Newsletter Archive

China is banning certain Muslim baby names in an effort to contain what authorities call the spread of religious extremism. All in all, about 30 names have been outlawed. The restrictions prohibit ethnic minority Uighur parents in the mostly Muslim region of Xinjiang from naming their newborns ‘Muhammad’ or other names with ‘extremely religious’ meanings.

An attempt to boost low-performing schools through music and art comes at a time when President Donald Trump wants to cut funding for the arts and policy makers are placing less importance on arts education. Sixty-eight US schools are participating in the program with surprising results. We check in with a Los Angeles school to see how well students learn through a more creative approach.

Why are a president’s first 100 days considered so important? As he approaches 100 days in office, President Donald Trump seems to be feeling the pressure, tweeting about the ‘ridiculous standard of the first 100 days.’ There’s an interesting back-story on how the 100-day mark became a big deal.

VIDEO: Decades ago, Albanian Muslim Refik Veseli smuggled two Jewish families into Albania and hid them in his house for more than a year. He was one of many Albanians who sheltered Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. Veseli’s act of bravery is being honored by a Washington Jewish congregation that believes his courageous actions have special meaning in today’s world.

Women professors do more extra work than their male colleagues, according to a new report that finds female instructors engage in more service activities like academic advising or sitting on committees. These heavy service workloads put female professors at a disadvantage because they have less time to work on research and publishing — endeavors that could help advance their careers.