Donald Trump says no apology necessary for Signalgate as Mike Waltz breaks silenceSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read ourprivacy policyPresident Donald Trump has said National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has no need to apologize for the alarming security breach in which he inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat discussing upcoming military action.During an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday night, Trump attempted to shift the blame towards an unnamed lower level White House employee instead, despite Waltz himself saying he takes full responsibility for the disaster.The administration has been under fire since it emerged on Monday that senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, reportedly discussed a highly-sensitive operation targeting Houthi positions in Yemen.Hegseth like Waltz, facing calls for his resignation from Democrats called Goldberg a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist.Two members of the chat, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday and were extensively grilled on the breach.It has since been reported that members of the Signal group partied with the president at a $1-million-a-seat fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago hours after the successful bombing raid took place.RecommendedKey PointsJasmine Crockett under fire for mocking Texas governors wheelchair: Governor Hot Wheels down thereThe Texas Democrat is facing sharp criticism from Republicans after she mocked Governor Greg Abbott over his wheelchair use.Crockett has often been praised in recent weeks by progressives for her confrontational stance against conservatives and the Trump administration, particularly when her party elders like Chuck Schumer have been found wanting.But speaking at the Human Rights Campaign 2025 dinner in Los Angeles this past weekend, the representative said: We in these hot a** Texas streets, honey.Yall know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there. Come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a** mess, honey!Abbott was paralyzed below the waist at the age of 26 when an oak tree fell on him during a jog in 1984.Gustaf Kilander and Graig Graziosi have more.Jasmine Crockett under fire for mocking Texas governors wheelchairCrockett is what the Democratic base wants, but she's the opposite of what the party needs, conservative writer saysJoe Sommerlad26 March 2025 12:30Lauren Boebert hints Trump administration is working to rename D.C. the District of America I would caution my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to refrain from making fun of the Gulf of America because next up, you know it may end up being the District of America that were working on, the MAGA representative told lawmakers during a Water, Fisheries and Wildlife Subcommittee hearing Tuesday in response to jibes from opposition members about the renaming.So just, you know, keep the jokes at bay, and maybe we'll just stick with the Gulf of America for now.Madeline Sherratt reports.Rep. Lauren Boebert wants to rename DC the District of AmericaNext up, you know it may end up being the District of America that were working on, Boebert scolded at opposition lawmakersJoe Sommerlad26 March 2025 12:10Trump promises to look into Ashli Babbitts shooting death on January 6During his Newsmax interview last night, the president pledged to take a look into whether the U.S. government should reach a settlement with the family of Ashli Babbit and also into the continued employment of the U.S. Capitol Police officer who shot her dead on January 6 2021.Trump has repeatedly praised his supporters who attempted to overturn his 2020 election loss, including Babbitt. The 35-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran, who sported a Trump flag as a cape, was fatally shot while climbing through a broken door barricaded by officers as they attempted to evacuate dozens of members of Congress.Last January, Babbitts family filed a $30 million wrongful death suit against the government.James Liddell has more.Trump promises to look into Ashli Babbitts shooting death on January 6President said he did not know that the family of the woman fatally shot in the Capitol riots is embroiled in a legal battle with the Department of JusticeJoe Sommerlad26 March 2025 11:50Why Hegseth could end up being Trumps scapegoatVery hard to degree with Democrat Eric Swalwells observation here on the Defense Secretarys reassurances yesterday:Heres John Bowdens analysis on what could happen next if this one refuses to blow over.Why Pete Hegseth could end up being Trumps scapegoatAnalysis: Trump may have to pay a political price to move on from a shocking breach of security by his most senior officials, writes John BowdenJoe Sommerlad26 March 2025 11:30Top Democrat calls for Hegseth and Waltz to resignMark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, demanded