromising analysis we can protect democracy and expose the stories that must be told Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe Don't miss out on the latest investigations provocative insights and original reporting from a progressive perspective — delivered straight to your inbox Thanks, I’m not interested ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " a political theorist who explored the intersection of democracy reinvigorated the field of political theory with his 1960 book "Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Western Political Thought" and later worked to bring his ideas to a broader audience He joined the faculty in 1972 and transferred to emeritus status in 1987 "Sheldon Wolin was the greatest political theorist of democracy of our time," said Cornel West the Class of 1943 University Professor in the Center for African American Studies who studied under Wolin as a graduate student at Princeton I was blessed to have him as my thesis adviser my colleague and my democratic comrade in arms." Wolin earned his bachelor's degree at Oberlin College and his Ph.D Wolin's work addressed participatory democracy with primary focus on the United States He made a distinction between democracy as system of governance and any of the formal political institutions of the state "As a political theorist and a publically engaged intellectual Professor Sheldon Wolin's deepest and abiding concern was with the subversion of democracy understood as a form of political governance that was anchored in the participation of ordinary citizens and their exercise of real power," said Uday Mehta Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York "He saw the hugely amplified role of economic forces in the contemporary world as undermining the richest tradition of democracy in America and elsewhere." "Politics and Vision" was awarded the Benjamin E Lippincott Award of the American Political Science Association" in 1985 '"Politics and Vision" was published at a time when political theory was widely described as dead due to the emerging post-war 'end of ideology' consensus," said Dana Villa Dee Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame "In offering a wide-ranging re-interpretation of the Western canon of political thought Wolin both challenged this consensus and took his place amongst such historically minded political thinkers as Isaiah Berlin and Hannah Arendt." Wolin was also the author of books including "Hobbes and the Epic Tradition of Political Theory," "Tocqueville Between Two Worlds: The Making of a Political and Theoretical Life" and "Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism." Wolin wrote frequently for The New York Review of Books He was also editor of the short-lived but influential journal titled "democracy." he mentored a large number of students who have become leading figures in contemporary political theory "He prized the classroom — whether lecture hall or seminar — as a place to hone thoughtfulness indeed as a place to deepen and sharpen thinking," said Wendy Brown the Class of 1936 First Professor of Political Science at Berkeley he could develop a compelling radical critique of contemporary political life simply by sounding the depths of a great thinker Wolin also led a successful faculty effort to pass a resolution urging University trustees to divest from endowment investment in firms that supported South African apartheid Wolin was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences the National Foundation for the Humanities and was a Fulbright Fellow and a Guggenheim Fellow In an interview with journalist Bill Moyers in the late 1980s "I think fundamentally democracy in a democratic culture comes down not to big highfalutin institutions or policies," he said "It comes down ultimately to how we treat each other in our ordinary range of relationships and conversations." He was married to Emily Purvis Wolin for 67 years before her death in 2011 Survivors include daughters Deborah Wolin Olmon (Mark) and Pamela Wolin Shedd (Derek) and grandchildren Ian Wolin Shedd and Kari Olmon Memorials in his honor may be sent to the Oberlin College Scholarship Fund ‘This guy was the Sunday desk clerk at the sort of hotel where people might stay anything from one night to 30 years he wanted to open a roller rink in Pico Rivera’ A model I was working with suggested I come and see a Hollywood hotel he was living in I could see there was quite a cast of characters there I’d always wondered who lived in this type of single-room occupancy hotel where people might stay anything from one night to 30 years that what I was doing was “participant observation” I’ve continued to work like that throughout my career – become directly involved with my subjects for a long time I photographed and interviewed 36 people over three weeks His dream was to have a roller rink in Pico Rivera a neighbourhood in greater Los Angeles – not one that people necessarily aspire to It wasn’t like saying: “I’m going to have a clothing store in Beverly Hills.” He was the microcosm of the idea that dreams are for all of us He was very matter of fact – one might say No pets without the manager’s approval.” There were pets of course You can see the mail holder in the background: each one of those slots represents a person a life in the hotelI like the design of this photograph It’s an example of a problem creating an opportunity which created a whole visual dynamic of angles and lines you could make a Polaroid so that you knew that you were on the right path with your lighting and design You must do something with it.” The pandemic gave me time to prepare it for publication Guest Register is a book of goals and dreams You can see the mail holder in the background of this image: each one of those slots represents a person Many found a way to live that could bring them peace Some would be over 100 if they were alive today But there are others that were my age or younger so I’m really excited to see if anyone comes forward once the book is published We have our greatest intelligence in our early 20s I think we spend the rest of our life trying to get back to that age of enlightenment The hotel taught me many things that I have carried forward to this day It gave me the confidence and the will to continue being this crazy thing called a photographer Guest Register by Penny Wolin is published by Crazy Woman Creek Press. More information at pennywolin.com Penny Wolin Photograph: Penny WolinPenny Wolin’s CVBorn: Cheyenne 1953 Trained: ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena Film directing at the American Film Institute I have their books from my early career and they are dog-eared and worn.”High point: “The 1992 solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution of The Jews of Wyoming: Fringe of the Diaspora plus a Life magazine commission to photograph a monk who was building a monastery of contemplation and silence in the middle of a Nebraska cornfield.”Low point: “The 21st-century shift in public perception that equipment can take the place of the concerned photographer Photographers do!”Top tip: “As the great portrait photographer Arnold Newman said: ‘Photography is 2% inspiration and 98% moving furniture.’ Move that furniture Make photographs of what you understand or want to understand Give yourself assignments with firm deadlines three new trustees — leaders in non-profit work and the public sector — will join the Yale Corporation as the Yale Board of Trustees is formally known was elected as an alumni fellow in a worldwide balloting of university graduates. Gina Rosselli Boswell ’89 M.B.A. were both appointed successor trustees As members of the board of trustees they will act as fiduciaries for the university — ensuring that Yale is guided by sound policies and practices and equipped with adequate resources to further its mission the board balances the needs of today’s faculty and staff with those of generations to come and Neal have extensive experience leading complex organizations and a deep commitment to improving the world,” said Yale President Peter Salovey “Their dedication to Yale and its mission is evident in their long record of service to the university their vital contributions to their professions and their tireless work to create meaningful change in society I look forward welcoming them to the board.” Maryana Iskander oversees one of the top 10 websites in the world — Wikipedia collaborative encyclopedia built on the idea that knowledge should be neutral The desire to promote collective solutions and to build access for all has animated Iskander’s career — from helming the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator a social enterprise in South Africa and Rwanda to her role as chief operating officer of Planned Parenthood to acting as an advisor to the president of Rice University “If I think about all the jobs that I’ve had,” Iskander has said “the overarching question has been: What do you devote your time and talents to that will make the world a fairer and better place for others?” Yale alumni vote each year to elect one new alumni fellow to the university’s board of trustees Candidates are selected from nominations submitted by alumni from around the world to the Alumni Fellow Nominating Committee a standing committee of the Yale Alumni Association The committee is composed of alumni from across the university’s schools and departments and the vice president for alumni affairs and development the head of human resources for assets and wealth management at JPMorgan Chase & Co. was the other candidate for alumni fellow this year “Maryana and Lauren are distinguished individuals who have contributed greatly to Yale,” said Salovey “I thank them both for their willingness to be considered for this role.” After earning her bachelor’s degree at Rice University Iskander attended the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar After working for a time as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company she arrived in New Haven to pursue her law degree at Yale through the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans she was awarded the Yale Law Women Alumni Achievement Award Iskander’s service to Yale includes membership on the President’s Council on International Activities during which she worked to expand access to a Yale education for students across the African continent She has also served on several non-profit boards a global philanthropic collaborative; World Education Services; and The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital She is also a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network Iskander splits her time between the United States Gina Rosselli Boswell has distinguished herself as an executive at major global retail and beauty brands — in her current position as CEO and member of the board of directors of Bath & Body Works she’s cultivated a lifelong connection to her hometown and to Yale I have known all my life the special magic of the Yale community,” Boswell has said Her record of service to the university is exemplary: from 2012 to 2021 she served on the University Council she helped guide the group through the transition of the Yale presidency and through significant moments of change for the university She also was supportive of the launch of the shared interest group 1stGenYale which aims to increase equity and access for promising students and alumni of all backgrounds Boswell was recognized for these efforts — as well as her volunteer roles at the Yale School of Management and the Yale Alumni Schools Committee — with the Yale Medal the Yale Alumni Association’s highest honor and non-profit board experience and was recently recognized as one of the 25 Most Inspirational Women Leaders by Women’s Wear Daily Boswell currently lives in Columbus, Ohio Neal Wolin has focused on navigating complex financial and public policy issues: as deputy secretary (and acting secretary) of the U.S Department of Treasury; at the National Security Council and the White House Counsel’s Office; as the president and chief operating officer of the insurance companies of The Hartford; and now as CEO at Brunswick Group Wolin’s breadth of experience and expertise — spanning both the public and private sectors and encompassing law and communications — has made him adept at finding solutions to complex challenges and global economies recover from the financial and economic crises of 2008-09 President Barack Obama praised his “deep knowledge and excellent judgment.” He has offered his leadership to Yale as well and the Executive Committee of the Yale Law School Association He has also remained connected to both his