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Iowa law banning books including 1984 and Ulysses blocked by US federal judge

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Judge rules that law banning school libraries and classrooms from carrying books depicting sex acts had been applied unconstitutionally

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Thirty years after world leaders adopted a historic blueprint to achieve gender equality, a new United Nations report says women's and girls' rights are under attack and gender discrimination remains deeply embedded in economies and societies.

The report released Thursday by the U.N. agency focused on women's rights and gender equality found that nearly one-quarter of governments worldwide reported a backlash to women's rights last year.

The number of countries reporting a backlash is likely underreported and reflects "an increasingly hostile environment," UN Women's policy and program director Sarah Hendriks said at a news conference.

"It is not a new phenomenon," she said. "What is new is that it's gaining in greater speed and scale and velocity," especially in very patriarchal and traditional nations where men play a dominant role.

The 35 countries reporting a backlash on gender equality came from across the globe and include Spain, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Philippines, Brazil, Peru, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Australia, Mongolia, South Africa, Mali and Zimbabwe.

Despite some progress, including on girls' education and access to family planning, UN Women said a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a partner or family member and that cases of conflict-related sexual violence have increased by 50% since 2022. The report, released ahead of International Women's Day on Saturday, also noted that only 87 countries have ever been led by a woman.

"Globally, women's human rights are under attack," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. "Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we're seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny."

He said the world must stand firm "in making human rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere."

The 189 countries that attended a 1995 Beijing women's conference adopted a landmark declaration and 150-page platform for action to achieve gender equality, calling for bold action in 12 areas, including combating poverty and gender-based violence and putting women at top levels in business, government and at peacemaking tables.

It also said for the first time in a U.N. document that human rights include the right of women to control and decide "on matters relating to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of discrimination, coercion and violence."

In the new review, which includes contributions from 159 countries, UN Women said countries have taken many steps forward on gender equality and women's rights in the past five years but that such rights still are facing growing threats worldwide.

On the positive side, the report said some 88% of countries have passed laws to combat violence against women and established services to help victims in the past five years. Most countries have banned workplace discrimination, and 44% are improving the quality of education and training for girls and women, it said.

Yet gender discrimination is deeply embedded, with wide gaps in power and resources that restrain women's rights, the report said.

"The weakening of democratic institutions has gone hand in hand with backlash on gender equality," UN Women said.

It warned that "anti-rights actors are actively undermining longstanding consensus on key women's rights issues" and seeking to block or slow legal and policy gains they can't roll back.

UN Women said almost 25% of countries reported that backlash on gender equality is hampering implementation of the Beijing platform.

According to the report, women have only 64% of the legal rights of men, and while the proportion of female lawmakers has more than doubled since 1995, three-quarters of lawmakers are still men.

UN Women also said women aged 15 to 24 lag behind other age groups on access to modern family planning; maternal mortality ratios have remained almost unchanged since 2015; and 10% of women and girls live in extremely poor households.

The U.N. agency said cases of conflict-related sexual violence have increased 50% since 2022 - and women and girls are victims of 95% of these crimes.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said that based on the report's findings, the agency has adopted a roadmap to bring the world closer to the U.N. goal of achieving gender equality by 2030.

It calls for a digital revolution ensuring equal access to technology for all women and girls; investments in social protections, including universal health care and quality education to lift them out of poverty; and zero violence against girls and women. The roadmap also includes equal decision-making power for women and financing for "gender-responsive humanitarian aid" in conflicts and crises.

___

Lederer was AP's lead reporter at the 1995 U.N. women's conference in Beijing.

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Women's rights are under attack 30 years after leaders adopted a blueprint for equality, UN says

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Thirty years after world leaders adopted a historic blueprint to achieve gender equality, a new United Nations report says women's and girls' rights are under attack and gender discrimination is deeply embedded in economies and societies.

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UNICEF calls on the Taliban to lift ban on girls’ education as new school year begins in Afghanistan

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The appeal by UNICEF comes as a new school year began in Afghanistan without girls beyond sixth grade.

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Tennessee advances a challenge to education rights for immigrant students, despite mounting opposition

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A challenge to federal education rights is one step closer to passage, despite mounting pressure from protesters and faith leaders.

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Advocates sue to block attempted dismantling of US Education Department

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U.S. teachers unions and rights advocates, including the NAACP, sued the administration of President Donald Trump on Monday to prevent the attempted dismantling of the federal Education Department, days after Trump signed an executive order to that effect.

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NEW DELHI: No child will be discriminated against in education, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday while fixing for next week a plea seeking a direction to the Centre and the Delhi governments to grant Rohingya refugees in the city access to public schools and hospitals. The court just wants to know where these Rohingya families are living, in whose house and what are their particulars, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said while making the the no discrimination in education point.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the NGO Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, said he has filed an affidavit giving the details and pointed out that the Rohingya refugees have UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) cards.
It will be easier for the NGO to give the particulars if these Rohingya families have these cards, Justice Surya Kant said.
Gonsalves then sought some time to furnish more details to the court.

