Indiana Governor Mike Pence is Donald Trump’s choice for running mate. Pence is with the Republican Party.

Here are some important facts to know about him:

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• In his speech to the Republican National Convention in July when he accepted the nomination for vice president, Pence described himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”
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• Pence the politician has represented Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District in Congress for six terms before becoming Indiana's governor, according to his website.
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• The Washington Post said Trump picked Pence because the leadership in the Republican Party likes Pence, and so do the social conservatives within the party. Essentially, Trump wanted to calm down Republicans with this pick, who may be nervous about Trump being at the top of the ticket, the Post said.
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• In 2015, Pence was caught up in controversy surrounding a “religious freedom” bill he signed as governor of Indiana. The Washington Post reported that this “Religious Freedom Restoration Act came under fire nationally, with c

  

  ritics contending that it could allow businesses to refuse to serve gay and lesbian patrons.” However, to the disdain of many social conservatives, Pence revised the bill so it could not be used in a discriminatory way.
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• Pence originally endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the primaries, just four days before voters in Indiana went to the polls. However, he is now a strong supporter of Trump.
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• The Washington Post said that Pence was “an early advocate for the Tea Party movement.” The Tea Party is a populist movement on the far right of the Republican Party that promotes cutting taxes, small government, and not compromising on the issues.
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• The foreign policy that Pence supports is similar to Trump’s. Pence says he believes in a stronger American military, is a supporter of Israel, and supports tough interrogation methods. (The New York Times)
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Fun Fact: Pence’s favorite ice cream flavor is "Moose Tracks," composed of vanilla ice cream, fudge and peanut butter cups. His favorite movie is the American classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” (Pence Fun Facts)

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In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.

WASHINGTON — 

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.