Members phkrause Posted May 5 Author Members Posted May 5 Protest whiplash Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Mainstream Democrats, elite universities and big corporations have gotten behind a slew of progressive social-justice movements over the past several years. But pro-Palestinian protests appear to be testing the limits of those big institutional alliances. 🪧 Driving the news: "There's the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos," President Biden said from the White House today. "Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation, none of this is a peaceful protest," he said. Several congressional Democrats told Axios' Andrew Solender and Stephen Neukam they're afraid ongoing protests will hurt their party in November. 📣 Between the lines: Corporate America is also lowering its tolerance for activism that is considered too aggressive or disruptive for the workplace, Axios' Eleanor Hawkins writes. About 50 Google employees were fired last month for participating in pro-Palestinian protests that violated the workplace code of conduct. "What we're seeing is the end of a cycle, which started with the employee walkouts of the Trump era, peaked after the summer of 2020 and seems to have ground to a halt after Oct. 7," said Steve Hirsch, CEO of strategic communications firm Hirsch Leatherwood. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 5 Author Members Posted May 5 Biden says ‘order must prevail’ during campus protests over the war in Gaza WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday rejected calls from student protesters to change his approach to the war in Gaza while insisting that “order must prevail” as college campuses across the country face a wave of violence, outrage and fear. https://apnews.com/article/biden-silence-college-protests-police-gaza-israel-d5f3092671951c3bc2968b8751c93ba6? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 5 Author Members Posted May 5 Nearly 2,200 people have been arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses Police have sometimes used riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings. A tally by The Associated Press recorded at least 56 incidents of arrests at 43 different U.S. colleges or universities since April 18 stemming from recent campus protests. Read more. Recent developments: At Columbia University, one officer accidentally discharged his gun inside an administration building while clearing out protesters camped inside. No one was injured by the officer’s mistake late Tuesday, the NYPD said Thursday. Early Thursday, officers surged against a crowd of demonstrators at University of California, Los Angeles, ultimately taking at least 200 protesters into custody after they defied orders to leave, some forming human chains as police fired flash-bangs to break up crowds. Police tore apart a fortified encampment’s barricade of plywood, pallets, metal fences and dumpsters, then pulled down canopies and tents. President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the right of students to peaceful protest but decried the disorder of recent days. The President broke days of silence on the protests with his remarks, rejecting calls from student protesters to change his approach to the war in Gaza while insisting that “order must prevail.” RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Answering readers’ questions about the protest movement on US college campuses Today’s campus protests aren’t nearly as big or violent as those last century — at least, not yet WATCH: Body camera video shows police cutting chains, moving furniture at Columbia University Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 5 Author Members Posted May 5 Biden's campus cloud A fire extinguisher is deployed as police clash with pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA early yesterday. Photo: Wally Skalij/L.A. Times via Getty Images For two weeks, President Biden kept his distance from the pro-Palestinian protests roiling college campuses, devoting far more time to Israel-Hamas hostage negotiations than the unrest unfurling at home. By yesterday — when Biden delivered unplanned remarks defending students' right to protest but condemning campus violence — it was clear that strategy had become unsustainable, Axios' Zachary Basu and Hans Nichols write. Why it matters: The next phase of Biden's dueling foreign policy and domestic crises may prove even more difficult. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed — "with or without" a hostage deal — to forge ahead with a ground invasion of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. In the U.S., universities are trying to balance protesters' speech rights, while scrambling to avoid high-profile disruptions to graduation ceremonies — including at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where Biden is scheduled to deliver the commencement address. Biden tried to thread that needle in his remarks at the White House yesterday. "We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent," he said. "Peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But neither are we a lawless country." 🖼️ The big picture: Wherever Biden turns, Gaza-related backlash seems to follow. Protesters — many chanting "Genocide Joe" over his support for Israel — routinely heckle Biden during his public appearances. House Republicans, who have spent the past year plagued by extreme dysfunction, are exploiting Democrats' divisions on Israel and antisemitism. Then there's the spiraling anxiety about the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The party's 1968 convention, in Chicago, was plagued by chaotic protests of the Vietnam War. The bottom line: The White House still believes ending the war in Gaza is the best — perhaps only — antidote to Biden's foreign policy and domestic crises. But there's no end in sight. 🎓 Schools find third way A message in chalk decorates a sidewalk Tuesday after protesters dismantled an encampment at Brown University in Providence, R.I. Photo: David Goldman/AP Deals between four universities and pro-Palestinian protesters offer a rough roadmap for schools seeking to defuse tensions and shut down encampments before commencement, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes. Why it matters: Administrators at Northwestern, Brown, Rutgers and Minnesota found diplomatic alternatives to police force. 