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Educators face backlash, firings after posts lament Trump surviving WHCA dinner shooting

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:00:23 -0400

Education professionals from across the country are facing backlash after posting reactions online voicing disappointment that President Donald Trump was not killed in the Saturday shooting during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

1. Corrine Baum, Ohio

"Man, there's been a few creators on here saying that, like Friday or yesterday could have been the day, and then I wake up to that news, but not that news," a teacher for BrightPath identified as Corrine Baum said in the video. "We're going to have to pay really close attention to what they're trying to actually distract us from."

In a Monday statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, a spokesperson for BrightPath, an early learning and childcare provider in Cincinnati, said that Baum had been fired.

"Our organization does not tolerate and explicitly condemns any calls for violence," the spokesperson said. "The comments made online by this individual are deeply inconsistent with our values. The individual in question has been terminated."

Baum declined to comment to ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

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2. Patrick Meyer, Wisconsin

Patrick Meyer, a social studies teacher at Kaukauna High School in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, said in a social media post that previous presidential assassins would be disappointed in Cole Tomas Allen, the alleged shooter who was arrested Saturday night after authorities said he opened fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the dinner, which was Trump's first time at the event as president.

In a since-deleted post on X, Meyer wrote, "I am not impressed with recent presidential assassins. It's f---ing embarrassing! Booth, Guiteau, Czolgosz, Oswald must all be spinning in their graves! MAGAA (make Americans great assassins again)! Sad!"

In a Monday post on Facebook, Kaukauna Area School District said Meyer was placed on administrative leave.

"The Kaukauna Area School District has been made aware of a situation involving an employee’s social media post," the school district said in the Facebook post. "The District has placed the employee on administrative leave and is taking additional action to review the matter in accordance with its policies and procedures."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Meyer and Kaukauna High School for comment.

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3. Francesca Zelnick, Pennsylvania

Francesca Zelnick, who was identified as an institutional data manager and registrar in a screenshot from the Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, appeared to post on Instagram Threads both before and after Saturday’s shooting.

One post appearing to be on Threads read, "I hope it happens at the Correspondents’ Dinner tonight." Another post read, "Welp, I guess someone else did too."

In a statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, the Friends’ Central School said, "We are a community founded on the idea of respect for all people. An employee's personal social media account contained a message not reflective of our school’s values. This is a personnel matter and is being addressed."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Zelnick for comment.

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4. Sandy Strand, Wisconsin

Sandy Strand, who is identified as the director of student services on the website of the Prescott School District in Prescott, Wisconsin, also appeared to express sadness that Trump was not killed in Saturday’s shooting.

"Ugh. They missed again," Strand wrote in a social media post with an eyeroll emoji.

In a statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, Jim Reif, the district’s superintendent of schools, said the district cannot comment on an ongoing personnel investigation, but shared a statement from the district, which said, in part, that it is "aware of a social media post made by a district staff member regarding the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. We want to be clear that the views expressed in that post are not supported by the district and do not reflect our values. We promote positive dialog and condemn violence of any kind."

The statement continued that, "The district is addressing this matter in accordance with our board policies and established procedures."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Strand for comment.

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Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and several senior Cabinet officials were evacuated Saturday after shots rang out at the hotel. A Secret Service agent was hit but survived, and there were no fatalities.

Allen, the suspect, is facing life in prison. ӣ��Ƶ Digital reported Allen’s goal was to target Trump administration officials in his thwarted attack, according to law enforcement sources.

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On Wednesday, the Department of Justice released photos of Allen showing him inside what appeared to be his hotel room prior to the shooting, with weapons strapped to his body.

UnitedHealthcare fires woman over ‘Aww, they missed?’ comment on Trump assassination attempt

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:40:37 -0400

UnitedHealthcare has fired a woman who expressed sadness in a TikTok video that President Donald Trump was not killed in the Saturday shooting during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In the video, she sarcastically asked, "Aww, they missed?"

"We're cooked as a country when my first reaction to hearing the news about Trump's attempt was, ‘It was probably fake,’" Alison King, who has reportedly deleted her LinkedIn account but was identified as a social media manager for UnitedHealthcare, said in the video.

"Like, immediately I was like, 'Oh, that wasn't real, probably fake,’" King said. "And the second was 'Aww, they missed? So happy they missed.’ Yeah, that's sad,’" King said sarcastically.

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"That's when you know we're cooked," King added.

In a Tuesday statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, a spokesperson for UnitedHealthcare said, "Violence is never acceptable and any comments that suggest otherwise are in no way consistent with our mission and values. The person who made comments online about Saturday night’s incident at a Washington event where President Trump and many other political leaders were gathered is no longer employed by the company."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to King, but she declined to comment.

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The suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, was arrested Saturday night after authorities said he opened fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the dinner, which Trump was attending for the first time as president.

Allen is facing life in prison. ӣ��Ƶ Digital reported Allen wanted to target Trump administration officials in his foiled attack, according to law enforcement sources.

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On Dec. 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione will return to state court May 18 for a ruling on motions to suppress evidence and statements from his Altoona, Pennsylvania arrest.

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Study finds more AI praise for Black students, softer treatment of females

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:00:51 -0400

A new study found that artificial intelligence (AI) gave more praise and positive feedback to Black students' essays and differing treatment for other students based on their race and sex.

The study, titled "Marked Pedagogies: Examining Linguistic Biases in Personalized Automated Writing Feedback," was published in March by three Stanford University researchers who analyzed 600 eighth-grade persuasive essays through four different AI models, including various versions of OpenAI's ChatGPT, as well as Llama, a large language model made by Meta AI.

The essays covered topics including whether schools should require community service and whether aliens built a hill on Mars.

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The researchers — Mei Tan, Lena Phalen and Dorottya Demszky — then submitted the essays again and labeled the writers as Black or White, male or female, driven or unmotivated, or as having a learning disability.

The Hechinger Report showed that "researchers found consistent patterns across all the AI models. Essays attributed to Black students received more praise and encouragement, sometimes emphasizing leadership or power," including feedback such as, "Your personal story is powerful! Adding more about how your experiences can connect with others could make this even stronger."

Conversely, "Essays labeled as written by Hispanic students or English learners were more likely to trigger corrections about grammar and ‘proper’ English. When the student was identified as White, the feedback more often focused on argument structure, evidence and clarity — the kinds of comments that can push writers to strengthen their ideas."

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According to the analysis, students who identified as female "often used first-person pronouns and affective language that positioned the model as personally engaged with the student’s work" with feedback such as "I love your confidence in expressing your opinion!" and "I appreciate your emphasis on respect."

The analysis also found that "compared to their counterparts, students identified as Black, Hispanic, Asian, female, unmotivated, and learning-disabled received less constructive criticism and more praise, reflecting both feedback withholding and positive feedback biases. In some cases, praise took on overtly stereotyped forms: words like 'love' were used disproportionately with female students, while 'powerful' appeared only for Black students."

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ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to researchers, Tan and Phalen who told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement that, "Our concern is not that feedback should be standardized for every student. Good teaching is often responsive to students’ skills, needs, and experiences."

They continued, "Feedback being positive does not mean it's high-quality. In our study, some automated feedback over-relied on praise for students marked by race or disability, while offering less substantive critique to help them improve. In other cases, especially for students identified as English Language Learners, feedback was intensely negative and corrective. Both can deny students meaningful opportunities to revise and grow as writers."

"Since LLM training procedures are proprietary, we can only speculate on why these biases may exist," Tan and Phalen added. "Research has observed positive feedback bias and feedback withholding bias in human feedback. This related paper also hypothesizes that bias mitigation mechanisms in training LLMs may introduce some of the positive stereotypes we see."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Demszky as well as OpenAI and Meta for comment.

Florida law school reverses course, recognizes TPUSA chapter after state pressure

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:00:21 -0400

A Florida law school has reversed course and will allow a Turning Point USA chapter following intervention from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier after the school initially denied the chapter.

"We are glad Barry Law reversed course and is allowing its students an opportunity to hear ideas that are outside of the left-wing echo chamber," Uthmeier told ӣ��Ƶ Digital Monday in a statement.

Florida’s Voice reported April 22 that "Barry University School of Law has reversed its earlier denial and will allow students to form a chapter of Turning Point USA, complying with demands from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier that the private Catholic institution had engaged in viewpoint discrimination."

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In an April 9 letter, Uthmeier wrote, "Denying students the ability to form a TPUSA chapter at Barry Law likely violates students’ contractually ‘guaranteed’ freedom of expression and association. It discourages free discussion, inquiry, and expression, and disables students from organizing and joining an association to promote their common interests."

Uthmeier, who had asked the law school to respond by May 15, continued, "Barry Law’s decision also violates the specific promise that disqualification will not be based solely on affiliation with an extramural organization. The denial was specifically premised on the student organization’s affiliation with TPUSA, which the law school disingenuously determined was in conflict with the University’s purpose."

He also pointed out that the law school, located in Miami Shores, has an OUTLaw chapter, an LGBTQ+ student organization found at many U.S. law schools.

"Barry University is ‘a Catholic institution,’ grounded in ‘the liberal arts tradition,’ that ‘nurtures and values cultural, social and intellectual diversity’ — apparently unless a student is a religious conservative," he wrote.

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Uthmeier added, "Barry Law’s recognition of the LGBTQ organization OUTLaw undermines the Catholic Church’s clear position against transgenderism. Barry Law recognizes its own chapter of the ACLU, which advocates for abortion access — also in conflict with Catholic teaching."

"If these student organizations are somehow not in conflict with a Catholic university’s purpose, then TPUSA certainly isn’t," he continued. "The obvious disparate treatment confirms that Barry Law’s stated reason for prohibiting the TPUSA chapter was simply a pretext for censoring religiously conservative students."

Additionally, on April 16, 2026, Florida State University Law’s First Amendment Clinic sent a demand letter to Barry Law asking it to reverse its denial of the TPUSA chapter, seeking a response from Barry Law by April 23 to avoid legal action. FSU Law’s First Amendment Clinic said that on April 22, six days after receiving the demand letter, Barry Law reversed its denial.

Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Sept. 10 while he was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.

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ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Barry University for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Ohio teacher fired after video appearing to lament Trump surviving WHCA Dinner shooting

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:55:31 -0400

An Ohio teacher has been fired after posting a video on TikTok in which she appeared to voice disappointment that President Donald Trump was not killed in the Saturday shooting during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

"Man, there's been a few creators on here saying that like Friday or yesterday could have been the day and then I wake up to that news, but not that news," a teacher for BrightPath identified as Corrine Baum said in the video. "We're going to have to pay really close attention to what they're trying to actually distract us from."

In a Monday statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, a spokesperson for BrightPath, an early learning and childcare provider in Cincinnati, said, "Our organization does not tolerate and explicitly condemns any calls for violence."

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The spokesperson added, "The comments made online by this individual are deeply inconsistent with our values. The individual in question has been terminated."

Cole Tomas Allen was arrested Saturday night after authorities said he opened fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the dinner, which Trump was attending for the first time as president.

On her LinkedIn profile, which now appears to be deleted, Baum identified herself as being affiliated with The Children’s House, which was rebranded to BrightPath in 2023. A local Fox report stated she was instructing young students at its Bridgetown Child Care Center as of Sunday.

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In 2023, Bright Path announced that "The Children’s House has officially rebranded to BrightPath Kids!"

In the announcement, BrightPath said, "The Children's House’s mission, ‘Preparing Today's Children for Tomorrow's Future,’ aligns with BrightPath’s commitment to ensuring that all children have ‘The Best Start in Life.’ Both of these vision statements provide a foundation that ensures children will be ready for whatever may come their way in the future, allowing children to explore the world around them, examining their environments and fostering their innate curiosity through hands-on interactions of their individual journey of learning."

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ӣ��Ƶ Digital attempted to reach Baum for comment.

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Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and several senior Cabinet officials were evacuated Saturday after shots broke out at the hotel. A Secret Service agent was struck but survived, and there were no fatalities.

The suspect is facing life imprisonment. ӣ��Ƶ Digital reported Allen wanted to target Trump administration officials in his foiled attack, according to law enforcement sources.

Nation’s second largest school district moves to limit kids’ screen time

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:35 -0400

The Los Angeles Unified School District voted Tuesday to limit students' screen time.

The resolution to limit students’ use of laptops and tablets in class and incentivize pen-and-paper assignments passed 6-0 and mandates that the district to develop a screen time policy for each grade and subject, bar students in first grade and younger from using devices, evaluate education technology contracts and make clear the steps parents need to take to opt their child out of using technology at school, NBC News reported.

"The Los Angeles Unified Board of Education approved a resolution today to limit student screen time across the district," the district said in a press release.

"Building on last year’s cellphone ban, the proposal calls for comprehensive, developmentally appropriate guardrails on instructional technology for all grade levels, including key provisions to eliminate use of student devices for youngest learners, prohibit student-led use of YouTube and other video streaming platforms and review and present a public report of all existing classroom technology contracts."

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The resolution came from board member Nick Melvoin, a Democrat who has served on the board since 2017.

"During COVID, student devices became a necessary lifeline, and seemingly overnight, screen time limits were shelved to ensure every child had access to the technology they needed to continue learning and stay connected with their teachers and peers," Melvoin said in the press release.

"Our charge now is to recalibrate, evaluate the role of educational technology in the classroom, and balance access to that technology with the kinds of instruction and interaction we know help students thrive."

It was co-sponsored by board members Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Kelly Gonez, Board Vice President Rocío Rivas and student board member Jerry Yang.

Ortiz Franklin said in the press release that when the district is "intentional about how our students engage with technology, we invest in their focus, their health and our future."

Ortiz Franklin added in the press release that "providing guidelines for our students affords our youngest learners the space for human interaction and play to develop foundational cognitive and social skills and gives our oldest learners opportunities for meaningful connection and collaboration within their community.

"I am proud to co-sponsor this resolution that balances how and when we use technology in our classrooms, preparing our students to be ready for the world."

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In the press release, Griego called the move "long overdue." She added, "As a cosponsor, I am honored to cosponsor this resolution that establishes clear, developmentally appropriate guidelines around screen time and the use of single-use devices in our schools to ensure a balanced approach to technology that helps our students learn, grow and thrive."

Gonez, another board member, said, "Technology can be a powerful tool, but too much screen time has real harmful effects on our students."

She added that the resolution "will ensure we are prioritizing important skills and learning experiences for students, while protecting their childhoods and well-being by setting research-based screen time limits."

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In the press release, acting Superintendent Andrés E. Chait called the move necessary for the current technological climate.

"As we continue to navigate the evolving role of technology in education, our priority remains ensuring it is used in ways that support high-quality instruction, student engagement and overall well-being," Chait said.

"Technology is an important tool that can expand access and enhance learning, but it is most effective when used purposefully and guided by educators."

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According to an August report from Ballotpedia, 26 states have enacted laws or policies requiring local school boards to restrict or prohibit cellphone use in K-12 classrooms, with 22 adopted in 2025 alone.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the Los Angeles Unified School District for comment.

Inside Seattle’s open-air drug crisis as fentanyl ravages city and activists bail out alleged criminals

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

SEATTLE — Seattle’s fentanyl crisis is impossible to hide from public view, with open-air drug use, rising overdose deaths and struggling addicts highlighting the challenges facing city leaders and community advocates.

Hector, an addict, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that he has been having a "hard time" and that the most common drug used in the area is "Fetty," and cautioned young people to stay away from it.

"The younger people, don't waste their lives on drugs," Hector said. "It's a waste of time, waste of money, waste of life."

We Heart Seattle, an organization founded by Andrea Suarez in the fall of 2020 to clean up public spaces and offer resources to people in need, has tried to help Hector multiple times.

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Suarez told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that she believes the city, which recently elected socialist Mayor Katie Wilson in November, is not doing enough to address the crisis.

"We are the only outreach agency that's actually advocating for people to be held accountable for their own safety and the safety of others," Suarez said. "Because the culture here is very hands-off, live and let live. And drug users are people too, and we're the problem. We caused the trauma because of systemic racism and poverty and capitalism and, like, all this ideology has just taken such a stronghold in Seattle, that it's more of a do-nothing attitude by our politicians and that activists are so loud here that they will even bail people out of jail who are very harmful to the community because they are anti-incarceration of any kind."

In an internal email obtained by ӣ��Ƶ Digital, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes wrote that "all charges related to drug possession and/or drug use will be diverted from prosecution to the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program," but Wilson denied claims that her administration was changing drug enforcement policy.

Suarez said the city should pursue stronger policies to address the crisis.

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"So if you make that penalty stronger, and you can arrest a person for tenting and using narcotics in a park, suddenly six months or a year in jail may deter you from using in a public space and also accept help," Suarez said.

"As outreach workers, you know, why do we get burned out? Because we can't make a difference without teeth, without law, without law enforcement," she continued. "So better legislation and stiffer penalties around using in these shared spaces and holding the low barrier properties like tiny houses and hotels and permanent supportive housing that allow drug dealers and drug using within their properties, that if they are a nuisance to the community, they should be fined and would force a good neighborhood agreement."

Local outlet KOMO News reported on April 16 that the Syringe Services Program Health Survey found that in 2021, 93% of respondents reported injecting drugs. By 2025, however, 90% said they had smoked drugs in the previous week, while injections had dropped to 44%.

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The Roosevelt News, another local outlet, reported last year that King County recorded 1,067 drug poisoning deaths in 2023 due to fentanyl, a 47% increase from the previous year.

According to the Addictions, Drug, and Alcohol Institute at the University of Washington, opioid overdose death rates in King, Pierce, and Spokane Counties more than quadrupled between 2002-2004 and 2024-2025.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported in November that the agency seized roughly 3.4 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl from the two drug trafficking groups targeted in investigations in the Western District of Washington.

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"Hardcore people that were big-time opioid users that ran the streets for years and years, if not decades, will tell you that drugs on top of drugs isn't how you help a drug addict," Suarez said. "Abstinence is how you help if you truly want to help, not thousands of dollars of medication. Often, that ends up being a subsidy for the drug addict, only really just to kind of enable them and entrap them into addiction further, which we've seen firsthand as well."

Suarez also stressed that the work of some local left-wing activist groups is making it more difficult to curtail homelessness and crimes committed by those looking for quick cash to get their next fix. She told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that these groups are often against incarceration of any kind, regardless of the alleged crime.

The Northwest Community Bail Fund (NCBF) in Seattle, along with other similar groups, often pays bail for individuals unable to afford it, aiming to reduce the harms of the cash bail system. These groups, highlighted in a CBS News story, claim that cash bail disproportionately affects low-income individuals.

Victims of violent crime have previously complained that these groups have bailed out people that are a danger to the public.

Similar to Hector, Erica is another addict that Suarez and We Heart Seattle have been trying to help.

"So this is a common barrier to accepting services and treatment is Erica doesn't want to be separated from her dog under any circumstances," Suarez said. "So, even though we've offered to provide kenneling for her … we will pay for people to get their dogs kenneled while they go to treatment. And she was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ So she's got two amputated fingers, living on a sidewalk, frostbitten nose."

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Suarez said that the tearing down of a pavilion and picnicking area at Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Seattle is symbolic of the current drug crisis.

"This pavilion is very, very bittersweet to talk about this, because this pavilion was recently torn down because it was untenable with drug use, fire damage. People were just filleted over here," Suarez said. "It looked like a tombstone. And so the neighbors advocated for it to get demolished as the roof was burnt down. And so this is what's left."

Only stubs of the pavilion and scorched cement remain.

"It really is very symbolic of what has become of our parks in Seattle with this type of a view, children's playgrounds nearby, that drugs and fentanyl use and their civil liberties are really taking precedence and priority, really priority over the civil liberties," Suarez added. "And so this was very, very hard to see this get demolished, just not even a couple months ago."

