FBI Director Rejects Claims of Political Bias Within the Bureau 

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FBI director Christopher Wray defended his agency against Republican accusations of political bias Wednesday, dismissing claims he was “protecting” Democratic President Joe Biden’s family while going after former President Donald Trump, a Republican, and other conservatives.   “Absolutely not,” Wray retorted during a combative House Judiciary Committee hearing when asked by Republican member and staunch Trump supporter Matt Gaetz if he was “protecting the Bidens.”   “The FBI does not, has no interest in protecting anyone politically,” Wray said.   The hearing marked Wray’s first appearance before the oversight panel since Republicans recaptured the House of Representatives following the 2022 midterm elections.   Wray,more

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Former Trump Supporter Sues Fox News for Defamation

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A former Donald Trump supporter who became the center of a conspiracy theory about January 6, 2021, filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Wednesday, saying the network made him a scapegoat for the U.S. Capitol insurrection.  Raymond Epps, a former Marine who said he was forced from his Arizona home because of threats, is asking for unspecified damages and a jury trial.  He filed his lawsuit in Superior Court in Delaware, the same court where Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox for lies broadcast following the 2020 presidential election. Shortly before a trial was to begin this spring, Foxmore

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Chinese Student Hurt in Campus Shooting to Sue Michigan State U.

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A Chinese student injured at a shooting at Michigan State University intends to sue, MLive.com reports. Yukai “John” Hao alleges that the school “acted with gross negligence and failed to take reasonable steps to protect students and visitors on its campus from harm,” the site reports. The shooting left him paralyzed from the chest down, his lawyers say. Three students were killed and five more were injured Feb. 13 when a 43-year-old man allegedly came on campus and opened fire. (June 2023) …

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Iowa Republicans Pass Bill Banning Most Abortions After About 6 Weeks; Governor to Sign Friday

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Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy during a marathon special session Tuesday that continued late into the night. Governor Kim Reynolds immediately said in a statement she would sign the bill Friday.  The bill passed with exclusively Republican support in a rare, one-day legislative burst lasting more than 14 hours over the vocal — and sometimes tense — objections from Democratic lawmakers and abortion rights advocates protesting at the Capitol.   Just after 11 p.m., lingering protesters in the gallery booed and yelled “shame” to state senators in the minutes after themore

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Trump Can Be Held Liable in Writer’s Defamation Lawsuit After Justice Department Reverses Course

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The Justice Department on Tuesday said that Donald Trump can be held personally liable for remarks he made about a woman who accused him of rape — a reversal of its position that Trump was protected because he was president when he made the remarks.  In a letter filed with the judge presiding over a defamation lawsuit that columnist E. Jean Carroll brought in Manhattan federal court in 2020, the department says it no longer has “a sufficient basis” to conclude that Trump was motivated in his statements about Carroll’s claims by more than an insignificant desire to serve themore

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Applying to US Universities: What You Need to Know

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The Teen Mag has a guide for international students considering applying to U.S. schools. The article says it “aims to provide a comprehensive overview of key considerations for international students applying to U.S. universities.” Topics covered include scholarships, safety on campus and immigration and visa regulations. Read it here. (June 2023)    …

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Are the Humanities Really Dying?

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The U.S. media has run several stories recently on the “death of the humanities,” with undergraduate enrollments dropping by more than 50% at some schools. But Karin Beck, an associate dean at Lehman College in New York City, says this is misleading. Elite schools’ humanities programs are declining – but her school, which mostly serves low-income and first-generation students, is graduating more humanities majors than ever before. She argues that culturally sensitive and rewarding humanities classes can captivate anyone, even students who are assumed to lack interest. Weigh her arguments in Inside Higher Ed. (June 2023) …

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Biden, Sunak to Discuss Ukraine Ahead of NATO Summit

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The war in Ukraine will be high on the agenda Monday as U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet in London as allies prepare for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.  It will be the leaders’ sixth meeting in six months. In June, Biden hosted Sunak at the White House, committing to the Atlantic Declaration to cooperate on advanced technologies, clean energy, and critical minerals to counter China’s clout around the world.    Biden is also due to meet Monday with Britain’s King Charles before traveling to Vilnius, where it remains unlikely NATO will welcome Sweden as itsmore

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Biden Heads to UK, Seeks to Bolster ‘Close Relationship’

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THE WHITE HOUSE – President Joe Biden will seek to grow his “close relationship” with the United Kingdom, the White House says, when he pays his first visit to newly crowned King Charles III and meets with Britain’s political leader to strengthen the bond between the two nations ahead of a critical NATO summit that could determine the course of the conflict in Ukraine. London is the first stop on Biden’s three-nation tour, which begins Monday. He will then go to Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, for a summit of NATO leaders, and then to Helsinki, the capital city of NATO’s newest member,more

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Americans Divided Over Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

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Americans are divided by the Supreme Court overturning decades of precedent supporting affirmative action in college admissions, a policy that advantaged otherwise disadvantaged students from racial or ethnic minority groups.  “Unfortunately, race still matters in our society and affirmative action is essential in guaranteeing that everyone — not just the advantaged — benefit from an education that can serve as a pathway to upward mobility,” Coalition for a Diverse Harvard board member Michael Williams told VOA. Harvard University, along with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, were sued by Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit organization against racial classificationsmore

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What’s It Like to Find a Job Using OPT?

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The United States gives international students the option to work for a year after graduating, without receiving a work visa. But the process to apply is long, difficult and carries risks. Sarah Dittenber of Idaho Ed News profiled undergraduates who are beginning new jobs and contributing to Idaho’s economy, using the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. (June 2023) …

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US Refusing More Student Visas, Report Says

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ICEF Monitor, a dedicated market intelligence resource for the international education industry, has worrying news for international students seeking visas to study in the U.S. It says student visa refusals soared for 2022, with more than 1 in 3 students failing to get a visa. “This is both a notable increase in the overall refusal rate for F-1 applicants, and also considerably higher than the average rate for other non-immigrant visa classes,” ICEF Monitor notes. It takes a closer look at the trend here. (June 2023) …

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