It is clear that higher education is under attack. The Trump administration has frozen funding for science, from cancer research to reproductive care; has hamstrung student financial aid programs; has stripped colleges and universities of diversity, equity and inclusion programming; has strangled affirmative action designed to expand access to college; and is demanding that some institutions sign a “compact” that forces them to adopt Trump’s ideology in exchange for federal funding.

Dr. Byrce Pulliam spends his nights in a community emergency room in Southern Oregon, where the line between life and death can come down to seconds—and insurance coverage.

“I show up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with one goal in mind: to provide excellent care for patients in crisis. Being a doctor is often challenging, but it has become harder because our nation’s healthcare system is on life support,” he said before a House hearing on Oct. 8.

Scarlett Ahmed has started counting the number of people sleeping outside the Queens Career Center in New York City when she arrives at work in the morning.

“It was already bad,” she said. “But this? This will just add to it.”

HARRISBURG – Today, after more than 130 days, both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature passed a $50.1 billion state budget deal. The total amount is down from the $51.6 billion Governor Shapiro offered at his Budget Speech in February and the $50.6 billion House Democrats offered earlier this summer. The budget deal includes a $50 million increase for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, which takes money earmarked for public school students and inequitably move it to private schools, as well as an overall 4.8 percent increase for Higher Education, which includes a 5 percent increase in general support for Lincoln University, a very small increase for the state-related universities, but no budget increases for Community Colleges.

AFT Pennsylvania has made the following endorsements in the 2026 Pennsylvania special and primary elections. These endorsements are authorized by AFTPA, Wendy G. Coleman, president. AFT Pennsylvania does not ask for or accept authorization from any candidate or political committee and no candidate or political committee is responsible for its operations.