Democratic Sen. Cory Booker ended his record-setting speech the same way he began it, more than 25 hours earlier: by invoking the words of his mentor, the late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.
“He endured beatings savagely on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, at lunch counters, on freedom rides. He said he had to do something. He would not normalize a moment like this,” Booker said of Lewis’ work as a young activist during the Civil Rights movement. “He would not just go along with business as usual.”
“He said for us to go out and cause some good trouble, necessary trouble, to redeem the soul of our nation,” Booker said.
A break from “business as usual” was what Booker had in mind as he performed a feat of political endurance, holding the Senate floor for 25 hours and 5 minutes while delivering a wide-ranging critique of President Donald Trump and his policies.
In doing so, Booker of New Jersey broke the record for longest Senate floor speech, a mark that had belonged for decades to Strom Thurmond, the avowed segregationist from South Carolina who filibustered
the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Booker said he’d been aware of Thurmond’s record since first coming to the Senate in 2013 — a room near the Senate chamber is still named for him — and it bothered him.
Booker, a Black progressive, spoke about his roots as a descendant of both slaves and slave-owners as he invoked the Civil Rights movement, implicitly linking Lewis’ steadfast resistance to Jim Crow to the modern-day opponents of Trump’s reshaping of government and society. Throughout his speech he read letters from
Americans about the impact that Trump’s agenda is having on their lives, drawing historical parallels and warning that the country faces a “looming constitutional crisis.”
“This is a moral moment,” Booker said. “It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong.”
As Booker held the floor, dozens of members of the Congressional Black Caucus flanked the back of the Senate chamber in support, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Maxine Waters. Other CBC members kept close to the floor, including Sens. Angela Alsobrooks, Lisa
Wisconsin voters delivered a sharp rebuke to billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday, electing liberal Judge Susan Crawford to the state’s Supreme Court despite a record-breaking flood of cash and campaigning from Musk, who backed her conservative opponent, Judge Brad Schimel. Crawford’s victory ensures a continued 4–3
By Pulane Choane
liberal majority on the state’s high court and signals growing pushback to Musk’s rising political influence. With nearly all votes counted, Crawford held a commanding lead of about nine percentage points, defying $25 million in total spending tied to Musk and his network of political action committees.
“Today, Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy, our fair elections, and our Supreme Court,” Crawford said in her victory speech Tuesday night. “Wisconsin stood up and roared, saying that
justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale.”
Musk personally campaigned in Wisconsin, appearing at rallies and photo ops—including one where he wore a cheesehead hat—as he sought to frame the race as part of a broader campaign to reshape the federal government and state courts. His involvement appeared to energize Democratic voters and galvanize turnout, with early data showing exceptionally high participation for an offyear spring election. The race drew national attention not
only because of its recordshattering cost but also due to the implications it holds for abortion rights, labor protections, and congressional redistricting. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to rule on several pivotal issues in the coming months, including the legality of the GOP-drawn congressional maps that have helped Republicans win six of the state’s eight House seats, despite Wisconsin being evenly split politically. Democratic leaders had long argued that a
Officials in Minnesota are seeking answers in the case of a University of Minnesota graduate student who’s being detained by U.S. immigration authorities for unknown reasons.
University leadership said Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained the student Thursday at an offcampus residence. Officials said the school was
The memo from Lonnie G. Bunch III, the first African American to lead the Smithsonian Institution, was as much a message of reassurance as a call to vigilance.
Following President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order targeting what he labeled “antiAmerican ideology” in cultural institutions, Bunch acknowledged the growing
uncertainty and laid out a path forward. “We remain steadfast in our mission to bring history, science, education, research, and the arts to all Americans,” he wrote to staff. “We will continue to showcase world-class exhibits, collections, and objects, rooted in expertise and accuracy.” Trump’s order casts a long shadow over the Smithsonian, which, while not a federal agency, is a trust instrumentality of the U.S. government and operates under the guidance of a Board of Regents, including the Chief
Employees across the massive U.S. Health and Human Services Department received notices Tuesday that their jobs were being eliminated, part of a sweeping overhaul designed to vastly shrink the agencies responsible for protecting and promoting Americans’ health.
The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the federal government without many of the key experts who have long guided U.S. decisions on medical research, drug approvals and other issues. “The revolution begins today!” Health Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. wrote on social media as he celebrated the swearing-in of his latest hires: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the new director of the National Institutes of Health and Martin Makary, the new Food and Drug Administration commissioner. Kennedy’s post came just hours after employees began receiving emailed layoff notices. He later wrote, “Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs,” but said that the department needs to be “recalibrated” to emphasize disease prevention.
Kennedy announced a plan last week to remake the department, which, through its agencies, is responsible for tracking health trends and disease outbreaks, conducting and funding medical research,
Kevin Young, the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), is currently on personal leave and not leading the museum, according to Smithsonian officials. The leave began on March 14 and will continue for an “undetermined
and monitoring the safety of food and medicine, as well as for administering health insurance programs for nearly
A coalition of states sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its decision to cut $11 billion in federal funds that go toward COVID-19 initiatives and various public health projects across the country.
Attorneys general and other officials from 23 states sued in federal court in Rhode Island. They include New York Attorney General Letitia James and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, as well as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the District of Columbia. The lawsuit argues the cuts are illegal, and that the federal government did
not provide “rational basis” or facts to support the cuts. The attorneys general say it will result in “serious harm to public health” and put states “at greater risk for future pandemics and the spread of otherwise preventable disease and cutting off vital public health services.” The lawsuit asks the court to immediately stop the Trump administration from rescinding the money, which was allocated by Congress during the pandemic and mostly used for COVID-related efforts such as testing and vaccination. The money also went to addiction and mental health
The U.S. Bank executive killed when his plane crashed into a home in suburban Minneapolis died of blunt-force injuries, a medical examiner ruled Tuesday.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s
Office identified the sole occupant of the plane as Terrance Robert Dolan, 63, of Edina. The aircraft was a single-engine Socata TBM7, which went down Saturday in Brooklyn Park.
Dolan was vice chair and chief administration officer at Minneapolis-based U.S.
Bank. He was named chief administration officer in 2023 and had been with the company for more than 26 years. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the crash.
Dolan was flying back to Minnesota from Naples, Florida. After a stop in Des Moines, Iowa, he departed for the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, which is a few miles from the crash site.
A man inside the house escaped the resulting fire, but the house was destroyed.
At a moment when the nation is looking to take the political temperature of a country rocked by rapid-fire decisions on the federal level, Louisiana residents overwhelmingly rejected four ballot initiatives put in front of voters on March 29. The moment was a defeat for Republican Governor Jeff Landry. Grassroots organizers in Louisiana running the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, led by Gary Chambers and Ashley Shelton, led a series of town hall meetings from February 20 to March 11 to educate voters on the four initiatives and encourage them to “just say no” to all of them. Voters appeared to have listened. Close to two-thirds of voters in Louisiana rejected all the amendments. The moment takes place against the backdrop of raucous and packed town halls across the nation featuring citizens asking pointed
half the country. The plan would
By Lolita C. Baldor and Tara Copp Associated Press
Photo/Ben
National Museum of African American History and Culture Building in Washington DC, USA. A popular visitors and tourists destination in the capital city.
By Devna Bose and Lindsey Whitehurst Associated Press
By Carla K. Johnson
Medical Writer
Photo provided by Wikimedia Commons Kevin Young reading at the Library of Congress
By Lauren Burke
The revolution will be fact-checked: The movement needs media literacy
Columnist
By Haley Taylor Schlitz, Esq.
There’s something haunting about how truth reveals itself, sometimes quietly, sometimes by accident. That’s what happened when key figures within the Trump administration used the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate in real time about top-secret U.S. military strikes in Yemen. In an astonishing breach, they accidentally included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in the chat. But let’s be clear: the scandal is not just that a reporter was mistakenly looped into a conversation about classified operations. The scandal is that these conversations were happening on Signal at all. Not through secure, accountable
government systems designed for national security discussions, but through a disappearing-message app built to keep secrets hidden forever. That’s not just reckless. That’s deliberate.
Donald Trump is the sitting President of the United States. And as former President Harry Truman once said, “The buck stops here.” There is no passing this off. There is no blaming the press, no spinning this as fake news, no pretending this is just another partisan misunderstanding. The Trump administration made the conscious choice to use an app designed to erase history, and in doing so, they undermined the very systems of transparency and oversight that are meant to protect the American people. Yet instead of zeroing in on how dangerous this behavior is, some commentators and “personalities” have chosen to question the journalist who received the messages. That includes DJ Envy, a co-host of The Breakfast Club, who asked on-air, “Why would you
put it out there?” as if the real issue was Goldberg’s decision to report it, not the fact that Trump’s team was using a shadow communication system to discuss military strikes. That moment revealed a bigger problem. We are in an era of information overload, and too often, people mistake volume for value and charisma for credibility. Platforms like The Breakfast Club hold enormous influence in the Black community. But that influence
must come with responsibility, not just for those behind the mic, but for those of us listening. Because this isn’t just about one bad take on a hot topic. This is about how we, as a generation, learn to process information. It’s about recognizing when someone is giving an emotional opinion versus providing a factbased analysis. It’s about understanding that not every voice with a platform is speaking from a place of knowledge or accountability. And it’s about
refusing to confuse fandom with fact.
