638 articles found
For the first time in more than a decade, the number of states with rates of obesity of 35% or more dropped
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office will investigate the University of North Texas after the school ignored his earlier call to investigate and discipline students who a classmate accused of celebrating the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In a letter Thursday, Paxton also accused the university of failing to investigate what he called ongoing “radical leftist activity” on campus, including a student who allegedly approached a table set up by Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, and shredded the group’s materials. He also condemned posters from student groups allegedly promoting “militant” movements and threats against the student who reported her classmates for celebrating Kirk’s shooting. “Educational institutions cannot be incubators of violent radical leftists,” Paxton wrote. “Therefore, I implore you to take the only proper disciplinary action against the students who celebrated the death of Charlie Kirk: expulsion.” Kirk was killed on Sept. 10 at an event at Utah Valley University. Mary-Catherine Hallmark, the UNT student referenced in Paxton’s letter, said in TikTok videos posted that day that she confronted classmates after one student showed a video of Kirk being shot and others cheered. She said she got into an argument with them before her professor told her, not the other students, to “take this outside.” Hallmark said she left the classroom in tears and went to the dean of students’ office and then the psychology department chair to report what happened, but felt the university “did not really care.” In response to Paxton’s announcement Thursday, university officials said in a statement: “The University of North Texas holds the safety of its students as a primary responsibility and takes the allegations reported to Attorney General Paxton seriously. UNT will cooperate fully with the Attorney General’s investigation, and will continue the university’s thorough review of the matter while respecting the confidentiality of those processes.” Paxton first urged the university in a Sept. 19 letter to investigate the students and review the professor’s conduct. He said they may have violated the student code of conduct, free speech, and employee ethics policies, which require staff to act impartially and avoid viewpoint discrimination. UNT had previously said in a statement that “the recent actions of a few of our community members regarding Mr. Kirk’s death do not represent the values of our community,” though it did not directly confirm the Sept. 10 incident Hallmark described. The university said students who violate the code of conduct “will be held accountable,” but it didn’t say whether it was investigating or disciplining anyone. Paxton’s office, Hallmark and the university’s Turning Point USA chapter did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Free speech experts told the Tribune last month that speech that mocks, trivializes or promotes violence is generally protected by the First Amendment. They said the bar for limiting speech comes when students incite or solicit violence, though it can be difficult to prove in court. Experts have also criticized state leaders for lauding Kirk — who often made comments many considered hateful or inappropriate — as a free speech champion while calling for the punishment of those who have celebrated his death. Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott shared a video on X of a Texas State University student mocking Kirk’s death and wrote “expel this student immediately.” The student told the school’s student newspaper they were given two choices: withdraw or be expelled. He said he chose to withdraw. The investigation also comes as public universities face tremendous political pressure from the state’s Republican leaders and following more than a month of turbulence at the schools. At Texas A&M, a clip showing a professor teaching about gender sparked political backlash and the president’s resignation weeks later. Other universities, in an apparent attempt to avoid similar controversies, have requested reviews of their courses, with the Texas Tech University System specifically ordering faculty to comply with federal and state guidance that only recognizes two sexes, male and female. Faculty have told the Tribune the universities’ actions have already limited discussions of transgender and nonbinary identities in their classrooms, which they say goes against longstanding academic freedom protections. The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Disclosure: Texas Tech University System and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
The FBI raided Bolton's Maryland home in August.
Investigators suspect that two Californians diagnosed with mpox may be the first U.S. cases resulting from the local spread of a different version of the virus. The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services this week confirmed the case through testin…
Villages from Nightmute to Toksook Bay,Napakiak, Kongiganak and beyond are also facing significant damage, with housing damaged or destroyed and utilities broken, state emergency officials and community representatives said.
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday appointed Brandon L. Simmons as Texas’ first higher education ombudsman, charging him to lead a newly created office to investigate complaints filed against the state’s colleges. The ombudsman’s office was created as part of Senate Bill 37, which was passed by the Texas Legislature earlier this year and went into effect on Sept. 1. The office will have the power to investigate complaints claiming that universities and colleges aren’t following the new law or the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as well as recommend funding cuts for violators. SB 37 gives governor-appointed regents new authority to approve or deny the hiring of top university administrators as well as courses that they consider do not align with the state’s workforce demands. Traditionally, faculty have advised university administrators on such academic matters and hiring decisions, but SB 37 also limits professors’ influence on campuses. Supporters say the office will bring needed accountability to higher ed institutions, while the American Association of University Professors has contended that, without due process protections, it is ripe for abuse. According to the Legislative Budget Board’s fiscal analysis of SB 37, the ombudsman’s office will have five employees. Simmons, who served as chair of Texas Southern University’s Board of Regents, said Thursday he will step down from the board. Regent James Benham will be taking over as chair. Simmons is a distinguished professor of business at Wiley University in Marshall. “Brandon Simmons’ achievements and dedication to educate our future leaders as an entrepreneur, professor, and university chairman will help ensure Texas’ higher education institutions continue to set the national standard and prepare our students to thrive,” Abbott said in a press release. Simmons’ appointment requires confirmation from the Texas Senate.