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King County Public Health and its partner agency, Department of Community and Human Services, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement that, "Housing first is an evidence-based strategy that prioritizes immediate access to housing, bringing people indoors to find stability so that they can be connected to services that address health, employment, or socials service needs. As the Seattle Times reported, when people with a history of chronic illness, substance use disorder, or disability have permanent supportive housing, their health outcomes significantly improve. And most importantly, they’re able to maintain housing in the long term."

They continued, "King County has increased access to treatment. This includes a telehealth prescribing hotline, and expansion of mobile access to treatment. Our data has shown that over the past two years, fatal overdoses in King County have decreased 32%. You can find a full list of substance use disorder treatment options supported by the County here."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Wilson for comment but did not immediately receive responses.

The article was updated to include a comment from King County Public Health.

Harvard students revolt over new grading policy they call ‘racist’

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:57:02 -0400

Some Harvard students have launched a petition urging the university to abandon plans to pursue grading reform, calling it "racist."

"This petition calls on Harvard to reject the proposed grading policy, arguing that it is not merely flawed but racially harmful in effect," a petition on Change.org started by Angelina Agostini, a freshman at Harvard College, reads.

"We center racism as a core concern, contending that although the policy is framed as neutral ‘differentiation,’ it functions as a system of ranking and sorting that mirrors and reinforces existing racial and socioeconomic hierarchies," the petition reads. "Because first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students and students of color are disproportionately affected by structural inequities long before arriving on campus, the policy would compound those disadvantages rather than correct them."

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On March 30, Amanda Claybaugh, dean of undergraduate education, announced that Harvard College would postpone its controversial grading reform to fall 2027 and implement a new "SAT+" grade, The Harvard Crimson reported.

The initial version of the reform was a "strict cap on A grades," which "drew sharp backlash from students and cautious concern from faculty," the student newspaper reported.

In February, The Harvard Crimson noted that the proposal came following a October 2025 report from Claybaugh which found that more than 60% of grades Harvard undergraduates received were A’s, compared to only a quarter of grades 20 years ago.

The report found that grade inflation started to increase in the late 2010s, surging during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now leveling off.

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The modified reform will institute three significant changes, namely delaying the implementation by a year, adjusting how the cap on A grades is estimated, and adding a new grade within the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (SAT/UNSAT) grading system.

In a letter directed to "Harvard College Undergraduate Students, FAS Faculty, Amanda Claybaugh, Undergraduate Educational Policy Committee, and whomever else this may concern," Agostini and another student wrote, "The proposed grading policy is blatantly racist. Its harms are not hypothetical and have a history of heavily harming and burdening students of color and first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students."

"To everyone reading this letter, we want to reiterate that FGLI students of color are no less capable, intelligent, or deserving than their more privileged peers," the letter continued. "What differs is the burden we are forced to carry. Policies like this shift the costs of institutional decisions onto marginalized students while dismissing the resulting harm as accidental or nonexistent. So-called ‘neutral’ standards can produce racial outcomes without discriminatory intent (Inoue, 2023). History shows where this leads, and ignoring those lessons only ensures the harm will be repeated."

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Agostini and her co-signer also called Harvard’s history "sexist, racist, and classist," and urged the faculty not to repeat that history.

"We urge you to center the well-being of your students rather than reputational concerns," they wrote. "Do not act on the whims of current reputation and forget how it will be remembered. Harvard history is sexist, racist, and classist. Regardless of its intent, this policy will reinforce that legacy."

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They continued, "Let us work together in shaping a future that is supportive for all students while also expanding upon Harvard’s rigorous educational environment. This means creating targeted resources that acknowledge differences in experiences and identities, embracing different educational pedagogy, and recentering the enriching academic experience that is expected of Harvard."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Harvard and Agostini via Change.org for comment.

Critics fret over United Kingdom health strategy making it easier for women to procure same-day abortions

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:00:54 -0400

The United Kingdom government is moving to fund more same-day, or what some call "lunch-hour" abortions, in a shift officials say is about "removing barriers." But critics warn it could pressure women into rushed decisions.

"The Government has announced plans to financially incentivize abortion clinics to provide ‘lunch-hour’ or ‘same-day’ abortions," the conservative group Right To Life UK said in a Monday post.

The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, released this month by the Department of Health and Social Care, states it was "changing the NHS Payment Scheme to remove financial disincentives to provision of timely abortion care. This makes clear that prices paid should not discourage the delivery of consultations, scans and procedures on the same day, and asks providers and commissioners to agree arrangements to ensure the service is safe and sustainable."

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In the Monday post, Right To Life UK said that the policy of the National Health Service (NHS), the UK's publicly funded health care system, has been that abortion clinics are usually paid separately for each component of the abortion process, identified as the initial appointment, scan, and abortion procedure.

According to Right To Life UK, the change "will financially incentivize the UK’s largest private abortion providers, BPAS, MSI Reproductive Choices, and NUPAS, which are paid to provide most of the abortions provided through the NHS, to rush women into abortions with ‘same day’ or ‘lunch-hour’ abortions."

Right To Life UK is concerned that women will be fast-tracked into undergoing abortions, writing, "The planned changes will likely see women being rushed through the abortion process, being given little time to process and contemplate whether to go ahead with what, for many, is a life-changing decision to have an abortion."

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In a statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said, "This is completely false. These changes are about removing barriers that can delay care and putting women in control."

The spokesperson added that, "These reforms ensure women can access safe, regulated abortion services — whether that is in a single visit where clinically appropriate, or over multiple appointments. The previous system disincentivized providing timely abortion care and incentivized services to ask patients to come back on a separate day, even if there was no clinical reason to do so."

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement that, "Women facing an unplanned pregnancy need time, care and support, not a system that gives abortion clinics a financial incentive to rush them through consultations, scans and abortions on the same day."

"This change is part of much wider major plans of the Labour Government to further expand and liberalize abortion provision, which would likely lead to more lives being ended by abortion here in the UK," Robinson said.

She added, "Under the current NHS Payment Scheme, abortion clinics are typically paid separately for each part of the abortion pathway – the consultation, scan and procedure. This encourages abortion providers not to rush the process in one day, and also gives women more time to consider their decision before the actual abortion procedure happens."

Robinson continued, "Under the Government’s new approach (page 28), abortion clinics will now be paid a bundled payment for providing all stages of the process – and the Government has made it clear they are doing this to financially incentivize clinics to provide abortion ‘consultations, scans and procedures on the same day.'"

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, BPAS, MSI Reproductive Choices, and NUPAS for comment.

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Severed Trump head painting displayed at Utah Pride event; kids invited to hit Mike Lee piñata

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:00:49 -0400

An LGBTQ+ center that calls itself a "resource center for [Brigham Young University] students and anyone else in need" recently held an event where a painting depicting President Donald Trump’s head being served on a platter was on sale, and a piñata of Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was available for children to hit.

"A painting of Donald Trump’s severed head on a platter was found for sale alongside decorative Molotov cocktails at a Pride event in Provo hosted by the Cougar Pride Center, which describes itself as an 'LGBTQ resource for BYU students,'" Kai Schwemmer, a BYU student and official in the College Republicans of America, wrote in an April 14 post on X.

In a subsequent post on X, Schwemmer said, "Also featured: a Piñata of Representative [sic] @BasedMikeLee. Held less than 15 minutes from where Charlie Kirk was killed, items like the ones sold here are an upsetting sign that little has changed since, and that desensitization to violence has only increased."

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On its website, the Cougar Pride Center says it plans "large-scale events — including Pride in April and our Drag Pageant in October," adding that the group works "for progress at BYU and in the community at large."

Local outlet KUTV reported, "Outrage has grown online after images and video from a Pride event in Provo showed a piñata resembling U.S. Sen. Mike Lee being batted by children, a painting of President Donald Trump's severed head on a platter, and decorative Molotov cocktails for sale."

The decapitated head of Trump painting and the piñata of Lee were at an April 11 Pride in Progress event, held at Provo Memorial Park and put together by the Cougar Pride Center, an independent LGBTQ+ organization for BYU students and community members, KUTV reported.

BYU distanced itself from the event in an April 15 post on X, writing, "This is not a BYU group, not a BYU-sponsored event, and did not happen on BYU campus."

The Cougar Pride Center told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, "We are not associated with this artist and do not condone violence of any kind."

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The artist of the decapitated head of Trump painting, Sav Kubensis, whose work was titled, "Liberation with the Head of Hegemony," told KUTV that her art is protected under the First Amendment.

"While my art may not be politically correct, it isn’t a call to action or a threat — it is an expression of my 1st Amendment Right," Kubensis said. "Not unlike Mike Lee’s social media posts mocking the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker last year."

Kubensis also told KUTV, "My work is highly symbolic and may not appeal to everyone, but my LDS grandma doesn’t have anything bad to say about it."

A post on Instagram from Kubensis about the painting, which also depicts Trump’s eyes as gouged out, says, "Historically, removing someone's eyes has served as a brutal form of political punishment or revenge. Used to incapacitate rulers and punish traitors, blinding was a standard practice in the Middle Ages to prevent a man from leading armies."

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Lee reposted photos and videos from the event from another account on X, asking, "How does @BYU feel about this?"

A BYU spokesperson told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement, "The group that you referenced is not affiliated with Brigham Young University. The event did not take place on BYU campus, nor was it sponsored by the university in any way. "

Reached for comment, a White House spokesperson said, "These sick freaks need to seriously get their heads examined and seek psychiatric help to treat their severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Lee for comment.

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Bishop Barron slams ‘absurd’ Trump-Pope ‘war’ narrative

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:00:46 -0400

Bishop Robert Barron took to X on Monday to call out the media for exacerbating what he described as an "absurd" narrative of a "war" between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV over disagreements related to Iran.

"There is a way past the absurd and deeply divisive ‘war’ between the President and the Pope, which has been enthusiastically ginned up by the press," Barron said in a Monday post on X. "And it is indicated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2309 to be precise. After laying out the various criteria for determining a just war—proportionality, last resort, declaration by a competent authority, reasonable hope of success, etc.—the Catechism points out that ‘the evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.’"

