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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon in a ceremony that withholds federal funding from public and private colleges and universities that do not protect free speech on campuses. As explained by a White House senior official, in order to qualify for federal research dollars, public colleges and universities would have to certify that they are complying with the First Amendment. It is being done because schools across the country have grappled with how to protect the right to free speech on college and university campuses, including for those who may harbor white supremacist, anti-Semitic or other hateful views. The balancing act encompasses ensuring the safety both of on-campus speakers and students who may feel threatened by their views, as well as how to safeguard the campus community from demonstrations associated with such speakers. And because during some speeches violence resulted because people were protesting the speeches, it led some colleges to cancel upcoming events where the speeches may have created uncomfortable situations. The violent protests, largely against conservative speakers, underscore the struggle colleges are having walking a line between preserving free speech, while at the same time protecting students – particularly those in demographic groups who may feel marginalized or threatened by the ideas espoused by a group or speaker. It's unclear what impact, if any, the new executive order would have. White House officials declined to provide details on how the executive order would be implemented.
In Other News • Mount Everest expedition operators are finding increasing numbers of climbers' dead bodies on the world's highest peak as high temperatures melt glaciers and snow. More than 200 mountaineers have died on the peak since 1922, when the first climbers' deaths on Everest were recorded. The majority of bodies are believed to have remained buried under glaciers or snow. Studies suggest that glaciers in the Everest region are melting and thinning due to the impact of climate change and global warming. • Former President George W. Bush notched his first-ever hole-in-one Wednesday. Bush shared a photo on Instagram from the 12th green at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas to commemorate the achievement. "With coaching from @thebushcenter CEO Ken Hersh and board members Mike Meece and Bill Hickey, I scored my first hole-in-one at the home of our Warrior Open and the @attbyronnelson," the 72-year-old wrote in the caption. "Next golf goal: live to 100 so I can shoot my age.” • Jimmy Carter was the first US president to be born in a hospital. On Friday, he marks a new milestone as the oldest living former president ever. At 94 years and 172 days old, Carter passes the previous record held by the late President George H.W. Bush.
