Editor's note: Princetonians for Free Speech (PFS) held a well-attended breakfast and panel discussion at the Nassau Inn on May 28, the Sunday of Reunions. The discussion was moderated by PFS co-founder Ed Yingling and the panelists were co-founder Stuart Taylor, Treasurer Todd Rulon-Miller, Director of Outreach and Communications Kaleigh Cunningham, and graduating seniors Abigail Anthony and Myles McKnight, who are PFS board members. Topics included the precarious state of free speech at Princeton today and PFS's efforts to prevent removal of the statue of John Witherspoon, who was arguably Princeton's most important president and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, among other distinctions, because he owned two slaves which, new historical research suggests, he probably emancipated before his death.
Luke Grippo
Daily Princetonian
Excerpt: Professor of Civil Engineering Peter Jaffé began researching industrial cleaning chemicals 20 years ago. In 2016, he decided to focus his research on developing ways to biodegrade perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals are widely used in everyday consumer and industry products — although we are also exposed to them in our food, water, and air.
After six years of federal funding, Jaffé says that he and his team have found a way to biodegrade these chemicals. An almost $2 million grant for a field demonstration was the next step. However, this funding was lost on April 1, when several dozen grants awarded to University researchers from NASA, the DOD, and the Department of Energy (DOE) were suspended, reportedly worth at least $210 million.
April 15, 2025
John McWhorter, Cornel West & Robert George – Truth, Faith, and Reason in an Age of Division on The Glenn Show
Jorge Reyes
Daily Princetonian
Excerpt: During her visit to campus last week, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor challenged students’ levels of civic engagement and willingness to move past political dogma. In response to a question about what citizens should do when they disagree with a court’s decision, she asked the large crowd of Princeton students: “Has everyone in this room read even one Supreme Court decision from beginning to end? How many of you can raise your hand?” Few hands went up.