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The Year in Closures and Mergers

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By Josh Moody As 2024 draws to a close, it also marks the end of an era for some institutions. Altogether, at least 16 nonprofit colleges and universities announced closures this year. Most were small, private, tuition-dependent institutions that lacked robust endowments. Many approached the closure process in an orderly fashion, winding down operations and teaching out academic programs, but some shuttered abruptly, leaving students in the lurch. The number is slightly higher than last year, when 14 nonprofit institutions announced closure; a 15th, the King’s College, ended operations in 2023 but did not announce it was shutting down. Experts

First HBCU AI Institute on the way after $1 million grant

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Courtesy of North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University (NCCU) announced a $1 million grant from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, to establish the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research (IAIER). The Institute will serve as a first-of-its kind program for a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the nation. To celebrate today’s announcement, NCCU hosted an event on its campus, bringing together representatives from other grant recipients along with university and Google leaders, local elected officials and students. The support from Google.org for NCCU’s program is designed to enhance research and educational opportunities and position students and the state

Kroger and Albertsons grocery megamerger halted by two courts

By Alina Selyukh Kroger and Albertsons saw their $24.6 billion merger blocked on Tuesday by judges in two separate cases, one brought by federal regulators and the other by the Washington state attorney general. What would be the biggest grocery merger in U.S. history is now in legal peril after over two years of delays. The companies could choose to continue their legal appeals or abandon the deal. They await another ruling in a third lawsuit in Colorado. Kroger runs many familiar grocery stores, including Ralphs, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer and King Soopers. Albertsons owns Safeway and Vons. In statements on Tuesday, the companies argued

Conservatives object as Supreme Court ducks case about high school admissions

By Lawrence Hurley  Conservative justices objected as the Supreme Court on Monday sidestepped a new dispute over race in education by declining to consider whether an admissions program for public high schools in Boston unlawfully considered race. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas both said they would have taken up the case, while Justice Neil Gorsuch said he shared their concerns about the policy. Alito wrote that there was “overwhelming direct evidence of intentional discrimination” that warranted the Supreme Court’s intervention. It is the second time the court has declined to review a policy aimed at increasing diversity in public high schools

Biden Is Pardoning Nearly 1,500 Americans, a Record for One Day

By Mark Landler President Biden is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people, the largest grant of clemency by an American president in a single day, the White House announced in a statement on Thursday. A large number of those being pardoned had been placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, while 39 were serving sentences for nonviolent crimes, including possession of marijuana. The announcement came two weeks after Mr. Biden issued a pardon for his son, Hunter, who had been convicted of gun possession and income tax evasion. That decision was harshly criticized by both Republicans and Democrats because

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove Elected as Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus

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By Ashley Brown In a significant development for the 119th Congress, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, has been elected to serve as the Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). This prestigious position places her at the forefront of the CBS. Expressing her gratitude for the appointment, Kamlager-Dove remarked, “I am deeply honored to be chosen to serve as Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus for the 119th Congress. Known as the ‘conscience of the Congress,’ the CBC is grounded in our pursuit of justice, equity, and opportunity for Black Americans. With unprecedented

US adds 227,000 jobs in November, rebounds from October slump

By Sylvan Lane The U.S. job market rebounded in November after a major slowdown, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. The U.S. added 227,000 jobs last month and the jobless rate ticked slightly higher to 4.2 percent, marking a significant improvement from a weak October jobs report. The U.S. added just 24,000 jobs in October, according to revised figures released Friday. Economists expected the U.S. to add roughly 200,000 jobs in November and for the jobless rate to hold at 4.1 percent, according to consensus estimates. The November jobs report comes a week before the Federal Reserve

Biden isn’t the first president to pardon a relative. Here’s how the power works

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By Rachel Treisman The topic of presidential pardons is back in the spotlight this week after President Biden announced he signed a “full and unconditional” one for his son. Hunter Biden was convicted earlier this year of federal gun charges for lying about his addiction to crack cocaine when he purchased a gun, and separately pleaded guilty to tax offenses for failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. Sentences in both cases were scheduled to be handed down later this month. The president has said publicly that he would not pardon his son — but reversed that promise in an announcement on

A Year After the First Antisemitism Hearing, What’s Become of the Presidents Who Testified?

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By Josh Moody Last Dec. 5, the presidents of three leading universities stepped before Congress for a hearing on campus antisemitism that was widely criticized when they failed to offer forthright responses on whether hypothetical calls for the genocide of Jews would violate their institutions’ policies. Those three presidents—representing Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—were followed by four others in two separate hearings in April and May as pro-Palestinian student protests swept campuses across the nation last spring. Of the seven campus leaders who testified, only two remain on the job (though one was

Audit Exonerates Chair of HBCU Board Amid Accusations

By Ashley Brown A recent audit’s findings indicate no wrongdoing by Brian Boulware, the chair of the Board of Trustees at Saint Augustine’s University. This new report contradicts a previous audit from 2023 that revealed a board member allegedly received a finder’s fee related to a loan to the university, which was characterized as a gift from the lender. The university, facing challenges maintaining its accreditation, commissioned an independent audit to investigate claims surrounding Boulware and the alleged finder’s fees. This investigation follows reports that the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office is probing accusations regarding a $7 million loan linked to

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