More Optimism Among Middle Class Buoys Us Consumer Sentiment

On Wednesday, the United Methodist Church repealed its 1984 ban on LGBTQ clergy with an overwhelming 692–51 vote by church leaders at its general conference. The conference, which ends on May 3, has also resulted in the church rolling back several other anti-LGBTQ policies, including bans on performing gay marriage and funding queer-friendly ministries.

The student-run radio station at Columbia, WKCR, has been praised widely for its coverage of campus protests. The station’s popularity even led the website to, briefly, crash. And some have said the students should win a Pulitzer Prize. (This point helped poke at an irony embedded in such a situation: The prizes are given at Columbia University.) Last week, we talked with two managers at WKCR about how the small group of reporters is doing this sensational work. Related How Columbia’s Student Radio Station Is Meeting the Moment Today, we caught up with Sarah Barlyn, director of engineering at WKCR and a senior at Barnard College, for a follow-up. Barlyn works mostly behind the scenes—“I actually don’t like my voice on radio,” she told us—and has, in her role, been in the field covering the protests.

(PHOENIX) — Democrats secured enough votes in the Arizona Senate on Wednesday to repeal a Civil War-era ban on abortions that the state’s highest court recently allowed to take effect. Voting wasn’t complete but the Senate had the 16 votes it needed to advance the bill. Fourteen Democrats in the Senate were joined by two Republican votes in favor of repealing the bill, which narrowly cleared the Arizona House last week and is expected to be signed by Democratic Gov.

A spokeswoman for the Colorado treasurer’s office has resigned from her job, weeks after her sexual assault allegations against a state lawmaker were found not credible by a judge. The office of Treasurer Dave Young, a Democrat, confirmed that Sheena Kadi resigned from her position, effective Tuesday. Kadi had been placed on paid administrative leave on March 21 for a personnel matter, Deputy State Treasurer Eric Rothaus said.

(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration on Wednesday said it will cancel $6 billion in student loans for people who attended the Art Institutes, a system of for-profit colleges that closed the last of its campuses in 2023 amid accusations of fraud. Saying the chain lured students with “pervasive” lies, the Education Department is invoking its power to cancel student loans for borrowers who were misled by their colleges. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “This institution falsified data, knowingly misled students, and cheated borrowers into taking on mountains of debt without leading to promising career prospects at the end of their studies,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. The Education Department will automatically erase loans for 317,000 people who attended any Art Institute campus between Jan.

On Wednesday, the Libertarian Party revealed a special guest speaker at its convention in late May. Surprise! It’s former President Donald Trump. “This momentous occasion will mark the first time a former President directly addresses our members, candidates, and executive committee,” the party announced. “Don’t miss this opportunity to hear insights from a prominent figure in American politics and watch him engage with Libertarian ideals.” That wasn’t all.