The Arctic is "fast becoming an area of intense focus for geopolitical competition," said U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy during his recent visit to Norway and Iceland. He observed joint military exercises between the U.K. and Norway as a show of strength from Western allies in what's becoming an increasingly important strategic region. 

Who owns the Arctic? 
Although no country owns the Arctic itself, eight countries have territory that extends into the Arctic Circle: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the U.S. Those with Arctic coastlines can fish, drill and otherwise operate within their exclusive economic zones, which extend 200 nautical miles. All eight are members of the Arctic Council, which acts as a forum for cooperation in the region, although Moscow has largely been sidelined since the invasion of Ukraine. 

Why is the Arctic so important? 
The Arctic is a frontier between Russia and NATO nations. The Bering Strait maritime border is the only direct boundary between Russia and the U.S., making control of the Arctic strategically important for both nations. Beyond its military significance, the Arctic is sought after for its shipping routes and vast quantities of untapped natural resources, including oil and gas. 

Why is interest in the region intensifying? 
Over the next five years, the Arctic region is likely to warm 3.5 times faster than the rest of the world, according to the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization. That should result in more routes opening up for trade and military vessels and more natural resources becoming accessible as the ice melts. Russia and China, in particular, stand to gain. New Arctic passages could significantly cut down the distance their ships need to travel for international trade. 

Less sea ice in the Arctic is likely to attract "heightened commercial and military activity by third parties that are not allies," said Klaus Dodds, a geopolitics professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, to Sky News. With the U.S. no longer a "reliable ally" for NATO powers, Russia will "continue to target critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic and European Arctic, all of which may be ever more accessible."

With the school year ending at American universities across the country, colleges have taken a step to avoid the ire of the Trump administration: canceling affinity graduations. These ceremonies are meant to highlight the diversity of student bodies, but some universities have rethought their plans to host them as the White House promotes an anti-DEI platform at colleges. Despite this, many students are fighting back.

Widespread backtrack
The U.S. Department of Education began working to eliminate diversity programs after President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling DEI "radical and wasteful." Following this, a slew of universities have decided to backtrack on hosting affinity graduations. Harvard University said in a statement it will "no longer provide funding, staffing or spaces for end-of-year affinity celebrations."

The Ivy League institution previously "hosted 10 affinity celebrations for the Class of 2024, including for Arab, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, first-generation, low-income, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi graduates," said The Harvard Crimson. But it's not alone, said CNN. The University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, the University of Notre Dame, Wichita State University and others have all canceled various affinity events.

Students take matters into their own hands
Amid the cancellations, students at many schools have been "scrambling to find ways to still host the events," said CNN. This includes many students and student-led groups creating their own diversity ceremonies. 

Members of the Harvard Black Alumni Society "raised $46,000 for this year's event after the university announced April 28 that it would no longer fund the ceremonies," said NBC News. Another "small group of students organized an independent event" to replace a ceremony highlighting Harvard's LGBTQ+ students. At Ohio University, one student "arranged for his alma mater's Black alumni weekend to go forward" after its official cancellation, said The Associated Press. And other schools have pushed back against Trump by simply not stopping their events. 

The White House has forced students and faculty to "think creatively beyond the university and work around it," said Antar Tichavakunda, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to CNN. This may not be the "end of culturally specific graduations" but rather the "end of universities supporting them."