The White House is poised to ease tariffs on the US auto industry, a move that would deliver a major win for carmakers that have aggressively lobbied to stem the fallout from record-level import duties.
Susan Stamberg joined NPR at its start, originally to cut tape — literal tape, with a single-sided blade — at a time when commercial networks almost never hired women.
Beth Mead and Alessia Russo scored to give Arsenal a hard-fought victory in Lisbon
Geordie singer-songwriter’s album reached No 1 on the UK album chart, and led to a series of stadium-sized concerts this summer
Follow live
Senate Democrats are rejecting for the 10th time a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government. They are insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits. The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become …
President says plans will lead to ‘many more beautiful American children’ but unclear if companies will sign up
US president’s former national security adviser indicted by grand jury in Maryland
Lifetime has cast Miles Merry in a "Ripped from the Headlines" film focused on the story of Bryan Kohberger and the Idaho murders. "The Idaho Murders," which is a working title, will focus on Kohberger's confessed killing of four University of Idaho students in 2022, according to Deadline. Production is expected to begin this month. Merry has also appeared in Lifetime's "Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story" and "Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez," both based on true stories. The upcoming movie is based on the gruesome murders that took place on Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger entered a Moscow, Idaho home and stabbed Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin to death. BRYAN KOHBERGER TOOK PLEA DEAL DAYS AFTER PROSECUTORS LISTED HIS SISTER AS POTENTIAL WITNESS Kohberger was sentenced to life without parole in July for the stabbing murders. Kohberger was also given a 10-year sentence for burglary and assessed $270,000 in fines and civil penalties. The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to the murder charges weeks before his case was set to go to trial in order to avoid the death penalty. LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS When it was his turn to speak in court at his sentencing, Kohberger gave no explanation for the killings. Only telling the judge, "I respectfully decline." The 2022 crime horrified the city, which had not seen a homicide in about five years, and prompted a massive search for the perpetrator. Some students took the rest of their classes online because they felt unsafe. Kohberger, a graduate student in criminology at nearby Washington State University, was arrested in Pennsylvania, where his parents lived, roughly six weeks after the murders took place. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Investigators revealed DNA found on a Q-tip from the garbage of his parents' home matched a knife sheath found inside the King Road residence. However, the murder weapon was never recovered. Investigators also failed to find Kohberger's clothes worn at the time of the murders and a connection between him and the four University of Idaho students. Kohberger’s mother and sister sat in the gallery near the defense table during his sentencing. His mother quietly wept at times as the other parents described their grief. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Arsenal secured their first win of the new Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Benfica in Lisbon
Former national security adviser was charged with 18 counts of mishandling classified documents
With its shimmering ginkgo trees, tinkling pools and a rooftop garden, the Appleby Blue Almshouse housing complex for older people is a worthy winner of RIBA’s prestigious Stirling prize
Tom Hollander and Niamh Algar star in this fun, propulsive tale of a genius code-cracker, an oddball entrepreneur … and an evil supercomputer known as Charlie Big Potatoes trapped in a secret lair. Brace yourself for a wild ride
The Trump administration is reporting astounding statistics regarding the crackdown on violent crime through Operation Summer Heat by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel posted the stats in a graphic on social media on Wednesday and praised FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and the operation as the "juggernaut that led to all these record breaking arrests." 'He drew it up. He put out the mechanics, he went to the field, and he went a hundred percent for these last seven months.' The operation that began June 24 and ended Sept. 20 included 8,629 arrests as well as 2,281 firearms seized, according to the Department of Justice. The operation also included 7,757 search operations and 557 "identified children," according to the FBI. Officers seized 421 kilograms of fentanyl and 44,569 kilograms of cocaine. The operation resulted in 2,081 criminal indictments, the FBI claimed. "There's one man who is responsible for Operation Summer Heat, and the architect is Deputy Director Dan Bongino," said Patel in an interview with Real America's Voice. "He drew it up. He put out the mechanics, he went to the field, and he went a hundred percent for these last seven months," Patel added. "And the men and women of the FBI executed Deputy Director Bongino's Summer Heat operation." "Every one of these arrests means that our streets are safer, and that’s because of the work of this administration, of President Trump and Director Patel," said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche during a media briefing at the White House on Wednesday. "Every American deserves to live in a city without fear of being mugged, murdered, raped, or shot," said Trump at the same briefing. "We’re going to save all of our cities, and we’re going to make them essentially crime-free." RELATED: FBI Director Kash Patel sues MSNBC columnist for defamation Bongino also posted a statement about the operation on social media. "Thank you for your support and patience during this critical operation targeting the most violent criminals, across the nation. We will continue our push to crush violent crime as our Summer Heat operation wraps up." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!