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Education was once the No. 1 major for college students. Now it’s an afterthought.
By Amiee Picchi and Sanvi Bangalore On July 17, 2023 Five decades ago, the U.S. was training an army of college students to become teachers, with 1 in every 5 bachelor’s degrees earned in the field of education. That guaranteed a steady pipeline of educators entering the profession, a vital resource for schools around the…
Biden admin to forgive $39 billion in student loan debt for 800,000 borrowers. Here’s what to know.
By Amiee Picchi On July 18, 2023 More than 800,000 borrowers with $39 billion in federal student loans will get their debt forgiven, the Biden administration said on Friday. The Department of Education said it will begin notifying borrowers today about the automatic discharge of their debt, which will occur in the next few weeks. …
Forced labor may be common in US food system: study
BY SAUL ELBEIN – 07/24/23 12:55 PM ET Some of the food on U.S. tables has a high probability of having been picked, prepared or processed by Americans who were forced to do it, a new study has found. And because the U.S. attempts to keep forced labor out of the food supply chain and focus on…
Officials see promise in a South Carolina prison unit where ‘restorative justice’ has boosted safety
By James Pollard On July 19, 2023 TURBEVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina prison unit where older men with lengthier sentences mentor young adults preparing to reenter society is giving officials hope that a different approach to living conditions will reduce violence behind bars. The special housing facility known as a Community Opportunity Restoration…
AI could create a disinformation nightmare in the 2024 election
BY JOSHUA A. TUCKER, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 07/14/23 8:30 AM ET When social media first burst onto the political scene in the early 2010s, it was hailed as a “liberation technology” that would accelerate the spread of democracy around the world. Yet in the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. elections, experts instead asked, “Can democracy survive…
Exclusive: DOJ report recommends ways to improve detainee access to lawyers in prisons
By Bart Jansen The review led by the Bureau of Prisons and the Office for Access to Justice coincided with the 60th anniversary of a Supreme Court decision that guaranteed a right to counsel for criminal defendants. WASHINGTON – Criminal defendants hear “you have the right to an attorney” when they are arrested, but getting…
At New Mexico’s biggest jail for children, toilets and staff are lacking — but strip searches are common.
By Joshua Bowling On July 19, 2023 The décor inside the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center (YSC) is more in line with the children’s wing of your local library than a jail built for kids. The walls and furniture are painted in bright colors and classrooms line a hallway just a short walk from a…
Voting Rights Restored for Minnesota Felons
Minnesota has passed a new law restoring voting rights for people who are not currently incarcerated. By Kyla Jackson Published: Jul. 13, 2023 at 5:13 PM MDT People across the state are celebrating, now that Minnesota has passed a new law restoring voting rights for people who are not currently incarcerated. This new law will extend voting…
Michigan governor signs legislation expanding voting rights
Published 4:22 PM MDT, July 18, 2023 LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed a bipartisan package of bills into law to expand voter rights by allowing early voting and early tabulation of absentee ballots across Michigan. The legislation, which resulted from the voter-approved Proposal 2, establishes a website for voters to track when…