Biden Designates National Monument Near Grand Canyon

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Declaring it good “not only for Arizona but for the planet,” President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a national monument designation for the greater Grand Canyon, turning the decades-long visions of Native American tribes and environmentalists into reality.  Coming as Biden is on a three-state Western trip, the move will help preserve about 4,046 square kilometers (1,562 square miles) just to the north and south of Grand Canyon National Park. It was Biden’s fifth monument designation.  Tribes in Arizona have been pushing the president to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create a new national monumentmore

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Differences Between Colleges and Universities for International Students

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Different countries use different names for education institutions, which can lead to confusion. For example, in Spanish-speaking countries, colegio means high school, so many international students ignore U.S. schools with “college” in the name. In the U.S., colleges are usually smaller and focused on undergraduates, while universities are larger and offer both graduate and undergraduate programs. Kelly Mae Ross and Anayat Durrani explain the difference in US News and World Report. (July 2023) …

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Judges Halt Rule Offering Student Debt Relief for Those Alleging Colleges Misled Them

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A federal appeals court on Monday halted a rule from President Joe Biden’s administration that could make it easier to obtain student loan debt relief for borrowers who say they were victims of misleading information about the quality of education they would receive. At issue is a rule broadening existing policy ending the debt of students who borrowed money to attend colleges and universities that are determined to have misled them on matters such as whether their courses would actually prepare them for employment in their field or the likely salary they would earn upon obtaining a degree. Career Collegesmore

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Where US Schools Are Recruiting International Students — Report

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According to a recent report, U.S. colleges are most interested in international students from India, with 57% prioritizing undergraduate outreach there. Outreach to Vietnam, South Korea and Brazil are next. For graduate students, India is again in first place, but China, Nigeria and Vietnam are also attracting strong interest. As U.S. enrollments decline, colleges are looking abroad — there were more than 900,000 international students in the U.S. in 2022. Read the report from Julie Baer and Mirka Martel of the Institute of International Education. (July 2023) …

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Conservative Groups Sue to Block Biden Plan Canceling $39 Billion in Student Loans

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Two conservative groups are asking a federal court to block the Biden administration’s plan to cancel $39 billion in student loans for more than 800,000 borrowers. In a lawsuit filed Friday in Michigan, the groups argue that the administration overstepped its power when it announced the forgiveness in July, just weeks after the Supreme Court struck down a broader cancellation plan pushed by President Joe Biden. It asks a judge to rule the cancellation illegal and stop the Education Department from carrying it out while the case is decided. The suit was filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance onmore

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Prosecutors Ask Judge for Protective Order After Trump Social Media Post

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The Justice Department has asked a federal judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump in Washington to step in after Trump released a post online that appeared to promise revenge on anyone who goes after him. Prosecutors on Friday requested that U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan issue a protective order concerning evidence in the case, a day after Trump pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and block the peaceful transition of power. The order, different from a “gag order,” would limit what information Trump and his legal team couldmore

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Prosecutors Ask Judge to Issue Protective Order After Trump Post Appearing to Promise Revenge

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The Justice Department has asked a federal judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump in Washington to step in after Trump released a post online that appeared to promise revenge on anyone who goes after him. Prosecutors on Friday requested that U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan issue a protective order concerning evidence in the case, a day after Trump pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and block the peaceful transition of power. The order, different from a “gag order,” would limit what information Trump and his legal team couldmore

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With Race-based Affirmative Action Out, College Admissions Essays Could Offer Insight

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The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled affirmative action, or preferential admissions for underrepresented groups, unconstitutional. However, the court ruling said applicants can still mention their background and life experiences in a personal essay. Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed writes that discussing race, whether as “discrimination, inspiration or otherwise,” is acceptable; going back to the old system, and engineering college cohorts by racial category, is not. With the rules unclear, colleges are struggling to obey the letter of the law. Read Jaschik’s article for more information. (July 2023) [[ …

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Public Investment Seen Aiding Struggling College Students in Getting Degree

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At CUNY, the public university system in New York City, officials found that investment in students increases their chances of graduating by almost double. CUNY’s highly successful ASAP program gives at-risk students financial aid, unlimited public transit access and intensive one-on-one advising. The city believes it’s a win-win, and claims the return is three times the investment because graduates earn more money and pay more taxes. Read more in an op-ed from Elizabeth Davidson Pisacreta and Katherine Giardello in The Hechinger Report. (July 2023) …

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Washington Closely Watching Niger After Coup

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The White House says it’s closely watching a coup in Niger, as the US Embassy prepares to evacuate staff from the West African nation. With the coup plotters staring down a Sunday deadline to reinstate the deposed democratically elected president, analysts say Moscow and Beijing are also monitoring Niamey – and looking for opportunities to widen their influence. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington. …

