Connect with us

The Bridge

Seeking to Preserve Veterans’ Stories of Service and Sacrifice

Published

on

16765 detail intro image

(Family Features) Whether it’s pride, pain, inspiration, nostalgia or a combination of sentiments, any time veterans tell their stories, there’s a good chance they’ll evoke strong emotions from both the tellers and their audiences. Those feelings are often well-warranted as many veterans have been through intense experiences in the name of service to their country.

United States Army Staff Sergeant Shilo A. Harris’ story is no exception.

Although he wanted to be a soldier his entire life, it wasn’t until after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 that Harris felt compelled to enlist in the Army. He went to basic training at age 27 and began his career as a cavalry scout stationed in Germany. During his second deployment to Iraq, his life forever changed.

On Feb. 19, 2007, Harris was on patrol when his military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED). The estimated 700-pound IED, which was buried in the road, blew the vehicle “to pieces,” killed three soldiers and critically injured Harris and the vehicle’s driver.

While he survived the explosion, Harris spent the next 48 days in a medically induced coma while doctors worked to heal the third-degree burns covering 35% of his body and multiple fractured bones. Harris lost both ears, three fingers and the tip of his nose. He underwent more than 75 surgeries and three years of intensive rehabilitation to regain basic abilities and maintain an independent lifestyle.

Harris retired from the Army in 2010 and is determined to keep a grateful outlook despite struggling with post-traumatic stress and ongoing care needs.

“I do have bad days, but for the most part I live my life because life is worth living,” Harris said.

He now shares his experiences through motivational speaking and writing books. He also submitted his oral history to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP).

Advertisement
image 101376000 12222003

The Veterans History Project is a national effort to collect, preserve and make accessible the first-hand remembrances of U.S. military veterans from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacetime missions so future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. 

The stories veterans carry with them are powerful and shape who they are. Stories can hold valuable lessons, details of accomplishments and battles won or memories of friendship and camaraderie. They can also serve as reminders of sacrifice and hardship.

Participating with VHP can be as simple as recording a 30-minute (or longer) video or audio interview sharing details of your service. Veterans, or families of veterans, may also submit a minimum 20-page diary, journal or unpublished memoir and/or 10 original photos or letters. Each collection is added to the permanent archives of the Library of Congress then made accessible to the public online and in-person.

To get started, visit loc.gov/vets and click “How to Participate” to download a field kit and access more details and instructions.

Photo of men talking courtesy of Getty Images

Photo of soldier courtesy of Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Shilo Harris Collection, AFC2001/001/113534.

collect?v=1&tid=UA 482330 7&cid=1955551e 1975 5e52 0cdb 8516071094cd&sc=start&t=pageview&dl=http%3A%2F%2Ftrack.familyfeatures
SOURCE:
Library of Congress Veterans History Project

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge

Advertisement
image 101376000 12222003


Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

News

Francis − a pope who cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church

Published

on

pope
Pope Francis during the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square on April 2, 2023, in Vatican City. Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Mathew Schmalz, College of the Holy Cross Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff, has died, the Vatican announced on April 21, 2025. He was 88. Francis had served as pope for 12 eventful years, after being elected on March 13, 2013 after the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI. Prior to becoming pope, he was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, and was the first person from the Americas to be elected to the papacy. He was also the first pope to choose Francis as his name, thus honoring St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic whose love for nature and the poor have inspired Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Pope Francis chose not to wear the elaborate clothing, like red shoes or silk vestments, associated with other popes. As a scholar of global Catholicism, however, I would argue that the changes Francis brought to the papacy were more than skin deep. He opened the church to the outside world in ways none of his predecessors had done before.