If we follow DJ Envy’s logic, that revealing something potentially harmful to America should be avoided, even when it’s the truth, then we have to ask: would he also say we shouldn’t release police body cam footage? Should we not show the truth of what happened to George Floyd? Breonna Taylor? Tyre Nichols? Should we hide the facts to protect some false sense of national image? That kind of thinking has long been used to silence our pain, bury injustice, and let the powerful off the hook. It’s not new, and it’s not acceptable. We need to be able to spot misinformation, even when it comes from people we follow or admire. We need to understand when the media we consume is informing us, and when it’s failing us. DJ Envy’s comments weren’t just uninformed; they were dangerous. They suggested that a journalist, upon being handed evidence of governmental
recklessness, should stay silent out of some vague sense of patriotism. But real patriotism means demanding accountability. Real patriotism means protecting democracy by exposing those who would abuse it. And real journalism, especially in a moment like this, is one of the few tools we have left to ensure that happens. Yes, Black media has a duty to raise the bar. But we, the consumers, have a duty too. We must sharpen our information literacy. We must ask ourselves who we trust and why. We must be willing to interrogate the narratives we’re fed, and not mistake emotional takes for political wisdom. This Signal scandal isn’t just about encrypted apps and accidental texts. It’s about how fragile democracy becomes when we let those in power hide in the shadows, and when we, the people, stop asking the right questions. We have to do better. All of us. Especially those of us who know what’s at stake.
MLK’s voice rings loud as Trump tries to erase Black History
By Stacy M. Brown
Fifty-seven years ago, an assassin’s bullet struck Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on a Memphis balcony, and in that single, devastating moment, the world lost a moral giant, and Black America lost one of its most powerful and courageous champions. April 4, 1968, didn’t just mark the end of a life, it ripped open the hearts of millions who had found hope in King’s dream, his faith, and his unrelenting pursuit of justice, equality, and peace. That loss remains fresh in the memory of those who understand that King’s legacy is not just historical, it is urgent, present, and needed now more than ever.
Today, as the MAGA movement pushes a whitewashed version of American history, and as the Trump administration and its far-right allies at the Heritage
Foundation threaten to release so-called “unflattering” information about King, many see the attempt for what it is: a desperate, racist agenda that seeks to destroy truth and suppress the voices of those who dared to imagine a better America. No matter how loudly the architects of Project 2025 plot their dismantling of civil rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion—no matter how brazenly they peddle disinformation and try to erase the accomplishments of Black Americans and other people of color—King’s words still thunder across generations. His sermons and speeches remain sacred texts for the American conscience, impossible to silence, inconvenient to white supremacy, and unyielding in their moral clarity.
In 1956, from the pulpit, King warned in “Paul’s Letter to American Christians”: “Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes… You can use
your powerful economic resources to wipe poverty from the face of the earth. God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.” For many, that sermon rings louder today as the current administration slashes programs for the poor while enriching the ultra-wealthy. It rings in the ears of every voter, activist, and dreamer who sees Project 2025 as an assault on progress and humanity.
In his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, King didn’t mince words: “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality… until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Police brutality still plagues Black communities. Voter suppression remains alive and well. Black children continue to be stripped of their selfhood. And some who sit in power seem all too eager to strip the word justice from every federal agency’s mission. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” reminds the comfortable that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
“It is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative,” King wrote. The MAGA movement’s calls to suppress protests, deny systemic racism, and erase uncomfortable truths from school curricula reflect that same white power structure— this time on a national scale. In 1964, during his “Nobel Peace Prize lecture,” King
cautioned that technological advancement without moral advancement was dangerous.
“There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance… We have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers,” he asserted. That spiritual poverty is evident in a political climate that prioritizes military aggression over human needs, censorship over dialogue, and authoritarianism over democracy.
By 1966, in his “Proud to be Maladjusted” speech, King declared: “I never intend to adjust myself to racial segregation and discrimination… to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few.” Many say if he were alive today, King would no doubt still be maladjusted. He would speak out against economic cruelty masked as policy and against those who demonize the poor while protecting billionaires. In
“The Other America,” delivered in 1967, King said, “A riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear?” He might ask the same question now, as protests are criminalized and the root causes—poverty, inequality, state violence— are deliberately ignored.
In his “Three Evils of Society” sermon, King condemned militarism, racism, and economic exploitation. “Unemployment rages at a major depression level in the Black ghettos, but the bipartisan response is an antiriot bill rather than a serious poverty program,” he declared. That quote could be lifted straight into today’s headlines as military budgets swell and social safety nets shrink. Then came his “Beyond Vietnam” speech—his most controversial, but perhaps his most prophetic.
“If America’s soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read ‘Vietnam,’” King insisted. He warned then that militarism abroad infects democracy
at home. The Trump administration’s embrace of global authoritarian regimes, its anti-immigrant agenda, and its disdain for diplomacy shows King’s warning was not heeded. And finally, just one day before his death, in “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” King declared, “All we say to America is to be true to what you said on paper… Somewhere, I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights.” Those words are a rallying cry in today’s political darkness. A reminder that freedom of speech, assembly, and the fight for justice are not fringe ideas. They are fundamental to what America claims to be. So, while Trump, with the guidance of Project 2025, attempts to rewrite reality, King’s words have already been written in the hearts of generations. And as long as injustice exists, his voice will echo—not just in Black America but throughout the world. “We are going on. We need all of you.”
Habitat for birds and pollinators coming to North Minneapolis parks later this year
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is building and enhancing habitat connections within the Mississippi Flyway and 26th Avenue habitat corridor in North Minneapolis.
Farview, Glen Gale, and Jordan parks will have new habitat as part of improvements projects that are underway at each location. Strategically reducing turf grass in some areas at each park will allow space for varied habitats to support birds that migrate along the Mississippi Flyway, as well as pollinators and other wildlife.
Construction is planned for summer and fall 2025 at each location.
This pilot project will enhance connectivity within the Mississippi Flyway by linking urban neighborhood parks to the Mississippi River through habitat expansion within the 26th Avenue North corridor.
The Mississippi Flyway is a migration route between Canada and the Gulf
of Mexico that follows the Mississippi River for much of the way, including through Minnesota. Millions of birds use the Flyway each year during their spring and fall migrations. The MPRB identified the 26th Avenue North corridor and nine other corridors across the city that connect parks with a lot of existing and or water habitat.
To determine which of those ten corridors to prioritize, a joint technical and project advisory committee made up of MPRB staff, other agencies, and related community organizations developed a set of criteria to rate each corridor based on categories that included habitat and environment, equity, Green Zones, connections, and opportunities. The 26th Avenue North corridor rated the highest. The project is funded through a grant from the Environmental and Natural Resources
Trust Fund, recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.
Farview Park A new trail will lead through the planned adventure hillside play area, weaving through newly established woodland/mesic oak forest and oak savanna habitats. The trail will culminate at top of the hill: One of the highest points in Minneapolis, this little-known Northside gem offers stunning views of the Mississippi River, downtown skyline and beyond.
Habitats to be created: Prairie/Pollinator Woodland/Mesic Oak Oak Savannah Glen Gale Park Improvements at this location will integrate new wetland/prairie plantings with stormwater filtration areas and also include pollinator plantings surrounding the playground and other amenities that are park of the planned improvements project.
Photo by Maria Pestova
A group portrait of black people. African American men and women. Black History Month. Cartoon, flat, vector illustration
Blunt Rochester and Raphael Warnock. Before Booker surpassed Thurmond’s 68-yearold record, Jeffries said Booker’s speech was “an incredibly powerful moment ... because he is fighting to preserve the
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when Donald Trump took the oath of office as President of the United States. Booker offered,
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Crawford victory could create more competitive districts.
American way of life and our democracy. And the record was held by Strom Thurmond who was actually defending Jim Crow segregation.”
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., a close friend of Lewis who represented the neighboring district in metropolitan Atlanta, said Booker’s speech was “an act of resistance.”
“The American people want to see us as their representatives do everything we can to resist the encroachment
“And so I’m hoping this will serve as one of many ignition points for people to think about what we can do to create a movement to stop Donald Trump. “Booker’s protest took a physical toll. In interviews after his historic floor speech, he said he was sometimes ” cramping ” up. The cold water his team
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York recently noted the opportunity to flip one or two Republicanheld seats in the state if the court redraws the maps. Republicans and Musk attempted to make that argument the centerpiece of their campaign against Crawford, warning of activist overreach. Musk’s super PAC reportedly funded a $11.5 million ground operation, and another group with ties to him spent $7.7 million on TV ads, according to media tracking firm AdImpact. In addition to massive ad buys, Musk’s
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experienced gun violence, congregation without purpose, and public infrastructure neglect. “There were shootouts here,” she recalled. “There are still bullet holes in the fences.” As a former tenant in the same building, she recognized both the need and the potential for change. Owning the building would for her be the turning point as it would then give her the power to determine who occupied the space and in that way give her autonomy over the kind of energy that would be cultivated in that space as well as how that would all contribute to transforming that corner. This transformation didn’t happen in isolation but instead, ZaRah grew out of a collaboration with three other Black women business owners who initially formed a wellness co-op inside a small suite. They offered services like massage therapy, herbalism, acupuncture, and energy healing. What began as a shared experiment in cooperative
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business blossomed into a fullfledged retreat center that now employs a dozen people and serves the broader community with both traditional and ancestral healing practices. “We have a Himalayan salt room, we do herbal therapy, we even offer services informed by Dr. Sebi,” McKnight Ahad said. “But most of all, we offer people a place to heal and grow economically.”
