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The Trump administration is giving Americas schools and universities two weeks to eliminatediversity initiativesor risk losing federal money, raising the stakes in the presidents fight against wokeness and sowing confusion as schools scramble to comply.In a memo Friday, the Education Department gave an ultimatum to stop using racial preferences as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas. Schools are being given 14 days to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race.Educators at colleges nationwide were rushing toevaluate their riskand decide whether to stand up for practices they believe are legal. The sweeping demand threatens to upend all aspects of campus operations, from questions on college applications to classroom lessons and campus clubs.Its meant to correct what the memo described as rampant discrimination in education, often against white and Asian students.Schools have been operating on the pretext that selecting students for diversity or similar euphemisms is not selecting them based on race, said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights. No longer. Students should be assessed according to merit, accomplishment and character.The guidance drew sharp backlash from civil rights groups and university groups. Some believe its vague language is meant to have a chilling effect, pressuring schools to eliminate anything touching on the topic of race even if it may be defensible in court.Creating a sense of risk around doing work that might promote diverse and welcoming campuses is much more of the goal than a clear statement of existing law, said Jonathan Fansmith, senior vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, an association of college presidents.The memo is an extension of President Donald Trumps executive orderbanning diversity, equity and inclusionprograms. It essentially reflects a change in the federal governments interpretation of antidiscrimination laws. As legal justification, it cites the 2023Supreme Court decisionbarring race as a factor in college admissions. Although the ruling applied only to admissions, the memo says it applies more broadly.Put simply, educational institutions may neither separate or segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race, it said.On Monday the Education Department announced it also cut $600 million in grants for organizations that train teachers. The programs promoted divisive concepts like DEI, critical race theory and social justice activism, the department said.The new guidance seeks to remove race from areas including financial aid, housing, graduation ceremonies, hiring and promotion. It also takes aim directly at college admissions, suggesting colleges have sought to work around the Supreme Courts decision.Using non-racial information as a proxy for race will now be viewed as a violation of federal law, the memo said. As an example, it said its unlawful for colleges to eliminate standardized testing requirements to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity.Dozens of colleges across the U.S. havedropped SAT and ACT requirementsin recent years for a variety of factors.The guidance reaches beyond the scope of the Supreme Courts decision and is almost certain to be challenged in court, said Angel B. Prez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. While the Supreme Court decision bans race as a factor in evaluating applicants, the memo aims to ban race even in the recruitment of potential students, he said.Practices that have long been commonplace could suddenly become legal liabilities, Prez said, including recruiting in underrepresented areas or buying lists of potential students with certain academic and demographic information.Companies including the College Board and ACT have long sold lists of students to colleges, acting as a matchmaker and providing a pool of potential applicants who meet certain criteria.Colleges and universities are going to find themselves between a rock and a hard place, Prez said. They know that what theyre doing is not illegal, but they are worried that if they do not comply, not having federal funding will decimate them.College application essays are targeted by the memo, raising questions about how far colleges can go in inviting students to share their personal experiences, including their race. The guidance says colleges cant use essays as a way of predicting a students race.In the Supreme Court decision, Chief Justice John Roberts said nothing in the ruling prevents colleges from considering an applicants discussion of how race affected his or her life, though he warned that colleges couldnt simply use essays as an indirect workaround to consider applicants race.In a campus letter at the University of Michigan, President Santa J. Ono said leaders are working to understand the implications.Some colleges said they expect little change from the memo. At Oregon State University, a legal review concluded that its programs are fully compliant with all state and federal laws, according to a campus message from Rob Odom, vice president of university relations and marketing.The department memo appears to take aim at scholarships reserved for students from certain racial backgrounds. Theres been legal debate about whether the Supreme Court decision extends to financial aid, with some schools and institutions deciding to scrap racial requirements for certain scholarships.The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators said theres no consensus on the question, and the group is trying to understand how the memo could affect student aid.What we do know, however, is that 14 days is insufficient time for schools to assess and implement any necessary changes to be in compliance, the group said in a statement. The last thing students need when making plans about how to pay for college is uncertainty over when or whether they will receive financial aid theyve been relying on.The confusion around Trumps order was apparent at last weeksconfirmation hearingfor education secretary nominee Linda McMahon. Asked whether classes on African American history would run afoul of the presidents order, McMahon said she wasnt quite certain.Collin Binkley, AP education writerThe Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APsstandardsfor working with philanthropies, alistof supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

