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Federal judge temporarily halts the firing of 11 intelligence officers

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By Dan De Luce and Raquel Coronell Uribe A federal judge Tuesday ordered spy agencies to put on hold for five days the firing of 11 CIA and other intelligence officers who had been told to resign or face imminent dismissal because of their temporary assignments working on diversity, equity, inclusion and access programs. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga’s order gives the Trump administration until Thursday to file its response to a request from the intelligence officers for a temporary restraining order on their firing. The judge’s decision allows for the intelligence officers to continue to receive full pay and benefits while on administrative leave. The judge’s

Education Dept. Gives Schools Two Weeks to Eliminate Race-Based Programs

By Zach Montague The Education Department warned schools in a letter on Friday that they risked losing federal funding if they continued to take race into account when making scholarship or hiring decisions, or so much as nodded to race in “all other aspects of student, academic and campus life.” The announcement gave institutions 14 days to comply. It built on a major Supreme Court ruling in 2023 that found that the use of race-conscious admissions practices at colleges and universities was unlawful. But it went far beyond the scope of that decision by informing schools that considering race at all when making

What Linda McMahon’s Nomination To Education Department Could Mean For HBCUS, Black History

Written By Pride David Last Thursday, Linda McMahon, nominee for secretary of education, was questioned during her Senate confirmation hearing about her plans to continue funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the Pell Grant, among other key issues. Earlier this month McMahon met with Howard University President Ben Vinson III, where she vowed to continue supporting programs offered by the university, according to The Grio. She also expressed support for continued funding for HBCUs and the Pell Grant, which benefits 45% of Howard’s student population. Senators such as Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn. questioned McMahon’s stance on a

Trump’s Friday firings leave EPA Chicago office down dozens of scientists, staff

By Brett Chase In her short time at the Environmental Protection Agency, Nyla McCranie helped a central Ohio woman who complained that someone was burning lithium batteries near her rural home, creating an air pollution hazard. A scientist who is part of an environmental justice team in Chicago, McCranie put the woman in touch with the agency’s enforcement officials earlier this month, and the problem is being dealt with, she said. “She called us because she didn’t know where else to turn,” McCranie said of the woman. On Friday, less than three months after she started at the EPA, McCranie lost her

Washington Post Cancels Ad From Groups Calling for Trump to Fire Musk

By Julie Creswell An advertisement that was set to run in some editions of The Washington Post on Tuesday calling for Elon Musk to be fired from his role in government was abruptly canceled, according to one of the advocacy groups that had ordered the ad. Common Cause said it was told by the newspaper on Friday that the ad was being pulled. The full-page ad, known as a wraparound, would have covered the front and back pages of editions delivered to the White House, the Pentagon and Congress, and was planned in collaboration with the Southern Poverty Law Center

Legacy Admissions Hit Historic Low as More States Ban Practice at U.S. Colleges

By Walter Hudson Legacy preferences in college admissions have plummeted to their lowest recorded level, with just 24% of four-year colleges still considering family alumni status in admissions decisions, according to a comprehensive new report from Education Reform Now. The dramatic decline signals a potential end to a controversial practice that critics have long condemned as perpetuating inequality in higher education. The report, authored by James Murphy, director of Career Pathways and Postsecondary Policy, found that 420 institutions continue to provide admissions advantages to children of alumni, marking a sharp decline from previous years. The practice has seen particularly steep drops

$10 million settlement in Sonya Massey shooting case gets final approval

By Janelle Griffith Officials in Sangamon County, Illinois, have agreed to a $10 million settlement with the family of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed in her home last summer after she called police for assistance. The agreement reached last week between lawyers for Massey’s family and attorneys representing the county was unanimously approved Tuesday evening by the Sangamon County Board. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey’s family, held a virtual news conference Wednesday on what would have been her 37th birthday. Crump said it “is only the first step in the journey for justice.” “We want civil

Department of Education Orders End to Race-Based Programs Amid Fierce Pushback

By Walter Hudson The U.S. Department of Education has issued a sweeping directive ordering educational institutions to eliminate race-based considerations from admissions, hiring, and other programs, sparking immediate opposition from civil rights organizations, educational leaders, and advocacy groups. In a Dear Colleague Letter to schools receiving federal funding, the Department mandated the cessation of race preferences in areas ranging from admissions and hiring to scholarships and disciplinary actions. Schools that fail to comply within 14 days risk losing federal funding. “With this guidance, the Trump Administration is directing schools to end the use of racial preferences and race stereotypes in

Illinois Democrats vow to push back on Trump administration cuts to programs, staff

By Sean Lewis Members of Illinois’ Democratic delegation in Congress gathered Monday to rail against Trump administration cuts to the federal government at the direction of billionaire Elon Musk. The most recent cuts — hundreds of employees at the Federal Aviation Administration terminated — made headlines shortly before the delegation’s press conference at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, an organization that receives 84% of its $41 million budget from federal funds. Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has fired thousands of federal workers and either slashed or halted funding for a number of programs. “What is the plan?

George has his day, and so does Abe. But states honor US presidents in lots of ways

By John Hanna Is Presidents Day the most confusing holiday in the U.S.? States seem to have as many names for it and ideas about whom to honor as there have been presidents. The federal government doesn’t even recognize Monday as Presidents Day. It’s officially Washington’s Birthday, honoring the first president and the original American yardstick for measuring greatness. The holiday hasn’t been celebrated on Washington’s actual birthday of Feb. 22, or any other president’s birthday, for more than 50 years. Presidents Day became a popular name after the holiday was fixed to a Monday. The result is a jumble, causing

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