The top court posted the matter for further hearing after 10 days.
On January 31, the top court asked the NGO to apprise the court where the Rohingya refugees have settled in the city and the facilities accessible to them. It also asked Gonsalves to file an affidavit indicating their places of settlement in Delhi.
Gonsalves said the NGO sought access to public schools and hospitals to Rohingya refugees as they were denied the access due to lack of Aadhaar cards.
"They are refugees having UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) cards and therefore they can't have Aadhaar cards. But for want of Aadhaar they are not being granted access to public schools and hospitals," he submitted.
Gonsalves said Rohingya refugees resided in Shaheen Bagh, Kalindi Kunj and Khajuri Khas areas of Delhi.
"In Shaheen Bagh and Kalindi Kunj they are residing in slums and in Khajuri Khas they are residing in rented accommodation," he had submitted.
The top court had said it asked the questions to understand if they lived in camps, the nature of relief would be different than the one mentioned in the PIL.
The PIL has sought a direction to authorities to grant admission to all Rohingya children free of cost irrespective of Aadhar cards and allow them to participate in all examinations, including Classes 10 and 12 and graduation, without government insistence on the ID proof.
The PIL also sought extension of all government benefits such as free health services in government hospitals, subsidised food grains as available under Antyodya Anna Yojana scheme and benefits under the Food Security Act to Rohingya families as available to other citizens, irrespective of citizenship.

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Supreme court upholds equal education rights: No child, including Rohingya refugees, to face discrimination - The Times of India

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News News: The Supreme Court ruled that no child should be discriminated against in education, addressing a plea to grant Rohingya refugees access to public scho

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Nevena Saykova Education Advocate, Children’s Rights Division NSaykova NSaykova

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Global Momentum Builds Toward Free Education for All Children

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This year, at the United Nations’ top human rights body in Geneva, there are signs of a potential giant leap forward, with growing hopes for new legal recognition of every child’s right to free education, from pre-primary through secondary education.

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Afghanistan: ‘How to conceive relations with a regime that locks up women?’

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COLUMN. Under the Taliban regime, once again in power in Kabul, Afghan women are taken hostage. But little was said about this collective kidnapping during the autumn session of the UN General Assembly, notes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

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Texas lawmaker wants to prosecute educators for sharing ‘obscene’ books

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Last week, state rep. Jared Patterson’s bill, House Bill 276, which aims to eliminate the affirmative defense clause, was heard in committee.

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Times letters: Move to regulate home schooling in Britain

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Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, Emma Duncan says she thinks home education should be banned ("It's time to put home schooling in detention", comment, Jan 10). Her proposal goes against article

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Houston-area school district removes book on racism

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Katy ISD placed four titles on the district’s removed book list this week, one of which was about how to discuss racism with children.

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GREENWICH - Greenwich elementary school students can no longer watch YouTube videos while using their school-issued device.

This is because starting Tuesday, the school district officially restricted YouTube access on devices given to pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students.

"Principals and parents had been asking for us to turn it off as it is not necessary for learning in pre-K-5," Superintendent Toni Jones said in a statement. "There have been some issues with students watching videos that were not necessary for learning grade level content."

Jones said Greenwich Public Schools officials first started talking about this restriction in September during a principals meeting. Originally, the idea was to shut off YouTube on student devices through eighth grade.

But this brought "many challenges," Jones said.

"YouTube is utilized heavily in the middle school curriculum for research and other purposes," she said. "YouTube has specific channels which are outstanding resources for students' learning, such as National Geographic, NASA, Smithsonian, Discovery Education, the National Park Service and more. There are links directly embedded in many of our middle school resources."

For the elementary students, YouTube is restricted on their GPS devices both in and out of school. Elementary teachers, however, still have access to the site "so they can pull from a YouTube channel or page to share a primary resource, like a famous speech or natural events video from National Geographic," Jones said.

Jones confirmed that this YouTube restriction is "totally separate" from the cell phone regulation that the district publicized in September. According to that, elementary students should not be going to school with a cellphone.

However, if a parent feels as if there "is a safety need given unique circumstances, such as walking a long distance to or from school each day, then the phones must be off and away in lockers or backpacks for the duration of the school day," the regulation states.

Jones said in regards to restricting YouTube access on school-issued devices, the district did not receive a lot of calls about the issue and that this change was "largely driven by a request from the elementary principals who saw it as an unnecessary and distracting resource for young children."

"This is a welcome change for teachers and families," she said.

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No more streaming YouTube videos for Greenwich elementary school students

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"Principals and parents had been asking for us to turn it off as it is not necessary for...

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The majority of banned books in US public schools last year dealt with people of color, LGBTQ+ people and other demographics, according to a new study from PEN America.

The report also counteracts claims by conservative lawmakers that books being removed from classrooms are sexually explicit and that book bans are altogether a "hoax", an assertion made by Donald Trump.

There were more than 10,000 instances of books being banned in the 2023-24 school year, PEN America reported, a sharp increase from the previous year, as Republican-led states implemented new censorship laws.

Out of 4,218 book titles that were banned, 1,534 - or 36% - featured people of color, the most censored identity group in book bans. Some removed titles included August Wilson's Pulitzer-prize winning play Fences and Innosanto Nagara's A is for Activist, a picture book for children about social issues.

Books featuring people of color were disproportionately targeted in all banned-book categories, the report found, especially in removed historical and biographical titles. Of such banned books, 44% included people of color; more than one-fourth, or 26%, of those books featured Black people.

Advocates with PEN America noted that at the same time as the onslaught of book bannings, more than 50% of young people in the US are children of color, according to 2021 data from the Children's Defense Fund.

