Here are five stories you may have missed from URL Media and our partners this week:
- Guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services indicates that the operations of the Indian Health Service are exempt from President Donald Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the U.S. government. Native groups have argued that Native Americans constitute a political affiliation, not a race, because of treaties with the U.S. government, and should not be subject to anti-DEI policy. The HHS legal guidance concurs with that argument. Read more at Native News Online.
- Boycotting Target and other companies is a choice. It might be the right one — or it might not be. Madison J. Gray writes for us about what boycotting a retailer actually means and whether it’s really the most effective way to stand up to big, publicly-traded corporations. Read more at URL Media.
- Life in Goma, a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is unbearable for residents as multiple armed groups have converged, attacking civilians and destroying infrastructure, underscoring a horrific crisis in the country that has seen many thousands flee to Rwanda and Uganda. Leaders in the region seek a diplomatic solution, but progress is slow. An approach involving diplomacy, military and humanitarian help is the only way forward, but it’s not clear who can coordinate it all, nor how quickly it can happen. Read more at TANTV Studios.
- Will Texas ever turn blue? Black and Latino voters in the Lone Star State share common interests across climate change, immigration reform, housing justice and more, but the two groups vote differently. Hear Brianna Brown of the Texas Organizing Project discusses the organization’s work to firm up the coalition that would be needed to see a Democratic majority in the state in a major election. Listen to The Electorette.
- Trump’s DEI executive order is forcing colleges and universities to make some difficult choices. Any institution that receives money from the federal government is subject to Trump’s order, so many universities are removing, hiding or thinking about removing any references to diversity, equity and inclusion from their websites, with the University of Massachusetts among the most recent. Read more at AsAm News.
