Judge Rejects Trump’s Claim of Immunity from Criminal Charges

A U.S. judge on Friday said Donald Trump does not have immunity from criminal charges for actions he took as president, rejecting a bid by the Republican to toss out the case accusing him of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington found there was no legal basis for concluding that U.S. presidents cannot face criminal charges once they are no longer in office. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, can immediately appeal the ruling, which could delay the trial while an appeals court and potentially the Supreme Court weighmore

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US Congressman Santos Refuses to Resign, Says Expulsion Would Set Precedent

In his closing arguments for remaining a member of the House, a defiant Representative George Santos depicted himself as a victim of a smear campaign by some of his colleagues and made clear that he would not resign before a vote Friday on whether he should be expelled. The first-term Republican congressman from New York could well become just the sixth member of the House to have been ousted by colleagues. While Santos survived two earlier expulsion efforts, a critical House Ethics Committee report released on November 16 has convinced more members that his actions merit the House’s most severemore

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Biden Takes ‘Bidenomics’ to Colorado, Hits ‘MAGA’ Republicans

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday will tout his “Bidenomics” agenda, contrasting his economic vision with that of so-called “MAGA” Republicans, in remarks at CS Wind, the world’s largest wind tower manufacturer, in Pueblo, Colorado. CS Wind is expanding with a new $190 million facility that it directly attributes to the passage of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature climate and energy bill. The company said the expansion is set to be completed in 2028 and will create 850 jobs. Pueblo is a district represented by Republican Representative Lauren Boebert, a supporter of former President Donald Trump’s Make America Greatmore

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ACT Scores Have Fallen for Sixth Year in a Row

The ACT is one of two commonly used college admissions tests in the U.S. Scores have fallen year over year and are now at their lowest level in 30 years. The pandemic made students less ready for college, but the trend predates it. Joseph Pisani of The Wall Street Journal has more. (October 2023) …

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Do US News College Rankings Exclude International Students?

The rankings are the most popular in the U.S., but the rankings have changed their methodology amid recent criticism. Two professors, Ryan Allen and Tomoko Takahashi, argue that this new system is unfair to international students. It fails to capture their earnings after graduation and excludes them from its list of first-generation students. Weigh their arguments for yourself in Inside Higher Ed, (October 2023) …

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Recommendation Letters Are an Art Form 

Jim Jump spent over three decades as a college counselor at a high school in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia. He prided himself on writing impassioned and personalized recommendation letters for his students. Now retired, he looks back over the hard work, and uncertainty, of recommending a young person. Read his op-ed for Inside Higher Ed. (November 2023) …

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Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case Against OPT Visa Program

OPT provides temporary work authorization for international students in the U.S., and a government rule allows science and engineering students to stay an extra 24 months. This rule was challenged by an association of American IT workers, but the Supreme Court has declined to hear their case. Read more from Roy Maurer for the Society of Human Resource Management. (October 2023) …

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Colorado Judge Keeps Trump on Primary Ballot, Uncertain on General Election

A judge in the U.S. state of Colorado on Friday allowed Donald Trump to remain on the ballot in the state’s election next year, rejecting a bid to disqualify the former president over his actions before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. The ruling from Judge Sarah Wallace, which is almost certain to be appealed, is a victory for Trump who is fighting a series of challenges to his candidacy under a rarely used provision of the U.S. Constitution that bars officials who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding federal office. Themore

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Former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, 96, Enters Hospice Care

Former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter is in hospice care at home in Plains, Georgia, the Carter Center announced Friday. The center said the 96-year-old is at home with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, now 99. The Carter family said through the statement that they are “grateful for the outpouring of love and support.” The family announced earlier this year that the former first lady is suffering from dementia. The former president entered hospice care at home in February. They have been married for more than 77 years, through his rise from their Georgia farm to his election to themore

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