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https://en.hawzahnews.com/xbJjg
US Roe v Wade debate brings up age-old Islamophobic tropes
Experts say the invocation of terms like 'sharia law' is part of a history of denigrating Muslims to outsource American problems.
Hawzah News Agency – On Monday, an initial draft opinion leaked by Politico suggested that the US Supreme Court could soon overturn the decades-old Roe v Wade ruling, a move that would have a monumental impact on reproductive rights in the US.
What followed was a slew of outrage on social media, news articles, and opinion pieces. But within that backlash, a repetitive, racist and Islamophobic trope reemerged.
In castigating the Supreme Court justices who wrote the draft ruling, many equated the potential impact with being placed under "sharia law" or under the rule of the "American Taliban".
In other words, the decision to ban abortions, a cause championed by Christian conservatives and fundamentalists in the US, was equivalent to living under an "extremist" Muslim government.
The comparison was met with immediate condemnation by many Muslim Americans as well as academics. They argued that this was just another example of Muslims being used as a scapegoat to demonise Muslims and when discussing structural issues in the US.
"This is a form of Islamophobia because you don't need to be bringing us into this right now, but you are choosing to in order to underscore how awful and messed up [the draft decision] is," Muna Saleh, an assistant professor at the Concordia University of Edmonton, who has studied Islamophobia, told Middle East Eye.
"It reinscribes Islamophobist ideas and notions and stereotypes. What it does is that it positions Muslims and our belief systems and our traditions as inherently the opposite of what 'civilised' means."
Roe v Wade is a 1973 decision by the Supreme Court which determined that the right to an abortion is protected under the US constitution.
According to the 98-page draft obtained by Politico, Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the document, wrote that "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," before stating that the decision on whether or not to ban abortion should be obtained by individual states.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted late last month, 54 percent of Americans think the Supreme Court should uphold the ruling, compared with 28 percent who said it should be overturned.
This isn't the first time these comparisons have been made. Just last September, headlines across American newspapers read "Texas Taliban" when the state introduced a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Even some Muslim pundits in the US have invoked Muslim terminology to describe the problems of Christian fundamentalism, working to erase decades of attempts from Muslim leaders, scholars and activists to reclaim those terms falsely equated with extremism in the post-9/11 era.
"It's just ridiculous to position Sharia in the conversation because it's literally a framework for how we live, not a 'law'. It makes Muslims and our ways of thinking, being, and understanding the world akin to the boogeyman," Saleh said.
Externalising America's internal problems
Abortion is an issue that is met with a spectrum of opinion in Islamic law, with different schools of thought offering different rulings. Judgements are also often decided situationally, with the mental and physical well-being of the mother being taken into consideration.
As Islam's myriad of views do not fall in line with the binary in US politics, experts say the use of the religion in the American debate shows how Muslims are continually seen as backwards and regressive.
"The Muslim piece is just a convenient scapegoat. It really represents the idea that, how can the United States ever have a regressive policy? We can only find that rooted in other religions and cultures and obviously Islam and Muslims are convenient when it comes to these issues," Maha Hilal, a researcher and writer on institutionalised Islamophobia, told MEE.
"They're basically saying we want to remind you that Muslims are regressive and oppressive and backwards, and we're not going to accept or take accountability or responsibility for the problems we have.
"To me, it represents a fundamental inability to comprehend that the United States is a regressive country on its own, and it does not need comparisons for that to be the conclusion."
Nazia Kazi, an associate professor at Stockton University who has written extensively on Islamophobia and race in the US, said that comparing the leaked draft of the Roe v Wade decision to something that is equal to being in a "repressive" Muslim country ultimately "reflects this assumption that Muslim women are uniquely oppressed and that American or western women are remarkably liberated".
"From both the American common sense public imagination, right on up to the seats of power, there's this impulse to externalise that which actually is endemic to the US itself," she told MEE.
The malleability of anti-Muslim racism
The experts said the comparisons are also an offshoot and adaptation of the more clear-cut racism and Islamophobia that existed after the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent "war on terror".
Then, the terminology "creeping sharia" was put forward for the purpose of fearmongering and generating hatred towards Muslims in the US and other western countries.
Now, as the US government has shifted the narrative of its "war on terror" framework to combat white nationalist extremism domestically, the large-scale campaign to root out the perceived notion of "Muslim extremism" appears to have come to an end.
But Saleh said this isn't the case, claiming that racism towards Muslims has shifted forms, while maintaining the idea that Islam is at odds with western values.
"Racism is very adaptable and malleable. And it shows up in these different ways. So right now it's not going to show up by saying I hate Muslims or I don't like Muslims, especially for liberals," said Saleh.
"It's gonna show up through the signposts that are much harder to decipher for a lot of people, and much harder to recognise."
Kazi added that the shift away from the two-decade-long global war on terror "does not mean a rolling back of the racial politics that were ushered in by the war on terror, specifically Islamophobic racial politics. Those are alive and well.
"They are part of the American racial vocabulary at this time."
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Institutionalised Islamophobia