"This targeted censorship amounts to a harmful assault on historically marginalized and underrepresented populations - a dangerous effort to erase their stories, achievements, and history from schools," said Sabrina Baêta, senior manager for PEN America's Freedom to Read program, in a press release about the report. "When we strip library shelves of books about particular groups, we defeat the purpose of a library collection that is supposed to reflect the lives of all people. The damaging consequences to young people are real."

Titles featuring LGBTQ+ characters also made up a sizable number of book bans: 1,066 books, or 25% of all banned titles, included LGBTQ+ people. Transgender or genderqueer characters were specifically targeted in such book bans, as 28% of removed books featuring LGBTQ+ characters included that demographic.

Beyond people of color and LGBTQ+ people, books including disabled people were also affected by nationwide bans. About 10% of all removed titles included characters with physical, learning or developmental disabilities or who were neurodivergent. Several affected books with disabled characters focused on "confidence, self esteem, or experiences with ableism", PEN America reported.

Meanwhile, only 13% of removed titles included "on the page" instances of sexual experiences. Inferred or "off the page" instances of sexual encounters were included in 31% of banned books.

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The vast majority of banned books (85%) were fiction, with 14% being non-fiction and 1% poetry. About 67% of removed books were for younger audiences, PEN America reported.

The ongoing banning of books comes as the Trump administration has cracked down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in US public schools and universities. In a memo last week, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from any schools that refused to eliminate diversity initiatives, such as scholarships for students of certain identity groups and school programming.

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Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ people, report finds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Study counteracts claims by conservative lawmakers that books being removed from classrooms are sexually explicit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The majority of banned books in US public schools last year dealt with people of color, LGBTQ+ people and other demographics, according to a new study from PEN America.

The report also counteracts claims by conservative lawmakers that books being removed from classrooms are sexually explicit and that book bans are altogether a "hoax", an assertion made by Donald Trump.

There were more than 10,000 instances of books being banned in the 2023-24 school year, PEN America reported, a sharp increase from the previous year, as Republican-led states implemented new censorship laws.

Out of 4,218 book titles that were banned, 1,534 - or 36% - featured people of color, the most censored identity group in book bans. Some removed titles included August Wilson's Pulitzer-prize winning play Fences and Innosanto Nagara's A is for Activist, a picture book for children about social issues.

Books featuring people of color were disproportionately targeted in all banned-book categories, the report found, especially in removed historical and biographical titles. Of such banned books, 44% included people of color; more than one-fourth, or 26%, of those books featured Black people.

Advocates with PEN America noted that at the same time as the onslaught of book bannings, more than 50% of young people in the US are children of color, according to 2021 data from the Children's Defense Fund.

"This targeted censorship amounts to a harmful assault on historically marginalized and underrepresented populations - a dangerous effort to erase their stories, achievements, and history from schools," said Sabrina Baêta, senior manager for PEN America's Freedom to Read program, in a press release about the report. "When we strip library shelves of books about particular groups, we defeat the purpose of a library collection that is supposed to reflect the lives of all people. The damaging consequences to young people are real."

Titles featuring LGBTQ+ characters also made up a sizable number of book bans: 1,066 books, or 25% of all banned titles, included LGBTQ+ people. Transgender or genderqueer characters were specifically targeted in such book bans, as 28% of removed books featuring LGBTQ+ characters included that demographic.

Beyond people of color and LGBTQ+ people, books including disabled people were also affected by nationwide bans. About 10% of all removed titles included characters with physical, learning or developmental disabilities or who were neurodivergent. Several affected books with disabled characters focused on "confidence, self esteem, or experiences with ableism", PEN America reported.

Meanwhile, only 13% of removed titles included "on the page" instances of sexual experiences. Inferred or "off the page" instances of sexual encounters were included in 31% of banned books.

skip past newsletter promotion
Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion

The vast majority of banned books (85%) were fiction, with 14% being non-fiction and 1% poetry. About 67% of removed books were for younger audiences, PEN America reported.

The ongoing banning of books comes as the Trump administration has cracked down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in US public schools and universities. In a memo last week, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from any schools that refused to eliminate diversity initiatives, such as scholarships for students of certain identity groups and school programming.

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Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ people, report finds

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Study counteracts claims by conservative lawmakers that books being removed from classrooms are sexually explicit

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Aimee Picchi Associate Managing Editor, MoneyWatch

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Social Security’s overpayments policy takes effect today. Experts say it could hurt seniors.

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Starting today, the Social Security Administration will again take 100% of a beneficiary’s check to recoup overpayments. Here’s what to know.

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Social Security Administration delays and curtails new anti-fraud policy | CNN Politics

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The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that it is pushing back the rollout of a controversial anti-fraud measure by two weeks and reducing the number of applicants it will effect.

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Afghanistan: ‘How to conceive relations with a regime that locks up women?’

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COLUMN. Under the Taliban regime, once again in power in Kabul, Afghan women are taken hostage. But little was said about this collective kidnapping during the autumn session of the UN General Assembly, notes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

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Afghanistan: ‘How to conceive relations with a regime that locks up women?’

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
COLUMN. Under the Taliban regime, once again in power in Kabul, Afghan women are taken hostage. But little was said about this collective kidnapping during the autumn session of the UN General Assembly, notes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

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Australia violated rights of asylum seekers on Nauru, UN watchdog rules

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United Nations human rights committee says decision should serve as warning to other nations considering outsourcing asylum processing

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US to again withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, stop UNRWA funding

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The actions come one day before Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.

