National News - Page 76

Politics Federal judge blocks Trump administration cuts to medical research funding

By Alexander Tin A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the National Institutes of Health from implementing steep cuts to how medical research grants are funded, after 22 states sued to stop the change. The ruling by District Judge Angel Kelley, who was nominated by President Biden in 2021, halts the policy pending further court arguments from states and the Trump administration. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21. “We will not allow the Trump Administration to unlawfully undermine our economy, hamstring our competitiveness, or play politics with our public health,” had said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell in a statement announcing

Eaton Fire Tragedy Hits NAACP Leader Rory Kaufman’s Family

By Robert J. Hansen A local community activist and his family are desperately trying to escape the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. The fire has already claimed two family homes and the remains of his mother. Just weeks before the fires, Rory Kaufman had been discharged from the hospital, battling his own health issues that required regular dialysis three times a week. Despite these challenges, he sought comfort and togetherness by traveling to Los Angeles to spend the holidays with his family. But what should have been a time of solace turned into a cascade of heartbreak. The day after

Sonya Massey’s Family Reaches $10M Settlement in Shooting

By Janelle Griffith and Minyvonne Burke Sonya Massey’s family has reached a $10 million settlement more than six months after she was shot and killed in her Illinois home by a deputy responding to her call about a possible prowler. Lawyers for Massey’s family and attorneys for Sangamon County reached the agreement last week after mediation, according to documents obtained by NBC News. The settlement must be approved by the county board, which was scheduled to meet Tuesday evening. The county’s board chairman, Andy Van Meter, said in a memo to board members obtained by NBC News that the settlement was part of the county’s

Jo Ann Clark Leads Life-Changing HBCU Tours for Students

By Reg Chapman Making sure young people have access to a quality education has been the mission of one St. Paul woman for more than 35 years. Jo Ann Clark founded the Thinking College Early Fair and, for the past 20 years, she has taken more than 1,000 young Black students on a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs. “I want them to understand how important an education is and that education can be a four-year, two-year, trade school or they may go into service as long as they are doing something they like,” said Clark. Progressive

Bill Gates Urges Trump to Preserve USAID Foreign Aid

By Megan Lebowitz  Billionaire Bill Gates, a philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, said he met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to advocate for continuing foreign aid disbursements from the U.S. Agency for International Development. “I went by the White House because there’s a lot in this transition, what we keep, in terms of foreign aid, what we keep — it’s all kind of up in the air,” he told NBC’s “TODAY” show anchor Savannah Guthrie in an interview. “And I’m doing my best to make sure we keep the things that I think are very value-based.”

Trump is reversing the Justice Department’s civil rights policies

By Chloe Atkins and Daniel Barnes Donald Trump kicked off his second presidential term with dozens of executive orders, many of which focus on hot-button culture war issues, from transgender and abortion rights to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The job of enforcing the administration’s position on those issues will largely fall to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. During past handovers between Democratic and Republican administrations, the Civil Rights Division has undergone major policy shifts. During the George W. Bush administration, for example, the division focused resources on fighting religious discrimination. After Barack Obama took office, the division prioritized preventing racial and ethnic discrimination.

Rutgers Cancels HBCU Conference Amid Trump DEI Ban

Rutgers University canceled its HBCU conference, said to spotlight HBCU leaders and students, in compliance with President Trump’s anti-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion executive orders scheduled for Jan. 30. The virtual conference, organized by Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s Center for Minority Serving, a way for students of diverse backgrounds to explore universities, fellowships, workplace development and scholarships catered to diversity and equity initiatives. However, after President Trump announced his “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” executive order, the event was promptly canceled. Announced on Jan. 20, the order’s purpose is to coordinate the termination of, “All discriminatory

NJ Nonprofits Fear Trump Grant Freeze Despite Court Pause

By Christine Sloan Even though President Trump’s executive order to freeze federal grants has been paused by two judges, some New Jersey nonprofits are concerned about money allocated for the coming year. Speaking for Democrats in the state, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker issued a warning to Mr. Trump on Monday. “If you come after my state, you will have a fight,” Booker said. “The problem is the chaos, the uncertainty, the fear” Booker and other Democrats say despite the temporary halt on Mr. Trump’s funding freeze, nonprofits, like those providing services for domestic violence survivors, are worried. “The problem is the

UNCF UNITE Summit 2025 to Offer Free HBCU Registrations

By Walter Hudson UNCF will host its annual UNITE Summit July 20-24, 2025, in Atlanta, marking a historic first by offering five complimentary registrations to every historically Black college and university (HBCU) and Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) nationwide. The five-day event at the Signia by Hilton Hotel will feature over 100 sessions focusing on institutional excellence, student success, research, economic mobility, and systems change. Building on 2024’s record-breaking attendance, the summit will include an opening gala, pre-summit workshops on institutional transformation, and sessions covering endowment growth, AI, and industry collaboration. “These institutions are vital engines of opportunity, resilience and innovation,”

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