From Inside Higher Education: “Education Secretary Linda McMahon and her legal team have dropped their appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked the department from requiring colleges to eradicate all race-based curriculum, financial aid, and student services or lose federal funding. The motion to dismiss was jointly approved by both parties in the case on January 21, ending a nearly yearlong court battle over the department’s Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter, which declared race-based programs and policies illegal. If institutions didn’t comply within two weeks, department officials threatened to open investigations and rescind federal funding.” Read more here.