undergraduate and law school classes by serving on gift committees for milestone reunions In addition to his volunteer work for Yale Wolin serves on several private company boards and on the boards of the non-profits the Atlantic Council He has also been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations since 1993 three trustees will conclude their service the secretary of health and human services for the state of Massachusetts the president of Goodyear Capital Corporation and Goodyear Investment Company the founder and CEO of Management Leadership for Tomorrow and Kate have offered steadfast and wise counsel over the years,” Salovey said “They helped the university navigate the challenges of a global pandemic become a more diverse and accessible institution and further the breadth and excellence of its teaching and research programs “Their commitment to the well-being of Yale for now and years to come has been exemplary and I am grateful for the service and leadership they have provided.” Ira Wolin was a UFT member for 35 years and worked at many schools in Brooklyn and Queens over the years Ira's boys’ varsity handball team at Forest Hills High School won back-to-back New York City championships in 2002–03 and 2003–04 He was respected and loved by his students and colleagues visiting locations throughout the United States as well as expeditions to the Galapagos and Antarctica He was a lifelong sports enthusiast and his favorite teams were the Jets and Mets To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page. the causes behind the decline of American empire and the rise of a new and terrifying configuration of corporate power he calls "inverted totalitarianism." and in revealing the novel fusions of economic with political power that he took to be poisoning democracy at its root." Wolin throughout his scholarship charted the devolution of American democracy and in his last book, "Democracy Incorporated," details our peculiar form of corporate totalitarianism "One cannot point to any national institution[s] that can accurately be described as democratic," he writes in that book protection rather than political involvement." Inverted totalitarianism, Wolin said when we met at his home in Salem, Ore., in 2014 to film a nearly three-hour interview constantly "projects power upwards." It is "the antithesis of constitutional power." It is designed to create instability to keep a citizenry off balance and passive Inverted totalitarianism also "perpetuates politics all the time," Wolin said when we spoke "but a politics that is not political." The endless and extravagant election cycles "Instead of participating in power," he writes "the virtual citizen is invited to have 'opinions': measurable responses to questions predesigned to elicit them." Political campaigns rarely discuss substantive issues They center on manufactured political personalities propaganda and the constant use of focus groups and opinion polls to loop back to voters what they want to hear Every current presidential candidate--including Bernie Sanders--understands that "the subject of empire is taboo in electoral debates." The citizen is irrelevant "If the main purpose of elections is to serve up pliant legislators for lobbyists to shape such a system deserves to be called 'misrepresentative or clientry government,' " Wolin writes as well as reason for characterizing the system as one of antidemocracy." is that the public is "denied the use of state power." Wolin deplores the trivialization of political discourse "Cultural wars might seem an indication of strong political involvements," he writes The notoriety they receive from the media and from politicians eager to take firm stands on nonsubstantive issues serves to distract attention and contribute to a cant politics of the inconsequential." "The ruling groups can now operate on the assumption that they don't need the traditional notion of something called a public in the broad sense of a coherent whole," he said in our meeting "They now have the tools to deal with the very disparities and differences that they have themselves helped to create It's a game in which you manage to undermine the cohesiveness that the public requires if they [the public] are to be politically effective so that it becomes more of a melee than it does become a way of fashioning majorities." But "under inverted totalitarianism the reverse is true," Wolin writes "Economics dominates politics--and with that domination comes different forms of ruthlessness." He continues: "The United States has become the showcase of how democracy can be managed without appearing to be suppressed." is "legitimated by elections it controls." To extinguish democracy He writes: "Why negate a constitution if it is possible simultaneously to exploit porosity and legitimate power by means of judicial interpretations that declare huge campaign contributions to be protected speech under the First Amendment or that treat heavily financed and organized lobbying by large corporations as a simple application of the people's right to petition their government?" Our system of inverted totalitarianism will avoid harsh and violent measures of control "as long as .. dissent remains ineffectual," he told me "The government does not need to stamp out dissent The uniformity of imposed public opinion through the corporate media does a very effective job." "Through a combination of governmental contracts and researchers have been seamlessly integrated into the system," Wolin writes should the population--steadily stripped of its most basic rights and increasingly impoverished and bereft of hope--become restive inverted totalitarianism will become as brutal and violent as past totalitarian states with its accompanying emphasis upon 'homeland security,' presumes that state power now inflated by doctrines of preemptive war and released from treaty obligations and the potential constraints of international judicial bodies "confident that in its domestic pursuit of terrorists the powers it claimed but by the shadowy and ubiquitous character of terrorism as officially defined." The indiscriminate police violence in poor communities of color is an example of the ability of the corporate state to "legally" harass and kill citizens with impunity The cruder forms of control--from militarized police to wholesale