The Trump administration said Thursday its campaign to end diversity programs in higher education has led dozens of universities to cut ties with an organization known as The PhD Project, which helps racial minorities earn doctorate degrees.

The PhD Project was a little-known nonprofit group until it caught the attention of conservative strategists last year and became the focus of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. The Republican administration says school diversity programs often exclude white and Asian American students.

The investigation, opened in March 2025, has resulted in 31 universities agreeing to end partnerships with the group, the departments Office for Civil Rights said Thursday. Negotiations are continuing with 14 additional schools, it said.

The department said in its statement that The PhD Project 'unlawfully limits eligibility based on the race of participants' and that institutions partnering with it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in education programs and activities that receive federal money.

'This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.

Many of the schools promptly cut ties with The PhD Project after the investigation was opened, in order to avoid entanglements with the administration. It had undertaken the inquiries after warning schools they could lose federal money over 'race-based preferences.'

The PhD Project is one of many nonprofits that helps underrepresented groups gain access to higher education.

'The PhD Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms and this remains our goal today,' the organization said in a statement Thursday. The website says it has 'helped more than 1,500 members earn their doctoral degree.'

The group of 31 colleges listed by the department included major public research universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and the University of Michigan, along with prestigious private schools like Yale, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT, like many of the schools cited in the investigation, had paid The PhD Project 'a nominal fee' to participate in the groups university fairs or conferences, allowing MIT to send representatives to answer questions about attending their school, spokesperson Kimberly Allen said.

MIT informed the government in April 2025 it had ended its participation in such conferences and was notified months later that the Office for Civil Rights had found it in violation of Title VI. The school signed a 'resolution agreement' with the department about a week ago to resolve the matter 'but explicitly did not admit any liability, wrongdoing or violation of any law or regulation,' Allen said.

The University of North Dakota said it, too, promptly ended its membership with The PhD Project two weeks after the investigation was announced last year.

'The University became a member of the PhD Project to have access to the PhD Projects member directory and applicant database, to be able to recruit a larger pool of qualified applicants for faculty positions,' spokesperson David Dodds said in a statement.

The University of Utah said it had a table at annual conferences hosted by the nonprofit in the 2024-25 school year and two previous years. It cut ties with the project in October after settling with the department, university spokesperson Rebecca Walsh said.

Out of 170 PhD students admitted to Utahs business school over the past 14 years, just two were involved through the PhD Project, Walsh said.

The Education Department said that all of the 31 universities have also agreed to review partnerships with other organizations 'to identify any that violate Title VI by restricting participation based on race.'

The administration has targeted a wide range of practices that it has labeled as diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

WASHINGTON (AP) ' A large banner featuring Donald Trumps face was hung on the exterior of Justice Department headquarters on Thursday in a physical display of the Republican presidents efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him.

While Trump banners have been hung outside other agencies across Washington, the decision to place one on the storied Justice Department building amounted to a striking symbol of the erosion of the departments tradition of independence from White House control.

The banner, hung between two columns on one corner of the building, says, 'Make America Safe Again,' a slogan used by the administration to tout its efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration and violent crime.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has postured herself as the presidents chief supporter and protector, eschewing the approach of predecessors who sought to maintain an arms-length distance from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.

Trump officials have rejected accusations that they have weaponized the Justice Department for political purposes, saying the Biden administration was the one that politicized law enforcement with two federal criminal cases against Trump that were abandoned after he won the 2024 election.

The Justice Department in a statement Thursday said it is proud to 'celebrate 250 years of our great country and our historic work to make America safe again at President Trumps direction.'

The Trump administration has opened investigations into a number of the presidents perceived enemies, amplifying concerns that the agency is being used to exact revenge on his political foes.

Federal prosecutors brought charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey that were later dismissed, and separately sought to indict several Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged U.S. military members to resist 'illegal orders.'

The department is also investigating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over congressional testimony and Democratic Minnesota officials over whether they obstructed federal immigration enforcement through public statements.

Recovery operations to extract the group off the mountains are expected to continue into the weekend, according to a social media post from the Nevada County Sheriffs Office.

One additional skier is missing but presumed deceased.

The nine people were among a group of 15 backcountry skiers on a three-day trip to the Frog Lake Cabins led by Truckee-based outfitter Blackbird Mountain Guides. The group was returning to the trailhead near Castle Peak when the football field-sized avalanche struck. One skier reportedly shouted 'Avalanche!' just before the group was overtaken by snow.

Six skiers, including one of the four guides leading the trip, survived. Two were treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries they sustained in the avalanche.

Some of those killed in the avalanche have been identified as parents of children in Sugar Bowls competitive ski program.

The sheriffs office added that the identities of the victims will not be confirmed until the bodies have been recovered from the mountain.