Ownership, in her model, is not about individual accumulation. It is about shifting the culture and the power dynamics of a neighborhood. By owning the building, she can set affordable rental rates, subsidize other Black women entrepreneurs, and create an ecosystem that is regenerative rather than extractive. “I can lower operational costs for others because I carry the weight in ownership,” she explained. “That helps them stay in business, grow, and stabilize their families. That’s wealth building.”
For host, McFarlane, this approach aligns with a deeper, intergenerational view of Black economic survival.
Drawing on his childhood experiences in his parents’ grocery store in Kansas City and his travels to Jamaica,
Justice, Vice President, and members of Congress. The order directs Vice President J.D. Vance, an ex-officio regent, to work with the board on content oversight—an unprecedented move that has left many within the institution and across the Black community alarmed. The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), opened in 2016 under Bunch’s leadership, was directly criticized in the executive order. Its mission to unearth and share America’s untold Black history once praised as groundbreaking, is now being reframed by Trump as an example of what he sees as divisive, anti-patriotic content. Bunch’s memo doubled down on the Smithsonian’s long-standing commitment to truth, transparency, and historical scholarship. “As an Institution, our commitment to scholarship and research is unwavering and will always serve as the guiding light for our content,” he stated. “For more than 175 years, the Smithsonian has been an educational institution devoted to continuous learning with the public in mind and driven by our most important mission – the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” Bunch added. “We remain committed to telling the multi-
on our liberties and the taking away of benefits,” Johnson said. Booker’s speech captured attention at a time when Democrats have grown frustrated and despondent at their inability to stop Trump’s plans. Locked out of power in Congress and the executive branch, Democrats have struggled with how to take on Trump and the slashing of government being carried out by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
gave him was like “ambrosia.”
Booker “fasted” days before the Monday night Senate floor takeover that he and his team planned days before the historic Monday night event. During an interview with Rachel Maddox on MSNBC, Booker said his “heart rate” rose four hours into the landmark event.
efforts offered Wisconsinites financial incentives to oppose so-called activist judges. His super PAC offered $100 for signing petitions and $50 for posting photos outside polling places—tactics that raised concerns about voter influence and legality. But those tactics appeared to backfire. “There’s an insane situation going on with the Trump administration, and it feels like Elon Musk is trying to buy votes,” said
McFarlane emphasized the importance of early exposure to entrepreneurship. He described how, in Jamaica, Chinese families would raise their children in the store, literally placing toddlers behind the counter to watch and learn.
“Those kids knew from age two that they were supposed to be on the merchant’s side of the counter,” he said. “That was their role. It was ingrained.” McFarlane believes this cultural modeling is essential for reversing what he sees as the disempowering effects of modern consumerism.
“We’re great consumers, but we’ve forgotten how to be producers,” he said. “We need to rebuild that entrepreneurial mindset across generations, across institutions.”
Both McFarlane and McKnight Ahad argue that reclaiming economic agency requires more than business acumen. It demands a spiritual and cultural framework. For McFarlane, this is grounded in the principles of Nguzo Saba, the value system articulated during Kwanzaa but applicable yearround. Cooperative economics, self-determination, collective work and responsibility are not abstract ideas, he said. They are
faceted stories of this country’s extraordinary heritage.” That commitment is under direct threat, Black scholars argue. Writing for The Medium, education expert Dr. Jerry W. Washington called the order part of “the fight over American memory,” a political war that has increasingly targeted race-based historical narratives. “Over months of discussing cultural memory wars, the removal of DEI content, and the nuances of racial dialogue, I’ve seen this gap widen,” Washington wrote. “It highlights a fundamental divergence not just in policy preference, but in how we interpret history, power, and truth itself.” Washington and others see the executive order as an extension of Trump’s
Grassroots liberal organizers have been urging major Democratic figures to take a more combative approach. Some hoped that Booker’s speech would offer the party lessons going forward. Booker “is reminding all of America and his own party, not simply to stand for what we’re against, but to stand up for what we believe in,” said Brittany Packnett Cunningham, an activist who helped lead the 2014 protests against police
Booker was wearing a ring that monitored his heart rate. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, says she was “ honored” to witness a moment that rallied Democrats and others “telling us we will get through this administration.” Beatty, also a member of the Congressional
Kenneth Gifford, a 22-year-old Milwaukee college student after casting his ballot. “I want an actual, respectable democracy.” Democrats seized on Musk’s presence as a galvanizing force. “People do not want to see Elon Musk buying election after election after election,” Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler said ahead of the vote. “If it works here, he’s going to do it all over the country.”
survival tools. McKnight Ahad deepened this point by addressing the financial trauma that often haunts Black communities. She linked it directly to the historical violence faced by successful Black entrepreneurs, especially men, who were targeted, lynched, and destroyed for their ambition. “They beat ownership out of us,” she said. “You didn’t just lose your store; you lost your life. So, we inherited a kind of fear… ‘Don’t buy a house, they’ll burn it down. Don’t trust the bank, they’ll steal your money’. That fear shapes our choices.”
This generational trauma, she argued, makes entrepreneurship in Black communities not just an economic act, but an act of courage. She also pointed out how contemporary realities (which among others, include rising costs, strained public resources, and demographic shifts) are adding to that fear she spoke of earlier. “We’re almost sub-service in our own neighborhoods,” she said, noting that Black residents often find themselves behind recent migrants in food lines and healthcare access. “We
2020 directive banning diversity training in federal agencies—an action that set the stage for a conservative backlash against critical race theory (CRT) and racial equity initiatives. “CRT became a catch-all term—a manufactured villain used to silence any acknowledgment of systemic racism, white privilege, or the real struggles of marginalized communities,” Washington noted. “It was never about theory. It was about control.” That control has since expanded. Dozens of states have enacted vague educational gag orders aimed at stifling classroom conversations about race and history. DEI programs have been dismantled across colleges and public institutions. Now, with the
brutality in Ferguson, Mo. “I think he recognized that people are looking for our leaders to have the moral clarity to declare that what’s happening is wrong, and to determine, to do something about it,” she said. As Booker’s marathon speech drew to a close, he recalled the last conversation he ever had with Lewis, who was known for his acts of civil disobedience in Congress throughout his career
Black Caucus, watched Booker challenge the “administration to protect our Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and so much more.” Booker discussed the economy, veterans, immigration, education, federal firings, and other Trumpimpacted areas. The “moral” imperative was also a focal
until his passing in 2020. Booker recalled telling Lewis, “we’ll do everything possible to make you proud.” And he said he had no doubt what Lewis’ message would be if he were alive today. “John Lewis would say, do something,” Booker said. “He wouldn’t treat this moral moment like it was normal.”
point of the Booker moment by getting into “good trouble.” Late civil rights icon and Georgia Congressman John Lewis was a focus for Booker’s history-making moment as his touch point for this civil protest on the Senate floor.
Former President Barack Obama took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Crawford and the people of Wisconsin “for electing a judge who believes in the rule of law and protecting our freedoms.” Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who also donated to Crawford’s campaign, didn’t mince words in his post: “Elon Musk is not good at this.” Crawford, 60, will serve a 10-year term in court. Her win adds to a string of recent Democratic victories across the country, including state legislative races in Iowa and Pennsylvania and the defeat of four Republican-backed ballot measures in Louisiana. While Republicans maintained their grip on two congressional seats in Florida on Tuesday, Crawford’s win could signal that Musk’s deep pockets and increasing alignment with Donald Trump are igniting more opposition than support.
already had less. Now there’s fear we will have even less like Chicago.”
Both speakers called for immediate and localized responses. McKnight Ahad emphasized that institutions, especially those led by Black people, must become more flexible and responsive. “Your wellness center might need to be a school next week. A food shelf. A clinic. We need to be ready to pivot.”
McFarlane echoed this sentiment by urging a shift from reactive to proactive thinking. “We cannot keep waiting for permission or rescue. This is our moment to design something new.”
Their conversation also engaged in the broader political landscape. As McFarlane read headlines about new executive orders on elections and trade tariffs, both speakers reflected on how macroeconomic and political shifts often trickle down hardest on those least protected. Yet they remained focused on local agency.
“What can we do today, right now, on this block, in this building?” McFarlane asked. “How do we become the architects of our own future?”
Smithsonian—the keeper of the nation’s collective memory— under the microscope, Black historians and curators fear a broader erasure. “The campaign effectively poisoned the well,” Washington wrote. “Making any substantive discussion of systemic racism politically toxic.” For many Black Americans, the concern is deeper than academics. It’s personal. The Smithsonian’s inclusive storytelling—exemplified by the NMAAHC—has provided generations with a long-denied mirror to see themselves in the American narrative. To have that narrative constrained or rewritten at the behest of political power is to have identity and truth under siege.
McKnight Ahad’s answer was both clear and expansive. “We need to develop a collective vision for the next 20 to 30 years. It has to include diverse truths, different strategies, and shared goals. Everyone doesn’t have to be an entrepreneur, but everyone has a role to play.”