One of Donald Trumps first acts as president was to sign an executive order attacking birthright citizenship. While several judges have moved to block the order,Trumps anti-immigrant push is continuingfrom allowing immigration officials to conduct arrests at schools and placesof worship to training local law officers to interrogate and detain immigrants in their custody.However, Deirdre Schifeling, chief policy and advocacy officer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), points out that local government resistance as well as individuals fighting back against anti-immigrant policies are showing results.Were seeing this in Chicago, where Trump is suing the government for not helping enough, she says.Here are five ways to fight anti-immigration policies:1. Contact government officials, particularly local onesPoliticians are moved by public opinion. Apply pressure by continually calling and emailing your representatives.The most effective way to change immigration policy is to contact members of Congress and express your opposition to anti-immigrant policies, Oleg Nekritin, an attorney at the Law Offices of Robert J. DeGroot, said via email.And dont neglect local officials. Schifeling points out that cities and states cannot be forced to assist with mass deportation by the federal government. While they cant obstruct the federal government, they can choose not to help.Schifeling recommends asking local leaders to pass sanctuary city or state laws, which means they wont use their resources to help the federal immigration authorities, as well as laws that prevent city data from being used to deport immigrants. She also recommends asking school boards to issue guidance to schools asking them not to track student immigration status and not to share it if they do have the status.2. Educate yourselfLearn whats going on in your community vis a vis the law.Schifeling recommends attending a Know Your Rights workshop so people can understand what their and their neighbors rights are if theyre faced with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.In addition, the more people who understand the law, the more people there are who can educate others in their community, as well as bear witness when ICE raids happen and try to help prevent unlawful actions. For example, if ICE doesnt have a warrant, you dont have to let them in.Were hearing from the Trump administration that communities are very educated and this as a top obstacle for carrying out their mass deportations, Schifeling says. Its confirmation that know-your-rights outreach is working.3. DonateWhile organizations such as the ACLU are looking to expand and appreciate donations, donating to local legal service organizations and immigrant advocacy groups can also be powerful. These smaller groups are on the frontlines in the fight to protect immigrants but often lack the resources of their larger counterparts.Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, notes that smaller organizations often struggle to get funding since they may not have brand-name recognition or even the ability to hire marketing teams. Yet often, its local organizations that best understand the needs of the immigrant community, says Sweet, and can be the most responsive. In addition, consider donating to immigrant bond funds. Helping people bond out of immigration detention is going to be really important to give them a chance to find an attorney to represent them in their deportation cases, said Tara Tidwell Cullen, director of communications at the National Immigrant Justice Center, in an email.4. VolunteerVolunteering can take many different forms. Schifeling at the ACLU recommends getting trained in Know Your Rights, so if a raid happens in the community, volunteers can show up and distribute Know Your Rights cards printed in multiple languages.Organizations may also need volunteers to help people fill out citizenship paperwork or register to vote.Small organizations often also need professional skills since they dont have the budget to retain large staffs. Legal service organizations depend on volunteer attorneys, while in general, nonprofits need expertise with fundraising, finance, marketing, and website management. Check with your local organizations to see which of your skills might be a good fit.5. Verify information before you share itLast, but not least, in your desire to help, make sure youre not inadvertently spreading misinformation. Immigrant communities are already living in fear. If you have information, make sure its coming from a credible source before sharing it.Were hearing so many rumors flying around, sometimes from folks who want to be helpful, Sweet says. But when someone says, ICE is here and they are going to take action in this community, its really scaring people who are already scared.

