Needs vs wants lesson plan

COVID-19 could end up taking down two presidents—the one who was grossly incompetent , and the one who expected to ride a vaccine to victory over the coronavirus. In other words, Donald Trump might very well have been re-elected if he had handled COVID responsibly. And while Joe Biden’s been an improvement, the perception of his management of the pandemic isn’t great, and that could be his undoing. A New York Times analysis of Biden’s decline in the polls from the mid-50s to his current 42 percent reveals that the downward pressure started well before the messy August 2021 exit from Afghanistan took its toll . The slippage in Biden’s numbers, in fact, coincided with the rise of the more transmissible Delta variant and with it, a growing awareness among the public that the administration’s cheery declaration of a post-vaccine “summer of freedom” had turned into something quite different. Biden’s Independence Day celebration was “the domestic equivalent of Mission … [Read more...] about Biden Needs to Fix His COVID Screwups if He Wants to Win Re-Election in 2024

New legislation to tackle the legacy of the Troubles would result in a "whitewash", a victims' campaigner has said. The Government has abandoned plans for automatic immunity for people involved in the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland, which resulted in more than 3,500 deaths. The move, which would have effectively ended prosecutions for Troubles-era crimes, triggered a backlash from political parties in Northern Ireland. Ministers have now brought forward plans for a conditional amnesty based on people's cooperation with a new independent commission on reconciliation. The new body aims to help families get answers on unsolved killings and injuries from the Troubles and produce a historical record of the conflict. Proposals contained in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill leave open the route of prosecution if individuals are not deemed to have earned their immunity. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis ( Image: Getty Images) … [Read more...] about Troubles legacy plan risks ‘whitewash’ of crimes from Northern Ireland conflict

Starting in the spring of 2020, school boards and superintendents across the country faced a dreadful choice: Keep classrooms open and risk more COVID-19 deaths, or close schools and sacrifice children’s learning. In the name of safety, many districts shut down for long periods. But researchers are now learning that the closures came at a stiff price—a large decline in children’s achievement overall and a historic widening in achievement gaps by race and economic status. The achievement loss is far greater than most educators and parents seem to realize. The only question now is whether state and local governments will recognize the magnitude of the educational damage and make students whole. Adults are free to disagree about whether school closures were justified or a mistake. But either way, children should not be stuck with the bill for a public-health measure taken on everyone’s behalf. I am part of a team from the American Institutes for Research, Dartmouth College, Harvard, … [Read more...] about Kids’ Learning Losses Are Worse Than Educators Are Acknowledging

Tory minister Rachel Maclean yesterday sparked fury in a car crash interview where she suggested Brits struggling for money should work more hours or get better paid jobs. As the cost of living continues to increase, putting more pressure on everyday people to pay for the bills, the “tone deaf” sentiments were slammed by Brits and the opposition party. Talking to Sky News, she said: “I think what we need to focus on now is over the long-term. “We do have these short-term pressures on us that we're all aware of. But over the long-term we need to have a plan to grow the economy and make sure that people are able to protect themselves better, whether that is by taking on more hours or moving to a better-paid job.” Rachel Maclean sparked fury in the Sky News interview on Monday ( Image: Sky) The Prime Minister's official spokesman waded into the row, adding the Home Office Minister was clear “people’s circumstances may vary”. Despite the PM’s support, the comments … [Read more...] about Furious Brits working 3 jobs blast out-of-touch minister as they share harrowing reality

The story so far: Ten people were killed and three were injured when an 18-year-old armed man opened fire at a grocery store in Buffalo , New York on Saturday in a racially-motivated attack that he live-streamed. The gunman was wearing body armour and a helmet and was arrested by the police. The shooting is under investigation as a hate crime, Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Buffalo field office told the press. Also Read Data | Buffalo shooting latest in the rising hate crimes and firearm-related murders in U.S. According to local news media, the suspect—identified as Payton Gendron of Conklin, New York—posted a manifesto online before the attack. In the manifesto, he identified with the ideologies of “ecofascism” and nationalist socialism. The attacker was also influenced by the 2019 Christchurch shootings —another hate crime in New Zealand where 51 people were killed in attacks on two mosques. What … [Read more...] about Explained | History of ecofascism—ideology of the Buffalo shooting suspect

