Trudeau to press Biden on New York-Quebec border as migrants flow in
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he and President Joe Biden will discuss stemming the flow of irregular migration into Canada when Biden visits Ottawa next month.
Trudeau has been under pressure over the increasing number of asylum seekers entering from the U.S. at a border crossing not far from Champlain, New York. It’s about 40 miles south of Montreal.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has said his province doesn’t have the capacity to handle the influx of migrants right now, and wrote a letter to Trudeau asking him to press the issue with Biden. There were nearly 5,000 asylum claims in Quebec in January, according to federal data — far more than any other Canadian province.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said he has already raised the matter in direct conversations with Biden, and the president “understands that it is a priority for Canada.”
—Bloomberg News
Florida bill would end diversity programs, ban majors, shift power at universities
A bill filed this week in the Florida House would turn many of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ wide-ranging ideas on higher education into law by limiting diversity efforts, vastly expanding the powers of university boards and altering course offerings.
House Bill 999, filed by Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, proposes leaving all faculty hiring to boards of trustees, allowing a faculty member’s tenure to be reviewed “at any time,” and removing majors or minors in subjects like critical race theory and gender studies. It would also prohibit spending on activities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion and create new general education requirements.
DeSantis’ administration has been alluding to legislation like this for weeks. In early January, his budget office required all universities to detail what they spend on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
And on Jan. 31, the governor held a news conference announcing a sweeping package of changes that mirror those in Andrade’s bill. Andrade was not immediately available for comment, his office said.
—Tampa Bay Times
California teacher on leave amid allegations of antisemitic lessons
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A Hayward high school teacher accused of spreading antisemitic conspiracies and making the Heil Hitler salute during classes has been placed on administrative leave this week after students complained to the district about the lessons late last year.
Though students alerted both school and district staff about English teacher Henry Bens’ curriculum in December, the teacher continued to instruct his 10th graders until this week, according to teachers and students at Mt. Eden High School. The school is now on break, but according to the Hayward Unified School District, Bens will not be returning to the classroom on Monday.
“He told us: You’re willfully blind,” said one of his students, 16-year-old Myldret Vazquez. “He said he was going to help us uncover the other side of the story.”
Bens taught Elie Weisel’s Holocaust memoir, "Night," alongside photocopies of "The Hidden Tyranny," an antisemitic text by Holocaust-denier Benjamin Freedman. According to Vazquez, Bens told students to alternate reading portions of the material out loud, and guided them to highlight specific sections.
—Bay Area News Group
G-7 countries condemn Russian aggression, increase aid to Ukraine
Group of Seven finance ministers once again condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine on the eve of its one-year mark and pledged to increase financial support for Ukraine.
G-7 finance ministers increased their budget to $39 billion dollars and reaffirmed their “unwavering support for Ukraine,” calling Russia’s aggression as “illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked” in a statement issued Thursday.
The increase in funding will enable Ukraine to continue delivery of basic services and carry out critical repairs of damaged infrastructure apart from stabilizing the economy. “We re-emphasize our shared commitment to our coordinated economic measures in response to Russia’s war of aggression,” Shunichi Suzuki, finance minister of Japan and this year’s G-7 chair, said from Bengaluru, India.
“Our sanctions have significantly undermined Russia’s capacity to wage its illegal war,” he added. The G-7 gathering took place in Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, where G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting Friday and Saturday.
—Bloomberg News