Rescue efforts that began Tuesday have been hampered by hazardous storm weather conditions, with concerns of another avalanche creating increased caution for rescuers responding to the site. Blizzard conditions prevented the removal of bodies Wednesday, though the locations of eight had been marked with poles when they were located.

The disaster marks the deadliest avalanche in California history since the 1982 Alpine Meadows Ski Resort avalanche, which killed seven people. It also ranks among the worst avalanches in North American history, ranking behind a 1981 disaster in Washington in which 11 climbers died. Several other disasters, including a 1991 British Columbia avalanche and a 1999 Quebec avalanche, have had similar fatality numbers, both killing nine.

The guide company, which warned on social media of high avalanche danger just days before the disaster, was cooperating in the investigation. The company has also said that all its guides were trained in avalanche safety.

'The Sheriffs Office would like to express its continued gratitude to all of our mutual aid partners and volunteers who have worked tirelessly around the clock, initially to save six lives, and who have continuously worked in adverse weather conditions in an effort to bring loved ones safely home,' authorities said in a statement.

Introducing Azul, a sweet and playful Siberian husky mix with lots of love to give. Azul loves to romp in the yard with staff and go on long walks with volunteers. She is treat-motivated and knows several tricks, including sit, down and find it. Her foster family reported that she is very patient and well-mannered while in public spaces. She enjoys car rides and has had positive experiences around kids and other dogs. Could Azul be the right fit for your family?

Information: The spcaLA P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village and Education Center, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach. 562-216-2542 or spcaLA.com. Azul’s identification number is LACA-A-18655.

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Information: The spcaLA South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave., Hawthorne. 310-676-1149 or spcaLA.com. Mochi’s identification number is LACA-A-21429.

WASHINGTON (AP) ' Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trumps State of the Union address next week, just months after resoundingly winning an office previously held by a Republican.

The Democratic rebuttal will immediately follow Trumps address to Congress next Tuesday, offering the partys most high-profile opportunity to deliver a countermessage.

Spanberger, who served three terms in Congress, became Virginias first female governor earlier this year. She won the race by a double-digit margin, campaigning on affordability and lowering costs for families.

'Gov. Spanberger will lay out a clear path forward: lower everyday costs, protect healthcare, and defend the freedoms that define who we are as a nation,' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in announcing Spanberger as the partys pick that she 'embodies the best of America as a mother, community leader and dedicated public servant.'

On the campaign trail last year, Spanberger also spoke out against the White Houses gutting of the civil service, an issue that hit particularly hard in Virginia, home to a large number of federal workers.

'Those who have devoted their lives to public service, you are worried about an administration that is gilding buildings while schools crumble, breaking the social safety net and sowing fear across our communities,' Spanberger said at her inauguration. 'Betraying the values of who we are as Americans.'

Last years record-breaking government shutdown also hit the states sizable federal workforce, leaving many employees without pay for weeks.

The federal government is once again partially shut down as Democratic leaders in Congress and the White House remain at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The shutdown, which began Saturday, is likely to stretch into Trumps address Tuesday, with no agreement in sight.

As a former CIA case officer, Spanberger has tied her political career to her public service and national security credentials. She also has pitched herself as a mother of daughters educated in Virginias public schools and a Capitol Hill veteran who often worked across the aisle.

In the months since winning the election, she has vowed to work with the president when they are aligned, but also has taken more pointed digs at the White House.

Diaz reported from Richmond, Virginia

The patient is the fourth case of measles reported by the county Department of Public Health this year.

According to the agency, the unidentified resident arrived Feb. 9 at Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley Terminal B aboard Singapore Airlines flight 0038. Health officials said anyone who was at Terminal B between 7:30 and 9:40 p.m. Feb. 9 may have been exposed. Passengers who were seated near the patient will be notified by their local health officials.

The patient may have also exposed people at the following locations:

' Burger King, 1212 W. Beverly Blvd., Montebello, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 10

' Taqueria El Atacor, 11156 1/2 Whittier Blvd, Whittier, from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 11

' Domino’s Pizza, 803 W. Whittier Blvd, Montebello, from 4 to 5:15 p.m. Feb. 12

' 7-Eleven, 1106 W. Beverly Blvd, Montebello, from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Feb. 13

People who might have been exposed were advised to check their immunity status and contact their doctor about receiving the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine if they are unvaccinated or unsure.

There have been 910 confirmed cases of measles in the nation as of Feb. 12, the highest number of measles cases in that period since the U.S. achieved elimination status in 2000, according to the department. Most of the cases are linked to an ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina and one outbreak involving Arizona and Utah.

The majority of cases involve people who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, according to the county.

Common symptoms of the virus are fever, cough, red watery eyes and a rash that usually starts on the head and spreads. The virus spreads through the air and by direct contact with an infected person. An infection can be spreading the virus for four days before the rash is noticed.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday proposed a rule that would limit public housing mostly to citizens, which advocates fear could lead to tens of thousands of people being evicted.

The rule, published in the Federal Register, calls for limiting funding for those in public housing and other HUD-related housing to citizens and eligible noncitizens. The rule would require every resident in HUD-funded housing to show proof of citizenship or eligible status, including those 62 years and older who previously only had to show proof of age.

The measure would effectively bar mixed status families '- where some household members are eligible for help ' from housing and is part of the governments immigration crackdown. A similar rule was proposed but never finalized during the first Trump administration and is mentioned as a policy priority in the conservative blueprint Project 2025,

'Under President Trumps leadership, the days of illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters gaming the system and riding the coattails of American taxpayers are over,' HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement.. 'HUDs proposed rule will guarantee that all residents in HUD-funded housing are eligible tenants. We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes.'

The proposed rule will be made official when its published in the Federal Register on Friday. HUD did not answer how long it may take before the rule takes effect.

Housing advocates were quick to criticize the move.

'Our country can ensure that every one of us, no matter where we come from or what language we speak, has a safe home,' Shamus Roller, the executive director of the National Housing Law Project said in a statement. 'Instead, Trump is trying to evict immigrant families, citizen and non-citizen, from HUD housing.

In December, the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that up to 20,000 families or as many as 80,000 people could lose assistance due to changes in eligibility that would overturn a rule that has been in place for decades.

The impact of the rule could affect many more people who struggle to provide proper documentation. About 3.8 million adults with citizenship lack any form of documentation proving their citizenship, and another 17.5 million cannot easily get the documents.

'Everyone deserves an affordable home, including our neighbors, friends, and coworkers who are immigrants,' said Sonya Acosta, a senior policy analyst with the Center. 'This rule would force 20,000 families with mixed immigration statuses to make the agonizing choice between losing the assistance that helps them pay rent every month or separating their family. People without a documented immigration status have never been eligible for rental assistance.'

The same is true of most property investors looking to trade property.

In the residential space, the process of buying first and then selling requires one extra step for investors to defer capital gains taxes on the sale of a property. That extra step is called a 1031 exchange ' in reverse.

Before digging deeper, let me first briefly explain a 1031 exchange and a reverse 1031 exchange.

IRS code section 1031 is a tax-deferral strategy allowing real estate investors to sell investment property and reinvest the proceeds into another 'like-kind' property, deferring capital gains taxes. The replacement property must be of equal or greater value, identified within 45 days and closed within 180 days.

A qualified intermediary (third party) must hold the funds from the sale to ensure the investor never directly touches the money.

A reverse 1031 allows investors to buy a new replacement property before selling the relinquishing property, while still deferring capital gains.

It requires a qualified intermediary to hold the title to the property in what’s called a Qualified Exchange Accommodation Arrangement. Because an investor cannot own both properties simultaneously for a 1031 exchange, an Exchange Accommodation Titleholder or EAT (the temporary owner) is used to park the title until the relinquishing property is sold.

For some 1031 exchangers, there is still one more big challenge: Coming up with the down payment for the replacement property before the relinquishing property is sold and escrow is closed.

One solution is something akin to a reverse 1031 bridge loan. This means tapping equity from the relinquishing property (before it’s sold) and using that equity as a down payment.

Lendsure offers a unique loan program that addresses the down payment conundrum ' assuming you cant get the down payment elsewhere. Ive never heard of this before.

The investor takes out a first mortgage against the relinquishing property to be used as the down payment for the replacement property. The owner can take out as much as 70% of the equity in respect to California properties.

There are no payments for this loan. Interest accrues at about 8.75% with the balance being paid back when the relinquishing property sells. The loan must be paid off within 180 days (consistent with 1031 rules).

Once the loan is in place, the investor/owner gives title to the EAT.

Meanwhile the owner uses the relinquishing property loan for a down payment on the replacement property and takes out a mortgage against the replacement property.

Here’s an example:

'The relinquishing property is worth $1 million and is owned free and clear (no mortgage). The owner takes out a loan against this property for $700,000.

'The owner gives the property title to the EAT.

'The replacement property is being purchased for $1.5 million.

'The owner puts the $700,000 down on the replacement property and completes the purchase by taking out a $800,000 mortgage on the replacement property.

'The relinquished property eventually sells for $1 million. There is $300,000 in equity, minus the accrued interest and closing costs of say $30,000 for a total of $270,000 in equity.

'The EAT sends $270,000 to pay down the $700,000 replacement property loan to $430,000.

In this example, there is a prepayment penalty of $6,500 as the borrower can only pay the balance on the replacement home down by 20% of the original balance without a prepayment penalty kicking in.

'The reverse 1031 is completed using equity from the relinquishing property for the down payment.

Any investor using this system must balance the options carefully because there are significant costs involved. Points and closing costs are being charged for two mortgages.

In another reverse 1031 example, Exchange Resources charges a flat $8,000 fee for qualified intermediary services, according to Shelene Nordstrom-Vaka, the company’s vice president.

Full disclosure: My firm, Mortgage Grader, does business with Lendsure.

Freddie Mac rate news

The 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.01%, 8 basis points lower than last week. The 15-year fixed rate averaged 5.35%, 9 basis points lower than last week.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 2.8% mortgage application increase compared with one week ago.

Bottom line: Assuming a borrower gets an average 30-year fixed rate on a conforming $832,750 loan, last years payment was $459 more than this weeks payment of $4,998.

What I see: Locally, well-qualified borrowers can get the following fixed-rate mortgages with one point: A 30-year FHA at 5.25%, a 15-year conventional at 4.99%, a 30-year conventional at 5.5%, a 15-year conventional high balance at 5.5% ($832,751 to $1,249,125 in LA and OC and $832,751 to $1,104,000 in San Diego), a 30-year high balance conventional at 5.99% and a jumbo 30-year-fixed at 5.75%.

Eye-catcher loan program of the week: A 30-year mortgage, fixed for the first five years at 5.125% with 30% down payment and 1 point cost.

Jeff Lazerson, president of Mortgage Grader, can be reached at 949-322-8640 or jlazerson@mortgagegrader.com.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ' The United States has paid about $160 million of the nearly $4 billion it owes the United Nations, the U.N. said Thursday, and President Donald Trump promised more money to the financially strapped world organization.

The Trump administrations payment last week is earmarked for the U.N.s regular operating budget, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told The Associated Press.

The U.N. has said the United States owes $2.196 billion to its regular budget, including $767 million for this year, as well as $1.8 billion to a separate budget for the far-flung U.N. peacekeeping operations.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned late last month that the world body faces 'imminent financial collapse' unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States.

He said in a letter to all member nations that cash for the regular budget could run out by July, which could dramatically affect U.N. operations.

U.N. officials have said 95% of the overdue payments to the U.N.s regular budget is from the United States.

The disclosure of the U.S. payment came as Trump convened the first meeting of the Board of Peace, a new initiative initially meant to oversee the Gaza ceasefire but whose wider ambitions under Trump many see as an attempt to rival the U.N. Security Councils role in preventing and ending conflict around the world.

Trump has said the United Nations has not lived up to its potential and has withdrawn the U.S. from U.N. organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO, while pulling funding from dozens of others.

At the Board of Peace meeting Thursday in Washington, Trump was much more positive than he has been in the past about the future of the United Nations, which was established on the ashes of World War II.

He said his administration was going to be working 'very closely' with the U.N., adding, 'Someday, I wont be here ' the United Nations will be.'

Trump said the Board of Peace 'is going to almost be looking over the United Nations,' strengthening it and making sure its facilities are good and it runs properly.

'They need help, and they need help moneywise,' the president said, never mentioning that the U.S. failure to pay its dues is a key reason for the U.N.s financial crisis.

'Were going to help them moneywise, and were going to make sure the United Nations is viable,' Trump said. 'And I think its going to eventually live up to its potential. That will be a big day.'

He did not say when any future payments would be made.

Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said last week that Guterres has been in touch with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz 'for quite some time' and that the U.N.s controller also has been in touch with U.S. officials about the arrears.

The U.N. said 55 countries paid their annual dues for 2026 by the Feb. 8 due date.

Officials with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United union contend the healthcare system is proposing to restructure employee health plans, making them reliant on care at USC facilities. They claim such a move will overload an “already-strained network” and lead to longer wait times and delayed health care.

Also see: USC cutting 259 jobs as it tackles rising $230 million deficit

“Instead of improving access to care, USC has made the no-premium health plan worse and is using it as leverage in negotiations,” Valerie Hernandez, a registered nurse in the telemetry unit at USC Keck, said in a statement. “Nurses shouldn’t have to bargain for basic health care while providing it to others.”

Keck Medicine of USC issued a statement saying it was “disappointed” by the union’s decision to strike. According to Keck, the two sides reached a tentative agreement in November with the help of a mediator, with the proposal including “generous wage increases, availability of no-premium health plan for nurses and an increase in resource nurse staff to help support nurses’ ability to rest and recharge during their shifts, among other improvements.”

“Unfortunately, the tentative agreement was not ratified,” according to Keck.

Hospital officials said its facilities will remain open and fully staffed during the strike, “allowing us to continue our commitment to exceptional patient care.”

According to Keck, the union represents more than 1,400 nurses at Keck, Norris and select clinics.

Union officials said the strike is planned to continue for seven days, ending early next Thursday morning. Contract negotiations between the union and USC began in May 2025.

According to the union, its negotiators are calling for affordable and comprehensive healthcare coverage, improved staffing hours and stronger retention measures to reduce turnover.