Suddenly the whole building was surrounded by police

Republican Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce introduced a resolution Thursday to find out all information about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) recently paused “Disinformation Governance Board,” which was set to be led by Nina Jankowicz. The Daily Caller first obtained the resolution, which Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds has co-sponsored. The resolution was introduced after Jankowicz drafted a resignation letter Tuesday. It calls for copies of all documents, memoranda, advisory legal opinions, notes from meetings, audio recordings, records (including phone calls and email records), correspondence, and other communications, or any portion of any such communications that have to do with the “Disinformation Governance Board.” The resolution seeks to help lawmakers get to the bottom of how the idea of a “Disinformation Governance Board” was created, who decided who would run it and more. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Introduce Legislation To Defund Biden’s … [Read more...] about EXCLUSIVE: Amidst Pause, House Republicans Make Big Move To Get To The Bottom Of Disinformation Governance Board

By AARON MORRISON BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Shenaya Ann Washington and a close friend cleared a small patch of grass at the base of a utility pole on Riley Street. They dug a hole there and planted a red rose bush seedling. Next to it, they leaned 10 prayer candles against the pole. Washington said she chose that spot to memorialize the victims of last weekend’s massacre at Tops Friendly Market because it is closest to the store entrance she had always used as a part-time worker for Instacart, the grocery delivery service. Sometimes when she would exit the store, Aaron Salter Jr., the slain retired police officer who worked security at Tops, would help Washington back to her car with the grocery orders, she said. The shooter, whose racist attack deeply wounded east Buffalo’s Black community, has stolen much more than the neighborhood’s only grocery store and the sense of peace many residents felt in the cherished community gathering spot. “He took away people who did for the … [Read more...] about Buffalo shooting’s wounds need a strong salve, residents say

Almond: A Novel AUTHOR : Won-pyung Sohn (Author), Sandy Joosun Lee (Translator) PUBLISHER : HarperVia "The Emissary" meets "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship and persistence can change a life forever. This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me. [TONGBANG BOOKS] Yunjae was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you" and when to laugh. Then on Christmas Eve—Yunjae’s 16th birthday—everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, … [Read more...] about 2020.10.29 New Arrivals

Each year, parents responding to the Phi Delta Kappan poll report high levels of satisfaction with their kids’ education. Asked to assign letter grades to their children’s schools, the vast majority of parents—generally around 70 percent—issue As and Bs. If those ratings were compiled the way a student’s grade point average is calculated, the public schools would collectively get a B. When asked to rate the nation’s schools, however, respondents are far less sanguine. Reflecting on public schools in general, a similar share of respondents—roughly 70 percent—confer a C or D. Again calculated as a GPA, America’s schools get a C or C-. So which is it? Are public schools generally meeting Americans’ expectations? Or are they teetering on the brink of failure? This may seem like an academic exercise. After all, school quality is what it is, regardless of perception. But, as it turns out, this gap in perceptions is a matter of tremendous importance. Consider the impact on policy. … [Read more...] about Are America’s Schools Really That Bad?

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

It is immaterial whether the breasts of a 13-year-old girl are developed or not for committing the offence of sexual assault as long as it is proved that the accused had touched the specific body part of the girl with sexual intent, the Calcutta High Court has recently ruled. The incident dates back to 2017 when a police case was registered against a man on the basis of a complaint by the mother of a 13-year-old. It was alleged that the accused had touched the girl inappropriately and kissed her on the face when there was no one at home, Live Law reported. However, during the proceedings, the accused said the question of touching the girl’s breasts does not arise as the medical officer of the case had deposed that her breasts were not developed. In response, Justice Bibek Chaudhuri said: “It is absolutely immaterial whether breasts of a 13-year-old girl were developed or not. The specific part of the body of a girl of 13 years of age shall be termed as breast… even if her breasts … [Read more...] about ‘Even if 13-Yr-Old Girl’s Breasts Were Not Developed’: Calcutta HC Upholds Sexual Assault Conviction

A day after taking oath as Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar on Tuesday allocated portfolios among the 14 Ministers, while keeping Home and General administration to himself. His two deputies in the Cabinet, Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, were given charge of departments such as Finance, Forest & Environment, Backward Caste and EBC welfare along with Industry and Panchayati Raj. Also read: Congress panel meets to discuss Bihar election result However, a controversial induction into the Cabinet was that of two-time JD(U) MLA from Tarapur in Munger district Mewalal Choudhury. In 2017, he was accused in a recruitment scam of assistant professors and junior scientists. Mr. Choudhury, who has been given charge of Education, was the Vice Chancellor of the Sabour Agriculture University from 2010-15. An FIR was lodged against him by the Special Vigilance department at the Sabour Police Station in Bhagalpur under sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120(B) of the IPC in … [Read more...] about Nitish Kumar allocates portfolios; keeps Home, Administration

Life is nothing if not diverse! And so is the world around us. From the thick, all-encompassing worldly banyan trees to the thin films of algae that floats on water surfaces, from the gorgeous, speckled butterflies to the slimy brown bugs that feast on garbage, all this and more fills up our life and the planet that we live on. And the numbers can be mind-boggling. India, for instance, is home to more than 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals. In just one spoonful of soil, close to 1 billion bacteria thrive. Each of these organisms is distinct and utterly unique, and we need every one of them to survive. The Web of Life Our whole planet is connected through invisible threads. Let the bees disappear, and we lose one out of every three bites of food that we eat. Chop the trees, and we lose clean air, the topsoil and are susceptible to water scarcity. As it is, our mindless, endless activity has already altered almost 75% of the earth’s surface, squeezing wildlife … [Read more...] about Why Community is Key to Making Biodiversity Conservation a Long-Term Success

Supermarket car parks are one of the most frequent places where drivers suffer damage to their vehicle . This is according to previous research from the RAC, which showed more than a third (35%) of motorists reported that they had experienced this at least once. An unfortunate 31% of drivers said their car had been dinged in the supermarket car park on several occasions. But what are your rights if someone damages your car in a public car park - and can the supermarket be held responsible if the driver doesn't leave a note? In the latest in our Money Talk series, we speak to the experts to run down what you need to know... What to do if your car is damaged in a supermarket car park If you come out from the supermarket, bags full of food in hand, to find out your car has been dinged - or worse - your first step should be to check if anyone has left you a note on the windscreen of your vehicle. They should ideally leave their name, contact details and a vehicle … [Read more...] about Money Talk: ‘My car got damaged in a supermarket car park – who has to pay?‘

This year has highlighted the particularities of that thing called reading. Some found books impossible to pick up; sustained attention to text on a page is hard when the world is in so much pain. Others turned to literature anew, rediscovering the ways it can refresh and inspire. Below are the titles we were most drawn to in 2020: a wide-ranging list that includes new spins on epic poems, stories about the interior lives of women, memoirs that eloquently challenged industries, and, yes, essays that made us laugh. The Meaning of Mariah Carey , by Mariah Carey, with Michaela Angela Davis Marcel Proust had his madeleine, Charles Foster Kane had his sled, and Mariah Carey has her Ritz Cracker. “I’d hold the buttery, salty, crunchy goodness up to my nose, close my eyes, and breathe in one long, luxurious sniff,” she writes early in her memoir, sharing a childhood memory of her father’s strict rationing of snacks. “With precision, I would take one teeny-weeny bite along the … [Read more...] about The 15 Best Books of 2020