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Boston students sound off on exam school admissions changes, O’Bryant move

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

A long list of students flocked to the latest Boston School Committee meeting to join the growing number of critics of exam school admissions changes and plans to move to the O’Bryant School to West Roxbury.Both topics have been controversial touchpoints for parents, teachers and students over the last several months.Exam school admissions headlined the last school committee meeting, with Committee Member Brandon Cardet-Hernandez and many parents pushing frustrations with the policy and lack of action.The complicated system aims to more equitably distribute seats by dividing students into geographic socioeconomic tiers and awarding extra points to students in certain circumstancesMany have argued the changes do not actually equitably distribute seats, unfairly advantage certain students and make it nigh impossible for certain sets of students to get into the schools.“I have so many friends and teammates from my street in my neighborhood who got into exam schools with sco...

Ticker: EPA orders Norfolk Southern to continue cleanup in East Palestine, Ohio

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week ordered Norfolk Southern to continue cleaning up creeks in East Palestine, Ohio, where there are still visible effects of the February derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials.EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited East Palestine earlier this week, and the agency said 98% of the excavation of the derailment site has been completed.EPA says as of this month, there has been an estimated 148,662 tons of solid waste and 34.3 million gallons of wastewater hauled out and shipped. Solid waste is being incinerated or placed in specially-designed landfills designed to minimize the chance of releasing hazardous waste into the environment.Now, EPA says it is ordering “a similarly comprehensive investigation of oil-contaminated sediments in the creeks.”Norfolk Southern said the order “formalizes the continuation of work that has been ongoing since the derailment,” and that the company “remains cooperative.”Wall Street’s worst w...

Duelling protests at Queen’s Park over gender ideology in school curriculum

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

Duelling demonstrations took place outside of Queen’s Park on Saturday, about the contentious debate over how gender ideology is taught in the classroom. One group held a rally included members from the “1MillionMarch4Children”, which is a group that says they are standing together against what they call gender ideology in schools across Canada.“What’s happening in our schools, it’s inappropriate to tell a child that they can make a decision about changing their gender,” said Brian Brasier, a demonstrator at the rally. “That is something that a child has no capability of making an informed and intelligent decision about.”“I have four grandchildren and I’m concerned that they are being told things at too young of an age, that they should be older before they are exposed to those things,” said Mark Carroll, another demonstrator at the protest.  Members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community held their own counter demonstration in res...

Little light, no beds, not enough anesthesia: A view from the ‘nightmare’ of Gaza’s hospitals

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The only thing worse than the screams of a patient undergoing surgery without enough anesthesia are the terror-stricken faces of those awaiting their turn, a 51-year-old orthopedic surgeon says.When the Israeli bombing intensifies and the wounded swamp the Gaza City hospitals where Dr. Nidal Abed works, he treats patients wherever he can — on the floor, in the corridors, in rooms crammed with 10 patients instead of two. Without enough medical supplies, Abed makes do with whatever he can find – clothes for bandages, vinegar for antiseptic, sewing needles for surgical ones. Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are nearing collapse under the Israeli blockade that cut power and deliveries of food and other necessities to the territory. They lack clean water. They are running out of basic items for easing pain and preventing infections. Fuel for their generators is dwindling.Israel began its bombing campaign after Hamas militants surged across the border on Oct. 7...

Woman returns from vacation to find Atlanta home demolished

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A homeowner is mulling the next step after a company mistakenly demolished a home she owned in southwest Atlanta. Susan Hodgson said in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press that she found a pile of rubble in place of what used to be her longtime family property when she returned from vacation last month.“I am furious,” Hodgson said. “I keep waking up thinking, ‘Is this all a joke or something?’ I’m just in shock.”She said a neighbor called her while she was away and asked if someone had been hired to tear down the vacant house.“I said ‘no’ and she said, ‘Well, there’s someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down,’” Hodgson recalled.When the neighbor confronted them, Hodgson said, the workers got nasty.“He told her to shut up and mind her own business,” Hodgson said.She sent a family member over to see what was going on and who asked to see a permit. When a person in charge at the site checked his permit, Hodgson said he admitte...

