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Councilor calls for exam school acceptance data, policy reassessment

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

City Councilor Gabriela Coletta joined a chorus of parents concerned about new exam school admissions policy, calling on BPS to release data and revisit the tier-based structure.“While I commend the intention of the updated Exam School Policy to increase access and diversify our exam school student population, as with any new policy, there can be unintended consequences that leave out the very students we hope to serve,” Coletta wrote in a letter last week to BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper and shared on Twitter.The admission’s policy, approved by the Boston School Committee in July 2021, scores applicants based on GPA, an admissions test score and additional points — 10 points awarded to students at schools with over 40% economically disadvantaged students and 15 to students in DCF care, experiencing homelessness or living in publicly-subsidized housing.Students are divided into socioeconomic tiers based on their home address, and each tier receives the same...

Pence announces New Hampshire tour, Haley to visit next week

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

Former Vice President Mike Pence has announced a series of New Hampshire events for the coming week, close on the heels of Independence Day stops by many of the other Republican White House hopefuls.The former Indiana governor’s presidential campaign says he’ll be at a garden party hosted by former state Sen. Bob Clegg and his wife in Hudson Wednesday evening.On Thursday, Pene will be in Brentwood for lunch at Goody Cole’s Smokehouse at 11:45 a.m., and then in Meredith for an evening town hall style meeting at the WicWas Lake Grange starting at 6 p.m.Pence will wrap his three day visit with another town hall, at the Eagles in Berlin at 9 a.m. and a “Meet and Greet” at the restaurant Deacon Street at noon.The visit by the former number-two to President Donald Trump follows Fourth of July week stops through the Granite State by Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former U.S. Representa...

Yankees place Josh Donaldson on 10-day IL with right calf strain, recall Oswald Peraza

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

DENVER — Aaron Boone didn’t sound optimistic after Josh Donaldson hobbled down the first base line in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ Saturday win over the Rockies. The team later placed the infielder on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain on Sunday.Prospect Oswald Peraza was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace Donaldson, the team announced.Donaldson, who was “a little beat up” prior to the All-Star break and designated hitting for the second consecutive day on Saturday, hurt his right calf, according to Boone. Donaldson underwent an MRI Sunday confirming the injury. The third baseman moved slowly out of the box after hitting a weak groundball to shortstop. As Donaldson approached first base, he began to hop on his left leg before jogging gingerly to the Yankees’ dugout.“We’ll see,” Boone said when asked if Donaldson was all right. “He’s gonna get testing and stuff but wasn’t ...

Monsoon moisture may trigger isolated thunderstorms in San Diego mountains

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The National Weather Service San Diego says a brief surge of monsoon moisture may trigger isolated thunderstorms over the mountains Monday.The term "monsoon" refers to the change in the direction of the wind, according to weather officials. During this time of year, the winds blow from south to north, while picking up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of California.On Sunday afternoon, shallow cumulus clouds formed over the region's mountains. NWS says satellites imagery showed a swath of mid and high clouds over Northern Baja and the Gulf of California. Monsoon season to begin in Southwest US Weather officials anticipate these clouds to drift into Southern California overnight Sunday and into Monday. This moisture coupled with an inverted shortwave at the upper ridge over Northern Arizona may support convection of SoCal's mountains Monday, according to NWS.NOAA explains the term "convection" as "a vertical transport of heat and moisture in the atmosphere, esp...

Tour de France teams ask fans to behave better after mass pileup in 15th stage

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC, France (AP) — Tour de France overall leader Jonas Vingegaard is calling on fans to behave better at cycling’s biggest race after another mass crash marred the 15th stage on Sunday.“I’d like to tell the spectators to enjoy the race and be there to cheer for us without standing on the road or pouring beers on us,” Vingegaard said. “Please, just enjoy the race.”The Danish rider leads Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia by only 10 seconds with the race about to enter its final week.The incident, which involved around two dozen riders, led to appeals from several teams at the Tour.“Please be careful. So that the party remains a party for the riders, but also for you. You don’t need a cell phone to create mind-blowing memories,” the Cofidis team said amid unverified reports that the spectator who caused the crash was taking a selfie.The Ineos Grenadiers team said “please give the riders room to race.” A day after a big pileup forced several riders to abandon, t...

