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☆ A FAFSA Fiasco Has Students Still Asking: Which College Can They Afford?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | Bernard Mokam | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By this time of year, college-bound high school seniors are usually celebrating their choices, researching dorms and even thinking of their majors. Because of a disastrous rollout of the new application for federal tuition aid, many still don’t know how much tuition they would be paying and so have not decided where they can afford to go. The Education Department’s redesigned form for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, was supposed to make applying for tuition aid easier and more accessible. But faced with a bureaucratic mess caused by technical meltdowns and severe delays in processing information and receiving aid packages, students say the new system has been anything but clear or streamlined. The first signs of trouble began in December with the form’s release and have cascaded since, creating uncertainties for students — with graduation right around the corner.

Persons: that’s Organizations: Federal Student Aid

☆ Intruder Breaks Into Los Angeles Mayor’s Residence
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | More About Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Getty House in Los Angeles, the official residence of Mayor Karen Bass, was broken into early Sunday, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The police took the intruder into custody, officials said. Details on the break-in were scant, but the police said on social media that the intruder had entered the Getty House after smashing a window around 6:40 a.m. while Ms. Bass and her family were inside. Ms. Bass’s office said in a statement that she and her family were safe and had not sustained any injuries. for responding and arresting the suspect,” Ms. Bass’s office said in a statement.

Persons: Karen Bass, Bass, “, ” Ms Organizations: Getty, Los Angeles Police Department Locations: Los Angeles

Days after Columbia University’s president testified before Congress, the atmosphere on campus remained fraught on Sunday, shaken by pro-Palestinian protests that have drawn the attention of the police and the concern of some Jewish students. Over the weekend, the student-led demonstrations on campus also attracted separate, more agitated protests by demonstrators who seemed to be unaffiliated with the university just outside Columbia’s gated campus in Upper Manhattan, which was closed to the public because of the protests. Some of those protests took a dark turn on Saturday evening, leading to the harassment of some Jewish students who were targeted with antisemitic vitriol. The verbal attacks left some of the 5,000 Jewish students at Columbia fearful for their safety on the campus and its vicinity, and even drew condemnation from the White House and Mayor Eric Adams of New York City. “While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable and dangerous,” Andrew Bates, a spokesman for the White House, said in a statement.

Persons: Eric Adams, ” Andrew Bates Organizations: Columbia, White, New Locations: Upper Manhattan, New York City, American

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last year, students at scores of colleges and universities across the United States have come out to protest in support of Palestinians. As the war in Gaza has escalated, universities have been caught in an often vitriolic debate over how to handle the protests, which many Jewish students and alumni say have often veered into antisemitism and instilled fear on campus. University leaders have also faced pressure from Republican lawmakers demanding they do more to quash speech that they say encourages violence against Jews. Demonstrators and their faculty supporters say that these demands are intended to suppress their political speech and support for the Palestinian cause. Several institutions have cracked down on pro-Palestinian protests and encampments.

Organizations: Hamas, University, Columbia Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, New York City

☆ Protesters Block Roads Across the U.S. to Support Those in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | More About Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down traffic Monday morning in cities across the country, part of a global effort to disrupt economies and pressure world leaders to push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. In Chicago, protesters on I-190 blocked traffic coming into O’Hare International Airport, and passengers who’d already arrived started walking on foot with their luggage to catch their flights. In San Antonio, protesters carrying Palestinian flags blocked both sides of the Valero energy company headquarters, jamming traffic on the city’s northwest side. And in Philadelphia, pro-Palestinian protesters organized a teach-in that blocked rush-hour traffic. In Middletown, Conn., for example, pro-Palestinian protesters blocked employees entering and leaving a Pratt & Whitney factory that exports military engines for aircrafts.

