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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

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What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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25 Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement is needed in an essay or dissertation . There are multiple types of thesis statements – but generally we can divide them into expository and argumentative. An expository statement is a statement of fact (common in expository essays and process essays) while an argumentative statement is a statement of opinion (common in argumentative essays and dissertations). Below are examples of each.

Strong Thesis Statement Examples

1. School Uniforms

“Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate

Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons

2. Nature vs Nurture

“This essay will explore how both genetic inheritance and environmental factors equally contribute to shaping human behavior and personality.”

Best For: Compare and Contrast Essay

Read More: Nature vs Nurture Debate

3. American Dream

“The American Dream, a symbol of opportunity and success, is increasingly elusive in today’s socio-economic landscape, revealing deeper inequalities in society.”

Best For: Persuasive Essay

Read More: What is the American Dream?

4. Social Media

“Social media has revolutionized communication and societal interactions, but it also presents significant challenges related to privacy, mental health, and misinformation.”

Best For: Expository Essay

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Social Media

5. Globalization

“Globalization has created a world more interconnected than ever before, yet it also amplifies economic disparities and cultural homogenization.”

Read More: Globalization Pros and Cons

6. Urbanization

“Urbanization drives economic growth and social development, but it also poses unique challenges in sustainability and quality of life.”

Read More: Learn about Urbanization

7. Immigration

“Immigration enriches receiving countries culturally and economically, outweighing any perceived social or economic burdens.”

Read More: Immigration Pros and Cons

8. Cultural Identity

“In a globalized world, maintaining distinct cultural identities is crucial for preserving cultural diversity and fostering global understanding, despite the challenges of assimilation and homogenization.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay

Read More: Learn about Cultural Identity

9. Technology

“Medical technologies in care institutions in Toronto has increased subjcetive outcomes for patients with chronic pain.”

Best For: Research Paper

10. Capitalism vs Socialism

“The debate between capitalism and socialism centers on balancing economic freedom and inequality, each presenting distinct approaches to resource distribution and social welfare.”

11. Cultural Heritage

“The preservation of cultural heritage is essential, not only for cultural identity but also for educating future generations, outweighing the arguments for modernization and commercialization.”

12. Pseudoscience

“Pseudoscience, characterized by a lack of empirical support, continues to influence public perception and decision-making, often at the expense of scientific credibility.”

Read More: Examples of Pseudoscience

13. Free Will

“The concept of free will is largely an illusion, with human behavior and decisions predominantly determined by biological and environmental factors.”

Read More: Do we have Free Will?

14. Gender Roles

“Traditional gender roles are outdated and harmful, restricting individual freedoms and perpetuating gender inequalities in modern society.”

Read More: What are Traditional Gender Roles?

15. Work-Life Ballance

“The trend to online and distance work in the 2020s led to improved subjective feelings of work-life balance but simultaneously increased self-reported loneliness.”

Read More: Work-Life Balance Examples

16. Universal Healthcare

“Universal healthcare is a fundamental human right and the most effective system for ensuring health equity and societal well-being, outweighing concerns about government involvement and costs.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Universal Healthcare

17. Minimum Wage

“The implementation of a fair minimum wage is vital for reducing economic inequality, yet it is often contentious due to its potential impact on businesses and employment rates.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage

18. Homework

“The homework provided throughout this semester has enabled me to achieve greater self-reflection, identify gaps in my knowledge, and reinforce those gaps through spaced repetition.”

Best For: Reflective Essay

Read More: Reasons Homework Should be Banned

19. Charter Schools

“Charter schools offer alternatives to traditional public education, promising innovation and choice but also raising questions about accountability and educational equity.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Charter Schools

20. Effects of the Internet

“The Internet has drastically reshaped human communication, access to information, and societal dynamics, generally with a net positive effect on society.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of the Internet

21. Affirmative Action

“Affirmative action is essential for rectifying historical injustices and achieving true meritocracy in education and employment, contrary to claims of reverse discrimination.”

Best For: Essay

Read More: Affirmative Action Pros and Cons

22. Soft Skills

“Soft skills, such as communication and empathy, are increasingly recognized as essential for success in the modern workforce, and therefore should be a strong focus at school and university level.”

