National News - Page 3

Trump’s Cabinet nominees face sharpest bipartisan grilling to date and other takeaways from Thursday’s confirmation hearings

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By Jeremy Herb, Katie Bo Lillis, Annie Grayer and Lauren Fox, CNN Three of President Donald Trump’s most controversial nominees faced sharp questions in the Senate during hearings Thursday from Democrats as well as several Republican senators in what amounted to the most direct skepticism from GOP senators over Trump’s nominees to date. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to be Health and Human Services secretary, was pressed on his views on vaccines by GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who said he had “reservations” about Kennedy’s past positions on vaccine safety. And Tulsi Gabbard, who has been tapped to be the director of national

HBCU Legal Expert Nominated as State’s Secretary of Labor

Courtesy of Delaware State University LaKresha Moultrie, Delaware State University’s vice president of legal affairs, has been nominated by Governor-elect Matt Meyer to serve as the Secretary of the Delaware Department of Labor. She will bring her extensive legal and managerial experience to this crucial role within the state government. Moultrie’s nomination, which is pending confirmation by the State Senate, signals a commitment by the new administration to bolster workforce development and advocate for equitable opportunities across the state. In a press release, Governor-elect Meyer praised Moultrie’s proven track record: “LaKresha brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a deep

Dozens feared dead after American Eagle jet and Army helicopter collide and crash into Potomac River

By Megan Lebowitz and Raquel Coronell Uribe  A commercial plane and a military helicopter collided midair near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night. Both of the aircraft — an American Eagle jet and Army Black Hawk — are in the Potomac River. There were 64 people on the plane and three in the helicopter. The incident occurred shortly before 9 p.m. ET. The number of casualties is unclear, as a search-and-rescue operation is ongoing. President Donald Trump said in a statement Wednesday night that he has been fully briefed on the crash. He thanked first responders and said he “will provide more

Trump reinstates military members who refused COVID vaccine

By Avery Lotz President Trump reinstated members of the military who were dismissed because they refused to receive the COVID vaccine in an executive order late Monday. Why it matters: The order reverses the dismissals by the Biden administration, restoring thousands of service members to their previous rank and providing them with back pay and benefits. Catch up quick: More than 8,000 service members were discharged for refusing to get vaccinated under a 2021 memorandum. The military’s vaccine mandate was rescinded in early 2023 after it was lifted in an annual defense spending bill. Driving the news: “The vaccine mandate was an unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary burden on our service

Trump’s funding freeze creates widespread confusion

In a significant policy move, President Donald Trump has initiated a comprehensive freeze on federal financial assistance, aiming to align government spending with his administration’s priorities. This directive, issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), halts the disbursement of federal grants and loans as the administration reviews existing programs.   Scope and Rationale The freeze encompasses a wide array of federal financial assistance programs, including grants to state and local governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. Essential services such as Social Security benefits and food aid are exempt from this pause. The administration asserts that this measure is

HBCUs In Jeopardy of Losing Funding for Black Cultural Studies

By April Ryan “This is only the beginning of a long fight,”according to Democratic North Carolina Congresswoman Alma Adams. She is addressing the Executive Order to pause federal loans and grants. There is an overwhelming concern in the Historically Black College and University community that many key programs focused on race and equity will be impacted. Adams, a ranking member of a House Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Founder and Co-Chair of the Bicameral HBCU Caucus, issued a statement to Black Press USA once a federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s funding freeze. Adams, whose state houses 11 HBCUs,

Trump administration offers roughly 2 million federal workers a buyout to resign

By Garrett Haake and Amanda Terkel President Donald Trump’s administration is offering federal workers the chance to take a “deferred resignation,” which would mean they agree now to resign but get paid through September. A senior administration official told NBC News that they expect 5%-10% of the federal workforce to quit, which, they estimate, could lead to around $100 billion in savings. All full-time federal employees are eligible, except for members of the military, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security and other jobs excluded by agencies. “American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government

Rutgers University Cancels HBCU Conference, Citing Trump’s Anti-DEI Executive Order

By Daniel Johnson Although an executive order is not a law, the University of Rutgers’ Center for Minority Serving Institutions canceled its upcoming virtual mini-conference scheduled for Jan. 30, citing the executive orders Trump signed targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. According to Inside Higher Ed, the center emailed individuals who had registered for the event on Jan. 23 to explain its decision. “We were very excited to bring the HBCUs and Registered Apprenticeship Mini-Conference to you next week,” the email read. “Unfortunately, due to President Trump’s Executive Orders…we have been asked to cease all work under the auspices of the Diversity,

Air Force says it will teach video on first Black pilots after DEI review

By Reuters The U.S. Air Force on Sunday said it will resume instruction of trainees using a video about the first Black airmen in the U.S. military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, which has passed review to ensure compliance with President Donald Trump’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Trump, who took office on Jan. 20, has prohibited DEI throughout the U.S. government and the U.S. military. New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was sworn in on Friday, has made eliminating DEI from the military a top priority. Reuters reported on Saturday that the video about the Tuskegee Airmen as well as another about civilian women pilots trained by

United Nations Undersecretary-General and Howard President Meet to Discuss Global Education

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By Sholnn Z. Freeman Howard University President Ben Vinson III, Ph.D., welcomed Tshilidzi Marwala, Ph.D., undersecretary general of the United Nations and rector of the United Nations University, to campus earlier this week. They discussed potential partnerships related to global education, artificial intelligence, and other technological innovation aligned with Howard’s focus on equity and social justice. Their agreed on a jointly shared goal of advancing equity around the world. The visit was a full circle moment for Howard. After chairing the political science academic department at Howard, Dr. Ralph Bunche worked to help found the United Nations, eventually serving as undersecretary for special political affairs. Howard’s hub