National News - Page 3

Farm Bill Proposals Boost Research Facilities and HBCUs

By Katherine Knott Public land-grant universities across the country could get some much-needed help from Congress to improve their aging research facilities, which are facing $11.5Ā billionĀ in deferred maintenance costs. The latest proposals to reauthorize the sprawling farm bill, which includes funding for research at public land-grants, would put anywhere from $100Ā million to $2.5Ā billion towardĀ a competitive grant programĀ to pay for infrastructure projects that was createdā€”but not fundedā€”in 2018. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) had asked for $5 billion over the next five years. But the $2.5 billion included in the House agriculture committeeā€™s proposal would be a ā€œhuge

University Cybersecurity Is Still a Concern

By Lauren Coffey ybersecurity concerns rippled through higher edā€™s awareness in 2023, when a data breachĀ hit dozens of institutionsĀ across the nation. Nearly a year later, those breachesĀ are still occurring. MOVEit, a software product used by several universities and related organizations for file transfers,Ā announcedĀ Friday that it had found new vulnerabilities that could lead to further security problems. ā€œSo, no, your guard canā€™t be taken down,ā€ said Shawn Waldman, CEO of Secure Cyber Defense. ā€œOrganizations need to be on the highest alert possible, especially today.ā€ Higher education institutions are now markedly more prepared than they were last year, according to several cybersecurity

Saint Augustineā€™s board chair alleges that local business leaders are trying to force a merger with nearby Shaw

By Josh Moody As embattled Saint Augustineā€™s University fights for its survival amid severe financial issues, accreditation challenges and multiple lawsuits, Board of Trustees chairman Brian Boulware is alleging that local power players are trying to force a merger between SAU and Shaw University. The proposal would unite two historically Black universities in Raleigh, N.C., each with a history stretching back over 150 years. Prominent local community members are reportedly driving the idea, which Boulware and Saint Augustineā€™s current president opposeā€”even as the university faces an uncertain future. Shaw officials, meanwhile, have remained quiet on the potential merger. An Explosive

Nurses in Black-Serving Hospitals Experienced Increased Levels of ā€œMoral Distressā€ During the Pandemic

Courtesy of Pennsylvania State University A recentĀ studyĀ led by scholars at the University of Pennsylvania has found nurses working in hospitals with predominately Black patients experienced the highest levels of moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors collected data from 3,675 nurses at 90 hospitals from March 2021 to April 2021 and found nurses in Black-serving hospitals were twice as likely to experience moral distress than nurses from non-predominately Black-serving hospitals. Moral distress is defined as a feeling of being prevented from making a morally-ethical decision, which contributes to mental health challenges. Nurses under moral distress are more likely to

Democrats Propose Doubling Pell Grants, Expanding Access to Dreamers

By Matthew Arrojas Democrats are making another push to increase the maximum Pell Grant award as the 2024 election season heats up. Thirty-three senators and 28 members of the House of Representatives co-introduced theĀ Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion ActĀ on Thursday. The bill, among other things, would nearly double the maximum Pell Grant award and tie future funding to inflation to ensure the grant for low- and middle-income college students retains its purchasing power. This proposal would also open the program to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, commonly referred to as Dreamers. ā€œThe Pell Grant is the cornerstone of

How a Baltimore neuroscience study is rewriting Black Americaā€™s relationship with medical research

By Alia Sajani Priscilla Agnew-Hines will never be able to forget that day in early 2020. On March 26, just weeks after Covid-19 officially became a global pandemic, her son died from an overdose. Larry, 41, was a chef, a drummer for his gospel church, and the son who challenged Priscillaā€™s barbecue skills during summer cookouts. He also struggled with addiction. That, she knew. But what made him more prone to addiction? ā€œWhat part of the brain triggers mental illness?ā€ Priscilla asked during a recent interview. ā€œIf we continue to be quiet, no one will understand the process of mental

San Francisco Mayor Looks To Bring An HBCU Satellite Campus To The City

By Quintessa Williams San Franciscoā€™s Mayor, London N. Breed, hasĀ announced a planĀ to bring a satellite campus of a historically Black college or university (HBCU) to the city as part of herĀ 30 by 30 initiative. The proposal, namedĀ Black 2 San Francisco, aims to increase the cityā€™s population by 300,000 residents and students by 2030. The Black 2 San Francisco initiative, led by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, willĀ offer a city grantĀ to a selected HBCU to aid in the establishment of a satellite campus in downtown San Francisco. The campus will cater to

California’s Black legislators make case for reparations bills while launching statewide tour

By Kathryn Geiger Several members of Californiaā€™s Legislative Black Caucus launched a statewide tour in San Diego Saturday to promoteĀ a slate of 14 reparations bills, including a measure that could change the state constitution to end forced prison labor. That measure and several others designed to mitigate the effects of racism and slavery will face important legislative deadlines in the next two weeks. Caucus members and other reparations proponents said they will hold similar State of Black California community listening sessions events in six cities over the next five months. The Black Caucusā€™ 14 reparations bills tackle education, business, criminal

Free Sumner health expo with screenings for all, door prizes, lunch, more set for June

By Katie Nixon Free health and wellness services will be available to Sumner County residents of all ages later this month. Screenings for pediatrics, dental and adult health, plus other financial workshops, employment opportunities and CPR trainings are expected on June 29. The TN-Meharry Medical College HBCU Wellness Projectā€™s Health and Wellness EXPO “Wellness Begins With We” is scheduled from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at West Eastland Church of Christ, 342 W Eastland Ave in Gallatin. In previous years, more than 300 people have received services at the EXPO, Angelic Branding Owner and LeadĀ Strategist JonaeĢ Woods said. Only about 180 community

1 2 3 4 5 … 124