🔬 Zoom in: The agreements — including two finalized in the past 36 hours — avoid sweeping and immediate changes to university investments, in favor of scholarships for Palestinian students and expanded academic programs: None of the four schools agreed to divest from companies that do business in Israel or aid the country's war effort, a key demand at schools across the country. All agreed to less concrete concessions around their endowments. Two of the agreements — Northwestern and Rutgers — include scholarships or aid for Palestinian students. They also promised to provide improved space for Muslims on campus. Minnesota told protesters it could explore an affiliation with a Palestinian university. The agreements provide some level of amnesty for students involved in encampments. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 5 Author Members Posted May 5 Biden backs peaceful protest, denounces campus ‘chaos’ over Gaza WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden responded Thursday to weeks of protest on college campuses calling for a ceasefire in Gaza with a brief statement that the right to protest should be protected, but “not the right to cause chaos.” https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/02/biden-backs-peaceful-protest-denounces-campus-chaos-over-gaza/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 5 Author Members Posted May 5 Striking deals to end campus protests, some colleges invite discussion of their investments NEW YORK (AP) — Anti-war demonstrations ceased this week at a small number of U.S. universities after school leaders struck deals with pro-Palestinian protesters, fending off possible disruptions of final exams and graduation ceremonies. https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-campus-student-protests-war-df5f7cf1547a3ca8fb959b992d6ebe1b? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 5 Author Members Posted May 5 Troops fired on Kent State students in 1970. Survivors see echoes in today’s campus protests KENT, Ohio (AP) — Dean Kahler flung himself to the ground and covered his head when the bullets started flying. The Ohio National Guard had opened fire on unarmed war protesters at Kent State University, and Kahler, a freshman, was among them. https://apnews.com/article/kent-state-ac60fdcb2a2dc852e49ee9fc2e6aaf31? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 6 Author Members Posted May 6 🎓 Arrests spread UVA students confront police trying to disperse protesters yesterday from an encampment on the university grounds in Charlottesville, Va. Photo: Eze Amos/Getty Images Virginia State Police used pepper spray to break up an encampment of pro-Palestinian student protesters at UVA yesterday. 25 demonstrators were arrested after a prolonged confrontation, The Washington Post reports. The big picture: Tensions remain high on campuses across the country as commencement season begins. More than 2,300 people have been arrested on at least 49 college campuses across the U.S. over the last two weeks, per an Axios tally. At the University of Southern California, police cleared a group of about 30 protesters from an encampment early this morning after surrounding them and giving them the option to leave or face arrest, according to the L.A. Times. A group of students called for the University of Michigan to divest from companies with ties to Israel during the spring commencement ceremony. Photo: Nic Antaya/Getty Images The University of Michigan's commencement was interrupted a few times yesterday by protesters calling for the university to cut ties with companies linked to Israel, AP reports. The protests were away from the stage and didn't stop the nearly two-hour event. Indiana University set up designated protest zones outside graduation venues during its commencement yesterday. Around 30 faculty members gathered outside to silently protest student arrests and police presence on campus, the Indiana Daily Student reports. Dozens of graduating seniors walked out of the ceremony. Explore our interactive map of arrests (hover on a dot to see the school). Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 7 Author Members Posted May 7 Columbia cancels commencement amid campus protests Columbia University announced Monday it is canceling its two main commencement ceremonies after the school began suspending protesters who refused to leave their encampment in protest of the war in Gaza. https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/columbia-university-graduation-commencement-canceled? Harvard threatens "involuntary leave" for pro-Palestinian student protesters Harvard University interim president Alan Garber threatened student protesters with "involuntary leave" from the school Monday if they don't clear out an encampment. https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/harvard-pro-palestinian-student-protesters-suspension? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 7 Author Members Posted May 7 Pro-Palestinian protesters break through barricades to retake MIT encampment NEW YORK (AP) — Pro-Palestinian protesters that had been blocked by police from accessing an encampment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Monday broke through fencing, linked arms and encircled tents that remained there, as Columbia University canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony following weeks of demonstrations. https://apnews.com/article/columbia-commencement-protests-gaza-080a42e09d9bac2e37321874ac37a8c1? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 8 Author Members Posted May 8 📢 Exclusive poll: College students shrug Data: Generation Lab. (Respondents selected up to three issues.) Chart: Axios Visuals College protests are dominating headlines. But only a sliver of students are participating or view the Israel-Hamas war as a top issue, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes from a new Generation Lab survey. Why it matters: The poll hints that the war — and the accompanying protests — might not hurt President Biden's election prospects among young voters as much as some think. 🧮 By the numbers: Only a small minority (8%) of college students have participated in either side of the protests, the survey of 1,250 college students found. Students ranked the conflict in the Middle East as the least important issue out of nine options (charted above). Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 10 Author Members Posted May 10 Why Texas won't divest University of Texas professor Craig Campbell speaks at a demonstration this month calling on the university to divest from Israel. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images Pro-Palestinian protesters at UT Dallas and UT Arlington have made a specific request of university officials that's unlikely to be entertained — divest from weapons-manufacturing companies selling arms to the Israeli military. Why it matters: Apart from whether divestment makes sense as a fiduciary or moral matter, the universities' unwillingness to bend on their portfolio is overdetermined by state politics. UT campuses are overseen by a board of regents appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott and confirmed by state senators. The big picture: Protests at Texas universities and campuses across the country have sought to use divestment as a tool to put pressure on Israel, whose bombardment of Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, including many civilians. Israel says it's responding to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed some 1,200 people and during which around 240 were taken hostage. State of play: The UT System's investment arm — UTIMCO — manages $74.6 billion in assets for the UT and Texas A&M systems. Among the investments are companies that produce weapons and ammunition used by Israel, per a list compiled by the Quaker organization American Friends Service Committee: Lockheed Martin Corp., with UT shares valued at almost $1 million, per an annual audit report. RTX (formerly Raytheon), with UT shares valued at nearly $600,000. Northrop Corp., with UT shares valued at roughly $1.4 million. What they're saying: "UT Dallas/UTIMCO must fully divest from corporations complicit and directly facilitating war, occupation, policing, militarism, and death in Palestine and around the world," the UTD Students for Justice in Palestine chapter wrote on Instagram. The other side: "This will NEVER happen," Abbott wrote on X about the divestment demand. Between the lines: "Colleges and universities have long been a target of Republican lawmakers due to the perception of liberal biases among faculty, staff, and students," Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project at UT, tells Axios. How UT handled South Africa divestment demands Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 12 Author Members Posted May 12 An Open Letter from Jewish Students at Columbia After watching their university become synonymous with anti-Israel protests sweeping universities around the world, a group of Jewish students at Columbia is fighting back. https://aish.com/an-open-letter-from-jewish-students-at-columbia/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 13 Author Members Posted May 13 Walkout weekend Photo: Parker Michels-Boyce for The Washington Post via Getty Images Dozens of students walked out during Gov. Glenn Youngkin's speech yesterday at VCU's graduation, The Washington Post notes. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images In Austin, Texas, graduate students walked out of the UT ceremony at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in protest at the war in Gaza. Photo: Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images In Berkeley, California, graduates disrupted the UC Berkeley graduation. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 14 Author Members Posted May 14 Pro-Palestinian protests dwindle on campuses as some US college graduations marked by defiant acts A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting “free Palestine” amid a mix of boos and cheers. https://apnews.com/article/university-college-palestinian-protest-graduations-6326e580e2455444aad32b7ebe599025? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 14 Author Members Posted May 14 🎓 (Mostly) calm commencements Fireworks end commencement at the University of Texas in Austin on Saturday. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses are waning. But small contingents of students are continuing demonstrations at commencement ceremonies. Some 30 students walked out of Duke's commencement ahead of a speech by Jerry Seinfeld, who's staunchly pro-Israel. Other weekend protests occurred at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, U.C. Berkeley, Boston's Emerson College and the University of Wisconsin. Go deeper: SecState Tony Blinken delivers some of the Biden administration's strongest public criticism of Israel's conduct. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 15 Author Members Posted May 15 Harvard pro-Palestinian protesters voluntarily dismantle encampment The last Boston-area pro-Palestinian encampment came down Tuesday in Harvard Yard. https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/05/14/harvard-pro-palestinian-encampment-down? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 15 Author Members Posted May 15 Chiefs kicker Butker congratulates graduating women, but says most are more excited about motherhood KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is getting attention for comments he made during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend in which he congratulated the women receiving degrees, but then said most were probably more excited to get married and have children. https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-e00f6ee45955c99ef1e809ec447239e0? Why the speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker was embraced at Benedictine College’s commencement Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker may have stirred controversy in some quarters for his proclamations of conservative politics and Catholicism on Saturday, but he received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees of the May 11 commencement ceremony at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. https://apnews.com/article/catholic-college-conservative-commencement-harrison-butker-a40b881fe41ac489853fb67e58ed20d1? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 20 Author Members Posted May 20 Biden tells graduates that scenes in Gaza break his heart, too President Joe Biden on Sunday offered his most direct recognition of U.S. students’ anguish over the Israel-Hamas war, telling graduates of historically Black Morehouse College in Atlanta that he heard their voices of protest and that scenes from the conflict in Gaza break his heart, too. Read more. Why this matters: To date, Biden had limited his public comments around the protests on U.S. college campuses to upholding the right to peaceful protest. Anti-war protests have roiled America’s college campuses, and at Morehouse the announcement that Biden would be the commencement speaker drew backlash among those who oppose the president’s handling of the war. Some Morehouse alumni circulated an online letter claiming Biden’s approach amounted to support of genocide in Gaza and was out of step with the pacifism expressed by Martin Luther King Jr., Morehouse’s most famous graduate. The speech — and a separate one he gave later Sunday in Detroit — are part of a burst of outreach to Black constituents by the Democratic president, whose support among these voters has softened since their strong backing helped put him in the Oval Office. Biden narrowly won Georgia and Michigan in 2020 and he needs strong Black voter turnout in Atlanta and Detroit if he hopes to repeat in November. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Senior Republican close to Trump criticizes Biden’s arms holdup in speech to Israeli parliament The Israel-Hamas war is testing whether campuses are sacrosanct places for speech and protest Airstrike kills 27 in central Gaza and fighting rages as Israel’s leaders are increasingly divided Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 20 Author Members Posted May 20 Billionaire rains cash on UMass graduates to tune of $1,000 each, but says they must give half away MEREDITH, N.H. (AP) — The clouds weren’t alone in making it rain on the commencement ceremony at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth last week. On stage, billionaire philanthropist Rob Hale surprised the graduating class of more than 1,000 by pointing to a nearby truck holding envelopes stuffed with cash. https://apnews.com/article/billionaire-graduation-gift-university-massachusetts-e8a3073401f0389a41b0ba015607e352? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 25 Author Members Posted May 25 Group of graduates walk out of Harvard commencement chanting ‘Free, free Palestine’ CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Hundreds of students in graduation robes walked out of the Harvard commencement on Thursday chanting “Free, free Palestine” after weeks of protests on campus and a day after the school announced that 13 Harvard students who participated in a protest encampment would not be able to receive diplomas alongside their classmates. https://apnews.com/article/harvard-commencement-israel-palestinians-campus-protests-cc75b954538ab2cffa4425e55a26bbdb? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted June 19 Author Members Posted June 19 Colleges are closing as enrollments drop. Some of their students never go back to school More colleges around the country have been closing as they cope with steep declines in enrollment, a consequence of both changing demographics and the effects of the pandemic. The closures have left tens of thousands of students in limbo — and at increased risk of never finishing their degrees at all. Read more. Why this matters: Nationwide, private colleges have been closing at a rate of about two per month, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. The disruptions created by college closures have a history of derailing students’ educations. Nationally, as many as half of students whose campuses close don’t resume their studies, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. Other students lose credits or have to spend more to enroll elsewhere. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ When violence and trauma visit American places, a complex question follows: Demolish, or press on? Michigan, CUNY didn’t suitably assess if Israel-Hamas war protests made environment hostile, US says Experts fear ‘catastrophic’ college declines thanks to botched FAFSA rollout Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted July 10 Author Members Posted July 10 Is college worth it? Poll finds only 36% of Americans have confidence in higher education Americans are increasingly skeptical about the value and cost of college, with most saying they feel the U.S. higher education system is headed in the “wrong direction,” according to a new poll, and some of the same opinions have been reflected in declining enrollment. Read more. Why this matters: The dimming view of whether college is worth the time and money cuts across all demographics — including gender, age, political affiliation. Colleges are contending with the effects of the student debt crisis, concerns about the high cost of tuition and political debates over how they teach about race and other topics. Experts say that fewer college graduates could worsen labor shortages in fields from health care to information technology. For those who forgo college, it often means lower lifetime earnings — 75% less compared with those who get bachelor’s degrees, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Appeals court allows part of Biden student loan repayment plan to go forward LSU offers local freshmen $3,000 to live at home this semester Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted August 4 Author Members Posted August 4 For college students arrested protesting the war in Gaza, the fallout was only beginning AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Since her arrest at a protest at the University of Massachusetts, Annie McGrew has been pivoting between two sets of hearings: one for the misdemeanor charges she faces in court, and another for violations of the college’s conduct code. https://apnews.com/article/college-protest-israel-hamas-war-arrest-charges-7cb75debddc2e8bd795d16515d07de09? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted August 12 Author Members Posted August 12 US colleges are cutting majors and slashing programs after years of putting it off Christina Westman dreamed of working with Parkinson’s disease and stroke patients as a music therapist when she started studying at St. Cloud State University. https://apnews.com/article/college-degree-programs-cuts-music-f0c271f6d61a13404f93688fcc6c589b? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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