NEW YORK, April 1 -- Barnard College issued the following news: Barnard College announced today that Viola Davis, the award-winning actress, producer and humanitarian, will deliver the keynote address to the Class of 2019 at Barnard College's 127th Commencement on May 20, 2019. Davis will receive the Barnard Medal of Distinction, the College's highest honor, for her stellar work in the performing arts as well as being an outspoken advocate of human rights. Barnard will also award medals to Sana  more

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, April 3 -- The U.S. Air Force Academy issued the following news: Three retired generals and a retired colonel were added to the Air Force Academy's Distinguished Graduate list, the Academy announced April 3. Retired Generals Chris Inglis, Edward Jayne, Mark Welsh and H. Michael Lambert, a retired colonel, are scheduled to be recognized at the Academy's Founder's Day Lunch, 11:30 a.m., April 5. Retired Brig. Gen. Inglis, Class of '76 Inglis flew T-37 and C-141 airc  more

SOMERVILLE, Massachusetts, April 2 -- Tufts University issued the following news release: * * * - Award-winning actress and activist among five honorary degree recipients * * * Actor, producer and activist Alfre Woodard will deliver the commencement address to the Tufts University Class of 2019 on Sunday, May 19. Woodard will receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the ceremony to be held at 9 a.m. on The Green on Tufts' Medford/Somerville campus. Woodard's exemplary work across h  more

LARAMIE, Wyoming, April 1 -- The University of Wyoming issued the following news release: You might not know the name Paul Debevec, but if you've seen a movie in the last 20 years, you most certainly have seen his work. Known as "Hollywood's Master of Light," Debevec is a senior scientist at Google VR and has been honored twice by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his work in capturing and simulating how people and objects appear in real-world illumination. The technology has  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Food Research and Action Center issued the following news release: The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) today announced that Janie Simms Hipp, President and CEO of the Native American Agriculture Fund and founding director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law, has been elected to its Board of Directors. "We are truly fortunate to have Janie on our Board," said Judy Whittlesey, Board Chair of FRAC. "Her lead  more

CASTLETON, Vermont, April 3 -- Castleton University issued the following news: Former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas will deliver the commencement address at Castleton University's 232nd graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 18. Douglas was named the 80th governor of Vermont in 2002 and was re-elected for three terms with a majority of the vote. He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in November 1972, where he would become the House majority leader during his third two-year term a  more

WASILLA, Alaska, April 3 -- Gov. Mike Dunleavy, R-Alaska, issued the following news release, dated April 1: A federal judge's decision to overturn President Donald Trump's executive order lifting an Obama-era ban on responsible oil and gas exploration in Alaska's offshore arctic is being met with opposition and regret by Alaska Governor Michael J. Dunleavy. "I am disappointed by this ruling and its implications for the state and national economy," said Governor Dunleavy. "Alaska's potential of  more

MISSOULA, Montana, April 5 -- The University of Montana issued the following news release: Dr. Michael McFaul is many things - a Montana native, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, best-selling author and Stanford University professor. McFaul will be at the University of Montana to deliver the final installment of the President's Lecture Series on Wednesday, April 10. After serving five years as special assistant to President Barack Obama and later as senior director for Russian and Eurasian Af  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- Gallup, a research-based, global performance-management consulting company, issued the following news, dated April 1: By Jim Norman Fifty-five percent of Americans worry "a great deal" about the availability and affordability of healthcare, topping Gallup's list of potentially worrisome issues for the fifth straight year. A majority of Americans have said they worry a great deal about healthcare in each of the 18 years the question has been asked since 2001, more than tw  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The House Judiciary Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 116-21) on legislation (H.R. 1585) to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. The report was advanced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, on March 27. Purpose and Summary H.R. 1585, the "Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019," would reauthorize grant programs under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)1 as well as expand critical protections for vulnerable populations such as youth, Native Ame  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The House Natural Resources subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. issued the following testimony by Kevin K. Washburn, dean of the University of Iowa College of Law, at a hearing on legislation (H.R. 375) to reaffirm the authority of the secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes and the Requirements, Expectations and Standard Procedures for Executive Consultation with Tribes Act: "Thank you for asking me to appear before you to testify   more

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, April 1 -- Morgan State University issued the following news: Morgan State University President David Wilson has been appointed to the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors, as announced by the NCAA. Dr. Wilson's term of service on the committees will begin in August 2019, at the close of the Board of Governors and Board of Directors meetings and continue through the close of the August 2023 board meetings. "Dr. Wilson has a wealth of experience and i  more

WASHINGTON, April 1 -- ProEnglish, an advocate of English language, issued the following news: A Florida congressman and Puerto Rico's non-voting representative have introduced a new bill in the 116th Congress that seeks to make Puerto Rico the 51st state. The Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2019 was sponsored by Rep. Darren Soto of Florida and Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon. The bill seeks to grant Puerto Rico statehood within 90 days of passage. Puerto Rico Governor  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, March 29 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - Commemorating 10 years of progress, bright future of Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park * * * This afternoon, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Gov. Phil Murphy, Mayor Andre Sayegh, and other officials celebrated the tenth anniversary of Paterson Great Falls as a National Historic Park. In a ceremony overlooking the gorgeous natural falls  more

NEW YORK, April 2 -- Penguin Books USA issued the following book description: Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, by Valerie Jarrett "The ultimate Obama insider" (The New York Times) and longest-serving senior advisor in the Obama White House shares her journey as a daughter, mother, lawyer, business leader, public servant, and leader in government at a historic moment in American history. When Valerie Jarrett interviewed a promising young lawyer named Michelle  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the House passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act: "Earlier this week, I was proud to preside over the House of Representatives as it passed the Paycheck Fairness Act. In America, Women working full-time, year-round still earn about 84 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by men. Women of color face the brunt of the inequality, with African American women earning 6  more

WASHINGTON, April 5 -- The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press issued the following news: That's how former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney describes April Ryan, the White House Correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks and a political analyst for CNN. Over the past two decades, Ryan has been a leader in political news reporting. As one of the only black female journalists covering urban issues from the White House, she reaches an audience of m  more

WASHINGTON, March 29 -- The office of Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, issued the following column: Now that the Mueller investigation is over, we can put to bed the persistent and erroneous allegations that President Trump's campaign colluded with the Russians to get him elected. Likewise, we should also put to bed another persistent and pernicious narrative: that the president and his administration have been "soft" on Russia. This narrative has been continuously promulgated by a host of former   more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- American University issued the following news: American University President Sylvia M. Burwell announced today that former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and founder of Fair Fight Action, Stacey Abrams, will deliver the university's first address for the 137th Commencement ceremonies at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 11. Abrams will address the graduating class in the School of Public Affairs and receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. "In her passi  more

NEW YORK, April 2 -- The Anti-Defamation League issued the following news release: Former DHS Secretaries Michael Chertoff and Jeh Johnson will co-chair a new Community Safety and Security Task Force convened by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), a leading anti-hate organization, and the Secure Community Network (SCN), the homeland security and safety initiative of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The task force will  more

SEATTLE, Washington, April 1 -- Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan issued the following news release: * * * - $1 million Regional Census Fund will help Seattle and King County-based community organizations fund their preparations for the 2020 Census; First-ever partnership between County, City, and Seattle Foundation to support Census outreach * * * Joined by community members at Seattle's El Cento de la Raza, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, and Seattle Found  more