9 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — For generations, the federal government enforced civil rights laws with an eye toward remedying historic, systemic discrimination against Black people and other people of color. The Department of Justice pressed schools to desegregate. The Department of Education worked to promote equal opportunity and held schools accountable for racial bias.
But under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students. Programs that have long withstood legal scrutiny are now quick to be deemed “ illegal DEI ” — diversity, equity and inclusion — by the White House. Schools that do not comply have faced threats to their funding, and in some cases, lost federal grants.
Civil rights lawyers describe the Republican administration’s actions as a complete inversion of legal history.
“It’s literally flipping the purpose of civil rights law on its head, not just harming Black students and students of color, but entire school communities,” said Michael Pillera, director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “It’s unmoored from the actual history of our country and untethered to the reality of life in this country.”
The administration has opened investigations or joined litigation over a wide range of efforts to address racial inequality. President Donald Trump's Justice Department is investigating programs to increase the number of teachers of color in Rhode Island and Iowa. Grants to districts to train teachers or recruit school mental health workers have been discontinued for mentions of diversity in recruitment.
But under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students. Programs that have long withstood legal scrutiny are now quick to be deemed “ illegal DEI ” — diversity, equity and inclusion — by the White House. Schools that do not comply have faced threats to their funding, and in some cases, lost federal grants.
Civil rights lawyers describe the Republican administration’s actions as a complete inversion of legal history.
“It’s literally flipping the purpose of civil rights law on its head, not just harming Black students and students of color, but entire school communities,” said Michael Pillera, director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “It’s unmoored from the actual history of our country and untethered to the reality of life in this country.”
The administration has opened investigations or joined litigation over a wide range of efforts to address racial inequality. President Donald Trump's Justice Department is investigating programs to increase the number of teachers of color in Rhode Island and Iowa. Grants to districts to train teachers or recruit school mental health workers have been discontinued for mentions of diversity in recruitment.
23 hours ago
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is running for reelection in Alaska and faces a field of 15 competitors. One of them is Dan Sullivan.
The senator told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday that he thinks the appearance on the state's primary ballot of another Republican with the same name is a dirty political trick coordinated by Democrats and the campaign of his chief rival for the seat, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. He threatened a lawsuit to get to the bottom of it.
“Everybody in Alaska knows I’m Dan Sullivan-R. So he’s trying to do that. Why?" the senator said of the other Dan Sullivan. “He’s not an R. He’s purposely trying to trick my constituents to rig the election for Peltola.”
A spokesman for the Peltola campaign, Harry Child, said it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign." Jenny-Marie Stryker, executive director of the Alaska Democratic Party, said her organization “is in no way affiliated with either Dan Sullivan.”
The kerfuffle over the dueling Dan Sullivans on Alaska's August primary ballot has drawn the attention of state and national Republicans. They claim that adding a second Dan Sullivan to the ballot will sow confusion among voters who support the incumbent and help Peltola.
The senator told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday that he thinks the appearance on the state's primary ballot of another Republican with the same name is a dirty political trick coordinated by Democrats and the campaign of his chief rival for the seat, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. He threatened a lawsuit to get to the bottom of it.
“Everybody in Alaska knows I’m Dan Sullivan-R. So he’s trying to do that. Why?" the senator said of the other Dan Sullivan. “He’s not an R. He’s purposely trying to trick my constituents to rig the election for Peltola.”
A spokesman for the Peltola campaign, Harry Child, said it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign." Jenny-Marie Stryker, executive director of the Alaska Democratic Party, said her organization “is in no way affiliated with either Dan Sullivan.”
The kerfuffle over the dueling Dan Sullivans on Alaska's August primary ballot has drawn the attention of state and national Republicans. They claim that adding a second Dan Sullivan to the ballot will sow confusion among voters who support the incumbent and help Peltola.
2 days ago
When the double boom rang out in New England over the weekend, shaking homes and sending pets fleeing, questions started flooding social media.
“Did anyone else hear that boom?”
“Anyone feel that?”
NASA let people know over the weekend that the cause of the commotion was a meteor, but on Monday they revealed even more stunning details.
