Indigenous nation in Canada ratifies its first written constitution
Aimed at 'renewing and reclaiming ancestral laws', the document enshrines a framework in which power and decision-making is shared by hereditary leadership, the elected chief and council, and the nation's women's council
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Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump administration to release over $5 billion school funding that it withheld
WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration will release more than $5 billion in previously approved funding for K-12 school programs that it froze over three weeks ago under a review, which had led to bipartisan condemnation. "(The White House Office of Management and Budget) has completed its review ... and has directed the Department to release all formula funds," Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the U.S. Education Department, said in an emailed statement. "The agency will begin dispersing funds to states next week," Biedermann added. Further details on the review and what it found were not shared in the statement. A senior administration official said "guardrails" would be in place for the amount being released, without giving details about them. The release of the more than $5 billion amount was reported earlier by the Washington Post. Early in July, the Trump administration said it would not release funding previously appropriated by Congress for schools and that an initial review found signs the money was misused to subsidize what it alleged was "a radical leftwing agenda." States say $6.8 billion in total was affected by the freeze. Last week, $1.3 billion was released. After the freeze, a coalition of mostly Democratic-led states sued to challenge the move, and 10 Republican U.S. senators wrote to the Republican Trump administration to reverse its decision. Republican U.S. lawmakers welcomed the move on Friday, while Democratic lawmakers said there was no need to disrupt funding in the first place. The frozen money covered funding for education of migrant farm workers and their children; recruitment and training of teachers; English proficiency learning; academic enrichment and after-school and summer programs. The Trump administration has threatened schools and colleges with withholding federal funds over issues like climate initiatives, transgender policies, pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel's war in Gaza and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Trump administration investigates Oregon's transgender athlete policies
The Trump administration said Friday it's investigating the Oregon Department of Education after receiving a complaint from a conservative non-profit group alleging the state was violating civil rights law by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams. It's the latest escalation in the Republican administration's effort to bar transgender athletes from women's sports teams nationwide. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February to block trans girls from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The administration says transgender athlete policies violate Title IX, the 1972 federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex. Proponents of Trump's ban say it restores fairness in athletic competitions, but opponents say bans are an attack on transgender youth. The U.S. Education Department's Office of Civil Rights opened the Oregon investigation based on a complaint by the America First Policy Institute that alleges high-school aged female athletes had lost medals and competitive opportunities to transgender athletes. It follows a probe launched earlier this year into Portland Public Schools and the state's governing body for high school sports over alleged violations of Title IX for allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports. Earlier this month, the administration sued the California Department of Education for allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams, alleging the policy violates federal law. Trump also filed a lawsuit in April alleging Maine violated Title IX by allowing trans girls and women to compete against other female athletes. Oregon law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a release Friday that the administration won't let educational institutions receive federal funds "to continue trampling upon women's rights.' 'If Oregon is permitting males to compete in women's sports, it is allowing these males to steal the accolades and opportunities that female competitors have rightfully earned through hard work and grit, while callously disregarding women's and girls' safety, dignity, and privacy," Trainor said. Messages seeking comment from the Oregon education officials were not immediately returned. Nate Lowery, spokesman for the Oregon School Activities Association, said they were reviewing the administration's notice with its legal counsel and doesn't have additional comments at this time. Three high school track-and-field athletes filed a lawsuit against Oregon in early July that seeks to overturn all sports records set by transgender girl athletes and prevent them from participating in girls sporting events. The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon alleges the state policy prohibiting schools from excluding student athletes from events that align with their gender identity violates Title IX. The students say it has harmed them through loss of competition, placements, and opportunities to advance to higher-level events. Jessica Hart Steinmann, executive general counsel at the America First Policy Institute, said the investigation is a step toward restoring equal opportunities for women's athletics. 'Title IX was meant to protect girls — not to undermine them — and we're hopeful this signals a return to that original purpose,' Steinmann said in a release. More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case over state restrictions on which sports teams transgender athletes can join.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's Coca-Cola push could revive iconic southern industry
President Trump's push to re-introduce cane sugar to Coca-Cola has raised hopes of an economic boom in Louisiana's sugarcane industry. Farmers in the southern state say they are overjoyed after the White House announced it had struck a deal with the soda giant to return cane sugar to some of its products. The move will shift Cokes away from high-fructose corn syrup and back to natural sugar, elating Louisiana growers whose produce is set to become a hot commodity. Ross Noel, a fourth-generation sugarcane farmer in Donaldsonville, LA, told KLFY that the new soda recipe will benefit far more than just the farmers growing the sugar cane. The deal from Trump to introduce cane sugar back into Coke is part of a wider push from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to bring back natural ingredients to everyday foods. In Louisiana, farmers say that the natural ingredients trend could be a game changer for its crop-growing industry. 'There's something special about growing a crop that's real, simple, and trusted—and that is something to be proud of,' Noel told KLFY . This trend also previously saw Steak 'n Shake announce in February that it would switch from vegetable oil to beef tallow in its French fries recipe. The move to beef tallow isn't just a coincidence, as the chain actually mentioned RFK Jr. and his 'Make America Health Again' (MAHA) movement in an announcement about the change. Steak 'n Shake wrote on X, 'By March 1 ALL locations. Fries will be RFK'd!' Although Trump lauded his deal with Coca-Cola as a huge win for the MAHA movement, industry chiefs warned that consumers may end up paying more as a result . Experts warned that removing sweeteners from the drink in favor of real sugar could cost thousands of American jobs in manufacturing, and the idea has already caused chaos on the stock market. Corn Refiners Association CEO John Bode released a statement on Thursday warning that the recipe change could trigger economic mayhem and political turmoil. 'Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit,' Bode said. Coca-Cola bosses said last week that they are adding a cane sugar option to their drink lineup , but did not say that they were removing their high-fructose corn syrup options. 'As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range,' the soda giant said. 'This addition is designed to complement the company's strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.' Trump's announcement has already prompted shockwaves in the stock market, costing investors billions of dollars. Shares in Archer Daniels Midland, a leading corn processor, plunged almost six percent in pre-market trading following Trump's announcement. This reflects a potential hit to investors of around $1.5 billion.
