Things were (relatively) quiet on the news front this week. The disastrous font Stroop test that is the cover image is a reference to the inexplicable return of serifs to U.S. government documents. Truly the pressing issue of our times.
Anyway, today’s update includes a new AI executive order, some movement in the appropriations process, and reporting out of UCLA and Purdue.
Inside Higher Ed has a piece covering allegations that Purdue University has implemented an unwritten policy to reject potential graduate students from China and other “adversary nations.”
The list of adversary nations being: China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela.
Earlier this year the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party announced [PDF] that it was investigating six universities (Purdue, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, USC, University of Illinois Urbana Champagne, University of Maryland) for their ties to China.
The Federal appropriations process continues to move along, albeit slowly.
This week the House passed their version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which funds the Department of Defense. The Senate is expected to pass the act next week.
As reported by Science, this act has some research funding implications but many of the more controversial elements have been removed - including language barring the department from unilaterally changing indirect cost rates.
As part of the ongoing budgeting process, House Republicans released a proposal for a healthcare plan that does not include the ACA subsidies that were central to recent government shutdown.
The Chronicle of Higher Education and Propublica co-published a piece this week providing background on how the DOJ’s investigation into UCLA unfolded.
The President signed an Executive Order on Friday restricting individual states from creating laws that regulate the AI industry. The New York Times has additional coverage.