Time: 2025-01-13 Source: A}c5g7r,)PֱOE9+ɯX 4y( uȰprf+]/E@$ʣ+*ez$!Xזlv_|ē Author:qGz*^V %ٯHTG}\E=,k&#l
JACKPOT — Jackpot Combined School officials announced the school has received two grants totaling $61,565 from the state of Nevada Office of Science, Innovation and Technology. The school, which received a Developing STEM School rating earlier this year from the Governor’s Office of Science and Technology, was awarded the grants to raise the its rating, according to an announcement on Wednesday. The rating can be raised to an Established or Model STEM School by integrating STEM into lessons, the school culture and the community. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “This funding allows us to create unique opportunities for our students to learn STEM concepts through hands-on, real-world applications,” Principal Stormi McCarthy said. Jackpot Combined School staff celebrate their designation as a Developing STEM school during a ceremony in March. The first grant, a $25,000 award, will fund the Skill Struck STEM learning platform and teacher professional development, according to an announcement from the Elko County School District. The learning platform includes the launch of a student-run school store in which students will manufacture and sell products, gaining practical experiences in entrepreneurship and financial literacy, the district said. The second grant of $36,565 will support the Jackpot Community Greenhouse Project, which aims to build a commercial-grade greenhouse and provide related materials and professional development. The greenhouse will serve as a year-round outdoor classroom where students will cultivate plants, conduct research and collaborate with local industry partners, the district said. Students will gain skills in landscape design, plant science and problem-solving while addressing real-world challenges. Both initiatives align with the school’s strategic goals of improving STEM education, fostering community partnerships and preparing students for careers, according to the district. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.WASHINGTON — Austin Tice’s entire family visited Washington this week in a show of force to the outgoing Biden administration, asserting they have fresh, reliable information that he is alive and pressing top White House and State Department officials to leverage dramatic changes on the battlefield in Syria to secure a breakthrough in the case of the missing journalist. Tice’s parents, Debra and Marc Tice, have frequently visited the capital to advocate for their son, who went missing as a freelance journalist covering Syria’s civil war in 2012. But this visit was the first of its kind from the entire Tice family since he first disappeared over 12 years ago. Little progress has been made on Tice’s case over those years, spanning three presidents and a transformed Middle East. But a resurgence in Syria’s war over the past month after years of frozen frontlines has created new opportunities and perils for the American, a former U.S. Marine and Texas native. “Today is a day full of emotions. The news that we’re hearing from the Middle East – that kind of thing can unsettle a mom,” Debra Tice told reporters at a press conference at the National Press Club on Friday. “There are all kinds of ways this can go.” She told reporters that the family had a new source telling them that Austin Tice remains alive and healthy. The family is working to be able to share more information with the public, she said. “We have from a significant source that has already been vetted all over our government that Austin Tice is alive – Austin Tice is treated well,” Debra Tice said. Debra and Marc Tice both said the Biden administration is declining to make the new information public. U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the family’s statement. Syria erupted in civil war in 2011 following a brutal crackdown on democratic protesters by the Assad government. Tice traveled to the country to cover the conflict the following year for McClatchy, The Washington Post and other publications. U.S. officials believe he was detained at a Syrian government checkpoint southwest of Damascus on Aug. 14, 2012. A video emerged six weeks after his disappearance purporting to show him in captivity. With assistance from Russia and Iran, the Assad regime was able to push back an array of opposition forces that increasingly fractured throughout the war. The rise of Islamic State in the country also led to an international military offensive in northern Syria that culminated in 2017. Ever since, Assad’s hold on power has appeared stable. But a surprise offensive launched by a united front of rebel forces last month has put Assad’s army on the run for the first time in years. In a span of mere weeks, the Syrian army has retreated from Aleppo, Hama and Homs, cities where Assad spent years fighting to regain control. The offensive is being led by Tahrir al-Sham, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. It is not immediately clear how the resurgence of military action in Syria might affect negotiations over Tice. But U.S. officials are watching the developments closely to monitor for any new opportunities to engage on his case, an official told McClatchy. Tice’s family met with State Department officials on Thursday and with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday, a White House official confirmed in a statement. “President Biden and his team have worked around the clock, often in partnership with key allies, to