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Tufts PhD Student Arrested in Somerville by ICE

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Tufts PhD Student Arrested in Somerville by ICE

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Turkish student at Tufts University detained, video shows masked people handcuffing her

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A Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University has been detained by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents without explanation, her lawyer said Wednesday.

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On March 8, Palestinian activist and former Columbia University grad student Mahmoud Khalil, who played a significant role in the Gaza protests at Columbia last year, was arrested by federal immigration authorities. According to his attorney, Khalil is a legal permanent resident but is currently being detained despite his status and no specific charges have been detailed. A judge has temporarily blocked Khalil's deportation and has now ordered his case transferred to New Jersey federal court where he was first held prior to being moved to a Louisiana ICE facility. In his first reported remarks since being detained, Khalil referred to himself as a "political prisoner."

The dramatic action came just days after President Donald Trump signaled his administration's plan to crack down on student protests - raising the specter of deportation for those in the country on a visa as well as the revocation of federal funds for the colleges and universities themselves. Khalil's arrest has been condemned by many local political leaders and championed by members of Trump's administration and its allies. Here's what we know so far.

What happened?

On March 8, Khalil was approached at his home by Department of Homeland Security agents. According to Khalil's attorney, Amy Greer, the agents proceeded to detain Khalil and threatened his wife, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, with arrest as well. The apartment building in which Khalil lives with his wife is owned by the university.

On Friday, the ACLU released video footage Khalil's wife recorded during the arrest:

This footage of ICE arresting Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil was just released by the ACLU.

ICE: "Stop resisting"

Khalil's wife: "He's not resisting" pic.twitter.com/Fk5oG5demO
- Zeteo (@zeteo_news) March 14, 2025

Greer told the Associated Press that one of the agents told her over the phone that they were following orders from the State Department to revoke Khalil's student visa. When Greer told them that Khalil possessed a green card and was a legal permanent resident, the agent said they were revoking that instead.

According to Greer, Khalil's family was told that he was transported to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, but they were later informed that he wasn't there after an attempted visit. According to ICE's online detainee locator, Khalil is being held at a detention facility in Jena, Louisiana.

In a statement, Greer called Khalil's transfer to Louisiana from New York a "blatantly improper but familiar tactic."

"That transfer should be reversed, and the process of challenging the outrageous attempt to revoke legal-permanent-resident status for someone who has never committed a crime, and who has simply expressed his political opinions," she said.

Where do things stand with Khalil's case?

Khalil's legal team filed a habeas corpus petition shortly after his detention. U.S. district judge Jesse Furman, who was assigned the case, blocked Khalil's removal pending more proceedings. During a hearing on March 12, the government argued that the New York federal court should not have jurisdiction over Khalil's case because he was moved to Louisiana when his petition was filed.

After ordering both sides to submit arguments on jurisdiction, Judge Furman ruled Wednesday that Khalil's case be moved to federal court in New Jersey, the state where he was first held after his arrest before being transferred to Louisiana. The move is seen as positive news for Khalil and his allies.

In a new filing, the Justice Department has alleged that Khalil did not disclose his past work in the Syrian office of the British Embassy in Beirut and for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, a program that has come under fire from the Trump administration, on his green-card application. A spokesman for the UNRWA told CNN that Khalil was not part of the agency's staff and was an intern in 2023.

"It is black-letter law that misrepresentations in this context are not protected speech," the filing states, per NBC News. "Thus, Khalil's First Amendment allegations are a red herring, and there is an independent basis to justify removal sufficient to foreclose Khalil's constitutional claim here."

Who is Mahmoud Khalil?

On Tuesday, The Guardian published Khalil's first public remarks, a statement in which he called himself a "political prisoner." In the message, which Khalil dictated over the phone to friends and family from the Louisiana ICE detention facility:

"My arrest was a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza, which resumed in full force Monday night," the statement said. "With January's ceasefire now broken, parents in Gaza are once again cradling too-small shrouds, and families are forced to weigh starvation and displacement against bombs. It is our moral imperative to persist in the struggle for their complete freedom."

Reuters reports that Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and received his green card last year after arriving in the United States on a student visa in 2022. He completed his studies for a master's of public administration degree at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in 2024 and was set to receive his degree in May.

Khalil was a lead negotiator for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the student-led coalition advocating for the school's divestment from Israel. The group had come under fire for its on-campus protests of the ongoing war in Gaza, particularly their Gaza Solidarity Encampment that was subjected to numerous raids by local law enforcement last year. Drop-Site News reports that Khalil participated in a sit-in at the Barnard College's Milstein Center days prior to his arrest, protesting the school's recent expulsion of several students for taking part in pro-Palestinian protests.

The AP also reports that Khalil had been under investigation by the Office of Institutional Equity, a newly created university office intended to address reports of harassment and discrimination, due to his involvement with CUAD. "I have around 13 allegations against me; most of them are social-media posts that I had nothing to do with," Khalil told the AP. "They just want to show Congress and right-wing politicians that they're doing something, regardless of the stakes for students," he added. "It's mainly an office to chill pro-Palestine speech."

On March 10, Zeteo reported that Khalil had emailed Columbia interim president Katrina Armstrong last Friday with concerns for his safety after being subjected to a "vicious, coordinated, and dehumanizing doxxing campaign."