Nike is constantly increasing its catalog of performance and recovery shoes. While the Swoosh brand has already dropped a range of clog-like comfort wear, it is extending the fleet with the release of ReactX Rejuven8 in an amazing set of colors. The striking highlight of this new silhouette is the colorways, and the subtle premium is the use of Nikes relatively new ReactX foam, thus the exciting name, not just in the midsole.The new chronicle of Nike clogs brings forth this comfortable footwear that has a distinct make and of course a superior material innovation in design. This results in a pair that is comfortable for all feet types, so that the users wearing it can feel relaxed the moment they dip their feet inside, which respires well with the tiny breathability holes on the top.Designer: NikeIf you have been following Nikes material innovations, youll remember the ReactX from its launch in the summer of 2023 in the Nike InfinityRN 4. The specially designed foam, which is sustainably created has found its way into a range of Nike footwear since its introduction, for instance in the running phenom the Pegasus 41. The super lightweight and bouncy material has been the primary choice for midsoles of sneakers in the past, with the laceless ReactX Rejuven8, the experience is not only limited to the sole, the ReactX foam is also used in the construction of the shoe upper as well.Making its presence felt in four colorways: gray, black, beige, and orange, the ReactX Rejuven8 exudes an interesting wavy design thats based on a thick slab of ReactX foam and has a breathable clog-esque form factor. With the foam finding place throughout the shoe, literally; Nikes silhouette is 13 percent more responsive to shoes made from React foam, which is a significant advantage not just in terms of the shoes responsiveness but also because of its lightweight nature and sustainable properties.The slip-on shoe has a comfortable form factor and an extra wide ankle opening so you can easily slip in and out of the shoes. In addition to being lightweight, flexible, and easy to wear, the shoe has a chunky foam midsole and a rubber outsole for a nice grip. While the cushiony ReactX foam footbed has your feet cradled in every stride, the holes above the toe ensure optimal airflow inside. Nike Rejuven8 with ReactX is expected to reduce the carbon footprint by up to 43 percent due to reduced energy in the manufacturing process, which aligns well with Nikes goal of going net zero by 2050. If Nikes idea of comfort and eco-friendliness aligns with your idea of responsiveness and recovery footwear; you can grab the ReactX Rejuven8 for $70 from Nike and partner stores.The post Nike makes Rejuven8 shoe with eco-friendly ReactX ensuring breathability, flexibility, and containment first appeared on Yanko Design.

They say people who dont understand history are doomed to repeat it. I feel like were about to watch the most spectacular tech dj vu of all time this year. Were rumored to see Apple launch a Slim version of the iPhone come September, with YouTuber Jon Prosser confidently revealing a fairly fleshed-out design of what the phone will look like. Earlier, Prosser mentioned that this phone would be given the Air moniker as opposed to Slim, which we all were using earlier.The reason? Air is a suffix that Apples used extensively with its iPad and MacBook line, indicating thinner, sleeker models. If Apple intends to launch a thinner, sleeker iPhone, chances are itll rely on the Air term that its popularized over the years. But heres the glaring problem with a slim iPhone its prone to bending and even snapping in half. That isnt speculation, it literally happened in 2014 when the iPhone 6 debuted.It was perhaps the biggest crisis Apple faced after Jobs passed, and it got to a point where people would just walk into Apple stores and bend the phones just to see if the rumor was actually true. It was the phones thin design and aluminum outer chassis were really prone to just folding in half. Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy first broke the news, showing how the iPhone 6 curved in his pocket when he sat down. It needed no extra force, just the act of sitting down with the phone in your pocket. Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything proceeded to test this theory, practically breaking the phone in half with just his bare hands.Multiple rumors from very credible sources are indicating that Apple will launch its Air iPhone this year, with indications that it will also discontinue its Plus range to keep SKUs at current amounts. Samsung debuted the Edge variant of its Galaxy phones at Unpacked this year too, mirroring how they pre-emptively launched the Galaxy Watch just months before Apple announced the Apple Watch.The Galaxy S25 Edge didnt completely debut either it was released with limited visibility, nobody was allowed to touch the handset, and Samsung refrained from teasing any specs, pricing, or launch date. In a lot of ways, this was Samsungs way of showing a