the resignations of senior Trump administration officials yesterday during an extremely timely and heated gathering of the panel.Vice Chair Warner grilled Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday and slammed National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after they failed to conduct security hygiene 101 in their Signal chat, failing to notice that The Atlantics editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg had been included in the text chain.Putting aside for a moment that classified information should never be discussed over an unclassified system, its also just mind boggling to me that all these senior folks were on this line and nobody bothered to even check, Warner said. Security hygiene 101 who are all the names? Who are they?During the hearing, Warner posted on X that incompetence is not an option and said that both Hegseth and Waltz should step down.Alex Woodward reports.Top Democrat calls for Hegseth and Waltz to resign over Signal leakMark Warner says Trump administration officials failed security hygiene 101Joe Sommerlad26 March 2025 11:10White House digs in amid fallout from Signal chat scandalThe administrations response to this weeks security scandal has so far been to dig in and hope it can convince Americans to dismiss the unprecedented lapse as media-driven partisan squabbling, even as Democrats are calling for resignations.Andrew Feinberg and Eric Garcia have this on the mood in Washington right now.White House digs in amid fallout from Signal chat scandalTrump and his aides are now describing accurate reporting on a national security breach as a hoax Joe Sommerlad26 March 2025 10:50Signal chat group members partied at $1 million-a-plate Mar-a-Lago dinner after Yemen bombingsMembers of the leaky Signal group reportedly partied with the president at a $1-million-a-seat candlelight fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago hours after the successful bombing raid on the Houthis took place on March 15.Some 53 people, including children, were killed in the attacks on Yemen.According to Wired, the dinner included guests who had been on the chat earlier before the bombings, including National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Others apparently in attendance were Trumps Middle East and Ukraine negotiator Steve Witkoff, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Elon Musk and his four-year-old son.Mike Bedigan has more.Chat group leakers partied after Yemen bombing at $1 million-a-seat Mar-a-Lago dinnerThe candlelight fundraising dinner took place shortly after the military strikes on March 15Joe Sommerlad26 March 2025 10:30JD Vance to lead controversial visit by U.S. delegation to GreenlandThe vice president has said he will join his wife Usha on her trip to Greenland this week, suggesting in an online video that global security is at stake.Vance will join the delegation in visiting the U.S. Space Base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic territory, as Trump continues to put pressure on Denmark about acquiring it for the United States..Were going to check out how things are going there, Vance said in a video posted to social media.A lot of other countries have threatened Greenland, have threatened to use its territories and its waterways to threaten the United States, to threaten Canada, and of course, to threaten the people of Greenland. So we are going to check out how things are going there.Unfortunately, leaders in both America and in Denmark, I think, ignored Greenland for far too long.Heres more.JD Vance to lead controversial visit by US delegation to GreenlandVance will join a high-profile delegation, that includes his wife, in visiting the U.S. Space BaseJoe Sommerlad26 March 2025 10:10Trump signs executive order calling for proof of American citizenship to voteThe president signed yet another order on Tuesday, this one requiring the public to prove they are U.S. citizens before they are allowed to vote and attempting to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.The sweeping order also seeks to take federal funding away from states that do not comply.Trump has long questioned the U.S. electoral system and continues to falsely claim that his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud. The president and his Republican allies also have made baseless claims about widespread voting by non-citizens, which is illegal and, in fact, rarely occurs.Last year, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a bill that would ban non-citizens from registering to vote in federal elections, a practice that is already illegal. It did not pass the Senate, which was then controlled by Democrats.The White House's order seeks to achieve similar goals. Voting rights groups argued that it, like the aforementioned Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act that did not become law, would disenfranchise voters, particularly