Persons: Zimmermann, Protesters Organizations: O’Hare International, City Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pratt & Whitney, aircrafts . Police, Hartford Courant, Protesters Locations: Gaza, California, Oakland, Chicago, O’Hare, San Antonio, Valero, Philadelphia, City, Israel, Middletown, Conn, United States, Athens, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sydney, Australia, Barcelona, Spain

Jesus Campos said he worked at Brawner Builders alongside the men missing after a bridge collapse in Baltimore. “We’re low-income families,” said Jesus Campos, who has worked at the construction company, Brawner Builders, for about eight months. The executive, Jeffrey Pritzker, and the Coast Guard said that all of the missing workers were presumed dead, given how long it had been since the collapse. Embassies for the other two countries mentioned by Mr. Campos did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Officials said that in addition to the six missing workers, two people had been rescued from the water.

Persons: Jesus Campos, “, ”, Jeffrey Pritzker, Mr, Pritzker, “ It’s, Campos, Francis Scott Key, Miguel Luna, Luna, Gustavo Torres, Jacey Fortin, Miriam Jordan, Patricia Mazzei, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, Kirsten Noyes Organizations: Brawner Builders, Brawner, Coast Guard, Baltimore Banner Locations: Baltimore, Baltimore County, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Maryland, Petén, Mexican, Washington, Brawner

☆ In Kansas City, a Festive Yet Cautious St. Patrick’s Day Parade
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | Lauren Fox Kanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Irish dancers, Gaelic football players, green everything: Thousands of spectators gathered for the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday, the first citywide parade since a deadly shooting last month roiled the city’s Super Bowl celebration. The St. Patrick’s Day parade, the city’s 50th this year, is regarded as one of the country’s largest, with crowds known to reach hundreds of thousands. On Sunday, a sizable — but notably smaller — crowd sporting green beanies, vests, cowboy hats and sweatshirts came together, even under high winds and chilly temperatures. The parade showcased Gaelic Athletic Club members demonstrating their hurling skills, bagpipe players, antique fire trucks and lots of green items, including cotton candy, plaid hats and stuffed animals. There was a stand with T-shirts that read “Kansas City has our own St. Patrick,” with a photo of the Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — which at one point were almost blown away by the fierce winds.

Persons: Patrick’s, sweatshirts, Patrick, Patrick Mahomes — Organizations: Gaelic, St, Gaelic Athletic Club, Chiefs Locations: Kansas City, Mo

☆ Virginia Bans Legacy Admissions in Public Universities and Colleges
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Virginia will end legacy admissions at public universities after Gov. Under House Bill 48, public universities in the state will be barred from giving preferential treatment to applicants based on their connections to not only alumni but to donors as well. The ban will notably affect the University of Virginia and William & Mary, which are among the country’s more selective public universities. Virginia Tech, another prestigious public university, already announced last year that it would no longer take an applicant’s legacy status into account in the admissions process. Mr. Youngkin, a Republican, said in a statement in January that he believed “admission to Virginia’s universities and colleges should be based on merit.”

Persons: Glenn Youngkin, Bill, Mary, Youngkin, ” Organizations: Gov, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, State Senate, Republican Locations: Virginia

☆ Texas Judge Temporarily Blocks Paxton’s Demand for Transgender Minors’ Records
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Texas attorney general from forcing an L.G.B.T.Q. organization to turn over documents on transgender minors and the gender-affirming care they may be receiving. In Texas, medical care for gender transition is prohibited for minors under a law passed last year. The judge added that such an ask would infringe on the group’s constitutional rights and that its members would be subject to “gross invasions” of privacy. In a statement, PFLAG’s lawyers, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said they were “grateful that the court saw the harm the attorney general’s office’s intrusive demands posed.”

Persons: Ken Paxton, Judge Maria Cantú Hexsel, Paxton, PFLAG, general’s, ” Organizations: Court, American Civil Liberties Union Locations: Texas, Travis County

☆ U.S. Airman’s Winding Path Ended in Self-Immolation to Protest Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dressed in his U.S. Air Force uniform, Aaron Bushnell walked up to the Israeli embassy in Washington one afternoon this week and calmly described his intention to “engage in an extreme act of protest” against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. He proceeded to pour a flammable liquid over his buzz-cut head, pulled his camouflage cap tightly over his forehead and lit himself on fire. “Free Palestine!” he shouted several times before collapsing onto the cement. “It’s hard to wrap my head around,” said Ashley Schuman, 26, who has known Mr. Bushnell since childhood. How did you get here?’”

