California changes competition rules for track and field final amid controversy over trans athlete
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The governing board for California high school sports is changing its competition rules at this weekend's state track and field championships to allow more girls to take part amid controversy over the participation of a trans student-athlete.
The California Interscholastic Federation said it was extending access for more cisgender athletes to participate in the championship meet this weekend. The federation announced the change Tuesday after President Donald Trump posted on his social media site about the participation of a trans athlete in the competition.
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CNN
36 minutes ago
- CNN
Former University of Michigan president rejected for University of Florida's top job amid conservative backlash
St. Petersburg, Florida (AP) — Longtime academic Santa Ono was rejected Tuesday for the University of Florida presidency by the state university system board amid sharp criticism from political conservatives about his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and other initiatives they view as unacceptable liberal ideology. The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state's universities, voted 10-6 against Ono, who was most recently president of the University of Michigan. The University of Florida Board of Trustees had voted unanimously in May to approve Ono as the school's 14th president, and it is unprecedented for the governors to reverse such an action. Now the search will start all over. Ono's proposed contract included a number of ideological requirements, such as how well he stopped programs that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. He was to cooperate with Gov. Ron DeSantis' Office of Government Efficiency — similar to the office created by President Donald Trump — and appoint other university officials and deans who are 'firmly aligned' with Florida's approach. Several prominent conservatives raised questions about Ono before the vote over pro-Palestinian protests, climate change efforts, gender ideology and DEI programs at the University of Michigan and his previous academic positions. These actions, Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said on the X social platform, show 'he is willing to appease and prioritize far-left activists over ensuring students are protected and receive a quality education.' Others raising objections include Donald Trump Jr. and Florida GOP U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds, Greg Steube and Jimmy Patronis. Donalds is a Republican candidate for governor. Writing in Inside Higher Ed, Ono said he supported DEI initiatives at first because they aim was 'equal opportunity and fairness for every student.' 'But over time, I saw how DEI became something else — more about ideology, division and bureaucracy, not student success,' Ono wrote, adding that he eventually limited DEI offices at Michigan. 'I believe in Florida's vision for higher education.' DeSantis, a Republican who has pushed reforms in higher education to eliminate what he calls 'woke' policies such as DEI, did not take a public stand on Ono but did say at a recent news conference that some of his statements made the governor 'cringe.' Ono faced similar pointed questions at Tuesday's meeting — especially from former Republican state House speakers Paul Renner and Jose Oliva — leading board member Charles Lydecker to object to the procedure. 'We have never used this as a forum to interrogate. This is not a court of law. Candidly, this process does not seem fair to me,' Lydecker said. Oliva, however, questioned how to square Ono's many past statements about hot-button cultural issues with his more conservative stance now that he sought the Florida job. 'Now we are told to believe you are now abandoning an entire ideological architecture,' Oliva said. 'We are asking someone to lead our flagship university. I don't understand how it becomes unfair.' Steube, writing on X, praised the board for its decision. 'Great news for my alma mater and the state of Florida! The Board of Governors heard us loud and clear: Santa Ono was the wrong choice for UF,' the congressman said. Ono was to replace Kent Fuchs, who became the school's temporary, interim president last summer after ex-U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse stepped down. Sasse left the U.S. Senate, where he had represented Nebraska, to become the university's president in 2023. Sasse announced in July he was leaving the job after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy. Later reports surfaced that Sasse gave six former staffers and two former Republican officials jobs with salaries that outstripped comparable positions and spent over $1.3 million on private catering for lavish dinners, football tailgates and extravagant social functions in his first year on the job. Ono is also the former president of the University of British Columbia and the University of Cincinnati.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump signs order doubling metals tariffs
The US tariff rate on most imported steel and aluminium will double as President Donald Trump ratchets up a global trade war on the same day he expects trading partners to deliver their "best offer" in bids to avoid punishing import tax rates on other goods from taking effect in early July. Trump late on Tuesday signed an executive proclamation that puts into effect from Wednesday his surprise announcement last week that he was taking the tariffs on steel and aluminium imports that had been in place since March to 50 per cent from 25 per cent. "We started at 25 and then after studying the data more, realised that it was a big help, but more help is needed. And so that is why the 50 is starting tomorrow," White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in explaining the move at a steel industry conference in Washington on Tuesday. The increase comes into effect at 12:01am (14:01 AEST) on Wednesday. The increase applies to all trading partners except Britain, the only country so far that has struck a preliminary trade agreement with the US during a 90-day pause on a wider array of Trump tariffs. The rate for steel and aluminium imports from the UK - which does not rank among the top exporters of either metal to the US - will remain at 25 per cent until at least July 9. About a quarter of all steel used in the US is imported, and Census Bureau data shows the increased levies will hit the closest US trading partners - Canada and Mexico - especially hard. They rank number one and three, respectively, in steel shipment volumes to the US Canada is even more exposed to the aluminium levies as the top exporter to the US by far at roughly twice the rest of the top 10 exporters' volumes combined. The US gets about half of its aluminium from foreign sources. The unexpected increase in the levies jolted the market for both metals this week, especially for aluminium, which has seen price premiums more than double so far this year. With little current capacity to increase domestic production, import volumes are likely to be unaffected unless the price increases undercut demand. Wednesday is also when the White House would like trading partners to submit their proposals for deals that might help them avoid Trump's hefty "Liberation Day" tariffs from taking effect in five weeks. Administration officials have been in active talks with a number of countries since Trump announced a pause on those tariffs on April 9, but to date only the UK deal has come to fruition. Even that agreement, which provided the basis for the carve out from the metals tariffs, is more of a preliminary framework for more talks. With just weeks remaining, the Trump team is eager to bring more deals over the line. Reuters reported on Monday that the US Trade Representative was asking countries to list their best proposals in a number of key areas, including tariff and quota offers for purchase of US industrial and agricultural products and plans to remedy any non-tariff barriers. In turn, the letter promises answers "within days" with an indication of a "landing zone," including what tariff rates countries can be expected to be saddled with after a 90-day pause on the tariffs expires on July 8. At issue for most trading partners is whether they retain the current baseline rate of 10 per cent on most exports to the US after that date, or something sharply higher in many cases. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
37 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
University of Florida President Pick Santa Ono Rejected After DEI Backlash
Florida state university leaders voted to reject Santo Ono as president of the University of Florida, following Republican backlash over the former University of Michigan president's previous support for diversity programs. The State University System's board of governors took the action Tuesday — voting 10 to 6 — after Ono was questioned for several hours about his position on DEI and other issues at a contentious meeting in Orlando. He was the sole finalist for the position that would have paid him as much as $3 million annually. The Board of Trustees of the University of Florida, the state's flagship, selected him for the job in May.
