DePaul President Robert L. Manuel Testifies in Front of Congress, A New Special Advisor on Jewish Engagement at DePaul and Trump’s Latest Executive Order on Prescription Drug Prices
plus, a new album for spring
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team Lauren, Audrey, Diana, Claire, Gia, Mason, Jana, Nandi, Meredith and Noel. We’ve got a good one for you today.
To start, we have a feature covering DePaul President Robert L. Manuel’s testimony in front of Congress as well as the press conference he held the following day with student media, including 14 East. Next, we have information on commencement speakers as well as Chicago’s “Pope mania.” Then, we have information on white South African refugees who have migrated to the U.S. after being invited by President Donald Trump and several major international elections. To wrap up, we have information on the canceled Miche Fest and a recommendation for “Sincerely,” the latest album from Kali Uchis.
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With that, let’s get into it!
DePaul President Robert L. Manuel interviewed by student media following testimony to Congress
By Audrey Leib and Diana Torres
DePaul President Robert L. Manuel participated in a congressional hearing last week about antisemitism on the university’s campus, after threats were made to cut the university’s funding.
Prior to the hearing — which included Manuel and the presidents of California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and Haverford College — Lisa McClain, a Michigan Republican, said, “As a member of the committee, I look forward to asking those presidents what they are doing and what they intend to do about the risk of antisemitism on their campuses, and if they’re not doing anything, then I have a question: Why should they receive federal funding?”
Previous hearings on antisemitism were held by Congress nearly a year ago following the encampments held on college campuses nationwide. This year, several institutions, including Columbia and Northwestern, have experienced significant cuts to their federal funding, causing alarm among universities across the country.
A day after his testimony, Manuel hosted a press conference for DePaul student media, where he answered questions about new campus policies, student safety and free speech.
During the hearing, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) was often brought up by Republican congressional leaders as the core perpetrator of antisemitism on college campuses across the country. Manuel said that SJP had been suspended from campus, but an SJP spokesperson said they were not made aware of their suspension this quarter until the hearing in Congress. Manuel said in the press conference that their operations were suspended the Thursday before the hearing on May 1.
Last spring, members of DePaul's student body, along with several community members, participated in what encampment organizers said to be a peaceful encampment on DePaul’s quad that remained for 17 days. During the duration of the encampment, the university reported that it received 1,000 total complaints, including 34 reports of antisemitism, four credible threats of violence, and at least one death threat.
DePaul disassembled the encampment with removal by Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers. DePaul SJP and the DePaul Divest Coalition established the encampment to stand in solidarity with Gaza. Students on many university campuses across the U.S. held encampments to call for their universities to divest from companies benefiting from the war in Gaza.
Regarding the hearing itself, Manuel said that he did not set the agenda for the hearing and did his best to answer questions. Some of the questions asked in the hearing included the number of students suspended or expelled as a result of the encampment, how many students were arrested at the encampment and if SJP will be banned from campus.
“I entered the conversation in good faith to talk about what DePaul was doing regarding, specifically again, regarding antisemitism,” Manuel said. “I didn't do that with a sense of understanding that it would have reputational value or not. I did it because when we were invited into [Congress] we needed to make sure that we were represented in our own words.”
Last November, two Jewish students were assaulted by two men on DePaul’s campus while expressing support of Israel. The university is now being sued by the students for their alleged failure to protect them. So far, one person, Adam Erkan, 20, has been arrested. Erkan, who is not a DePaul student, is facing charges of aggravated battery and a hate crime. DePaul condemned the attack and has said it has taken steps to improve security.
In response to Manuel’s testimony in Congress, Henna Ayesh, a DePaul junior and SJP member, said in an interview with WBEZ that she and her friends cried while watching.
“We have publicly seen our own president, who we have been paying to protect us, submit to right wing fascist politicians and [testify] openly and proudly that he has sanctioned and silenced us as Palestinian students on campus for the sake of protecting other students,” Ayesh said to WBEZ. “He could have protected freedom of speech … and [instead] he gave into Trump’s agenda. He gave into exactly what that committee wanted to hear.”
When asked what his response would be to students who feel there is a double standard over how he has reacted to pro-Israel students versus pro-Palestinian students who feel unsafe on campus, Manuel said: “I don't believe there is. Acting in any instance where there is hate on campus, to prevent that, I welcome any student population to come in civil ways to talk about the fears that they have, the concerns that they have, and the address will happen the same way.”
Manuel was also asked, “Do you believe your administration is upholding the Vincentian mission by targeting Palestinian groups and free speech?”
