Digital Commons Network^™

City Council Bill To Decrypt Police Radio Has A Surprising Winner — Citizen App, Mikella Schuetter, Kennedy Sessions, Marina Samuel

Capstones

After the NYPD encrypted police scanners in 2024, eliminating public access to police radio communications, the New York City Council passed a bill on Dec. 18 to restore limited access for journalists and the public. The move could benefit Citizen, a crime-alert app that has pushed for decryption while entering a “no cost” partnership with the city, even as former employees and advocates raise concerns about the app’s practices and growing role in New York City’s public safety.

More Nyc Households To Qualify For Energy Efficiency Upgrades Under Tweaked State Program, Elise Robley

Capstones

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's EmPower+ program aims to provide low- and moderate-income households with energy-efficient upgrades. These upgrades help lower people's energy costs, especially how much it costs to heat and cool their homes. Starting this year, more low-income households in New York City will be eligible to apply for the program's benefits. This piece looks at this history of the EmPower+ program, why it's so beneficial to low- and moderate-income New Yorkers, and the potential positive impact the program's tweaks could have on local communities of color that might be dealing with high energy …

An Integrated Multivariate Econometric Modeling Framework For Risky Driving Behavior Related Crashes: Evaluating Crash Risk And Severity Across Zones, Pabitra Kumar Roy

Dissertations and Theses

Rapid advancements in crash modeling have yet to fully integrate multiple behavior-driven crash types and their severity outcomes within a single, scalable framework, specially in a way that captures the sequential nature of these behaviors where one risky action may amplify another. This study proposed an integrated multivariate econometric framework to jointly model crash frequency and severity outcomes for three major behaviorally driven crash types: alcohol-related, distraction-related, and aggressive-driving-related crashes. Specifically, using Oregon's 2022 census block group-level crash data, we propose an Integrated Multivariate Negative Binomial – Generalized Ordered Probit Fractional Split (IMNB–GOPFS) model to analyze these dimensions simultaneously while …

Lessons Learned: Andreas Verykios And Kostas Tsatsaronis, Mercedes Cardona

Journal of Financial Crises

Andreas Verykios was appointed in 2018 to lead the board of directors of the General Council of the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF), an independent special purpose vehicle created to stabilize the Greek banking sector in the wake of the country’s debt crisis. The Greek economy was badly affected by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the Sovereign Debt Crisis, when the government was found to have underreported its fiscal deficits and public debt. This led to a downgrade and eventual default of its sovereign bonds, requiring assistance from the European Commission. From 2010 through 2018, the commission implemented three …

Lessons Learned: Paul Tucker, Salil Gupta

Journal of Financial Crises

After joining the Bank of England (BoE) in 1980, Sir Paul Tucker held a number of positions of increasing responsibility including serving as a member of several key committees. Tucker played a crucial role in the BoE’s response to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) as director for markets, through March 2009, then as deputy governor of the bank until November 2013. Post-crisis, he has been instrumental in constructing the international regulatory framework on financial stability. From 2016 to 2021, Tucker also chaired the Systemic Risk Council.

Currently, Tucker is a research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business …

Lessons Learned: Ewald Nowotny, Maryanne Chute Lynch, Rosalind Z. Wiggins

Journal of Financial Crises

Ewald Nowotny was appointed governor of the National Bank of Austria in September 2008 at the start of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), having previously served as a vice president of the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, the house bank of the European Union. Nowotny participated in the implementation of the multilateral stabilization framework known as the Vienna Initiative, which helped restore stability in the financial markets of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe during the GFC. Working with the Austrian Central Bank, the European Commission, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he steered the Austrian economy away from recession. During …

Lessons Learned: Pedro Machado, Mercedes Cardona

Journal of Financial Crises

Pedro Machado began his career as a legal adviser to the European Central Bank in the years leading up the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), then joined the Bank of Portugal (BOP) in 2006, where he has held several positions. He was chief of staff to Portugal’s minister of state and finance in 2011, during the European Sovereign Debt Crisis, when the government negotiated a bailout with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Union. He returned to the BOP, as deputy director of the prudential supervision department, while the program was being implemented. The EUR 78 billion bailout was largely …

Preparing Students For College And Careers: Recommendations For Scaling College And Career Pathways In Southwestern Illinois, Laura Monteagudo

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

Education Systems Center (EdSystems) at Northern Illinois University provided strategic counsel and support to Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) for a 12-month period to develop comprehensive college and career pathways. Our support included the development of a unified, regionwide college and career pathway system aligned with Illinois’ College and Career Pathway Endorsement framework, Perkins V, and the State of Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides.