Read More: Soft Skills Examples

23. Moral Panic

“Moral panic, often fueled by media and cultural anxieties, can lead to exaggerated societal responses that sometimes overlook rational analysis and evidence.”

Read More: Moral Panic Examples

24. Freedom of the Press

“Freedom of the press is critical for democracy and informed citizenship, yet it faces challenges from censorship, media bias, and the proliferation of misinformation.”

Read More: Freedom of the Press Examples

25. Mass Media

“Mass media shapes public opinion and cultural norms, but its concentration of ownership and commercial interests raise concerns about bias and the quality of information.”

Best For: Critical Analysis

Read More: Mass Media Examples

Checklist: How to use your Thesis Statement

✅ Position: If your statement is for an argumentative or persuasive essay, or a dissertation, ensure it takes a clear stance on the topic. ✅ Specificity: It addresses a specific aspect of the topic, providing focus for the essay. ✅ Conciseness: Typically, a thesis statement is one to two sentences long. It should be concise, clear, and easily identifiable. ✅ Direction: The thesis statement guides the direction of the essay, providing a roadmap for the argument, narrative, or explanation. ✅ Evidence-based: While the thesis statement itself doesn’t include evidence, it sets up an argument that can be supported with evidence in the body of the essay. ✅ Placement: Generally, the thesis statement is placed at the end of the introduction of an essay.

Try These AI Prompts – Thesis Statement Generator!

One way to brainstorm thesis statements is to get AI to brainstorm some for you! Try this AI prompt:

💡 AI PROMPT FOR EXPOSITORY THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTUCTIONS]. I want you to create an expository thesis statement that doesn’t argue a position, but demonstrates depth of knowledge about the topic.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTRUCTIONS]. I want you to create an argumentative thesis statement that clearly takes a position on this issue.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR COMPARE AND CONTRAST THESIS STATEMENT I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that remain objective.

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Developing Strong Thesis Statements

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police release joint statement on HB4156

by KOKH STAFF

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police and Metro Law Enforcement Agency leaders released a statement on HB4156.

House Bill 4156 was introduced earlier in April by the Speaker of the House, Charles McCall, and President Pro Tem Greg Treat.

The bill would target illegal immigrants.

Below is the joint statement:

House Bill 4156 was recently signed into law by Governor Stitt with an effective date of July 1, 2024. Oklahoma law enforcement agencies are actively collaborating to ensure our response to this legislation is unified and our communities are informed about how it may impact them. While we acknowledge the importance of legislative efforts to enhance public safety, we have found that this law conflicts with many existing directives governing law enforcement practices throughout Oklahoma.

Law enforcement leaders from state organizations and municipalities were not substantively involved during the process of drafting and signing HB4156 into law. This bill places crime victims at risk by increasing the fear of reporting to law enforcement. Further, HB4156 brings forth legal challenges in fair and impartial policing and anti-racial profiling. These unintended consequences may deteriorate public trust in law enforcement in already vulnerable communities, ultimately resulting in increased public safety concerns.

We recognize the many immigrant communities within our state who are fearful and uncertain about their futures. This law has the potential to destroy the connections and relationships we have built within our local immigrant communities and set us back for many years to come. We are committed to maintaining trust and communication between law enforcement and all immigrant communities as we navigate the future.

It is imperative we work collaboratively towards solutions that prioritize public safety while upholding the rights of all members of our communities. We will continue to work with our respective legal advisors and community stakeholders to ensure our service is both lawful and consistent with community expectations that respect all those we serve.

A protest is scheduled to happen on Wednesday at the capitol over the bill.

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Prime Minister to call on university leaders to protect Jewish students

Vice Chancellors from some of the country’s leading universities will join forces with the government today (9 May) to discuss actions to address the rise in antisemitic abuse on campus and disruption to students’ learning.

• Vice Chancellors from some of the country’s leading universities will meet in No10 on Thursday to discuss efforts to tackle antisemitism on campus.
• £500,000 funding boost for the University Jewish Chaplaincy Service to provide welfare services to Jewish students.
• Meeting comes amidst violent protests on campuses in the USA and escalating antisemitic abuse towards Jewish students in the UK.