Man wins $10M prize from scratch-off after telling clerk to 'pick whichever one'

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

VISALIA, Calif. (WFLA) — A California man strolled out of a gas station as a millionaire after he purchased a winning scratch-off ticket. Brent Young said he was unsure of which scratcher he wanted to buy inside Prince Food & Gas in Visalia, California, so he asked the clerk to help him. “I was like, 'Just pick whichever one.' I didn’t care,” Young told the California Lottery.So the clerk picked out a $30 California 200X game for Young. Father of American teenage hostage freed by Hamas says she is ‘doing very good’ After paying for his gas and the game, the California Lottery said Young started scratching. About halfway down the ticket, Young uncovered a square showing the game's top prize amount — $10 million.“When I saw all those zeros, I was like ‘no way, this doesn’t happen to people like me,’” Young told the California Lottery. “It’s crazy. Out of all those options, the clerk could have picked a different game. But he didn’t. He grabbed a winner.” ‘Calculated misery’: H...

The Arboretum Teapioca Lounge reopens after deadly August shooting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Following a deadly shooting in August, the Teapioca Lounge in the Arboretum outdoor shopping mall reopened Saturday. On August 31, a man entered the Teapioca Lounge and shot two people, killing one and seriously injuring the other, before turning the firearm on himself. Police identified the suspect as Tang-Kang Dave Chiang, 38, and the victim who died as Laura Jauregui, 64. Police said that the victims were unknown to the shooter. MORE: APD identifies man accused of shooting 1 person, seriously injuring another at The Arboretum “It was devastating to hear what happened,” Cameron Daake, who works on franchise development for Teapioca Lounge. “Our main priority was to ensure that the employees [and] the owner had the resources they needed to recover,” he continued. Teapioca Lounge staff weren’t physically injured but traumatized by the incident.  “They're doing better. They're a resilient bunch of employees. I mean, I can't imagine  what it ...

Vikings could activate receiver Jalen Nailor, then unleash him on offense

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

Jalen Nailor took advantage of his opportunity in the spring, showing up to TCO Performance Center for organized team activities, and proving himself as a playmaker with Justin Jefferson not in attendance.It looked like Nailor was on the pathway toward having a big role with the Vikings’ offense.Instead, the 24-year-old receiver has struggled to gain any traction, battling a calf injury in the summer, then a hamstring injury in the fall. He has been on injured reserve for the past month, though head coach Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings might activate Nailor before they play host to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.“You guys have always known how excited I am about Jalen and his potential fit in our offense,” O’Connell said. “He truly has the skill set to develop into kind of a universal player for us, and with Justin being out right now, adding that to the room would be critical for us.”It’s trending in the right dire...

Which pass rushers step up for the Vikings with Marcus Davenport out?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

The impact of Marcus Davenport has been apparent any time he has been on the field for the Vikings this season. The pass rush has had noticeably more juice when Davenport has been paired with Danielle Hunter off the edge. It’s exactly what the Vikings had in mind when they signed Davenport to a 1-year, $13 million contract this past offseason.The biggest issue for Davenport has been staying healthy. He suffered an injury to his right ankle that forced him to miss a couple of games, then after working his way back to full strength, he suffered an injury to his left ankle that has landed him on injured reserve.Though the Vikings have gotten incredible production from Hunter, who is tied for the NFL lead with 8.0 sacks, they need more from the other pass rushers on the team.“I was really excited about that room, and I still am,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “Just our depth is going to be tested now.”Here’s a tale of the tape for Vikings pas...

Gophers running back Darius Taylor returns vs. Hawkeyes

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:37:15 GMT

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Gophers running back Darius Taylor came back from a two-game absence to play against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday afternoon.The three-time Big Ten freshman of the week was not listed on Minnesota’s status report two hours before kickoff.Taylor, who has rushed for 532 yards and four touchdowns this season, has missed the last two games with a leg injury suffered late in the loss to Northwestern.But the Gophers will be down a tailback. The U has listed senior Bryce Williams as out for the season with an undisclosed injury. Williams, a sixth-year senior, has rushed for 123 yards and one touchdown this season.Linebacker Cody Lindenberg (leg) has been listed as questionable for a fourth straight week. He has not participated in pregame warmups for the last three games, but he was out on the field doing some detailed drills at around 12:15 p.m. Saturday.However, while Lindenberg was doing cone drills in the end zone, the rest of the linebackers were working ...