Instead of each district building pathways independently, this regional approach brings together high schools, community college faculty, and local employers to create shared structures that reflect real workforce needs and rural access challenges.

In this report, …

The Other Side Of The Wall: A Study On The Impact Of Paternal Incarceration On African American Children, Chance M. Wideman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores the long-term psychological, relational, and systemic impacts of paternal incarceration on adult children. Guided by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Theory, Attachment Theory, and Family Process Theory, this study examines two research questions:

(1) What types of childhood trauma are associated with paternal incarceration?

(2) How does the childhood trauma associated with paternal incarceration impact one in adulthood?

The study draws on three in-depth narrative interviews with adults who experienced paternal incarceration in childhood. These interviews, framed as dialogic and reflexive spaces, illuminate the deep and layered consequences of incarceration across the lifespan.

Five central findings emerged: …

Book Review: Code Name Puritan: Norman Holmes Pearson At The Nexus Of Poetry, Espionage, And American Power, Wylie W. Johnson

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Greg Barnhisel

Reviewed by: Wylie W. Johnson

In this riveting biography, Greg Barnhisel uncovers the extraordinary life of Norman Holmes Pearson—a Yale professor, literary tastemaker, and covert intelligence officer. Seamlessly blending poetry, espionage, and Cold War politics, Code Name Puritan reveals how Pearson helped shape both American cultural identity and national security strategy. From championing modernist women poets to dismantling Nazi spy networks, Pearson’s story is a fascinating portrait of influence at the intersection of intellect and power.

©2025 Wylie W. Johnson

Taking Back The Trades: Southwestern Illinois Work-Based Learning Inventory Report, Alexia Santiago

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

In 2025, Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University (EdSystems) partnered with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), regional school districts, and industry partners to build a strong and comprehensive system of work-based learning opportunities for K-12 students that is aligned with Illinois statutes and frameworks. In this report, EdSystems identifies the existing regional events and activities that promote high-quality work-based learning for college and career pathways in the health sciences and manufacturing sectors.

Book Review: Pivotal Poland: Europe’S Rising Power, Magnus Petersson

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Janusz Bugajski

Reviewed by: Magnus Petersson, professor of international relations, Stockholm University

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has emerged as the strategic anchor of NATO’s eastern flank, reshaping the continent’s security landscape. Janusz Bugajski explores how Warsaw’s military modernization, economic resilience, and assertive diplomacy have positioned it as a rising power capable of countering Russian imperialism and leading regional defense efforts. This timely and incisive book reveals Poland’s transformation from a peripheral actor to a pivotal force in Europe’s evolving geopolitical order.

©2025 Magnus Petersson

Book Review: Men Of God, Men Of War: Military Chaplains As Ministers, Warriors, And Prisoners, Geoff Bailey

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Robert C. Doyle

Reviewed by: Chaplain (Colonel) Geoff Bailey, PhD, US Army War College chaplain and director of ethical development, Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, US Army War College

Robert C. Doyle offers a sweeping historical study of chaplains in American wars, revealing how faith and duty intersected on battlefields and in prison camps.

Book Review: Disputed Decisions Of World War Ii: Decision Science And Game Theory Perspectives, James Allen Knechtmann

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Mark Thompson

Reviewed by: James Allen Knechtmann, supervisory archivist, chief, Ridgway Library Branch, Army Heritage and Education Center, US Army War College

In this innovative analysis of World War II, Thompson applies decision science and game theory to reexamine some of the conflict’s most controversial strategic choices. By modeling the logic behind pivotal decisions, he challenges conventional narratives and reveals the complexity of wartime leadership. This book offers a fresh lens for historians, strategists, and analysts seeking deeper insight into the calculus of war.

The Equity Dead Zones: Legal Intersectionality Failure Points In Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Tearria N. Simmons

The Guardianship Journal

Legal intersectionality failure points describe the systemic fractures that occur where overlapping legal, social, and economic inequalities converge, potentially producing compounded barriers to relief. Each failure point marks a site of marginalization. In what ways do individuals already recognized as vulnerable in Chapter 13 bankruptcy face a heightened risk when multiple forms of disadvantage intersect? When these intersections combine in mutually reinforcing ways—racial, economic, and relational disparities colliding with structural deficiencies in family, property, and bankruptcy law—does it result in pronounced negative outcomes, and, if so, what are those outcomes? Within this convergence, could there be a space where compounded …

China’S Influence Over The Mining Industry In Africa, Safa M. Altamimi, Reda Amer

Undergraduate Research Symposium

How much influence does China have over the international supply of minerals from Africa? The purpose of this research is to study China’s involvement in Africa’s mining industry and analyze its impact on US economic interests. China has traded and invested in many mining sites across Africa; However, I will be focusing on DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe for my research. Using ArcGIS pro tools, I will create and analyze a map that contains information about mineral deposits and facilities.

