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The pandemic widened gaps in reading. Can one teacher ‘do something about that’?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — Richard Evans makes his way through rows of his students in his third grade classroom, stooping to pick up an errant pencil and answering questions above the din of chairs sliding on hardwood floors. The desks, once spread apart to fight COVID-19, are back together. Masks cover just a couple of faces. But the pandemic maintains an unmistakable presence.Look no further than the blue horseshoe-shaped table in the back of the room where Evans calls a handful of students back for extra help in reading — a pivotal subject for third grade — at the end of each day.Here is where time lost to pandemic shutdowns and quarantines shows itself: in the students who are repeating this grade. In the little fingers slowly sliding beneath words sounded out one syllable at a time. In the teacher’s patient coaching through reading concepts usually mastered in first grade — letter “blends” like “ch” and “sh.” It is here, too, where Evans jots pluses and minuses and numbers on ...

Oil drilling project near mouth of Amazon River rejected by Brazil’s environmental regulator

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s environmental regulator has rejected a license for a controversial offshore oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River that drew strong opposition from activists who warned of its potential for damaging the area. The agency’s president, Rodrigo Agostinho, highlighted environmental concerns in announcing the decision Wednesday evening to turn down the state-run oil company Petrobras’ request to drill the FZA-M-59 block. He cited “a group of technical inconsistencies” in the company’s application.With Brazil’s existing production set to peak in coming years, Petrobras has sought to secure more reserves off Brazil’s northern coast. The company earmarked almost half its five-year, $6 billion exploration budget for the area. CEO Jean Paul Prates had said that the first well would be temporary and that the company has never recorded a leak in offshore drilling. The company failed to convince the environmental agency.“Ther...

Northern, central Minnesota under another air quality alert as Canadian wildfire smoke returns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued another air quality alert for parts of northern and central Minnesota beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday and continuing through noon Thursday due to drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires.Much of the same area was under an alert Tuesday. Southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, hasn’t been covered by the alerts, but smoke has still filtered into the atmosphere over the region.Counties include Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Roseau, St. Louis County, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.To reduce additional air pollutants, open burning is not allowed, and campfires are discouraged during the alert period. Additional counties may have burning restrictions in place due to high fire danger levels. For up-to-date information on fire dan...

Concert review: Shania Twain’s new songs and odd vocals mar Xcel Energy Center show

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

A few songs into Shania Twain’s concert Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center, the Canadian country/pop superstar told the audience: “OK, you guys are warmed up now, I can tell.”The thing is, was Twain warmed up herself? For much of the show, Twain seemed distracted and distanced from the near-capacity St. Paul hockey arena. She gave the performance of someone who has spent more than a year on the road and is really ready to wrap things up and go home. Problem is, this was the 12th night of the tour.Twain, 57, was one of the biggest stars in music in the late ’90s and early ’00s thanks in part to the two smashes that made up her encore, “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” But she took an extended hiatus after a messy divorce from her husband/producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange (who cheated on Twain with her best friend) and a bout with Lyme disease that damaged her voice to the point she had to have throat surgery.Afte...

Philadelphia’s likely next mayor could offer model for how Democrats talk about crime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

By SARA BURNETT and BROOKE SCHULTZ (Associated Press)PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Democrat who will almost certainly become Philadelphia’s next mayor wants to hire hundreds of additional police officers to walk their beats and get to know residents. She wants to devote resources to recruiting more police and says officers should be able to stop and search pedestrians if they have a legitimate reason to do so.Those positions, particularly the search policies that have been criticized for wrongly targeting people of color, would seem out of step in a progressive bastion like Philadelphia. But Cherelle Parker trounced her rivals in this week’s mayoral primary with a message that centered on tougher law enforcement to combat rising crime and violence.While local politics don’t always align with the ideological divides that guide the national debate, Parker’s victory offers a fresh case study for Democrats as they wrestle with how to approach the issue of violent...

