DC Digest - November 22, 2010

In Today's Issue:

  • Duke Law Alum to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Science Coalition Urges FY11 Increase for NSF
  • For-Profit Schools May Lose Access to U.S. Aid Over Violations
  • Colleges Weigh How to Estimate Cost to Families
  • Opinion: What Democrats Owe Latinos - Passing the DREAM Act


DUKE LAW ALUM TO RECEIVE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
President Obama last week announced that John Adams (L '62), the founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council, is to receive the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor. In announcing his selection of Adams, the President cited a tenure "unparalleled by the leader of any other environmental organization," and cited a Rolling Stone quotation: "If the planet has a lawyer, it's John Adams."

John and Patricia Adams visited Duke Law last week to discuss a 1989 report on chemicals in food, "Intolerable Risk," that proved pivotal for the organization the two co-founded and for the organic food movement.  A video excerpt of the conversation is below.

Read More:
President Obama Awards Medal of Freedom to NRDC Founding Director John Adams (NRDC.org)
Excerpt from a Conversation with John and Patricia Adams (Law.Duke.edu)


SCIENCE COALITION URGES FY11 INCREASE FOR NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Under the auspices of the Coalition for National Science Funding, more than 125 associations and universities, including Duke, sent a letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders on November 17, urging them to provide $7.4 billion to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the final FY11 appropriations package.

“With the U.S. currently experiencing a challenging economic environment,” said the letter, “robust investments in NSF should be viewed as part of a long-term strategy to address our economic vitality.”

The Obama Administration requested $7.424 billion for NSF in FY11, a $552 million, or eight percent, increase over FY10. The House Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee approved the request; the Senate Appropriations Committee approved slightly less for the agency.


FOR-PROFIT SCHOOLS MAY LOSE ACCESS TO U.S. AID OVER VIOLATIONS
The Department of Education, seeking to strengthen oversight of the for-profit college sector, is considering boosting fines and disqualifying colleges from participating in federal-aid programs when they give bonuses to admissions officers for enrolling more students, said James Kvaal, deputy undersecretary of education. For- profit colleges got about 23 percent of all federal student grants and loans that went to U.S. universities in 2008-2009, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, while educating about 12 percent of all students.

Read More:
For-Profit Schools May Lose Access to U.S. Aid Over Violations (Bloomberg)
Harkin Moves For-Profit College Hearing Plans to 2011 (Bloomberg)


COLLEGES WEIGH HOW TO ESTIMATE COST TO FAMILIES
As colleges prepare for a new rule requiring colleges to post net-price calculators on their Web sites, they must determine whether to use a template from the federal government, work with a vendor, or create a calculator in-house and make a host of technical decisions about how it will work.

Read More:
Colleges Weigh How to Estimate Cost to Families (Chronicle of Higher Ed)


OPINION: WHAT DEMOCRATS OWE LATINOS - PASSING THE DREAM ACT
Washington Post Op-Ed columnist Edward Schumacher-Matos writes that Democrats risk Latino voter withdrawal if they do not fight to pass the DREAM Act:

"Latinos are fed up with congressional delays over comprehensive immigration reform. The time has come for President Obama and the Democrats to man up in the lame-duck session and at least fight to pass the Dream Act. Otherwise, the Democrats risk Latino withdrawal, rebellion - or both. This is a threat and a demand to be taken seriously from the Americans who best understand that the immigration system doesn't work, which is why so many people are here illegally. Sure, there are other priorities, such as extending tax cuts and unemployment insurance. But there always are. Only squeaky wheels get the oil, and the squeak among Hispanics is getting loud and angry."

Read More:
What Democrats Owe Latinos: Passing the DREAM Act (Washington Post)