thin-phone proof-of-concept without really allowing journalists to as much as hold the device. My journalistic suspicion tells me Samsung knew for a fact that the S25 Edge was possibly too fragile to be handled by the media.Rather than having a massive news cycle about a bendable Galaxy (following years of damage control after a flammable Galaxy), Samsung controlled the narrative simply by putting the phone behind a glass facade, far from human touch. Unless Apples devised a way to make razor-thin phones that simply dont bend, the iPhone Air faces the same fate as the iPhone 6, caving (or concaving) under the pressure of mild scrutiny.Why is Apple launching an iPhone Air? I have my reasons to believe that theyre looking to shake up their line-up which hasnt seen any solid innovation since the Dynamic Island. Is a slim iPhone the best idea? From a sheer breakability point, maybe not but heres my conspiracy theory the iPhone Air is just a precursor to a folding iPhone. Foldables need to be ridiculously slim when unfolded (so that theyre a maximum of 11-12mm thick when shut), which is why Apples building the Air first, to stress-test the hardware before debuting the folding iPhone. The iPhone Air is rumored to launch this year, although nobodys really sure of what its price point would be. With its single-lens camera system, it would be pretty unwise to price it at the $1000 mark, but at that point, youre really paying for innovation over flagship spcs.The post The Ultra-Slim iPhone Air Is A Bendgate Disaster Waiting To Happen All Over Again first appeared on Yanko Design.

At least eight ongoing lawsuits related to the so-called Department of Government Efficiencys alleged access to sensitive data hinge on the Watergate-inspired Privacy Act of 1974. But its not airtight.

Firings at the NSF included permanent employees who had already completed their one-year probationary period, as well as at-will workers.

MacworldThe Apple rumor mill is like the theatre of the absurd at the moment. Weve been waiting for the iPhone SE 4 for three long years, and Bloomberg leaker Mark Gurman keeps popping up to announce that its launching within days but it never arrives. Its all rather reminiscent of Samuel Beckett, or of the bar near our office where theres always free beer. Tomorrow.Undaunted, Gurman promptly repeated his prediction: this week, the new iPhone will definitely arrive. And were pretty sure hes right; after all, the other part of his prediction has already come true. Last Wednesday there was indeed a smaller announcement from Apple. In fact we got two: a new health study in the Research app, and the Apple TV app coming to Android and expanding the streaming services potential customer base. Neither of these is exactly a big deal, but we were warned.What Gurman probably didnt have on his radar was that the most successful Apple leaker would turn out to CEO Tim Cook himself. On X/Twitter/Xitter he revealed that a new member of the family would arrive on Wednesday, February 19. That sounds a lot like the new iPhone SE, although there are other ways of interpreting the Cupertino oracle.Whatever the new family member turns out to be, were eagerly awaiting Wednesday and its announcements. The iPhone SE 4 actually is a big deal, deserving of a party, not just a press release. And not a bunch of undignified speculation about announcements this week, or next week, or a random Tuesday next year. But what can you do? The market always craves the new, and the media (including Macworld!) cannot resist puffing up what is probably a sensible but by no means revolutionary new smartphone into the eighth wonder of the world.However, there are numerous reasons why the iPhone SE 4 will be a highly interesting device for customers and reporters alike. For one thing, since the start of 2025, Apple hasnt had a budget iPhone on sale in the EU, after updated charging standards forced it to retire the Lightning-based iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 14. An expansion of Apples lower-end range is needed as quickly as possible.Whats also interesting is that the iPhone SE 3 will be the last Apple device with a Home button, more than seven years after the iPhone X heralded the era of almost bezel-less iPhones with Face ID. But will customers accustomed to using the Home button finally switch over, or will many not be able to cope with Face ID and the new gestures? We shall see.And last but not least, were interested in the wireless technology in the iPhone SE 4 (assuming that all the rumors weve heard are true). Almost ten years after Apple started a dispute with chip manufacturer Qualcomm over its licensing fees, the new device is expected to get a proprietary wireless chip. As with other components its learned to build for itself, Apple first had to bring the expertise in-house, in this case in the form of Intels modem division. But the benefits should be worth it.So we have every reason to look forward to the iPhone SE 4. But why does Apple always have to keep us in suspense?