people of color, who do not have access to passports or other required identification.Weve got to straighten out our elections, Trump said as he signed the order at the White House. This country is so sick because of the elections, the fake elections and the bad elections, were going to straighten that out one way or the other.The order, like so many of his others, is likely to draw legal challenges.Trump has signed an executive order overhauling elections. Heres what it meansPresident Donald Trump's executive order demanding sweeping changes to US elections has the potential to significantly reshape the voting process, despite likely legal challenges. Joe Sommerlad26 March 2025 09:50Mike Waltz says he takes full responsibility for leaked Trump administration Signal chat about Yemen strikeIn an interview of his own with Laura Ingraham on Fox News, the under-fire Waltz said he was solely to blame for the Signalgate debacle, struggling to explain how Jeffrey Goldberg was added to the top secret chat if, as the security official claimed, he had never spoken to him and did not have his number.Heres more from Josh Marcus.Mike Waltz takes full responsibility for leaked Signal chat about Yemen strikeDefense Secretary accused reporter who received chats of peddling hoaxes earlier in dayJoe Sommerlad26 March 2025 09:30Newer1/5Older

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Erupting With Fury"I'm honestly heartbroken..." Helldivers 2's latest patch upsets lovers of a gun that once caused accidental self-murders so much that they're drawing MS Paint diagramsIf you're still wondering which weapon it is, I have one word for you - shrapnel.Image credit: Arrowhead News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on March 26, 2025 Uh oh. The pretty titchy Helldivers 2 patch that dropped yesterday has managed to earn the ire of players who love a certain gun. It's the Eruptor, and as you might have guessed if you're a HD2 veteran, the tweak that's caused the aggro is to the shrapnel the gun kicks out in order to do a lot of its damage.For the folks who don't have an empirical knowledge of every weapon and stratagem in Helldivers 2, the Eruptor and its shrapnel made headlines last year because the rogue bits of metal turned out to be behind a wave of weird instances of divers suddenly dying to their own gunfire. What followed was the removal of shrapnel by Arrowhead, something Eruptor fans weren't best pleased about, before the gun finally got a proper revamp heading into autumn.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Since then, it's been earning pretty good reviews, even getting a handy buff to its armour penetration in last week's big balancing update. However, the comparatively titchy patch 01.002.201 that Arrowhead put out yesterday made one tweak that seems to instantly evaporated a lot of the good vibes folks had about the gun."Fixed an issue where shrapnel from surface-hits was forced in a roughly south-west direction," the change in question reads, "Shrapnel should now properly fly out in a 180-ish arc in the direction of the surface hit." Sounds fine, but according to a bunch of Eruptor hardcores on the game's subreddit, this has resulted in the gun's performance being nerfed to a noticeable degree. The Eruptor's shrapnel now explodes away from the target byu/MrIDoK inHelldiversTo see this content please enable targeting cookies."I initially thought it meant that shrapnel would go in the same direction you're shooting, but after trying it in game it seems like it's the opposite," wrote one player who's gone as far as opening up and MS Paint and whacking together some crude diagrams that aim to indicate how they reckon the shrapnel's now behaving, "Shrapnel goes away from the hit point. So, while before I was able to one shot brood commanders, now it mostly doesn't happen even if I get a headshot, all the shrapnel just explodes back towards you and away from the target.""By the wording of it, it seems unclear as to whether this change is intended to apply to enemy hits or just surfaces such as the ground," reads another post, "If it is just the latter then ostensibly the wording makes perfect sense, but currently in-game even on direct hits on the enemy the shrapnel just flies backwards which both looks and feels nonsensical and cartoonish."If anyone at Arrowhead sees this (I have formally submitted a bug report as this does not logically seem intended with the wording) we need some clarification as to whether or not this is meant to apply to enemy (not surface) hits or not. Regardless, I would sincerely request a full reversion until a proper fix can be implemented as this has rendered the weapon nearly worthless in my matches."We'll have to see if the studio does say anything about this tweak and whether it's working as intended. Have you given the Eruptor a go since this patch dropped, and how did it perform? Let us know below!