Barron added, "The assumption is that the just war principles function, to use the technical term, as heuristic devices, designed to guide the practical decision-making of those civil authorities who have to adjudicate matters of war and peace."

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He then continued, saying that it is not the role of the Church to determine whether a war is just.

"The role of the Church, therefore, is to call for peace and to urge that any conflict be strictly circumscribed by the moral constraints of the just war criteria," Barron said. "But it is not the role of the Church to evaluate whether a particular war is just or unjust. That appraisal belongs to the civil authorities, who, one presumes, have requisite knowledge of conditions on the ground."

He continued by laying out a series of questions to be considered, including, "Is the war in question truly the last resort? Is there really a balance between the good to be attained and the destruction caused by the war? Are combatants and non-combatants being properly distinguished in the waging of the conflict? Do the belligerents have right intention? Is there a reasonable hope of success? The posing of those questions—indeed the insistence upon their moral relevance—belongs rightly to the Church, but the answering of them belongs to the civil authorities."

Last Sunday, Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "terrible" on foreign policy after the pope called out the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

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"He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

"I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."

On Saturday, Pope Leo said remarks he gave stating that the "world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants" were not targeted toward Trump.

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Speaking on a flight to Angola for his 10-day tour of Africa, Pope Leo XIV said media coverage of remarks "has not been ‌accurate in all its aspects" and that his speech "was ⁠prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting," according to Reuters.

Last week, Barron said that Trump owes Pope Leo an apology after Trump posted his scathing message about Leo in a Truth Social post.

"The statements made by President Trump on Truth Social regarding the Pope were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful," Barron said in an X post. "They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of good will can and do disagree."

Barron concluded his Monday X post by emphasizing that popes are not politicians.

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"The Pope has said, on numerous occasions, that he is not a politician and that his role is not the determination of any nation's foreign policy," Barron said. "But he has just as clearly said that he will continue to speak for peace and for moral constraint. In making both of these claims, he is operating perfectly within the framework of paragraph 2309 of the Catechism. If we understand that the Pope and the President have qualitatively different roles to play in the determination of moral action in regard to war, we can, I hope, extricate ourselves from the completely unhelpful narrative of ‘Pope vs. President.’"

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the White House for comment and was referred to Trump's recent comments on the Pope.

Texas Tech to recognize only two sexes, freezes gender programs

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:45:02 -0400

Texas Tech University has announced it will recognize only two sexes, male and female, and freeze all gender programming related to sexual orientation and gender identity(SOGI).

An April 9 memo from Texas Tech said the Lubbock university would recognize "only two human sexes" and, following a program review, "initiate the closure of all academic credentials centered on SOGI."

The announcement came after the Texas Tech University System implemented a formal review process for course content in December 2025 to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, with materials evaluated by the Board of Regents.

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The December memo, signed by Brandon Creighton, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, said that the December review was part of oversight obligation under Senate Bill 37, which passed in June. It is authored by Creighton, who is also a Republican state senator, which increased state oversight of college curriculum and governance.

The April announcement says that in addition to freezing all gender programming related to SOGI, there will be a "strict prohibition on SOGI content in all core and lower-level undergraduate courses, requiring alternate materials if primary texts center on or include these topics. Conversely, upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses are restricted but feature clear exemptions for strictly defined academic purposes."

According to the memo, exemptions will be considered for "carefully delineated, strictly temporary instructional frameworks for certain graduate coursework," highlighting that "certain SOGI instruction is permitted only for currently enrolled students completing formally identified teach-out programs at the graduate level."

There will also be a ban on what the memo calls "prejudiced advocacy," which it defines as "instruction that advocates for concepts of inherent racial or sexual superiority, inherent bias, or collective guilt, which include exemptions for "independent student-directed research and necessary professional licensure or patient-care requirements."

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The memo also directs that the school will recognize that there are only two sexes, male and female, and that "instructors may not teach that gender identity is a fluid spectrum, endorse the existence of more than two genders, or decouple gender from biological sex as a factual or scientific baseline."

It clarifies, however, that the recognition of two human sexes will not ban discussion of objective scientific realities of anatomy, genetics, or endocrinology, such as intersex biological conditions.

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The memo notes "faculty may not use these biological conditions to advocate for or validate sociological frameworks of fluid gender identities."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Texas Tech for comment.

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Will socialism save Seattle? City advocates struggle to find solutions as homeless, drug addicts flood streets

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:00:16 -0400

SEATTLE — City advocates say they are struggling to find solutions as homelessness and open-air drug use spread across Seattle’s streets, amid growing concerns about the direction of socialist Mayor Katie Wilson’s new administration.

"You can just see the foil is like blowing down the sidewalks like autumn leaves," Andrea Suarez, founder and executive director of We Heart Seattle, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in an interview.

"Very common to see property damage of our parks and shared spaces. You can see Narcan is used to reverse an overdose, so you'll see cartridges. But at least we're remodeling the bathroom to be gender-neutral. I'm not [kidding] you, that's where our priorities are."

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Suarez, who founded We Heart Seattle in the fall of 2020 to clean up her city and public spaces, and offer resources to people in need, says her city has been overtaken by homelessness and open-air drug use, and she said it isn’t getting any better.

"In this park alone, which is Dr. Jose Rizal Park, Lewis Park, and Sturgus Park, there's three connected parks here. In one afternoon, we picked up several hundred pieces of foil in the off-leash dog park, near the children's playgrounds, and the memorials, and the pagoda that's over here as well."

"You can just see every one of these foils was a pill. It could have been a potential overdose," Suarez said. "So pretty jarring when you think about this being in our parks, at our bus stops, you can see the straws. You can see there's needles as well. And oftentimes we'll find that the drugs are still rolled up in the foil, and they get dropped. And we've had several hundred cases of overdoses and poisoning of infants and dogs."

Suarez said that King County Behavioral Health in downtown Seattle now provides information on how to reverse an overdose in dogs.

"That's how bad it is," Suarez said. "It's how prevalent this is in our shared spaces."

She said area stores will sell a "bubble," also called an oil burner, pizzo, or pilo, a type of glass pipe used to smoke substances including fentanyl for $6, and that King County gives them out for free "in the name of harm reduction."

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King County also offers "harm-reduction vending machines," which give free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, as well as condoms, Plan B and "safer sex kits."

Suarez said that addicts will spend anywhere from $100 up to $300 a day on drugs, "if you have it."

"And if you don't, you might get a little sick, but if you can use more, you will," Suarez said. "And so, everything from retail theft, boosting, fencing, prostitution, men and women, huh? Yeah, men, and women. People don't hear that very often that men are preyed on, frankly, by perverts. And they will do anything to not get sick."

Local conservative radio host Ari Hoffman told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in an interview that he believes the city is making its problems worse.

"Seattle and Washington and King County have spent a ton of money on what I call Homeless, Inc., which is fueling this problem," Hoffman said. So, they don't actually get you into treatment. They say, ‘Here, let's give you foil, let us give you a pipe, let's give you a spoon, let's give you whatever drug paraphernalia you want and maybe a pair of socks and some condoms also on top of that.’"

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"And because they are constantly fueling the people who are running Homeless, Inc. and these nonprofit organizations are making an excess of six-figure salaries, these massive huge salaries, there's no incentive for it to end," Hoffman added.

According to Seattle.gov, in 2024, the city of Seattle spent $153.8 million on homelessness services through its Human Services Department.

Compounding the drug crisis is homelessness, which Suarez said has worsened under current policies.

"What I say in Seattle is we've actually removed rock bottom by services, by free housing for life, tiny houses, hotels, allowing tenting in parks," Suarez said.

According to local reporting, homelessness in Washington State is increasing.

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The Washington State Standard reported in August that the total number of individuals counted as homeless is a 4.4% increase from 2024 and a 25% increase overall from 2022. Additionally, the year-over-year increase was approximately consistent with the 4.07% rise from 2023 to 2024, but below the 14.8% jump between 2022 and 2023.

On her campaign website, Wilson said she wants to end "unsheltered homelessness."

"We can’t afford four more years of inaction, with empty tiny homes sitting in storage lots," Wilson said on her campaign website. "We can end unsheltered homelessness. We can reduce public disorder and misery by providing the care that people need, in dignified settings — not leaving people in the streets or moving them around endlessly. We know what works. What’s lacking is the political will to bring solutions to scale."

Local outlet KOMO News reported April 8 that Wilson spoke with members of the Shelter Expansion Community Action Team about opening 1,000 new shelter units and emergency housing this year.

The Seattle City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed two ordinances related to Wilson’s campaign promise to increase the number of shelters in the city. The council approved $5 million in funding and expanded Wilson's authority to scale up the number of "tiny homes" in existing city-run villages. The funding is tied to Wilson's larger $17.5 million plan to create 500 new tiny homes by June. She hopes to double that number by the end of 2026.

"We have to aspire to something higher than pushing an encampment around the corner so it’s a problem for a different block," Wilson said.

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According to Suarez, results may be far from ideal if housing does not come with conditions.

"The permanent supportive housing that we fund in Seattle, since there's no requirement to get clean, you're essentially housing somebody with a permanent drug addict's neighbor and likely their dealer," Suarez said.

"And you'll read in my Seattle Times article, how are you supposed to get better when the fox is guarding the hen house," she asked. "I mean, that's just like, ‘Oh, I just need them to get stabilized, and then they can think about moving on with their life and getting help and reaching self-sufficiency.’ Meanwhile, the entire house is using. So there's absolutely no free, clean and sober housing in Seattle. There's like, you can't find it."

In a new interview on "On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti," Wilson was asked about the services Seattle provides to fix the homelessness problem. She acknowledged there was a problem with the way they were dispensed.

"Seattle provides a lot of services, not enough, but I think part of the problem is not just the amount, but also the way that those services are provided. And for example, mobile treatment vans that are going around trying to provide drug treatment to like people living in encampments," she said.

"Then you lose track of that person, and they're still living unsheltered, nothing against mobile treatment vans, actually. They have a very important place in the ecosystem. But the point I'm trying to make is that we create this system of dead ends where you're starting to provide a service, but then you don't have all of the pieces that are needed to make that really successful."