"Their attacks have incited a wave of hate, including calls for my deportation and death threats. I have outlined the wider context below, yet Columbia has not provided any meaningful support or resources in response to this escalating threat," he wrote, according to emails obtained by the outlet.

Reuters spoke to Noor Abdalla, Khalil's wife who is eight months pregnant with their first child. She said she hopes that her husband will be released by the child's birth. "I think it would be very devastating for me and for him to meet his first child behind a glass screen," Abdalla said.

What has the Trump administration said?

So far, the Trump administration hasn't articulated what charges, if any, that Khalil is being detained on. Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, confirmed Khalil's arrest in a statement, saying that it was done in coordination with the State Department and alleging that Khalil "led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization."

"ICE and the Department of State are committed to enforcing President Trump's executive orders and to protecting U.S. national security," she said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed McLaughlin's words on social media, making it clear that Khalil's detention was an intentional move from the Trump administration. "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported," he wrote, sharing a link to a news article about Khalil.

Trump denounced Khalil as a "Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student" in a Truth Social post on Monday and said that there are more arrests to come. "We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," he said.

Troy Edgar, the deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, defended Khalil's detention in an interview with NPR. "This is somebody we've invited and allowed the student to come into the country, and he's put himself in the middle of the process of basically pro-Palestinian activity. And at this point, like I said, the secretary of State can review his visa process at any point and revoke it," he said.

What has the reaction been?

The New York Civil Liberties Union condemned Khalil's arrest as an affront to his right to free speech. "The Trump administration's detention of Mahmoud Khalil - a green-card holder studying in this country legally - is targeted, retaliatory, and an extreme attack on his First Amendment rights," executive director Donna Lieberman said in a statement.

Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who is running in the New York City mayoral race, also called for Khalil's immediate release, noting his arrest was a "blatant assault on the First Amendment and a sign of advancing authoritarianism under Trump." Mamdani attempted to confront border czar Tom Homan over Khalil's arrest at the state capitol on Wednesday, shouting, "How many New Yorkers will you detain without charge?"

Letitia James, the state attorney general, said Monday that she is "extremely concerned" about Khalil's arrest and detention and that her office is currently monitoring the situation and is also in contact with his legal representation.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez denounced Khalil's detention and said it raised concerns about how much further the Trump administration could go. "If the federal government can disappear a legal US permanent resident without reason or warrant, then they can disappear US citizens too. Anyone - left, right, or center - who has highlighted the importance of constitutional rights + free speech should be sounding the alarm now," she wrote on X.

What about Khalil's green card? Is it legal to detain him?

Though Rubio has stated that the United States will begin revoking green cards, his ability to do so appears legally dubious. Typically, an immigration judge is tasked with determining whether a person's legal-resident status can be revoked, following allegations of criminal activity or fraudulent activities in the application process. ‪In a series of tweets on Bluesky, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick‬, a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, said that the State Department lacks the authority to unilaterally revoke a green card.

"While the State Department CAN revoke *visas* with very little legal process involved, stripping someone of a green card is done by DHS (not the State Department) and requires filing formal charges alleging a violation of immigration law and a removal hearing in front of an immigration judge," he wrote.

However, Reichlin-Melnick noted that an aspect of the Immigration and Nationality Act could allow for a non-citizen to be deported if the secretary of State deems them deportable on national-security grounds.

On Tuesday, CNN reported that Rubio appeared to have invoked a foreign-policy provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act to detain Khalil.

Have any other activists been detained by the Trump administration?

Khalil was not the only Columbia student whom authorities sought out over the weekend. The Associated Press reports that federal immigration agents attempted to take an international student into custody but weren't able to enter her apartment. Student Workers of Columbia, a university union that represents the unidentified woman, told the outlet that the ICE agents attempted to enter her home without a warrant. On Friday, the DHS announced that it had arrested a second Columbia student, Leqaa Kordia, who is also Palestinian.

Earlier this month, Trump indicated that going after campus activists is a top priority for his administration and that he intends to penalize the institutions themselves for allowing the demonstrations.

"All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested," he wrote on Truth Social.

On March 7, the Trump administration announced that it had canceled $400 million in federal grants and contracts with Columbia University, citing the school's "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."

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What We Know About the Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil

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The DoJ claimed in a filing that Khalil didn't disclose his past work with the UNRWA and the British Embassy in Beirut on his green-card application.

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ICE violated rights of a US citizen and 21 others during arrests, Chicago activists allege

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Chicago activists and attorneys say federal immigration agents violated the rights of 22 people, including a U.S. citizen, in immigration enforcement arrests during the first weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term.

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Iowa law banning books including 1984 and Ulysses blocked by US federal judge

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Judge rules that law banning school libraries and classrooms from carrying books depicting sex acts had been applied unconstitutionally

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UNICEF calls on the Taliban to lift ban on girls’ education as new school year begins in Afghanistan

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The appeal by UNICEF comes as a new school year began in Afghanistan without girls beyond sixth grade.

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GENEVA (AP) - Qatar was praised at the United Nations' top human rights body on Tuesday for improving labor laws before the 2022 World Cup, though it was urged to fully abolish its employment system for migrant workers.

Qatar returned to the Human Rights Council in Geneva for its five-yearly review for the first time since the soccer tournament that needed hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to build stadiums and other essential projects.

Soccer governing body FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia in December as host of the 2034 World Cup - setting up another decade of scrutiny on how human rights are respected while preparing for more teams playing more games in more stadiums.