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Photorientalist
A website dedicated to exhibiting 19th and 20th century photographs of the Middle East and North Africa
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Operation Blue Bat: The 1958 U.S. Invasion of Lebanon
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Egypt's Stella Beer: Celebrating 120 Years (1897 – 2017)
Homs: A Hidden Treasure Now in Ruins
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Palestine's Nativity Trail: A Journey Through History
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Remembering the Jewish Festival of Light in Egypt
December 6, 2018 by Norbert Schiller	1 Comment
The Jewish Festival of Light reminds me of one of the last significant gathering of Jews in Egypt, which took place nearly two decades ago during a Hanukkah celebration at Ben Ezra synagogue in Old Cairo. Jewish guests from different parts of the world, along with foreign residents of Egypt from the Jewish faith, joined the handful of Egyptian Jews for the occasion. For the locals, the festivities were a throwback to happier times when the Egyptian Jewish community was thriving and numbered in the tens of thousands. Until the creation of Israel in 1948, Egypt's Jewish community was roughly 75,000. That number had already dropped from a high of 100,000 at the beginning century due to nationalist fervor against British occupation, which created some apprehension among the Jewish and European residents of Egypt. From the 1920s onwards there was a slow but constant stream of Egyptian Jews leaving the country. The second blow to Egypt's Jewish community happened right after [Read more...]
Lebanon's Grand Hotel Sofar Given New Life On Canvas
September 27, 2018 by Guest Author	1 Comment
By Zina Hemady Art and photo exhibits are taking Beirut and, more recently, other areas of Lebanon by storm. As the country regains its pre-war status as a cultural hub, much attention has been focused on preserving Lebanese heritage with the term spanning over several fields including architecture, art, photography, music, oral history, theater, literature and food. The latest such initiative is an exhibit by British artist and conservationist Tom Young featuring the Grand Hotel Casino Sofar, once considered an architectural wonder before it was ravaged by the country's 1975-1990 civil war. Built in 1892 in the mountain resort of Sofar located on the Beirut-Damascus road, the hotel acquired a reputation as a summer escape for the social elite but also as a playground where the who's who of Lebanese society rubbed shoulders with royalty, diplomats, and entertainers with whom they spend the evenings playing poker, singing, and dancing. It was occupied by Syrian troops when [Read more...]
UAE Gives 50.4 Million Dollars to Restore Al Nuri Mosque
April 25, 2018 by Norbert Schiller	Leave a Comment
The United Arab Emirates is contributing 50.4 million dollars to UNESCO for the rebuilding of al Nuri mosque in Mosul, Iraq. The Islamic State (ISIS) destroyed the mosque intentionally in 2017 as Iraqi troops were in the final stages of liberating the country's third largest city. Ironically, it was from the pulpit of this same mosque that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi had announced in 2015 the formation of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The 800-year old mosque, with its iconic leaning minaret, was one of Mosul's most recognizable landmarks affectionately called al Haba or "the Hunchback." Pictures of the minaret were found on postcards and are featured on Iraq's 10,000-dinar bank note. The mosque is named after Nur al Din Mahmoud al Zangi, a leader who was instrumental in uniting Moslems in what is now Syria and Iraq to join forces in defeating the Crusaders in the 12th century. Nur al Din used the spoils he reaped during wartime to build madrassas or religious schools and [Read more...]
Donkey Soldiers: The Unsung Heros
March 22, 2018 by Norbert Schiller	Leave a Comment
Donkeys and mules have had a long and distinguished career in modern military warfare. During the two world wars, they played a key role in transporting supplies over rugged mountains and jungle terrain inaccessible to motorized vehicles. The practice was extended to the colonial and Cold War eras where the animals were used by British troops stationed in Egypt and Palestine and American soldiers during their short-lived invasion of Lebanon in 1958. During the World War I Battle of Gallipoli, a medic from New Zealand named James Gardiner Jackson took a photograph of a fellow countryman transporting a wounded soldier to a field hospital on donkey back. The photograph became immortalized when artist Horace Moore-Jones, another New Zealander who also fought in Gallipoli, drew a number of paintings based on that image. It turned out that the stretcher-bearer, Dick Henderson, had used his donkey to save many other wounded soldiers. Today the paintings hang in war memorials and museums in [Read more...]
Balfour Declaration Centenary
October 31, 2017 by Guest Author	1 Comment
by Dr. Nagia Abdelmoghney Said The second of November 2017 marks the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, which promised Jews a homeland in Palestine, based on the premise that the rights of the pre-existing, non-Jewish population would not be prejudiced. Yet, the Balfour Declaration signaled the start of a process that has rendered Palestinians stateless, living under occupation in their own land, in refugee camps, or scattered throughout the world. Britain's collusion with the so-called Zionists has contributed to this unforgivable human tragedy of the Palestinian Diaspora. According to Samih K. Farsoun, an AU Professor Emeritus of Sociology: "Palestine was dismembered as a patrimony and destroyed as a society, and most of its Arab people dispossessed and dispersed into a modem diaspora." To commemorate this occasion, several events are scheduled in London, one of which is organized by the "Balfour Project Trustees." Titled "Britain's Broken Promise, Time for a New Approach," [Read more...]
Early 20th Century Views of Deir ez Zor
September 7, 2017 by Norbert Schiller	Leave a Comment
Deir ez Zor is a city in eastern Syria on the banks of the Euphrates, which dates back to the third century BCE. Recently, it has earned a reputation as a civil war battlefront between the Syrian Army, the rebels, and ISIS. However, before it was sucked into Syria's bloody events, Deir ez Zor, or the Monastery of the Grove, had a prosperous and, at times, turbulent record. In its early history, the city was ruled by the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Persians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. Throughout the Roman period, Deir Ez Zor flourished as a trading hub. However, during the third century CE, when civil wars wreaked havoc throughout the Roman Empire, Queen Zenobia of Palmyra conquered Deir ez Zor and made it part of her kingdom. After Zenobia was defeated and captured by Roman Emperor Aurelian in 271, Deir ez Zor changed hands numerous times until it was completely destroyed in the thirteenth century during the Mongols invasions.Present day Deir ez Zor was re-established on the [Read more...]
A Tribute to Raqqa
September 2, 2017 by Norbert Schiller	1 Comment
When the civil war erupted in 2011, Syria was still far from being a major tourist destination and only a few of its cities resonated with the outside world. Those include Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, and to a lesser extent Homs which are known for either their souks, citadels, gigantic water wheels, quaint neighborhoods, or a combination of any of these features. Raqqa, on the other hand, was not among Syria's illustrious cities. It wasn't until January 2014, when the terror group ISIS took control of Raqqa, that it became recognized, but only to be associated with terrible oppression and suffering. However, the city has a history that dates back to antiquity and it has had its golden years as well as dark periods since those days. Raqqa, Syria's sixth largest city, is located in an oil-rich province which bares the same name on the northern banks of the Euphrates River, about 160 kilometers east of Aleppo. Before the war broke out, Syria had been experiencing a tourism revival and [Read more...]
July 29, 2017 by Norbert Schiller	Leave a Comment
Beer was first brewed by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia and the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt nearly 6,000 years ago. Sumerian beer was a porridge-like concoction that had to be sipped with a straw to avoid consuming the floating bits of grain. In fact, it is believed that the Sumerians invented the straw for the very purpose of drinking this dense beer. On the other hand, the beer produced in ancient Egypt was far more refined, lighter in color, smoother, and closer to what we drink today. Modern brewing began at the end of the nineteenth century when foreign entrepreneurs had a vision to make Egypt a beer producing country once again. On Stella's 120th anniversary, let's celebrate the Pharaohs for introducing fine lager to the world. On May 15 1897, Belgian investors opened Crown Brewery, Egypt's first brewery, in the Ibrahimieh district of Alexandria. Up until then Egypt's growing expatriate community had depended on imported beer, most notably Guinness, Tennent's, and Becks to quench [Read more...]
Mystery Shack on the Jordan River
November 4, 2016 by Norbert Schiller	1 Comment
I recently read In the Steps of the Master (1936), one of travel writer H.V. Morton's books on the Holy Land. In the passage where he describes his visit to the baptism site on the Jordan River, Morton mentions a strange wooden shack built up on stilts alongside the riverbank. When Morton spotted the structure, he wandered around the property trying to determine the purpose for the shack. The writer then discovered an inscription above the bar revealing the proprietor as "Mr. N. Stomation" whom he finds sitting in a chair, completely oblivious to Morton's presence on his property. Morton's description of his discovery is detailed in his book as follows: "I was not prepared for the strange sight at the end of the road. On the river bank is an old café, or rest-house, mounted on stilts. The roof is made of Jordan reeds, and everything about it suggests that at any moment the narrow, inoffensive river might overflow and drive the few inhabitants to their boats. Under this frail [Read more...]
Posted in: Uncategorized	Tagged: Baptism site, Jordan River, Mystery Shack
Egyptian Women Enter the Arena: First Steps into a Male-Dominated World
In 1919, Hoda Shaarawi, one of Egypt's most recognized feminists, was at the forefront of a movement that would lead to women's emancipation. Feminism had been slowing growing since the late nineteenth century, but women activists made their first public appearance when they joined the male-dominated Nationalist movement in Egypt's fight for independence against British rule. Photographs from this period show veiled women with raised fists parading in the streets of Cairo with placards condemning the foreign occupation. In 1922, after her husband's death, Shaarawi challenged the system yet again by removing her veil in public. This defiant act gave birth to a new era where women began to stand up for their rights, including the right to compete in sports. This collection of photographs features a sporting competition in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, which included swimming and running events for women and men. What makes this contest unique is that it is one of the [Read more...]
Abdul Hamid II Collection, Library of Congress
Afghan Box Camera Project
Arab Image Foundation
Art of the Photogravure
Cairo's recollections, Samir Raafat
Egyptian Mirage
E.W. Blatchford Collection, American University of Beirut
K&J Jacobson, 19th Century Photography
l'Egypte d'Antan
Luminous-Lint
Matson (G. Eric and Edith) Photograph Collection, Library of Congress
Middle East Centre Archive, St. Anthony's College
Rare books and Special Collection Digital Library, The American University in Cairo
Orientalist Photography
The Oriental Institute, The University of Chicago
Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA)
Middle East Photograph Preservation Initiative
One Man's Treasure
Basic Principles of Archiving Photographs and Documents
Rare Book Photography and Introduction, Yale University
Yankee: Last Boat to Sail 1000 Mile Up the Nile
Chateau Ksara: Jesuit Winemakers of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley
Norbert Schiller
nschiller@photorientalist.org
Copyright © 2020 Photorientalist.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Today kicks off side dish week in the first round of RWOP Season Two and I have to say, I'm never without heavy contemplation with side dishes. When I'm cooking, I always try to include a starch and a vegetable in my side dishes; even if it means doing two separate sides. Well, this one takes the worry off of both subjects! These little lettuce cups are filled with whole-wheat cous cous, golden raisins, cilantro and ginger. They're packed with lots of exotic flavors and beautiful colors. Enjoy!


Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault Operations Manager Julie Fakler stopped by KDHL to give us details about their annual "Holly Days Sale." The sale kicked off last night with a "Grand Opening" at the Paradise. Local artists provide pieces of art with some of the proceeds used as a fundraiser for the Paradise. The complete details are included from the Paradise website www.paradisecenterforthearts.org.
We all have people on our holiday shopping lists that seem to have everything they need or want. The Holly Days sale is the answer for those people. What a wonderful way to find that one-of a kind gift for someone special! A portion of the sales will help fund continuing programs and education at the Paradise Center for the Arts.
Also on AM Minnesota local artist Carmen Tripp reminded us the Winter Farmer's Market is back at the Paradise beginning tomorrow. Hours each Saturday from tomorrow through December 22nd are 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with approximately 20 vendors. Tomorrow fresh salmon is being sold and they will only be at three of the events.


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Game thread: Maryland men's basketball at Iowa
Chat with other Maryland fans as the Terps look for their second straight win.
By Testudo Times Staff Jan 15, 2023, 4:00pm EST
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Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Maryland men's basketball (10-5, 2-3 Big Ten) is looking to pick up its second straight win, but it won't be easy against Iowa (11-6, 3-3) on the road. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Terps are 5.5-point underdogs.
Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Maryland men's basketball at Iowa preview
How to watch Maryland men's basketball at Iowa
Testudo Times Podcast: Maryland men's basketball's roller coaster season
Takeaways from Maryland men's basketball's much-needed win over No. 24 Ohio State
Maryland men's basketball gets back on track with 80-73 win over No. 24 Ohio State
Ian Martinez didn't just take the long route from Costa Rica to Maryland — he blazed the trail


