Marking the start of the 2016 National Humanities Conference, the Indicators released several updates about the public humanities this morning, describing the financial condition of key humanities institutions.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences presented the Scholar-Patriot Award to acclaimed cellist and humanist Yo-Yo Ma in recognition of his lifetime achievements as a musician, educator, and champion of multicultural understanding.

Augusta Free Press article highlights the recommendation - one of 31 in the Academy's bipartisan report on reinventing democracy - for a constitutional amendment to limit election spending.

What do we want for the future of our democracy? Danielle Allen, cochair of Academy project on the practice of democratic citizenship, explores, citing feedback from engagement sessions held by the Commission.

In this Moderate Party podcast, host Hillari speaks with Carolyn Lukensmeyer, member of the Academy’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, about how to save democracy and what must be done to make it happen.

The United States penal population has grown every year for the past thirty-six years. The rate of imprisonment in the United States is now four times its historic average and seven times higher than in Western Europe.

This online data set – the first of its kind – attracted extensive attention in the news media and in the blogosphere and the website received more than 250,000 hits originating from 38 countries. The prototype includes 74 indicators and more than 200 tables and charts.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences receives a $10 million gift from David Rubenstein. This is the largest gift in the organization's 241-year history and will support a new facility for the Academy Archives and establish the Rubenstein Fund for American Institutions.

The Academy’s Commission on the Arts created Mixtape - a multimedia gallery featuring poems, stories, songs, videos, and visual art contributed by members of the Commission and Academy. Mixtape offers art and inspiration wherever you are, whenever you want.

Stephen Heintz, Co-chair of the American Academy's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, participates in a panel on Strengthening U.S. Democracy hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has named Victor Seow the recipient of its Sarton Prize for the History of Science, recognizing his exceptional promise and distinguished achievements as an emerging scholar in the field.

By Maggie Boyd, Associate Archivist at the Academy

In December 2002, three months before the U.S. invasion, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences published a report speculating on the political, military, and economic consequences of a possible war with Iraq.

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It’s 8 am on a sunny day in Miami, Florida, and the former chair of Shell is discussing mitigation with Indigenous leaders over arepas. Nearby, a reverend and youth activists chat about sea walls as they enjoy their coffee outside in the 70-degree weather. The diversity of these individuals, who are members of the Academy’s Commission on Accelerating Climate Action, speaks not only to the convening power of the Academy, but also to the growing interest in climate from sectors across America.

Joseph Kannarkat and Norm Augustine, cochair of Academy project on New Models for U.S. Science and Technology Policy, discuss the project’s final report and what the U.S. can learn from China to improve its competitiveness in technology development.