negotiate for the release of Americans held hostage or unjustly detained abroad so that they can be reunited with their families, and the administration will continue to do so throughout the remainder of the term,” the official said. Speaking to the press on Friday, Austin Tice’s father, Marc, said that Sullivan told the family the administration had done everything it could think of to reach a breakthrough in his case. But his family believes the government has exerted more effort to secure the release of wrongfully detained Americans in Russia, Venezuela, Iran and Gaza than they have for their son. Similarly, at the State Department meeting, “there were complaints and finger pointing about who is preventing things from happening, and who’s responsible for doing what,” Marc Tice said. “We think this is a time of opportunity, actually, and there’s no time like now to start doing the right thing.” Last month, as Syrian regime lines were collapsing before the rebel advance, the White House said that Assad’s refusal to participate in a political process with the opposition, and his reliance on Russia and Iran, had “created the conditions now unfolding, including the collapse of Assad regime lines in northwest Syria.” “The United States, together with its partners and allies, urge de-escalation, protection of civilians and minority groups, and a serious and credible political process that can end this civil war once and for all with a political settlement,” Sean Savett, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a statement. “We will also continue to fully defend and protect U.S. personnel and U.S. military positions, which remain essential to ensuring that ISIS can never again resurge in Syria.” Debra Tice was skeptical of the policy, questioning why the administration would support the rebel advance on Assad forces. Biden officials have made clear they are not a part of the offensive. “I don’t really understand what’s happening in Syria,” she said. “I’m upset by the fact that terrorists are tearing up Aleppo, killing people in Aleppo. I don’t understand that. I don’t understand why our government isn’t running in saying we are not going to allow a terrorist entity to take over Syria.” “There are people feeling like it’s possible this could be Austin’s release. I certainly pray that that’s it,” she added.” Long-stalled talks In August, marking 12 years since Tice’s disappearance, President Joe Biden issued a statement that his administration had “repeatedly pressed the government of Syria to work with us so that we can, at last, bring Austin home.” “The freedom of the press is essential, and journalists like Austin play a critical role informing the public and holding those in power accountable,” Biden said. “We stand in solidarity with Austin, his family, and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad. I will continue to do everything possible to advocate for and pursue his release and support his loved ones until he is safely returned home.” In 2022, Biden met with Tice’s parents at the White House and vowed to engage the Syrians directly over Tice. In a statement at that time, the president expressed “certainty” that Assad had held him in Syrian custody, without specifying when, where or in what condition. During the Obama administration, the CIA obtained Syrian government records indicating Tice had at one point been processed through the Syrian court system. Biden’s team had been hopeful the following year that quiet talks with Damascus could produce a breakthrough. But Hamas’ attack on Israel, and the war that followed in Gaza and Lebanon, disrupted the discussions. Officials in the first Trump administration also attempted to directly engage with the Syrians to secure Tice’s release, traveling to Damascus in an effort to do so. But Assad aides refused to acknowledge Tice’s case during that meeting, insisting the U.S. government renew its recognition of Assad as the leader of Syria – and a full withdrawal of U.S. troops in the country there to combat Islamic State – before even uttering his name, U.S. officials told McClatchy. In August, marking the anniversary, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Tice had been held in “unknown conditions” and issued a plea to Syria to open an honest dialogue on his case. “For more than a quarter of his life, Austin has been separated from his family and kept in unknown conditions,” Blinken said. “We know the Syrian government has held Austin, and we have repeatedly offered to find a way to bring him home.” “This has gone on for far too long,” Blinken added. “We call on the Syrian government to work with the United States to end Austin’s captivity.” U.S. officials told McClatchy this week that the government’s knowledge of Tice’s condition and whereabouts remain unchanged. ©2024 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit mcclatchydc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Facility Opens, Aims to Produce 100 Million Doses a Year(BPT) - The holidays are almost here! It means parties and events, hustle and bustle ... and figuring out what to buy for everyone on your list. Sometimes it's hard to get inspired with great ideas that your nears and dears will love at a price you can afford, right? The good news? Inspiration + savings are covered this year. One of the top gifts of Holiday 2024 is technology, and there are a lot of deals out there right now. Done and done! Here are 5 ideas for hot tech gifts for everyone on your list. Smartphones for the family T-Mobile is running a hot