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HiBit Uninstaller is a free software to uninstall any Programs & Windows Store apps on your Windows PC. It also offers other related like an advanced browser extension manager, junk cleaner, registry cleaner, process and startup manager, context menu manager, etc.
HiBit Uninstaller helps remove stubborn and leftover programs while scanning your system for the same. It also offers an option to batch uninstall program which will allow users to uninstall multiple programs in a single go. The program is touted to be safe against registry changes and will not adversely affect the operating system.
Well, the installation process has been a complete breeze. All you need to do is run the .exe file, and the program will automatically set itself up. In the next step, HiBit Uninstaller segregates the app according to the install date, size, and comments. Users can also sort out the programs according to their preference. Click on the app name to get more details like the version, install location, registry entry and the official website.
The options get activates once you right-click and open the context menu. HiBit Uninstaller also offers a special force mode to uninstall stubborn programs. Thankfully, the Uninstaller also cleans up the traces of the programs from user files and also registry keys. When one right clicks on the program they can find the following options, Uninstall, Force Removal, Delete Entries, Sorting options, Open Registry Key, Installation Folder, Program Website, Find in Google and Report.
The uninstall option will simply remove the program while the Delete Entries option will delete the respective entries from the registry. If you want to double check the registry key, you can always choose the "Open Registry Key." In order to view the content of the program one can use the "Installation Folder" option. Sometimes it makes sense to trace the origin of the program and in such cases the Program Website and the Find in Google and Report options will come in handy.
That apart, I personally like using HiBit Uninstaller for managing the Windows Store apps. The native Control Panel has very less to offer and using a third party uninstaller software makes sense. With the HiBit Uninstaller, you can not only delete the programs to increase the free space but also delete empty folders and broken shortcuts. Moreover, the program also gives you an option to manage startup entries, services, drivers, scheduled tasks and also Start Menu entries.
Whenever we uninstall certain programs, it is quite possible that the Registry entries will not get deleted. In due course of time, this registry entries will bloat and not only slow down the machine but are likely to cause security concerns. HiBit Uninstaller comes with a Registry Cleaner program, one that cleans up all the Windows registry and deletes the unwanted entries. The Cleaner will also help you repair the Registry in case something goes wrong.
We are well aware of how temporary or junk files clog up our machine in due course of time. Most of the software/tools that we use on Windows 10 leave behind tiny traces of junk or temporary files. All the browsers not only store your browsing history but also store other advanced data in the form of forms and cookies. If not cleared in a timely fashion these files will haunt you to no end, and in some extreme case, you may have to format the PC. Thankfully the HiBit Uninstaller comes with a pretty efficient Junk cleaner that deletes Windows System Cache, Font Cache, Temporary files and also Thumbnail cache.
The HiBit Uninstaller also comes with a Context Menu Manager. The Context Menu is generally referred to the list of items displayed on the right click of the mouse. With the Context Menu manager, you can create context menu items for any program or files.
HiBit Uninstaller is pretty comprehensive in nature. The tool also offers a Startup Manager that lets you boost the Windows boot process. A number of startup programs make the system sluggish, and it is always advisable to keep only the essential programs to run on Startup. With this feature, you can select the programs that are required to be run on Windows 10 startup.
I have used a handful of uninstaller programs before, and I must agree that HiBit is a winner in its own rights. The freeware manages to strike the perfect balance between the features and ease of use. In other words, I find the HiBit Uninstaller to be perfect for use by an individual. Also worth mentioning is that the program didn't break any registry entries while cleaning the same. As of now, the HiBit Uninstaller has taken the place of the Windows Control Panel. You can download it from its homepage.
There are other free uninstallers for Windows, that you may want to take a look at.


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YMCA welcomes new board members at 129th annual meeting
NASHUA – Nearly 80 members of the community joined the YMCA of Greater Nashua for its 129th annual meeting last month.
YMCA CEO Mike LaChance inducted John Callahan, of Hollis, into the agency's Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for those who have dedicated their time and talent to fulfilling the mission of the YMCA.
Several volunteers were also honored, including Anna O'Herren, Diane Loudenback and Christian Anderson. Several new members were elected to the YMCA's Board of Directors.
Rich Hillman, product manager at Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics; Deane Navaroli, principal at Harrington and Reeves; Gloria Sevitella, regional vice president at Farley White Management Co.; and Kyle Schneck, vice president of commercial lending at Merrimack County Savings Bank, were elected to three-year terms.
Lydia Foley, owner of Purple Finch Properties; Steven King, Health Plan CEO of United Healthcare; and Joseph Thomas, retired CEO of Macom Technology Solutions, were re-elected to three-year terms, as well.
– Telegraph staff
NAMI chapter names new deputy director
CONCORD – A longtime fixture in Nashua's mental health center was named the new deputy director to NAMI New Hampshire.
The state chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill announced Susan L. Stearns has assumed the new title and role of deputy director. She will oversee the agency's development efforts and assist with internal operations, as well as represent the organization in a variety of leadership roles throughout the state.
"This is a natural progression for us as an organization, and Susan brings a unique skill set to the position both as a family member and advocate," Ken Norton, NAMI NH's executive director, said in a statement. "Susan has worked extensively in the area of improving supports and transitions for people with mental illness who are justice-involved, and she is widely respected by our extended NAMI NH family and key stakeholders."
Stearns has served as the agency's director of philanthropy since 2013. She previously served as director of development for Greater Nashua Mental Health Center at Community Council and director of proposal development at Harbor Homes.
Local nonprofits
receive grants
NASHUA – Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation announced last week the Nashua Center and the Southern New Hampshire Rescue Mission in Nashua were awarded $500 each from the foundation's Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program.
Two employees from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and its affiliate, Health Plans, nominated the organizations for the awards. Funds will be used by the Nashua Center to support its adult day services program and by the rescue mission to support the addition of an intern to its staff.
Harvard Pilgrim and the foundation created the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program to commemorate Harvard Pilgrim members who died Sept. 11, 2001. The program allows each Harvard Pilgrim employee to award a $500 grant, completely funded by the foundation, to the local charity of his or her choice each calendar year.
Since the program began in 2002, Harvard Pilgrim employees have directed more than $4.6 million to thousands of organizations throughout New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts.
In 2015, more than 95 percent of Harvard Pilgrim employees participated in at least one form of service or giving through volunteering, the Mini-Grants program or Harvard Pilgrim's annual Employee Fundraising Campaign.


''My friend and I organized a bake sale during Diwali to raise money for non paying surgeries at LVPEI. Neha was the baking expert and I was the manager. It was a lot of hard work but when we came to the hospital and met the people in the Institute's rehabilitation centre, we realized everything was worth the time and effort. We are planning on doing some more bake sales in future. We experienced happiness in giving, and hope others can too."
Before the surgery Gouri Behera, 32, from Dhenkana District, Odisha, was born with limited vision in only one eye. Even that deteriorated over time, and her eye ball gradually shrunk. When she came to LVPEI Bhubaneswar, she had no vision at all. Dr Vivek Warkad and Dr Suryasnata Rath performed a series of surgeries comprising 'hangback extraocular muscle recession' and 'fixation of the globe to the bony wall'.
The team successfully managed to restore not only her vision, but also the shape of her eyeball, thus improving the overall cosmic appeal of her face. It is indeed a life changing experience for Gouri who is now able to see the world, and live a life of dignity and hope for a better future.
Ravula Munaiah, 52, used to earn his living by repairing recorders and radios, until his vision began dwindling. Being single and handicapped by polio, he became completely dependent on his relatives. An LVPEI Vision Guardian referred him to Secondary care Swarna Bharat Eye Centre in Nellore where he was subsequently operated for cataract in both his eyes. Extremely happy with the vision outcome, he actively participated in the community screening program organized by the LVPEI team in his village, and personally counseled those who were advised surgeries. Encouraged by his advocacy, many from his village visited the centre for follow-up treatment. "I can once again see everything and that is a very big thing for me," says Munaiah.


Don't ask me for beauty advice.
In our fast paced, convenience heavy world, everything is single use and disposable. Which means nothing lasts or is meant to last. And I abhor that.
The holidays are here. And I have to say, that even though I love giving gifts, I'm not usually one who enjoys shopping.
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Owl Creek Formation - massive, sandy, micaceous, fossilliferous, glauconitic marine clay, max 100 ft. McNairy Formation - unconsolidated sandstone with clay and gravel lenses, max of 250 ft.
Pliocene series - Mounds Gravel (Lafayette Formation) - ferruginous, chert gravel, max of 60 ft. Eocene series - Wilcox group - includes Holly Springs Formation - bedded sandstone, clay and gravel, max of 1200 ft.; Ackerman Formation - clay with lens of sand and gravel, max of 100ft. Paleocene series - Midway Group - includes Porters Creek Clay - bentonitic clay, max of 200 ft.; Clayton Formation - marl, fossiliferous, calcareous, limonitic, glauconitic sand and clay, max of 20 ft.
Kimmswick (Trenton) Limestone and Decorah Formation in southern and western Illinois.
Clayton and Porters Creek Formations; Claiborne and Wilcox Formations.


