Wikipedia will go offline on Wednesday to protest two congressional bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act, referred to as SOPA, and the Protect IP Act, known as PIPA, The New York Times reported. The two bills aim to curb internet piracy by allowing the U.S. Department of Justice to seek court orders against websites accused of housing copyrighted material, though critics say it would inhibit free speech on the Internet. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales believes nearly 100 million people will be affected by the site's blackout, according to The New York Times. PIPA has been passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and is awaiting debate on the open floor, while SOPA is still in the House Judiciary Committee. Reddit, a social news site, and BoingBoing, a popular technology and culture blog, will also go offline tomorrow, according to The Times.
State funding for the top 101 public research universities dropped 10 percent from 2002-2010 when adjusted for inflation, according to a biennial report published by the National Science Foundation on Tuesday, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Despite rising student enrollment, roughly three-fourths of the universities surveyed lost at least some government support, according to The Chronicle. The report also found that the United States' investment in research has been held back by the economic downturn in 2008, while countries like China and India continue to heavily invest in technology and education, The Chronicle reported.
Belmont Abbey College and Colorado Christian University, two religious colleges, have filed suit in federal court over a guideline in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that exempts religious employers from providing insurance plans covering contraceptives, Inside Higher Ed reported. The colleges believe the mandate is too narrow, as the current regulation exempts only religious congregations, not other religious organizations such as hospitals, charities and universities, according to Inside Higher Ed. More colleges are expected to file grievances of their own, senior legal counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty Hannah Smith said in an interview with Inside Higher Ed. Catholic universities will be affected most by the mandate because they will not be exempt and will have to provide insurance for contraception, despite the institutions' religious beliefs, Inside Higher Ed reported. While the rule is currently slated to take effect on Aug. 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is examining alternate definitions to broaden the exemption's application, according to Inside Higher Ed.