He responded: “I don't believe we're targeting Palestinian groups and free speech. I believe we're upholding our Vincentian mission to ensure that everybody can speak here and make sure that everybody is safe and welcome in our community … I think it's not appropriate to judge my actions as being anti-Palestinian. I am committed to the safety and the care of everybody here.”
Manuel continued that he cares about the lives lost in Gaza and that DePaul was one of the first universities to call for a ceasefire after October 7.
“At some point, there has to be some trust that I'm not focusing on a single issue,” Manuel said. “If we have conversations and pro-Palestinian lives are in jeopardy, or there's Islamophobia happening, we engage that as well, too.” Manuel explained that any complaints of hate that interrupt a student’s ability to enjoy a safe campus will be looked at by his staff in the same manner.
In the final moments of the interview, a question was asked about why DePaul has not signed a letter by the American Association of Colleges and Universities opposing government intrusion in higher education. Hundreds of university administrators have signed the letter so far. Manuel, in response, detailed that he is the vice chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, overseeing more than 1,000 universities in America.
He said he was “working far harder” than signing the letter. When asked what consideration he was taking, he said he was weighing the action of signing the letter with other actions the university could take in response.
Manuel’s full hearing can be found on YouTube here. Manuel’s written testimony entered during the hearing can be found here.
DePaul News
By Claire Rooney
New Special Advisor on Jewish Engagement to President Manuel — Scott Levin was announced as the special advisor to DePaul President Robert L. Manuel last week. Levin is a former Anti-Defamation League (ADL) regional director and has worked on non-profit boards in the past focused on combating antisemitism. At DePaul, he is leading a task force combating antisemitism on campus, which will be “comprised of internal and external stakeholders,” according to DePaul University Communications. Levin’s background as a trial attorney spanned 30 years before he transitioned to leading the Mountain States Region of the ADL.
Commencement speakers announced for 2025 graduation ceremonies — DePaul announced seven student speakers for each college’s commencement ceremony last Monday. Graduation for law students will be held on May 24. All other colleges will hold commencement the weekend of June 14-15. Read more about the students on DePaul Newsline here.
Chicago Headlines
By Gia Clarke
Chicago businesses cash in on “Pope mania” — Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV , is displayed all over Chicago businesses. Prevost, a Chicago native, is the first American pope and he was born in the South Side of Chicago. Chicago t-shirt companies and other vendors have already come out with Pope Leo t-shirts, key fobs and mugs. Cubs and White Sox-themed t-shirts with the Pope’s name on them became popular sellers. Portillo’s even named an Italian beef sandwich “The Leo” in honor of the newly selected pope. Mack Liederman from Block Club Chicago has more information.
Alleged O Block gang leader killed in Edgewater shooting — Rapper and alleged gang leader Rachaun “Munna Duke” Vance was shot in Edgewater, along with two other men, Derrell Givens and an unknown man, in an ambush attack early Saturday morning. Vance was an associate of Dayvon “King Von” Bennett, the late rapper who was O Block’s most prominent member. During the shooting, Vance was shot in the chest and died in Weiss Memorial Hospital. Givens was shot and pronounced dead at St. Francis Hospital and the other man was shot in his back and taken to Evanston hospital in fair condition. Tom Schuba from the Chicago Sun-Times has more information.
After a bank vault door crushed his knee, a rare surgery allowed suburban man to walk again — Angel Bueno from Franklin Park underwent a rare and challenging surgery at Advocate Condell Medical Center to repair his knee after he was crushed by a bank vault door during a construction job. He tore three knee ligaments, which is a rare injury, according to Bueno’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Paul Metzger. Metzger used one minimally invasive procedure rather than three to repair the knee. The procedure involved “arthroscopic and fluoroscopic techniques, meaning he used a tiny camera and X-ray imaging during the surgery to minimize scars and disruption to the body.” Mary Norkol from the Chicago Sun-Times has more information.
“The House on Mango Street” will debut as an opera this summer — The classic novel by Sandra Cisneros, “The House on Mango Street,” will debut in Chicago as an opera adaptation this summer. New York’s Glimmerglass Festival will stage the opera. The novel is a collection of vignettes that Cisneros wrote about her childhood in Humboldt Park. It follows a Mexican-American girl named Esperanza through a year in her life in the Chicago neighborhood. The 1984 novel has sold 7 million copies, has been translated into 25 languages and is a school reading requirement across the country. Ariel Parrella-Aurelli from Block Club Chicago has more information.