surveillance now a reality for the underclass--will become a reality for all of us should we begin to resist the continued funneling of power and wealth upward "The significance of the African-American prison population is political," he writes "What is notable about the African-American population generally is that it is highly sophisticated politically and by far the one group that throughout the twentieth century kept alive a spirit of resistance and rebelliousness criminal justice is as much a strategy of political neutralization as it is a channel of instinctive racism." as "tyrannical" because of its ability to "block out or dialogue." He rails against what he calls a "monochromatic media" with corporate-approved pundits used to identify "the problem and its parameters 'the Left'--or ignored altogether." They convince themselves that the forces of darkness possess weapons of mass destruction and nuclear capabilities: that their own nation is privileged by a god who inspired the Founding Fathers and the writing of the nation's constitution; and that a class structure of great and stubborn inequalities does not exist A grim but joyous few see portents of a world that is living out "the last days." During the campaign the military high command decided to direct the B-24 bombers--which were huge and difficult to fly in addition to having little maneuverability--against Japanese ships nicknamed "the flying boxcar" and "the flying coffin," to attack warships bristling with antiaircraft guns exposed for Wolin the callousness of military commanders who blithely sacrificed their air crews and war machines in schemes that offered little chance of success "It was terrible," he said of the orders to bomb ships particularly flying low trying to hit the Japanese navy--and we lost countless people in it "We had quite a few psychological casualties .. who just couldn't take it anymore," he said "just couldn't stand the strain of getting up at 5 in the morning and proceeding to get into these aircraft and go and getting shot at for a while and coming back to rest for another day." Wolin saw the militarists and the corporatists He called inverted totalitarianism "the true face of Superpower." These war profiteers and militarists they eventually will be "eviscerated by their own expansionism." There will never be a return to democracy not an economy hampered by "trust busting." Moreover Once the battle lines between communism and the "free society" were drawn the economy became untouchable for purposes other than "strengthening" capitalism "When a constitutionally limited government utilizes weapons of horrendous destructive power and becomes the world's largest arms dealer," Wolin writes "the Constitution is conscripted to serve as power's apprentice rather than its conscience." was "primarily a civic and secondarily an academic activity." It had a role "not just as an historical discipline that dealt with the critical examination of idea systems," he told me but as a force "in helping to fashion public policies and governmental directions more educated society." His 1969 essay "Political Theory as a Vocation" argued for this imperative and chastised fellow academics who focused their work on data collection and academic minutiae Wolin's magnificence as a scholar was matched by his magnificence as a human being Many of these essays were published in "The Berkeley Rebellion and Beyond: Essays on Politics and Education in the Technological Society." Later "I've never been jeered quite so roundly," he said "Some of them called me [a] 50-year-old .. The journal swiftly made him a pariah within the politics department at Princeton "I remember once when I was up editing that journal I left a copy of it on the table in the faculty room hoping that somebody would read it and comment," he said Max Weber whom Wolin called "the greatest of all sociologists," argues in his essay "Politics as a Vocation" that those who dedicate their lives to striving for justice in the modern political arena are like the classical heroes who can never overcome what the ancient Greeks called fortuna Wolin writes in "Politics and Vision," rise up nevertheless "to heights of moral passion and grandeur harried by a deep sense of responsibility." Yet Weber's political leader is rendered superfluous by the very bureaucratic world that Weber discovered: even charisma has been bureaucratized We are left with the ambiguity of the political man fired by deep passion--'to be passionate the element of the political leader'--but facing the impersonal world of bureaucracy which lives by the passionless principle that Weber frequently cited all of us are called to the "awful responsibility" of the fight for justice "You don't win," Wolin said at the end of our talk That's why politics is a vocation for Weber It's not an occasional undertaking that we assume every two years or every four years when there's an election It's a constant occupation and preoccupation He's calling for a certain kind of understanding that's very different from what we think about when we associate political understanding with how do you vote or what party do you support or what cause do you support Weber's asking us to step back and say what kind of political order His "Democracy Incorporated" was ignored by every major newspaper and journal in the country one of the fastest-growing hotel companies in America today announced Len Wolin as Senior Vice President (SVP) of Hotel Operations Wolin will use his three decades of experience to oversee Sonesta's managed portfolio which accounts for nearly 300 hotels worldwide He is a highly respected hospitality executive with a proven track record of leading developing and deploying innovative strategies programs and processes that drive operational excellence and enhanced guest experience His successful tenure in hospitality includes management roles with Marriott Ritz Carlton and most recently Clubs Quarters Wolin will work closely with operational departments across Sonesta’s focused- and full-service brands to build upon the 80+ year heritage of exceptional guest service while exceeding the expectations of today’s traveler Connect with our staff on topics that matter to you via email or request a reprint Place classified and announcement notices or grow your business with advertising and marketing solutions