In North Minneapolis, that vision is already taking root. At the ZaRah Integrated Root Center, healing, culture, spirituality, and economics are not separate, they are inseparable. Ownership is not about status; it’s about stewardship. And entrepreneurship is not just about making money; it’s about making meaning. As McKnight Ahad put it, “We’re not just in business. We’re in service. That’s what makes this sacred.” What emerges from this conversation is not a blueprint in the technical sense, but a cultural framework shift in how Black communities see themselves, their power, and their future. It’s a reminder that economic sovereignty does not begin in the marketplace. It begins at home, behind the counter, on the sidewalk, in the community, and in the spirit.
“As we have done throughout our history,” Bunch wrote, “the Smithsonian will work with the Board of Regents, including the Chief Justice, Vice President, and our congressional and citizen Regents.” But he made clear that the Institution’s compass remains unchanged: “The board understands and appreciates the Institution’s mission, as well as the importance of scholarship, expertise, and service to the American public.” Still, the fight over who gets to define America’s story is far from over. “The consequences are real,” Washington warned. “This is about more than exhibits. It’s about erasing the truths that make America whole.”
period,” according to Kevin Gover, the Smithsonian’s under-secretary for museums and culture. Shanita Brackett, the museum’s associate director of operations, has stepped in as acting director. Young has served as director since January 2021, succeeding Lonnie G. Bunch III after Bunch became Secretary of the Smithsonian. Under Young’s leadership, the museum launched a digital “Searchable Museum” in the fall of 2021 and kicked off its $350 million “Living History” campaign the following year. His unexpected leave comes as former President
Donald Trump escalates efforts to reshape national cultural narratives. A recent executive order issued by Trump directs Vice President J.D. Vance to work with the Smithsonian Board of Regents on content oversight. That directive has alarmed museum officials, historians, and members of the Black community, who see it as a direct attempt to influence how history is presented, particularly Black history. The order has cast a spotlight on the NMAAHC, which opened in 2016 under Bunch’s leadership. Once praised for unearthing America’s untold Black stories, the museum is now facing political scrutiny for content Trump labeled as divisive and anti-patriotic. Bunch addressed the situation in a memo to Smithsonian staff writing that the institution “will
local leaders called on federal authorities to explain their actions.
“My office and I are doing all we can to get information about this
continue to showcase worldclass exhibits, collections, and objects, rooted in expertise and accuracy.” He wrote that the Smithsonian “remains steadfast in our mission to bring history, science, education, research, and the arts to all Americans.”
Young’s museum career began in 2005 at Emory University, where he taught English and creative writing and served as a curator at the university’s rare books library. In 2016, he became director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library, one of the oldest Black cultural institutions in the United States. During his five-year tenure, he raised $10 million in funding, launched a literary festival, boosted attendance by 40 percent, and acquired archives from cultural icons,
concerning case,” Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in a post on the social media site X. “We’re in contact with the University and understand they had no prior
including Harry Belafonte, Sonny Rollins, and James Baldwin. An author of 16 books of poetry and nonfiction, Young also serves as poetry editor for The New Yorker. The executive order follows Trump’s earlier efforts to dismantle racial equity initiatives, including his 2020 directive banning diversity training in federal agencies. Historians say those efforts have evolved into a larger campaign targeting how race, power, and history are discussed nationwide. Dr. Jerry W. Washington, an education expert who has written extensively about the cultural and political battles over historical memory, described the Trump-led effort as part of “the fight over American memory.”
In an article for The Medium, Washington wrote, “It highlights a fundamental divergence not
warning or information that led to this detainment.” She said that international students are “a major part of the fabric of life in the school and our community.”
just in policy preference, but in how we interpret history, power, and truth itself.” He pointed to the national backlash against critical race theory as evidence of a strategy designed to eliminate discussion of systemic racism and white privilege. “CRT became a catch-all term—a manufactured villain used to silence any acknowledgment of systemic racism, white privilege, or the real struggles of marginalized communities,” Washington wrote. “It was never about theory. It was about control.” Since Trump’s 2020 directive, more than 30 states have introduced or passed laws banning certain classroom discussions of race and history. Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs have been dismantled across school districts, colleges, and public agencies.
The Smithsonian, which is considered the nation’s most visible repository of historical scholarship, is now being pulled into that campaign. Bunch told staff that the Smithsonian would continue to work with its Board of Regents, which includes the Chief Justice, the Vice President, and members of Congress. He noted the board’s role in guiding the institution and its understanding of “the importance of scholarship, expertise, and service to the American public.” Washington warned that what’s at stake is much deeper than a shift in policy. “This is about more than exhibits,” he wrote. “It’s about erasing the truths that make America whole.”
At The Legislature
Legislators hear bill aiming to close racial gap in homeownership
By Margaret Stevens
Minnesota has one of the largest racial gaps in the nation when it comes to home ownership.
While approximately 70% of white households own their homes, about 30% of Black households do. Moreover, an estimated 60% of Black households are cost burdened when it comes to housing, which is double the statewide rate.
Aiming to address this gap, Rep. Huldah
Momanyi-Hiltsley (DFLBrooklyn Park) sponsors
Conversions
By Rob Hubbard
HF2507, which would establish an African American workforce and affordable home ownership development program. It would appropriate an unspecified amount from General Fund for a grant program for land acquisition, site development, planning and design, to provide affordable homes targeting African American buyers, builders and developers.
The House Housing Finance and Policy Committee laid the bill over Tuesday.
Momanyi-Hiltsley said the bill represents a bold, community-driven effort to close
one of the most persistent and painful racial gaps in the state.
“I know owning a home means more than a roof over your head. It means safety, security and legacy,” Momanyi-Hiltsley said, adding there are generational consequences to being locked out of home ownership.
St. Paul NAACP
Vice President Nieeta Presley said local groups have been working hard to increase Black home ownership, but those organizations are inadequately resourced. “Minnesota would gain mightily by investing in
from commercial to
Tax increment financing is kind of like borrowing from the future. Cities can create “TIF districts” to help finance the redevelopment of a blighted section of town, diverting funds raised by expected future property tax increases.
But if those municipalities want to veer from the parameters of TIF law in statute, they go to the Capitol and ask for permission. And Tuesday was such a day in the House Taxes Committee. Requests for special rules
or extensions for their TIF districts were heard from Maple Grove, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Maplewood, Oakdale, St. Paul and Minneapolis officials.
But one bill stood out because of its novel approach to using tax increment financing.
Rep. Athena Hollins (DFL-St. Paul) is sponsoring HF2574, which is designed to make it possible for Minneapolis and St. Paul to convert vacant or underused commercial or industrial buildings to residential housing.
“This general law change will help all of us to address more citywide housing
housing
in
the smart, targeted provisions of the bill. Increased economic security for Black Minnesotans means economic gains for all Minnesotans.” Rep. Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth) recounted the not-too-distant history of Duluth, which tried to prevent a dockworker and first Black resident of Duluth from moving there, efforts that included a petition started by the mayor. “Huge kudos to you and keep going,” Kozlowski said to bill supporters.
Minneapolis, St. Paul could get a boost from TIF
activation, unsheltered support and public safety to lift up what we have to offer,” Hollins said. “Meanwhile, we’ll showcase that St. Paul and Minneapolis are vibrant destinations for visitors with opportunities for business.”
The committee laid the bill over for possible omnibus bill inclusion.
The bill would allow the state’s two largest cities to establish three exceptions to the state’s TIF rules: Usually, blight must be found in the area where a TIF district is established. The bill would expand the blight definition to include
vacant or underused properties in Minneapolis or St. Paul. Except for housing districts, a tax increment
financing district can only be established if it’s expected that the site’s market value would basically double what it would be without the financing. The bill would exempt from that requirement redevelopment districts established to convert vacant or underused buildings.
Borrowing from a process used in some disaster areas, the original net tax capacity of property in redevelopment districts established to convert vacant or underused buildings would equal the value of the land.
Nicolle Newton, St. Paul planning and economic
development director, spoke of how the bill would allow the two cities to continue the conversion of their downtowns from primarily commercial property to chiefly residential. “Times have changed,” she said. “Needs have changed. Uses have changed. We have structures that used to do one thing that need to do something else now. And they may not
Bill seeks $96.5 million annually to secure funding for early learning scholarships
By Todd Abeln
Early learning scholarships provide funding for children to attend a high-quality early learning program.
In an effort to keep that program alive and well, HF470 would appropriate $96.5 million annually in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to the Early Learning Scholarship program and makes the appropriation ongoing.
Rep. Nolan West (R-Blaine), the bill sponsor, admitted Tuesday that appropriation will be much less at the end of the session but thinks that the program is too valuable to not fund at all.
“I will fight vigorously for us to find some money to continue this program as much as we possibly can. With the budget deficit, it does make it difficult but I don’t think this is the program that would be appropriate to let it stop,” he told the House Children and Families Finance and Policy
Committee, which he co-chairs.
To be eligible for a scholarship, children must be ages birth to 4 years old on Sept. 1 of the current school year, and families must also meet eligibility requirements.
The scholarship must be used at a program rated by Parent Aware, Minnesota’s quality rating and improvement system.
Currently, there are about 10,000 scholarship recipients each month.
“Early learning scholarships will provide resources to ensure that families can enroll and gain access to quality care. We understand that when families have access to affordable child care, it allows parents to participate in the workforce, boosting the state’s economy. Minnesota’s economy loses $2.1 billion annually due to the child care challenges,” wrote David Dominick, director of public policy for the Minnesota Alliance of YMCAs.