In a new study, researchers at Virginia Techspelled out a variety of security hazardsthat could compromise mixed-reality systems.The researchers highlighted security threats involving the manipulation of virtual objects when users collaborated via mixed reality headsets. The work involved 20 participants from the school, with most having little or no experience with mixed-reality headsets. In many cases, the participants did not know they were being attacked; instead, they blamed technical glitches or latency issues for the problems they encountered.Malicious entities could exploit vulnerabilities to disrupt critical collaborations, manipulating users perception of the environment, and impairing their ability to coordinate, potentially resulting in physical or psychological harm to users and bystanders, the researchers said.There has not been enough focus on potential vulnerabilities within the XR platforms, said Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.The reality is that a lot of these platforms are pretty closed and its hard to evaluate the code, Sag said.The study was done using a HoloLens 2 headset, whichMicrosoft discontinued last year. The HoloLens 2 platform is out of date, Sag noted, something the researchers acknowledged.There are only a few collaboration platforms in use today for enterprise and defense, and a good chunk of the potentially vulnerable collaboration tools most likely dont connect to the open internet, Sag said.Thats why I think a lot of the implementations that the government wants to use or any kind of secure applications like enterprises [rely on] need to have code evaluations and audits.The researchers said the attacks would be difficult for users to comprehend and identify. An attack might alter the environment for one user without affecting the view of others or disrupt communication between users at a critical moment, the researchers said.They noted the possibility of a click redirection attack, which they likened to web-based clickjacking. In this case, a malicious party could attack a 3D object in a collaborators field of view. When the person tries to move the object, the action affects another 3D object instead.The collaborative environment can make the unintended movement of virtual objects a potential cause of mistrust and confusion between the collaborators, the researchers wrote.Another attack called an object occlusion attack involved placing an invisible barrier on 3D objects to prevent interaction from a distance. And a spatial occlusion attack expanded that concept by placing an invisible boundary over a larger region and blocking interaction with multiple objects.Occlusion attacks could affect productivity in projects as collaborators might not have similar fields of view. That kind of attack would force headset users to get closer to virtual objects before they interact with them.The researchers also launched a latency attack by slowing network speeds between participants headsets. The network attack significantly undermined the user experience.To safeguard virtual systems, the researchers recommended educating users about potential security threats and building in security by design. Safety measures could include auditory cues to identify the location of objects and a warning system to identify security threats.Additionally, headset developers could include UI changes with toggles and controls that highlight all objects in the environment similar to basic 3D view management, the researchers wrote.The research study was written by Maha Sajid, Syed Ibrahim Mustafa Shah Bukhari, Bo Ji, and Brendan David-John. They could not be reached for comment.

A new report by UK analyst firm Say No to Disinfo and communications firm Fenimore Harper indicates a high risk that AI-generated disinformation could create bank runs that could bring down financial institutions, according to Reuters.In an experiment, a number of UK customers were shown AI-generated rumors about their bank. Afterwards, a third said they were very likely to withdraw their money, with 27% saying they were quite likely to do so.According to the report, spending as little as 10 (about $12.60) on a fake AI message would be enough to persuade customers to withdraw more than $1 million from the bank in question.Two years ago, false rumors that spread on social media sites about Silicon Valley Bank led customers to withdraw $42 billion in one day. The bank ended up being closed down.