skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Marco Rubio unveils massive State Dept. overhaul with reductions of staff and bureaus; Visas revoked, status changed for international students in TX; Alaska lawmakers work to improve in-school mental health care; Montana DEQ denies Big Hole River decision, cites law opposed by EPA; Indiana moves to regulate legal THC sales and branding.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

White House defends Secretary Hegseth amid media scrutiny, federal judges block efforts to dismantle U.S. international broadcasters, and major restructuring hits the State Department and rural programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Schools in timber country face an uncertain future without Congress' reauthorization of a rural program, DOGE cuts threaten plant species needed for U.S. food security, and farmers will soon see federal dollars for energy projects unlocked.

Ohio's SB-1 parallels national administration's anti-DEI sentiment

play audio
Play

Thursday, March 20, 2025   

Debates over academic freedom and diversity initiatives have intensified nationally and in Ohio.

Senate Bill 1, known as the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, proposes significant changes to the state's public higher-education system. The bill aims to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs, prohibit faculty strikes and mandate post-tenure reviews for professors.

At the national level, the detention of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil has sparked widespread protests.

Jay Saper, a member and leader for the group Jewish Voice for Peace, expressed deep concern.

"We are absolutely outraged that he has been abducted from his home for speaking up for Palestinian liberation," Saper explained. "As Jews, we understand what it means to experience fascism."

Khalil's detention has ignited debates about free speech and civil liberties, resonating with ongoing discussions in Ohio, where the bill's proponents, including bill sponsor Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, argued the legislation seeks to promote intellectual diversity and prevent perceived ideological indoctrination within Ohio's public universities.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, expressed concerns about the bill's potential effect on academic freedom and labor rights.

"There are very serious attacks on collective bargaining rights embedded in that law," DiMauro pointed out. "And it is one of these culture-war fronts where extremist politicians are trying to eliminate all efforts at inclusion and diversity and accessibility."

As Ohioans consider the implications of the bill, the broader national discourse on free speech and diversity initiatives in higher education continues to evolve. The bill now awaits consideration in the Ohio House of Representatives, where further debate is expected.

Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.



Disclosure: Jewish Voice for Peace Action contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Human Rights/Racial Justice, International Relief, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
In Cleveland, more than 90% of homes were built before 1978, the year lead-based paint was banned for residential use. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

As Cleveland tightens its air quality standards for the first time since 1977, health officials are urging residents to take simple steps at home to …


Social Issues

play sound

A bus tour will zip through eastern South Dakota Thursday, where local leaders, health care providers and farm voices want to connect the dots …

Environment

play sound

Montana officials have denied a petition asking the state to designate the Big Hole River as "impaired" by pollution. Two conservation groups …


Many international students have said they did not know their visas were revoked, or that their status had been changed, until they were notified by federal officials. (Mediteraneo/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Hundreds of international college students in Texas are fighting to stay in the country after their visas were revoked and their legal status changed …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Colorado has made significant improvements in connecting young people with the mental health care they need, according to the mental health advocacy …

From 2021 to 2022, the Department of Energy tripled its funding for agrivoltaics, including $8 million for a new program studying how solar panels can benefit farmers and rural areas. (pkproject/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Results of a new study from Michigan State University suggest farmers no longer have to choose between growing crops and harnessing solar power…

Social Issues

play sound

Pennsylvanians over age 50 are voicing concerns about the Department of Government Efficiency plans to cut 7,000 jobs from the U.S. Social Security …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Nebraska lawmakers are considering a bill to ensure managed health care companies cannot limit the state reimbursement rate for mental health service …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021