National Headlines
By Mason McKee
Dow and S&P 500 jump back up after U.S. and China came to 90-day truce in trade war — Stocks began improving after China and the United States announced there would be a 90-day truce in their trade war, which had sent the stock markets to historic lows. The tariffs against each country have been temporarily taken down, leading to the S&P 500 being shot up 3.3%, pulling back within 5% of its all-time high set in February. The Dow Jones Industrial average jumped 1,160 points, and the Nasdaq composite climbed up 4.3%. This move could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy’s growth this year, says Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. This is a significant chunk, one that will help the U.S. economy recover from the 0.3% annual shrinkage in the first three months of the year. For more information, you can find Stan Choe’s article at the AP.
Trump signs executive order that gives drugmakers 30-day timer to lower prescription drug costs — President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order earlier today which set a 30-day deadline for drugmakers to electively lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. or face limits on what the government will pay down the road. “We’re going to equalize,” Trump said during a Monday morning press conference. “We’re all going to pay the same. We’re going to pay what Europe pays.” The effect Trump’s executive order will have on millions of Americans with private health insurance is uncertain. This comes after the Republican-led House released a new plan to trim $880 billion from Medicaid. U.S. drugmakers, however, say that this new order will impact the research they can do to develop new drugs. “Importing foreign prices from socialist countries would be a bad deal for American patients and workers,” Stephen J. Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, said in a statement. “It would mean less treatments and cures and would jeopardize the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America.” For more information, you can find Amanda Seitz and Seung Minkim’s article at the AP.
Trump welcomes 59 white South Africans into the U.S. as refugees — The Trump administration has welcomed 59 white South Africans, who the administration says are escaping discrimination and violence at home, as refugees. This decision has raised questions from refugee advocates about why these Afrikaners were admitted when the Trump administration has suspended efforts to resettle other groups who are fleeing war and persecution. A group of 49 was expected, but a total of 59 had arrived Monday, according to the State Department. “I want you all to know that you are really welcome here and that we respect what you have had to deal with these last few years,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said. For more information, you can find Matthew Lee, Rebecca Santana and Mogomotsi Magome’s article at the AP.
California Gov. Gavin Newson urges cities and counties to ban homeless encampments — Calif. Gov. Gavin Newson has urged California cities and counties to begin clearing homeless encampments, seeking to address the makeshift tents that line underpasses, parks and streets up and down the state. Newsom has even released a new blueprint aimed at banning homeless encampments that counties, cities and towns can directly adopt or modify to achieve his goals. Newsom is also releasing $3.3 billion in voter-approved funds to expand housing and treatment options for homeless residents. “The time for inaction is over. There are no more excuses,” Newsom said. This declaration comes a year after the U.S. Supreme Court made it easier for officials to ban homeless people from camping outside. Many Democrats welcomed the ruling despite many criticizing that the decision was cruel for homeless people. For more information, you can find Janie Har’s article at the AP.
International Headlines
By Jana Simović
Kurdish PKK militant group disbands — Kurdish militant group, the PKK, has announced that it will disband as a part of a new peace initiative with Turkey. Back in February, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, called for his group to convene a congress to disarm and disband. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, or the Kurdistan Workers Party, has spanned into northern Iraq and Syria with Turkey carrying out incursions in neighboring regions throughout history. The organization’s decision was announced by the Firat News Agency, which also stated that the PKK sought to end its “organizational structure” and suggested that its armed struggle had successfully challenged policies that suppressed Kurdish rights. This article by Suzan Fraser from the AP has more details on the announcement as well as some historical context that led up to it.
Midterm votes counted in the Philippines — As final votes are counted for the Philippines midterm elections, results so far show that the country's former president, Rodrigo Duterte, has been able to regain his power back as the potential Davao mayor. Duterte, however, isn’t in his home country currently but rather in a Hague prison in the Netherlands as he is facing charges brought forward by the International Criminal Court following his drug war that killed thousands during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. Under Philippine law, candidates facing criminal charges can run for office unless they are convicted or exhausted of all appeals. Follow Joel Guinto’s coverage on the BBC for live results of the election here.
Albania hold parliamentary elections — As Llazar Semini at the AP reports, Albanians voted in parliamentary elections on Sunday, including those in the diaspora, or those that have emigrated abroad. This is the first time they were eligible. Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party has stated they are able to deliver EU membership within the next five years, a topic that has been on the country’s radar.
