Denying Pell Grants to Prisoners: Race, Class, and the Philosophy of Mass Incarceration

This paper asks whether prisoners should have access to Pell Grants, for which they are currently ineligible. In the first section, the author considers philosophical arguments relating to the present ban by examining traditional concerns of deterrence, rehabilitation, and retribution. The second section explores two arguments against a more inclusive Pell Grant policy. In the third section the author argues that restoring higher education grants to prisoners is compelling, especially when one considers issues of race and class. The paper concludes by using Erich Fromm’s social theory to call into question the justice, ethics, and rationality of those societies that normalize mass incarceration

Status of High Arctic Black-Legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) Colonies in Barrow Strait, Nunavut, Canada

We used aerial survey estimates, photographic censuses, and plot counts to examine trends in the size of five black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) colonies around Barrow Strait, eastern Nunavut, Canada, between 1972 and 2007. During these three decades, one small colony disappeared, two medium-sized colonies showed no overall trend, and one moderate and one large colony appeared to increase in size. Collectively, the number of kittiwakes breeding in this region may have increased by over 40%. Counts of kittiwakes at some colonies were markedly low in 2003, following two consecutive years of late, extensive sea ice, although overall there was no significant relationship between numbers of kittiwakes attending colonies and sea-ice extent in Barrow Strait and Lancaster Sound. It is not known why kittiwake colonies in High Arctic Canada have apparently increased while those in West Greenland and elsewhere have declined, or what factors influenced these changes.Entre 1972 et 2007, à l’aide d’estimations effectuées à partir de levés aériens, de recensements photographiques et de dénombrements, nous avons examiné les tendances caractérisant la taille de cinq colonies de mouettes tridactyles (Rissa tridactyla) dans les environs du détroit de Barrow, dans l’est du Nunavut, au Canada. Pendant ces trois décennies, une petite colonie a disparu, deux colonies de taille moyenne n’ont affiché aucune tendance générale, tandis que la taille d’une colonie de taille modérée ainsi que celle d’une colonie de grande taille ont semblé augmenter. Collectivement, le nombre de mouettes tridactyles se reproduisant dans cette région pourrait s’être accru de plus de 40 pour cent. En 2003, le nombre de mouettes tridactyles de certaines colonies était nettement bas, ce qui suivait deux années consécutives de glace de mer tardive et étendue bien que dans l’ensemble, il n’existait pas de relation importante entre le nombre de mouettes tridactyles faisant partie des colonies et l’étendue de la glace de mer dans le détroit de Barrow et le bras de mer de Lancaster. On ne sait pas pourquoi les colonies de mouettes tridactyles de l’Extrême-Arctique sembleraient avoir pris de l’ampleur, tandis que les colonies de l’ouest du Groenland et d’ailleurs se sont amincies. De plus, on ne connaît pas les facteurs qui ont influencé ces changements

Pulsar Wind Nebulae in EGRET Error Boxes

A remarkable number of pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) are coincident with EGRET gamma-ray sources. X-ray and radio imaging studies of unidentified EGRET sources have resulted in the discovery of at least 6 new pulsar wind nebulae (PWN). Stationary PWN (SPWN) appear to be associated with steady EGRET sources with hard spectra, typical for gamma-ray pulsars. Their toroidal morphologies can help determine the geometry of the pulsar which is useful for constraining models of pulsed gamma-ray emission. Rapidly moving PWN (RPWN) with more cometary morphologies seem to be associated with variable EGRET sources in regions where the ambient medium is dense compared to what is typical for the ISM.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the proceedings of "The Multiwavelength Approach to Unidentified Sources", ed. G. Romero & K.S. Chen

Local Ecological Knowledge of Ivory Gull Declines in Arctic Canada

We gathered local ecological knowledge (LEK) on the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) from residents of three High Arctic communities in eastern Canada. This gull has always been uncommon, but Inuit had suggested that numbers of gulls were declining. LEK from Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay was clear and consistent, indicating that far fewer gulls are currently observed near the community compared to 25 years ago. The LEK from Arctic Bay was less consistent, although in general, community members thought that the species was less commonly observed. Observations from nonsystematic surveys by local wildlife officers corroborated the LEK data, and an aerial survey of the known colony locations on the Brodeur Peninsula (near Arctic Bay) found only one gull. Collectively, this information suggests that ivory gull populations are declining across the species' Canadian range. Systematic surveys will be needed to confirm these perceived declines.On a recueilli du savoir écologique local (SEL) sur la mouette blanche (Pagophila eburnea) auprès de résidents de trois communautés de l'Extrême-Arctique situées dans l'est du Canada. Cette mouette a toujours été assez rare, mais, selon les Inuits, le nombre d'individus était en déclin. Le SEL de Grise Fiord et de Resolute Bay était clair et cohérent, révélant qu'actuellement, le nombre de mouettes observé près des communautés est bien plus faible qu'il y a 25 ans. Le SEL d'Arctic Bay était moins unanime, même si les membres de la communauté pensaient en général que l'espèce était aperçue moins fréquemment. Des observations tirées d'enquêtes non systématiques menées par les agents locaux de la faune corroboraient les données du SEL, et des relevés aériens des emplacements connus de colonies situées sur la presqu'île Brodeur (près d'Arctic Bay) n'ont repéré qu'une seule mouette. Ces renseignements conjugués suggèrent que la population de la mouette blanche est en baisse dans tout le territoire canadien de l'espèce. Des enquêtes systématiques seront nécessaires pour confirmer ce que l'on pense être un déclin

A Radio Pulsar/X-ray Binary Link

Radio pulsars with millisecond spin periods are thought to have been spun up by transfer of matter and angular momentum from a low-mass companion star during an X-ray-emitting phase. The spin periods of the neutron stars in several such low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) systems have been shown to be in the millisecond regime, but no radio pulsations have been detected. Here we report on detection and follow-up observations of a nearby radio millisecond pulsar (MSP) in a circular binary orbit with an optically identified companion star. Optical observations indicate that an accretion disk was present in this system within the last decade. Our optical data show no evidence that one exists today, suggesting that the radio MSP has turned on after a recent LMXB phase.Comment: published in Scienc