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US Colleges Consider How to Maintain Diversity on Campus After Affirmative Action Ruling

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The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions, ruling that consideration of a student’s race to help decide who is admitted to higher education institutions was unconstitutional. Yet there are other ways to keep college in reach for everyone: one is to admit the top graduates of every high school and another is to encourage more students to transfer in from two-year community colleges. Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed weighs the merits of each. (July 2023) …

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Trump to Face Different Jury Pools in Two Federal Indictments

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump will be facing two vastly different pools of possible jurors and judges with divergent views when he goes on trial in Washington, accused of illegally orchestrating an attempt to upend his 2020 election loss, and in Florida for allegedly trying to hoard classified national security documents. Trump was indicted by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday in the Washington case, and Trump is set to make his first court appearance on Thursday afternoon. A federal court grand jury handed up a four-count indictment alleging that Trump conspired to defraud the United States tomore

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Breakdown of Sprawling Election-Meddling Indictment Against Trump

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Donald Trump for years has promoted baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In truth, Trump was the one who tried to steal the election, federal prosecutors said Tuesday in a sprawling indictment that paints the former president as desperate to cling to power he knew had been stripped away by voters. The Justice Department indictment accuses Trump of brazenly conspiring with allies to spread falsehoods and concoct schemes intended to overturn his election loss to President Joe Biden as his legal challenges foundered in court. The felony charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith are builtmore

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Reaction to Indictment of Former US President Donald Trump

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s indictment on four federal charges for working to overturn his 2020 election loss drew reaction from across the political spectrum, including from his vice president at the time, Mike Pence, who said “anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.”  The indictment describes a series of events after the November election, culminating in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. The indictment says many in the “large and angry crowd” had been deceived by Trump into believing Pence could change the election results. more

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Trump Indicted Over Attempts to Overturn 2020 Election

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump continues to defy expectations as he surges ahead of other Republican contenders for the presidential nomination despite multiple indictments against him — and with words of support from some of his own rivals. As he was indicted again Tuesday over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, VOA’s Anita Powell looks at the unprecedented path of the former president. …

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Judge Assigned to Trump Case Known for Giving Capitol Rioters Stiff Penalties

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The federal judge assigned to the election fraud case against former President Donald Trump has stood out as one of the toughest punishers of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attack fueled by Trump’s baseless claims of a stolen election. She has also ruled against him before.  Trump is to appear Thursday before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, a former assistant public defender who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama. She often handed down prison sentences in January 6, 2021, riot cases that were harsher than Justice Department prosecutors recommended.  Trump was indicted Tuesday onmore

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Michigan Prosecutors Charge Trump Allies in Felonies Involving Voting Machines, Illegal ‘Testing’

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LANSING, Michigan — A former Republican attorney general candidate and another supporter of former President Donald Trump have been criminally charged in Michigan in connection with accessing and tampering with voting machines after the 2020 election, according to court records. Matthew DePerno, a Republican lawyer who was endorsed by Trump in an unsuccessful run for Michigan attorney general last year, was charged with undue possession of a voting machine and conspiracy, according to Oakland County court records. Daire Rendon, a former Republican state representative, was charged with conspiracy to commit undue possession of a voting machine and false pretenses. Bothmore

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Colleges Consider Guidance on Hosting Foreign Cultural Centers

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Many countries practice cultural diplomacy by funding research centers at colleges, such as Germany’s Goethe Institutes or the U.K.’s British Council. But in the U.S., China’s Confucius Institutes have been accused of stealing scientific research and intimidating campus critics of Beijing. A new report from the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine provides recommendations for colleges that aim to balance cultural openness with security risks. Natalie Schwartz of Higher Ed Dive summarizes the findings. (July 2023)   …

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Princeton Student Pleads Guilty of Joining Mob’s Attack on Capitol 

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A man who was a Princeton University student when the FBI arrested him on charges related to the U.S. Capitol riot pleaded guilty on Monday to joining a mob’s attack on police officers during one of the most violent clashes on January 6, 2021.  Larry Fife Giberson was on the front lines when rioters attacked police officers in a tunnel on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace. Giberson, 22, of Manahawkin, New Jersey, waved other rioters into the tunnel and then joined in a coordinated push against officers guarding an entrance to the building, according to a court filing.  Giberson triedmore

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Mother, 71, and Daughter, 50, Earn Degrees a Month Apart

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Yvonne Spann Sowers and her daughter Eyamba Sowers Scott say their thirst for lifelong learning brought them back to the classroom after fulfilling careers in public service. “I still felt like I needed to learn some more,” said Spann Sowers. They chose to become “non-traditional learners,” and despite age, self-doubt and medical issues, both succeeded. Read the whole story from Mary Walrath-Holdridge in USA Today. (July 2023) …

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