Care for the marginalized

Pope Francis reached out personally to the poor. For example, he turned a Vatican plaza into a refuge for the homeless, whom he called “nobles of the street.”
A smiling young man, dressed in black, poses for a photo.
The Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio, ordained for the Jesuits in 1969 at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel. Jesuit General Curia via Getty Images
He washed the feet of migrants and prisoners during the traditional foot-washing ceremony on the Thursday before Easter. In an unprecedented act for a pope, he also washed the feet of non-Christians. He encouraged a more welcoming attitude toward gay and lesbian Catholics and invited transgender people to meet with him at the Vatican. On other contentious issues, Francis reaffirmed official Catholic positions. He labeled homosexual behavior a “sin,” although he also stated that it should not be considered a crime. Francis criticized gender theory for “blurring” differences between men and women.
How the next pope will be picked.
While he maintained the church’s position that all priests should be male, he made far-reaching changes that opened various leadership roles to women. Francis was the first pope to appoint a woman to head an administrative office at the Vatican. Also for the first time, women were included in the 70-member body that selects bishops and the 15-member council that oversees Vatican finances. He appointed an Italian nun, Sister Raffaella Petrini, as President of the Vatican City.
Pope Francis holding on to a railing as he greets people.
Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on April 18, 2022. Stefano Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Not shy of controversy

Some of Francis’ positions led to opposition in some Catholic circles. One such issue was related to Francis’ embrace of religious diversity. Delivering an address at the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan in 2022, he said that members of the world’s different religions were “children of the same heaven.” While in Morocco, he spoke out against conversion as a mission, saying to the Catholic community that they should live “in brotherhood with other faiths.” To some of his critics, however, such statements undermined the unique truth of Christianity. During his tenure, the pope called for “synodality,” a more democratic approach to decision making. For example, synod meetings in November 2023 included laypeople and women as voting members. But the synod was resisted by some bishops who feared it would lessen the importance of priests as teachers and leaders. In a significant move that will influence the choosing of his successor, Pope Francis appointed more cardinals from the Global South. But not all Catholic leaders in the Global South followed his lead on doctrine. For example, African bishops publicly criticized Pope Francis’ December 2023 ruling that allowed blessings of individuals in same sex couples. His most controversial move was limiting the celebration of the Mass in the older form that uses Latin. This reversed a decision made by Benedict XVI that allowed the Latin Mass to be more widely practiced. Traditionalists argued that the Latin Mass was an important – and beautiful – part of the Catholic tradition. But Francis believed that it had divided Catholics into separate groups who worshiped differently. This concern for Catholic unity also led him to discipline two American critics of his reforms, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, and Cardinal Raymond Burke. Most significantly, Carlo Maria Viganò, the former Vatican ambassador, or nuncio, to the United States was excommunicated during Francis’ tenure for promoting “schism.” Recently, Pope Francis also criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to deport migrants. In a letter to US Bishops, he recalled that Jesus, Mary and Joseph had been emigrants and refugees in Egypt. Pope Francis also argued that migrants who enter a country illegally should not be treated as criminals because they are in need and have dignity as human beings.

Writings on ‘the common good’

In his official papal letters, called encyclicals, Francis echoed his public actions by emphasizing the “common good,” or the rights and responsibilities necessary for human flourishing.
Several people seated in a row watch as the pope washes the feet of one of them.
Pope Francis washes the foot of a man during the foot-washing ritual at a refugee center outside of Rome on March 24, 2016. L’Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP
His first encyclical in 2013, Lumen Fidei, or “The Light of Faith,” sets out to show how faith can unite people everywhere. In his next encyclical, Laudato Si’, or “Praise Be to You,” Francis addressed the environmental crisis, including pollution and climate change. He also called attention to unequal distribution of wealth and called for an “integral ecology” that respects both human beings and the environment. His third encyclical in 2020, Fratelli Tutti, or “Brothers All,” criticized a “throwaway culture” that discards human beings, especially the poor, the unborn and the elderly. In a significant act for the head of the Catholic Church, Francis concluded by speaking of non-Catholics who have inspired him: Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu and Mahatma Gandhi. In his last encyclical, Dilexit Nos, or “He Loved Us,” he reflected on God’s Love through meditating on the symbol of the Sacred Heart that depicts flames of love coming from Jesus’ wounded heart that was pierced during the crucifixion. Francis also proclaimed a special “year of mercy” in 2015-16. The pope consistently argued for a culture of mercy that reflects the love of Jesus Christ, calling him “the face of God’s mercy.”