Persons: Aaron Bushnell, ”, Bushnell, “, Ashley Schuman, “ I’m Organizations: U.S . Air Force Locations: Washington, Gaza, Massachusetts, cyberdefense, Texas

☆ Their Weapons Against the Effects of Aging: Friendship, and Some Fancy Footwork
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | Madeline Gray | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WHY WE’RE HEREWe’re exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. In Beaufort, N.C., a group of women offers a window into what contemporary aging can be in a nation that is rapidly getting older. “If you want to say something,” one woman hollered above the din, “you better scream it!”Ms. Barnes’s home is not a sorority house — she is 86 years old. “We’re not very contained,” said Ms. Barnes, who is the Queen Mother of the group. The Belles are a chapter of The Sweet Potato Queens — an international network of more than 6,500 women’s groups that aim for a similar balance of amusement and mutual support.

Persons: Martha Barnes’s, Barnes’s, —, “, ”, Barnes Locations: Beaufort, N.C

Investigators in Kansas City, Mo., were seeking help from the public as they searched on Thursday for answers in a shooting that upended the city’s Super Bowl victory celebration and left one person dead and at least 21 others wounded by gunfire. The shooting, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon as thousands of football fans had crowded into downtown Kansas City, sharply turned a day of revelry into one of chaos and confusion. Nine of them had suffered gunshot wounds, the authorities said. It was uncertain who was responsible for the shooting, which took place near the city’s Union Station, a hub that draws tourists to the city each year. By Wednesday night, three people had been detained, the Kansas City police chief said, but no charges had been announced, and officials said they were uncertain of the motive.

Organizations: Kansas City Locations: Kansas City, Mo, revelry, city’s

Fleeing after shots were fired near the Super Bowl victory celebration for the Chiefs in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday. The parade on Wednesday to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory brought hundreds of thousands of people to the city’s streets, a sea of fans clad in the team’s trademark red. Only when fans started running — some of them took shelter under his hot dog tent — did he realize that a shooting was underway. Adrian Robinson had traveled to Kansas City from Gary, Ind., to sell T-shirts. Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, had also been downtown for the celebration.

Persons: Ian Johnson, Courtney Brown, “, ”, Adrian Robinson, Christopher Smith, Dominick Williams, Mr, Robinson, Zachary Dial, Quinton Lucas, ” Traci Angel, Colbi Edmonds Organizations: Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City, The New York Times, Union Station, Kansas Locations: Kansas City, Mo, Union, Independence, Kansas, Gary, Ind, Richmond

Nearly half of all flash flood deaths are vehicle-related, experts say, which is why you should never drive into a flooded street. Here’s what to do in advance — and in the moment — to get through a flash flood safely. A “flash flood warning” means a flash flood is imminent or already occurring, and you should immediately move to higher ground if you’re outside or in a basement apartment. The most dire alert is a “flash flood emergency,” which indicates that not only is flooding occurring, but it’s posing a severe threat to human life. “People need to realize that most people who lose their footing in a flash flood don’t get out,” she said.

Persons: there’s, ”, Bonnie Schneider, Schneider, it’s, Hurricane Ida, You’ll, Ready.gov, David Markenson, ‘ It’s, Sabine Marx, I’m, Julie Munger, Munger, “, Dr, Markenson, you’re, don’t, they’re, Ms, Lynn Burttschell, Burttschell, Eugene Resnick, ’, ” Susan Shain Organizations: National Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cross Training Services, Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Sierra Rescue, FEMA, Wimberley, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York Times Locations: United States, New York City, New York, Madison, Wis

☆ Utah Sets Restrictions on Transgender People’s Bathroom Use
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In public schools, students can now use only a bathroom, shower room or locker room that aligns with their sex assigned at birth, with few exceptions. For government-owned buildings, including state universities, the restrictions apply only to showers and locker rooms. Violators may face charges for loitering, and government-owned institutions may face fines if they do not enforce the new rules. The state auditor will be required to establish a process to receive and investigate reports of violations.

