Latest news with #Regents
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rockford University adding men's and women's track & field
ROCKFORD, Ill. – (WTVO/WQRF) — [From Rockford Univ. news release] Rockford University is adding men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field to its palette of sport offerings beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. The addition of the track and field teams will give Rockford 17 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs.'We are extremely excited to add indoor and outdoor track and field programs to our list of sport offerings here at Rockford University,' said Director of Athletics Jason Mulligan. 'Expanding our athletic programs provides unique opportunities for talented and motivated student-athletes, which is a priority for our university. This expansion aligns with our commitment of providing a comprehensive and well-rounded athletic experience, fostering teamwork, sportsmanship and achievement both in athletics and academics. We all look forward to welcoming our new track and field student-athletes and to supporting them in achieving success at their meets and in the classroom.'Current Rockford University head cross country coach Kevin Niles has been tabbed to lead the track and field programs as well. Coach Niles will be tasked with rebuilding and reestablishing the rich tradition of the RU track and field programs. Rockford had 30 All-NACC performers in a total of 15 events over the time that the Regents previously competed in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Additionally, the Regents had multiple individuals combine to win a total 16 NACC titles and one person qualified to compete at the NCAA Division III Championships.'I am honored to lead the return of Rockford University's track & field programs,' Head Coach Kevin Niles stated. 'We have already started recruiting and are looking for motivated young men and women who want to be a part of a team that will support them academically, personally and of course athletically. Track and field is a very diverse sport and will give student-athletes yet another reason to join the Rockford community. This will also bolster our cross country programs by giving those student-athletes more opportunities to develop and compete throughout the entire academic year.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dr. Michael Osterholm reflects on COVID-19 outbreak: 5 years later
The Brief An outbreak of novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China spreads and by January of 2020 the WHO declares a public health emergency. On March 13 2020, Governor Tim Walz declares a peacetime state of emergency and by March 15 there were 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. In the beginning, tests to detect COVID-19 were still be developed and hospitals scrambled to determine protocols for patients and acquire all needed equipment like masks and respirators. (FOX 9) - Dr. Michael Osterholm is a world-renowned epidemiologist, Regents professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. He sounded the warning alarms in January 2020 about the dangers of COVID-19 and says he was met with some opposition from colleagues. We sat down to talk with Dr. Osterholm about what he learned from the pandemic and his thoughts on preparing for another one. What we know Post-COVID and Pre-COVID. Those are two phrases many of us use now to define time. And the shift began for Minnesota in March 2020. A well-known expert in infectious disease from Minnesota had already been warning of the potential death toll and the number of years it could take for the pandemic to lift. "I remember on March 10th of 2020 I was on the Joe Rogan Podcast," says Dr. Michael Osterholm, reflecting that at the time he didn't realize how many millions of people his interview would reach. "And I really laid out all of this information. I predicted, at that point, that we could see in the next 18 months, 800,000 deaths in this country on the show that day," he added. "And you would've thought that I had offended every one of my colleagues, or at least many of them, because they all thought that was just so scary and so, you know, inappropriate, if not irresponsible, to have said that," he said. "Well, unfortunately, 18 months later we had 800,000 deaths and so it was on track," added Osterholm. When we asked him why there was so much dissension in the medical community, he said it was because they hadn't seen anything like this before and the 1918 Spanish Flu was so long ago, that it had only been experienced through history books. We asked Osterholm about public resistance to the lockdowns, mask mandates and vaccines and he remarked that there were lessons learned looking forward. "I can't say that I envisioned it exactly as it happened, but I surely saw the fact that we didn't have all the answers and that we needed as a public health community to state just that and just say, this is what we know and this is what we don't know," says Osterholm. "I think one of the things, the lessons that public health could have and should have learned is how do we communicate to the public the uncertainty and I think if there was one operative word that was missing from our lexicon it was humility," he says. "Science is the pursuit of truth. And I think that's a very important concept to get across to people. You know, we're still learning," he added. "I do live by one axiom and that is, the pandemic clock is ticking. We just don't know what time it is," says Osterholm. Timeline On March 6, 2020, the first positive test was confirmed in Minnesota. On March 8, 2020, a second positive test came in. And on March 10, 2020, a third Minnesotan was confirmed and hospitalized in critical condition. By March 15, 2020, Governor Walz announced the closure of all schools K-12. By March 25, 2020 the state announced 287 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and signed an executive order for all people residing in Minnesota to shelter in place. Dr. Osterholm is releasing a book this summer called "The Big One" about preparing for the future deadly pandemics. For an extended version of our interview with Dr. Osterholm, head to the FOX 9 YouTube page.
