NY Bucks White House, Says Public Schools Won’t Eliminate DEI programs
The New York State Education Department says it is “unaware of any authority” the U.S. government has to demand that states end DEI programs or to rescind federal funding if they do not comply, The Washington Post reports. Other national news is out of California, Texas, Idaho, and Virginia.
The Washington Post:
N.Y. Tells Trump Its Public Schools Won’t Comply With Anti-DEI Order
The New York State Education Department has notified the federal government that it won’t comply with orders to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs — pushing back against the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure public schools around the country by threatening to withdraw federal funding. (Timsit, 4/6)
Politico:
New York’s Push To Restrict Masks Is Dividing Democrats
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push to crack down on face masks is dividing her fellow Democrats as they weigh concerns about pro-Palestinian demonstrators, aggressive policing and basic freedoms. Civil rights advocates say the proposed restriction would interfere with peoples’ right to mask up. Black lawmakers in Albany worry about race-based enforcement, and many Democrats are voicing concerns about creating hostile conditions for protesters, particularly as the Trump administration targets them. (Beeferman, 4/5)
From California —
Los Angeles Times:
Newsom Appeals USDA Decision To Cut Food Assistance Programs
Gov. Gavin Newsom sent an urgent appeal to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Saturday, imploring the department to reverse the abrupt cancellation of a Biden-era program that feeds millions of California families and has served as a lifeline for hundreds of small farmers since its inception in 2021. “The irrational and malicious slashing of funds will not only hurt our farmers, but also the families who need food banks,” Newsom said in a release announcing the appeal. (Sharp, 4/6)
NBC News:
Rare Virus That Killed Gene Hackman's Wife Linked To 3 Deaths In California Town
Public health officials in California confirmed that three people in the town of Mammoth Lakes have died from hantavirus, which killed actor Gene Hackman’s wife in February. In a statement Thursday, health officials in Mono County reported a third death from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the rural town in the Eastern Sierra region, calling the situation “tragic” and “alarming.” Hantavirus is a relatively rare virus that rodents — typically mice — spread to humans from their urine, droppings and saliva. (Chow, 4/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. University Offers First Psychedelic Studies Bachelor's Degree
The 1960s counterculture is synonymous with San Francisco, a city where hippies roamed the Haight, tripped on acid and fled the law. And so it is fitting that San Francisco will again run counter to the mainstream this fall when a local university unveils the nation’s first bachelor’s degree in psychedelic studies. (Asimov, 4/6)
From Texas, Idaho, and Virginia —
The Washington Post:
Texas AG Says He’s Investigating Kellogg’s Over ‘Healthy’ Cereal Claims
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Saturday that his office is investigating WK Kellogg Co. for potentially violating consumer protection laws, launching a probe over the artificial food dyes in cereals that have rankled the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” faction. In a statement Saturday, Paxton’s office said the company — known for cereals such as Froot Loops and Apple Jacks — advertises its products as healthy despite containing blue, red, yellow, green and orange artificial food colorings. Paxton’s office alleged that those additives have been linked to obesity, autoimmune disease, endocrine-related health problems and cancer. (Raji, 4/5)
Modern Healthcare:
Blue Cross Of Idaho Layoffs Affect 135 Employees
Blue Cross of Idaho plans to lay off 135 employees in June after losing a contract to national competitors. The company said the cuts are a response to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare canceling its contract for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. In December, the state announced it would award the Medicare Medicaid Coordinated Plan and Idaho Medicaid Plus Plan to UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare and Molina Healthcare. The contracts span four years and will go into effect in 2026. (Tepper, 4/4)
The Washington Post:
A 10-Year-Old Virginia Girl Died By Suicide. Her Family Is Calling For More Kindness.
On the morning of March 21, as Summer Bushman, 36, was rousing her children for school, she noticed the light was on in 10-year-old Autumn’s room. When she knocked on the locked door, she said, there was no answer. She knocked again. Then again. Soon, she said, she began to panic. She broke open the door. Inside, she found her daughter unresponsive, dead from an apparent suicide. Autumn’s parents said questions remain, but that she had told them in recent months that she was being bullied. In the wake of her death, they have called for kindness. (Lang and Elwood, 4/6)
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