U.S.
Harvard Returns $8.6M in Relief Funds After Backlash
Published
2 years agoon
By
Lili Stenn
- After receiving backlash, Harvard said it will return $8.6 million that it was given in federal aid through an education relief fund created by the stimulus package.
- President Trump accused Harvard of taking emergency funding earmarked for small businesses and said he would request they give the money back.
- In a statement, Harvard clarified that it had not taken money set aside for small businesses. Instead, it received money set aside for colleges and universities.
- The money Harvard received was similar to the amounts of other schools with large endowments, like Stanford and Princeton, which have said they will not accept the funding.
Harvard Reverses Funding Decision
Harvard has said it will not accept the $8.6 million it received in emergency federal funding, a reversal prompted by widespread criticism that the richest school in America should not get government money.
Harvard had initially said it would keep the money after President Donald Trump said the school should give it back, though he appeared to confuse the source of funding.
During a press conference Tuesday, Trump accused Harvard of taking stimulus money set aside for small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
“Harvard is going to pay back the money. And they shouldn’t be taking it. So, Harvard is going to,” Trump said during a press conference Tuesday.
“You have a number of them. I’m not going to mention any other names. But when I saw Harvard, they have one of the largest endowments anywhere in the country, maybe in the world, I guess. And they’re going to pay back that money.”
Shortly after Trump’s remarks, Harvard responded in a statement on Twitter.
“Harvard did not apply for, nor has it received any funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses. Reports saying otherwise are inaccurate,” the school wrote.
(1/5) Harvard did not apply for, nor has it received any funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses. Reports saying otherwise are inaccurate.
— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 21, 2020
“President Trump is right that it would not have been appropriate for our institution to receive funds that were designated for struggling small businesses,” the statement continued.
“Like most colleges and universities, Harvard has been allocated funds as part of the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.”
(3/5) Like most colleges and universities, Harvard has been allocated funds as part of the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.
— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 21, 2020
Harvard also said that that it will direct all of the funds to the students, on top of additional financial assistance it has already given to students for things like travel, living expenses, and the transition to online classes.
(5/5) This financial assistance will be on top of the support the University has already provided to students – including assistance with travel, providing direct aid for living expenses to those with need, and supporting students’ transition to online education.
— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 21, 2020
But the next day, the university appeared to change it’s mind.
“Harvard will not accept funds from the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund,” Harvard wrote in a series of tweets.
1/5 Harvard will not accept funds from the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Like most colleges & universities, Harvard has been allocated funds as part of the CARES Act. Harvard did not apply for this support, nor has it requested, received or accessed the funds
— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 22, 2020
“We are concerned that intense focus by politicians & others on Harvard in connection with the program may undermine participation in a relief effort,” it continued, adding that as a result, “Harvard has decided not to seek or accept the funds allocated to it by statute.”
3/5 As a result of this, and the evolving guidance being issued around use of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, Harvard has decided not to seek or accept the funds allocated to it by statute.
— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 22, 2020
Harvard’s change of heart came hours after Princeton announced that it would not be accepting the funding and Stanford said on Twitter that it had withdrawn its application for the money on Monday.
#PrincetonU has determined it will not accept funding allocated under the CARES Act. Princeton has not yet received any of these funds, and never requested any of these funds. pic.twitter.com/En4nhqyqkc
— Princeton University (@Princeton) April 22, 2020
Therefore, Monday morning we contacted the Department of Education to ask that our application for relief funds under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund section of the CARES act be rescinded.(5/6)
— Stanford University (@Stanford) April 22, 2020
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
Like the PPP, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund was approved by both Congress and Trump as part of the $2 trillion stimulus package. The fund specifically designates $14 billion to help higher education.
The Education Department has said that thousands of colleges and universities will get money through the fund. The recipients include both public and private institutions, and range from Ivy Leagues to beauty schools.
Per the directions of the department, about half of the money the schools get is supposed to go the students, while the other half goes to making up lost revenue and other costs related to the pandemic.
While Harvard is the richest university in the U.S. with an endowment of around $40 billion, the money they received from the fund was in line with other comparable schools— including those that also have sizeable endowments.
Yale, which has a $30 billion endowment, was also given $6.8 million. Standford also has an endowment of just under $30 billion, and it had received $7.3 million before deciding to pull its application.
Other Ivy Leagues including Columbia and Cornell got even more from the fund— about $12.8 million each. While both schools have slightly smaller endowments, they are still quite large when compared to other universities.
Funding Allocation
Notably, the money is not given out based on how much money a school does or does not have. Instead, the funds are allocated based on a formula that takes into account the overall student enrollment and income level of the student body.
That is measured by how many students at each school are receiving federal financial aid through federal Pell Grants.
According to Harvard, 16% of their 6,600 undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients, and in the 2018-19 academic year, the school gave $200 million in scholarships to undergraduates alone.
That mechanism for measurement is also why many schools with less money got much bigger amounts of funding. The biggest sum went to Arizona State University, which received $63.5 million because it has 83,000 students and about half of them are considered low income.
But still, Harvard got a lot of backlash from plenty of people, not just President Trump. Republican Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) all took to Twitter to voice their disapproval of the move.
2 weeks ago, I asked the Trump Administration to consider rescinding funding for wasteful spending in the CARES Act.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) April 22, 2020
With news that @Harvard received $9 million in taxpayer money, it's even more important. It’s time to rescind funding for the higher education slush fund. pic.twitter.com/msLhlY5vdc
Why is Harvard, with its multi-billion dollar endowment, much of it built with help from taxpayer money, getting a bailout? This is obscene https://t.co/Gj2sC7KUPj
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 20, 2020
Dear Harvard: Thank you for my law degree and an excellent legal education. You’re very rich; many people are hurting. Now give the money back. https://t.co/3EwyEcNgSl
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 20, 2020
That sentiment was even echoed by Department of Education.
“Sending millions to schools with significant endowments is a poor use of taxpayer money,” a department spokesperson said Tuesday, adding that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had sent a letter to college and university presidents asking them to send the money back if they do not need it.
Other Problems With Funding
However, DeVos herself has recently received significant backlash for her handling of funding from the stimulus bill.
DeVos is in charge of distributing an additional $6 billion that is separate from the relief fund and earmarked specifically to help college students pay for food, childcare, and housing.
On April 9, DeVos said that the $6 billion would be “immediately distributed” to the students. But according to a Politico report published Monday, only $6 million of that has been given out— less than a fraction of a percent.
That has already prompted widespread criticism from leaders in higher education, many of whom have said that they have struggled with bureaucracy and lack of guidance.
That is also not where their problems stop. Others have said there were glitches with the process of applying for the aid early on. According to reports, the website where schools submit documents would go down for hours at a time, and some schools that had not used the portal before had trouble registering.
But in a statement last week, a department spokesperson blamed the schools themselves.
“It’s tragic that at a time when students are struggling to make ends meet, too many highly capable and intelligent leaders of higher-ed institutions are dragging their feet and claiming it’s because there’s some lack of clarity in the law,” the spokesperson said.
Separately, DeVos issued a new guidance on Tuesday that prohibits undocumented students from receiving any of the $6 billion.
While the stimulus package does not have any language regarding undocumented student’s DeVos’ guidance mandates that the aid can only be given to students who qualify for federal financial aid.
Under current law, only U.S. citizens and some legal permanent residents are eligible for federal aid.
As a result, the policy explicitly excludes hundreds of thousands of students who are recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects individuals who were brought to the U.S. illegally as minors.
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (Newsweek) (Politico)
U.S.
Conservatives Slam Elmo For Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Published
7 hours agoon
June 28, 2022
While critics accused the muppet of promoting propaganda, CDC data shows the shots are safe and effective.
Elmo Gets Vaccinated
Conservative politicians expressed outrage on Twitter after the beloved “Sesame Street” character Elmo revealed he got vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently cleared the way for children between the ages of six months and five years to get vaccinated against the virus. The famous red muppet is three years old, making him finally eligible for the jab.
In a video shared by “Sesame Street,” Elmo said that he felt “a little pinch, but it was okay.”
Elmo’s father, Louie, then addressed parents who might be apprehensive about vaccinating their own kids.
It's okay to have questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children! Elmo's dad Louie talked to their pediatrician, and learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep him and his whole neighborhood safe and healthy! #CaringForEachOther pic.twitter.com/aWkCfysJPE
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) June 28, 2022
“I had a lot of questions about Elmo getting the COVID vaccine,” he said to the camera. “Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice.”
“I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep himself, our friends, neighbors, and everyone else healthy and enjoying the things they love,” he continued.
Republicans Criticize “Sesame Street”
While some praised the video for raising awareness and addressing the concerns parents may have, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) quickly lambasted the effort.
Thanks, @sesamestreet for saying parents are allowed to have questions!
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 28, 2022
You then have @elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5.
But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this. Learn more:https://t.co/Ss20TmFTSB https://t.co/tr67QyfRyC
“Thanks, Sesame Street for saying parents are allowed to have questions,” Cruz tweeted. “You then have Elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5. But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this.”
Despite Cruz’s claim, the CDC has provided ample resources with information on vaccines for children.
He was not alone in criticizing the video. Harmeet Dhillon, a committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for California, suggested that Elmo would be taking puberty blockers next.
Next episode: Elmo takes puberty blockers! Yay! https://t.co/A4em0ZlC8d
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) June 28, 2022
Other anti-vaxxers claimed Elmo would get myocarditis and accused “Sesame Street” of promoting propaganda.
M is for Myocarditis. https://t.co/2yGWljhv1L
— Lisa Boothe 🇺🇸 (@LisaMarieBoothe) June 28, 2022
They have Elmo pushing experimental emergency authorized mRNA drugs on infants and toddlers for a virus that is not remotely a material threat to them. Absolute monsters. https://t.co/P3hFsamSpJ
— Jason D. Meister 🇺🇸 (@jason_meister) June 28, 2022
COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be both safe and effective against transmission of the virus, but this is not the first time conservatives have turned their anger against a friendly-looking muppet who opted to get the jab. When Big Bird got vaccinated in November, Cruz and other right-wing figures accused the show of brainwashing kids.
Big Bird’s choice to get vaccinated was not a shocker though, clips dating back to 1972 show him getting immunized against the measles.
See what others are saying: (CNN) (The Hill) (Market Watch)
U.S.
Uvalde Puts Police Chief on Leave, Tries to Kick Him Off City Council
Published
5 days agoon
June 23, 2022By
Chris Tolve
If Pete Arredondo fails to attend two more consecutive city council meetings, then he may be voted out of office.
Police Chief Faces Public Fury
Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo was placed on administrative leave Wednesday following revelations that he and his officers did not engage the shooter at Robb Elementary for over an hour despite having adequate weaponry and protection.
Superintendent Hal Harrell, who made the announcement, did not specify whether the leave is paid or unpaid.
Harrell said in a statement that the school district would have waited for an investigation to conclude before making any personnel decisions, but chose to order the administrative leave because it is uncertain how long the investigation will take.
Lieutenant Mike Hernandez, the second in command at the police department, will assume Arredondo’s duties.
In an interview with The Texas Tribune earlier this month, Arredondo said he did not consider himself in charge during the shooting, but law enforcement records reviewed by the outlet indicate that he gave orders at the scene.
Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told state senators on Tuesday that some officers wanted to enter the classrooms harboring the shooter but were stopped by their superiors.
He said officer Ruben Ruiz tried to move forward into the hallway after receiving a call from his wife Eva Mireles, a teacher inside one of the classrooms, telling him she had been shot and was bleeding to death.
Ruiz was detained, had his gun taken away, and was escorted off the scene, according to McCraw. Mireles later died of her wounds.
Calls for Arredondo to resign or be fired have persisted.
Emotions Erupt at City Council
Wednesday’s announcement came one day after the Uvalde City Council held a special meeting in which community members and relatives of victims voiced their anger and demanded accountability.
“Who are you protecting?” Asked Jasmine Cazares, sister of Jackie Cazares, a nine-year-old student who was shot. “Not my sister. The parents? No. You’re too busy putting them in handcuffs.”
Much of the anger was directed toward Arredondo, who was not present at the meeting but was elected to the city council on May 7, just over two weeks before the massacre.
“We are having to beg ya’ll to do something to get this man out of our faces,” said the grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza, a 10-year-old victim. “We can’t see that gunman. That gunman got off easy. We can’t take our frustrations out on that gunman. He’s dead. He’s gone. … Ya’ll need to put yourselves in our shoes, and don’t say that none of ya’ll have, because I guarantee you if any of ya’ll were in our shoes, ya’ll would have been pulling every string that ya’ll have to get this man off the council.”
One woman demanded the council refuse to grant Arredondo the leave of absence he had requested, pointing out that if he fails to attend three consecutive meetings the council can vote him out for abandoning his office.
“What you can do right now is not give him, if he requests it, a leave of absence,” she said. “Don’t give him an out. We don’t want him. We want him out.”
After hearing from the residents, the council voted unanimously not to approve the leave of absence.
On Tuesday, Uvalde’s mayor announced that Robb Elementary is set to be demolished, saying no students or teachers should have to return to it after what happened.
We make it a point to not include the names and pictures of those who may have been seeking attention or infamy and will not link out to websites that might contain such information.
U.S.
Texas Public Safety Director Says Police Response to Uvalde Shooting Was An “Abject Failure”
Published
1 week agoon
June 21, 2022By
Chris Tolve
New footage shows officers prepared to engage the shooter one hour before they entered the classroom.
Seventy-Seven Deadly Minutes
Nearly a month after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers, evidence has emerged indicating that police were prepared to engage the shooter within minutes of arriving, but chose to wait over an hour.
The shooting at Robb Elementary began at 11:33 a.m., and within three minutes 11 officers are believed to have entered the school, according to surveillance and body camera footage obtained by KVUE and the Austin American Statesman.
District Police Chief Pete Arredondo reportedly called a landline at the police department at 11:40 a.m. for help.
“It’s an emergency right now,” he said. “We have him in the room. He’s got an AR-15. He’s shot a lot… They need to be outside the building prepared because we don’t have firepower right now. It’s all pistols.”
At 11:52 a.m., however, the footage shows multiple officers inside the school armed with at least two rifles and one ballistic shield.
Law enforcement did not enter the adjoined classrooms to engage the shooter until almost an hour later, at 12:50 p.m. During that time, one officer’s daughter was inside the classrooms and another’s wife, a teacher, reportedly called him to say she was bleeding to death.
Thirty minutes before law enforcement entered the classrooms, the footage shows officers had four ballistic shields in the hallway.
Frustrated Cops Want to Go Inside
Some of the officers felt agitated because they were not allowed to enter the classrooms.
One special agent at the Texas Department of Public Safety arrived about 20 minutes after the shooting started, then immediately asked, “Are there still kids in the classrooms?”
“It is unknown at this time,” another officer replied.
“Ya’ll don’t know if there’s kids in there?” The agent shot back. “If there’s kids in there we need to go in there.”
“Whoever is in charge will determine that,” the other officer responded.
According to an earlier account by Arredondo, he and the other officers tried to open the doors to the classrooms, but found them both locked and waited for a master key to arrive. But surveillance footage suggests that they never tried to open the doors, which a top Texas official has confirmed were never actually locked.
One officer has told reporters that within minutes of the police response, there was a Halligan bar, which firefighters use to break down locked doors, on-site, but it was never used.
At a special State Senate committee hearing Monday, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw called the police response an “abject failure” and “antithetical to everything we’ve learned over the last two decades since the Columbine massacre.”
“The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from (entering rooms) 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children,” he said. “The officers have weapons, the children had none.”
We make it a point to not include the names and pictures of those who may have been seeking attention or infamy and will not link out to websites that might contain such information.

Conservatives Slam Elmo For Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Israel Relaxes Abortion Restrictions in Response to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

Supreme Court Rules High School Football Coach Can Pray on Field

Jodie Sweetin Releases Statement After Getting Pushed By Officers at Pro-Choice Protest: “This Will Not Deter Us”

Uvalde Puts Police Chief on Leave, Tries to Kick Him Off City Council

Instagram Testing New Tools To Verify Users Are Over 18

Rep. Schiff Urges DOJ to Investigate Trump for Election Crimes: “There’s Enough Evidence”

Dave Chappelle Decides Against Having Former High School’s Theater Named After Him

Texas Public Safety Director Says Police Response to Uvalde Shooting Was An “Abject Failure”

Coward Ethan Klein Threatens Me, But I’m Not Backing Down Because I’m a Strong Boy, Amouranth & More

He Definitely Hunts People On a Private Island… Will Smith, Jeffree Star, Barry Loudermilk, & More

Mia Khalifa Shuts Down Death Rumors, Sparks Conversations About Plastic Surgery and Adult Film Industry

Ace Family’s Austin McBroom and Team Accused of Rape

YouTuber MrBeast Responds to Criticism of Massive Tree Planting Project

Netflix Apologizes and Changes Marketing Materials for “Cuties” After Backlash

Joe Rogan Denies Spotify Censorship Rumors, According to Alex Jones

Dixie D’Amelio Responds to Rumors That She Faked Seizures to Get Out of Class

Trisha Paytas Accused of Exploiting Transgender Community

Conservatives Slam Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Over “WAP” Lyrics

The Onision Controversy Explained

Influencer Coconut Kitty Accused of Editing Nude and Suggestive Photos To Make Herself Look Underage

Tweet Falsely Claims Bob Saget Was Accused of Abuse by Corey Feldman

Coward Ethan Klein Threatens Me, But I’m Not Backing Down Because I’m a Strong Boy, Amouranth & More