In the same interview, Wilson discussed her "socialist" label, saying "we need a really fundamental restructuring of our society and our economy."

Seattle's Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) is a low-barrier housing provider, meaning that they are made for individuals who are homeless who may not be accepted into traditional, high-barrier shelters.

In March, Suarez posted a video on X showing a resident of the Interbay Village Tiny Home Community in Seattle, which is part of LIHI, showing Suarez around the property, and an empty tiny home with a few chairs inside.

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In the video, the resident told Suarez that the space is used by others to take drugs, including fentanyl.

But Suarez said there is no clear plan for people who refuse to use housing options provided by the city.

"We're asking our leadership, what is your plan for people who will never take a tiny house, who will never even take an apartment because they don't even want to ever have to get ID," Suarez said. "These are people that want to be off the grid, do their drugs, be left alone, and they're doing it in plain sight on a sidewalk."

However, state Rep. Shaun Scott of Seattle, a member of the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America, said he believes state-provided services and "compassion" are the answer.

"Understand that somebody who's struggling with either addiction or with houselessness or the overlap between the two, we need to have a compassionate response," Scott said.

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"And so I believe that we are successful to the extent that we go in that direction. And I'm not asking you to believe me on this question," he added. "I'm asking you to actually believe the Chamber of Commerce-funded study that indicated in 2018 that in order for the King County area to effectively address houselessness in our state and in our county, we would have to spend something like $400 million annually for about a decade. That is the business community's own response to how it is that we would make our state, make our county in King County, make the city of Seattle, one that's a lot more friendly to people who are experiencing houselessness. And I believe that that is true. I believe we need to go in the direction of fully funding those kinds of services, housing services, social services, we would see a dramatic reduction."

Scott also criticized encampment sweeps, suggesting that "criminalizing" homelessness has done little to reduce the number of encampments and the levels of open-air drug use in the city.

On Wednesday, an encampment at the Rotary Viewpoint Park in West Seattle was swept — a move that critics and advocates say contradicts Wilson's previously proposed strategies.

Leading up to her election, Wilson signaled that the city should prioritize long-term housing solutions instead of displacing the homeless.

"I think this is the opposite of an out of sight, out of mind approach, right? Like we're really doing this work intentionally so that we don't have to just sweep people into other neighborhoods," Wilson previously stated, regarding her approach to homelessness.

Hector, an addict to whom We Heart Seattle has offered treatment many times, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that he has been having a "hard time."

The number one drug people are using in the area is "Fetty," according to Hector. He cautioned young people to stay away from it.

"The younger people, don't waste their lives on drugs," Hector said. "It's a waste of time, waste of money, waste of life."

Tanya Woo, a former appointed City Council member whose family immigrated to Seattle in 1887, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital she is concerned for the future of her city.

"I grew up in this community, I'm a fifth-generation Seattleite, and I've seen a lot of changes in the last couple of years, recent changes that kind of have made me really sad about this neighborhood. It used to be a vibrant community where people from all over the state would come and go shopping and eat and visit," Woo said. "And now it's really empty, and it's tough because a lot of the people who come here are afraid, because we do have a negative public safety reputation in this area."

While some, like Scott, say compassion is the goal, Suarez said the approach is falling short.

"Anybody that is in recovery and has been clean and sober for at least a year or years will tell you, ‘You know, I had to go to jail and sweat it out. I had to be on parole. I had to [urinate] in a cup once a week. I had to show up somewhere to someone. My peer support specialist, my AA sponsor, my parole officer,’" Suarez said. "Without accountability, we are prolonging human suffering, and there's nothing compassionate about trapping a person in their cycle of addiction."

A spokesperson for public health in Seattle and King County told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement, "King County has invested in a wide variety of actions to address opioid overdoses, including increasing access to treatment, providing medications, distributing overdose reversal drugs, and establishing places to go for care – you can read more in this blog post. We’ve seen promising results — over the past two years, fatal overdoses in King County have decreased 32%."

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The spokesperson added, "We’re not distributing flyers about how to reverse an overdose in a dog. If clients ask our staff for this information, we have a flyer from an outside organization that we offer. We don’t collect data on overdoses in dogs, but we don’t have any indication it’s an issue locally."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital has reached out to Wilson for comment.

Boston to give LGBTQ+ migrants vouchers for yoga, meditation, ‘creative healing’

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:00:21 -0400

The city of Boston is offering LGBTQ+ migrants vouchers for yoga, massages and meditation by partnering with a nonprofit organization.

"The City of Boston is partnering with a nonprofit to hand out $250 to $500 to LGBTQ+ migrants for yoga, meditation, massages, hair salon visits, acupuncture, and gym memberships," Mass Daily News reported Wednesday.

"The program, called ‘Belonging Matters,’ is a collaboration between OUTnewcomers and the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement — a city agency under Mayor Michelle Wu. Priority goes to ‘low-income, isolated queer and trans migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.'"

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A post on Instagram from OUTnewcomers, which identifies itself as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) advocating for LGBTQ+ migrants in Boston, advertised the offering as "Wellness Support for LGBTQ+ Migrants in Boston."

The post continued, "Get $250-$500 for Your Well-Being" for yoga and meditation, creative healing, peer support, and gym membership.

The post added, "Priority for Low-Income, Trans & Isolated LGBTQ+ Migrants in Boston. All funds must be used within the City of Boston. APPLY NOW!"

In a subsequent post, however, OUTnewcomers criticized the coverage of the program by Mass Daily News and others, saying, "OUTnewcomers strongly condemns the recent coverage published by Mass Daily News and Daily Mail UK, which contains serious inaccuracies and harmful misrepresentations about our work.

"These outlets did not follow ethical reporting standards. Instead, they amplified a clickbait narrative that fuels hostility toward LGBTQ+ migrants and those who serve them."

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The post continued, "Our City of Boston-funded program is modest and need-based. It provides small vouchers of $50 or less to eligible LGBTQ+ migrants living in Boston to access limited wellness supports such as haircuts, acupuncture, or massage. The program is also intended to support local Boston businesses that welcome LGBTQ+ and migrant clients and workers.

"This hate-driven disinformation directly endangers Sal Khan, founder of OUTnewcomers, threatens the future of our organization, and puts vulnerable community members at greater risk."

OUTnewcomers announced a temporary pause to the Belonging Matters program on Thursday due to threats to Khan and participants in the program.

"This decision comes after the organization and its founder, Sal Khan, received multiple death threats and threats of being reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the project’s public launch. These threats have created serious concerns for the safety and well-being of both leadership and the vulnerable community members the program serves," the announcement said.

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Boston’s GBH News reported that the city is facing a $48.4 million budget deficit due to "costs from record snowfall, healthcare and the perennial problem of public safety overtime."

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ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and OUTnewcomers for comment.

Hegseth excoriates media, likening them to ‘Pharisees’ in Trump defense

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:18:41 -0400

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ripped the media Thursday, likening them to Pharisees in the Bible who "were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda."

"A note to the press, to the press corps, to the American media, as I just can’t help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly negative coverage, you cannot resist peddling, despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our troops," Hegseth said during a press briefing on the war with Iran, at the Pentagon.

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The U.S. is currently in a ceasefire with Iran during Operation Epic Fury, which began on Feb. 28. The U.S. and Iran could begin a new round of peace talks as soon as Thursday, according to reports.

Hegseth went on to say that it was difficult to "figure out what side" some of the press was on.

"It’s incredibly unpatriotic," he said. "This same press corps, not this exact same press corps, but at least an older press corps bent over backwards during the Biden administration to explain away, you explained away the disastrous and disgraceful Afghanistan withdrawal."

Hegseth recalled the withdrawal, telling the media, "You called it the greatest airlift in American history. It’s almost like you’re cheering only for one side."

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He then recounted his experience in church over the weekend.

"This past Sunday… I was sitting in church with my family, and our minister preached from the Book of Mark, the third chapter," Hegseth said. "And in the passage, Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees came to watch. And as the Scripture reads, they came to see whether he, Jesus, would heal him, or he would heal Him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

"You see, the Pharisees, the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time, they were there to witness, to write everything down, to report," he said.

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"But their hearts were hardened. Even though they witnessed a literal miracle, it didn’t matter, they were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda. As the passage ends, the Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel against him how to destroy him," Hegseth continued.

The secretary of war then likened some of the "Trump-hating press" to the "Pharisees."

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"I sat there in church, and I thought, our press are just like these Pharisees," Hegseth said. "Not all of you, not all of – but the legacy Trump-hating press. Your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors. The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation, only looking for the negative. The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn. I would ask you to open your eyes to the goodness, the historic success of our troops, the courage of this president, and this historic moment for a deal that could end the Iranian nuclear threat."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital has reached out to Hegseth for comment.

Harvard president calls students ‘ignorant’ on Israel-Palestinian conflict

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:27:50 -0400

The president of Harvard says he is "disappointed" by the Ivy League student body's ignorance and divide over the Israel-Palestinian conflict, as well as what he described as apathy toward understanding it.

"If you’re going to have strong views about an issue, I would hope that at a university you would have the curiosity to learn the facts," Harvard President Alan M. Garber said at an event in Manhattan, The Harvard Crimson reported.

The student newspaper reported that his remarks "mark a shift in emphasis for Garber, who has spent much of the past year warning about deteriorating conditions for free expression on campus." Garber previously said Harvard "went wrong" with faculty speaking out on political opinions in the classroom.

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The Harvard Crimson reported that Garber on Monday said he believes the issue goes beyond faculty, calling some student attitudes "disturbing" and "ignorant."

He said he was particularly concerned that some students lack a full understanding of the issue and are unwilling to engage in debate.

"What I really felt was most disturbing as a Jewish president, but also somebody who cares personally a lot about the issues that were being discussed, is the level of ignorance among people on all sides of this issue," Garber said.

He added, "The lack of knowledge and this unwillingness to have open dialogue pain me even more."