deal right now. Get four new smartphones at T-Mobile — this includes Samsung Galaxy S24 and other eligible devices — and four lines for just $100/month . It doesn't get better than that! These new Galaxy phones are tech-tastic, too, with features like AI, Circle to Search with Google, which can be used to help solve math problems and translate entire pages of text in a different language, and Note Assist with Galaxy AI, which lets you focus on capturing your notes and then Note Assist will summarize, format and even translate them for you. High tech spiral notebook for students We've got to admit, this is pretty cool. The Rocketbook looks (a bit) like a regular spiral, paper notebook. Here's the high tech twist: You can take notes, capture ideas, brainstorm, draw — whatever you do on paper — on the pad, and the Rocketbook digitizes your doodles and saves to the cloud device of your choice. Then you simply wipe the pad clean and it's good to go. Look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales at your favorite online retailer. Wrist-worthy smartwatches for athletes (or those who want to be) Everyone loves smartwatches (if you're not already tracking your sleep and heart rate, where have you been?) and the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm & 45mm) takes it to the next level with features for athletes or anyone who may be setting fitness goals for the coming year. The watch has workout prompts like Real Time Guidance — audio and haptic cues for when to sprint, cool down or maintain pace. It gives you the ability to program your workouts and even monitors your cadence and stride. It also has Offline Maps, with driving navigation, search and maps. Here's the deal of the century: Get it for free at T-Mobile when adding a qualifying watch line. Cute wireless keyboard for people who are all thumbs Who else is annoyed by typing email or texts or social posts on a smartphone? The Logitech Multi-Device Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard solves that problem with style! It comes in sweet colors like lavender, it's wireless, it's small and portable, and it works with just about any device. Pop it into your backpack or purse and you'll never have to thumb-out a message again. Speakers perfect for hosting and giving Have a music lover in your life or need the perfect hosting gift? T-Mobile has you covered. For a limited time, you can get the JBL Clip 5 for free when you pick up a Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 . The JBL Clip 5 is an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker perfect for those on the go and the Onyx Studio 9's sleek design and booming sound will take care of all your holiday hosting needs. For more tech-tastic holiday gift inspiration, check out T-Mobile's holiday gift guide at t-mobile.com/devices/tech-gifts .
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Who Biden may be considering preemptive pardons for? CBS News has learned President Biden is considering issuing blanket preemptive pardons to some of President-elect Donald Trump's biggest critics. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has the details.
The Aurora City Council on Tuesday night approved a roughly $660,000 project to renovate the fourth floor of Aurora City Hall that would bring together the city’s full Finance Department on one floor. The item was passed as part of the consent agenda, so the item was not discussed at Tuesday’s meeting. A $659,674 contract with a 10% contingency was awarded to Lite Construction Inc, the lowest responsible bidder, for the construction work. At a City Council I nfrastructure and Technology Committee meeting last week, Aurora Chief Public Facilities Officer Jim Birchall said the renovation would “demo everything” on the fourth floor and rebuild from a “clean envelope,” including bringing in completely new furniture, redoing the bathrooms and upgrading the lighting to LEDs. The Finance Department’s current offices, most of which are on the first floor of City Hall, are “antiquated, with awkward allocation of space, and inadequate infrastructure” to meet the city’s needs, according to a staff report included with the City Council’s meeting agenda. The fourth floor’s offices are also currently “hodgepodge,” with some being too big and some being too small, so the plan is to take down the walls and build back up six private offices and 14 cubicles, Birchall said at the time. The bathrooms on the fourth floor will also be remodeled, and the bathrooms on the third and fifth floors will be brought up to the current building code, which requires floor drains. The heating and cooling system would be controlled by a rooftop unit dedicated to the fourth and fifth floors, so the temperature could be adjusted down when people are not in the offices to avoid heating a vacant space, Birchall previously said. The city is currently working with Lite Construction on a different project, the renovation of 745 Broadway, according to Birchall. Although they aren’t too deep into the project, he is happy with the work they are doing, he said last week. Also, when they checked Lite’s references, some architecture firms that have worked with them in the past have been “very, very happy with them,” Birchall said at the time. The staff report from the City Council meeting agenda said the empty space on the first floor left when the Finance Department moves out can be repurposed or combined with the city clerk’s office. rsmith@chicagotribune.comChicago Bears: What to watch for in Week 17 matchup