The fireball was as heavy as an elephant and 5 feet (1.52 meter) wide and was going 42,000 mph (67,592.5 kph) when it entered Earth’s atmosphere. It broke up miles above New England on Saturday and the energy released was equivalent to about 230 tons of TNT, the agency estimated, accounting for the booms.
“Did anyone else hear that boom?”
“Anyone feel that?”
NASA let people know over the weekend that the cause of the commotion was a meteor, but on Monday they revealed even more stunning details.
The fireball was as heavy as an elephant and 5 feet (1.52 meter) wide and was going 42,000 mph (67,592.5 kph) when it entered Earth’s atmosphere. It broke up miles above New England on Saturday and the energy released was equivalent to about 230 tons of TNT, the agency estimated, accounting for the booms.
2 days ago
ISTANBUL (AP) — Far from tango's birthplace in working-class districts and port areas of Buenos Aires and Montevideo in Argentina and Uruguay, dance enthusiasts in Istanbul have built a close-knit and passionate community.
Every night, they gather at milongas — sessions of Argentine ballroom dancing — on both sides of this vast city that bridges Europe and Asia, drawn together by music, movement and the embrace of tango.
Turkish locals, foreign residents, visiting international teachers and travelers keep the dance alive while a multitude of dance schools and studios foster a vibrant tango scene.
Once a beginner and now a tango teacher, Gonca Çetin describes the city's tango community as both diverse and welcoming.
“It’s possible for everyone to find a tango environment that suits them. There’s a constantly growing and developing community,” she says.
Every night, they gather at milongas — sessions of Argentine ballroom dancing — on both sides of this vast city that bridges Europe and Asia, drawn together by music, movement and the embrace of tango.
Turkish locals, foreign residents, visiting international teachers and travelers keep the dance alive while a multitude of dance schools and studios foster a vibrant tango scene.
Once a beginner and now a tango teacher, Gonca Çetin describes the city's tango community as both diverse and welcoming.
“It’s possible for everyone to find a tango environment that suits them. There’s a constantly growing and developing community,” she says.
3 days ago
LAS VEGAS — A leading forensic scientist who spent decades with one of the country's largest medical examiner's offices told Fox News Digital over the weekend that she believes Nancy Guthrie may have been targeted by a local worker who ****** umed the victim's family had money.
"I find it flabbergasting that anyone would take a woman her age, but what I think is probably the case is that someone in the area, maybe a handyman, maybe a service person, had known, had found out that Mrs. Guthrie was the mother of Savannah Guthrie and said, 'Oh, she must be rich,'" Barbara Butcher said Saturday, speaking on the sidelines of CrimeCon Las Vegas. "So this person is not well."
Butcher, a longtime medicolegal death investigator and the host of Oxygen's "The Death Investigator," also said the lack of a credible ransom demand raises concerns that Guthrie may have died shortly after the alleged abduction due to shock or an underlying medical condition, leading the suspect to hide evidence and vanish before the case could be resolved.
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST
"My second thought was that after time, when there was no valid ransom demand or any information forthcoming that it's probably likely that Mrs. Guthrie died of shock, fright, heart disease, whatever it was, very soon after being taken from her home," she added.
"I find it flabbergasting that anyone would take a woman her age, but what I think is probably the case is that someone in the area, maybe a handyman, maybe a service person, had known, had found out that Mrs. Guthrie was the mother of Savannah Guthrie and said, 'Oh, she must be rich,'" Barbara Butcher said Saturday, speaking on the sidelines of CrimeCon Las Vegas. "So this person is not well."
Butcher, a longtime medicolegal death investigator and the host of Oxygen's "The Death Investigator," also said the lack of a credible ransom demand raises concerns that Guthrie may have died shortly after the alleged abduction due to shock or an underlying medical condition, leading the suspect to hide evidence and vanish before the case could be resolved.
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST
"My second thought was that after time, when there was no valid ransom demand or any information forthcoming that it's probably likely that Mrs. Guthrie died of shock, fright, heart disease, whatever it was, very soon after being taken from her home," she added.