A historic papacy

Francis’ papacy has been historic. He embraced the marginalized in ways that no pope had done before. He not only deepened the Catholic Church’s commitment to the poor in its religious life but also expanded who is included in its decision making. The pope did have his critics who thought he went too far, too fast. And whether his reforms take root depends on his successor. Among many things, Francis will be remembered for how his pontificate represented a shift in power in the Catholic Church away from Western Europe to the Global South, where the majority of Catholics now live.The Conversation Mathew Schmalz, Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Want more stories 👋
"Your morning jolt of Inspiring & Interesting Stories!"

Sign up to receive awesome articles directly to your inbox.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

STM Coffee Newsletter 1

Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Continue Reading

News

From help to harm: How the government is quietly repurposing everyone’s data for surveillance

Published

on

file 20250423 56 4pof6v.jpg?ixlib=rb 4.1
Immigration enforcement is a key justification for repurposing government data. Photo by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images
Nicole M. Bennett, Indiana University A whistleblower at the National Labor Relations Board reported an unusual spike in potentially sensitive data flowing out of the agency’s network in early March 2025 when staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency, which goes by DOGE, were granted access to the agency’s databases. On April 7, the Department of Homeland Security gained access to Internal Revenue Service tax data. These seemingly unrelated events are examples of recent developments in the transformation of the structure and purpose of federal government data repositories. I am a researcher who studies the intersection of migration, data governance and digital technologies. I’m tracking how data that people provide to U.S. government agencies for public services such as tax filing, health care enrollment, unemployment assistance and education support is increasingly being redirected toward surveillance and law enforcement. Originally collected to facilitate health care, eligibility for services and the administration of public services, this information is now shared across government agencies and with private companies, reshaping the infrastructure of public services into a mechanism of control. Once confined to separate bureaucracies, data now flows freely through a network of interagency agreements, outsourcing contracts and commercial partnerships built up in recent decades. These data-sharing arrangements often take place outside public scrutiny, driven by national security justifications, fraud prevention initiatives and digital modernization efforts. The result is that the structure of government is quietly transforming into an integrated surveillance apparatus, capable of monitoring, predicting and flagging behavior at an unprecedented scale. Executive orders signed by President Donald Trump aim to remove remaining institutional and legal barriers to completing this massive surveillance system.

DOGE and the private sector

Central to this transformation is DOGE, which is tasked via an executive order to “promote inter-operability between agency networks and systems, ensure data integrity, and facilitate responsible data collection and synchronization.” An additional executive order calls for the federal government to eliminate its information silos. By building interoperable systems, DOGE can enable real-time, cross-agency access to sensitive information and create a centralized database on people within the U.S. These developments are framed as administrative streamlining but lay the groundwork for mass surveillance. Key to this data repurposing are public-private partnerships. The DHS and other agencies have turned to third-party contractors and data brokers to bypass direct restrictions. These intermediaries also consolidate data from social media, utility companies, supermarkets and many other sources, enabling enforcement agencies to construct detailed digital profiles of people without explicit consent or judicial oversight. Palantir, a private data firm and prominent federal contractor, supplies investigative platforms to agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Defense, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Internal Revenue Service. These platforms aggregate data from various sources – driver’s license photos, social services, financial information, educational data – and present it in centralized dashboards designed for predictive policing and algorithmic profiling. These tools extend government reach in ways that challenge existing norms of privacy and consent.

The role of AI

Artificial intelligence has further accelerated this shift. Predictive algorithms now scan vast amounts of data to generate risk scores, detect anomalies and flag potential threats. These systems ingest data from school enrollment records, housing applications, utility usage and even social media, all made available through contracts with data brokers and tech companies. Because these systems rely on machine learning, their inner workings are often proprietary, unexplainable and beyond meaningful public accountability.
Data privacy researcher Justin Sherman explains the astonishing amount of information data brokers have about you.
Sometimes the results are inaccurate, generated by AI hallucinations – responses AI systems produce that sound convincing but are incorrect, made up or irrelevant. Minor data discrepancies can lead to major consequences: job loss, denial of benefits and wrongful targeting in law enforcement operations. Once flagged, individuals rarely have a clear pathway to contest the system’s conclusions.

