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Florida board bans 'This Book Is Gay' from middle school libraries

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The school board of Hillsborough County, Florida, held a special meeting on Tuesday and voted to ban a book from all public middle schools in the area. The book, titled "This Book Is Gay", explores a number of topics, including stereotypes and "coming out." Advocates and the book's author say it was written to help young people who are beginning to explore their sexuality.Controversy over the book began last year when a parent filed a complaint because the book was available in the Pierce Middle School library in Tampa. A committee at the school reviewed the book and decided it should stay. Their decision was appealed, and then a district committee reviewed the book, and also voted that it could remain on library shelves. That decision was appealed, leading to Tuesday's special school board meeting. Italian mayor invites Florida parents to see David sculpture after uproar More than 60 people showed up to the meeting to discuss both sides of the i...

Hawaiian hula teacher latest to appear on US quarter

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON) — A commemorative quarter honoring the late, legendary Hawaiian hula teacher rolled out on Monday.Edith Kanakaʻole is one of five American women to be minted on new quarters this year as part of the American Women Quarters Program.Kanakaʻole was selected to be honored for her efforts in preserving Native Hawaiian knowledge, serving the Hawaiian community, and applying a new lens to academic science. These are the hardest to find state quarters: Where does yours fall? “She was a renowned practitioner of, and an authority on, modern Hawaiian culture and language," said Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson. “Edith Kanakaʻole believed that the oli, or Hawaiian chants, formed the basis of Hawaiian values and history."U.S. Mint said that Kanakaʻole was a clear role model for all Americans.The portrait of Kanakaʻole was designed by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Emily Damstra and sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon. Boy Scout...

Video shows guards walking away during fire that killed 40

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — After migrants in northern Mexico placed mattresses against the bars of their detention cell and set them on fire, guards quickly walked away and made no apparent attempt to release the men before smoke filled the room and killed at least 40, surveillance video showed Tuesday.Hours after the fire broke out late Monday, rows of bodies were laid out under shimmery silver sheets outside the immigration detention facility in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas, and a major crossing point for migrants.Twenty-nine people were injured and were in “delicate-serious” condition, according to the National Immigration Institute.At the time of the blaze, 68 men from Central and South America were being held at the facility, the agency said.In the video, two people dressed as guards rush into the camera frame, and at least one migrant appears by the metal gate on the other side. But the guards did not appear to make any effort to open th...

Austin ISD discusses school safety improvements

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Safety changes came quick to school districts across Texas following the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde."Checking every exterior door, interior door as well as documenting all the times it has occurred, really trying to promote a culture of safety and security," said Austin ISD interim superintendent Matias Segura.Austin ISD is one of the largest districts in the state and announced upgrades to door locks, cameras and safety policies and procedures shortly after the Uvalde shooting."We adjusted our operational procedures so that whenever there is a deficiency identified, whether it is a door that may not be locking, or a camera that is not working, it becomes a priority and is addressed in a very short period of time," Segura said. Austin ISD updates school safety protocols for next year Safety and security committee meetings moved to monthly to address any issues quickly. Before the change was made the meetings were held once a quarter.The district will also l...

Jonathan Bernstein: Wisconsin judicial election is bad for democracy

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

If you want a good summary of all that’s wrong with U.S. politics right now, you could do worse than “The most important U.S. election this year is the runoff for a seat on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.”The April 4 run-off vote for a swing seat on the court would typically attract little notice. But Wisconsin, a fiercely divided state, is expected to be a battleground in the 2024 presidential contest, giving the seven justices enormous influence should the White House face a court challenge.The State Supreme Court also could wind up ruling on abortion rights and other hot-button topics that could reverberate nationally.That such a small election has taken on such import is fascinating for political observers. Yet it’s an election that shouldn’t be occurring in the first place. Judicial elections are a terrible idea — bad for voters who don’t have the specialized knowledge to evaluate the candidates and bad for the courts because it unde...