In Qatar, better labor law protections have been passed in recent years relating to a minimum wage, freedom to change employers and combating forced labor and trafficking, according to the emirate's senior diplomat in Geneva.

Qatar "highly appreciated" the contribution of migrant workers who are "true partners," said Hend Abdulrahman Al Muftah, its permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, in translated comments.

Qatar was urged - or "recommended," in the formal diplomatic language of the UN rights body - by French delegate Claire Thuaudet to "pursue the implementation of the labor laws" linked to the 2022 World Cup.

Sierra Leone said Qatar should "consider abolishing all vestiges" of the labor law system known as kafala.

"We commend Qatar for its notable reforms in labor migrant legislation," the Netherlands delegation said. "These are significant but more effective enforcement and implementations are needed."

Qatar also was asked to abolish the death penalty by states including Brazil, Ireland, Italy and New Zealand, and decriminalize consenting same-sex relations by Brazil, Mexico and Spain.

Anticipating criticism of Qatar's record on women's rights, Al Muftah said Qatar now had 120 women in diplomatic roles after the number was just three several years ago.

Sweden later recommended Qatar review its laws relating to women's rights in divorce, custody of children and inheritance while Iceland called for abolition of the male guardianship system. Iceland also urged decriminalizing abortion and ensure access to reproductive health services without needing the permission of a male guardian or showing a marriage certificate.

Qatar's delegation pointed to the country rising from outside the top 100 to now rank No. 84 in the global index of press freedom. Top-ranked Norway said Qatar should ensure "civil society, human rights defenders and journalists can operate freely without fear of reprisals."

Qatar is widely expected to be a strong contender in bidding to host the 2036 Olympics, and concluded its presentation Tuesday with sports ministry official Nasser Ali Al-Khater hailing sports as "an important platform to enhance cooperation between peoples.

"This is what we achieved during the World Cup," he said. "Qatar shall continue its efforts in the field of sport and empowerment."

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AP soccer: https//apnews.com/hub/soccer

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After hosting World Cup, Qatar praised by UN rights body for labor law reforms but urged to do more

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Qatar has been praised at the United Nations' top human rights body for improving labor laws before the 2022 World Cup.

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Iowa law banning books including 1984 and Ulysses blocked by US federal judge

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Judge rules that law banning school libraries and classrooms from carrying books depicting sex acts had been applied unconstitutionally

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Texas lawmaker wants to prosecute educators for sharing ‘obscene’ books

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Last week, state rep. Jared Patterson’s bill, House Bill 276, which aims to eliminate the affirmative defense clause, was heard in committee.

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Iowa law banning books including 1984 and Ulysses blocked by US federal judge

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Judge rules that law banning school libraries and classrooms from carrying books depicting sex acts had been applied unconstitutionally

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US colleges revise rules on free speech in hopes of containing anti-war demonstrations

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US colleges revise rules on free speech in hopes of containing anti-war demonstrations

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Stay informed and read the latest news today from The Associated Press, the definitive source for independent journalism from every corner of the globe.

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Texas Rep. wants to make it easier to prosecute educators over obscene content

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Texas Rep. wants to make it easier to prosecute educators over obscene content

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Texas lawmaker wants to prosecute educators for sharing ‘obscene’ books

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Last week, state rep. Jared Patterson’s bill, House Bill 276, which aims to eliminate the affirmative defense clause, was heard in committee.

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Texas lawmaker wants to prosecute educators for sharing ‘obscene’ books

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Last week, state rep. Jared Patterson’s bill, House Bill 276, which aims to eliminate the affirmative defense clause, was heard in committee.

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Migrants' Social Media to Be Examined by Homeland Security?

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Migrants' Social Media to Be Examined by Homeland Security?

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Trump’s plan to access migrants’ social media account stirs free speech concerns

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The initiative, which is open for public comment, would affect asylum, permanent residency, and naturalization applicants

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Harvard Alumni Ask Harvard to Defend Free Speech

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Harvard Alumni Ask Harvard to Defend Free Speech

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More than 500 Harvard alumni signed an open letter to University President Alan M. Garber '76, urging the University to make a public statement committing to protect its affiliates' free speech and maintain its independence.

The letter was circulated after the March 8 arrest of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent legal U.S. resident who is facing deportation due to his participation in pro-Palestine protests last year. So far, Harvard has yet to make a public statement on Khalil's arrest or on President Donald Trump's threats to deport pro-Palestine activists.

The alumni letter - penned by Boston University professor Jim P. Stodder '71 - asks Harvard to make an "open-letter statement that it will govern its own internal affairs, and protect the free speech and right to due process of all its students, faculty, and staff."

Stodder said Garber has not responded to the letter, which was sent to his inbox late Monday night.

A Harvard University spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.

The letter claims that the Trump administration has infringed on Columbia's rights to govern its internal affairs in an "attempt to terrorize foreign-born students and faculty" and argues that Harvard, as a private university, has the right to regulate free speech while fostering debate on issues.

"Our own time at Harvard was enriched by students and faculty from all over the world," Stodder wrote. "The arrest of Khalil is a threat to Harvard students' ability to speak their minds and be active on issues they care about."

This month, the Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to extend its authority over universities' internal affairs. On March 8 - the same day Khalil was arrested - the White House announced $400 million in cuts to federal grants and contracts to Columbia University.