Vice Chancellors from some of the country’s leading universities will join forces with the government today (9 May) to discuss actions to address the rise in antisemitic abuse on campus and disruption to students’ learning.  

The Prime Minister, Education Secretary, Communities Secretary and Security Minister will call on university leaders to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic abuse is adopted on all campuses.  

The government has made clear that debate and the open exchange of views in universities is essential, but that this can never tip over into hate speech, harassment or incitement of violence.  

The meeting will also help to inform upcoming government guidance on combatting antisemitism on campus. Meanwhile, the Office for Students (OfS) has committed to publishing the response to its consultation on a new condition of registration, which could give OfS the power to impose sanctions where there is clear evidence that universities are failing to take sufficient or appropriate action to tackle harassment, including antisemitic abuse. 

In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced £7 million of extra support to tackle antisemitic abuse in educational settings. £500,000 of this will be dedicated to supporting the work of the University Jewish Chaplaincy, boosting support for Jewish students on campus. 

The University Jewish Chaplaincy helps students deal with incidents of antisemitism and intimidation and currently supports over 8,500 students at over 100 universities in 13 regions.

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:  

Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community.  A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse. That has to stop. 

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said: 

I have made it absolutely clear that universities must crack down on antisemitism and ensure that protests do not unduly disrupt university life. I am looking welcoming vice chancellors to No10 today to make sure together we have clear steps in place to protect Jewish students on campus.

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) have criticised the “toxic environment” faced by Jewish students across the country. According to the Communities Security Trust, there was an increase of 203% in university-related antisemitic incidents between 2022 and 2023.    

Ministers will make clear that universities must take immediate disciplinary action if any student is found to be inciting racial hatred or violence – and contact the police where they believe a criminal act has been committed.  

The Education Secretary wrote to Vice Chancellors on Sunday setting out government expectations in respect of the support being provided to Jewish students.  

Representatives from the Union of Jewish Students will also attend the roundtable to share their experiences and perspective.   

The PM and Education Secretary will invite Vice Chancellors to share best practice and lessons learned and seek views on how government can continue to support them in this area.

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United states sanctions senior leader of the lockbit ransomware group.

The United States reveals the identity of and imposes sanctions on Dmitry Khoroshev, a senior leader of the LockBit ransomware group 

WASHINGTON — Today, the United States designated Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, a Russian national and a leader of the Russia-based LockBit group, for his role in developing and distributing LockBit ransomware. This designation is the result of a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the Australian Federal Police, and other international partners. Concurrently, the Department of Justice is unsealing an indictment and the Department of State is announcing a reward offer for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Khoroshev. The United Kingdom and Australia are also announcing the designation of Khoroshev. 

“Today’s action reaffirms our commitment to dismantling the ransomware ecosystem and exposing those who seek to conduct these attacks against the United States, our critical infrastructure, and our citizens,” said   Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States, in close coordination with our British and Australian partners, will continue to hold accountable the individuals responsible for these disruptive and threatening activities.”

This designation follows several other recent U.S. Government actions against Russian cybercriminals involved in ransomware, including the  disruption of the LockBit ransomware infrastructure and  sanctions against LockBit group affiliates. Russia, where groups such as LockBit are free to launch ransomware attacks against the United States, and its allies and partners, continues to offer safe harbor for cybercriminals. The United States has previously stressed that Russia must take concrete steps to prevent cyber criminals from freely operating in its jurisdiction. Today’s actions reflect the commitment of the United States to a long-term, coordinated, and sustained approach to disrupt and degrade the ransomware ecosystem.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State (State) announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Russian national Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev’s arrest and/or conviction for participating in, conspiring to participate in or attempting to participate in, transnational organized crime. On February 20, 2024, the Department of State announced  reward offers (up to $10 million) seeking information leading to the identity and location of key leaders of the LockBit ransomware variant group as well as information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of members of the LockBit ransomware variant group (up to $5 million).   