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Harvard has faced criticism following the university’s messaging regarding Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The Department of Justice in March filed a lawsuit against the school "for race and national origin discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students."

The lawsuit alleges that the university did not protect its Jewish and Israeli students by being "deliberately indifferent to a level of hostility on its campus so well-known across the nation that members of Congress were writing about it" and refusing "to enforce its campus rules against students who harass their Jewish and Israeli peers."

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Garber last week said several of the claims in the lawsuit are "quite meritless."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Garber and Harvard for comment and was directed to previously reported remarks cited by The Harvard Crimson, including that "Garber has long framed his presidency as an opportunity to rebuild a robust campus discourse and healthy environment for free speech at Harvard. Just last month, Garber painted disagreement and competition between diverse viewpoints as ‘a prerequisite for academic rigor’ and central to the University’s academic mission in an address at Harvard’s annual Community and Campus Life Forum."

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Garber took over as president in 2024. Previous Harvard president Claudine Gay resigned that year amid a plagiarism scandal and criticism of the school's handling of antisemitism.

EXCLUSIVE: Indiana school counselor fired for speaking out on gender identity policy settles lawsuit for $200K

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:22 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — An Indiana school counselor who was fired for speaking about her institution's gender identity policy has settled a lawsuit for $200,000.

"I am thrilled to see this case settled, but most of all I am grateful that Indiana law now requires the South Madison Community School Corporation to notify parents about a child’s request to change his or her name or pronouns," Kathy McCord said in a statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

McCord, who worked for 37 years in the education field, filed a lawsuit in 2023 after she was fired for speaking to the media about the central Indiana district's transgender support plan.

"Because of that, South Madison can no longer force other educators to lie and keep secrets about children from their own parents," McCord said. "When I spoke out on my own time in my personal capacity, I did so because I understood how important it is for parents to be involved in all matters of their child’s life — especially when their child is struggling. I loved and cared for students for over 37 years. Despite decades of success as a teacher and school counselor, I was fired after simply expressing my beliefs on an important topic, which were different than the school district’s. No public-school employee should be fired for expressing her personal beliefs or be forced to lie to students or parents."

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In August 2021, the South Madison Community School Corporation enacted a gender identity policy that made counselors and others use names and pronouns for students that do not correspond with their sex, without requiring parental notification or consent, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, and, in some instances, even required employees to hide these new names and pronouns from parents.

ADF alleged that the policy did not require parental consent, or even parental notification, to change a student’s name and pronouns.

On a form, students who questioned their gender identity could mark if parents knew or supported their gender identity status. However, the school board had reportedly stated during a board meeting that the district's gender support plan was not kept from parents and that parents could procure copies.

NATION’S SECOND-LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT TARGETED BY TRUMP OVER SECRETIVE TRANS POLICY

Vincent Wagner, senior counsel at ADF, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that he hopes the case settlement, which was made final between the two parties on March 25 and filed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on Tuesday, will encourage others to use their constitutional rights.

"Our client, Kathy McCord, was fired after expressing her personal beliefs — speaking on her own time in her personal capacity out of concern for her students — based on her unwillingness to lie to parents," Wagner said. "Kathy knows what should be obvious to everyone: When a student struggles with gender, sexuality, or any other important issue, parents should be included so they can make the best decision for their child. Schools should actively partner with parents, not cut them out. Lying to and hiding information from parents violates their constitutional rights. And it can send struggling children down a one-way path to irreversible harm."

Wagner added, "We are excited to settle this case and hope this settlement encourages public schools around the country to put an end to unconstitutional policies that violate educators’ and parents’ rights."

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In a statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, the South Madison Community School Corporation said that SMCSC "has concluded the lawsuit filed by former employee Kathy McCord. In August 2025, the Court ruled in favor of SMCSC on the majority of Ms. McCord’s claims, including a finding that the District did not violate her First Amendment rights."

SMCSC added that, "While the District feels confident it would have prevailed on the only remaining claims if they had proceeded to trial, the parties have now reached a settlement. SMCSC chose to settle to avoid the significant time, expense, and disruption of continued litigation and to allow the District to remain focused on serving students. SMCSC has not admitted any wrongdoing, and the Court made no findings of liability against the District. SMCSC remains focused on its mission of supporting students, staff, and the entire school community. The district appreciates the continued support of its families and community members."

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Hawley urges DOJ probe into abortion pill maker over safety concerns

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:28:50 -0400

FIRST ON FOX— Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is calling on the Department of Justice to investigate Danco Laboratories, which produces and distributes the abortion drug mifepristone.

"Women are being harmed by this chemical abortion drug at far higher rates than advertised on the drug label," Hawley said in a letter sent to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Tuesday that was obtained by ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "As you may know, this drug is now responsible for over 70 percent of abortions in the United States—a number which has risen in just the last four years. Large, secretive pharmaceutical corporations like Danco must be held accountable for these serious safety risks to women and the Department should take immediate action."

Mifepristone, an abortion pill originally made by Danco Laboratories, blocks progesterone, a hormone needed to sustain pregnancy, and is followed by misoprostol to complete the abortion.

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"Very little information is publicly available about Danco Laboratories," Hawley wrote in his letter. "The company first introduced mifepristone in the United States in 2000 and, in doing so, appears to have taken unusual and extreme measures to protect itself from liability. It was incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Its board of directors and investors remain secret."

In a 2023 article headlined "Why you’ve never heard of the company behind the abortion pill," the Los Angeles Times reported, "As far as drug companies go, abortion pill maker Danco Laboratories is all but anonymous. It has fewer than 20 employees, uses a P.O. Box to avoid sharing its headquarters address and isn’t listed on any public exchanges."

Hawley wrote that Danco Laboratories' corporate structure "remains largely shielded from public view. Early backers appear to have included George Soros and other far-left activists who favor population control. We do know, however, that chemical abortion is a lucrative enterprise for Danco—so lucrative, in fact, that mifepristone is the only drug the company makes, with investors’ returns reportedly topping 450%."

In his letter, Hawley referenced a study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, authored by Ryan T. Anderson, the organization’s president, and Jamie Bryan Hall, its director of data analysis, which reviewed a claims database that included 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017 to 2023.

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It found that 10.93% of women "experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion."

On its website, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calls mifepristone safe but adds, "The FDA has received reports of serious adverse events in patients who took mifepristone. As of December 31, 2024, there were 36 reports of deaths in patients associated with mifepristone since the product was approved in September 2000, including two cases of ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy located outside the womb, such as in the fallopian tubes) resulting in death, and several fatal cases of severe systemic infection (also called sepsis)."

"You and the Department of Justice are tasked with upholding the rule of law and protecting every American—including women that companies like Danco prey on and lie to," Hawley wrote to Blanche.

PRO-LIFE GROUP FINDS BIDEN-ERA FDA POLICY IS DRIVING 500 ABORTIONS PER DAY, SAYS TRUMP HAS POWER TO END IT

"This mandate includes ensuring Danco’s prompt, fulsome, and transparent compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and ongoing regulatory obligations," he added. "My Subcommittee has opened an investigation into Danco and its business practices. I request that you also open an investigation into Danco, including but not limited to its original FDA approval, ongoing regulatory compliance, manufacture and distribution pipeline, potentially deceptive marketing practices, and disclosure of safety risks pertaining to the drug."

A DOJ spokesperson told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement that, "President Trump’s record on protecting unborn life and defending women’s health is unmatched. The Department of Justice will continue to advance those priorities by asking courts to allow the FDA to complete its review of mifepristone safety data and by investigating any person or entity that engaged in illegal conduct putting women or unborn children at risk."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Danco Laboratories for comment.

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Catholic California university to host Nancy Pelosi as commencement speaker despite abortion stance

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:09:56 -0400

A Catholic university in California will be hosting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., despite her outspoken support for abortion, which is against Catholic teaching.

"We are deeply honored to welcome Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi to Notre Dame de Namur University," Dr. Beth Martin, president of Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) in Belmont, California, said in a statement announcing Pelosi.

"Her lifelong commitment to public service, leadership, and advocacy for justice reflects the very values that define an NDNU education and the enduring legacy of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur," Martin said. "During this 175th anniversary year of the Sisters in California, her presence powerfully affirms the impact of faith-inspired education on the world."

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According to its website, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur are an international apostolic congregation of Catholic sisters, founded in 1804 by St. Julie Billiart in Amiens, France, serving today in 16 countries on five continents.

Their mission is to "make known God's goodness, especially among the most impoverished and abandoned people in the world," according to the group’s website.

Pelosi, who has called opposing abortion "sinful," will speak at the university’s commencement ceremony on May 2.

In 2023, Pelosi posted on X, then known as Twitter, calling out Republicans for passing the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires doctors to provide care for infants who survive a failed abortion.

NOTRE DAME STUDENT CALLS PROFESSOR APPOINTMENT A 'BETRAYAL' OVER PRO-ABORTION STANCE AT CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

"Today, instead of joining Democrats to condemn all political violence, [House Republicans] chose to push their extreme anti-choice agenda," Pelosi said in the post.

"Democrats believe everyone deserves the freedom to access reproductive health services — without fear of violence, intimidation or harassment," she added.

The Catholic Church teaches that, "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law."

In 2022, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said that Pelosi would be banned from receiving Holy Communion in her own San Francisco Archdiocese because of her pro-abortion position.

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"A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a cause of most serious scandal to others," Cordileone wrote in a May 2022 letter. "Therefore, universal Church law provides that such persons ‘are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.'"

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Martin and Notre Dame de Namur University did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

Bishop Barron says Trump ‘owes the pope an apology’

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:16:52 -0400

Bishop Robert Barron said Monday that President Donald Trump owes Pope Leo XIV an apology after Trump posted a scathing message about Leo in a Truth Social post.

"I would warmly recommend that serious Catholics within the Trump administration — Secretary Rubio, Vice President Vance, Ambassador Brian Burch, and others — might meet with Vatican officials so that a real dialogue can take place," he continued. "This is far preferable to the statements on social media."

