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“More than 150 university and college presidents co-signed a letter Tuesday condemning the Trump administration’s recent efforts to dictate the policies of private higher education institutions in exchange for federal funding.”
— NBC News

As president of Frat Party University, I am proud to lead US News and World Report’s “Top Party School” for twelve years running. It has been another incredible year of all-night ragers, never-ending keggers, and our annual “Spring Splash” that draws both hunks and hotties from across state lines.

But all of that is under threat.

The Trump administration has sent my office a list of onerous demands that threaten our very independence. Well, hear this, President Trump: FPU is not complying.

This year, as cities around the world commemorate Earth Day, we, the Trump administration, will instead be celebrating America—the only part of the Earth that matters. And as part of our ongoing efforts to make America great again by slashing wasteful government spending, we are canceling all funding set aside for Earth Day tree plantings. Because we believe trees are DEI.

Urban tree planting initiatives are designed to restore the tree canopy in low-income neighborhoods, which have fewer trees than wealthier neighborhoods do. Did the trees in these low-income neighborhoods die because the residents didn’t take care of them, or because they were systemically cut down during periods of civil unrest so that police helicopters could better surveil those areas? It’s impossible to know for sure.

And does planting trees in cities reduce the urban heat island effect, lower air pollution, and decrease rates of asthma and respiratory illness, the way “scientists” say? We think the jury is still out.

Congo’s minerals, El Salvador’s prisons, and Trump’s war on dissent—Erik Prince is quietly at the center of it all.

The post What Do Congo’s Minerals and a Shadowy Prison Deal Have in Common? Erik Prince appeared first on MintPress News.

By shipping immigrants to Nayib Bukele’s megaprison in El Salvador, Trump is using a far-right ally for his own ends.

The post The Long History of Lawlessness in U.S. Policy Toward Latin America appeared first on The Intercept.

Under the guise of efficiency, the Trump administration is taking a sledgehammer to essential programs and agencies that are the backbone of America’s civilian government. The virtual elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and plans to shut down the Department of Education are just the most visible examples of a campaign that includes layoffs of budget experts, public health officials, scientists, and other critical personnel whose work undergirds the daily operations of government and provides the basic services needed by businesses, families, and individuals alike. Many of those services can make the difference between solvency and poverty, health and illness, or even, in some cases, life and death for vulnerable populations.  The speed with which civilian programs... Read more

A comic about a Terminator and a washing machine.

The Mother is a hilarious and harrowingly honest graphic memoir about Tendency contributor Rachel Deutsch’s journey into motherhood, from first dates to a first birthday and everything in between. Provocative and candid, The Mother illustrates the joys, challenges, and absurdities of modern parenthood in a way that will resonate with new and seasoned parents. We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from the book below.

With apologies to the great Joni Mitchell.

All right, I’ll just say it: I really, really like our town’s new parking lot.

And I know how controversial it was, given that it replaced paradise. Those were some of the longest, angriest meetings of the zoning subcommittee I’ve ever attended. But you know what took even longer and made me even angrier? Trying to find a parking spot before those meetings. And that is thankfully no longer a problem, thanks to this pristine, gorgeous slab of pavement stretching out as far as the eye can see.

Early modern ideas about nostalgia, infused with the elements of horror, invite us to think more deeply about human longing

- by Jac Lewis

Read on Psyche

- by Armand D’Angour

Read at Aeon