ACLU sues University of Michigan over campus bans for pro-Palestinian protesters
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ACLU sues University of Michigan over campus bans for pro-Palestinian protesters

Lansing, Michigan. This past year, thousands of students participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses around the country, including Jonathan Zou, a second-year student at the University of Michigan. Even if there are no longer as many protests on campus, students like Zou are nonetheless affected. Zou has been barred from all University of Michigan campuses since being arrested by university police on October 7 for wielding a megaphone during a pro-Palestinian demonstration, with the exception of going to class or getting medical attention. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the University of Michigan for allegedly violating the free speech rights of five people, including Zou, who are subject to similar bans. The ACLU's case, which was submitted to a feder...
Jan. 6 conspiracy theory promoter named to a top State Department job
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Jan. 6 conspiracy theory promoter named to a top State Department job

A conservative writer who has written on social media that "competent white men must be in charge" and promoted conspiracy theories regarding the Capitol attack on January 6 has been appointed to a senior position at the State Department. Darren Beattie was appointed acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Senate confirmation is required for the permanent position. In a message posted on his website, Revolution News, Beattie affirmed his appointment, which was initially reported by Segafor. Beattie tweeted that he was temporarily ceasing his connection with his website, adding, "I have been given the great honor of serving once again in Trump's administration, this time in the Department of State." I will temporarily halt my direct editorial r...
Marco Rubio empowers State Department official Pete Marocco to run USAID
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Marco Rubio empowers State Department official Pete Marocco to run USAID

WASHINGTON—A top State Department official has been given the authority by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development and start examining all of the work completed by the government organization that President Donald Trump and tech billionaire adviser Elon Musk are trying to dismantle. Rubio asked State Department Foreign Assistance Director Peter W. Marocco to start going over all of the U.S. Agency for International Development's activities. Additionally, he cautioned that some initiatives or programs might be halted or discontinued. According to multiple sources who spoke to NBC News, Marocco held a number of national security positions during the first Trump administration, including at USAID, where his efforts to cut funding and consolidate po...
American Airlines engine and fuselage lifted from Potomac in effort to recover all victims of D.C. midair collision
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American Airlines engine and fuselage lifted from Potomac in effort to recover all victims of D.C. midair collision

American Airlines Flight 5432's fuselage and engine were lifted out of the Potomac River on Monday, starting the difficult task of clearing the remaining debris after a military helicopter struck it and crashed last Wednesday. In order to recover all 67 people who perished in the airborne accident in the Washington, D.C., region, officials believe what's left of the jet must be removed from the crash site. According to officials, the effort started at daylight on Monday. At a press conference on Sunday, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly stated, "We're going to recover everyone." The bodies of 55 victims have so far been positively identified. "If we knew where they were, though, we would already have them out, so we have some work to do as the salvage operation goes on, and we will abs...
Government agencies scrub LGBTQ web pages and remove info about trans and intersex people
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Government agencies scrub LGBTQ web pages and remove info about trans and intersex people

For a long time, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer have been lumped together and referred to more generally as LGBTQ or a similar acronym, such as LGBTQI, which includes intersex people. However, a number of government institutions' websites are deleting any mention of LGBTQ persons or deleting the rear half of the acronym, only two weeks after President Donald Trump announced three executive orders targeting transgender people. Only LGB travelers are addressed on a State Department online page that, until last week, offered information for LGBTQI travelers.Similarly, the State Department's LGBTQI+ Prospective Adoptive Parent Resources website now just reads "LGB Prospective Adoptive Parents." A page about Social Security for LGBTQI+ People was once avail...
VA Releases 2025 Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors
Government

VA Releases 2025 Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors

The 2025 VA Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, Dependents, Survivors, and Caregivers is a comprehensive reference that details the vast array of benefits and services accessible to veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The guidebook gives Veterans and their families vital information on VA programs, eligibility requirements, and application procedures. It is accessible in print and digital formats. It contains information about: Compensation Life insurance Pension and fiduciary services Education benefits Economic development and employment opportunities Home loan guaranty programs and housing assistance Mental health resources The goal of the guide is to ensure that Veterans get the assistance they are entitled to by as...
Dunkirk Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Illegal Immigrants & Kidnapping, Raping Minor
Courts

Dunkirk Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Illegal Immigrants & Kidnapping, Raping Minor

(WNY News Now) A guy from Dunkirk faces life in prison after entering a guilty plea to charges of kidnapping and raping a juvenile, unlawfully trafficking Guatemalan migrants, and forcing them to labor for him. Buffalo, New York. Augusto Mateo Francisco, 33, of Dunkirk, New York, entered a guilty plea to two counts of forced labor and one count of transportation of a juvenile before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., according to a statement made today by U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross. A mandatory minimum punishment of 10 years in jail, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a fine of $250,000 are all associated with the charges. Francisco, a Guatemalan native and a lawful permanent resident, helped illegally enter the United States and transported Guatemalan migrants to the Dunk...
Golf pro Jason Day wore sweatpants at Pebble Beach and caused a furor among fans
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Golf pro Jason Day wore sweatpants at Pebble Beach and caused a furor among fans

When PGA veteran Jason Day wore a full gray sweatsuit on Sunday at Pebble Beach, the fashion-conscious golf community gasped and criticized him harshly. Day, 37, tied for 13th place at a 12-under 269 after shooting a final-round 69 at the renowned Northern California course. However, it was what he was playing in on Sunday that caused people to take notice, not his play. Wearing grey sweatpants and a grey crew sweater with no distinguishing features other than a cursive M on the top left chest, Day could have easily passed for any random guy putting around a par 3 public course on Sunday. The M represented his apparel sponsor, Malbon Golf, a Los Angeles-based company that aims to preserve golf's legacy while introducing it to a wider audience by fusing traditional principles with a modern,...
More than 1,000 EPA employees are told they could be dismissed immediately
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More than 1,000 EPA employees are told they could be dismissed immediately

The Summary Around 1,100 EPA employees received an email saying that they could lose their jobs immediately. The email identified the recipients as likely probationary, meaning they ve worked at the EPA for under a year and have less job protection. Union representatives said the message was scary for many recipients. Over 1,000 workers at the Environmental Protection Agency have received notice from the Trump administration that they may be let go right away. According to an email examined by NBC News, employees who had worked for the agency for less than a year were notified via email last week that they had been recognized as employees who were probably on probation or trial. According to the email, the agency has the authority to fire you right away if you are an em...
Men in two states are accused of impersonating ICE officers
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Men in two states are accused of impersonating ICE officers

A man from South Carolina was detained on suspicion of impersonating an ICE officer after authorities claim that he was seen on camera confronting a Latino man in a pickup truck and threatening to send him back to Mexico. A 22-year-old male and two other individuals were charged with posing as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in a case similar to the one that followed the arrest at Temple University the following day, according to Philadelphia police. A Latino civil rights group described the environment created by the Trump administration's robust immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border and major U.S. cities as hazardous. In reference to the man who was arrested in South Carolina, Roman Palomares, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizen...