Desiree Ibekwe

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Desiree Ibekwe

Image In acquiescence to President Trump, Columbia University today agreed to overhaul its security and protest policies, and its Middle Eastern studies department. The Trump administration accused Columbia of failing to protect students and staff from antisemitic violence and harassment, and refused to consider restoring $400 million in federal funding without the university making the changes.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Desiree Ibekwe |Matthew Cullen

President Trump today signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Education Department. The president, flanked by children at school desks, said that his administration would "take all lawful steps to shut down the department," adding: "It's doing us no good." The administration has cited poor test scores as a justification. The order further weakens the agency after Trump slashed its work force by almost half, gutted its civil rights division and laid off research employees.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Matthew Cullen |Desiree Ibekwe

Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, this afternoon offered an assessment of the U.S. economy that probably sounded familiar to many Americans who have struggled to make sense of President Trump's whipsawing approach to tariffs. "In the current situation," Powell said, "uncertainty is remarkably high."His comments came as the Fed announced its decision to leave interest rates unchanged for a second straight meeting.

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Desiree Ibekwe

There is something exciting about the best new artist award at the Grammys. It is, by its nature, celebrating the fresh and, sometimes, the novel. Some of the nominees are sweetly green, while others have toiled for years without piercing the mainstream. All seem thrilled to be nominated. The award can be a kind of musical crystal ball, a hint at musicians who will come to flourish in the industry.

Jan 5, 2025 | nytimes.com | David Leonhardt |Desiree Ibekwe

The killing of 14 people on New Year's Day in New Orleans was the latest sign of a resurgence in radical Islamist terrorism. Some of the attacks - like the one last week - seem to have been merely inspired by ISIS, the network of groups that are offshoots of Al Qaeda. In other cases, ISIS groups played an active role in the planning. In today's newsletter, we'll detail the scope of the recent terrorism and explain the main reasons for ISIS's resurgence.