Just like two weeks ago, Capcom has rolled out the first of several new Event Quests to all Monster Hunter Wilds players. Event Quests are available for a limited time, and they task players with taking down certain monsters to earn unique rewards. Read more

By 'eck, it's Bywater!A new 10-minute video released as part of Tolkien Reading Day on 25th March delves deeper into what players can expect from Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game when it launches on Switch on 29th July 2025.In short, it's wholesome and lovely, though there's definitely still a part of us that isn't entirely keen on some of the visual presentation. That said, you can really tell that developer Wt Workshop has done its homework on Tolkien's legendary book series, presenting a world that genuinely feels like it's been ripped straight from the pages of The Hobbit.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kA new game that promises to blend addictive monster collecting with compelling farming mechanics has smashed its Kickstarter goal with another 29 days left of its campaign.Created by Sean Young at SmashGames (Littlewood and Kindergarten Buddy Edition), MonsterPatch is currently only scheduled for release on Steam, though Young has stated that a console launch may also be possible later down the road. Given the monumental early success of the campaign, we imagine a Switch release could well be on the cards at some point.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kWatch on YouTube The gameplay takes heavy inspiration from classic Pokmon titles with top-down pixel art presentation, random battle encounters, and two distinct versions included in the final product. In addition, farming and town-building mechanics are also included, making MonsterPatch a wonderful blend of Pokmon and Stardew Valley.Backers can pledge a minimum of 16 / $20 for a digital Steam code, with rewards going all the way up to $426 / $550. Those looking to splash out will be able to assist in the game's development by designing your own 'MoN' with your name included in the credits. Currently, completion and delivery of the game is scheduled for December 2025, though this may well be a placeholder given the complexities of game development.Still, we're sincerely hoping this one makes it to the Switch (or the Switch 2!); it looks like it pays appropriate homage to classic Pokmon games, and the farming mechanics will no doubt satisfy those looking for something similar to Stardew. We can't wait to see more.Images: SmashGamesWe'll be sure to keep your updated on Monsterpatch's progress and whether or not a Switch releases is on the cards in the coming weeks and months. A mega teaser of what's to come?What are your thoughts on this one? Would you like to see it on the Switch or Switch 2? Let us know with a comment.[source kickstarter.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPokmon's Team Rocket Is Returning To The Trading Card Game In A New SetHere's a first lookPlants vs. Zombies Looks Set To Be Revived And 'Reloaded' On SwitchReady those peashootersSonic Racing: CrossWorlds Reveals "Most Popular Characters" From Network TestTake a guess who wonHollow Knight: Silksong Gets Surprise Mention By Xbox, Will It Finally Release This Year?Playing the waiting gameThis New Hand-Drawn 3D Platformer Might Be Teasing A Switch 2 ReleaseComing to "Nintendo Switch(es)" this June

Its virtually impossible today to determine when a students writing has been composed using ChatGPT or another GenAI tool, and it can be a nightmare to disprove incorrect accusations. An AI edtech startup called Brisk has built a tool that could at least help teachers identify some of the telltale signs, and its now announcing $15 million in new funding on the back of decent traction.Alongside a writing inspector, Brisks platform offers around 40 tools for teachers and students to use by way of a Chrome extension. The platform uses generative AI, computer vision and other AI features that Brisk says can help not only speed up work, but do the work better. These include writing lesson plans, tests and presentations; adjusting work for different abilities; grading work, and more.The existing edtech stack as we know it, which is around140 different tools that the average teacher in the U.S. uses in a given school year, is not ready for AI, Brisks CEO and founder Arman Jaffer said in an interview. Were trying to build the AI-native edtech stack.The funding will be used in part to build more tools, and in part to expand to more platforms. A Microsoft integration, aimed at the many schools that are Microsoft shops, is planned for autumn 2025.Business has so far been brisk for San Francisco-based Brisk. Since it raised a seed round of $5 million in September 2024, its user base has grown five-fold, and Jaffer said the company had 40xd its revenue in 2024 (its worth noting that the company was starting from zero). Brisk says more than 2,000 schools in 100 countries use its products today, and more than 90% of its business comes from inbound interest. One in five K-12 teachers in the U.S. have installed the Brisk Extension as of February 2025, Jaffer added.Bessemer Venture Partners is leading the round, with previous backers Owl Ventures, South Park Commons, and Springbank Collective also participating.Brisks funding and growth come at a time when technology and education are becoming increasingly intertwined.Educators have spent years embracing an increasing array of technology to improve how they work as well as to offset other major changes in their tools (such as the decline of textbooks) and other areas, such as budget cuts. (The recent DoE changes