Welcome back to the Unify Brief, where we track growing developments facing our nation.
Tulsi Gabbard resigns as U.S. Director of National Intelligence
On May 22, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, sent a letter of resignation to President Donald Trump, said she was stepping down in order to support her husband who was recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.
This resignation marks the departure from a tumultuous tenure overseeing and managing the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. Throughout her time in office, she has been repeatedly disregarded, especially over issues of national security including Iran and Venezuela.
President Trump has since announced that Aaron Lukas, the current Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, will be taking over Gabbard’s post once she leaves office at the end of June.
New York senator Chuck Schumer warns that “Donald Trump must not treat this vacancy as another opportunity to reward loyalty over competence.”
National: Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Intelligence Chief (New York Times)
Local: Colorado election dates (U.S. Vote Foundation)
What other college campuses have to say: Learn more about Tulsi Gabbard (Iowa State University)
Stephen Colbert hosts his last show
On May 21, Stephen Colbert hosted the series finale of “The Late Show,” which announced its cancellation last July. The episode was a true “cancellebration” of Colbert, with celebrity cameos and snide remarks throughout.
Despite high approval ratings and after 33 years of production, CBS cited financial struggles as the sole reason for the show’s end. However, many suspect politics played a role as Colbert is a well known critic of President Trump. The news of the cancellation broke days after CBS’ parent company, Paramount, settled a Trump lawsuit over a 60 Minutes segment for $16 million.
The finale was a deeply emotional one, with Colbert opening the show by recounting how staff commonly referred to the show as the “joy machine.” Later he went on to say, “We love doing this show for you, but what we really, really love is doing this show with you,” directly referencing the relationship Colbert created with his audience.
National: Is censorship becoming a problem in the U.S.? (Stand Together)
Local: Civil rights groups accuse History Colorado of censoring pro-Palestinian painting (Denverite)
What other college campuses have to say: Stephen Colbert’s college classmates reflect on political comedy career after ‘Late Show’ cancellation
Colorado passes a law that could eliminate state need-based financial aid for students attending private universities
House Bill 1345 was passed by Colorado lawmakers in May 2026, a bill that could potentially cut off state-funded financial aid and work-study programs for students attending private colleges and universities.
The budget reduction aims to redistribute funds to public institutions.
The bill passed with bipartisan support after clearing the Senate, and now heads off to Governor Jared Polis for final approval. Critics of the budget decision claim the bill is a targeted attack against low-income students.
Representative Cecilia Espinoza argues, “this falls disproportionately on first-generation and minority students whose parents don’t otherwise have the capacity to pay for them to go to schools.”
Representative Emily Sirota counters, “that our first priority was to fund our public institutions.”
If signed by June 12, the change would begin to affect students beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
National: Trump 2.0: Proposed FY2026 Budget Cuts to K-12 Education (Education Law Center)
Local: Colorado private university students could lose state financial aid (9news)
What other college campuses have to say: Save Colorado Students’ Access to Need-Based Financial Aid (One Regis)
Take Action:
At DU:
- Attend the Annual Spring Mutual Aid Fair
- Volunteer for the DU Food Pantry
On your own:
- Register to vote