He Definitely Hunts People On a Private Island… Will Smith, Jeffree Star, Barry Loudermilk, & More

The Truth About Justin Bieber’s Facial Paralysis, Ryan Trahan $.01, Jan. 6 Hearings, & More

“ITS FAKE!” Conspiracy Theories Fly After Mass Arrest, Joe Rogan, John Cena, Google AI, Chris Murphy

Why The Internet is Pissed & Saying This is A Sad Day for Youtube. The Act Man v Youtube Explained

The MrBeast Scam Problem YouTube Can’t Fix, Epic Jet Ski Chase Caught on Video, & Gary…Oh Gary

GUESS WHO GOT CANCELLED! Washington Post Meltdown, Arizona Cops Watch Man Drown, Dave Chappelle, &

The Truth About Disney & Their Apology, Boris Johnson, Katie Porter Speaks Out, & More

Amber Heard Defenders Point Fingers At The Jury, Harry Styles, Michael Avenatti, Bailey Sarian, &

Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Case! Amber Heard Ordered to Pay Him $10 Million! Verdict, Reactions, &

WHO LEAKED IT?! Bo Burnham, Joe Rogan, Austin Fights Back, New Gun Ban, & More News

Columnist Apologizes Over Article Seemingly Intended to Out Rebel Wilson: “I Have Learnt Some New and Difficult Lessons”

Arizona Cops Watch as Homeless Man Drowns in Lake, Pleads for Help

Rep. Katie Porter Accuses GOP of Trying to “Weaponize” Gas Prices to “Win the Election”

Lizzo Changes Lyrics To Song After Backlash Over Ableist Word

Amber Heard’s Attorney Says There Are “Excellent Grounds” to Appeal Jury Decision

Ohio Governor Signs Bill Allowing Teachers to Carry Guns With 24 Hours of Training

Ryanair Draws Outrage, Accusations of Racism After Making South Africans Take Test in Afrikaans

Texas Public Safety Director Says Police Response to Uvalde Shooting Was An “Abject Failure”

Chris Evans Says People Upset With Same-Gender “Lightyear” Kiss Are “Idiots”

Family Of Author Whose Article Inspired “Top Gun” Hits Paramount With Copyright Lawsuit

Key Takeaways from the Second Jan. 6 Committee Hearing

Conservatives Slam Elmo For Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Israel Relaxes Abortion Restrictions in Response to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

Supreme Court Rules High School Football Coach Can Pray on Field

Jodie Sweetin Releases Statement After Getting Pushed By Officers at Pro-Choice Protest: “This Will Not Deter Us”

Uvalde Puts Police Chief on Leave, Tries to Kick Him Off City Council

Instagram Testing New Tools To Verify Users Are Over 18

Rep. Schiff Urges DOJ to Investigate Trump for Election Crimes: “There’s Enough Evidence”

Dave Chappelle Decides Against Having Former High School’s Theater Named After Him

Texas Public Safety Director Says Police Response to Uvalde Shooting Was An “Abject Failure”

Coward Ethan Klein Threatens Me, But I’m Not Backing Down Because I’m a Strong Boy, Amouranth & More

He Definitely Hunts People On a Private Island… Will Smith, Jeffree Star, Barry Loudermilk, & More

Coward Ethan Klein Threatens Me, But I’m Not Backing Down Because I’m a Strong Boy, Amouranth & More

He Definitely Hunts People On a Private Island… Will Smith, Jeffree Star, Barry Loudermilk, & More

The Truth About Justin Bieber’s Facial Paralysis, Ryan Trahan $.01, Jan. 6 Hearings, & More

“ITS FAKE!” Conspiracy Theories Fly After Mass Arrest, Joe Rogan, John Cena, Google AI, Chris Murphy

Why The Internet is Pissed & Saying This is A Sad Day for Youtube. The Act Man v Youtube Explained

The MrBeast Scam Problem YouTube Can’t Fix, Epic Jet Ski Chase Caught on Video, & Gary…Oh Gary

GUESS WHO GOT CANCELLED! Washington Post Meltdown, Arizona Cops Watch Man Drown, Dave Chappelle, &

The Truth About Disney & Their Apology, Boris Johnson, Katie Porter Speaks Out, & More

Amber Heard Defenders Point Fingers At The Jury, Harry Styles, Michael Avenatti, Bailey Sarian, &

Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Case! Amber Heard Ordered to Pay Him $10 Million! Verdict, Reactions, &
