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Who is Tim Kaine? Fast Facts about Clinton's VP Pick

© https://giphy.com/gifs/election2016-hillary-clinton-tim-kaine-3oEjI9hprxSTLDbcR2
© https://giphy.com/gifs/election2016-hillary-clinton-tim-kaine-3oEjI9hprxSTLDbcR2
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine is Hillary Clinton’s choice for running mate. Kaine is the former governor of the state of Virginia, and is a member of the Democratic Party.

Here are some of the most important facts to know about him:

  • Kaine was the first governor outside Illinois to endorse then-Senator Obama in 2007, when Obama was running for president the first time. Kaine had been considered for Obama's vice president before being passed over for Joe Biden. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

  • Kaine has served as mayor, governor, and U.S. senator. He is one
    of only 30 people in American history to have done this. (Senator Tim Kaine).

  • Vir
    [#Beginning of Shooting Data Section] Nikon D3X 1/9/2013 13:24:03.66 Time Zone and Date: UTC-5, DST:OFF RAW (14-bit) Image Size: L (6048 x 4032), FX Lens: 85mm f/1.4G Artist: Copyright: Focal Length: 85mm Exposure Mode: Manual Metering: Matrix Shutter Speed: 1/200s Aperture: f/7.1 Exposure Comp.: 0EV Exposure Tuning: ISO Sensitivity: ISO 100 Optimize Image: White Balance: Preset manual d-1, 0, 0 Focus Mode: AF-C AF-Area Mode: Single AF Fine Tune: OFF VR: Long Exposure NR: OFF High ISO NR: OFF Color Mode: Color Space: Adobe RGB Tone Comp.: Hue Adjustment: Saturation: Sharpening: Active D-Lighting: Normal Vignette Control: Normal Auto Distortion Control: Picture Control: [SD] STANDARD Base: [SD] STANDARD Quick Adjust: 0 Sharpening: 3 Contrast: Active D-Lighting Brightness: Active D-Lighting Saturation: 0 Hue: 0 Filter Effects: Toning: Map Datum: Image Authentication: OFF Dust Removal: [#End of Shooting Data Section]
    [#Beginning of Shooting Data Section] Nikon D3X 1/9/2013 13:24:03.66 Time Zone and Date: UTC-5, DST:OFF RAW (14-bit) Image Size: L (6048 x 4032), FX Lens: 85mm f/1.4G Artist: Copyright: Focal Length: 85mm Exposure Mode: Manual Metering: Matrix Shutter Speed: 1/200s Aperture: f/7.1 Exposure Comp.: 0EV Exposure Tuning: ISO Sensitivity: ISO 100 Optimize Image: White Balance: Preset manual d-1, 0, 0 Focus Mode: AF-C AF-Area Mode: Single AF Fine Tune: OFF VR: Long Exposure NR: OFF High ISO NR: OFF Color Mode: Color Space: Adobe RGB Tone Comp.: Hue Adjustment: Saturation: Sharpening: Active D-Lighting: Normal Vignette Control: Normal Auto Distortion Control: Picture Control: [SD] STANDARD Base: [SD] STANDARD Quick Adjust: 0 Sharpening: 3 Contrast: Active D-Lighting Brightness: Active D-Lighting Saturation: 0 Hue: 0 Filter Effects: Toning: Map Datum: Image Authentication: OFF Dust Removal: [#End of Shooting Data Section]
    ginia, the state where Kaine has spent most of his political career, is considered a swing state in 2016. This means that Virginia could be one of the states that helps sway the election one way or the other, depending on who wins it.

  • Kaine delivered the first speech entirely in Spanish on the Senate floor in 2013. The speech was about immigration reform. Kaine is fluent in Spanish because he spent a year doing missionary work in Honduras before he went to law school at Harvard University. (CNN)

  • While Kaine is a Catholic and personally does not agree with abortion, he supports a woman’s right to privacy and choice. (CNN)

  • Kaine is seen as very similar to Clinton’s positions on most of the big issues in the election. The New York Times called him “someone who shares her political philosophy and pragmatic approach to governing.”

  • The Washington Post called Kaine a cautious pick for Clinton, and said that in picking Kaine, Clinton may be thinking, "This is my race to win, and I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks along the way that could potentially screw that up."


Fun fact: According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Kaine learned how to play the harmonica in 1971. He is still an enthusiastic harmonica player!

Giphy

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Universities move away from DEI initiatives

FILE - The sign above the door to the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging inside the main administration building on the main University of Kansas campus is seen on April 12, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
FILE - The sign above the door to the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging inside the main administration building on the main University of Kansas campus is seen on April 12, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have fallen out of favor in higher education recruiting and hiring in recent years, but even more colleges and universities are moving away from the programs now, Thea Felicity reports in University Herald.

In addition to political opposition to the programs, there are concerns that DEI initiatives hinder free speech, affect ideological balances and discourage academic freedom. (December 2024)

‘College Deserts’ leave many communities without higher education options 

FILE - The Cuyahoga Community College campus is shown, May 28, 2019, in Cleveland, OHIO.
FILE - The Cuyahoga Community College campus is shown, May 28, 2019, in Cleveland, OHIO.

“College Deserts” – areas where high schools are located more than 30 miles away from the nearest community college – leave large groups of people unable to pursue higher education because of transportation problems, Lexi Lonas Cochran writes in The Hill.

Most college deserts are in the Southern U.S., with a recent study in Texas showing that long commuting distances discourage many potential students from attending college. (December 2024)

Analysts say rate of college closures likely to increase 

FILE - The Manor House at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt., is seen on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. The college's Board of Trustees announced Tuesday, April 9, that the school is closing at the end of the semester after years of declining enrollment and financial struggles.
FILE - The Manor House at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt., is seen on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. The college's Board of Trustees announced Tuesday, April 9, that the school is closing at the end of the semester after years of declining enrollment and financial struggles.

If current trends continue, the rate of college closures is expected to increase, according to a new study reported in Forbes.

Closures are more likely to affect private institutions, and while the number of closures might seem small on a national level, it could cause serious problems for the smaller and mid-sized communities where those colleges are located. (December 2024)

Judge upholds racial considerations in US Naval Academy admissions 

FILE - U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen participate in a formal parade on the school's campus in 2010. (U.S. Navy photo)
FILE - U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen participate in a formal parade on the school's campus in 2010. (U.S. Navy photo)

Although the U.S. Supreme Court last year decided that civilian colleges and universities could not consider race or ethnicity in admissions, a judge ruled that the U.S. Naval Academy had established a national security interest in a diverse officer corps.

That means the academy – and other military service academies – can continue to consider race. A similar policy at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has also been challenged, but that case has not yet gone to trial, according to a report in Navy Times. (December 2024)

Harvard recommends gap year as a strategic move 

FILE - In this July 16, 2019, file photo people walk past an entrance to Widener Library, behind, on the campus of Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass.
FILE - In this July 16, 2019, file photo people walk past an entrance to Widener Library, behind, on the campus of Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass.

While some students and parents see the gap year as a waste of time, others see the break in academic studies as valuable for developing maturity, earning money or focusing goals.

MSN.com explains some of the reasons why Harvard – and other prestigious schools in the United States – are recommending that students take a gap year. (December 2024)

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