Digital profiling

Participation in civic life, applying for a loan, seeking disaster relief and requesting student aid now contribute to a person’s digital footprint. Government entities could later interpret that data in ways that allow them to deny access to assistance. Data collected under the banner of care could be mined for evidence to justify placing someone under surveillance. And with growing dependence on private contractors, the boundaries between public governance and corporate surveillance continue to erode. Artificial intelligence, facial recognition systems and predictive profiling systems lack oversight. They also disproportionately affect low-income individuals, immigrants and people of color, who are more frequently flagged as risks. Initially built for benefits verification or crisis response, these data systems now feed into broader surveillance networks. The implications are profound. What began as a system targeting noncitizens and fraud suspects could easily be generalized to everyone in the country.

Eyes on everyone

This is not merely a question of data privacy. It is a broader transformation in the logic of governance. Systems once designed for administration have become tools for tracking and predicting people’s behavior. In this new paradigm, oversight is sparse and accountability is minimal. AI allows for the interpretation of behavioral patterns at scale without direct interrogation or verification. Inferences replace facts. Correlations replace testimony. The risk extends to everyone. While these technologies are often first deployed at the margins of society – against migrants, welfare recipients or those deemed “high risk” – there’s little to limit their scope. As the infrastructure expands, so does its reach into the lives of all citizens. With every form submitted, interaction logged and device used, a digital profile deepens, often out of sight. The infrastructure for pervasive surveillance is in place. What remains uncertain is how far it will be allowed to go. Nicole M. Bennett, Ph.D. Candidate in Geography and Assistant Director at the Center for Refugee Studies, Indiana University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Author


Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Continue Reading

News

Exciting News: LAX Metro Transit Center Opening June 6

Published

on

LAX Metro Transit Center
Image By Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

LAX Metro Transit Center

Get ready, Los Angeles! The new LAX Metro Transit Center is set to open on June 6, bringing a transformative travel experience right to the heart of the city. Designed for seamless access to LAX, this facility is poised to simplify your journey whether you’re heading downtown or jetting off across the globe.

Welcome to the new LAX/Metro Transit Center (opens 6.6.25)

The LAX Metro Transit Center is a game changer for urban transit. With convenient access to the K and C Metro Rail lines, it features a massive 16-bay bus plaza, a secure bike hub for cycling enthusiasts, a dedicated customer service center, and a host of other fantastic amenities.

Looking ahead, the planned connection to Los Angeles World Airport’s Automated People Mover will elevate this station to a new level of convenience, offering travelers and airport employees an effortless link to LAX.

The Metro Transit Center is not just about getting to the airport; it’s about enhancing connectivity throughout Los Angeles. With direct access to the K and C rail lines and multiple bus routes, travelers will find it easier than ever to reach their destinations. Visitors can explore the vibrant cityscape, while Angelenos gain a powerful new hub for daily commutes to work, school, and beyond.

The opening of the LAX Metro Transit Center represents a significant milestone in public transportation within Los Angeles, promoting a seamless and efficient travel experience for everyone. Don’t miss out—mark your calendars for June 6 and prepare for a new era of connectivity! Safe travels!

Related links:

https://www.metro.net/metrotransitcenter/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAX/Metro_Transit_Center_station

Advertisement
image 101376000 12222003

STM Daily News is a multifaceted podcast that explores a wide range of topics, from life and consumer issues to the latest in food and beverage trends. Our discussions dive into the realms of science, covering everything from space and Earth to nature, artificial intelligence, and astronomy. We also celebrate the amateur sports scene, highlighting local athletes and events, including our special segment on senior Pickleball, where we report on the latest happenings in this exciting community. With our diverse content, STM Daily News aims to inform, entertain, and engage listeners, providing a comprehensive look at the issues that matter most in our daily lives. https://stories-this-moment.castos.com/

https://stmdailynews.com/the-line-light-rail-extension-from-azusa-to-pomona-a-significant-milestone-for-public-transportation/

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose by highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate diverse perspectives and participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge


Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Continue Reading

Trending