Corinne Martin was a recipient of an early learning
scholarship, and it helped her get back on her feet from addiction.
“Getting a scholarship changed our lives and marked the start of our family’s independence,” she said. “I was able to work on getting my license unsuspended, filing for child support, joining a legal aid program, then filing for divorce, finding an affordable car and then finally being able to drive my car. I built a resume, got a job and then I was finally able to go back to college. Things I could never do in my addiction were also things I could never do if I had to worry about taking care of (my daughter) Oakland for the entire day.”
Not only does the scholarship help families and children but it helps the community, said Allison Gettings, president and chief executive officer of Red Wing Shoes.
“Access to quality child care is fundamentally important not only for parents and for families, but for
Education policy bill tackles teacher shortages, student health
By Brian Basham
More post-secondary eligibility options for charter school students, permanently adding a substitute teacher pilot program and an expansion of allowable epinephrine delivery systems have all made it into the omnibus education policy bill. The House Education Policy Committee received a walkthrough of a deleteall amendment to HF1306 Tuesday. The committee plans to review amendments and act on the bill Wednesday.
“I think both sides of the aisle can really see their work reflected in this bill. It’s a good little education policy bill,” said Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL-Mpls), the bill sponsor.
Adosh Unni, director of government relations for the Department of Education, said a lot of Gov. Tim Walz’s education proposals were incorporated into the bill. However, he said, the department would like to see more including charter school transparency and accountability, allowing tribal schools to be eligible for state grants and anti-bullying statutes.
“The provisions we put forward this year demonstrate our agency responsibility to statutory integrity and make clear that accountability matters for all of
our public schools,” he said.
More substitute teachers To create opportunities for more substitute teachers, the bill would make the short-call emergency substitute teacher pilot program permanent. It allows qualifying education support personnel or paraprofessionals to obtain a short-call substitute teacher license.
The bill would also allow a substitute teacher to
work for 10 consecutive school days in the same assignment and modify requirements to substitute teacher rate of pay.
Epinephrine inhalers To keep up with changing health technology, the bill would expand the allowable delivery systems for epinephrine in schools from only autoinjectors to include other delivery systems, such as inhalers. It would also require the Health Department to
provide a school with a standing order for distribution of epinephrine delivery systems.
“The work that we do and the changes that we’re making here will save lives, and I think that that’s really powerful,” said Rep. Heather Keeler (DFLMoorhead).
Inspector general modifications Several provisions would be modified relating
to the Office of the Inspector General, including the addition of theft prevention and detection to its purpose and duties.
It would also provide immunity for whistleblowers making a good faith report or participating in an investigation and require the inspector general to recommend to the commissioner to withhold, not directly withhold, payments to a participant in any department program if there is a credible allegation of fraud or theft. “Since the initial creation of the MDE OIG in 2023, we worked together with the Legislature to enhance and clarify authority, and this continued partnership is critical to upholding program integrity and preventing fraud,” Unni said. The bill would also: open the post-secondary enrollment options to charter school students; require the Education Department to report language development outcomes of the target language of instruction other than English for all students in dual immersion programs, and; allow a school board to adopt a Pathways in Technology Early College High School program without department approval. And the department would be prohibited from approving or denying a locally adopted P-TECH plan. The following are selected bills that have been incorporated in part or in whole into the omnibus education policy bill:
businesses in our community to remove barriers for parents entering the workforce. Scholarships connect children
and low-income families to quality, early care and education. We’ve seen this kind of investment has shown to have
extraordinary public
Photo by Michele Jokinen Nieeta Presley, vice president of the St. Paul NAACP, testifies April 1 in support of HF2507. Sponsored by Rep. Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley, the bill would authorize the establishment of the African American workforce and affordable homeownership development program witht the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.
Rep. Athena Hollins House Photography
Sports
NBA suspends 5 following Pistons-Timberwolves scuf
Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart was suspended for two games and four other players from the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves drew one-game suspensions for their roles in an on-court altercation between the teams earlier this week, the NBA said Tuesday.
Stewart got two games “based in part on his repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts,” the league said.
The NBA handed the one-game bans to Detroit’s Ron Holland II and Marcus Sasser along with Minnesota’s Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo.
All five of those players were ejected from Sunday’s game, as were Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Minnesota assistant Pablo Prigioni.
“Obviously things went too far,” Bickerstaff said after that game. “But what you see is guys looking out for one another, guys trying to protect one another, guys trying to have each other’s backs. ... Those are nonnegotiables in our locker room.”
The incident began when Holland fouled Reid with 8:36 left in the second quarter of the Timberwolves’ 123104 victory over the Pistons in Minneapolis. Reid confronted Holland, who then pushed DiVincenzo, who then shoved Holland — and they wound up
falling into spectators seated along the baseline.
Stewart and Sasser then entered the altercation, “which resulted in a continued escalation of the situation,” the league said.
Reid and DiVincenzo will serve their one-game suspensions Tuesday when the Timberwolves visit Denver.
“I thought they did what they needed to do to protect themselves and their teammates. We’re not disappointed,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said before the game against the Nuggets.
“We’re disappointed, obviously, they’re not going to be with us tonight, but, it’s part of the landscape of the game.
“The game’s gotten a little bit more physical, I think, which we all embrace. But a lot of teams are playing for a lot of things right now so there could always be a tipping point. It kind of happens, and just got to be mindful of it moving forward. But I’m not mad at them.”
Stewart will begin serving his suspension Wednesday when the Pistons visit Oklahoma City, and Holland and Sasser also will serve their suspensions in that game.
AP NBA: https:// apnews.com/hub/nba
AP Photo/Abbie Parr
Education
Mississippi’s education miracle: A model for global literacy reform
By Harry Anthony Patrinos Professor of Education Policy, University of Arkansas
In a surprising turnaround, Mississippi, once ranked near the bottom of U.S. education standings, has dramatically improved its student literacy rates.
As of 2023, the state ranks among the top 20 for fourth grade reading, a significant leap from its 49thplace ranking in 2013. This transformation was driven by evidence-based policy reforms focused on early literacy and teacher development.
The rest of the country might want to take note.
That’s because Mississippi’s success offers a proven solution to the reading literacy crisis facing many states – a clear road map for closing early literacy gaps and improving reading outcomes nationwide.
As an expert on the economics of education, I believe the learning crisis is not just an educational issue. It’s also economic.
When students struggle, their academic performance declines. And that leads to lower test scores. Research shows that these declining scores are closely linked to reduced economic growth, as a less educated workforce hampers productivity and innovation.
The Mississippi approach
In 2013, Mississippi implemented a multifaceted strategy for enhancing kindergarten to third grade literacy. The Literacy-Based Promotion Act focuses on early literacy and teacher development. It includes teacher training in proven
reading instruction methods and teacher coaching.
Relying on federally supported research from the Institute of Education Science, the state invested in phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The law provided K-3 teachers with training and support to help students master reading by the end of third grade.
It includes provisions for reading coaches, parent communication, individual reading plans and other supportive measures. It also includes targeted support for struggling readers. Students repeat the third grade if they fail to meet reading standards.
The state also aligned its test to the NAEP, or National Assessment of Educational Progress, something which not all states do. Often referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card,” the NAEP is a nationwide assessment that measures student performance in various subjects.
Mississippi’s reforms have led to significant gains in reading and math, with fourth graders improving on national assessments.
I believe this is extremely important. That’s because early reading is a foundational skill that helps develop the ability to read at grade level by the end of third grade. It also leads to general academic success, graduating from high school prepared for college, and becoming productive adults less likely to fall into poverty.
Research by Noah Spencer, an economics doctoral student at the University of Toronto, shows that the Mississippi law boosted scores.
Students exposed to it from kindergarten to the third grade gained a 0.25 standard deviation improvement in reading scores. That is roughly equivalent to one year of
academic progress in reading, according to educational benchmarks. This gain reflects significant strides in students’ literacy development over the course of a school year.
Another study has found an even greater impact attributed to grade retention in the third grade – it led to a huge increase in learning in English Language Arts by the sixth grade.
But the Mississippi law is not just about retention. Spencer found that grade retention explains only about 22% of the treatment effect. The rest is presumably due to the other components of the measure – namely, teacher training and coaching.
Other previous research supports these results across the country.
Adopting an early literacy policy improves
elementary students’ reading achievement on important student assessments, with third grade retention and instructional support substantially enhancing English learners’ skills. The policy also increases test scores for students’ younger siblings, although it is not clear why.
Moreover, third grade retention programs immediately boost English Language Arts and math achievements into middle school without disciplinary incidents or negatively impacting student attendance.
These changes were achieved despite Mississippi being one of the lowest spenders per pupil in the U.S., proving that strategic investments in teacher development and early literacy can yield impressive results even with limited resources.
The global learning crisis
Mississippi’s success is timely. Millions of children globally struggle to read by age 10. It’s a crisis that has worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mississippi’s early literacy interventions show lasting impact and offer a potential solution for other regions facing similar challenges.
In 2024, only 31% of U.S. fourth grade students were proficient or above in reading, according to the NAEP, while 40% were below basic.
Reading scores for fourth and eighth graders also dropped by five points compared with 2019, with averages lower than any year since 2005.