text:
The war in Ukraine doesn't need your 'likes'
By Christine Emba
Columnist|
AddFollow
March 2, 2022 at 2:37 p.m. EST
Ukrainian refugees stand outside a Temporary Reception Center in Korczowa, Poland, on March 2. (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Images)
Over the weekend, a 40-mile-long military convoy began advancing on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as part of a long-threatened invasion by Russia. Ukrainian diplomats and President Volodymyr Zelensky made impassioned pleas for help to the United Nations and the European Parliament, while refugees streamed over the border to neighboring Poland. Meanwhile, spectators online wondered who would play Zelensky in a Hollywood biopic.
Sign up for a weekly roundup of thought-provoking ideas and debatesArrowRight
The unseemly takes multiplied as the invasion continued. "Putin is Emperor Palpatine," a self-described "thought-leader" mused on Twitter; Ukraine and its American supporters are "the Rebel alliance." On Instagram, there were memes of former president Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin kissing. The observation "BREAKING: every woman in your life now has at least a small crush on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it" garnered more than 20,000 retweets.
Apparently, people find it impossible to take things seriously even when the times demand it.
The offenders aren't just clout-grasping influencers and social media obsessives. Public officials have rashly entered the chat: Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex.) wants Russians kicked off the International Space Station. A former JAG and two-time Democratic congressional candidate advocates dropping bombs on Putin in a preemptive strike. Armchair warriors in the media have joined the fray, hypothesizing no-fly zones and weaponry outfits as if the Russian invasion of Ukraine were a live-streamed game of Risk.
Follow Christine Emba's opinionsFollow
Meanwhile, the majority of Ukrainians I know are busy trying to organize money and aid, and mourning a loss of life, family and homeland that is already occurring and certain to get worse.
There is a growing tendency to view international conflicts either purely in terms of realpolitik — strategies and interests, bloodless and devoid of moral valence — or as an extension of fandom. While the former stance is more often adopted by the foreign policy establishment, the latter has become the public's standard. Who has the sexier leader, the better public image? Which side signals clearer alignment with one's favorite political cause? Which team resembles us the most?
With Ukraine, this tendency is perhaps understandable, if not admirable. In an increasingly complex world, the clarity of "good guy vs. bad" might make faraway events easier to digest. Rooting for the scrappy underdog has undeniable psychological appeal in a conflict that is wrenching to behold and seemingly out of our control.
And there is much to admire in the Ukrainian resistance: The determination of the country's citizens has inspired and heartened the world, especially after a dark and confusing few years. Zelensky has displayed the virtue of courage in its truest sense — well-considered bravery and perseverance despite fear. It's an example more people in politics ought to follow.
Yet we should also remember that world affairs don't unfold for our personal edification; their importance is not correlated with how well they accord with our psychological needs. The crisis in Ukraine is not a spontaneous event or a weekend influencer pop-up — it's the result of decades' worth of geopolitical strife. And in this conflict, contrary to our comfortingly predetermined story lines, there is no playbook showing that the underdogs will win.
It's easy enough to "pick a side" — and to some extent, this can be useful in rallying necessary support. But war isn't a lighthearted kickball match. Treating it as such eventually dehumanizes the very people we are trying to help. Ukraine's leaders, soldiers and civilians aren't video game characters or actors from our favorite Marvel films; they're real people, in a struggle that has and will continue to have human consequences and cost, long after our overheated attention has faded.
So what to do when cheering from the sidelines isn't useful? Donate to crisis funds. Reach out to lawmakers to increase protections for refugees — all of them, not only those from Ukraine. (The Syrian refugee crisis, too, has roots in Russian aggression; and let's not forget Afghanistan.) Pray, if that appeals.
Our habits of attention have been curdling for years. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter have "incentivized" content creation and "monetized" celebrity, and the wider you can broadcast your presence (the relevance of one's contributions being secondary), the greater your success. Cable news and other media organizations share blame in the problem: Over the past several decades, they have profited on the back of horse-race politics, covering winners and losers as though outcomes — which change real lives — are a betting sport.
This week, as Russian attacks intensify across Ukraine — as the refugee crisis becomes starkly visible and the violence more brutal — it's time to wake up to reality.
War is not a game.
Opinions on the war in Ukraine
Opinion|Putin has paved the way for Ukrainian membership in NATO
Opinion|Ukraine reveals the limits of the 'no limits' China-Russia friendship
Opinion|How to keep the West solid for Ukraine
The Post's View
Opinions from the Washington Post Editorial Board.
Opinion|On violent policing, we say 'never again' but we get 'once again'
Opinion|Russia outlaws an independent news outlet. Meduza cannot be silenced.
Opinion|The Purple Line is in the news again — for the usual reasons


text:
\section*{Broader impact}\label{sec:impact}

Our work assumes a simple and abstract model of repeated decision-making.
While the study of performativity in prediction may have wide social effects in general, we do not believe this paper will have direct ethical or social consequences.

\end{document}
\section{Proofs of main theorems}\label{sec:proofs}

We first state two key lemmas used in the proofs of~\Thm{iterative_risk_min} and \Thm{rrm_optimality}. Proofs are omitted. The proof of the first lemma uses the Kantorovich-Rubinstein duality of $\mathcal{W}_1$.

\begin{lemma}\label{lem:c4}
    Let $f:\mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}^n$ be $\beta$-Lipschitz, and let $X, X'$ be random variables.
    Then
    \begin{align*}
        \lVert \mathbb{E}[f(X)] - \mathbb{E}[f(X')]\rVert_2 \leq \beta \cdot \mathcal{W}_1(X,X').
    \end{align*}
\end{lemma}

\begin{lemma}[\cite{bubeck15}]
\label{lem:bubeck}
If $g$ is convex and $\Omega$ is a closed convex set on which $g$ is differentiable, and
	\begin{equation*}
	x_* \in \underset{x\in \Omega}{\mathrm{argmin}} \: g(x),
	\end{equation*}
	then:
	\begin{equation*}
	(y - x_*)^\top \nabla g(x_*) \geq 0, \quad \forall y \in \Omega.
	\end{equation*}
\end{lemma}

\subsection{Proof of \Thm{iterative_risk_min}}

	\begin{proof}[Proof of \Thm{iterative_risk_min}]
	    Note that if part (a) holds, then part (b) follows from the fact that the map $f$ is contractive with contraction coefficient $\frac{\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} \frac{\beta}{\gamma} < 1$. By the Banach fixed point theorem, $f$ has a unique fixed point. Suppose $(d^*, \theta^*)$ is the fixed point of $f$, so that $f(d^*, \theta^*) = (d^*, \theta^*)$. This point is also a stable point for it satisfies: $d^* = \mathtt{Tr}(d^*, \theta^*)$ and $\theta^* = G(\mathtt{Tr}(d^*, \theta^*)) = G(d^*)$.

	    We now show part (a). First we will simplify notation and let $G(d, \theta) := G(\mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta))$. By definition of $f$:
	    \begin{align*}
	        \mathrm{dist}(f(d, \theta), f(d', \theta')) &= \mathrm{dist}((\mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta), G(d, \theta)), (\mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta'), G(d', \theta'))) \\
	        &= \mathcal{W}_1(\mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta), \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')) + \lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2.
	    \end{align*}
	       The $\varepsilon$-joint sensitivity of the transition map yields:
    \begin{equation}
        \label{sensitivity}
         \mathcal{W}_1(\mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta), \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')) \leq \varepsilon \mathcal{W}_1(d, d') + \varepsilon \lVert \theta - \theta' \rVert_2.
    \end{equation}
	 We will show that:
	    \begin{equation}
	    \label{g_eps}
	        \lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2 \leq \varepsilon \frac{\beta}{\gamma}\mathcal{W}_1(d, d') +  \varepsilon \frac{\beta}{\gamma} \lVert \theta - \theta' \rVert_2.
	    \end{equation}
	    Combining equations \eqref{sensitivity} and \eqref{g_eps} will conclude the proof.

	    	We obtain \eqref{g_eps} from a slight modification of the proof of Theorem 3.5 of Perdomo et al. By \Lem{bubeck} we obtain:
	\begin{align*}
	&(G(d',\theta') - G(d, \theta))^\top  \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta)}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta)) \geq 0, \\
	&(G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta'))^\top  \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d', \theta')) \geq 0.
	\end{align*}
	Combine these two inequalities:
	\begin{equation*}
	(G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta'))^\top  \bigl( \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta)}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta))   -    \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d', \theta')) \bigr)  \leq 0.
	\end{equation*}
	Then add and subtract a term to obtain:
	\begin{equation}
	\label{eq:two_sum}
	\begin{aligned}
	&(G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta'))^\top  \bigl( \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta)}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta))   -    \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta)) \bigr) \\
	+ &(G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta'))^\top  \bigl( \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta))   -    \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d', \theta')) \bigr) \leq 0.
	\end{aligned}
	\end{equation}
	For the first term of the sum, note that the function $(G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta'))^\top \nabla_\theta \ell(z; G(d,\theta))$ is $(\lVert G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2\beta)$-Lipschitz in $z$. This follows from the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and the fact that the loss is $\beta$-smooth.
	We can thus bound the first term of \eqref{eq:two_sum} as:
	\begin{equation*}
	\begin{aligned}
	&(G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta'))^\top  \bigl( \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta)}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta))   -    \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta)) \bigr) \\
	\geq &  -\beta \lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2( \varepsilon\cdot \mathcal{W}_1(d, d') + \varepsilon \lVert \theta - \theta'\rVert_2 ),
	\end{aligned}
	\end{equation*}
	where we use the property that $\mathtt{Tr}(\cdot;\cdot)$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive together with \Lem{c4}.

	For the second term of the sum in  \eqref{eq:two_sum} we invoke the $\gamma$-convexity of the loss:
	\begin{align*}
	&(G(d,\theta) - G(d', \theta'))^\top  \bigl( \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d, \theta))   -    \underset{Z \sim \mathtt{Tr}(d', \theta')}{\mathbb{E}} \nabla_\theta \ell(Z; G(d', \theta')) \bigr) \\ \geq & \quad \gamma \lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2^2.
	\end{align*}
	Replace the last two inequalities into ~\eqref{eq:two_sum}:
	\begin{equation*}
	0 \geq -\beta \lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2( \varepsilon\cdot \mathcal{W}_1(d, d') + \varepsilon \lVert \theta - \theta'\rVert_2 ) + \gamma \lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2^2.
	\end{equation*}
	After canceling out $\lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\lVert_2$ and rearranging we conclude:
	\begin{equation*}
	\lVert G(d, \theta) - G(d', \theta')\rVert_2 \leq \varepsilon \frac{\beta}{\gamma} \lVert \theta - \theta' \rVert_2 + \varepsilon \frac{\beta}{\gamma}\mathcal{W}_1(d, d').
	\end{equation*}