LockBit: ONE OF the most prolific ransomware groupS in the world

The Russia-based LockBit ransomware group is one of the most active ransomware groups in the world and is best known for its ransomware variant of the same name. According to the Department of Justice, LockBit has targeted over 2,500 victims worldwide and is alleged to have received more than $500 million in ransom payments.   Since January 2020, affiliates using LockBit have attacked organizations across an array of critical infrastructure sectors, including financial services, education, emergency services, and healthcare. 

LockBit operates on a Ransomware-as-a-Service model, where the group licenses its ransomware software to affiliated cybercriminals in exchange for payment, including a percentage of the paid ransoms. A Ransomware-as-a-Service cybercrime group maintains the functionality of a particular ransomware variant, sells access to that ransomware variant to individuals or groups of operators (often referred to as “affiliates”), and supports affiliates’ deployment of ransomware in exchange for upfront payment, subscription fees, a portion of profits, or a combination of upfront payment, subscription fees, and a portion of profits. Additionally, LockBit is known for its double extortion tactics, where its cybercriminals exfiltrate large amounts of data from its victims before encrypting the victim’s computer systems and demanding ransom payments.

cybercriminal responsible for the lockbit ransomware variant Exposed 

OFAC is designating Khoroshev pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13694, as amended by E.O. 13757, for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, cyber-enabled activities described in subsection (a)(ii)(D) of section 1 of E.O. 13694, as amended.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS 

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of this individual that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the individual designated today may themselves be exposed to designation. 

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from its ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to  OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here . For detailed information on the process to submit a request for  removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here .

See  OFAC’s Updated Advisory on Potential Sanctions Risks for Facilitating Ransomware Payments   for information on the actions that OFAC would consider to be mitigating factors in any related enforcement action involving ransomware payments with a potential sanctions nexus. As laid out in the advisory, OFAC strongly encourages all ransomware victims to contact relevant government agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to report a ransomware attack. For information on complying with sanctions applicable to virtual currency, see  OFAC’s Sanctions Compliance Guidance for the Virtual Currency Industry. 

Further, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency in conjunction with other U.S. Departments and Agencies and foreign partners published two cybersecurity advisories, “ Understanding Ransomware Threat Actors: LockBit ” and “ LockBit 3.0 Ransomware Affiliates Exploit CVE 2023-4966 Citrix Bleed Vulnerability .” These advisories detail the threats posed by this group and provide recommendations to reduce the likelihood and impact of future ransomware incidents.

For more information on the individuals designated today, click here .

Miss USA's resignation letter accuses the organization of toxic work culture

The Miss USA who gave up her crown and title this week accused the pageant’s CEO of failing to take an incident of sexual harassment seriously and creating a toxic work environment, according to a copy of her resignation letter obtained Thursday by NBC News.

“There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that, at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment,” Noelia Voigt wrote in the letter. “This started soon after winning the title of Miss USA 2023.”

Voigt announced Monday on Instagram that she was relinquishing her crown, citing her mental health. Two days later, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, announced she was also stepping down in a statement that said her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”

Fans who were shocked by the unprecedented resignations noticed that the first letter in every sentence of Voigt’s online statement spelled out “ I am silenced .”

In her resignation letter, Voigt said that Miss USA CEO and President Laylah Rose consistently failed to communicate and that when she did, she was “often cold and unnecessarily aggressive.”

“It’s incredibly jarring to be trying to do my job and constantly be threatened with disciplinary action, including taking away my salary, for things that were never discussed with me and, if it related to a public-facing post for example, were causing no issue other than not meeting her personal preference,” Voigt wrote.

Representatives for the Miss USA organization did not immediately respond to request for comment Thursday evening.

Rose said in a statement Wednesday that “the well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority.”

“All along, my personal goal as the head of this organization has been to inspire women to always create new dreams, have the courage to explore it all, and continue to preserve integrity along the way. I hold myself to these same high standards and I take these allegations seriously,” she said.

Voigt included in her letter details about an alleged incident of sexual harassment at a Christmas event in Florida. She wrote that she was left alone in a car with a man who “made several inappropriate statements to me about his desire to enter into a relationship with me.”

Voigt said that when Rose was made aware of the situation, she told Voigt, “We cannot prevent people saying things to you at public appearances, it is, unfortunately, part of the role you’re in as a public figure.” 