Jamelle Bouie: What the Republican push for ‘parents’ rights’ is really about

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

You may have heard the phrase “parents’ rights.”It sounds unobjectionable — of course parents should have rights — which is probably why it’s become the term of choice for the conservative effort to ban books, censor school curriculums and suppress politically undesirable forms of knowledge.When House Republicans introduced a bill that would require public schools to notify parents that they are entitled to access course material and lists of books kept in school libraries, they cited “parents’ rights” as the reason.“That’s what today is all about: It’s about every parent, mom and dad, but most importantly about the students in America,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy said. Several Republican-controlled states have either proposed or passed similar measures.The official name for Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill, prohibiting “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity,” is the Parental Rights in Education Act. And the state’s Stop WOKE Act — short for “Wrongs to ...

Feel the Force: Mark Hamill carries ‘Star Wars’ voice to Ukraine

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

By JOHN LEICESTER (Associated Press)KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — “Attention. Air raid alert,” the voice says with a Jedi knight’s gravitas. “Proceed to the nearest shelter.”It’s a surreal moment in an already surreal war: the grave but calming baritone of actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of “Star Wars,” urging people to take cover whenever Russia unleashes another aerial bombardment on Ukraine.The intrusion of Hollywood science-fiction fantasy into the grim daily realities of war in Ukraine is a consequence of Hamill’s decision to lend his famous voice to “Air Alert” — a downloadable app linked to Ukraine’s air defense system. When air raid sirens start howling, the app also warns Ukrainians that Russian missiles, bombs and deadly exploding drones may be incoming.“Don’t be careless,” Hamill’s voice advises. “Your overconfidence is your weakness.”The actor says he’s admired — from afar, in California — how Ukraine has “shown such resilience … under such terrible circumstances.” Its fight ag...

Defense Department awards local medical technology company

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A medical technology company that's headquartered in the Capital Region received recognition on Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Defense. AngioDynamics was given the Patriot Award.The award recognizes business leaders who provide direct support to members of the National Guard or National Guard reserves. Nominations must be submitted by service members. Company leaders said the nomination is just as meaningful as the award. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "I find inspiration and motivation from individuals that serve our country on a daily basis as well as that can find time to balance between their professional lives as well as the lives of them being able to serve their country or even their family," AngioDynamics Senior VP, General Manager Scott Centea said.AngioDynamics manufactures non-invasive products that help restore blood flow to and from the heart as well as expand cancer treatment opt...

New Walloomsac tavern features mini-museum

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

WALLOOMSAC, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Walloomsac Battlefield Tavern & Colonial Restaurant had its soft opening in Walloomsac, located near Hoosick Falls, on March 17. Owner Joe Hackett said the property was owned by his godmother for a while. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "This has been a longtime dream of mine," said Hackett. "My godmother ran this business for 45 years." The space used to be called Peggy's. Hackett said he's incorporated family recipes into the business manual for the Walloomsac Battlefield Tavern.After Peggy died, the restaurant was bought in 2000 by Hackett's friends Don and Theresa. They ran the restaurant as Theresa's Country Cuisine until 2011 or 2013. PDT Market opens in Saratoga Springs Hackett is retired from working in the environmental field at Norton Company in Watervliet. Although he's retired, he is now running the tavern.The tavern includes a mini-museum that includes memorabilia and art ...

Alpin Haus installing first pool of 2023 season

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:12:46 GMT

(NEWS10) -- It doesn't feel like summer just yet, but one local company is already gearing up for warmer temperatures. The outdoor recreation retailer Alpin Haus broke ground Tuesday on its first swimming pool of the season. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! As customers continue to deal with higher prices of many items, the company is doing everything it can to make their pools affordable. "Trying to keep our costs down with the rising costs of material and labor and supplies," Alpin Haus Pool Division General Manager Jamie Georgelos said. "Trying to be more efficient and work smarter than we have been."Alpin Haus expects to install about 60 pools this year.