U.C.L.A.’s Chancellor Will Testify Today on Capitol Hill

u.c.l.a.’s chancellor will testify today on capitol hill

U.C.L.A.’s chancellor, Gene Block, in February. He has said he would step down at the end of July, but the university hasn’t named a replacement.

Gene Block, the chancellor of U.C.L.A., has had a difficult few weeks. His life is not likely to get any easier today.

Block is scheduled to appear before what may be the most aggressive panel on Capitol Hill these days: the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Over the past six months, the Republican-led committee has grilled school officials and university presidents about antisemitism and pro-Palestinian activism on campus in hearings that have made even experienced leaders squirm.

u.c.l.a.’s chancellor will testify today on capitol hill

Traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in March.

The presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania resigned after their widely derided appearances at a hearing of the committee in December. Columbia’s president drew sharp criticism over her testimony last month.

Block would appear to be particularly vulnerable. He allowed a pro-Palestinian encampment to remain on the campus for more than a week, which drew criticism from the right. And he has been assailed by progressives as well, after pro-Palestinian protesters were violently attacked by counterprotesters on the night of April 30 and campus law enforcement officers stood by without intervening.

u.c.l.a.’s chancellor will testify today on capitol hill

Xiuhcoatl Danza Azteca performing at the start of the Carnaval parade in San Francisco in 2014.

The university’s Academic Senate voted down two proposed resolutions last week that would have rebuked Block, largely for how he handled the attack, but the vote was close: One of the resolutions, to censure Block, fell just a single vote short of passage.

He is not long for the job in any case: Block, 75, announced last year that he would step down at the end of July. Even so, backers of the two resolutions said they felt they needed to stand up for students injured in the attack, and to send a message to Block’s successor, who has not yet been named.

The fact that the role hasn’t been filled speaks to how difficult the top jobs at colleges have become in a time of increasing polarization, my colleagues Alan Blinder and Stephanie Saul reported this week.

“There’s always something going down in higher ed, and these are hard jobs on a good day,” said Margaret Spellings, a former president of the University of North Carolina System who noted that, especially now, the nation’s campuses were “the front lines of the American public square.”

Read the full article about how the role of college presidents has changed, leaving an unusually high number of unfilled top positions. The article includes interviews with a former head of the University of California system as well as the last U.C. Berkeley chancellor.

For more:

■ When the Berkeley schools superintendent and other public school leaders testified before the House committee earlier this month they upstaged the panel’s Republicans and the Ivy League leaders who went before.

■ The chief of the U.C.L.A. campus police has been reassigned in the aftermath of the April 30 attack on the pro-Palestinian encampment.

______

The rest of the news

■ A bill that would require new cars in California to alert drivers when they exceed the speed limit narrowly passed its first vote in the State Senate, The Los Angeles Times reports.

■ The Republican Party’s main super PAC for House races is planning to spend $30 million on advertising for candidates in California, Politico reports.

■ California Democrats have introduced a bill that would forbid public school districts from introducing parental notification policies that they say are harmful to L.G.B.T.Q. students, The Sacramento Bee reports.

Southern California

■ Moonlight Rollerway invokes nostalgia as host to some of Glendale’s best skate parties for more than 60 years.

■ Eric Weinberg, a writer and producer on the TV series “Scrubs,” was ordered by a Los Angeles County judge to stand trial on 28 counts of rape and sexual battery, after he was charged in 2022 with sexually assaulting at least five women. He has pleaded not guilty.

Northern California

■ The Richmond Police Department has hired an outside investigator to look into the arrest of a Black man who was struck by an officer while the man was filming an unrelated arrest, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

■ University of California officials are seeking a court injunction to immediately end a strike by academic workers at U.C. Santa Cruz, The Los Angeles Times reports.

■ Nvidia, the Silicon Valley manufacturer of microchips that power most artificial intelligence applications, reported soaring revenue and profits.

■ The city of Oakland reached a deal to sell its half-interest in the Oakland Coliseum to a developer for $105 million, The Associated Press reports.

______

And before you go, some good news

Carnaval San Francisco is a two-day event that celebrates Latin American and Caribbean culture. Visitors to the city’s Mission District can experience the festival this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday.