Mississippi’s literacy program provides a learning gain equal to a year of schooling. The program costs US$15 million annually –0.2% of the state budget in
2023 – and $32 per student. The learning gain associated with the Mississippi program is equal to about an extra quarter of a year. Since each year of schooling raises earnings by about 9%, then a quarter-year gain means that Mississippi students benefiting from the program will increase future earnings by 2.25% a year.
Based on typical high school graduate earnings, the average student can expect to earn an extra $1,000 per year for the rest of their life. That is, for every dollar Mississippi spends, the state gains about $32 in additional lifetime earnings, offering substantial longterm economic benefits compared with the initial cost.
The Mississippi literacy project focuses on teaching at the right level, which focuses on assessing children’s actual learning levels and then tailoring instruction to meet them, rather than strictly following age- or grade-level curriculum. Teaching at the right level and a scripted lessons plan are among the most effective strategies to address the global learning crisis. After the World Bank reviewed over 150 education programs
Debate over H-1B visas shines spotlight on US tech worker shortages
By Moshe Y. Vardi Professor of Computer Science, Rice University
A heated debate has recently erupted between two groups of supporters of President Donald Trump. The dispute concerns the H-1B visa system, the program that allows U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers in specialty occupations –mostly in the tech industry. On the one hand, there are people like Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon, who has called the H-1B program a “total and complete scam.” On the other, there are tech tycoons like Elon Musk who think skilled foreign workers are crucial to the U.S. tech sector.
The H-1B visa program is subject to an annual limit of new visas it can issue, which sits at 65,000 per fiscal year. There is also an additional annual quota of 20,000 H-1B visas for highly skilled international students who have a proven ability to succeed academically in the United States.
The H-1B program is the primary vehicle for international graduate students at U.S. universities to stay and work in the United States after graduation. At Rice University, where I work, much of STEM research is carried out by international graduate students. The same goes for most American research-intensive universities.
As a computer science professor – and an immigrant – who studies the interaction between computing and society, I believe the debate over H-1B overlooks some important questions: Why does the U.S. rely so heavily on foreign workers for the tech industry, and why is it not able to develop a homegrown tech workforce?
The US as a global talent magnet
The U.S. has been a magnet for global scientific talent since before World War II.
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Many of the scientists who helped develop the atomic bomb were European refugees. After World War II, U.S. policies such as the Fulbright Program expanded opportunities for international educational exchange.
Attracting international students to the U.S. has had positive results.
Among Americans who have won the Nobel Prize in chemistry, medicine or physics since 2000, 40% have been immigrants.
Tech industry giants Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google were all founded by first- or second-generation immigrants. Furthermore, immigrants have founded more than half of the nation’s billiondollar startups since 2018.
Stemming the inflow of students
Restricting foreign graduate students’ path to U.S. employment, as some prominent Trump supporters have called for, could significantly reduce the number of international graduate students in U.S. universities. About 80% of graduate students in American computer science and engineering programs – roughly 18,000 students in 2023 –are international students.
The loss of international doctoral students would significantly diminish the research capability of graduate programs in science and engineering. After all, doctoral students, supervised by principal investigators, carry out the bulk of research in science and engineering in U.S. universities.
It must be emphasized
that international students make a significant contribution to U.S. research output. For example, scientists born outside the U.S. played key roles in the development of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. So making the U.S. less attractive to international graduate students in science and engineering would hurt U.S. research competitiveness.
Computing Ph.D. graduates are in high demand. The economy needs them, so the lack of an adequate domestic pipeline seems puzzling.
Where have US students gone?
So, why is there such a reliance on foreign students for U.S. science and engineering? And why hasn’t America created an adequate pipeline of U.S.-born students for its technical workforce?
After discussions with many colleagues, I have found that there are simply not enough qualified domestic doctoral applicants to fill the needs of their doctoral programs.
In 2023, for example, U.S. computer science doctoral programs admitted about 3,400 new students, 63% of whom were foreign. It seems as if the doctoral career track is simply not attractive enough to many U.S. undergrad computer science students. But why?
The top annual salary in Silicon Valley for new computer science graduates can reach US$115,000. Bachelor’s degree holders in computing from Rice University have told me that until recently – before economic uncertainty shook the industry – they were getting starting annual salaries as high as $150,000 in Silicon Valley. Doctoral students in research universities, in contrast, do not receive a salary. Instead, they get a stipend. These vary slightly from school to school, but they typically pay less than $40,000
annually. The opportunity cost of pursuing a doctorate is, thus, up to $100,000 per year. And obtaining a doctorate typically takes six years. So, pursuing a doctorate is not an economically viable decision for many Americans. The reality is that a doctoral degree opens new career options to its holder, but most bachelor’s degree holders do not see beyond the economics. Yet academic computing research is crucial to the success of Silicon Valley.
A 2016 analysis of the information technology sectors with a large economic impact shows that academic research plays an instrumental role in their development.
Why so little?
The U.S. is locked in a cold war with China focused mostly on technological
dominance. So maintaining its research-and-development edge is in the national interest. Yet the U.S. has declined to make the requisite investment in research. For example, the National Science Foundation’s annual budget for computer and information science and engineering is around $1 billion. In contrast, annual research-anddevelopment expenses for Alphabet, Google’s parent company, have been close to $50 billion for the past decade.
Universities are paying doctoral students so little because they cannot afford to pay more. But instead of acknowledging the existence of this problem and trying to address it, the U.S. has found a way to meet its academic research needs by recruiting and admitting international
students. The steady stream of highly qualified international applicants has allowed the U.S. to ignore the inadequacy of the domestic doctoral pipeline.
The current debate about the H-1B visa system provides the U.S. with an opportunity for introspection. Yet the news from Washington, D.C., about massive budget cuts coming to the National Science Foundation seems to suggest the federal government is about to take an acute problem and turn it into a crisis.
Moshe Y. Vardi receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the US Office of Naval Research. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
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AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Babson College graduate students from India type on their computers in Wellesley, Mass., on June 30, 2016.
Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters
By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor
BLACK LOVE MATTERS
Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters
Jessica P. Pryde
by
Edited
As African Americans and African-born, representation matters, in media, in print, in music, in art, and so on. The phrase “Representation matters,” plays out in our lives on a daily basis, and so does Black Love. That being said, it is my great pleasure to present to you the essay/anthology
Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters, edited by Jessica P. Pryde.
First, I must give a hat tip to the contributors of this book, who are authors and readers of Black romance: Jessica P. Pryde, Carole V. Bell, Sarah Hannah Gomez, Jasmine Guillory, De’Shaun Harrison, Margo Hendricks, Adriana Herrera, Piper Huguley, Kosoko Jackson, Nicole M. Jackson, Beverly Jenkins, Christina C. Jones, Julia E. Moody-Freeman, and Allie Parker.
Each author/reader/ educator brings their own unique voice in addressing the issues of racism and white supremacy that permeate what is portrayed in movies, television, and books when it comes to romance—way too much of it is centered on white romance, filtered through a white gaze with Eurocentric
standards of beauty and sensibility. Historical romance author Beverly Jenkins gives us a history of African American romance, starting with slave narratives and bringing us through the years, with Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Pauline Hopkins becoming the first Black romance writers during the 19th century up to the present with such authors as Alyssa Cole, Brenda Jackson, and Vanessa Riley. In romance, there is hope.
It is ironic that college-educated Black women are the biggest readers, yet they are grossly underrepresented in the genre of romance, which is considered the biggest selling genre of fiction. As Black authors, the contributors to this anthology are intentional in their stories to decenter whiteness and portray African Americans as deserving of the joy of falling in love and finding a soulmate, which we always have been.
In addition, the romance industry (as it exists in traditional publishing) has a long way to go when it come to Black Love as it relates to gender, sexual orientation, ableism, and body image. Interracial romance is showing up in bookstores and collections, as Jessica Pryde describes. However, it is acceptable only under limited conditions by white readers. Who you love is who you love; that is a given and it has a place in romance, but these books are doing so at the expense of Black couples represented in romance. Such is also the case with Black LGBTQ romance and the stereotype that the relationships are only valid if the Black protagonist has a white partner. Putting us in a
“box” is no longer acceptable.
In the words of Christina C. Jones, Black Indie Romance is “the baddest chick in the room.” Indeed, indie romance authors have increased, and they are unapologetically making their mark, writing the novels they want to read and claiming their happily-ever-after, to the pleasure and delight of their readers, refusing to water down their work to make white readers comfortable. This reminds me of a reply by the late Toni Morrison when she was questioned about the focus of her work: “I write for Black women. If other people like it, that’s OK.”
In spite of the climate in this country, from historical romance to contemporary to paranormal, Black romance authors aren’t giving up, nor are they going away. These authors, by sharing their stories, encompass the hope, the passion, and the love of who we are, in our own unique way and culture at the end of the day. As one who reads and writes about Black Love, I appreciate each and every one of these awesome contributors, for sharing stories about characters who look like me. And another hat tip to Monica Ahanohu for the beautiful cover art depicting the diversity of Black Love and romance.
Black Love Matters is available through Berkley/ Penguin Random House, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
We have a history of challenges and resilience. At the same time, we have the power of Black Love and the happily-ever-afters we have and will make for ourselves, and it shows up in the pages of romance. Black Love matters!
