Johns Hopkins Instructor Accused of Trying to Pass Info to Russia
"Dr. Anna Gabrielian, an instructor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Hopkins, and her wife, Dr. Jamie Lee Henry, a major in the U.S. Army, are facing a count of conspiracy and seven counts of wrongful disclosure of individually identifying health information. They could face up to five years in prison for conspiracy and 10 for each count of wrongful disclosure." – Inside Higher Ed, 9/30/22
Biden Won’t Forgive Privately Held Federal Loans
"When President Biden last month announced plans to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loans for eligible Americans, the department didn’t definitively say whether privately held federal student loans would be included in the plan but said that it was discussing the issue with private lenders. Now, those borrowers have an answer: their loans will not be forgiven." – Inside Higher Ed, 9/30/22
The ACT is Still Useful
"As a diagnostic tool, the ACT is invaluable in identifying those who need help preparing for college, a vocation, or the mundane tasks of adulthood (like managing a household budget). Knowing that only 25 percent of students who took the ACT in 2021 met all four College Readiness Benchmarks, and that 55 percent (711,705 students) were 'below proficient' in understanding complex texts, are critical pieces of information if one seriously wants to help students succeed." – James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 9/30/22
Western Connecticut Challenges Reflect System Tensions
"Faculty demands for accountability continue at Western Connecticut State University, months after the president stepped down amid scrutiny over the depletion of the institution’s reserves. New leadership has been tasked with righting the ship, and faculty eagerly await answers. For some, the answers aren’t coming fast enough—and they worry accountability won’t come at all." – Inside Higher Ed, 9/30/22
States Sue to Stop Biden Loan ‘Forgiveness’ Program: ‘Unwise,’ ‘Unfair,’ and ‘Unlawful’
"Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, and South Carolina joined together to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Thursday in an attempt to stop the president’s announced student loan-forgiveness program from taking effect. 'In addition to being economically unwise and downright unfair, the Biden Administration’s Mass Debt Cancellation is yet another example in a long line of unlawful regulatory actions,' argued the plaintiffs in their filing." – National Review, 9/29/22
In a reversal, the Education Dept. is excluding many from student loan relief
"In a remarkable reversal that will affect the fortunes of many student loan borrowers, the U.S. Department of Education has quietly changed its guidance around who qualifies for President Biden's sweeping student debt relief plan. At the center of the change are borrowers who took out federal student loans many years ago, both Perkins loans and Federal Family Education Loans." – NPR, 9/29/22
0% Interest On Student Loans Is the Next Debt Forgiveness
"Loan forgiveness is the easiest option, but most seem to agree it’s misguided, as conservatives and liberals have united in their criticism of the measure. As a result, politicians will wisely avoid the infamous 'debt forgiveness' tag in the future. Instead, they will opt for less politically alienating policies such as interest-free student loans." – RealClearPolicy, 9/29/22
Exclusive: Federal Judge Vows to Stop Hiring Law Clerks from Yale Law School
"Judge James C. Ho of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit announced Thursday that he would no longer be hiring law clerks from Yale Law School and urged other judges to follow suit. In a keynote address to the Kentucky Chapters Conference of the Federalist Society, titled 'Agreeing to Disagree — Restoring America by Resisting Cancel Culture,' Ho cited a number of high-profile examples of speakers being shouted down or otherwise censored at law schools across the country but singled out Yale Law ... " – National Review, 9/29/22
New York City, embracing merit, rolls back diversity plan for schools
"New York City schools announced Thursday they would allow middle schools to consider academics in admitting students to some of the city’s most sought-after programs, unraveling pandemic-era rules aimed at injecting racial and economic diversity into a segregated system. High schools would also rely more heavily on merit and less on the luck of a lottery under the new plan, reversing the previous administration’s direction as a new mayor takes command of the nation’s largest school system." – Washington Post, 9/29/22
Fossil-Fuel Money Is Warping Climate Research
"As the effects of climate change become daily more apparent, universities are busy declaring climate emergencies, divesting their financial assets in fossil fuel, and pledging to meet ambitious climate goals. At the same time, however, these institutions are accepting hundreds of millions of dollars from the fossil-fuel industry. In a grim irony, many of the scientists and scholars tasked with helping us survive the climate crisis are funded by companies actively working to delay climate action." – Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/29/22
