Students, educators, and staff should continue wearing masks at school if they are not fully vaccinated for COVID -19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in new guidance released Friday, which also put a priority on getting schools reopened for in-person instruction. Students should also maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance in classrooms, the agency said in a document meant to inform precautions for the 2021-22 school year, and there may be some situations where universal masking requirements are still appropriate. Read more >>

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urged Americans to get vaccinated and outlined efforts to contain potential outbreaks in schools. Watch video >>

Congressional Republicans are attempting to tie the Biden administration to the argument, made by many progressives in the Democratic Party, that the United States is “systemically racist,” and the GOP is focusing its attention on the Pentagon. Read more >>

Starting immediately, an applicant for a U.S. passport can simply check "M" or "F" as their gender – without needing to provide medical certification if that gender doesn't match their other documents. And soon applicants will have the option to select a gender marker that isn't male or female, the State Department said Wednesday. Read more >>

Biden Administration Cancels Additional $55.6 Million in Student Debt Sarah Elbeshbishi, USA Today

The Department of Education canceled an additional $55.6 million in student loan debt for 1,800 students who were victims of a for-profit college fraud, bringing the total amount of canceled student loan debt by the Biden administration to $1.5 billion. "Today’s announcement continues the U.S. Department of Education’s commitment to standing up for students whose colleges took advantage of them,” Miguel Cardona, the secretary of education, said in the department’s statement released Friday. Read more >>

Yahoo Finance’s Aarthi Swaminathan joins the Yahoo Finance Live panel top discuss Senators urging the Education Department to fix forgiveness programs as payment cliff nears. Watch video >>

To truly tackle the crises of our crumbling schools and the add-on crises posed by climate change and persisting inequality, Congress must continue working to pass a reconciliation package that includes transformative resources to fund a just transition that addresses public schools, climate and good jobs, as well as other critical measures to support these efforts. Read more >>

The Department of Education announced Wednesday it approved seven American Rescue Plans in different states, including in South Dakota, which has requested more than $382 million in funds. Read more >>

The attorneys general largely took issue with the Biden administration’s decision to craft its guidance around the landmark Supreme Court opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County. Read more >>

The bill, released Sunday, would provide a total of $14.7 billion in discretionary funds to the agency, an increase of $2.2 billion above the fiscal 2021 enacted level and $400 million above President Joe Biden’s budget request. Read more >>

Wages are rising, employers are giving hiring bonuses and more Americans are quitting their jobs, sparking hopes from the White House on down that the workers who were hit hardest by the pandemic are finally being empowered. Even labor advocates, however, say that newfound leverage is unlikely to last. Read more >>

Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 10:00 am, Live Stream here

Witnesses: Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Anthony Fauci, MD, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Janet Woodcock, MD, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration; and Dawn O'Connell, Assistant Secretary, Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services   

Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 10:00 am, Live Stream here

Wednesday, July 21, 2021, Time TBD, Live Stream here

American Rescue Plan Funding Opportunity

During this webinar, hosted by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Arts Endowment staff will provide an overview of the American Rescue Plan Grant Opportunity and share information on eligibility, how to apply, tips for your application, and will leave time for questions and answers. Learn more and register >>

The HBCU Faculty Development Network invites faculty, administrators, faculty development directors, and personnel of all areas that support an academic program to submit proposals for presentation at this year's conference that support the theme "Higher Education: Leading, Managing, Teaching, and Motivating Students for Success in the New Environment." Click here to submit a proposal. The proposal submission deadline is August 15, 2021.

The National Urban League has issued its annual The State of Black America.

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research has issued Build(ing) the Future: Bold Policies for a Gender Equitable Recovery.

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