Harlem Honey
President, AALBC.com, LLC
By Troy Johnson
Emmy Award–winning journalist and talk show host Tamron Hall has authored Harlem Honey - an endearing story about young Moses and his adventure visiting Harlem in New York City
and learning a valuable lesson about the meaning of home. For Moses, Harlem couldn’t be any more different than the Texas he moved away from, and his only friends are his dog, Lotus-May, and his bird, JoJo. But, when Moses is asked to help his new neighbor Laila deliver jars of honey to the people of Harlem, he finally gets the chance to make new friends and see the places and feel the magic of this bustling neighborhood. There are historic
landmarks like the famous Apollo Theater, which has hosted iconic performers, Sylvia’s Restaurant, the best spot in the city for cornbread, the celebrated African American art of the Studio Museum, and the electric sounds of the neighborhood itself.
This lively and heartening tale is inspired by Tamron Hall’s son and explores one of the nation’s most celebrated neighborhoods and the places and people that make Harlem home.
United Way Worldwide (UWW) released its annual 211 Impact Survey with 211 contact data collected from all 50 states offering insights into the dayto-day struggles of families and communities across the country. The 16.8 million 211 requests* for help in 2024 – amounting to 32 calls, texts, or chats per minute – were met with more than 18 million hyperlocal referrals for assistance. For the third year running, 211 referrals for assistance with housing (5.6 million), utilities (2.9 million), and food (2.5 million) were most prevalent, indicating that these are the three most pressing community needs for individuals contacting 211. Referrals for housing and utilities assistance have increased year-over-year since 2019, with the two needs accounting for nearly half (47%) of all 211 referrals in 2024.
“With the release of this striking new data, the
By Peter Kasson Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
The measles outbreak that began in west Texas in late January 2025 continues to grow, with 400 confirmed cases in Texas and more than 50 in New Mexico and Oklahoma as of March 28.
Public health experts believe the numbers are much higher, however, and some worry about a bigger resurgence of the disease in the U.S. In the
Insight 2 Health
211 network—one of the best barometers of community challenges in the country— reveals the extent to which millions of Americans and their families are struggling to meet their basic needs,” said UWW President and CEO Angela F. Williams. “At a moment when individuals and communities need more support, but national and local resources are uncertain, it’s vital to use these data to identify cross-sector solutions that will help our communities thrive.”
Other key findings from the 2024 211 Impact Survey include: Housing referrals continue to increase, now at nearly double pre-pandemic numbers.
Housing referrals are up 16% from 2022.
The volume of referrals for housing support has effectively doubled since 2019, from 2.9 million to 5.6 million, increasing along with total call volume.
Recent data from the
past two weeks, health officials have identified potential measles exposures in association with planes, trains and automobiles, including at Washington Dulles International Airport and on an Amtrak train from New York City to Washington, D.C. – as well as at health care facilities where the infected people sought medical attention.
Measles infections can be extremely serious. So far in 2025, 14% of the people who got measles had to be hospitalized. Last year, that number was 40%.
Measles can damage the lungs and immune system, and
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that the number of people experiencing homelessness jumped 18% last year in the U.S., further corroborating that housing is a pressing need for many.
Referrals for utilities and food assistance steadily increased, too.
Utility assistance referrals are up 12% since 2022, as many struggle to pay routine bills. Food assistance
also inflict permanent brain damage. Three in 1,000 people who get the disease die. But because measles vaccination programs in the U.S. over the past 60 years have been highly successful, few Americans under 50 have experienced measles directly, making it easy to think of the infection as a mere childhood rash with fever.
As a biologist who studies how viruses infect and kill cells and tissues, I believe it is important for people to understand how dangerous a measles infection can be.
Underappreciated acute
referrals, including access to food pantries, are up 5% from 2023. These needs can have a compounding effect; without reliable housing, food and transportation, it’s extremely difficult to pursue an education or hold down a job.
Referrals for disaster-related assistance spiked in 2024, increasing by over 50% from 2023 to 2024. There was heavy volume of disaster referrals in North Carolina, California and Texas.
ffects
e
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases on the planet. One person who has it will infect nine out of 10 people nearby if those people are unvaccinated. A two-dose regimen of the vaccine, however, is 97% effective at preventing measles. When the measles virus infects a person, it binds to specific proteins on the surface of cells. It then inserts its genome and replicates, destroying the cells in the process. This first happens in the upper respiratory tract and the lungs, where the virus can damage the person’s ability to breathe well. In both places, the virus also infects immune cells that carry it to the lymph nodes, and from there, throughout the body. What generally lands people with measles in the hospital is the disease’s effects on the lungs. As the virus destroys lung cells, patients can develop viral pneumonia, which is characterized by severe coughing and difficulty breathing. Measles pneumonia afflicts about 1 in 20 children who get measles and is the most common cause of death from measles in young children. The virus can directly invade the nervous system and also damage it by causing inflammation. Measles can cause acute brain damage in two different ways: a direct infection of the brain that occurs in roughly 1 in 1,000 people, or inflammation of the brain two to 30 days after infection that occurs with the same frequency. Children who survive these events can have permanent brain damage and impairments such as blindness and hearing loss.
The 211 network was there for individuals and families impacted by hurricanes and flooding in the southern U.S. throughout 2024 by assessing needs, convening services and supports, and mobilizing resources. More recently in early 2025, for example, trained 211 Community Resource Specialists referred local residents and tourists to mental health services after tragedy struck New Orleans and helped renters and homeowners recover from the Los Angeles County wildfires. “While the annual 211 Impact Survey provides a valuable snapshot of community challenges – greater public and private investments in 211 would enable us to better understand and address community needs in real time,” said Dr. Nicole M. Cooper, EVP, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at UWW. “We are currently looking for partners to collaborate with us to create the first-ever national dashboard that integrates locally collected 211 data to provide insights into community needs – like housing, food, and transportation –allowing partners across sectors to more
explains
Yearslong consequences of infection
An especially alarming but still poorly understood effect of measles infection is that it can reduce the immune system’s ability to recognize pathogens it has previously encountered. Researchers had long suspected that children who get the measles vaccine also tend to have better immunity to other diseases, but they were not sure why. A study published in 2019 found that having a measles infection destroyed between 11% and 75% of their antibodies, leaving them vulnerable to many of the infections to which they previously had immunity. This effect, called immune amnesia, lasts until people are reinfected or revaccinated against each disease their immune system forgot. Occasionally, the virus can lie undetected in the brain of a person who recovered from measles and reactivate typically seven to 10 years later. This condition, called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, is a progressive dementia that is
almost always fatal. It occurs in about 1 in 25,000 people who get measles but is about five times more common in babies infected with measles before age 1. Researchers long thought that such infections were caused by a special strain of measles, but more recent research suggests that the measles virus can acquire mutations that enable it to infect the brain during the course of the original infection. There is still much to learn about the measles virus. For example, researchers are exploring antibody therapies to treat severe measles. However, even if such treatments work, the best way to prevent the serious effects of measles is to avoid infection by getting vaccinated. Peter Kasson receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the Swedish Research Council for research on other emerging viruses. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Chacon
Walz sales tax proposal hits consumers, while sparing
By Matthew Blake MinnPost
Gov. Tim Walz wants to tax people when they get financial and legal advice, a proposal that critics say hurts vulnerable residents while leaving businesses unscathed.
“The proposal would be extremely detrimental to the Minnesotans who can least afford it, especially during the most stressful, challenging and unexpected moments of their lives,” said Samuel Edmunds, president of the Minnesota State Bar Association, in testimony before the Senate Taxes Committee on Tuesday.
But Walz’s revenue team says it would make the state tax system fairer, plus add over $200 million a year to state coffers, even as the governor’s budget also would slightly decrease the state’s sales tax rate from 6.5% to 6.425%.
“Cutting the tax rate and broadening the base to include professional
The
DEI rollback costs Target billions and loyalty
By Stacy M. Brown
Target continues to face mounting financial and reputational fallout after reversing course on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The retail giant has lost more than $12.4 billion in revenue, seen its stock plunge by $27.27 per share, and is grappling with multiple lawsuits linked to its shifting DEI policies. Separate but powerful actions from Black-led organizations and faith leaders
have intensified pressure on the company. Rev. Jamal Bryant launched a national Target Fast, calling for continued community mobilization. Meanwhile, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and the NAACP initiated public education and selective buying campaigns. While distinct in approach, the collective efforts have amplified scrutiny and economic consequences for Target. “Black consumers helped build Target into a retail giant, and now they are making their voices heard,” said Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. “If corporations believe they can roll back diversity commitments without consequence, they are mistaken.” Early data from analytics firms Placer.ai and Numerator confirms a decline in consumer support. Numerator found that Black and Hispanic households are reducing their visits to Target at the highest rates. Placer.ai reported that on the national blackout day last month, Target saw an 11 percent decline in store traffic compared to average Friday visits. Since the company’s January 24 DEI reversal, Placer.ai data shows Target’s overall foot traffic has fallen every week. In contrast, Costco has gained ground.