☆ At Least 70 Deaths in U.S. Are Connected to Severe Winter Weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jacey Fortin | Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At least 70 people across the United States have died from weather-related causes after more than a week of frigid winter storms and brutally cold temperatures, according to reports from state officials, police departments, medical examiners and news outlets. On Monday in Tennessee, a man died after he fell through a skylight while clearing snow from the roof of a business. At least 25 people there appear to have died of weather-related causes, including hypothermia, falls and traffic accidents, according to state health officials. And in Oregon, at least 11 people are reported to have died of weather-related causes, including the three who were killed by the power line. Both states declared a state of emergency last week, as did Kentucky, where at least five people died during the cold snap.

Locations: United States, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Kentucky

☆ 3 Migrants, Including 2 Children, Drown Near Texas Border
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Three migrants drowned in the Rio Grande by Eagle Pass, Texas, officials said Saturday, setting off a dispute among state and federal officials in what seemed to escalate the feud between the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott over the stringent security measures the state has imposed to keep migrants from entering the country. Homeland Security said that when Border Patrol agents tried to respond to the call, they were “physically barred” by Texas Military Department agents from accessing the area. But Border Patrol officials in the area have complained that those moves have made it harder for agents to help migrants in distress. And a Homeland Security spokesperson said Texas officials must stop interfering with federal law enforcement.

Persons: Biden, Greg Abbott, Abbott Organizations: Gov, Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, Security, Texas Military Department, Homeland Security Locations: Rio Grande, Eagle Pass , Texas, United States, Shelby, Texas

☆ The Frightful Minutes Aboard Flight 1282
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-07 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | Rebecca Carballo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

So began the harrowing minutes aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, when a door-sized section near the rear of the plane blew off 10 minutes after it took off from Portland, Ore., on Friday night, leaving some passengers initially confused, and others utterly terrified. “The first thing I thought was, ‘I’m going to die,’” said Vi Nguyen, 22, a passenger from Portland. Nicholas Hoch, 33, was sitting in 12A, a window seat near the front of the Boeing 737 Max 9. There was something wrong on the plane, he told them, adding, “I love you guys.”The flight, carrying 171 passengers and six crew members, began in ordinary fashion. Headed for Ontario, Calif., it was initially delayed by about 20 minutes to allow for de-icing, said Mr. Hoch, an architect, who was flying to visit his girlfriend’s family.

Persons: “, ‘ I’m, ’ ”, Vi Nguyen, Nicholas Hoch, Hoch Organizations: Alaska, Boeing Locations: Portland ,, Portland, Ontario, Calif

☆ Details of Sexual Assault Allegation Against Florida G.O.P. Chair Add to Party Turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | More About Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Details of a sexual assault allegation against the chairman of the Florida Republican Party in an affidavit from state authorities are fueling turmoil within the party. The affidavit recounts that a woman says that the chairman, Christian Ziegler, assaulted her in her apartment in October. It was filed in Florida court as part of a warrant application seeking access to electronic communications and recordings on Mr. Ziegler’s Google account. A spokeswoman for the Police Department in Sarasota, Fla., confirmed on Thursday that there was an “active investigation” involving Mr. Ziegler. No charges have been filed against him, and he has denied wrongdoing through his lawyer, Derek Byrd, who did not respond on Sunday for a request for comment.

Persons: Christian Ziegler, Ziegler, Derek Byrd, ”, Bridget Ziegler Organizations: Florida Republican Party, Google, Police Department, Sarasota County School Board, Liberty Locations: Florida, Sarasota , Fla

☆ A protester self-immolates outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | More About Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A protester self-immolated on Friday afternoon outside of the Israeli Consulate building in Atlanta, in what the police described as “likely an extreme act of political protest.”A security guard tried to intervene but was unsuccessful, officials said. “Our prayers are with the security officer who was injured while trying to prevent this tragic act.”The self-immolation occurred outside a building in the Midtown area of Atlanta that houses the consulate and several other offices. “It appears to have been focused outside the building. I’m not aware of an attempt to enter the building,” Chief Schierbaum said, adding: “I have met with the consul general. All the residents of this building are safe.”The Atlanta F.B.I.