Nearly two weeks later, Columbia ceded to many of Trump's demands, agreeing to change its protest policies and assert new administrative authority over its Middle Eastern studies department - a concession that sparked anxiety across academia.

"We cannot appease the Trump administration - it always asks for more," the letter urged. "It will soon ask to see our course offerings, speakers' lists, staff's CVs, admissions notes, and so on."

In an interview, Stodder said the letter originated after he met with a group of fellow alumni who were involved in the 1969 occupation of University Hall by anti-Vietnam War protesters. Stodder began sending the letter to alumni mailing lists last Monday, and the discussion group later posted the letter online.

University Professor Eric S. Maskin '72, a Nobel Prize-winning economist who holds Harvard's highest faculty rank, wrote in a statement to The Crimson that he signed the letter because he feared the Trump administration was intruding on university affairs.

"I am concerned that government interference in academic matters (such as requiring Columbia to put its Middle Eastern studies department under receivership) poses a serious threat to academic freedom," Maskin wrote. "And academic freedom is the cornerstone on which strong and innovative universities are built."

Donna E. Lieberman '70 - who leads a group that is helping represent Khalil, the New York Civil Liberties Union, in his effort to block his deportation - said that she felt that free speech in higher education was "under the most existential threat in my lifetime."

When Lieberman came across the letter on several email lists she is part of, she felt it was a "no brainer" to sign.

"It's remarkable that every university would not run to the defense of their students when they're under attack like this," Lieberman said.

Journalist and Jimmy Carter speechwriter James M. Fallows '70, who received the letter through a classmate, said that he typically wouldn't have signed. But Fallows, a former Crimson president, said he was moved to add his name after Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber condemned the Trump administration's federal funding cuts at Columbia in a March 19 article in the Atlantic.

"If somebody with as much at stake as the President of Princeton would come out and say, 'This is wrong,'" Fallows said, then a "university like Harvard, should too."

Former University of California, Berkeley, journalism school dean Orville H. Schell '62, who also signed the letter, said that universities "have to maintain their ability to be places of free exchange and civil free exchange."

"If free speech suffers and it's the casualty, then the lights go out on the whole democratic proposition," he said.

The alumni letter is one of several public condemnations by Harvard affiliates in recent days of Khalil's arrest - and the latest demand for Harvard to stand up to the Trump administration.

Harvard's chapter of the American Association of University Professors joined a lawsuit on Tuesday morning against Trump administration officials over their attempts to deport Khalil and other pro-Palestine activists. And more than 80 Jewish Harvard affiliates signed a Monday statement urging universities to denounce Khalil's arrest.

Stodder said that signatories of the alumni letter don't have to agree with the actions of Khalil or other students, but that the University has a "responsibility to protect their students."

"They also have a huge, historic responsibility to protect the rights of people in their community - students, faculty and staff alike - to free expression," he added.

-Staff writer Elyse C. Goncalves can be reached at elyse.goncalves@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @e1ysegoncalves.

-Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at akshaya.ravi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @akshayaravi22.

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More Than 500 Alumni Ask Harvard To Defend Free Speech Under Trump | News | The Harvard Crimson

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More than 500 Harvard alumni signed an open letter to President Garber urging the University to make a public statement committing to protect free speech and maintain its independence.

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Forced Treatment and Encampment for Homeless

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Forced Treatment and Encampment for Homeless

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Trump turns homelessness response away from housing, toward forced treatment

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The Trump administration is moving to end the “Housing First” approach despite warnings from providers and homelessness experts that the shift won’t work.

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No Right to Free and Fair Elections in NC, according to the State's Supreme Court

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No Right to Free and Fair Elections in NC, according to the State's Supreme Court

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NC voters appeal loss in ‘election integrity’ lawsuit challenging maps for Congress, state legislature

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The state Supreme Court has ruled against gerrymandering complaints, but one lawsuit is using a new strategy of arguing that some districts are so skewed that it’s akin to rigging an election.

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Australians get ‘right to disconnect’ after working hours

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A new law has come into effect that allows employees to ignore communications from employers after hours.

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Gender pay gap in U.S. has narrowed slightly over 2 decades

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In 2024, women earned an average of 85% of what men earned, according to an analysis of median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers.

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Gender wage gap widens for the first time in 20 years

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Pay gap between men and women working full-time widened in 2023 for first time in 20 years, USCB data shows.

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CHICAGO (AP) - Not even education can close the pay gap that persists between women and men, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report.

Whether women earn a post-secondary certificate or graduate from a top-tier university, they still make about 71 cents on the dollar compared with men at the same education level, Census Bureau research found.

That difference is coming into stark view on Equal Pay Day, and in spite of the fact that women comprise more than half of college-educated workers and participate in the labor force at record rates.

Rather than comparing full-time working men to full-time working women, the Feb. 22 Census Bureau report juxtaposes men and women with the same education caliber: graduates of certificate degree programs and those who hold bachelor's degrees from the most selective universities, explained economist Kendall Houghton, a co-author of the research. The report also includes graduates who may have opted out of the labor force, such as women taking on child care responsibilities.

"The main point here is that there's a substantial gap at every single level," added Census Bureau economist and co-author Ariel Binder.

