With American democracy under strain, students debate its resilience
All first-year students start their time at Johns Hopkins University by choosing a seminar. These 12, wildly varied in backgrounds, ideologies and interests, had signed up for 'Democratic Erosion.'
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Brazen New Lie Leads To Instant Fact-Check On Social Media
President Donald Trump on Friday made a wild new claim about wind power as he renewed his attacks on renewable energy. Trump complained that many of the components used in wind turbines are made in China, then suggested that China itself doesn't actually use wind turbines. 'I have never seen a wind farm in China,' Trump declared. 'Why is that? Somebody check that out.' In reality, China is far and away the world's leading producer of wind energy, with more than triple the current U.S. wind capacity. Trump, however, has long had issues with renewable energy ― especially wind, which he has called 'bullshit' and 'a hoax,' a grudge he has held since a dispute over an offshore wind farm near one of his resorts. Now, Trump might finally get his way as his 'big beautiful bill' will wipe out tax credits for wind and solar power, potentially decimating the industry. The Rhodium Group, a research firm, estimates the bill will put a stop to between 57% and 72% of new solar and wind projects. North America's Building Trades Unions slammed the move as 'the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country' as those projects are cancelled. 'Critical infrastructure projects essential to that future are being sacrificed at the altar of ideology,' the organization said in a statement. New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman said China is 'laughing' at the United States as a result, writing: 'The Chinese simply can't believe their luck: that at the dawn of the electricity-guzzling era of artificial intelligence, the U.S. president and his party have decided to engage in one of the greatest acts of strategic self-harm imaginable. They have passed a giant bill that, among other craziness, deliberately undermines America's ability to generate electricity through renewables — solar, battery and wind power in particular.' Since Trump said 'somebody check that out' when railing against wind power, many people did exactly that ― and gave the president a fact-check: Trump has never seen a wind farm in China because he's an incurious narcissist who ignores all information that contradicts his biases. The Gansu wind farm is the largest onshore wind farm in the world, with 7000 turbines. China is the global leader in installed wind capacity. — James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) July 4, 2025 China leads the world in permitting & building new coal plants, but they have over 7000 wind turbines & are one of the leaders in solar power. Look, this guy loves coal & hates anything green, I get it. But the incessant lying, that's easily fact checked, is off the charts! — Scott Jones (BS, MAT, CSCS) (@CoachJones007) July 4, 2025 A wind farm, in China. — Andrew Stokols (@astoks) July 4, 2025 There are tons of wind farms in China. Just another pointless easy to debunk lie that the cult will eat up like fast food. — Mike Therien (@miketherien) July 5, 2025 China is the number one country for wind energy... but sure — Auntie Smartassy (@AuntSassyAss) July 4, 2025 — Mark Farina (@djmarkfarina) July 4, 2025 China is a global leader in wind energy. Here's a pic. — Lois Romano (@loisromano) July 5, 2025 Fact Check: China is literally the global leader in wind energy. The largest wind farms located in regions like Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. — Ford News (@FordJohnathan5) July 4, 2025 World's largest wind farm is in China... — Jo Mannies (@jmannies) July 5, 2025 Wind power generates 10% of electricity in China, about the same percentage as wind power in should be able to know this. — Steven Pifer (@steven_pifer) July 5, 2025 'As of April 2025, 138 wind farms were operating in China. China has the largest number of offshore wind farms, followed by the United Kingdom, Vietnam, and Germany' — Diana Pegoraro (@DianaPegoraro) July 5, 2025 Donald Trump knows a lot about breaking wind. — Machine Pun Kelly 🇺🇦 (@KellyScaletta) July 5, 2025
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Texas Dream Act supporters sue to restore in-state tuition for undocumented students
There is a growing legal fight to reinstate the Texas Dream Act, which gave college students without legal residency access to reduced in-state tuition. Several law firms and nonprofit organizations have filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas, arguing the law is essential for educational equity. Student shares personal impact Among those on the front lines is Oscar Silva, who came to Texas at the age of 1 and has called Garland home ever since. "My senior year, I remember being terrified because I couldn't land any scholarships," Silva said. "A lot of the scholarships I tried to apply for were only for U.S. citizens, and so that was a significant barrier for me. For the longest, I thought I was just not going to be able to afford college." With the help of the Texas Dream Act, Silva was able to attend the University of North Texas for his undergraduate degree. He said it also motivated him to pursue a master's degree. Sense of belonging in college "Throughout undergrad, I just remember feeling very, very happy that I could attend college, that I could sit in classes with my peers and pretend like everything was normal—that I belonged there just as much as they did," Silva said. ACLU joins legal effort The ACLU of Texas is among the groups working to restore the law. "I feel like we have a very strong argument moving forward," said Valeria Alvarado with the ACLU of Texas. "And what I can confidently also say is that the Texas Dream Act is not going to go away without a fight." Judge rules law unconstitutional In June, a federal judge blocked the Texas Dream Act, calling it "unconstitutional and invalid." Domingo Garcia, who was a state representative in 2001, helped write the bill, which passed with bipartisan support. Supporters call repeal cruel "It's been the law of the land, and attempts to repeal it over the years have all failed," Garcia said. "It's just really cruel, manipulative and mean-spirited what is being done by the attorney general and the DOJ." Student balances school and advocacy As the issue heads to court, Silva is balancing his final year in a master's program while also joining the group intervening in the lawsuit. "I want to continue higher ed. I want to finish my master's. I want to see my degrees to the end," Silva said. "I've got to do whatever I can in my power to make sure that my education is not tampered with." Tuition costs could double Silva said without the Texas Dream Act, his tuition will nearly double. According to the University of North Texas' online tuition calculator, a master's degree in accounting costs about $7,600 per year for in-state students. For out-of-state students—now including Silva—it's more than $12,600.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump says the US 'pretty much' has a deal on TikTok
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States "pretty much" has a deal on the sale of the TikTok short-video app. Last month, Trump extended to September 17 a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of TikTok. Sign in to access your portfolio