Persons: Roderick M, Smith, Darin Schierbaum, ” Anat Sultan, Dadon, ”, “, I’m, Schierbaum Organizations: Consulate, Grady Memorial Hospital, Palestinian, Southeastern Locations: Atlanta, Grady, Israel, Southeastern United States, Midtown

☆ New Tool for Building and Fixing Roads and Bridges: Artificial Intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | More About Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Pennsylvania, where 13 percent of the bridges have been classified as structurally deficient, engineers are using artificial intelligence to create lighter concrete blocks for new construction. Another project is using A.I. to develop a highway wall that can absorb noise from cars — and some of the greenhouse gas emissions that traffic releases as well. to help build more resilient projects for less money. projects in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

Persons: ”, Amir Alavi Organizations: University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania, Commission Locations: Pennsylvania

There had been plenty during his seven years in office: a deadly, devastating tornado; the coronavirus pandemic; neglected roads that the city could not afford to fix. But Smiths Station pulled through. Mr. Copeland had devised a plan to pay for repaving roads. Many in the city would have welcomed it. Then, on Nov. 3, sheriff’s deputies, who had been called by worried friends of Mr. Copeland to check on him, trailed him until he pulled over miles from Smiths Station and fatally shot himself.

Persons: F.L, Copeland Jr, Bubba, Copeland, Copeland’s Organizations: Smiths, Sims, Smiths Station Locations: Ala, Alabama

The gunman who fled after killing 18 people and injuring 13 others at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, last month was most likely alive during much of the sprawling two-day manhunt that had forced thousands of residents throughout the region to remain in their homes. It remains unclear whether the gunman was hiding in the recycling plant trailer the entire time after the shooting, or if he went there later, but the time estimate suggests that the lockdown in and around Lewiston was justified. Law enforcement and other officials have faced scrutiny over the manhunt, in part because they searched the recycling plant, Maine Recycling, twice without finding Mr. Card. It was during a third sweep on Oct. 27 — two days after the shooting — that they also searched for the first time an adjacent dirt parking lot used by the company. That search took place after a supervisor at the company reached out to the police and suggested they look through the trailers, officials have said.

Persons: Robert R Organizations: Maine Recycling Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Maine, Lewiston

Elected officials in Maine reacting to initial reports of the shooting in Lewiston expressed concern about the violence that had visited their community and shared words of sympathy with the friends and relatives of those caught in the shooting. A spokesman for Senator Angus King said that President Biden had reached out to the senator and pledged any federal assistance needed for the state. Janet Mills of Maine said on X that she had been “briefed on the active shooter situation” and urged residents to follow the directions of law enforcement. President Biden was briefed “on what’s known so far about the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, and will continue to receive updates,” the White House said in a statement. Our leaders must act.”Reid J. Epstein , Víctor Manuel Ramos and Ben Shpigel contributed reporting.

Persons: Chellie Pingree, Maine, Angus King, Mr, King, Biden, Susan Collins, ”, we’ve, Collins, Janet Mills, “, Jared Golden, Gabrielle Giffords, ” Reid J, Epstein, Víctor Manuel Ramos, Ben Shpigel Organizations: Gov, Democrat Locations: Maine, Lewiston, Lewiston , Maine, Arizona

☆ Synagogue Leader Killed in Detroit, Michigan Attorney General Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | More About Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The president of a synagogue in Detroit was found brutally killed near her home on Saturday, though the authorities have not yet established a motive. The president, Samantha Woll, 40, who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was the victim of a homicide, Dana Nessel, the attorney general, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Image Samantha Woll was the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit. The location was near Ms. Woll’s home address. The woman had multiple stab wounds, the statement said, and officers observed a trail of blood that led to the victim’s home, where the police say they believe the attack occurred.

Persons: Samantha Woll, Isaac, Dana Nessel, Woll, Woll’s Organizations: Getty, The Detroit Police Locations: Detroit, Detroit .

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