Latest news with #DePauwUniversity
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One Year Later: How Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance forced his media allies to turn on him
The legacy media largely shielded Joe Biden from negative coverage of his health, age and cognitive decline during his presidency, but that all changed on June 27, 2024, when his disastrous debate performance changed the course of history. Biden appeared frail and struggled with a weak voice, delivering rambling answers while frequently appearing to lose his train of thought during the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign against President Donald Trump in Atlanta. Biden fumbled key answers and famously declared, "We finally beat Medicare," when he apparently meant to say that he beat big pharma. At one point, as the two candidates traded fire over the issue of immigration, Trump pounced after another rambling answer from Biden. "I really don't know what he said on this, and I don't think he knows what he said either," Trump said. Media Figures Shocked At Biden's 'Bad' Debate Performance: 'Total And Complete Disaster' DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall said the infamous on-stage debacle was one of the rare instances that a presidential debate truly impacted the trajectory of the election. Read On The Fox News App "Up until that debate, the establishment media were firmly in the Biden campaign camp, covering up evidence that was in plain sight that the president was cognitively and physically in decline. The media shamelessly repeated White House talking points about deep fakes and how vigorous and mentally sharp Biden was," he told Fox News Digital. "These narratives were false, of course, but that didn't matter to the mainstream reporters as they felt compelled to cover for Biden, in spite of what citizens could see plainly on the rare occasions when Biden was allowed to speak in public," McCall said. "The primary motive of the activist press, of course, was to try to deny Trump any traction in the election season," he continued. "The poor debate performance by Biden ripped the Band-Aid off, forcing the media to turn on a dime and begin the drumbeat to run Biden out of the race because he was too old and incapable." The debate meltdown caused an earthquake across the media landscape, ranging from "dismal" reviews to vocal calls on the left for him to withdraw from the 2024 race. CNN's John King put a spotlight on the "very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party" that began in the early minutes of the debate. "This was a game-changing debate in the sense that right now, as we speak, there is a deep, a wide and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party," King told viewers. "It involves party strategists, it involves elected officials, it involves fundraisers. And they're having conversations about the president's performance, which they think was dismal, which they think will hurt other people down the party in the ticket, and they're having conversations about what they should do about it." Biden Debate Debacle: 10 Eye-opening Media Responses, From Msnbc Panic To 'The View' Calling For Replacement King's CNN colleague Kasie Hunt similarly wrote on X, "The voice, open-mouthed look, and visual contrast between President Biden and former President Trump all have Democrats I'm talking to nearly beside themselves watching this debate." Then-NBC News pundit Chuck Todd admitted that Biden looked like the "caricature" conservatives have painted of him, specifically over his mental acuity. Bloomberg Opinion editor Tim O'Brien wrote on X, "Biden simply comes across as a somewhat dazed punching bag." "The View" co-host Joy Behar suggested the program was "in mourning" and urged Democrats to pivot away from Biden in order to keep Trump out of the White House. "That was quite a turnaround from the reporting templates of previous weeks. But the media finally realized, based on the disastrous debate performance, that Biden's chances of winning the election were fading quickly," McCall said. The debate, which came after a flood of liberal anger towards a Wall Street Journal report that raised questions about the president's viability, was essentially the beginning of the end for Biden's time on the ticket. Media Calls For Biden To Withdraw From 2024 Race After 'Disaster' Cnn Debate Performance: 'It's Over' New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a longtime Biden ally, wrote that the debate "made me weep" and realized Biden should step aside. "I cannot remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime — precisely because of what it revealed: Joe Biden, a good man and a good president, has no business running for re-election," Friedman wrote. Fellow Times' columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote on X that he wished "Biden would reflect on this debate performance and then announce his decision to withdraw from the race." CNN commentator Van Jones, who cried for joy when Biden won the 2020 presidential election, offered an emotional plea for the president to step aside. The Atlantic's Mark Leibovich penned a piece titled "Time to go, Joe." "Biden needs to step aside—for the sake of his own dignity, for the good of his party, for the future of the country," Leibovich told readers. The aggregate website Drudge Report blared the headline "OPERATION: REPLACE BIDEN." "DEMS SCRAMBLE WITH 130 DAYS TO GO! DEBATE CATASTROPHE," the Drudge Report wrote in all caps. It included a poll question over who would be the best Democrat to replace him out of Hillary Clinton, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris or "Other." MSNBC's "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough suggested Biden might need to step down. "If he were CEO, and he turned in a performance like that, would any corporation in America, any Fortune 500 corporation in America keep him on as CEO?" Scarborough asked. Biden Ripped For 'Old' Appearance, 'Weak' Voice During First Presidential Debate: 'Deeply Alarming' Biden stepped aside the following month, suspending his re-election campaign and quickly offered his "full support and endorsement" for then-Vice President Kamala Harris to take over as the party's presidential nominee. "The media then quickly got on the Harris bandwagon, with as little scrutiny as they had given Biden in previous months. The media promoted Harris as cool and energetic, and even helped label her as a pop culture 'brat.' The activist media virtually ignored that Harris didn't win any primary votes and was rushed through the nominative convention without having to deal with any opposition," McCall said. "Overall, the media's poor performance in covering the Biden administration up to the debate and then the media's abrupt turnaround is perhaps the most shameful and egregious example of journalistic malpractice in American history," he added. "This episode showed that the news industry was not interested in reporting reality to help a citizenry understand the situation. Instead, the mainstream media collectively engaged in activism, demonstrating a cynical attempt to herd public sentiment. That effort eventually failed, with the consequence for the media being a further decline in credibility," McCall concluded. Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. Original article source: One Year Later: How Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance forced his media allies to turn on him
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana AG: Butler, DePauw universities' DEI policy may violate law, warrant legal action
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita warned Butler University and DePauw University that he may take legal action that could complicate their nonprofit tax-exempt status if he finds their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies could violate state and federal law. In letters sent to the university presidents May 28, Rokita argued the institution's DEI-friendly policies could constitute racial discrimination and violate civil rights laws. Both Butler and DePauw still list DEI as priorities within their strategic plans. Rokita largely pointed to those goals and adjoining policies as the basis for his letters. In those plans, the universities say they seek to attract more diverse faculty and staff, provide improved support to those communities and build a campus promoting DEI principles. "Hoosiers are rightfully concerned that some education institutions treat students, faculty, staff and others differently based on race under the guise of DEI or other," Rokita said in a release. The colleges have until June 27 to respond to Rokita's letter with answers to his questions and requested data. Whether he takes further action, he said in a news release, depends on the colleges' responses and if they are following a "legal and moral commitment to racial equality." Several of Indiana's public universities have shuttered its DEI programs to comply with new state and federal anti-DEI mandates. So far, that includes Indiana University, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College and Ball State University. Rokita also sent a similar May 9 letter to the University of Notre Dame requesting DEI information to ensure its compliance with federal and state law. Rokita said the university must respond with requested materials by June 9. Neither the Attorney General's Office nor the university have responded to IndyStar requests for an update. If a university doesn't comply, his letters threaten challenges to the institution's nonprofit status. However, the Internal Revenue Service, if it chooses, would still need to investigate and decide to revoke a school's tax-exempt status. President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard University's nonprofit status, which the university claims is illegal, if it does not conform to his demands. DePauw President Lori White has also previously been vocally supportive of such policies, which Rokita criticizes in his letter. In May 2023, White was one of 27 liberal arts college presidents to sign a letter stating they intend to continue prioritizing inclusive policies following the Supreme Court's decision to make race-conscious admissions illegal. "It seems DePauw University may have met that moment and the Court's decision with evasion, circumvention, and obstruction, rather than a good faith desire to respect the civil rights of students and faculty," Rokita's letter reads. In a statement sent to IndyStar, DePauw said "we uphold high ethical standards and do not engage in unlawful discrimination in our admissions and hiring practices." Butler did not immediately respond to an IndyStar request for comment. Rokita largely leans on the the U.S. Supreme Court's Students for Fair Admissions decision, which barred universities from enrolling students using affirmative action. Since taking office, Trump has stripped diversity practices and efforts out of the federal government, and his administration has begun focusing its anti-DEI efforts on higher education and the private sector. Gov. Mike Braun has done the same in Indiana. On his second full day in office, he signed an executive order to remove DEI initiatives and policies from state government, including closing the Office of the Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity created by then-Gov. Holcomb in 2020. Braun also signed a bill into law May 6 to allow individuals to sue publicly funded schools or government entities for DEI policies and programs. Senate Enrolled Act 289 prohibits public institutions from taking actions based on an individual's "personal characteristic," such as race, religion, color and sex. The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@ or message her on Signal at @ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: AG Rokita says Butler, DePauw DEI policies may violate law
Indianapolis Star
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana AG: Butler, DePauw universities' DEI policy may violate law, warrant legal action