Field of study, choice of occupation and hours account for much of the discrepancy, but not all. Field of study, for instance, contributes to the pay gap much more for top graduates (24.6%), but for less selective degree holders accounted for only a sliver (3.8%). And the number of hours and weeks worked affect the pay gap more for certificate earners (26.4%) than selective bachelor's degree earners (11.3%), suggesting there is a bigger gender difference in work participation for certificate holders, Binder said.

At the same time, about 31% of the gap for each education level remains unexplained, suggesting less easily measured factors such as gender stereotypes and discrimination may be at play.

Chantel Adams says she isn't surprised that the gender pay gap persists even among men and women with the same level and quality of education, or that the gap is wider for Black and Hispanic women.

A senior marketing executive who holds an MBA from University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, Adams said her qualifications aren't enough to counteract the headwinds she faces in her career as a Black woman.

Despite taking on extra responsibilities and an undisputedly strong performance, Adams said she was turned down for a promotion because she was told that "I was so articulate and sharp that it was intimidating to some people."

"I have nearly $300,000 of post-high school education. It would be surprising if I weren't articulate and sharp," said Adams, who is based in Durham, North Carolina.

She said her peers at the company - one of whom did not have an MBA - were promoted while she was held back two years in a row.

"It's unreasonable and unfair to hold someone's strengths against them," Adams said. "I would consider that as something that is race-based."

Broadly, younger women are closer to wage parity with younger men, according to Carolina Aragao, who researches social and demographic trends at Pew Research Center. But the gap widens between the ages of 35 and 44, which coincides with when women are most likely to have a child at home.

"That does not play out the same way for men," Aragao said, adding that there is actually an opposite phenomenon known as the fatherhood premium, in which fathers tend to earn more than other workers, including men without children at home.

Despite women making vast gains in C-suite and high-earning industry representation, wage gap improvement has stalled for about 20 years, Aragao said. Uneven child care and household responsibilities, falling college wage premiums, and overrepresentation in lower-paying occupations are all contributors to why the pay gap stubbornly remains.

For Adams, the best strategy to overcome them has been to keep changing jobs - six times in 10 years, across multiple states in her case.

"I knew that I needed to be intentional and move with urgency as I navigated my career in order to work against that headwind," she said. "When those opportunities were not afforded me within one company, I've gone elsewhere."

Adams said job coaching, mentorship, and support from Forte Foundation, a nonprofit focused on women's advancement, have been instrumental to her success, while salary transparency laws - and even salary transparency within social circles - could help alleviate the significant pay gap challenges women of color face.

But corporate diversity initiatives have been subject to a growing list of lawsuits ever since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions. Adams said she worries that without affirmative action, corporate racial diversity could decrease, too.

"The big question that is looming over my head and probably many other executive leaders is: What does that do to the pipeline of diverse candidates that we may or may not have 10 years from now?" Adams said.

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The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .

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Equal education, unequal pay: Why is there still a gender pay gap in 2024?

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Not even education can close the pay gap that persists between women and men, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report.

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UN expert urges action to end global affordable housing crisis

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NEW YORK (20 October 2023) – A UN expert today warned of a severe affordable housing crisis, despite housing being a fundamental human right long recognised under international law. “The world is grappling with a situation where more and more people are unable to afford their housing costs. Millions lack the financial means to access safe, secure and habitable housing,” said Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing.

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The United States Supreme Court decision last month in Grants Pass v. Johnson gives local governments across the country the authority to ticket, arrest, and punish unhoused people for simply existing in public spaces. The ruling undermines the right to adequate housing in the US; it is also profoundly cruel and risks an increase in ineffective criminalization.

In its ruling, the Court overturned decisions by the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in this case and in Martin v. Boise, which limited punishment if there was no other place for a person legally to go or if there was no shelter available. The Court said that criminalizing a person for their unhoused status does not violate the prohibition on "cruel and unusual punishments" in the 8th amendment to the US Constitution.

The Supreme Court had previously held that authorities may not punish a person based solely on their status, as opposed to their conduct. The Grants Pass majority did not explicitly overrule that precedent, but said the 8th Amendment only applies to the form of punishment--not the outlawed conduct or status --and that state governments may choose to criminalize whatever they want without violating the Constitution. This ruling opens the door to further punishment of poverty and other statuses.

This decision gives local and state governments a green light to enact and enforce laws banning unhoused people from public spaces, regardless of whether adequate housing or shelter is available to them. States across the country, including Georgia, Texas, Florida and others, have already passed such laws. A recent study found that the majority of cities examined already had such laws in place.

In Los Angeles, previously limited by the 9th Circuit precedent, city councilmembers have already begun to explore options to further criminalize unhoused people in light of the Supreme Court decision. Other jurisdictions will likely race to take similar steps, not wanting to be the only areas in their region where unhoused people can safely stay.

Criminalization is not, as the majority opinion claims, a legitimate tool to combat houselessness as it subjects people to cruel treatment and arbitrary arrest, punishing them for simply existing in public space because they lack housing. Criminalization is also proven to be ineffective. It forces unhoused people to hide from view, separating them from helpful services. Criminalization causes suffering, but does nothing to house people. This ruling allows authorities to ignore real solutions, especially providing and preserving affordable housing, because they can simply chase unhoused people away with the threat of criminal enforcement.

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US Supreme Court Decision Undermines Right to Housing

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The United States Supreme Court decision last month in Grants Pass v. Johnson gives local governments across the country the authority to ticket, arrest, and punish unhoused people for simply existing in public spaces.