Chantal flooding: 6 dead | Duke (illegal?) DEI practices, again | Trump admin suspends education grants
No. 131 — Jun. 29-Jul. 5, 2025
Six dead, significant property damage from Tropical Storm Chantal
Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Chantal cause serious flooding this week, especially in Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Orange Counties, requiring over hundreds of water rescues and leading to six documented flood-related fatalities:
Sandra Hirschman, 83, of Pittsboro, swept away by floodwaters a mile from Jordan Lake in northern Chatham County
Monica Butner, 58, of Person County, caught in floodwaters while driving to work Sunday night in northern Orange County
Daniel Garcia Garcia, 25, and Manuel Sifuentes Soto, 36, of Durham, last seen alive launching a canoe onto Jordan Lake at 5 PM Sunday evening
Hajar Hassib, 23, of Graham, found Tuesday inside her vehicle in a pond south of Mebane in Alamance County after being last seen Sunday evening
Unidentified male, found in his vehicle approximately a mile from where Hassib was found near Haw Creek
Although tornado and flash flood warnings were issued ahead of the storms arrival, many residents were caught unawares by the severity of the flooding, whether it was the four drivers who lost their lives on the roads, or over a hundred people who were trapped on the second story of the University Place mall in Chapel Hill.
The Haw River reached a reported crest of 32.5 ft at 4:30 AM on Monday, comparable to Hurricane Fran's record-setting 32.8 ft in 1998. The Eno River reached a record-setting crest of 23.04 ft early Monday as well, significantly higher than the previous record of 14.91 ft in 1989.
The highest recorded 24-hour rainfall measurements over Sunday night were over 10 inches in northern Orange County, as well as in southern Orange County and northern Chatham County.
The historic Eno Mill building in Hillsborough was flooded, and the town was put under a boil water advisory after the flooding at water treatment and waste treatment facilities caused raw sewage to spill into the Eno River.
Flooding in Chapel Hill affected numerous homes and businesses along Bolin and Booker Creeks, including Eastgate Crossing and University Place, as well as the notoriously flood-prone Cameron Village apartments.
In nearby Carrboro, the Public Works Department was hit especially hard, with the majority of their equipment and vehicles destroyed or damaged, as well as approximately one-third of the Carrboro Police vehicles.
Although Durham did not receive as much rainfall, the Eno River flooding caused significant damage, including homes and public facilities in the Old Farm neighborhood.
Duke medical school faculty promotion criteria: another illegal DEI scheme?
At Duke Medical School, Race-Based Promotion Guidelines Reward Doctors for Recruiting 'BIPOC Faculty' - Washington Free Beacon
In a second back-to-back DEI exposé on Duke University, the Washington Free Beacon revealed a document from the Duke University School of Medicine outlining how the university's "strategic priorities around equity, diversity, and inclusion" is applied to the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure of faculty. (The document uses an expanded and rearranged version of DEI as "JEDAI", with the additional standing for "justice" and "antiracism").
The document acknowledges that giving career rewards for DEI research, achievements, education, etc. is intended, at least in part, to compensate "Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)" for being "frequently and disproportionately burdened by institutions and communities to represent the marginalized in committees, projects, tasks, and initiatives (aka the 'Black tax' or 'minority tax')."
Examples of DEI activities which the university "wish[es] to recognize through the promotion process" include:
JEDAI Research (ranging from peer-reviewed journal articles to social media and blog posts)
JEDAI Service, Administration, and Leadership (including "recruitment, retention, and promotion of BIPOC faculty, staff, trainees, and learners")
JEDAI Education (including "sponsorship of BIPOC faculty, trainees, or learners in grants, projects, programs, policies")
JEDAI Clinical (including "health equity" initiatives and "public health interventions that address inequities and needs of marginalized groups")
According to the Washington Free Beacon, Duke removed the document from their website after receiving a request for comment.
Previous coverage:
Duke Law Journal caught circumventing affirmative action ban with "personal statements" (No. 131 — Jul. 5, 2025)
Duke under federal crosshairs for DEI "race-exclusionary practices" (No. 115 — Mar. 15, 2025)
Duke students, staff, etc. protest Trump's anti-DEI executive orders (No. 113 — Mar. 1, 2025)
Color Us United launches petition to "Stand Against Duke’s Unscientific, Unethical Racial Agenda" (No. 80 — Jul. 13, 2024)
Duke Researchers: Experimental Hormone Treatment Allows Transgender 50-Year-Old to "Breastfeed" Grandchild (Original Article — Apr 03, 2024)
Internal Duke DEI lecture reveals anti-whiteness, "abandoning all metrics" in favor of diversity hiring (No. 61 — Mar. 2, 2024)
Trump admin suspends education grants for non-English speakers, low-performing schools, etc.
Trump administration freezes millions for NC public schools during review - N&O
More than $8 million in federal funding being withheld from Wake County Public School System - ABC11
Trump freezes $8.1 million for Wake County schools. Here’s what that means - N&O
Federal funding and hiring/spending restrictions update - WCPSS
The Trump administration has suspended education-related grants which were expected to distribute an estimated $169 million in funds through the state education system, including over $8.2 million to the Wake County Public School System, according to NC State Superintendent Maurice "Mo" Green and WCPSS:
Title I, Part C (Education of Migratory Children) - $5,356,426*
Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) - $67,906,396*
Title III, Part A (English Language Acquisition) - $19,338,744*
Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) - $37,245,499*
Title IV, Part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) - $38,918,368*
Although WCPSS's commitment to DEI in the face of the Trump administration's anti-DEI policies has raised concerns about targeted funding cuts to the district, these grants have been suspended nationwide while under review just before they were expected to be awarded 2025-2026 fiscal year.
The grants to support students who lack English proficiency and those for the children of migrant agriculture and fishing workers are somewhat self-explanatory; the remaining three grant programs under Title II and IV appear to be associated with DEI due to their targeting towards low-income, minority, and/or low-performing students.
WCPSS is responding to the grant suspension by extending the current Central Services hiring freeze, as well as general restrictions on spending and specific restrictions on hiring for vacant positions currently funded by the grants.