Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut teacher-training money.

In a 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court cleared the Education Department to withhold money for teacher-training projects in eight states, intervening for the first time to bolster President Donald Trump’s campaign to wipe out federal spending programs he opposes. Friday’s order was the first time, in three attempts, that the nation’s highest court gave the administration what it wanted on an emergency basis.

The two programs at issue — the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development — provide more than $600 million in grants for teacher preparation programs. Data has shown that the programs have increased teacher retention rates and ensured that educators remain in the profession beyond five years.

If this type of relationship between the administration and the Supreme Court continues, we could see more swift and crippling legislation that starves public institutions from programming. Read More >

Hundreds of people gathered Monday at the National Mall to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility. In the crowd, trans people who have been living in a heightened state of fear since Election Day felt a moment of reprieve and solidarity. Read More >

Demonstrators rally in 'Hands Off' protests against Trump policies and Musk-led government cuts. Explore photos of “Hands Off!” rallies took place in Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., New York City and other cities across the country on Saturday. Read More >

The climate movement needs lawyers. This ‘pro bono bootcamp’ helps connect the dots. The organizers of the Climate Pro Bono Bootcamp, a two-day virtual conference dedicated to helping more lawyers and legal professionals figure out how to donate their time and skills to advance climate work. Read More >

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder calls on Unilever to “set us free”. After its parent company, Unilever,  fired Ben and Jerry’s chief executive last month, allegedly over its support for Palestine, the company’s co-founder has launched an ambitious bid to buy back the ice cream brand he created with Jerry Greenfield in 1978. Read More >

More than 1,800 academics say they will boycott Columbia—and the number Is growing. The university, which has been at the center of U.S. state and political repression surrounding activism for Palestinian liberation, has bowed to the Trump administration’s demands, frustrating many of its staff and student body. “Columbia's acquiescence to Trump was disgraceful. As faculty, we demand better.”

Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin Supreme Court election, despite Elon Musk’s millions. Crawford defeated Brad Schimel for a State Supreme Court seat in a race that shattered spending records and maintained a liberal majority on the court. NYTimes >

Learn how the Student Voice fought fascism. The Student Voice newspaper, published by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s, provided crucial coverage of student-led desegregation activities from youth perspectives to support the Civil Rights Movement. Here’s what we can learn from that today. Read More >

TikTok ban delayed another 75 days because of Trump's tariffs on China. The president had initially given ByteDance until Saturday to sell or divest its U.S. TikTok business, giving the company more time to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned from U.S. app stores. Read More >

This Washington farmworker organizer was detained in Trump immigration crackdown. Longtime immigrant farmworker and organizer Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino was pulled over last week by a plainclothes agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in an unmarked car who broke his car window and forcibly detained him. Read More >

Prosecution has dropped charges against Georgia woman who miscarried. Police had arrested the woman, who was found bleeding and unconscious, and charged her with how she disposed of the fetal remains. Read More >

• Here’s a look at all states that have investigated miscarriages and stillbirths as crimes.

An invisible chemical is poisoning thousands of unsuspecting warehouse workers. Medical supply warehouses can be a significant source of cancer-causing ethylene oxide emissions. Only one state is doing anything about it. Read More >

In NYC, the fight for rent stabilization continues. Six years after the passage of landmark tenants’ rights legislation, landlords are getting creative—and tenants are getting organized. Read More >

Our 28 Days of Black History series will continue throughout the year! Because of the massive interest in the series, and how accurate history is being attacked in schools, I’m now sharing one story of Black history each week until Black History Month returns in February 2026.

Subscribe to get one undertold story of Black history in your inbox each Wednesday evening. Last week, we honored the legacy of Florynce “Flo” Kennedy, a lawyer and activist who laid the foundation for the reproductive rights movement.

This Wednesday, we’re honoring someone who’s voice carried the civil rights movement to the forefront, even inspiring a young Martin Luther King, Jr. who listened to her on the radio. Can you guess who it is? Be sure to subscribe to find out!

51% of our subscribers opened last week’s email. We’re looking for sponsors and nonprofit organizations that center Black communities that we can feature in the weeks ahead. Interested? Contact us to learn more.

What ‘the world’s loneliest whale’ may be telling us about climate change.

A mysterious whale that has puzzled scientists for decades may not be an anomaly, but a clue to what climate change is doing beneath the waves.

Surviving Fascism: Lessons from Jim Crow

Writer Joel Cook highlights the correlations between how Black communities resisted Jim Crow to how we can approach responding to the current administrative changes.

Fortifying the Frontlines: How to Protect Social Movements Under Attack

Executive Director of the Building Movement Project, Janis Rosheuvel unpacks how to bolster the frontlines of movement work for the fight ahead

April Book Club Pick

This month, we’re reading Pet by Akwaeke Emezi!

“In a world that believes it has rid itself of all monsters, Jam discovers that some truths can’t stay buried. With a mix of fantasy and deep insight, Pet challenges us to look beyond what we’re told and consider what justice really means.”

Read along with us by subscribing to the Banned Books Book Club newsletter, following us on Instagram, and joining the live discussion on Wednesday, April 30 at 7pm EST.* Adjusted to give time for more reading!