"I am very grateful for the many ways that the Trump administration has reached out to Catholics and other people of faith," Barron added. "It has been a high honor to serve on the Religious Liberty Commission. No President in my lifetime has shown a greater dedication to defending our first liberty. All that said, I think the President owes the Pope an apology."

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Barron’s response was to a Sunday Truth Social post from Trump where the president called Pope Leo out for his stance on foreign policy and the Iran war.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He talks about ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart."

Trump went on to say that he likes Louis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV's brother, more than the pope.

"I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA," the president wrote. "He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country."

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Trump also defended himself, saying he is doing what he was elected to do.

"And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History," Trump said. "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump."

The president added, "If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested."

"Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP," Trump wrote.

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Pope Leo XIV told reporters on Monday that he is unafraid of Trump.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration," Pope Leo told reporters on the papal plane traveling to Algeria.

Pope Leo added, "The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician."

Ashley McGuire, senior fellow at The Catholic Association, said in a statement that the organization, "laments President Trump's disparaging and disrespectful remarks about Pope Leo."

"The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes," McGuire said. "It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the Pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive. Love and respect for the Pope is part and parcel of being Catholic. And it is the authority of the Pope to expound on Church teaching about fundamental Christian values taught by Jesus Christ himself, like peace."

McGuire added, "The Trump Administration boasts many serious Catholics and has made strong overtures to Catholics over the years, especially on the matter of religious liberty. These remarks greatly detract from that progress. We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo and we pray for wisdom and healing after these divisive comments."

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ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the White House for comment and was referred back to Trump’s Truth Social post.

Catholic nuns caring for dying patients fight New York trans rule, face jail time

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:28 -0400

Catholic nuns who have spent more than a century caring for the dying poor are suing New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, saying a new state law could force them to choose between their faith and their mission or face fines, loss of licensing and even jail time.

"We are consecrated religious Sisters and have one mission," Mother Marie Edward, O.P., told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement. "It is to provide comfort and skilled care to persons dying of cancer who cannot afford nursing care. We do not take insurance or government funds or money from our patients or families. The care is totally free."

"We are supported by the goodness of our benefactors," she continued. "We do this without discriminating on the basis of race, religion, or sex. We do it because Jesus taught us that, when the least among us are sick, we should care for them, as if they were Christ himself."

Signed into law on Nov. 30, 2023, the "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and people living with HIV long-term care facility residents' bill of rights" bans long-term care facilities and staff "from discriminating against any resident on the basis of a resident’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or HIV status," according to a press release from Hochul's office.

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The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who run Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the law they say would require them to assign rooms by gender identity, not biological sex; allow access to opposite-sex bathrooms; allow expression, relationships and identity practices; use preferred pronouns; require staff training in gender ideology; and post a public notice stating compliance with the law.

Edward told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that "New York’s gender ideology mandates not only violate our Catholic values, they threaten our existence with fines, injunctions, license revocation, and even jail time. This is why we were forced to go to court to seek protection of our religious exercise and freedom of speech so that we can continue our ministry to the poor."

A press release from the Catholic Benefits Association said the New York State Department of Health sent the first in a series of "Dear Administrator" letters to the Hawthorne Dominicans' Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed facility, on March 18, 2024.

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The letters listed New York’s demands and included a training curriculum "requiring the sisters to align patient care and the training of their sisters and employees with the State’s gender ideology."

If the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne do not comply, they face fines up to $2,000 per violation — rising to $5,000 — court-ordered forced compliance, loss of licensing and up to one year in prison and fines up to $10,000.

In their lawsuit, the sisters highlighted that during the four-year reporting period from Feb. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2026, the New York State Department of Health had received "zero complaints" from Rosary Hill Home residents, compared with "more than 55,000 complaints against other nursing homes," and an average of 23 citations per facility during the same period.

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In the press release, Sister Stella Mary, O.P., administrator of Rosary Hill Home, said, "Our foundress, Mother Alphonsa Hawthorne, charged us to serve those who are ‘to pass from one life to another’ and to ‘make them as comfortable and happy as if their own people had kept them and put them into the very best bedroom.’ We intend to continue honoring this sacred obligation but need relief from the Court to do so."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Hochul's office for comment and was referred to a spokesperson at the New York State Department of Health who said, "While the Department does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation, the NYS Department of Health is committed to following state law, which provides nursing home residents certain rights protecting against discrimination including, but not limited to, gender identity or expression."

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As socialist mayor battles ICE, Seattle police and crime victims say repeat offenders are terrorizing the city

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:00:41 -0400

SEATTLE—Seattle police and crime victims say they’re being left behind as Mayor Katie Wilson focuses on clashes with ICE while repeat offenders continue to drive crime across the city.

"I think the center focus on that right now is ICE," Officer Kent Loux, president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in an interview.

"It is the immigration," Loux said. "It's this federal feud that the mayor's office is having with the federal government. That is the confusion. I think if she wants to have her feud, have it. Leave SPOG out of it. We do not need to be a part of it, we have been apolitical on all these demonstrations. We clearly can demonstrate that. We are not worried about taking a side. We're not wanting to take a side, but putting us in this crossfire physically or potentially politically just isn't fair to SPOG members."

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Shortly after taking office on Jan. 1, Wilson announced on Jan. 29 a policy requiring the Seattle Police Department to "investigate, verify, and document any reports of immigration enforcement activity."

The announcement stated that "if dispatched to a location where apparent immigration enforcement activity is underway, officers will document the activity with in-car and body-worn video, validate the status of apparent federal law enforcement agents through official identification, and secure scenes of potentially unlawful acts to gather evidence for transmittal to prosecutors."

Loux told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that while Seattle law enforcement officers do not investigate immigration status and that "it is of no importance to us," Wilson’s stance is "confusing."

"The current city's policy on us investigating ICE is very confusing for officers," Loux said. "What does investigating mean? What does identifying mean? This is a disastrous policy that is potentially putting officers and federal law enforcement officers pitting against one another. Not just maybe a physical crossfire situation, but also a political crossfire situation."

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According to Loux, the city’s law enforcement officers are already struggling in a less-than-ideal environment.

"The members of the Seattle Police Department are trying their best," Loux said, "They're out there working, they're making arrests every day. They are doing the work. Understand, please understand, that the criminal justice system is much larger than just the police officers. We are hitting obstacles with King County Medical Jail declines. We're hitting obstacles with prosecution, with judges releasing people."

"We are spinning our wheels, and it really is trying on us," Loux added. "Please understand we are hundreds of officers short. And we have people working extra shifts all the time to just get to minimums. So we are working, delays are sometimes significant. We're trying to improve that as best we can, but people are — we are stretched thin."

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Melanie Roberts is the granddaughter of Ruth Dalton, an 80-year-old professional dog walker who was murdered in a carjacking on Aug. 20, 2024, by Jahmed Haynes, a repeat convicted felon who had served time in prison for vehicular homicide, robbery, and assault. Roberts told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that she is frustrated by the current approach to crime.

"It's time to stop taking such a soft stand on crime," Roberts said. "It's time to protect the citizens who follow the law and quit trying to mold the criminals into better citizens to be reintegrated. It's time to protect the citizens that are already following your rules and your laws. I want a harder stance on crime, I want more discipline. I want more consequence. And then maybe people will learn their lesson and maybe people will stop committing the crimes that are putting us all at risk."

According to a FBI crime report for 2024, released in August, Seattle was ranked fourth-worst out of the 30 largest American cities for total crime.

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According to the report, Seattle’s total crime rate per 100,000 residents was 5,782.7, and its total crime numbers were 172.9% higher than the national average.

Roberts said her grandmother had pulled over to the side of the road in the residential neighborhood in Madison Park to send daily Bible devotionals to her friends and family when Haynes tried to steal her car, causing Dalton to fall out before he ran over her.

Dalton’s dog was stabbed to death and thrown in a garbage can.

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Haynes did not trigger the state's three-strike law despite eight felony convictions, KIRO 7 reported. Roberts said her grandmother’s murder was a "failure of the system."

"He had been out of jail for, I want to say, seven years at the time that he killed my grandmother," Roberts said. "By his own admission, he was not on the straight and narrow for those seven years. He had committed other crimes but had not been caught. So frustrating to think that if the system would have been a little better, if a deal hadn't been cut in 2003, he would have been caught on any other charges [and] maybe my grandmother would still be alive. I feel it's a failure of the system."

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Michael Held, chief of staff for the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office, gave ӣ��Ƶ Digital an account of Haynes' case.

"In November of 2004, [Haynes] was committed to Western State Hospital for a competency evaluation; an assessment of his mental state at the time of the offense; and evaluation of his dangerousness to others/likelihood of committing further criminal acts," Held said, in part. "During the evaluation process, defense counsel reported to Haynes’ assigned forensic psychiatrist that he had never been able to give her a coherent account of the instant offense and that he typically does not speak. Haynes was found not competent to stand trial. The court entered an order staying proceedings and committing Haynes to Western State for further evaluation competency restoration. To that end, the and the court entered an order for the involuntary administration of medication. Eventually, Mr. Haynes’ competency was restored, and thereafter counsel for the State and the defense negotiated a plea to three nonstrike offenses with an agreed exceptional sentence of 180 months."

The prosecutor said mental competency in severe cases can be unstable, potentially delaying or preventing a trial altogether. Held noted that proving the weapon met the legal standard of a deadly weapon was uncertain, so prosecutors focused on securing a guaranteed outcome that would keep Haynes in custody for a significant period. Under the plea deal, Haynes agreed to plead guilty to two counts of custodial assault and one count of attempted first-degree escape, and to serve the maximum sentences consecutively, totaling 15 years in prison.

Roberts said that she is "very frustrated with Washington in general."

"I feel like they are very pro-criminal and very anti-victim," Roberts said. "[Haynes] has all of these rights. He has the right to have his attorney. He has a right to refuse medication for mental competency. He has the right for this and that and we, my family, my grandmother, have very little rights. There's very little that I've been able to do besides get in front of a camera and tell her story and tell the truth about what's happening and the frustrations. The media has been more help to me than the criminal justice system has to this point."