Drones And The Changing Character Of War, Erik A. Davis

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Cheap drones have transformed the character of war by creating a “mass effect” that challenges traditional principles of force concentration. Unlike commentary focused on offense-defense debates or ethics, this article explains how Jevons’s Paradox, the Red Queen Effect, and models like Lanchester’s Laws and Hughes’s Salvo Equations underpin this shift. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, historical theory, and production trends, it explains why the production of cheap “precision mass” is expected to accelerate. For military and policy practitioners, the analysis offers urgent guidance for adapting tactics, procurement, and doctrine to a battlefield dominated by ubiquitous, low-cost drones—before adversaries exploit this …

Parameters Winter 2025-26, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Winter 2025–26 issue of Parameters. We open with an In Focus commentary: “Responsibly Pursuing Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) for the War Fighter” by A. Blair Wilcox and C. Anthony Pfaff. The issue also features two forums (Indo-Pacific Deterrence and Considerations for Modern Warfare) and the inaugural Strategic Competition Corner.

Security Implications Of The China-Russia-North Korea Triangle, Brian G. Carlson

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article analyzes the evolving strategic dynamics within the China-Russia-North Korea triangle and their implications for global security. It argues that while the strengthened Russia–North Korea relationship poses risks for China’s global strategy and its major economic partnerships, for now, China also derives some benefits from these close ties and considers the risks to be manageable. Drawing on recent diplomatic developments, military cooperation, and regional responses, the article offers a nuanced assessment of how this alignment affects European and Indo-Pacific theaters. The analysis provides US policymakers with insight into the risks of opportunistic aggression and the strategic calculations driving these …

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Invisible No More: National Solutions For Protecting Unaccompanied And Separated Migrant Children In Egypt, Enas Abdel Azim, Noran Khorsheed, Raghda Bahy Elessawy, Tharwat Abaza

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

Egypt has a strategic geographical position as a significant destination and transit country for unaccompanied and separated migrant children (UASC). With a substantial and rapidly increasing migrant population, exacerbated by recent regional influxes, the country’s public infrastructure and resources are experiencing considerable strain. While Egypt has demonstrated its commitment to child rights through the ratification of key international instruments like the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), UASC in the country nonetheless face complex protection challenges, including legal visibility concerns, risk for exploitation, and barriers …

Pedagogies Of Peace And Justice In Integrated Israeli-Palestinian Youth Programs, Tchelet L. Tutman, Aviv Cohen

Peace and Conflict Studies

This qualitative study investigates how pedagogical choices in Israeli-Palestinian peace education programs shape the enactment of educational aims related to citizenship, justice, and democratic engagement. Drawing on interviews, observations, and document analysis from four educational organizations working with Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel, the study explores how educators navigate core dilemmas including whether and how to address the conflict directly, contend with language asymmetries, respond to participant resistance, and facilitate dialogue during periods of political violence. The analysis develops four pedagogical models: Neither-Nor, Both-And, Encounter, and Conflict Without Meeting, which capture distinct strategies for balancing intergroup interaction with engagement …

Beyond Gun Control: How March For Our Lives Frames Gun Violence Prevention As Positive Peace, Ashley E. Nickels, Amanda D. Clark

Peace and Conflict Studies

March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a youth-led social movement that has redefined the framing of gun violence prevention, expanding it beyond policy-focused gun control efforts to a broader vision of positive peace. Rather than positioning gun violence solely as a matter of firearm regulation, MFOL constructs it as a structural justice issue, linking it to systemic inequities such as racial oppression, economic inequality, and political disenfranchisement. This study examines how MFOL’s movement framing reshapes understandings of gun violence prevention by emphasizing community transformation, intersectional justice, and collective safety. Drawing on framing theory, we analyze how MFOL presents gun violence …

Beyond Precedent: Sexual Violence As An Act Of Genocide In The International Criminal Tribunal For Rwanda, Ciara Kilroy

Peace and Conflict Studies

Wartime sexual violence (WSV) has been a characteristic of violent conflict throughout recorded history, yet has failed to illicit the same international attention and condemnation as other war crimes. WSV has also been a particularly pervasive method of destruction during genocide, in which women make up the majority of victims and are targeted for both their gender and group membership. However, sexual violence is not enumerated as a crime of genocide in the 1948 Genocide Convention. Despite its absence from the formal genocide convention, legal institutions have still attempted to hold perpetrators responsible for sexual violence during genocide. This paper …