	\end{proof}

\subsection{Proof of \Thm{rrm_optimality}}
The following lemma is used in the proof of \Thm{rrm_optimality}.
\begin{lemma}
\label{lem:sensitivity}
Suppose the map $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive with $\varepsilon < 1$. Then for any $\theta_1, \theta_2$ and their corresponding fixed point distributions $d_1, d_2$ it holds that:
\begin{equation*}
    \mathcal{W}_1(d_1, d_2) \leq \frac{\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} \lVert \theta_1 - \theta_2 \rVert_2.
\end{equation*}
\end{lemma}
\begin{proof}
Note that  $\mathcal{W}_1(d_1, d_2) = \mathcal{W}_1(\mathtt{Tr}(d_1, \theta_1), \mathtt{Tr}(d_2, \theta_2))$, from the definition of fixed point distributions. By the $\varepsilon$-joint sensitivity of the transition map:
\begin{equation*}
    \mathcal{W}_1(d_1, d_2) \leq \varepsilon \mathcal{W}_1(d_1, d_2) + \varepsilon \lVert \theta_1 - \theta_2 \rVert_2.
\end{equation*}
The statement follows from the equation above.
\end{proof}

\begin{proof}[Proof of \Thm{rrm_optimality}]
Let $\theta_\mathrm{PO}$ be an optimal classifier and let $d_\mathrm{PO}$ be its corresponding fixed point distribution. Let $\theta_\mathrm{PS}$ be a stable point, with corresponding fixed point distribution $d_\mathrm{PS}$. By the definitions of optimality and stability:
\begin{equation*}
   \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PO}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) \leq
   \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PS}) \leq
   \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) \:.
\end{equation*}
We first show that:
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:po_ps}
    \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) -  \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PS}) \geq \frac{\gamma}{2} \lVert \theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS} \rVert_2^2\:.
\end{equation}
By the strong convexity of the loss function we know that for all $z$:
\[
\ell(z;\theta_\mathrm{PO}) \geq \ell(z;\theta_\mathrm{PS}) + \nabla_\theta \ell(z;\theta_\mathrm{PS})^\top (\theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS}) + \frac{\gamma}{2}\lVert \theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS} \rVert_2^2\:.
\]
As a result:
\[
\underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \bigl[ \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) - \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PS}) \bigr] \geq \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \bigl[  \nabla_\theta \ell(z;\theta_\mathrm{PS})^\top (\theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS}) \bigr] + \frac{\gamma}{2}\lVert \theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS} \rVert_2^2\:.
\]
Since $\theta_\mathrm{PS}$ minimizes the value of $\ell$ over the distribution $d_\mathrm{PS}$, \Lem{bubeck} implies:
\[
\underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \bigl[  \nabla_\theta \ell(Z;\theta_\mathrm{PS})^\top (\theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS}) \bigr]  \geq 0.
\]
Therefore, \eqref{eq:po_ps} holds. On the other hand, since the loss is $L_z$-Lipschitz in $z$, and by \Lem{sensitivity}:
\[
\underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) -  \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PO}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) \leq L_z \mathcal{W}_1(d_\mathrm{PS}, d_\mathrm{PO}) \leq \frac{L_z\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon}\lVert \theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS} \rVert_2\:.
\]
If $\frac{\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} < \frac{\gamma \lVert \theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS} \rVert_2}{2L_z}$ then $\frac{L_z\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} \lVert \theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS} \rVert_2 \leq \frac{\gamma}{2}\lVert \theta_\mathrm{PO} - \theta_\mathrm{PS} \rVert_2^2$. This is a contradiction since we argued that:
\[
\underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) -  \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PO}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO}) \geq  \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PO})-   \underset{Z \sim d_\mathrm{PS}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta_\mathrm{PS}).
\]
\end{proof}

\end{document}
\section{Simulation details}\label{app:simulation}

We simulate a credit score system using the dataset \emph{GiveMeSomeCredit} \cite{givemesomecredit} from Kaggle. Before giving a loan to an applicant, a bank tries to predict whether the individual will experience financial distress in the next two years. Hence, from an individual point of view, a positive prediction is less preferable. The prediction is based on 11 biographic and financial history features included in the dataset.  There are 18,357 data points.
In the simulation, we assume that the world population is finite, consisting of exactly the individuals in the dataset.
The distribution is uniform over these individuals, who may change their features strategically, resulting in a new distribution.
The original dataset serves as both the initial distribution and the ``baseline'' distribution $d_{\mathrm{BL}}$, from which modifications are made.

The best response of an
individual $(x, y) \in d_{\mathrm{BL}}$ is
\[
x_{\mathrm{BR}}(\theta) \xleftarrow \arg\max_{x'} u(x', \theta) - c(x', x),
\]
where $u$ is the utility function and $c$ is the cost function. The family of classifiers $\Theta$ is logistic regression. We use
\[
u(x) = - \langle \theta, x \rangle,
\]
because a negative value for the utility translates into the more favorable negative prediction. We consider a quadratic cost for feature updates:
\[
c(x', x) = \frac{1}{2\varepsilon} \lVert x' - x \rVert^2_2.
\]
In our experiments, the main parameter we adjust is the sensitivity $\varepsilon$, which controls the strength of strategic response. Additionally, we assume that the individual can change only a subset $S$ of her features, which we call the strategic features.
Let $x^S$ be the restriction of $x$ to $S$. Solving the maximization problem of the individual leads to the to the response
\[
x^S_{\mathrm{BR}}(\theta) = x^S - \varepsilon \theta^S.
\]
The rest of the features remain unchanged. With that, we can define the strategic response function $\mathcal{D}(\theta)$ as
\[
\mathcal{D}(\theta) = \mathrm{Uniform}\left(\{(x_{\mathrm{BR}}(\theta), y) | (x, y) \in d_{\mathrm{BL}}\}\right).
\]

\end{document}

\section*{Acknowledgments}
The authors would like to thank Adam D. Smith for fruitful conversations and guidance, and Ran Canetti for helpful comments.

\section{Framework and main results}\label{sec:results}

In this section we formally state our main results and the relevant definitions.
We parameterize machine learning models by real-valued vectors $\theta \in \Theta$, where the classification space $\Theta$ is a closed, convex subset of $\mathbb{R}^d$. In round $t$, the institution chooses a classifier $\theta_t$.  The adversary responds with a distribution $d_t$ over instances $Z = (X,Y)$ of feature-label pairs. Let $\Delta(\mathcal{Z})$ denote the space of distributions. The adversary is restricted to pick its distribution according to a deterministic transition map:
\[
\mathtt{Tr}: \Theta \times \Delta(\mathcal{Z}) \rightarrow \Delta(\mathcal{Z}),
\]
so that $\mathtt{Tr}(d_{t-1}, \theta_t)  = d_t$.
We assume that an initial distribution $d_0$ is publicly known. From this online game view, the work of Perdomo et al.\ assumes a myopic adversary that \emph{only} sees the institution's most recent play. We remove that condition.

\begin{algorithm}
\caption{Performative prediction with state}
\begin{algorithmic}[1]
    \State initial distribution $d_0\in\Delta(\mathcal{Z})$  \Comment{Publicly known}
    \For{t = 1,2,\ldots}
        \State Institution plays $\theta_t\in\Theta$.
        \State Adversary computes $d_t=\mathtt{Tr}(d_{t-1};\theta_t)$.
            \Comment{$\mathtt{Tr}(;)$ function unknown to institution}
        \State Institution observes $d_t$, suffers loss $\mathbb{E}_{Z\sim d_t}[\ell(Z;\theta_t)]$.
    \EndFor
\end{algorithmic}
\end{algorithm}

\subsection{Repeated risk minimization and stable points}

Perdomo et al.\ propose the following strategy for the institution: at each round, play the classifier that minimizes loss on the previous distribution. We investigate the same strategy in our stateful framework.

\begin{defn}[Repeated risk minimization (RRM)] \label{defn:rrm}
	Denote by $G(d)$ the updated classifier\footnote{For the scenarios we consider, the set $\mathrm{argmin}_{\theta'}$ will be non-empty. When the set has more than one element, we choose a value for $G(d)$ from the set arbitrarily. }:
	\begin{equation*}
	G(d) := \underset{\theta'}{\mathrm{argmin}} \: \underset{Z \sim d}{\mathbb{E}}  \ell(Z; \theta').
	\end{equation*}
	Following the notation of Algorithm 1, at round $t$, the institution updates its classifier to $\theta_{t} = G(d_{t-1})$.
\end{defn}

We consider two sufficient conditions for the convergence of RRM in objective value: approaching a \emph{fixed point distribution} and approaching a classifier that is optimal for this distribution. %

\begin{defn}[Fixed point distribution]\label{def:fixed_point}
A distribution $d_\theta$ is a fixed point for $\theta$ if $\mathtt{Tr}(d_\theta, \theta) = d_\theta$.
\end{defn}

\begin{defn}[Stable points]
	 %
	 A distribution-classifier pair $(d_{\mathrm{PS}}, \theta_\mathrm{PS})$ is a performatively stable point if the following hold:
	 \begin{enumerate}
	     \item $\mathtt{Tr}(d_{\mathrm{PS}}, \theta_{\mathrm{PS}}) = d_{\mathrm{PS}}$, i.e. $d_\mathrm{PS}$ is a fixed point distribution for $\theta_\mathrm{PS}$.
	     \item $\theta_\mathrm{PS} = G(d_\mathrm{PS})$, i.e. $\theta_{\mathrm{PS}}$ minimizes the loss on $d_{\mathrm{PS}}$.
	 \end{enumerate}
\end{defn}

Once the game approaches the distribution $d_\mathrm{PS}$, the institution can repeatedly play $\theta_\mathrm{PS}$ with no need for retraining, while incurring the lowest possible loss on the distribution $d_\mathrm{PS}$. It is not obvious however that such stable points exist for every setting. Nevertheless, we shows sufficient conditions on the loss and transition function for RRM to converge to a stable point.

\begin{defn}[$\varepsilon$-joint sensitivity]