Rose is also accused in the letter of badmouthing Voigt to others in the organization and painting her as “uninterested” in her job.

“I have heard that comments have ranged from her describing me as difficult to work with for various untrue reasons, to weaponizing my mental health struggles brought on by my experience as Miss USA 2023, calling me ‘mentally ill’ in a derogatory way, to expressing that she hoped I would get hit in the face by a baseball at an event where I would throw out the first pitch at a baseball game,” Voigt wrote in her letter.

Despite the environment, Voigt said, she was committed to the Miss USA brand, but her mental and physical health continued to erode.

“I am now diagnosed with Anxiety and have to take two medications daily to manage the symptoms due to consistently being on edge, worrying about what Laylah will pop up with and choose to harass me about daily,” the letter said.

She wrote that she had flare-ups of a pre-existing condition that is worsened by stress and that she is experiencing “heart palpitations, full body shakes, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, loss of sleep, loss of hair, and more.”

Voigt cited a toxic work environment at Miss USA that she said is unsafe for future Miss Universe Organization title holders.

“Every statement you have ever put out about MUO’s morals and integrity directly contradicts what is happening within the USA organization,” the letter said.

Claudia Michelle, a former social media manager who said she submitted her resignation last week, echoed similar sentiments about Miss USA management in an interview with NBC News on Thursday.

“Leaders in women’s empowerment organizations need to be held accountable,” Michelle said. “How do you not take the mental health of the face of your brand seriously?”

Michelle said she was aware that Voigt had raised concerns over her safety and traveling alone and that she began to travel more with Miss USA in March and April.

Michelle said that Rose was inconsistent with her communication and that the organization’s management was unprofessional.

Brittany Lane is a booker for NBC News.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Screen Rant

Authority leader jenny sparks returns in new series from top writer tom king.

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"That Woman Is Gone": Marvel Confirms Wolverine's Daughter Is Gone Forever

Batgirl's wicked new monster form suggests barbara gordon has a dark secret, black widow's nickname for wolverine proves they have 1 of marvel's strongest friendships.

• Jenny Sparks, the leader of the Authority, returns in a new miniseries by superstar writer Tom King.
• DC Black Label releases a mature readers-oreinted series where Sparks faces off with Captain Atom, who has gone rogue.
• Tom King, known for his exceptional storytelling, is the perfect writer to revive Jenny Sparks for a new era.

Warning: contains potential spoilers for Jenny Sparks #1!

Jenny Sparks, the leader of the Authority , will soon return in a brand-new miniseries by writer Tom King . The Authority, one of the most influential teams in comic history, will soon make their big-screen debut as part of James Gunn’s DCU. While fans wait, DC Black Label is releasing a six-issue miniseries that marks the return of Jenny Sparks–and she will be facing one of DC’s most powerful heroes.

DC Comics shared a first look at Jenny Sparks #1 on Popverse . The book, which will be written by King and drawn by Jeff Spokes, will see Jenny Sparks return to action, after many years away. In the Black Label series, aimed at mature readers, Captain Atom goes rogue and threatens to destroy Earth.

One of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, Captain Atom is virtually unstoppable –forcing Jenny Sparks out of retirement to put him down.

Jenny Sparks Was the Vanguard of a New Type of Superhero Comic

The authority changed the face of superhero comics.

In the late 1990s, Wildstorm, a former imprint of Image Comics, released cutting-edge superhero comics, such as Wildcats 2.0 and The Authority. The latter, growing out of the publisher’s Stormwatch book, was particularly noteworthy for helping usher in a new era of comics. The Authority, led by Jenny Sparks, was a team of heroes who answered to no one but themselves. The Authority would not only fight super-villains, they would also take on corrupt dictators and anyone else who got in the way. Later, the Authority was fully incorporated into the DC Universe during Flashpoint.

Jenny Sparks was created by Warren Ellis and Tom Raney

Since integrating the Wildstorm characters , DC has had mixed results with attempts to revive them. Recently, with 1990s comics nostalgia at an all-time high, DC has begun using the former Wildstorm characters more and more. Jenny Sparks’ comrades in the Authority, Midnighter and Apollo, have been making appearances across the DC Universe, and the WildCats have just finished up their most successful run since the late 1990s. With interest in the Wildstorm characters at an all-time high, now is the perfect opportunity to revive Jenny Sparks. Sparks was, in many ways, the catalyst for Wildstorm’s creative ascension.