in the U.S. have yet to play out, but it has raised concerns that they will spell yet more erosion of resources.)Enter tech, where adoption is easy, in a sense. There are literally hundreds of startups and much larger technology giants rolling out edtech apps. Some outfits cater directly to students and families, like the immense Khan Academy empire, while others direct themselves at schools and educators such as the suites developed by Google and Microsoft.And, just as enterprises have embraced consumerization in their IT departments looking for apps that have the same usability as the most popular consumer apps so have teachers looking for inroads to connect with students. Kahoot is a key example of how education has been gamified, the theory being this is one way of making learning more accessible.AI is yet another step in edtechs natural evolution. AI companies are building learning tools to that end, and their basic pitch is much like Brisks: AI is coming whether you like it or not, and it will make everyones lives better.But as with other segments of the world of work and play, not all AI moves are received with open arms. OpenAIs teachers guide to ChatGPT released in November 2024, arguably well after the horse had bolted was met with criticism over the bigger issues that it failed to address around accuracy and data protection.Jaffer founded Brisk after spending time in edtech in a different capacity. He spent more than five years at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, where he conceived of and led a team building Notebooks, a Google Docs alternative aimed at improving collaboration between students and teachers. Ultimately, Notebooks did not take off, not least because, well, Google Docs does the job, but also because AI really changes the game for collaboration. That ethos was carried into Jaffers next swing of the founder bat.If using AI rings alarm bells, Brisk wants to muffle that with a measured approach: assistance, not replacement.The companys student writing inspector does not conclude this was written by ChatGPT. It starts with a video of a students work process on-screen, which it then watches in fast-motion, flagging when that student has copy/pasted information or is otherwise doing other things that are uncharacteristic of how they work. This is then sent on to the teacher who can assess whether it could be an indication of copying from somewhere else, or if the work was indeed created by GenAI.The most popular tool in the stack, Targeted Feedback, uses generative AI to read student essays (on Google Docs) and create comments that are tailored to age, a grading rubric or other standards if theyve been uploaded or selected. Before anything is shared with students, teachers can review and edit the comments (in the best-case scenario, they are doing that rather than just shifting them along with no oversight).Whether the idea of AI taking on some of teachers work, and maybe even doing it better, is loved or feared in the world of education, it seems that the trend line is too clear to be ignored, said Kent Bennett, the Bessemer partner who led this investment.Were big believers at this AI moment in tracking sectors like education technology, which have a reputation for being tech phobic. This reputation often arises because the high-value workflow in these environments involves human language, and thus wasnt as addressable with legacy software with LLMs all of that can change, he told TechCrunch in an email exchange. [But] one of the biggest surprises as we looked into AI powered ed-tech was that educators were not just tolerating AI, they are aggressively seeking it out, he said, adding that it is obvious that teachers cannot be cut out of the equation altogether.Looking forward, Brisk will be building more immersive tools beyond its extensions. Later this year, it will be switching on a new web platform so that educators can work cohesively and natively within the Brisk environment. It will include new resources and activities, Jaffer said.Brisk also wants to offer more multimodal integrations. These will include the ability for students to submit image-based work, in addition to text, for evaluations; and a podcast feature to generate audio versions to describe documents and more.

At TCT Asia 2025, Chinese metal 3D printer manufacturer Eplus3D unveiled a significant advancement in metal additive manufacturing: the successful 3D printing of pure copper and copper alloys using red-laser technology. The showcased examples of meter-scale copper alloy parts demonstrate how the company addresses long-standing challenges associated with coppers high reflectivity and thermal conductivity, which have historically made it difficult to process using laser-based additive manufacturing techniques.The ability to produce stable, high-performance meter-scale copper parts with long-cycle reliability, all without the need for major hardware modifications, is expected to benefit industries such as aerospace, automotive, and electronics.For those who missed TCT Asia 2025, Eplus3D will also be present at AMUG 2025 in Chicago, Illinois, from March 30 to April 3. Visitors can explore the companys latest innovations in metal additive manufacturing at Booth P-14.Copper alloy parts from Eplus3D. Photo via: Eplus3DOvercoming the Challenges of Copper 3D PrintingEplus3D explained that coppers low absorption of traditional laser wavelengths has historically led to defects such as incomplete melting, voids, cracks, and inconsistent layer bonding. Additionally, its high thermal conductivity accelerates heat dissipation, increasing thermal stress and the risk of part failure. Eplus3Ds