	The transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive if, for all $\theta, \theta' \in \Theta$ and $d, d' \in \Delta(\mathcal{Z})$,
	\begin{equation*}
	\mathcal{W}_1(\mathtt{Tr}(d; \theta), \mathtt{Tr}(d'; \theta')) \leq \varepsilon \lVert \theta - \theta'\rVert_2 + \varepsilon \mathcal{W}_1(d, d'),
	\end{equation*}
	where $\mathcal{W}_1$ denotes the Wasserstein-1 distance between distributions.
\end{defn}

\begin{defn}[Strong convexity] A loss function $\ell(z;\theta)$ is $\gamma$-strongly convex if, for all $\theta, \theta' \in \Theta$ and $z \in \mathcal{Z}$,
	\begin{equation*}
	\ell(z;\theta) \geq \ell(z;\theta') + \nabla_\theta \ell(z;\theta')^\top(\theta - \theta') + \frac{\gamma}{2} \lVert\theta - \theta'\rVert_2^2.
	\end{equation*}
\end{defn}

\begin{defn}[Smoothness]

	A loss function $\ell(z;\theta)$ is $\beta$-jointly smooth if the gradient with respect to $\theta$ is $\beta$-Lipschitz in $\theta$ and $z$:
	\begin{equation*}
	\lVert \nabla_\theta \ell(z;\theta) - \nabla_\theta \ell(z;\theta') \rVert_2 \leq \beta \lVert \theta - \theta' \rVert_2, \quad \lVert \nabla_\theta \ell(z;\theta) - \nabla_\theta \ell(z';\theta) \rVert_2 \leq \beta \lVert z - z'\rVert_2,
	\end{equation*}
	for all $\theta, \theta' \in \Theta$ and $z, z' \in \mathcal{Z}$.
\end{defn}

Finally, our theorems are clearer with additional notation wrapping the institution's and adversary's actions into one step.

\begin{defn}[RRM map]
    Define the RRM map $f \colon \Delta(\mathcal{Z}) \times \Theta \rightarrow \Delta(\mathcal{Z}) \times \Theta$ as:
\begin{equation*}
    \label{f_map}
    f(d, \theta) = (\mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta), G(\mathtt{Tr}(d, \theta))).
\end{equation*}
In our game, $f(d_{t-1}, \theta_t) = (d_t, G(d_t)) = (d_t, \theta_{t+1})$.
\end{defn}

We endow the space $ \Delta(\mathcal{Z}) \times \Theta$ with the product metric $\mathrm{dist}$, so that:
\begin{equation*}
    \mathrm{dist}((d, \theta), (d', \theta')) = \mathcal{W}_1(d, d') + \lVert \theta-\theta'\rVert_2.
\end{equation*}

The next example shows that, without the right interplay of the above parameters, there are settings for which RRM may not converge.

\begin{ex}[RRM may not converge]\label{ex:rrm_may_not_converge}
\emph{Suppose that the loss function is the squared loss $\ell(z; \theta) = (y - \theta)^2$ for $\theta \in [1, \infty)$. The loss function is $\beta$-jointly smooth and $\gamma$-strongly convex, with $\beta = \gamma = 2$. Consider the transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(d; \theta) = 1 + \varepsilon d + \varepsilon \theta$, which operates on point mass distributions $d \in [1, \infty)$ of the outcome $Y$. Clearly, the transition function $\mathtt{Tr}$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive. Finally, let some $d_0 \in [1, \infty)$ be the starting distribution of the game.}

\emph{When the institution uses RRM starting from $d_0$, we get that:}
\begin{align*}
    \theta_{t+1} &= G(d_t) = \underset{\theta}{\mathrm{argmin}} \: \underset{Z \sim d_t}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta) = d_t,\\
    d_{t+1} &= \mathtt{Tr}(d_t; \theta_{t+1}) = 1 + \varepsilon d_t + \varepsilon \theta_{t+1}.
\end{align*}
\emph{Consequently, $\theta_{t+2} = d_{t+1} = 1 + \varepsilon d_t + \varepsilon \theta_{t+1} = 1 + 2\varepsilon \theta_{t+1}.$}

\emph{The distance between two successive $\theta$s is $|\theta_{t+2} - \theta_{t+1}| = |(1+2\varepsilon\theta_{t+1}) - (1+2\varepsilon\theta_{t}|) = 2\varepsilon|\theta_{t+1} - \theta_{t}|$.}

\emph{If we only require $\varepsilon < \frac{\gamma}{\beta} = 1$, then whenever $\varepsilon > \frac{1}{2}$, the sequence of $\theta$s produced by RRM fails to converge. For $\frac{\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} < \frac{\beta}{\gamma}$, i.e. $\varepsilon < \frac{1}{2}$, the sequence converges.}
\end{ex}

Our main result is sufficient conditions for the convergence of RRM in the stateful framework.

\begin{thm}
	\label{thm:iterative_risk_min}
	Suppose the transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive with $\varepsilon < 1$, the loss function $\ell(z; \theta)$ is $\beta$-jointly smooth and $\gamma$-strongly convex. Then for the RRM map $f$ it holds that:
	\begin{enumerate}[(a)]
		\item  $\mathrm{dist}(f(d, \theta), f(d', \theta')) \leq \frac{\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} \frac{\beta}{\gamma} \lVert \theta - \theta' \rVert_2 + \frac{\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} \frac{\beta}{\gamma}\mathcal{W}_1(d, d')$.
		\item  In particular, if $\frac{\varepsilon}{1-\varepsilon} < \frac{\gamma}{\beta}$, then $f$ has a unique fixed point which is a stable point with respect to $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$. RRM will converge to this stable point at a linear rate.
	\end{enumerate}
\end{thm}

Our conditions for convergence of RRM are similar to, but stricter, than those of the setting of Perdomo et al. In particular, their results only require that $\varepsilon < \frac{\gamma}{\beta}$. \Ex{rrm_may_not_converge} shows that our stricter requirement is necessary.

\subsection{Performative optimality}

\Thm{iterative_risk_min} guarantees that RRM converges to an equilibrium,
but this stable point might not be optimal in a more global sense. In fact, it is not obvious how to define optimal strategies within our framework. Since the sequence of distributions played by the adversary depends on the initial distribution $d_0$, the best possible strategy for the learner might depend on $d_0$. This is further complicated by the fact that repeatedly playing the same fixed classifier might result in a distribution shift. Therefore, we restrict our attention to scenarios where the transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive with $\varepsilon < 1$. In that case, repeated application of the same classifier $\theta$ is guaranteed to converge to a fixed point distribution (\Def{fixed_point}).

\begin{claim}
\label{clm:banach}
If the transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive with $\varepsilon < 1$, then for each $\theta \in \Theta$, there exists a unique fixed point distribution $d_\theta$. For any starting distribution $d_0$, iterated application of the same classifier $\theta$, will result in a sequence of distributions that converges to $d_\theta$ at a linear rate.
\end{claim}

\Clm{banach} follows immediately from Banach's fixed point theorem.

Our definition of the optimal strategy considers the ``long-run'' loss of a fixed classifier. Assume the institution plays the same fixed classifier $\theta$ for all rounds of the game. We measure the long-run loss of $\theta$ as the loss on its corresponding fixed point distribution $d_\theta$. The optimal $\theta$ is the one which minimizes its long-run loss.

\begin{defn}[Performative optimality] The long-run loss of a classifier $\theta$ is the loss $\underset{Z \sim d_{\theta}}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z; \theta)$, where $d_\theta$ denotes the unique fixed point distribution for the classifier $\theta$.  A classifier $\theta_{\mathrm{PO}}$ is performatively optimal if achieves the minimum long-run loss amongst all classifiers in $\Theta$.
\end{defn}

If an institution had prior knowledge of the transition map, a reasonable strategy
would be to play the fixed classifier $\theta_\mathrm{PO}$ for all rounds of classification. We note that $\theta_{\mathrm{PO}}$ is undefined when no classifier has a fixed point distribution. However, it is guaranteed to exist when $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$ is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive with $\varepsilon < 1$.

Our definitions of stable and optimal points generalize those of Perdomo et al.\ for the stateless framework. As pointed out in Perdomo et al., for a given setting, the optimal classifier does not necessarily coincide with a stable point. Our next result shows that RRM approximately approaches optimal points.

\begin{thm}
    \label{thm:rrm_optimality}
    Suppose that the loss $\ell(z;\theta)$ is $L_z$-Lipschitz, $\gamma$-strongly convex, and that the transition map is $\varepsilon$-jointly sensitive with $\varepsilon < 1$. Then for every stable point $\theta_{\mathrm{PS}}$ and optimal point $\theta_{\mathrm{PO}}$:
    \begin{equation*}
        \lVert \theta_{\mathrm{PO}} - \theta_{\mathrm{PS}} \rVert_2 \leq \frac{2L_z\varepsilon}{\gamma(1-\varepsilon)}.
    \end{equation*}
\end{thm}

\end{document}
\section{Discussion}\label{sec:conclusion}

This work points out the important role that the long history of institutions making predictions on individuals plays in shaping the behavior of individuals. The addition of state to performativity opens up a new venue for discussing the social impact of machine learning based predictions. Examples include the structural changes that enable individuals to succeed under such modes of classification and the disparate impact of predictions on groups over time.

It remains open whether other algorithms studied in online learning can yield successful outcomes for the phenomenon of performativity. This work focused on the goal of convergence, but if convergence is not a priority for the institution, then it is interesting to study which measures of the learner's success best apply to the setting of performativity. Regret is widely studied in online learning, but lacks a clear interpretation in settings where the adversary can adapt to the player.  Empirically, studying other applications where performativity arises could provide important theoretical insight into this phenomenon.

\end{document}
\section{Simulation}\label{sec:simulation}

Strategic classification studies the behavior of individuals who wish to achieve a more preferable outcome from a classifier by manipulating their attributes without changing their true label \cite{hardt2016strategic}. It is one instantiation of performative prediction. We adapt a simulation of loan applications in Perdomo et al.\ and enrich it with state. We demonstrate the convergence of RRM for the scenarios of Geometric decay response (\Ex{GDR}) and $k$ Groups respond slowly (\Ex{kGRS}) in a credit score setting\footnote{Simulation code: \url{https://github.com/shlomihod/performative-prediction-stateful-world}}.