The first Carnaval in San Francisco was held at Precita Park in 1979, KQED reports. The celebration includes a parade featuring several floats, musical performances and hundreds of dancers. Each contingent of performers will be judged and ranked.

______

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumya

P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword.

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.

Halina Bennet, Briana Scalia and Lauren Hard contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at [email protected].

OTHER NEWS

17 minutes ago

Video: Hawaii becomes the first US state to have an official hand gesture - here's how you do it

20 minutes ago

Argentina vs. Chile live score: Copa America 2024 updates, result as Lionel Messi faces second group match

20 minutes ago

Do the dividends from AMP shares come fully franked?

20 minutes ago

Australians ‘choosing between heating and eating’ this winter

20 minutes ago

Mortgage portability: A solution to the housing market's 'lock-in effect'?

20 minutes ago

‘Doors open to everybody else’ if Senator Payman ‘allowed to slip through’

20 minutes ago

‘Creation is Not a Democracy’: Why Panerai’s Design Philosophy is Staunchly Unapologetic

20 minutes ago

'Winning again feels special' says Hatton after seizing maiden LIV Golf title in Nashville

20 minutes ago

Luka Modric speaks out on retirement as Croatia near Euro 2024 exit

20 minutes ago

Mums tackling childcare waiting list stress gather their own data to put solutions on the table

20 minutes ago

Volkswagen And Rivian Are Teaming Up On Software In $5 Billion Deal

20 minutes ago

Furyk and Weir set to square off in biennial 2024 President’s Cup in Canada

20 minutes ago

Judge Cannon is skeptical that evidence from Mar-a-Lago should be thrown out

20 minutes ago

Arkansas AG sues Temu over alleged ‘deceptive tactics’ harming consumers: 'Data theft business'

22 minutes ago

Game 7 Of Stanley Cup Final Posts Historic TV Numbers As Florida Panthers Edge Connor McDavid’s Oilers For First NHL Title

22 minutes ago

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleads guilty

22 minutes ago

Video: Gary Neville slams 'BASIC' England and admits bore draw with Slovenia was a 'struggle to watch' - as he names the one player 'certain' to start in the last-16

23 minutes ago

Freeland says Canada is looking at surtax on Chinese EVs

23 minutes ago

Julian Assange: The enigmatic WikiLeaks founder who divides opinion

23 minutes ago

Vikings Links: Could the Vikings sit JJ McCarthy for more than one season?

23 minutes ago

Chris Bowen lashes Coalition’s ‘half-baked yellow cake’ nuclear plan

23 minutes ago

Labor’s renewable plan ‘so well behind schedule’: Sussan Ley

23 minutes ago

Chiefs News: Kansas City to Partner With Hallmark on Original Romance Movie

23 minutes ago

'I Want To Be Ready!' Jets' McDonald Preparing for Breakout

23 minutes ago

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson explains controversial selection calls

23 minutes ago

Does Commanders 'Aggressive' Offseason Mean They Rank With Texans?

23 minutes ago

Dr Doireann O'Leary on the triggers that cause acne in women way past their teens

23 minutes ago

Jets' Tyron Smith To Have Plenty of Vet Days

23 minutes ago

The New VW Golf R Wagon Is All the Car You Need but Can't Have

23 minutes ago

What to expect from Deion Sanders' Colorado this season

25 minutes ago

21 million Miniverse toy sets recalled after reports of burns and respiratory irritation

29 minutes ago

Pentagon chief speaks with Russian defense minister

29 minutes ago

Boots shoppers praise £5 moisturiser that's recommended by dermatologists and 'saves' skin

29 minutes ago

An offseason checklist for the Edmonton Oilers

29 minutes ago

Julian Assange’s eye-watering bill to fly free

30 minutes ago

Deschamps admits ‘we deserve to be second’ but expects France to click

30 minutes ago

‘Wholly unsuitable’ outdoor dining area removed following shock closure of Wexford pub

30 minutes ago

How do you spot an innovation stock?

30 minutes ago

Maguire lauds Latrell impact on Blues' Origin focus

30 minutes ago

Championship revenue exceeds wages - Deloitte report