Matt Humphrey, a Seattle barber who has locations in the Ballard and Roosevelt areas, said he faces break-ins or security incidents at least once a quarter.

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He told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that he lost $26,000 in retail in a robbery last year and lost $3,000 replacing a front window, and has hired professional help to protect his employees.

"I hired a friend who's a former ATF agent to do de-escalation and safety with my team so they know how to deal with it," Humphrey said. "And I need to hire him again. I need to bring him back in, because I have a fresh new group of people working the front end who all need training on this. And I'm providing this training. I'm paying my friend to come in and do this. And I shouldn't have to deal with the level of frequency that we deal with here, like four times a year is four times too much when it comes to cost."

"And it comes really to the emotional part," he continued. "I mean, that's the hard part. I mean, again, when you pour your whole life into something. I mean, I'm 32 years into this business, and for the last six years it's just been miserable, and I don't want to give up. I don't want my kids to see me give up. And so, rather than be a victim and be afraid to talk about crime, I'm standing up, and I'm talking to you guys because this has to end."

Meanwhile, State Rep. Shaun Scott of Seattle, a member of the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America since 2017, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that he thinks law enforcement officers are doing things that are outside of their "expertise."

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"I think that right now we are asking police and law enforcement to do many things that fall outside of the bounds of, frankly, their expertise or their job training," Scott said.

"It is part of the reason why alternative 911 response is … an issue that I hear so much about in the state legislature, because people understand that if you're somebody who's going through an overdose, if you are somebody that's going through a mental health episode, if you're somebody that needs to be connected to services, you don't really need a gun-and-a-badge response," he added. "In fact, we have criminalized too many public health issues in our state and our society generally. So I think that the role of alternative 911 response is to fill in the gaps and to really address issues that traditional law enforcement has not historically been equipped to."

Asked to identify examples of what law enforcement is doing effectively, and where it is falling short, Scott said he "would have to get back to you on that."

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Compounding the current crisis law enforcement and victims of crime are facing, some Seattle residents see the increase in socialist policies in the state as a great concern.

"The rise of socialism is a concern for me," Loux, the SPOG president, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "I think these socialist policies are a threat to public safety. What we're seeing is increased mandates, increased corporate taxes, and it seems that it is squeezing businesses and pushing them out of this city."

One of the best examples of increased taxes is the recently passed "millionaires tax," which Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed March 30. It will impose a 9.9% income tax on households earning more than $1 million each year. The tax applies to any money earned after the first $1 million of someone's annual income.

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"Even on a larger scale, I think out of the state I think it's very dangerous to public safety as it threatens budgets," Loux added. "Public safety is about resources, and I need a large tax base, I think we all do. All departments need a tax base to fund training, equipment, patrol operations in high-crime areas, high traffic areas. And it's really putting a strain on things already. And you're seeing these businesses flee, and that's really going to distribute the budget."

Humphrey told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that socialist progressive urban policy is "like a foreign language I don't understand."

"I just, as a small business owner in America, none of that makes any sense to me," Humphrey said. "I just don't know how you create any incentive for someone to go out and do what I'm doing, it sounds anti-me. Like, to put it all on the line, to create jobs, to create a tax base, to do all this. None of that works in the conversations I hear in New York and when that party starts speaking up. None of it makes sense to me."

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Humphrey said he isn’t sure that Wilson, Seattle’s new mayor, will take much of a different approach than former Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell in terms of addressing crime.

"I hope this new mayor can flip the script and get something changed, but I don't see any signs that it's going to be different," Humphrey said. "I see more traffic, shutting down more traffic lanes, making it harder to get to my shop in Ballard. I see, again, the musical chairs with homeless encampments three or four blocks away."

While Humphrey said he has considered running for office, it is not something currently in the cards as he focuses on keeping his business afloat.

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"I love this city, and I was so close to running for office myself," Humphrey said. "But I just, there's no way. I have a small beauty empire I'm trying to grow, and I can't do it and clean up their mess. So I need this new mayor to do her job and get us some safety and security and make it a little more friendly on businesses, cut us a break, don't hit us with all these taxes. I get that you guys want to tax the rich, but we are not rich. Small business owners are not rich, so help us out."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, the Seattle Police Department, Gov. Bob Ferguson, and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

Tennessee school board member censured after calling student ‘hot’ at meeting

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:00:05 -0400

A school board member in Tennessee has been censured after telling a high school student she was "hot" at a public board meeting last week.

During the April 2 livestreamed meeting, Washington County Board of Education member Keith Ervin told a female student, "God, you’re hot."

The board in northeastern Tennessee passed the censure Wednesday during an emergency meeting after calls to remove Ervin and Superintendent Jerry Boyd.

The student, who is a student representative of the board, had just finished inquiring about career and technical education when Ervin hugged her from the side and made the remark, NBC News reported.

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"God, you’re hot. Do you know that? Damn. Where do you go to school at?" he said as the meeting continued.

Ervin defended his remarks on Wednesday and said his "hot" comment was taken out of context.

"Obviously, I’ve seen the clip. Look, I get it, if that’s all you’re seeing, I understand why people are reacting the way they are," he said. "But that’s not the full conversation, not even close. Last week at the board meeting I wanted to congratulate a student who did a great job sharing thoughts with all that was in the room.

"When I mentioned she was hot, I meant she was on a roll. It was nothing to do with her appearance. As a lifetime supporter of David Crockett High School, I was especially surprised to learn that’s where she went to school."

He also added that the clip of his comments that went viral was only a few seconds out of the two-hour meeting and that the entire video would provide the full context.

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"There was no disrespect meant, and I apologize to her and her family for my comment reacting in the public for the incredible job she did as a student board member," Ervin said.

He apologized that his remark had "overshadowed what would have been a bright moment for one of our students."

NBC News reported that as Ervin was finishing his remarks, a man yelled, "I watched it; you’re a liar!"

"I’d just like folks to take a look at it before jumping to conclusions. The video speaks for itself," Ervin said, finishing his speech.

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"It sure does!" a woman in the room replied.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Superintendent Boyd and Ervin for additional comment.

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Georgetown professor says 'get over it' to Muslim rape gang concerns

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:00:12 -0400

A professor at Georgetown University recently dismissed concerns about Muslim rape gangs in since-deleted posts on X.

The Daily Caller reported that Jonathan Brown, identified as a professor and the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization on Georgetown University’s website, posted two different dismissive replies on X in response to posts about alleged rape gangs and Islam.

In a March 31 post on X, Rupert Lowe, an independent member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, wrote, "There is a link between the rape gangs and one particular religion — we have seen it again and again and again at our inquiry. That religion is Islam. As a country, we must have the courage to face up to that fact."

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In a since-deleted reply, Brown wrote, "Get over it."

Another user said Brown’s reply was "absurdly evil," writing, "There is something absurdly evil about saying ‘get over it’ in context with gang rape, torture and murder for religious reasons Something like this would never be said about any other group for lesser crimes."

Brown replied to the user, writing "Get over it" again.

In November, the State Department posted on X criticizing the United Kingdom over its handling of mass immigration, saying in part, "In the United Kingdom, thousands of girls have been victimized in Rotherham, Oxford, and Newcastle by grooming gangs involving migrant men. Many girls were left to suffer unspeakable abuse for years before authorities stepped in."

Brown's account is now set to private.

Brown previously had come under scrutiny for remarks he made in a June X post, writing that he hoped "Iran does some symbolic strike on a base." He made the comment after President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. "completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran."

In Brown’s post, he wrote, "I’m not an expert, but I assume Iran could still get a bomb easily. I hope Iran does some symbolic strike on a base, then everyone stops. I’m surprised this is what these FDD/Hasbara people have been auto-erotically asphyxiating themselves for all these years."

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Brown also added, "if Israel attacks Iranian cities, it gets f----- up pretty bad."

In July testimony to the House Education and Workforce Committee, Georgetown University interim President Robert M. Groves said Brown had been removed as chair of his department and placed on leave.

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"Within minutes of our learning of that tweet, the Dean contacted Professor Brown, (and) we issued a statement condemning the tweet. Professor Brown is no longer chair of his department. He’s on leave, and we’re beginning the process of reviewing the case," Groves said.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Georgetown University and Brown for comment.

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Boston University president apologizes after pride flag removal sparks backlash

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:00:46 -0400

The president of Boston University has apologized after pride flags were removed from office windows over spring break.

"Our university and our policies exist within a larger social context — one that is dynamic and complex," Melissa Gilliam, president of Boston University, wrote in a message Monday sent to students, faculty and staff.

"In the public conversation about Boston University’s time, place, and manner policies, that spotlight has fallen disproportionately on our LGBTQIA+ community, and I have heard how difficult and painful that has been. I am deeply sorry."

BU’s Publications & Publicity Policy states that putting up "signs, posters, and fliers is permitted only on authorized bulletin boards. Materials may not be placed on walls, doors, windows, or trees, and may not be attached with permanent adhesives."

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The student newspaper, The Daily Free Press, reported that the "policy’s enforcement has led to the recent removal of pride flags and political messages from office windows — drawing scrutiny and prompting protest from faculty, students and advocacy organizations."

BU Today, Boston University’s daily website, posted an editor’s note to a March 24 article about university signage saying that, on Monday, Gilliam announced Boston University would temporarily stop removing outward-facing signs.

The Boston Globe reported that Keith Vincent, a professor in the women’s gender and sexuality studies department, which had a pride flag removed from its office window over spring break, is thankful for the message.

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"It’s about as good as we could’ve hoped for," Vincent said of Gilliam’s message. "That [Gilliam] sent such a resounding, unambiguous message to the students is really, really important and appreciated."

In her message, Gilliam reaffirmed the school’s commitment to LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff.

"Issues of speech can be complicated, but our institutional values are not. Let me be unequivocal: LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff are an essential part of Boston University," Gilliam said.

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"You belong here and are needed here," she added. "You are valued and have our support. We remain committed to ensuring all members of this University feel welcome, feel respected, and can thrive."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Gilliam and Vincent for comment.

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