The warehouse chain rejected a shareholder proposal to weaken its diversity programs and stayed firm in its DEI stance. Analysts say Costco’s consistency and longstanding commitment to high wages and strong employee benefits may attract consumers frustrated with Target’s retreat. Costco’s shares have outperformed those of Walmart and Target over the same period. Walmart has also seen a dip in foot traffic, though not as sharp as Target. While grassroots boycotts are not always financially damaging in the long term, Target’s situation may prove different. “Boycotts
put a ‘negative spotlight’ on the company that can have reputational consequences,” Brayden King, professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, told Forbes. He noted that consumer trust, closely tied to corporate reputation, plays a critical role in shopping habits. In addition to its woes, Target issued a string of recalls in 2025 involving products sold on shelves due to undeclared allergens and injury hazards. Aff
MinnPost photo by Peter Callaghan
Minnesota State Capitol building
State Sen. Carla Nelson
U of M
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Citizenship and Immigration
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ffice in downtown Minneapolis. Organizers said they stood in solidarity with international students facing uncertain futures as the new Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown that has targeted people with
ties to American colleges and universities. “An increasing number of international students are being detained without due process across the country,” leaders of the University of Minnesota Graduate Labor Union-United Electrical Local 1105 said in a statement. “These constitutional violations are part of a larger plan to continue stripping our rights away from us, starting with immigrants. It will not stop there.”
and Atlanta to see if their badges still worked.
consolidate agencies that oversee billions of dollars for addiction services and community health centers under a new office called the Administration for a Healthy America.
HHS said layoffs are expected to save $1.8 billion annually — about 0.1% — from the department’s $1.7 trillion budget, most of which is spent on Medicare and Medicaid health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.
The layoffs are expected to shrink HHS to 62,000 positions, lopping off nearly a quarter of its staff — 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers. Many of the jobs are based in the Washington area, but also in Atlanta, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based, and in smaller offices throughout the country.
Some staffers began getting termination notices in their work inboxes at 5 a.m., while others found out their jobs had been eliminated after standing in long lines outside offices in Washington, Maryland
Some gathered at local coffee shops and lunch spots after being turned away, finding out they had been eliminated after decades of service.
One wondered aloud if it was a cruel April Fools’ Day joke. Adding to the confusion, some layoff notices included instructions to file equal employment complaints to a person who had died in November.
At the NIH, cuts included at least four directors of the NIH’s 27 institutes and centers who were put on administrative leave, and nearly entire communications staffs were terminated, according to an agency senior leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution.
An email viewed by The Associated Press shows that some senior-level employees of the Bethesda, Maryland, campus who were placed on leave were offered a possible transfer to the Indian Health Service in locations including Alaska and given until the end of Wednesday to respond.
At least nine highlevel CDC directors were placed on leave and were also offered reassignments to the Indian Health Service. Some public health experts outside the agency saw it as a bid to get veteran agency leaders to
The Trump administration has cited a seldom-invoked statute authorizing the secretary of state to revoke visas of noncitizens who could be considered a threat to foreign policy interests. More than half a dozen people are known to have been taken into custody or deported in recent weeks. Most of the detainees have shown support for Palestinian causes during campus protests over the war in Gaza last year.
resign.
At CDC, union officials said programs were eliminated because of the layoffs focused on smoking, lead poisoning, gun violence, asthma and air quality, and occupational safety and health. The entire office that handles Freedom of Information Act requests was shuttered. Infectious disease programs took a hit, too, including programs that fight outbreaks in other countries and labs focused on HIV and hepatitis in the U.S. and staff trying to eliminate tuberculosis.
At the FDA, dozens of staffers who regulate drugs, food, medical devices and tobacco products received notices, including the entire office responsible for drafting new regulations for electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products. The notices came as the FDA’s tobacco chief was removed from his position. Elsewhere at the agency, more than a dozen press officers and communications supervisors were notified that their jobs would be eliminated.
“The FDA as we’ve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed,” said former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in an online post. Califf stepped down at the end of the Biden administration.
“An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,” the union’s president, Abaki Beck, said in a statement. What prompted authorities to detain the University of Minnesota student is still unknown. ICE officials have not responded to an Associated Press email requesting comment. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on X that he is in touch with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The layoff notices came just days after President Donald Trump moved to strip workers of their collective bargaining rights at HHS and other agencies throughout the government.
“Congress and citizens must join us in pushing back,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. “Our health, safety, and security depend on a strong, fully staffed public health system.”
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington predicted the cuts will have ramifications when natural disasters strike or infectious diseases, like the ongoing measles outbreak, spread.
“They may as well be renaming it the Department of Disease because their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy,” Murray said Friday. The intent of cuts to the CDC seems to be to create “a much smaller, infectious disease agency,” but it is destroying a wide array of work and collaborations that have enabled local and national governments to be able to prevent deaths and respond to emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
Cuts were less drastic at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where Trump’s Republican
“The University of Minnesota is an international destination for education and research,” Walz wrote. “We have any number of students studying here with visas, and we need answers.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also called the case “deeply troubling.”
“Educational environments must be places where all students can focus on learning and growing without fear,” he wrote on X.
administration wants to avoid the appearance of debilitating the health insurance programs that cover roughly half of Americans, many of them poor, disabled and elderly.
However, the impact will still be felt, with the department slashing much of the workforce at the Office of Minority Health.
Jeffrey Grant, a former CMS deputy director, said the office is not part of a diversity, equity and inclusion program, the kind Trump’s Republican administration has sought to end.
“This is not a DEI initiative. This is meeting people where they are and meeting their specific health needs,” said Grant, who resigned last month and now helps place laid-off CMS employees into new jobs.
Beyond layoffs at federal health agencies, cuts are beginning at state and local health departments as a result of an HHS move last week to pull back more than $11 billion in COVID-19-related money. Some health departments have identified hundreds of jobs that stand to be eliminated, “some of them overnight, some of them are already gone,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
A coalition of state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on
Officials promised to release more information about the case once they have updates.
“International students are huge assets to the University of Minnesota,” U.S. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota said in a Facebook post. “They move thousands of miles away from their families and support systems to learn from the best and the brightest. I can’t imagine how terrified they are after learning ICE has detained one of their classmates.”
Tuesday, arguing the cuts are illegal, would reverse progress on the opioid crisis and would throw mental health systems into chaos.
HHS has not provided additional details or comments about Tuesday’s mass firings, but on Thursday, it provided a breakdown of some of the cuts:
__3,500 jobs at the FDA, which inspects and sets safety standards for medications, medical devices and foods.
__2,400 jobs at the CDC, which monitors for infectious disease outbreaks and works with public health agencies nationwide.
__1,200 jobs at the NIH, the world’s leading medical research agency.
__300 jobs at the CMS, which oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid.
Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard, Amanda Seitz and Matthew Perrone in Washington and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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programs.
“Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients,” James said Tuesday in a news release.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department, which began serving employees dismissal notices on Tuesday in what’s expected to total 10,000 layoffs, said it does not comment on ongoing litigation. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon pointed to the agency’s statement from last week, when the decision to claw back the money was announced. The HHS said then that it “will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.”
Local and state public health departments are still assessing the impact of the loss of funds, though the lawsuit points to the clawback putting hundreds of jobs at risk and weakening efforts to stem infectious diseases like flu and measles.
The Minnesota Department of Health said it sent
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questions about what they can do to protect democracy. Amendment 1 in Louisiana would have allowed the Louisiana legislature to create trial courts with specialized jurisdiction and allowed the state Supreme Court to discipline outof-state lawyers. The voters rejected the idea. Amendment 2 would have changed Louisiana’s tax policy and cut funding for early childhood education, according to a flyer prepared by the Power
layoff and separation notices Tuesday to 170 employees whose positions were funded by recently terminated federal grants. The state agency also said about 300 more workers were at risk of having their positions eliminated, and that it had rescinded job offers to nearly 20 people.
The agency said the layoffs and separations are a direct consequence of the federal government’s cutting more than $220 million in previously approved funding.
“We are working now to figure out how much of this critical public health work we can save and continue,” Minnesota Health Commissioner Brooke Cunningham said in a statement. “The sudden and unexpected action from the federal government left us with no choice but to proceed with layoffs immediately.”
California could lose almost $1 billion, according to a statement from state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office. That money supports a number of public health initiatives, including substance use disorder prevention programs, vaccination efforts and bird flu prevention.
Health officials in North Carolina, which joined the lawsuit, estimate the state could lose $230 million, harming dozens of local health departments, hospital systems,
Coalition for Equity and Justice. The voters rejected the idea. Amendment 3, which was rejected by 66% of voters, would have made it easier to place children in adult jails and prisons and for longer sentences. National justice reform organizations including the Southern Poverty Law Center, spent over half a million dollars in opposition to Amendment 3. Amendment 4, also rejected, would have allowed election dates for court vacancies to occur at the earliest date allowed by state law — which could be a date likely to result in a very low turnout. The March 29 defeat of all four constitutional amendments in Louisiana is
universities and rural health centers. At least 80 government jobs and dozens of contractors would be affected, according to state health officials.
“There are legal ways to improve how tax dollars are used, but this wasn’t one of them,” North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said. “Immediately halting critical health care programs across the state without legal authority isn’t just wrong — it puts lives at risk.”
Already, more than two dozen COVID-related research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health have been cancelled.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from March shows that COVID-19 killed 411 people each week on average, even though the federal public health emergency has ended. Associated Press reporter Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This story has been corrected to show that the amount of money that was cut was $11 billion, not $12 billion.
followed by other signs that voters may be registering discontent regarding GOP policy decisions more broadly. On March 25, Democrat James Andrew Malone won a special election in a Pennsylvania state Senate district President Trump won +15. On March 27, Trump pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations because polls were showing the GOP was going to lose her NY seat to a Democrat. Another political test will emerge from Wisconsin on April 1. The results of a vote for a State Supreme Court race are widely being viewed as a referendum on President Trump.
