Women in STEM Slam Trump’s Anti-DEI Executive Orders
By Kimmy Yam While President Donald Trump’s executive orders have labeled diversity, equity and inclusion programs as “discriminatory,” several women who occupy STEM-related positions in the federal government slammed his directives as policies that only seek to widen the existing gender and racial divides. Concerns ranging from limited access to STEM careers to feeling unwelcome under the new administration, women scientists, engineers and other women federal employees told NBC News that they fear for their professional future. “If we really have a society where there’s ‘equal’ participation and anybody can do anything, then where are the women in STEM?” said one
Judge Halts Trump Admin’s Federal Resignation Deadline
By Melissa Quinn A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Office of Personnel Management’s deadline for federal employees to accept the Trump administration’s “deferred resignation” offer. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole prevented the agency from implementing the program’s deadline during a brief hearing held hours before federal workers were required to notify OPM of whether they would accept or reject the offer to step away from their positions. A Justice Department lawyer said OPM would provide notice to federal employees that the deadline is paused pending further legal proceedings. The agency said that it is extending the deadline for
Nationwide Protests Target Trump, Musk, and DOGE Policies
By Morgan Lee Demonstrators gathered in cities across the U.S. on Wednesday to protest the Trump administration’s early actions, decrying everything from the president’s immigration crackdown to his rollback of transgender rights and a proposal to forcibly transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Protesters in Philadelphia and at state capitols in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana and beyond waved signs denouncing President Donald Trump; billionaire Elon Musk, the leader of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency; and Project 2025, a hard-right playbook for American government and society. “I’m appalled by democracy’s changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks — but it started a long time ago,”
Trump Proposes U.S. Control of Gaza, Stuns Officials
By Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman When President Trump announced his proposal for the United States to take ownership of Gaza on Tuesday, he shocked even senior members of his own White House and government. While his announcement looked formal and thought-out — he read the plan from a sheet of paper — his administration had not done even the most basic planning to examine the feasibility of the idea, according to four people with knowledge of the discussions, who were not authorized to speak publicly. It wasn’t only the Americans who were scrambling; the announcement came as just as
Trump Proclaims February 2025 as Black History Month
By Jessica A. Botelho Despite rumors and misinformation, President Donald Trump recognized February 2025 as National Black History Month. As White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt promised, Trump signed a proclamation on Friday to honor the annual observance. “Every year, National Black History Month is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history,” the president noted in a news release. Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways,” he added. “American heroes such as Frederick Douglass,
Pritzker Bans Jan. 6 Rioters From Illinois State Jobs
By Natasha Korecki Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is blocking those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol from working in state jobs, ignoring President Donald Trump’s attempt to offer them a clean slate last week in a sweeping set of pardons and commutations. Late Thursday, Pritzker directed the state’s Department of Central Management Services, the state’s primary hiring authority, to restrict hiring of those who took part in the attack on the Capitol by declaring they had taken part in “infamous and disgraceful conduct that is antithetical to the mission of the State.” “These rioters attacked
Thousands Protest ICE Raids, Block 101 Freeway in LA
By Michele Theil The ICE protests began on Olvera Street in downtown LA and grew in size as the day went on, with thousands of demonstrators marching to City Hall. The protestors also walked onto the southbound lanes of the 101 freeway, at the Alameda Street exit, later blocking both sides of the 101. The LAPD tweeted a traffic advisory about the protest, warning commuters that the area was “under major gridlock.” The traffic jams continued on-and-off throughout the day until 4pm, when the LAPD announced that “demonstrators have exited the 101 freeway” and were instead gathering at the steps of City Hall. Although
Trump Nominees Face GOP Pushback in Senate Hearings
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
Trump Admin Reverses Federal Funding Freeze After Uproar
By Stacy M. Brown President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday rescinded a Project 2025-inspired order that had abruptly frozen most federal grants and loans, a sweeping directive that threw social service programs like Head Start, student loans, and Medicaid into disarray. The initial order, issued earlier in the week, sparked widespread confusion and disruption, prompting a swift legal challenge. On Tuesday evening, a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze, and by Wednesday, the White House pulled back the directive altogether. The order’s reversal came after mounting pressure from lawmakers, advocacy groups, and affected organizations. The White House insisted the move
WSSU Opens New Student Resource Center with Allegacy
Courtesy Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem State University students will have access to more food and clothing resources thanks to the generosity of Allegacy Federal Credit Union. Allegacy donated $120,000 to WSSU in 2023 to repurpose a former game room on the campus into the Allegacy Federal Credit Union Student Resource Center and has committed an additional $5,000 annually for the next five years to ensure its sustainability. A grand opening reception of the Student Resource Center will take place at 12 p.m. on Jan. 23 in Room 207 of the Cleon F. Thompson Student Services Center, followed by tours of
