Canadian university teachers warned against traveling to the United States
The Canadian Association of University Teachers released updated travel advice Tuesday due to the 'political landscape' created by President Donald Trump's administration and reports of some Canadians encountering difficulties crossing the border.
The association says academics who are from countries that have tense diplomatic relations with the United States, or who have themselves expressed negative views about the Trump administration, should be particularly cautious about U.S. travel.
Its warning is particularly targeted to academics who identify as transgender or 'whose research could be seen as being at odds with the position of the current U.S. administration.'
In addition, the association says academics should carefully consider what information they have, or need to have, on their electronic devices when crossing the border, and take actions to protect sensitive information.
Reports of foreigners being sent to detention or processing centers for more than seven days, including Canadian Jasmine Mooney, a pair of German tourists, and a backpacker from Wales, have been making headlines since Trump took office in January.
The Canadian government recently updated its U.S. travel advisory, warning residents they may face scrutiny from border guards and the possibility of detention if denied entry.
Crossings from Canada into the United States dropped by about 32%, or by 864,000 travelers, in March compared to the same month a year ago, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Many Canadians are furious about Trump's annexation threats and trade war but also worried about entering the U.S.
David Robinson, executive director of the university teachers association, said that the warning is the first time his group has advised against non-essential U.S. travel in the 11 years he's worked with them.
'It's clear there's been heightened scrutiny of people entering the United States, and … a heightened kind of political screening of people entering the country,' said Robinson, whose association represents 70,000 teachers, librarians, researchers, general staff and other academic professionals at 122 universities and colleges.
Robinson said the group made the decision after taking legal advice in recent weeks. He said lawyers told them that U.S. border searches can compromise confidential information obtained by academics during their research.
He said the association will keep the warning in place until it sees 'the end of political screening, and there is more respect for confidential information on electronic devices.'
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The Hill
9 minutes ago
- The Hill
Zelensky, Trump set for high-stakes meeting at White House
Morning Report is The Hill's a.m. newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. In today's issue: ▪ Zelensky, Europeans to meet with Trump ▪ Red states send National Guard to DC ▪ California preps for redistricting election ▪ Israel erupts in protests Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European allies will meet with President Trump at the White House this afternoon to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, just days after Trump met in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The stakes could hardly be higher. Trump after meeting with Putin said what happens next in terms of securing a ceasefire that the Russian leader opposes will largely depend on Zelensky and Ukraine. That worried leaders in Europe, who fear Trump is tilting toward Putin and could press for Zelensky and Ukraine to make more concessions to reach a broader peace agreement. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will all be in Washington to make their collective case to Trump. The idea is to give Zelensky backup, and make sure there is not a repeat of the disastrous February Oval Office meeting involving Zelensky, Trump and Vice President Vance that became an ugly shouting match. Trump on Sunday evening previewed the stance he will be taking during the meetings, writing on Truth Social that Zelensky must agree to some of Russia's conditions for the war to end — namely ceding Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and agreeing never to join NATO. ▪ The Hill: Follow along here for live updates from the meeting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's envoy to the region Steve Witkoff, the two U.S. officials in the room with Trump for the Putin meeting on Friday, on Sunday took to the airwaves to calm nerves. The biggest news likely came from Witkoff. He told CNN's 'State of the Union' that Putin had agreed to 'robust' security guarantees for Ukraine, which he called a 'game changer' in the negotiations. The plan would essentially give Ukraine NATO-style security guarantees modeled after the alliance's Article 5, which decrees an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all. These guarantees would not come from NATO, Witkoff said Sunday, but from the U.S. and other European allies. 'Everything is going to be about what the Ukrainians can live with, but assuming they could, we were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,' Witkoff said. 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San Francisco Chronicle
9 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The stakes are high as Zelenskyy and European leaders head to Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday to discuss how to end Russia's three-year war in Ukraine. Months of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting haven't made headway, but the stakes have risen since Trump met with with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. After that summit, Trump abandoned the requirement of reaching a ceasefire in order to hold further talks and aligned with Putin's position that negotiations should focus on a long-term settlement instead. The presence of several European leaders at the talks in Washington shows how central the conflict — and any settlement — is to wider security questions on the continent. They are looking to safeguard Ukraine and Europe more broadly from any further aggression from Moscow — but also are providing a show of support for Zelenskyy after his last visit to the White House led to an angry confrontation. The American and Ukrainian leaders are scheduled to first meet privately, without the Europeans. Here's what to know about the Washington meeting. The talks could be a pivotal moment in the war After meeting Putin in Alaska, Trump is making a big push for a breakthrough. A lot of issues need to be resolved, however, and the two sides have previously established red lines that are incompatible, including questions of whether Ukraine will cede any land to Russia, the future of Ukraine's army and whether the country will have any guarantee against further Russian aggression. In a post on social media Sunday night, Trump appeared to shift the burden for ending the war to Zelenskyy, whose country was invaded in February 2022. 