Iranian response to Trump’s proposal of renaming Persian Gulf — Radio Free Europe’s newsletter written by Kian Sharifi, The Farda Briefing, that tracks key issues in Iran analyzes the implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to rename the Persian Gulf to the “Arabian Gulf” or “Gulf of Arabia.” Sharifi goes more in depth regarding Iran’s national pride for the Persian Gulf and what future implications a name change may hold. Trump is currently on his way to visit the Middle East.
Malaysia’s Indigenous face illegal eviction due to deforestation — As communities around the world battle deforestation, Malaysia’s Indigenous population face possible eviction from the forest they call home. Grist senior staff writer, Anita Hofschneider, reports on the local government ignoring Indigenous rights and potential lasting effects if deforestation on the island of Borneo were to be continued.
14 East Pueblo: Latin music event Miche Fest canceled after visa issues
By Annabelle Rivera
A festival celebrating Latin music will no longer go on due to issues with securing visas for performing artists.
Organizers announced last week that the festival would be canceled “due to the uncertainty surrounding artist visas and the rapidly changing political climate.”
Formerly known as Michelada Fest, the event was supposed to bring live Latin music, local food stands and michelada vendors to Oakwood Beach. This cancellation comes only two months before it was slated to happen.
The lineup would have included Brazilian pop star Anitta, Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean and Mexican band Grupo Firme.
“We’re heartbroken by the greater impact this will have on our involved community, with ripple effects reaching our neighborhoods, local economy and the culture we’ve built together,” festival organizers wrote. “But despite this setback, we remain committed to our values. Michelada Fest will always be a safe place where our community comes together, united by pride and love of our culture and music. That won’t ever change.”
Refunds will reportedly be issued to the original form of payment within seven to 20 business days.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Nandi Smith
Kali Uchis released her fifth studio album titled “Sincerely” May 9, and it is bound to transport you to another space and time.
On March 17, Kali posted a teaser video to Instagram announcing the album.
The video takes place in a moonlit room draped in velvety purple drapes where she sits at a desk in curlers and silk, working on a stationary set. She hums softly behind a narration:
“I dream of a home that even time will lie down and be still for, a place where everything works out the way it should… Sincerely.”
Magical elements are present throughout as candle flames come on without being lit, tea stirs itself, and her outfit changes before our eyes, signaling a mystical otherworldly presence.
March 27, she released “Sunshine & Rain…” followed by “ILYSMIH” on April 25. Both songs lay the landscape for what listeners should expect from this album: a tranquil sound with themes of love
While the romantic lyrics in both songs remain true to the Kali Uchis fans have grown to love, there is a noticeable shift in tempo, especially in comparison to the album that precedes this one, which leaned heavily into reggaeton influence.
Uchis’ melodic sound is a fusion of many genres, including R&B, reggaeton, Latin and soul. She is influenced by artists of many backgrounds, making her sound distinct.
I have grown to understand that this level of range paves the way for there to be much terrain for her to cover as someone exploring their artistry.
You fall in love with a particular sound of hers and expect it again, but she’s moved to the exploration of a new sound. Yet and still, when you listen to her discography, there is consistency and a synergy throughout all the music she has put out.
While the sound of “Sincerely” is different than what I expected coming off of the last album, it shares similarities with “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios).”
In preparation for this album debut, Uchis did interviews with artist Summer Walker, radio personality Angie Martinez, influencer Quen Blackwell and streamer Pokimane.
What emerged from these interviews was a newfound sense of intimacy. She reflected on the passing of her mother, the birth of her child, her relationship with Don Toliver, and her ongoing journey as a woman and artist.
Overall, the mood of this album is that of a slow burn. It’s beautiful, feminine, romantic and mystical. Her harmonies and the wondrous sound produced by synthesizers, piano, and strings put listeners in a trance-like state.
Uchis has spoken about guiding her journey as an artist. This includes investing in her albums when labels didn’t want to back her vision of being a bilingual artist, building an image true to her from the ground up. “Sincerely” reflects the fruit of that labor in a project that is emotional and authentic.
Throughout her career, we, the fans, get to move with her in and out of each chapter, and more than ever, it can be felt on this album. We get to grieve with her, experience new bounds of love, ruminate in renewed perspectives on the internal world of someone who has gone through loss, brought in new life, and is building a family.
Whether or not “Sincerely” becomes your favorite album or not, it is a reminder of what it means to be an artist and the gift it is to live our lives alongside music.
My Top 5 off the album:
“Breeze!”
“Territorial”
“Fall Apart,”
“Lose My Cool,”
“Sunshine & Rain…”
Resources
Need resources regarding cooling centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
International students concerned about their visa status can contact the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Students can check their visa status through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team