The tears flow readily as Gemma Carlsson counts out the last of this week’s money. It’s coming to the end of the month, so she’s down to a pile of small change. “It’s not where I want to be,” she whispers. “I hate it. It feels like I’m getting depression just from being here. It’s damp, it’s falling apart. The kids hate it too.” She’s sitting in a room with damp walls, an ancient TV that only plays children’s channels, and the tell-tale smell of rat faeces wafting in from behind the sparse units in the kitchen beyond. Home for Gemma, 38, and her children, aged 20, 15 and 10, is a three-bedroom council house on Middlesbrough’s Grove Hill estate. The family have lived there – always in abject poverty – for the past 12 years. Gemma’s deprivation is what the experts classify as “in-work poverty” in Britain's biggest unemployment blackspot She earns £456 a month and gets £665 in Universal Credit . Yet the cost of living crisis means her £400 a month food bill – which … [Read more...] about Mum’s fight for survival as cost of living crisis leaves family unable to make ends meet

Ministers will on Tuesday unveil plans for a new law to override parts of the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland in a bid to revive power-sharing. After emergency talks, Boris Johnson said the legislation was needed as "insurance" in case talks with the European Union fail. But the move would effectively tear up the Northern Ireland protocol - agreed by the Prime Minister in 2019 - which sets trading rules on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's institutions have been plunged into crisis with the DUP refusing to re-enter a devolved government in protest at the 'Irish Sea border' in the protocol. But EU leaders have warned Mr Johnson against trying to rewrite the treaty unilaterally - suggesting it could result in a damaging trade war with the bloc. Mr Johnson told reporters: "We would love this to be done in a consensual way with our friends and partners, ironing out the problems, stopping some of these barriers East-West. "But to get that … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson to ‘proceed’ with law axing parts of Brexit deal with statement tomorrow

Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson attempted to shirk responsibility on Sunday for signing a strict “trigger law” that would ban abortion in his state without any exceptions for rape and incest, insisting that Arkansas will revisit that matter if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Amid the bombshell leak of the draft majority Supreme Court opinion that would reverse the federal right to abortion, Republican-led states have come under scrutiny over anti-abortion laws that will automatically take effect if the high court overruled Roe v. Wade . One of these states with this so-called “trigger” ban is Arkansas, which was signed into law by Hutchinson in 2019. The state’s proposal would prohibit all abortions except for medical emergencies where the mother’s life is at risk and provides absolutely no exceptions for rape and incest. During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, however, Hutchinson asserted that he opposed the sweeping nature of his state’s … [Read more...] about Arkansas Guv Shies Away From Extreme Abortion Ban He Signed

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom defended his administration’s work on housing and homelessness during an interview with The Chronicle’s editorial board Thursday, promising to crack down on local opposition to housing projects. “Taxpayers deserve more in terms of results, not just inputs,” Newsom said. “They want to see results.” In the last few years, Newsom has been responsible for putting more state funding into housing and homelessness programs than any other recent governor. His previous budgets have poured billions in funding to increase housing production and help get homeless people off the streets, but Californians aren’t yet seeing results they want, as they continue to rank housing and homelessness as top concerns. Three years into Newsom’s tenure, housing production remains sluggish. Although preliminary numbers show the homeless population has shrunk in San Francisco , it’s grown in almost every other Bay Area county that reported data last week. Where’s the … [Read more...] about ‘NIMBYism is destroying the state.’ Gavin Newsom ups pressure on cities to build more housing

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's election has brought in a wave of Greens and independents pushing for aggressive targets to cut carbon emissions, who will pressure the incoming Labor government to step up its climate plans if it wants to pass any legislation. The country's biggest polluters in mining, oil and gas and building materials face a gradual tightening of allowed carbon emissions, while Labor aims to boost demand for electric vehicles and speed up renewable energy developments. The election result, with the pivotal role climate change played, represents a remarkable shift for Australia, one of the world's biggest per capita carbon emitters and top coal and gas exporters. It was shunned at last year's Glasgow climate summit for failing to match other rich nations' ambitious targets. "Together we can end the climate wars," incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in his victory speech. "Together we can take advantage of the opportunity for Australia to be a … [Read more...] about Analysis – In sharp switch, Australia votes for climate action