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' he wrote. A comprehensive peace deal could still be a long way off. Putin wants Donbas As a condition for peace, the Russian leader wants Kyiv to give up Donbas, the industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has seen some of the most intense fighting but that Russian forces have failed to capture completely. In his Sunday night post, Trump wrote that Zelenskyy should also accept Russia's illegal 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. As part of a deal, Putin has said the United States and its European allies can provide Ukraine with a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense pledge, according to a senior U.S. official. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff called that Russian concession 'game-changing' though he offered few details on how it would work. Ukraine has long pressed for some kind of guarantee that would prevent Russia from invading again. Ukraine won't surrender land to Russia Zelenskyy has rejected Putin's demand that Ukraine surrender the Donbas region, made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, since the Ukrainian Constitution forbids giving up territory or trading land. That also means he can't cede Crimea either. Instead, freezing the front line — which snakes roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from northeastern to southeastern Ukraine — seems to be the most the Ukrainian people might accept. Russia currently holds about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Europe's security is also at stake in the talks European leaders see Ukraine's fight as a bulwark against any Kremlin ambitions to threaten other countries in eastern Europe and beyond. French President Emmanuel Macron described Ukraine as an 'outpost of our collective defense if Russia wanted to advance again.' 'If we are weak with Russia today, we'll be preparing the conflicts of tomorrow and they will impact the Ukrainians and — make no mistake — they can impact us, too.' Macron said Sunday. The European political heavyweights expected in Washington are Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Civilians are killed as the fighting continues Ukraine has in recent months been losing more territory against Russia's bigger army, and Moscow's forces breached Ukrainian lines in a series of minor infiltrations in the Donetsk region ahead of the Alaska summit. But there is no sign of a looming, major Russian breakthrough on the front line. Both sides have also kept up their daily long-range strikes behind the front line. A Russian drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, killed six people late Sunday, including an 18-month-old and a 16-year-old, according to regional head Oleh Syniehubov. The attack on the northeastern city injured 20 others, including six children, he said.
USA Today
9 minutes ago
- USA Today
Europe flies to Washington
Get Monday started!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Is it possible to actually delete your ChatGPT history? European leaders are headed to the White House European leaders will join Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, D.C., this week as he meets with President Trump at the White House, rallying around Ukraine's wartime president after Trump appeared to embrace a peace stance held by Vladimir Putin. Does the US really have a crime crisis? President Trump's crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., continues a decades-long American story: Data says crime is going down, even as many Americans feel like it's spiraling out-of-control. Safety is a real concern for many. FBI data has shown the nation's crime rate declined over the past three decades, but over half of Americans have said they believe there is more crime than the year before in nearly every Gallup survey conducted since 1993. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. California almond orchards under siege from rats ~ Roger Isom, president and CEO of the Western Tree Nut Association, which represents growers and processors. He spoke to USA TODAY about an unprecedented phenomenon: A massive assault by rats on California's $4.7 billion almond industry. The sudden invasion starting last fall took growers by surprise, and they're still scrambling to figure out how to repel the intruders. A $101,000 knee replacement? Want a total knee replacement? It can cost as little as $12,870 or as much $101,527. People are usually savvy enough to check whether their hospital or doctor takes their insurance. But it's often a mystery how much a medical procedure or operation will cost, even with coverage, and wide price swings leave insured consumers with big bills, loans and medical debt. USA TODAY analyzed a new report that found prices can vary as much as nine-fold for the same operation or procedure. And hospital prices within the same state varied more than three-fold. But would better price transparency spur competition or lower prices? Today's talkers Michigan handed sign-stealing punishment Nearly two full years after news broke of an investigation into alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing from the Michigan football program, the Wolverines have been handed repercussions. The NCAA fined Michigan $50,000 fine plus 10% of the football program's budget. The Wolverines are on four year probation while head coach Sherrone Moore faces a two-year show cause order and is suspended from the first game of the 2026 season. Michigan has since said it will appeal the NCAA's ruling. And Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't have much to say. Photo of the day: Israelis speak against war Thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike and demonstrations Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war in Gaza. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@
