TV News LIES

The government agency that runs the Voice of America has moved to terminate contracts with The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse, and told its journalists Friday to stop using material from the wire services.

Kari Lake, the former broadcaster turned Republican politician who was selected by President Donald Trump to run VOA, estimated the move would save $53 million.

The new administration has quickly asserted its authority at VOA, which has delivered news from an American perspective to countries across the world. While awaiting official approval to take over, Lake was brought on as special adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA and sister organizations like Radio Free Europe.

More...

Columbia University says it has expelled or suspended some students who took over a campus building during pro-Palestinian protests last spring, and had temporarily revoked the diplomas of some students who have since graduated.

In a campus-wide email sent Thursday, the university said its judicial board had issued its sanctions against dozens of students who occupied Hamilton Hall based on its "evaluation of the severity of behaviors."

The university did not provide a breakdown of how many students were expelled, suspended or had their degree revoked.

The Trump administration is considering issuing travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters.

The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups. The first group of 10 countries, which includes Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea, among others, would be set for a full visa suspension.

In the second group, five countries – Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan – would face partial suspensions that would affect tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions.

In the third group, a total of 26 countries including Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, among others, would be considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days”, the memo said.

More...

The U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations into 52 universities in 41 states, accusing the schools of using "racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities."

On Friday, the department's Office of Civil Rights said that 45 schools, particularly their graduate programs, violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act by partnering with The PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups earn doctoral degrees in business. The program focuses on supporting Black, Latino and Native American students.

The Education Department alleges that The PhD Project limits eligibility based on the race of participants, and therefore, universities involved with the organization are engaging in "race-exclusionary practices."

"Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.

More...

A federal appeals court Friday reinstated portions of President Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs that were blocked by a lower court.

The unanimous three-judge panel on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the administration is likely to succeed in its February appeal, though the two judges appointed by Democratic presidents made clear a challenge could still succeed in the future.

“But my vote to grant the stay comes with a caveat,” wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Pamela Harris, an appointee of former President Obama. “What the Orders say on their face and how they are enforced are two different things. Agency enforcement actions that go beyond the Orders’ narrow scope may well raise serious First Amendment and Due Process concerns.”