More broadband money poised to flow into Pa. as Trump admin agrees to restore grant program; Spotlight PA, July 28, 2026

Charlotte Keith, Spotlight PA; More broadband money poised to flow into Pa. as Trump admin agrees to restore grant program

"A broadband grant program that the Trump administration abruptly canceled last year can be restored without language that allowed race to be used as a factor in awarding funding, a federal judge has ruled.

In a case challenging the program’s termination, U.S. District Judge John Bates agreed with federal officials that the underlying law is unconstitutional, because it allowed grants to be awarded based on “explicit racial classification.” But he also said the program was “perfectly capable” of functioning without this element.

“Common sense,” Bates wrote, “dictates that Congress would prefer to have a version of the Digital Equity Act without the racial criterion than to have no law at all.”

The decision clears the way for the grant program, which aims to address barriers that keep people from being able to access the internet, to move ahead. Questions remain, however, about how much of the $2.75 billion originally allocated will be restored, and what the latest version of the program will look like.

Pennsylvania was in line to receive more than $35 million before the grants were canceled.

Breaking down barriers

Congress passed the Digital Equity Act in 2021 as part of the sweeping, bipartisan infrastructure package that also included billions of dollars to build out high-speed internet networks.

Even where broadband is available, however, many people cannot afford to pay for it, or they lack the necessary skills or devices to use it, advocates say.

The Digital Equity Act aimed to address these barriers by providing funding for digital skills classes and affordable devices, and helping people access online services. The grants were intended to benefit groups that have historically faced challenges accessing the internet, including racial and ethnic minorities, older adults, low-income households, residents of rural areas, and veterans."

The D.E.I. Industry, Scorned by the White House, Turns to ‘Safer’ Topics; The New York Times, July 15, 2025

 Niko Gallogly, The New York Times; The D.E.I. Industry, Scorned by the White House, Turns to ‘Safer’ Topics

"When President Trump signed an executive order in January targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal agencies, schools and the private sector, Arin Reeves, who has been a D.E.I. consultant for 26 years, said many in her field were in a panic.

“All the federal government stuff, I was watching it, and I genuinely didn’t even know where to go with it,” Ms. Reeves said. For those in the industry, she added, there was a feeling of: “What do we do?”

The answer for many D.E.I. professionals has been to adapt to what companies feel comfortable offering: employee trainings that maintain the principles of diversity and inclusion but without necessarily calling them that. That has meant fewer sessions that focus explicitly on race, gender, sexuality and unconscious bias, and more on subjects like neurodivergence, mental health and generational differences, a training that teaches about how age affects viewpoints in the workplace."

Students at Pentagon schools sue Hegseth over book bans on race and gender; The Guardian, April 15, 2025

Ed Pilkington , The Guardian; Students at Pentagon schools sue Hegseth over book bans on race and gender

"Twelve students studying in Pentagon schools in the US and around the world are suing the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, over the book bans he has instigated to remove titles on race and gender from their libraries.

A lawsuit lodged on the students’ behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Tuesday argues that their first amendment rights are being irreparably harmed. The complaint says that the censorship has been applied system-wide across Pentagon schools, and was endangering children by preventing them from learning critical information about health, hygiene, biology and abuse.

The legal action targets Hegseth, the former Fox News host, who has been aggressively pursuing the censorship drive as part of Donald Trump’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It also names as a defendant the head of the Pentagon school system, Beth Schiavino-Narvaez."

Academic Publishers Braced for Slowdown as Trump DEI Purge Bites; Inside Higher Ed, March 21, 2025

Jack Grove for Times Higher Education; Academic Publishers Braced for Slowdown as Trump DEI Purge Bites

"Academic presses may face a slump in sales as U.S. university librarians become more cautious about buying books related to gender, politics or race in light of Donald Trump’s attack on “woke” research, publishers have warned."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: what sports have taught me about race in America; The Guardian, August 28, 2018

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, The Guardian;

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: what sports have taught me about race in America

"Athletes who speak out are proclaiming their loyalty to a constitution that demands equality and inclusiveness, not to the government officials who try to undermine those ideals by silencing its critics."

Episode 76: X-Men – “The Dream”; ComicsVerse, June 10, 2016

Justin Gilbert Alba, ComicsVerse; 

Episode 76: X-Men – “The Dream”

"Joined by my friend, ComicsVerse X-Men writer and podcast co-host Marius Thienenkamp, Episode 76 of the ComicsVerse Podcast, “X-Men: The Dream,” explored the significance of the metaphor of the X-Men both in and outside of comics through discussions of race, sexuality, inequality, and “othering” in western civilization.  Podcast panelists Jamie Rice, Kay Honda, Nolan Bensen, and Corey Spanner weighed in on parallels between historical activists like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Gandhi which lead to conversations about dominant cultural hierarchies and the nature of humanity itself.

X-Men comics and characters are rife with meaning and serve as a mirror of how society treats anyone who is, and feels, different and how those same people cope in a world that hates and fears them. The concept of the X-Men served as a perfect platform during this podcast to embark on an analysis of American culture as a microcosm of human nature and what it ultimately means to be American."

White Male Privilege Is Why We Laugh At Lochte And Vilify Douglas; Huffington Post, 8/18/16

Emma Gray, Huffington Post; White Male Privilege Is Why We Laugh At Lochte And Vilify Douglas:

"It didn’t take long for people to point to the cognitive dissonance between the compassionate, light-hearted response to Lochte, Bentz, Conger and fourth swimmer Jimmy Feigen’s drunken actions, and the widespread online vilification gymnast Gabby Douglas experienced just a week prior.

Douglas, who is just 20 years old, failed to put her hand on her heart during the national anthem, and did not style her hair and/or face to every individual’s liking. For those “crimes,” she was widely criticized for being “disprespectful,” “unpatriotic” and “un-American,” and called words that we’d rather not repeat in this piece. Lochte and friends reportedly defiled a gas station restroom, fought with a security officer, lied to national news sources, and may have filed a false police report. And the four of them get to be framed as talented “kids” (reminder: Lochte is 32) having one debaucherous night of fun.

The vast gap between these two public perceptions has everything to do with the identities of the people involved. Lochte is a straight, white man, who has long been beloved for his pretty face, doofy personality and charmingly slow demeanor during interviews. Douglas is a young, black woman who has battled racialized critiques of her appearance and attitude for years, despite winning three Olympic gold medals."