Tom King is the Perfect Writer To Bring Jenny Sparks Back

Could the entire authority be far behind.

And there is no one better in the DC Universe to chronicle Jenny Sparks’ adventures than Tom King. One of DC’s top writers, King, has demonstrated through books such as Mister Miracle that he has a firm grasp on these characters, and knows what makes them tick. King can take a character’s history and wield it to create truly compelling stories, and there is no doubt he will work his magic on Jenny Sparks. The Authority is on their way to the big screen, and they may be heading back to the DC Universe as well.

Source: Popverse

Jenny Sparks #1 is on sale August 21 from DC Comics!

• The Authority

Spanberger Joins Occoquan Leaders to Celebrate $920,000 Community-Requested Investment Secured for Stormwater Management Upgrades

The Congresswoman Worked Directly with Town of Occoquan Officials to Repair Damage & Make Major Upgrades to Stormwater Management System

OCCOQUAN, Va. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today joined Town of Occoquan officials and community leaders to celebrate the federal funding successfully secured for local projects as part of a U.S. House and U.S. Senate-passed fiscal year (FY)2024 appropriations bill. The major investment in this community-requested project totals $920,000 that was signed into law and is now headed to the town.

Spanberger worked directly with town leaders to solicit this request, move this project forward, and ensure it was included in the final package. This investment will help make much-needed improvements to the Town of Occoquan’s aging stormwater management system.

“Even before working with local officials in Occoquan over the last year to secure this federal investment, I’ve heard from many leaders about the real need for serious upgrades to the town’s aging stormwater management system — and the role federal dollars would play in making these repairs a reality. When I became the congressional representative for Occoquan, Mayor Porta took me on a walking tour of the town, where I saw firsthand the stormwater management challenges that Occoquan routinely faces,” said Spanberger. “My office and I have been proud to turn these conversations into action by working directly with local leaders to secure this funding and help bring this project to life — and we are hopeful that the much-needed upgrades to the town’s aging stormwater management system made possible by this investment will promote the region’s continued economic growth into the future.”

“Sometimes there is no substitute for funding. Truth be told, it’s simple, matter-of-fact that the hammering that our stormwater management system has experienced over the past 50-plus years due to upland flooding has resulted in a need for remediation and improvement that frankly is just way beyond the town’s financial capabilities,” said Mayor Earnie Porta, JD, PhD, Town of Occoquan. “I’m pleased to say we’ve been exceptionally fortunate in that we have a friend and a supporter of our community in our congressional representative, Abigail Spanberger. Thanks to the efforts of the congresswoman and her staff, the town is now the recipient of almost a million dollars in funding that is going to enable us to do the remediation and improvements on our stormwater system that, again, we simply could not have done ourselves. As a result, this will improve dramatically not only the quality of life of the people of the town of Occoquan, but their physical safety and health as well.”

Spanberger secured $920,000 to allow the Town of Occoquan to upgrade its antiquated stormwater management facilities to prevent persistent flooding in the town and subsequent runoff into the Occoquan River. The funding will enable Occoquan to address the deterioration of its current system by completing a CCTV (closed-circuit television) sewer inspection, cleaning out the system, performing joint repairs, and lining the stormwater pipes.

For FY2024, the U.S. House of Representatives allowed for specific Community Project Funding requests — as it did in FY2023. Spanberger worked directly with community leaders in localities across Virginia’s Seventh District to gather community-focused requests for her submissions. Click here for the full list of her submissions.

The Community Project Funding process was created to ensure that Members of Congress — in concert with the communities they represent — may submit direct applications for federal funding to support locally planned projects as part of the yearly appropriations process.

To be eligible, projects must be sponsored by local or state government entities or non-profit organizations and must be projects that would otherwise meet the qualifications to apply for federal grant funding. The purpose of Community Project Funding is to ensure direct, local engagement as part of the federal appropriations process. In line with this goal, funding applications needed to demonstrate significant local support for the projects.

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