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita warned Butler University and DePauw University that he may take legal action that could complicate their nonprofit tax-exempt status if he finds their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies could violate state and federal law. In letters sent to the university presidents May 28, Rokita argued the institution's DEI-friendly policies could constitute racial discrimination and violate civil rights laws. Both Butler and DePauw still list DEI as priorities within their strategic plans. Rokita largely pointed to those goals and adjoining policies as the basis for his letters. In those plans, the universities say they seek to attract more diverse faculty and staff, provide improved support to those communities and build a campus promoting DEI principles. "Hoosiers are rightfully concerned that some education institutions treat students, faculty, staff and others differently based on race under the guise of DEI or other," Rokita said in a release. The colleges have until June 27 to respond to Rokita's letter with answers to his questions and requested data. Whether he takes further action, he said in a news release, depends on the colleges' responses and if they are following a "legal and moral commitment to racial equality." Several of Indiana's public universities have shuttered its DEI programs to comply with new state and federal anti-DEI mandates. So far, that includes Indiana University, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College and Ball State University. Rokita also sent a similar May 9 letter to the University of Notre Dame requesting DEI information to ensure its compliance with federal and state law. Rokita said the university must respond with requested materials by June 9. Neither the Attorney General's Office nor the university have responded to IndyStar requests for an update. If a university doesn't comply, his letters threaten challenges to the institution's nonprofit status. However, the Internal Revenue Service, if it chooses, would still need to investigate and decide to revoke a school's tax-exempt status. President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard University's nonprofit status, which the university claims is illegal, if it does not conform to his demands. DePauw President Lori White has also previously been vocally supportive of such policies, which Rokita criticizes in his letter. In May 2023, White was one of 27 liberal arts college presidents to sign a letter stating they intend to continue prioritizing inclusive policies following the Supreme Court's decision to make race-conscious admission illegal. "It seems DePauw University may have met that moment and the Court's decision with evasion, circumvention, and obstruction, rather than a good faith desire to respect the civil rights of students and faculty," Rokita's letter reads. Rokita largely leans on the the U.S. Supreme Court's Students for Fair Admissions decision, which barred universities from enrolling students using affirmative action. Since taking office, Trump has stripped diversity practices and efforts out of the federal government, and his administration has begun focusing its anti-DEI efforts on higher education and the private sector. Gov. Mike Braun has done the same in Indiana. On his second full day in office, he signed an executive order to remove DEI initiatives and policies from state government, including closing the Office of the Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity created by then-Gov. Holcomb in 2020. Braun also signed a bill into law May 6 to allow individuals to sue publicly funded schools or government entities for DEI policies and programs. Senate Enrolled Act 289 prohibits public institutions from taking actions based on an individual's "personal characteristic," such as race, religion, color and sex. The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lebanon native returns to perform at Summer Fest
Lebanon High School 2015 grads might remember Chase Wright as a soccer player and track athlete. He even ran track for four years at DePauw University while he pursued a degree in economics. However, in his junior year in college Wright went in a totally different direction. 'The first time I sang was with Pixie Playhouse when I was 5. I sang 'God Bless America' for a 9/11 memorial service,' Wright said. 'A few years later I sang in a talent show at the 4-H Fairgrounds but then I didn't sing publicly again until I was in college. One of my favorite artists said he didn't start playing guitar until college and I think we often believe 18 is too late to pursue something like this, but it gave me confidence. I started singing and playing the guitar every chance I got.' An internship at a large corporation's finance department during his junior year of college made it official. Wright knew, though he'd always had an interest in business and entrepreneurship, perhaps he could use his skills in a different way. 'I had such a good time playing and I felt there might be more to this, so I decided to take the next 18 months to really devote my time to music,' Wright said. 'It was like a risk-free trial.' And it paid off. After posting videos on Instagram and Facebook, Wright was approached by a professional in Nashville, encouraging him to attend a writer's workshop. Three weeks after graduating with the economics degree, he had landed in 'Music City U.S.A.' The independent artist has released two albums in the past six years, with another on the way. He's earned 320 million cumulative streams worldwide and was named Spotify's 'Hot Country Artist to Watch,' among other accolades. Wright said it's the perfect pairing between passion for creativity and his love for entrepreneurship. 'I think I'm most passionate about running the business. There are so many things I can't control, but one thing I can is how hard I work,' he said. 'It's such a mentally tough business with so many ups and downs but I can continue to post videos and photos and reach people. Obviously, I love going to a writing room with the potential to write an original song that will be around forever. I have that chance every single day, which is super cool.' This weekend, the musician is headed back to his hometown to take the stage at Summer Fest in downtown Lebanon. 'I think it's awesome,' Wright said. 'It'll be great to see familiar faces I haven't seen in years; teachers I had growing up and family. Lebanon is also in a great central spot and I've had some fans say they're coming in to see the show. It's awesome to be able to bring other people into Lebanon too.' Wright will head out to the merchandise table after his performance Saturday evening to visit with fans and reunite with Lebanon friends and family. Summer Fest is a free family-friendly event in downtown Lebanon from 6 to 10 p.m. May 30 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 31. Wright will close out the event on May 31, taking the stage at 8 p.m.