Body discovered in San Bernardino County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

Authorities are investigating after a body was discovered in San Bernardino County on Tuesday.California Highway Patrol deputies discovered the man’s body in a desert area of Needles, just west of Interstate 95 and south of Highway 163 around 9 a.m., according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.When county deputies arrived, they found the body lying near a truck. Authorities determined the man “suffered trauma consistent with a gunshot wound.”No identification on the body was found at the time and officials said it’s unknown when the murder occurred. No suspect description was immediately available.“The victim was transported to the coroner’s office where positive identification and next-of-kin notification are pending,” authorities said.The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information is urged to call homicide detectives at 909-890-4904. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-782-7463 or online at www.wetip.com.

SF serial stalker convicted of assault, false imprisonment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

(BCN) -- A jury convicted serial stalker suspect Bill Gene Hobbs on Wednesday of false imprisonment, assault and sexual battery, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. Hobbs, 34, was accused of groping and assaulting at least 14 women in the city. Police said that starting last September, Hobbs would approach female victims and make unwanted physical advances. In many cases, he would inappropriately touch them, and then flee the scene. San Mateo police arrest suspected pedophile Hobbs faces up to eight years in prison after being convicted of felony false imprisonment, two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery, five counts of battery, and one count of assault. "The jury's verdict delivers justice for all of the women that were victimized by Mr. Hobbs," said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. "He will now face consequences for his unacceptable behavior, and brazen harassment of women throughout San Francisco. KRON ON is streaming news live now.embed-con...

Struggling Mets call up infielder Mark Vientos from minor leagues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Vientos was about to go to sleep in his Norfolk, Virginia, hotel room when he learned he was the spark the sagging New York Mets were seeking.Vientos got a late-night call from Syracuse Mets manager Dick Scott, who told the 23-year-old to get to New York on Wednesday. Shortly after arriving at Citi Field, Vientos was in the lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays, batting eighth and playing third base.“It’s kind of the fallout of not playing as well as we need to,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “It adds excitement if they perform well and help you win games.”Vientos hit a tying two-run homer in the seventh inning off Ryan Thompson, and the Mets went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 on Pete Alonso’s three-run homer in the 10th. Francisco Álvarez, like Vientos a rookie, tied the score with a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth. “All the hard work I’ve been putting in is showing,” Vientos said.He went 1 for 4 and wound up hitting back-to-bac...

“Es una tarea dura, pero no imposible”: fijan plazo máximo para convocar a elecciones en Ecuador

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

QUITO – La fecha máxima para convocar a elecciones generales anticipadas en Ecuador es el 24 de mayo próximo, informó este miércoles el Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE), pocas horas después de que el jefe de Estado, Guillermo Lasso, disolviera al Parlamento y pidiera que se convoque a comicios generales.La presidenta del CNE, Diana Atamaint, dijo en rueda de prensa que tienen 7 días para convocar a elecciones, y debido a que el tiempo empieza a correr desde este jueves, “el 24 de mayo es la fecha límite”, aunque podrían hacerlo antes.Indicó que se trata de un “desafío” para realizar el proceso de votación dentro de los próximos 90 días, y anotó que en las próximas horas organizarán un calendario electoral, coordinado con el Tribunal Contencioso Electoral (órgano de justicia electoral), que debe ser aprobado por el pleno del CNE.Las áreas técnicas están en la “dura tarea, pero no imposible”, de levantar el plan operativo matriz de riesgos y c...

Celtics can’t hold onto home-court edge on once-fearsome parquet floor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:13 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Once so prodigious on their parquet floor, the Boston Celtics can’t seem to squeeze out a home-court advantage during these playoffs.The franchise that once went 40-1 at home over an entire season fell to .500 at the TD Garden in the playoffs this year with a 123-116 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.“I don’t know. I don’t know why,” said Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who scored 30 points. “You’ve still got to play the game. You’ve still got to make plays, regardless of whether you’re at home or away. The court is the same: There’s one ball, three refs and two baskets.“I don’t have an exact answer why we’re .500 at home,” he said. “But we’ve got to be better.”With the loss, the second-seeded Celtics squandered the home-court advantage they earned by finishing 13 games ahead of Miami in the regular season. Not that it matters: The Celtics weren’t able to hold it in either of their previous playoff series, needing a p...