On campus: Upcoming Senate resolutions
The University Senate will vote Monday regarding two resolutions. The first calls for UI System President Timothy Killeen and Chancellor Robert Jones to join a Mutual Academic Defense Compact among the Big Ten Academic Alliance to provide legal and financial help to one another in the case of challenges from the Trump Administration.
“The preservation of one institution’s integrity is the concern of all, and an infringement against any member university of the Big Ten shall be considered an infringement against all,” the resolution read.
The second resolution aims to affirm a series of eight principles the University stands on and gives Senate approval for six calls to action the University could engage in. This resolution establishes the University’s position as being in favor of research and free speech and against funding cuts or succumbing to political pressures.
In the US: Department of Education announces student loan repayment changes
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The Education Department announced last week Monday it will resume collection of defaulted student loan payments on May 5, five years after halting loan collection in March 2020.
Defaulted loans describe those without payment for 270 days. According to the press release, defaulted borrowers will be notified of the policy changes and directed to resume making payments.
In the US: Dick Durbin announces retirement from US Senate
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday he will not seek reelection at the end of his term. Durbin’s decision marks the end of the Democrats’ 30-year tenure and will vacate a top seat in Democratic leadership.
Multiple Illinois Democrats have expressed interest in the open seat. This includes House Representatives Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood, State Senator Robert Peters, former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.
Durbin’s seat will open in Illinois’ U.S. Senate election on Nov. 3, 2026.
In the US: Reversal of student visa cancellation
The Trump administration announced Friday it would reverse its mass cancellation of international students’ resident statuses. This action is confirmed to have affected over 4,700 students nationwide.
On April 9, the federal government terminated the legal resident status of some students at the University. In a prior University Senate meeting, Chancellor Robert Jones said 11 students were “impacted” by the directive.
Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for strategic communications, told The Daily Illini in an email statement that school officials will continue to monitor changes and provide updates to those affected.
Worldwide: Gabon declares Oligui Nguema’s presidential win
Gabon’s constitutional court declared Friday that Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema won the April 12 election. The constitutional court reported that Oligui Nguema won 58,074 votes, which accounts for 94.85% of all votes cast.
Oligui Nguema defeated seven other candidates, including Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, the Central African country’s last prime minister. Bilie-By-Nze received approximately 3% of the vote.
Bilie-By-Nze told the Associated Press that Oligui Nguema took advantage of state resources to support his campaign, a claim Gabon’s government denies.
The election was Gabon’s first since Oligui Nguema staged a military coup in 2023.
Worldwide: US prepares arms deal with Saudi Arabia
The United States is preparing to offer an arms deal of over $100 billion to Saudi Arabia, six close sources told Reuters. The deal is expected to be announced when Trump visits the country next month.
The proposal would mark nearly a year since former President Joe Biden’s administration attempted to finalize a defense compact with Riyadh last May. This effort is part of a wider initiative to normalize Saudi relations with Israel.
The White House and the Saudi government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