The baseline distribution of the population is determined by Kaggle's \emph{GiveMeSomeCredit} dataset \cite{givemesomecredit}. An individual's strategic response is based on cost and utility functions which take into account the published classifier and the feature state of the individual. The parameter $\varepsilon$ controls the strength of the strategic response; larger values allow greater manipulation. Refer to Appendix \ref{app:simulation} for a detailed description of the mechanics.

Figure \ref{fig:simulation} shows the game dynamics when an institution uses RRM in both scenarios. The two games converge to equilibrium much faster for lower values of $\varepsilon$. Interestingly, a periodic behavior surfaces for large values of $\varepsilon$, which is not the case in the stateless simulation of Perdomo et al.
This behavior shows that RRM is not well-suited to settings where state plays an important role and the population reacts in non-smooth ways. For such settings, other types of learning strategies might be more adequate.

\begin{figure}[htb]
\begin{subfigure}{0.5\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=0.9\linewidth, height=5cm]{figures/07-decay-theta-gap.png}
\caption{Geometric decay response with $\delta = 0.7$.}
\label{fig:delayed}
\end{subfigure}
\begin{subfigure}{0.5\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=0.9\linewidth, height=5cm]{figures/3-delayed-theta-gap.png}
\caption{Three groups respond slowly.}
\label{fig:decay}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{Convergence of repeated risk minimization for varying values of $\varepsilon$. The horizontal axis shows the number of iterations and the vertical axis shows the distance between successive $\theta$s.}
\label{fig:simulation}
\end{figure}

\end{document}
\section{Introduction}

Supervised learning is widely used to train classifiers that aid institutions in decision-making: will a loan applicant default? Will a user respond well to certain recommendations? Will a candidate perform well in this job?
Several studies and examples suggest that such predictions can influence the behavior of the target population that they try to predict \cite{camacho2011manipulation, o2016weapons, ribeiro2020auditing}.
Loan applicants strategically manipulate credit card usage to appear more creditworthy, job applicants tailor their resumes to resume-parsing algorithms, and user preferences on a platform shift as they interact with recommended items. It is an ongoing challenge to understand the influence of such predictions and design tools so as to control that influence. Specifically, this influence can manifest as a distribution shift in the target population, causing a loss in the prediction accuracy of the classifier with respect to the new distribution and creating the need for a new classifier.

In their recent paper ``Performative Prediction,'' Perdomo, Zrnic, Mendler-D{\"u}nner, and Hardt \cite{perdomo2020} term such predictions \emph{performative}. They establish a theoretical framework for analyzing performativity in supervised learning and propose \emph{repeated risk minimization} as a strategy that institutions can apply in hopes of converging to an equilibrium. They propose that the equilibrium should be a classifier that is optimal for the distribution it induces. Perdomo et al. model the response of the target population via
a deterministic function of the published classifier $\theta$. The distribution induced by a classifier $\theta$ is unaffected by previously-deployed classifiers.
However, in practice the environment may depend heavily on the history of classifiers deployed by an institution.

Consider the following example: individuals applying for loans manipulate their features to receive favorable results from a published classifier. The cost of this manipulation depends not only on the classifier, but also on the previous feature state of the individual. As the bank updates their criteria for creditworthiness, new features may become important.
Without recording the previous state, we cannot model the strategic behavior of individuals in the current state.

In addition, repeated classification can induce structural changes and affect individuals over generations. For example, learning to code is increasingly easy with courses that offer pay-when-employed programs, and efforts are underway to make programming qualifications more accessible for minority groups; such qualifications were harder to obtain ten years ago. These changes are not just the result of current policies, but also of the long history of classification. Finally, when a new classifier is published, different groups in the target population acquire information and adapt their behavior at different rates, so that repeated application of the same classification model may still result in a distribution shift.

\subsection{Our framework}

We cast the phenomenon of performativity in repeated decision-making as an online learning game \cite{shalev_schwartz}. This view differs slightly from that of Perdomo et al., and we find it captures well the dynamics of performativity and eases our discussion.
At round $t$, the learner/institution chooses a classifier $\theta_t$ to publish.
In response, the adversary/environment picks a distribution $d_t$ over labeled samples. The institution then suffers loss $\mathbb{E}_{Z\sim d_t}[\ell(Z;\theta_t)]$ for some fixed loss function $\ell$.
We ignore finite-sample issues and assume that the institution observes the distribution directly.

Standard online learning assumes that the adversary may be malicious and pick whichever distribution causes the greatest loss.
To model state and performativity, we propose a weaker adversary that responds according to a \textit{transition map} $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$, mapping classifier-distribution pairs to distributions.
The transition map is fixed but a priori unknown to the institution.
If the institution plays $\theta$ and the previous distribution played by the adversary was $d$, the adversary must respond with
\[d' = \mathtt{Tr}(d; \theta).
\]
We denote by $\theta_1, \theta_2, \dots$ the classifiers played by the institution, and by $d_1, d_2, \dots$ the distributions played by the adversary.

Our framework generalizes the framework of Perdomo et al., in which the transition map is independent of the distribution $d$ and depends only on the current classifier $\theta$. Our key conceptual contribution is incorporating the current state/distribution of the target population into their performative response via the two arguments of the transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(;)$. We call our framework \emph{stateful}, since it preserves information about the state of the world and the history of classifiers played by the institution. This is in contrast to the \emph{stateless} framework of Perdomo et al.

A particular phenomenon captured by our framework is that of individuals acting strategically but with outdated information. We formalize this behavior in the two examples below, which may be of independent interest for the study of performativity and group fairness. We also demonstrate these two examples empirically in \Sec{simulation}.

\begin{ex}[Geometric decay response]\label{ex:GDR}\emph{
    Assume there is a deterministic ``strategic response function'' $\mathcal{D}(\theta)$ unknown to the learner.
    The adversary plays a mixture over past responses.
    For $\delta \in [0,1]$, define
    \begin{align*}
        \mathtt{Tr}(d_{t-1}; \theta_t) = (1-\delta) d_{t-1} + \delta \cdot \mathcal{D}(\theta_t).
    \end{align*}
    The mixture coefficients in the current distribution decay geometrically across older responses.
    When $\delta=1$ this is the setting of Perdomo et al.}
\end{ex}

\begin{ex}[$k$ Groups respond slowly]\label{ex:kGRS} \emph{
    Assume again an unknown $\mathcal{D}(\theta)$.
    Suppose there are $k$ groups, where group $j \in [k]$ responds to the classifier from $j$ rounds ago.
    For distribution $d$, let $d^{|j}$ be the distribution conditioned on being in group $j$.
    Then in response to $\theta_t$, the individuals update:
    \begin{align*}
        d_{t}^{|1} = \mathcal{D}(\theta_t) \qquad \text{ and } \qquad
        \forall j > 1, d_{t}^{|j} = d_{t-1}^{|j+1}.
    \end{align*}
    This corresponds to a transition function between mixtures of distributions.
    It provides a simple model of distinct groups who receive information at different rates.
    When $k=1$ this is the setting of Perdomo et al.}

\end{ex}

\subsection{Our Results}

Our goal is to devise a strategy for the institution which converges towards an approximately-optimal distribution-classifier pair. Perdomo et al. propose the strategy of \emph{repeated risk minimization} (RRM) where, at every round, the institution chooses the classifier that minimizes loss on the last distribution played by the adversary:
\begin{equation*}
\theta_{t+1} =  \underset{\theta}{\mathrm{argmin}} \underset{Z \sim d_t}{\mathbb{E}} \ell(Z;\theta).
\label{update_of_theta}
\end{equation*}
It is a natural strategy and akin to many retraining heuristics used in practice to deal with different kinds of distribution shifts.
Perdomo et al.\ analyze RRM in the stateless framework and show that, under convexity and Lipschitz assumptions, it will converge to a near-optimal classifier.
It is unclear if RRM converges when the history of previous classifiers can influence the distribution.
For instance, it might demonstrate ``thrashing'' behavior.
We illustrate this in Example \ref{ex:rrm_may_not_converge}.

Nevertheless, we are able to provide conditions under which RRM will converge.
We add assumptions that control the extent of performative response allowed by the transition function.
Similarly to Perdomo et al., we impose a Lipschitz requirement on the transition map to ensure that small changes in the distribution or the classifier only yield small changes in the updated distribution.
When the Lipschitz constant is strictly less than 1, the transition map is contractive under repeated application of any classifier, and so the distribution converges to a fixed point.
The concept of a fixed point distribution for every classifier is a key aspect of our framework and results.
Intuitively, this models behavior where the environment will eventually settle on a response to the institution's %
classifier.

Our first result shows sufficient conditions for convergence of repeated risk minimization.
Convergence is to an equilibrium point: a fixed point distribution and a classifier that achieves minimum loss on this distribution.

\begin{thm}[Informal]
\label{thm:informal_1}
If the loss function $\ell(z;\theta)$ is smooth and strongly convex and the transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(d;\theta)$ is Lipschitz in both arguments, then repeated risk minimization converges to an equilibrium distribution-classifier pair.%
\end{thm}

Next, we formalize the notion of an \emph{optimal} strategy for a institution faced with the phenomenon of performativity. We show that repeated risk minimization also provides a means to approximate such optimal strategies.
\begin{thm}[Informal]
\label{thm:informal_2}
If the loss function $\ell(z;\theta)$ is Lipschitz and strongly convex and the transition map $\mathtt{Tr}(d;\theta)$ is Lipschitz in both arguments, all equilibrium points and optimal points lie within a small distance of each other.
\end{thm}

\Thm{informal_1} and \Thm{informal_2}, which we state formally in Section \ref{sec:results}, generalize results of Perdomo et al. for the stateless framework to our stateful framework. We include proofs in Appendix \ref{sec:proofs}.