The Hill
05-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Student group challenges Texas A&M drag ban
A group of students is suing the Texas A&M University System after a vote last week banned all drag performances from taking place on its 11 campuses. The resolution and subsequent lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the Southern District of Texas, are the latest developments in a yearslong battle within one of the nation's largest university systems over on-campus drag performances. Texas A&M's Board of Regents voted almost unanimously late last month in favor of a resolution that states drag events are inconsistent with the system's 'mission and core values, including the value of respect for others.' The resolution says drag shows are 'likely to create or contribute to a hostile environment for women' in violation of university anti-discrimination policies and Title IX, the federal civil rights law against sex discrimination. 'These events often involve unwelcome and objectively offensive conduct based on sex for many members of the respective communities of the universities, particularly when they involve the mockery or objectification of women,' the resolution says. The document directs the system's chancellor and the president of each university to prohibit drag shows from taking place on campus, citing an executive order from President Trump that proclaims the government recognizes only two sexes, male and female, and broadly prevents federal funds from being used to promote what Trump and his administration have called 'gender ideology.' The resolution also acknowledges a Jan. 30 letter from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) commanding state agencies to implement Trump's order. 'Given that both the System and the Universities receive significant federal funding, the use of facilities at the Universities for Drag Show Events may be considered promotion of gender ideology in violation of the Executive Order and the Governor's directive,' the resolution says. A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by students at Texas A&M University, the system's flagship institution, argues the resolution violates their First Amendment rights and the Texas Open Meetings Act, which requires governmental bodies to post a meeting's location and agenda at least 72 hours in advance. The resolution's adoption means 'Draggieland,' an annual drag competition at A&M, will need to find a new host. The event scheduled for March 27 had been set to take place at the school's Rudder Theater. 'We refuse to let Texas A&M dictate which voices belong on campus,' the students, known collectively as the Queer Empowerment Council, said in a statement. 'Drag is self-expression, drag is discovery, drag is empowerment, and no amount of censorship will silence us.' A system spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit. 'Public universities can't shut down student expression simply because the administration doesn't like the 'ideology' or finds the expression 'demeaning,'' said Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney at the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which is representing the Queer Empowerment Council in court. The organization also represented students at West Texas A&M University in a 2023 lawsuit over the university president's decision to cancel a charity drag show on campus. West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler argued drag performances degrade women and compared them to blackface. 'If other students dislike or disagree with Draggieland, the solution is simple: don't go,' said Jeff Zeman, another FIRE attorney. 'Or they could organize a protest, as students opposing drag have in the past. The First Amendment protects drag and the ability to criticize drag — and it forbids the government silencing the side it disagrees with.' A Texas state law against drag performances was ruled unconstitutional in 2023. U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas David Hittner, a former President Reagan appointee, ruled that drag is expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment. Last week, the Supreme Court turned away a case challenging similar restrictions on drag in Tennessee, leaving that law partially intact.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Adams attempts to downplay fears NYC immigrant children are skipping school
Mayor Adams on Tuesday poured cold water on the idea that deportation fears since President Trump's inauguration have led to a drop-off in New York City public school attendance — despite early signs that some immigrant families are fearful about sending their children to school. In the immediate aftermath of Trump's return to power, the city's school system recorded attendance rates between 84 and 89%, compared to a range of 89 to 92% during the same week last year, according to data provided by local education officials to state lawmakers. 'People are making this appear as if there is a mass exodus from our schools,' Mayor Adams told reporters after testifying on the state budget in Albany. 'That's not true. There isn't a max exodus.' Adams, who has said he would refrain from crtiicizing Trump in public but deal with him one-on-one instead, argued that there are a 'lot of things' that go into attendance rates dropping — including Regents exams administered that week and winter illnesses, such as the common cold. 'There's a lot of things that's going on, and what I'm trying to say to New Yorkers: Let's not add to the anxiety that these children are feeling,' he said. 'And I've been very clear: Children should go to school.' Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos revealed the attendance data last week during a hearing on the state education budget. She suggested the drop, while not 'egregious,' could be attributed at least in part to fear among immigrant families — in addition to other factors, such as the cold weather. 'What we can safely say is that it is one of several factors,' Aviles-Ramos said last Wednesday. 'We know that there is fear amongst our families.' A week later in response to an inquiry from the Daily News, the Education Department walked back the use of week-to-week comparisons, pointing to monthly attendance data that showed a 1.5% decrease in attendance in line with the year prior. (Trump did not assume office until three weeks into January.) But early signs have been a source of concern for elected officials and advocates. On Monday, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine — who is running for comptroller — sent a letter to the Adams administration, calling on teachers and staff not to report immigrant families with low attendance to child welfare authorities. The Administration for Children's Services has not seen an increase in reports of educational neglect but will monitor for any uptick, a spokesperson confirmed; City Hall did not immediately return a request for comment on that issue. 'It's devastating that they are having to stay home and miss out on classes, but it would be even more terrible if ACS opens a case against a family,' Levine told The News. 'We need the mayor to promise that our schools won't become grounds for fishing expeditions for ICE.' Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens), who is running against Adams in this year's mayoral primary, said during Tuesday's hearing that he has seen a decline in attendance among immigrant students since Trump rescinded a long-standing policy that prevented ICE from making arrests at sensitive locations, such as schools. 'To put these families at ease, will you today clearly state that as long as ICE does not have a judicial warrant signed by a judge, you will deny them entry into New York City public schools?' Mamdani asked. In response, Adams suggested he would need to review Trump's executive orders, or 'EOs.' The city's current policy directs principals to deny entry to immigration authorities until they consult an agency lawyer about the warrant. 'We are examining all the EOs, and based on those EOs, we would never put an employee of the city in harm's way,' Adams said, referring to guidance that city workers should not put themselves physically in danger. Naveed Hasan, an advocate for immigrant students who sits on the city's Panel for Educational Policy, said agencies are doing a 'good job' informing parents of their rights to continue sending children to school, but blamed the mayor for rhetoric that makes families feel unsafe. 'He has repeatedly made statements that he didn't want to antagonize the president, when he had no issue with criticizing the previous president,' Hasan said. 'That is causing a vacuum in people's confidence in leadership and trust in what's going to happen to them.'
