Here’s a selection of articles the Federal Relations team is enjoying this week.
How Did We Get Here? – The conventions are over, and official nominees are now in the running, but it was 9% of Americans that picked Clinton and Trump. Read more in The New York Times.
Male Bias – Universities across the nation have faced federal scrutiny over their handling of sexual-assault complaints against male students. At the urging of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, campuses have revamped their sexual-misconduct policies with promises of swifter and tougher responses to allegations of abuse. A ruling by a federal appeals court potentially turns the table on legal liability under Title IX, the federal educational-equity law. Read more in the WSJ.
Birth Certificate Version 2.0 – The racy photos of the Melania Trump, published in the New York Post on Sunday and Monday, inadvertently highlight inconsistencies in the various accounts of her immigration to to the US she has provided over the years, and, pose a slim chance legal problems for her today. Read more at Politico.
Ancient Concept – In 1473, Alexander Hardynge, who had finished his bachelor’s degree at Oxford nearly two years previous, borrowed money through an educational loan service. The loan came with a one year repayment deadline. With some of that money, he rented a room at Exeter College and offered tutoring services to college students. He soon repaid that loan. In 1475, Hardynge took out a second loan – again, in part to rent teaching space, but the first student loan was taken out in 1240. Read more in Time.
Down Ballot Politics – This election cycle Democrats are losing to Republicans at the state and local level and these down ballot elections are being heavily influenced by three groups, all funded by two people. Read more at Vox.
Lead Astray – Political idealism or visions of political perfection are bound to lead us astray and our commitment or a complete fidelity to those ideals can lead us to make things worse rather than better. Read more at Vox.
Numbers – KKK leader David Duke has more African American support than Trump according to a new poll. Read more in the Washington Post.
Berned – Senator Bernie Sanders a slowly and begrudgingly getting behind Hillary, throwing support to the Green Party candidate, or have just decided to not vote at all. However the willingness of Sanders supporters to shout down one of the most iconic figures in modern civil rights, Rep. Elijah Cummings, at the recent Democratic convention raises a question: Just what revolution are they talking about? And for whom? Read more in Politico.
Pois não? – The Olympics are here! Here’s a schedule of when to watch, and here’s the official site. But the Games are having some serious issues, and questions and not just Zika, (the USA Basketball team is staying on a cruise ship which…of course). Read more at NBC News.
Whither Rio? – Meanwhile, the Rio that won the Olympic bid is a very different place than today. Read more at Vox.
Why Simone Biles is a world-class gymnast, courtesy of The New York Times. Her signature move is the double layout with a half twist and a blind landing.