\end{document}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin hopes next week's U.S.-Russia summit in Helsinki may pave the way for U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Moscow and for President Vladimir Putin to make an official visit to Washington, it said on Friday.
Neither side expects the one-day summit on Monday, the first between the two leaders, to yield major policy breakthroughs given the battered state of U.S.-Russia relations, which are languishing at their lowest ebb since the Cold War.
But the Kremlin, which has long pushed for such a meeting, hopes it will be the beginning of a thaw that will allow ties to be gradually rebuilt and for the two to cooperate pragmatically in areas where they have common interests.
"You never know but let's see, perhaps there will be a conversation about concrete visits to Moscow or to Washington," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Friday, calling the summit "the main event of the summer".
Ushakov said the summit, which will be held in Finland's presidential palace in central Helsinki, would begin with the two leaders holding one-to-one talks with only interpreters present.
Negotiations would then be widened to include members of both delegations, he said, adding that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold parallel talks in Helsinki with his U.S. counterpart, Mike Pompeo.
Western grievances over Russia's annexation of Crimea, its backing of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine and its support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad will hang over the event.
Other accusations, denied by Moscow, include that it meddled in U.S. and European politics, supplied the weapon that shot down a passenger plane in 2014 over Ukraine and tried to kill a former Russian spy in Britain this year with a nerve agent.
He said the Cold War had ended a long time ago, and that in some areas, such as international security, arms control, and fighting international terrorism, Russian and U.S. interests coincided.
Iran's presence in Syria would be discussed on Monday, he said. He added that Russia was also ready to look at any "facts" about alleged interference in U.S. politics, something Moscow has flatly denied.
One area where the two are at serious loggerheads is over plans for the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline which is set to increase Russian energy exports to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
Trump, speaking in Britain on Friday, called the pipeline "a horrible mistake" and told NATO leaders on Wednesday he thought Germany had become a "captive" of Russia due to its energy reliance.
Ushakov said the Kremlin was worried by U.S. opposition to the project and would argue its corner if the issue came up in Helsinki.
"The U.S. position strikes us as not constructive and in contradiction to the rules of international trade and economic relations," he said.


``There's much thunder about. But I doubt it will bring much rain,'' former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa said recently. It was his caustic initial reaction to word that the Warsaw government would hold a national referendum on economic reform (as well as a reaction to the energetic campaign to promote it).
Mr. Walesa's banned trade union, as he himself knows, can no longer bring people into the streets. But it still represents a valid element in Polish life.
To many Poles, Walesa's skepticism seemed justified. After all, the reform package just approved by Poland's Communist Party and parliament was scarcely new. Its basic ideas were those for which Solidarity, in its embryo stage, fought in 1980 and enshrined in its subsequent program.
Decentralization, a market economy, and a significantly expanded role for private enterprise were argued back and forth before martial law crushed Solidarity in December 1981.
Yet, in practice, there has been little to show for it, beyond the periodic increases in the prices of essential goods. Though such hikes are inevitable if Poland is to have a modern, market-based economy, the question still remains how to carry them out. Price hikes have been the hottest potato in Polish politics since the cycle of revolt they first sparked at Poznan in 1956.
Seven Poles in 10, according to recent official opinion surveys, identify economic reform simply with constantly mounting prices. Moreover, popular acceptance of reform as the inescapable way to economic recovery slipped from 80 percent in 1983 to below 60 percent this year.
It was against this background that Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, in a bid to end the deadlock, passed the buck to the people by putting his controversial program up to referendum. What he proposes is, on paper, undoubtedly radical - as radical as anything reformers have yet done anywhere in the communist bloc, Mikhail Gorbachev included. But the proof will lie in the pudding, and how far Mr. Gorbachev or the general can induce people to try it.
Politics by referendum is a novelty among communist states. For Poles, however, it is not the first.
Under the Yalta agreement, the Polish provisional government was required to hold elections ``as soon as possible'' after World War II. But these elections were delayed until January 1947, six months after the authorities staged a referendum that was skillfully weighted with the communists' program and that eliminated the Peasant Party, the communists' main opposition. Small wonder that Poles of that generation particularly, view this referendum with considerable skepticism, quite apart from the reform issue.
Political trimmings - big cuts in over-manned ministries and bureaucracy, for example - were added to the current referendum to soften further implicit hardships like price rises.
After his initial cynicism, Walesa said the union was drafting its own questions and was ready to discuss them with the authorities. ``We are not against reform,'' he said. ``But we have our own ideas of how it might be done, with minimal hardship for those most affected: the workers.'' His offer, however, went unheeded.
As it is, Poles must choose between ``yes'' to a shorter but sharper process involving the sharpest price rises yet, or to a longer-term, gradualist solution. The second might be less painful, but it would certainly delay - perhaps frustrate altogether - the present hoped for improvement by 1990.
Radical activists would have the half-open, half-clandestine Solidarity strike a more aggressive role. Some have urged a referendum boycott. Predictably, Walesa showed no enthusiasm for it.
The unions the government put in Solidarity's place count 7 million members. To a considerable extent, they have taken over Solidarity's role, especially on wages and prices. Their leaders reflect an obvious popular view for ``gradualist'' reform.
Walesa himself appears to see a new situation in which Solidarity can no longer hope to serve as the only ``opposition'' platform, but should instead become part of a spectrum of public opinion and a plurality of interests offering unified challenges to the government.
Back in 1980, when he signed the historic Gdansk agreement with the government, Walesa said: ``We have shown that Poles can come to agreement if they want to. The important thing is that we have understood each other.'' That seems apposite enough - and even more worth trying - in Poland's plight today.
One way or the other, the government will get its vote. But when the campaign ``thunder'' is over and the figures are toted up, General Jaruzelski is going to need a lot of ``rain'' in terms of public trust - including Solidarity's trust - before any reform is brought to harvest.


A variety of oleic acid discovered in saponified castor oil.
The acids separated from it are known by the names of margaric, stearic, and oleic acids.
The spirituous solution of pelargonic ether may also be profitably prepared from oleic acid, according to Gottlieb's method.
The fluid acid in its properties resembles the oleic acid discovered by Chevreul, and seems to dry easily.
The margaric and oleic acids seem to have the same neutralizing power, and the same atomic weight.


text:
Riverside + Votum @ The Robin, Bilston – Monday 7th April, 2014
Review by Paul Quinton
Polish progressive metal Riverside played what was, for me, the finest gig of 2013 at the Assembly in Leamington last March, and although it's usually a bit much to ask lightning to strike twice, especially in a different venue, it wasn't easy to resist the optimism that this might be another special evening.
Another Polish band VOTUM were tonight's support, a band that were almost completely new to most at the Robin, I suspect. They play a fairly individual style of prog metal, with some interesting Eastern European influences at times, particularly as the vocals sometimes reminded this listener of Serge Tankian. The main problem for the band were that these vocals were often mixed too low, which robbed them of some of their identity. However, there was plenty to like about Votum, some excellent riffing and some nicely fluid bass playing as part of a very capable rhythm section. The band appeared to have done some useful business at the Merch desk afterwards, suggesting that there were a lot of people who liked what they heard.
Although this was still part of the band's lengthy 'Shrine of New Generation Slaves' Tour, RIVERSIDE had revamped the set slightly from last year. 'Shrine' was obviously featured quite heavily, in fact the band opened with three songs from the album, opening with 'New Generation Slave' itself, and it was clear the band were on very good form, even after so much touring. It was noticeable too, that they'd brought their own sound man and sound desk, rather than rely on the Robin's own set-up. Whether this was a good thing or not is a matter of preference, for me the sound, while overall pretty good, was a little bass heavy, with Mariusz Duda's vocals often a shade too low in the mix. Having said that, it's Duda's bass that drives the band along much of the time, with the keyboards and guitars adding colour and shape to the framework, so perhaps a bass heavy sound is somewhat understandable in the context of the band..
As well as featuring the latest album, to vary things from previous tours, the band also looked further into their back catalogue by featuring the E.P.s they released in the early part of their career, in fact 'Goodbye Sweet Innocence', from the 'Memories In My Head' E.P., had apparently never been played live before this tour, and if most of the crowd weren't that familiar with this early material, they responded to it really positively, particularly the gothic romance of 'Acronym Love'. However the highlight of the main set was an utterly mesmerising 'We Got Used To Us', which was one of the best single live performances I've seen all year, absolutely outstanding. In fact the main set as a whole finished on a spectacularly high note, with 'Egoist Hedonist' fully involving the crowd, and an almost hypnotic 'Escalator Shrine' casting a spell over the Robin.
Naturally there were encores, a superb 'Celebrity Touch' giving way to 'Second Life Syndrome' to end a superb evening's music. In a number of ways, this wasn't quite the equal of that stupendous show in Leamington last year, where the stars aligned to produce what was quite close to the perfect gig. This time around, it may be that some unfamiliarity with the less well known songs caused the atmosphere to drop at times, and I'm not sure the band themselves were on quite the same imperious form as they were at the Assembly. Nevertheless, this was still one of the best shows I've seen this year, a superb band, playing some of the best progressive metal on offer to an appreciative crowd that gave a packed Robin a fine atmosphere. If and when Riverside return to the UK, they should not be missed.
Rich.Ward