latest approach aims to address these challenges.A key demonstration at TCT Asia 2025 was the 1030175 mm CuCrZr impeller, produced on the EP-M1250 system. According to the company, this component achieved 99.97% density while preserving coppers superior thermal propertiesan essential factor for applications such as aerospace thermal management.Eplus3D copper impeller. Photo: Eplus3DEplus3D also highlighted its expertise in multi-laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) systems, including the EP-M2050, EP-M1550, and EP-M1250. The company emphasized that these advancements contribute to ongoing industry efforts to enhance the scalability and reliability of metal 3D printing.Advancements in Copper 3D PrintingCopper 3D printing is gaining traction in the AM due to its ability to offer greater geometric flexibility, reduced material waste, and cost savings for low-volume production.In response to the growing demand for 3D printed GRCop-42 copper alloy in space applications, Nikon SLM Solutions developed new material parameters for NASAs GRCop-42. This pre-configured solution aims to improve powder availability and optimize the material for SLM 3D printers.Designed for scalability, these parameters were tailored for large-format 3D printers such as the NXG XII 600. Nikon SLM states that they enable a 99.97% density while ensuring consistent properties across both single- and multi-laser overlap regions within the printers build area.In a strategic collaboration, Tucker Induction Systems, an induction heating firm, has partnered with Nikon SLM Solutions to introduce copper 3D printing services in the United States. According to Nikon SLM, this new capability enhances Tucker Induction Systems production efficiency while enabling the creation of complex, high-performance designs.Rocky Tucker, Owner of Tucker Induction Systems, highlighted the impact of adopting the SLM 280 PS, stating that it has allowed the company to develop functional copper inductors and drive innovation. He credited Nikon SLMs technology and collaborative approach as key factors in their success.Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us on LinkedIn, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.Featured image showsEplus3D copper impeller. Photo: Eplus3DPaloma DuranPaloma Duran holds a BA in International Relations and an MA in Journalism. Specializing in writing, podcasting, and content and event creation, she works across politics, energy, mining, and technology. With a passion for global trends, Paloma is particularly interested in the impact of technology like 3D printing on shaping our future.

Register for free to join AR editors and AR Future Projects winners at Dropcity during the Salone del MobileWinner of AR Future Projects Gort Scott will present their winning project, New Court for Girton College at University of Cambridge, on Wednesday 9 April at Dropcity in Milan, during the Salone del Mobile.AR Future Projects Live 2025Wednesday 9 April, 6pmDropcity, 60 Via Giovanni Battista Sammartini, 20125 MilanoRegister hereto attend for freeNew Court for Girton College at University of Cambridge by Gort ScottWe will also hear from Malta-based practice AP Valletta as well as Guillaume Othenin-Girard at the University of Hong Kong about their highly commended projects: the restoration of a school in Ghana and an archaeological field laboratory in Armenia.Osu Salem Presbyterian School in Accra, Ghana, designed by AP Valletta and David Kojo DerbanGlkhatun archaeological field laboratory in Urtsadzor, Armenia, designed by Guillaume Othenin-Girard and the University of Hong KongLaunched in 2002, the AR Future Projects awards are a window into tomorrows cities. Spanning 12 categories, they celebrate excellence in unbuilt and incomplete projects, and the potential for positive contribution to communities, neighbourhoods and urban landscapes around the world. Find out more about this years winners here.All winners have been published in the 2025 Future Projects awards catalogue purchase a copy here2025-03-26AR EditorsShare

The former Essex County Jail is a large and significant building in Salem, Massachusetts, that has seen a recent rebirth thanks to the intersection of historic preservation and the demand for new housing in many New England communities. Constructed of large, Rockport granite blocks, the building was constructed in two phasesthe section to the east was constructed in 1811-13 while the parallel west wing dates to 1884, with each of the construction dates inscribed at the top of the pediments on the south elevation. Completing the complex is the 1813 Jailers Residence which sits at the edge of the now enclosed courtyard. Those who were committed here were largely sentenced to short terms, many for the offense of drunkenness or petty theft. Inside, prisoners did all the labor, such as cooking, baking, firing the boilers, etc., with the female inmates making clothing for all inmates. The jail was in operation until 1991, and at that time was considered the oldest active penitentiary in the United States. Years prior, in 1984, several detainees had successfully sued the county for inadequate living conditions, leading to the closure of the building. A preservation restriction was established for the building and in 2009, the property was conveyed to a developer who converted the complex into 23 apartments, with 19 in the old jail, three in the old jail keepers residence, and one in a converted carriage house. The great preservation/adaptive reuse firm of Finegold Alexander Architects furnished the plans for the successful renovation that provided a new life for a once crumbling eyesore.