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Rainbow PUSH Coalition convention

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris was in Chicago on Sunday to speak at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Convention and Concert.This comes as Rev. Jesse Jackson announced he is stepping down from the Chicago-based civil rights group he founded more than 50 years ago. The Rev. Jesse Jackson steps down as leader of civil rights group he founded in 1971 The coalition also welcomed its next leader, Dallas-based Rev. Frederick Haynes."The Rev. Jesse Lewis Jackson Sr., I stand here on his shoulders because no one with sense would try to stand in his shoes," Haynes said. "His shoes are so large. They've taken us so far."Hundreds filled the pews at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn for the convention.As Haynes takes over the coalition, Black activists, lawmakers and clergy paid tribute to the work and vision of Jackson. "Someone who deeply believes in the promise of our country," Harris said. "A fighter for freedom and human rights for all people. It is my joy to congratulate Rev. Dr....

Musk says Twitter has lost nearly 50 percent of ad revenue, struggling with a 'heavy debt load' 

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

(The Hill) – The financial woes for Twitter appear to be continuing as owner Elon Musk announced the platform is experiencing a nearly 50 percent drop in advertising revenue as it struggles with heavy debt load.  “We’re still negative cash flow, due to ~50% drop in advertising revenue plus heavy debt load. Need to reach positive cash flow before we have the luxury of anything else,” Twitter owner Musk wrote in a tweet Saturday.  Musk, who also serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, acquired Twitter last fall in a $44 billion deal. He served as the social media platform’s CEO before stepping down last month and serving as executive chair and chief technology officer.  Since taking over the company in October, the billionaire made a series of controversial choices, including mass layoffs, firing top executives and launching the Twitter Blue program, which requires users to pay a monthly subscription for the verification check. Musk also pulled back on various...

California's Death Valley reaches 128 degrees

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

Long the hottest place on Earth, Death Valley put a sizzling exclamation point Sunday on a record warm summer that is baking nearly the entire globe by flirting with some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, meteorologists said.Temperatures in Death Valley, which runs along part of central California's border with Nevada, reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.33 degrees Celsius) on Sunday at the aptly named Furnace Creek, the National Weather Service said.The hottest temperature ever record was 134 F (56.67 C) in July 1913 at Furnace Creek, said Randy Ceverny of the World Meteorological Organization, the body recognized as keeper of world records. Temperatures at or above 130 F (54.44 degrees C) have only been recorded on Earth a handful of times, mostly in Death Valley. ‘Historically strong’ El Niño possible: What it means for winter “With global warming, such temperatures are becoming more and more likely to occur,” Ceverny, the World Meteorological Organi...

City of Austin releases proposed budget for 2023-2024

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- City of Austin Interim City Manager Jesús Garza released his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year on Sunday, which forecasts a combined projected increase of 2% in local fees for the typical ratepayer.In his message included in the budget, Garza said the budget is "Back to Basics." "The FY 2023-24 Budget we are proposing is Back to Basics in the sense that we are refocusing on the core services our residents need and expect," Garza said. "To ignite and foster a Back to Basics culture, I moved quickly to evaluate and fundamentally shift the organizational structure of the City. We went beyond an organizational chart – we carefully and critically assessed issues that represent our most significant community challenges, like emergency response, capital project delivery, homelessness and affordability, defining the City’s role, as well as the roles of partner organizations."He said that the $5.5 billion budget also targets the city council's priorities of "affor...

Historic July heatwave intensifies further

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:10:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After recording Austin's hottest Jul. 16 on record Sunday afternoon, we are forecasting a full work week of record high temperatures and the longest-ever stretch of extreme heat in Austin.High temperatures in Austin climbed to 106° at Camp Mabry on Sunday, beating the previous record high of 105° set most recently in 2009.One of the strongest heat domes ever observed is positioned over Las Vegas, NV, sending Death Valley, CA temperatures over 125° on Sunday -- close to the global all-time record of 130°. As this historic heat dome heads eastward and centers itself more directly over Texas this week, we are forecasting a full work week of record high temperatures in Austin and the longest-ever stretch of 105°+ temperatures.Austin's forecast high temperatures this weekSunday was Austin's 7th-consecutive day at or above 105°. We will likely extend the stretch to 12 consecutive days this week, beating the previous record of 9 consecutive days from 1924.Fortunately, the ...