UCI is among inaugural US cohort to adopt Okanagan Charter

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 1, 2021 – The University of California, Irvine is among the inaugural U.S. cohort of eight “health-promoting universities and colleges” to adopt the Okanagan Charter and will join the others in a virtual signing ceremony today. The Okanagan Charter calls on institutions of higher education to infuse health and well-being into the campus environment and lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.

Establishing Juneteenth as national holiday is opportunity to create “new America”

The Senate has unanimously passed a bill to establish Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, as a federal holiday. This is an historic moment and an opportunity to create a “new America,” according to Anne Bailey, professor of history at Binghamton University, State University of New York and director of the Harriet Tubman Center for the Study of Freedom and Equity.

Unpacking the Federal Response to COVID-19 in Education

The coronavirus crisis is creating unprecedented challenges and exacerbating longstanding inequities in education. In response to the pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provides more than $2 trillion in spending, including more than $30 billion to support K-12 and higher education, as well as early childhood education.

Expert: Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ workplace protection long overdue

President Trump is expected to present details of his long-awaited peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians today following his White House meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and leader of the opposition, Benny Gantz, earlier this week
Virginia Tech’s foreign policy expert Joel Peters is skeptical that the plan will jumpstart the long-stalled effort to bring Israelis and Palestinians together.

U.S. protections for constitutional rights falling behind global peers

New research from the WORLD Policy Analysis Center at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (WORLD) shows that the United States is falling behind its global peers when it comes to guarantees for key constitutional rights. Researchers identified key gaps in the U.S. including guarantees of the right to health, gender equality, and rights for persons with disabilities.