Women As Strategic Partners In Peacebuilding And Social Cohesion In Rural- Based Mining Areas: The Case Of Wards 1 And 2 Insiza District, Matebeleland South In Zimbabwe, Dumisani Maqeda Ngwenya, Sikhathele Mathambo

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article discusses the efficacy of the “women as strategic partners in peacebuilding” program, under the broader overarching Building Resilience, Inclusiveness, Social Cohesion and Healing Project, which is a response to the gendered conflicts and violence caused by the presence of artisanal mining in two wards of Insiza District, Matebeleland South in Zimbabwe. The intervention was premised on strengthening women’s capacity to create safe platforms for inclusive dialogue, consensus-building and decision making to address conflicts and creating a conducive environment for collaboration and trust, to enhance social cohesion and build a more peaceful society. Peace committees (PCs) established by Emthonjeni …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: November 2025, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The November 2025 Employment Situation Report shows that U.S. employment changed little, while the overall unemployment rate held at 4.6 percent. Veteran unemployment rose from 2.6 percent in September to 3.4 percent in November, with Post‑9/11 veterans experiencing a sharper increase to 4.3 percent. Unemployment patterns varied widely across veteran age groups: rates spiked for ages 18–24 and 35–44, while veterans 45–54 and those 65+ saw declines. Female veteran unemployment fell significantly, while male veteran unemployment rose. Racial disparities persisted, with Black veteran unemployment rising and Hispanic veteran unemployment falling.

Addressing Challenges In Accessing Secondary And Tertiary Healthcare Services For Migrants And Refugees In Egypt, Noura Seada, Nehal El-Bakhshawangy, Heba Semary, Fatma Alzahraa Hassan, Ahmed Hammad

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

The growing number of vulnerable migrants and refugees worldwide presents a significant challenge to host countries, particularly in terms of accessing healthcare services. Egypt hosts over 9 million migrants and refugees, with 1.5 million in a vulnerable situation. Despite the country’s efforts in providing adequate healthcare to these vulnerable groups, some challenges persist. This paper addresses the barriers that vulnerable migrants and refugees face when seeking secondary and tertiary healthcare services in Egypt, analyzing the legal, economic, social, and health system factors that contribute to this problem.

In 2018, the Egyptian government began an ambitious journey to reform its healthcare …

Moving Toward Healthy Ageing: The Role Of Physical Activity In Cognitive Function And Self-Esteem Among Older Adults In Türkiye, Canan Birimoglu Okuyan, Müjde Kerkez

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between religious attitudes and breastfeeding attitudes and the effect of this relationship on breastfeeding practices.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 251 older adults. Data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Spearman’s correlation and chi-square tests were employed for statistical analysis.

Results: Physical activity levels were positively correlated with both cognitive function (r = 0.546, p < 0.001) and self-esteem (r = 0.168, p < 0.05). No significant association was observed between cognitive function and self-esteem. Physical inactivity, cognitive decline, and low self-esteem were more prevalent among women, participants with lower educational attainment, those with chronic diseases, and individuals engaged in polypharmacy.

Conclusions: The findings emphasize the importance of integrating physical activity promotion into national healthy ageing policies, particularly in Mediterranean contexts such …

Latino Economic Inequality In New York City: Income And Snap Recipiency, 2013–2023, Oswaldo A. Mena Aguilar

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

This Latino Data Project Report analyzes trends in the economic well-being of Latino households in New York City between 2013 and 2023, focusing on household income and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The findings reveal a paradoxical pattern: although median Latino household income increased over the decade, economic inequality within the Latino community widened substantially. Income gains were unevenly distributed, with higher-income households pulling further ahead while the lowest-income households experienced stagnation or decline. Over the same period, Latino households fell further behind all other racial and ethnic groups in the city. Additionally, Latinos consistently exhibited the …

Turning Language Into Insight: How Ai And Forensic Linguistic Analysis Are Transforming Investigations, Alan Saquella

Publications

Language is the fabric of human thought and communication, subtle, layered, and deeply revealing. When scrutinized, it can offer far more than simple testimony; it can hold the keys to motive, identity, intent, contradiction, and context. Traditionally, law enforcement has focused on fingerprints, DNA, surveillance, and physical evidence to solve crimes. Yet one of the most untapped wells of intelligence lies between the lines of written statements from suspects, witnesses, and victims. Now, with the advent of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and the sophisticated science of forensic linguistics, investigators have powerful new tools to mine language for insights that were …