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☆ Largest federal transportation grant ever awarded to critical NY-NJ tunnel project
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The replacement for a crumbling underwater tunnel connecting New York City and New Jersey that carries up to 200,000 people daily just received the largest-ever federal transportation grant, according to Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer. In all, some 24 trains per hour and 200,000 people daily (at pre-pandemic levels) pass through the tunnel, according to Amtrak. Gardner said the rail line and others have applied for $10 billion in federal grants, including for the Gateway project. “A future of rail transportation for passengers really across the entire east coast, and our connections to the west.”The project has political complications. President Donald Trump opposed spending so much federal funding on the project – back when it was expected to cost only $13 billion – according to the then-Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Sandy, Stephen Gardner, ”, Gardner, “, Donald Trump, Elaine Chao Organizations: CNN, Amtrak, US Transportation Department, Development Commission, Transportation Locations: New York City, New Jersey, New York, America, ”

☆ Hudson Tunnel Project to Get $6.9 Billion in Largest U.S. Transit Grant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Patrick Mcgeehan | More About Patrick Mcgeehan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The governors of New York and New Jersey agreed last year to an even split of the local share of the cost of building the tunnel. That agreement was a critical precursor to obtaining federal funding for the project. Regional transportation officials have been in a hurry to secure a federal commitment to Gateway while President Biden is in office and Democrats have control of the Senate. Mr. Biden, a longtime rider of Amtrak trains between Washington and his home state of Delaware, has been an ardent supporter. Amtrak, which owns the tunnels, plans to shut those tracks for repairs, one at a time, once the new tunnel is in use.

Persons: Biden, Schumer’s, Mr, ” Mr, Schumer Organizations: Senate, Amtrak, Hurricane Sandy, Pennsylvania, Regional, Association Locations: New York, New Jersey, Washington, Delaware, Hurricane, Manhattan from New Jersey, Hudson

☆ Jury in Brussels bombing trial set to consider verdict
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Brussels bombings killed 15 men and 17 women from almost a dozen countries -- many of whom lived in the city which is home to European Union institutions and NATO. The accused men will have a last opportunity to speak before the jury has to answer more than 300 questions and will go into full isolation for about two weeks, unprecedented in Belgium. Six of the accused were found guilty in June 2022 of involvement in terror attacks in Paris in November 2015, which killed 130 people. One of the group is presumed to have been killed in Syria and is being tried in absentia. ($1 = 0.9217 euros)Reporting by Marine Strauss, Bart Biesemans, editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Salah Abdeslam, Sebastien Delhez, Marine Strauss, Bart Biesemans, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: State, Islamic State, European Union, NATO, Life, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Paris, BRUSSELS, Belgium, Syria

☆ Britain's Orthodox Haredi Jews wary of state intrusion in education
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

This special faith-based education is profoundly important to Hamilton's strictly Orthodox Haredi Jewish community, which numbers 80,000 in Britain. All children in Britain from the age of five must be in full-time education. "Every child has the right to a safe and suitable education," said a spokesperson for the Department of Education. Underlying the tensions at play between the community and secular state, the government's educational standards office Ofsted, which inspects schools, said in 2021 the school's secular curriculum was too narrow. "Hear our pain and our deep request to leave us alone to allow us to keep our identity," said Rabbi Herschel Gluck, a Haredi community leader.

Persons: Yossi Hamilton, Asher Gratt, Randall Hardy, Flick Drummond, Elyon, Peter Cziborra Hamilton, Hamilton, Shakeel, Rabbi Herschel Gluck, Jonathan Saul, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Jewish, Conservative, Department of Education, REUTERS, Ofsted, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, England, Israel, British, Birmingham

☆ Trudeau to Taylor Swift: Don't make it a cruel summer and come to Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, July 6 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter to try to convince American pop star Taylor Swift to add some stops on her "Eras Tour" in Canada after she announced 14 new dates in Europe. So, don't make it another cruel summer. We hope to see you soon," Trudeau said, replying late on Wednesday to an earlier tweet by Swift announcing the new tour dates. Swift's song "Cruel Summer", released in 2019, is being performed on tour and has become a bigger hit this year than when it first appeared on her "Lover" album. Last month Conservative lawmaker Matt Jeneroux filed what he called an "official grievance" on social media imploring her to book some dates in Canada.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Taylor Swift, Trudeau, Swift, Matt Jeneroux, Steve Scherer, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: OTTAWA, Twitter, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: American, Canada, Europe, Arizona, United States, Mexico, Asia, Australia

☆ Families of missing in Greece migrant boat disaster plead for recovery of bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] Adil Hussain, 44, from Pakistan, whose brother Matloob, 43, went missing after a deadly migrant shipwreck off the coast of Greece last month, cries during an interview with Reuters in Athens, Greece, July 4, 2023. If they are dead, take them out," Adil Hussain said, urging Greece to hire a vessel to recover them. Lawyers representing families of the missing plan on Thursday to ask judicial authorities investigating the case for the boat to be retrieved. Survivors have said that the ship capsized after a disastrous towing attempt by the Greek coast guard, which Greece denies. A spokeswoman for Pakistan's Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said bodies would be transported to Pakistan upon verification and release by the Greek authorities.

Persons: Adil Hussain, Matloob, Stelios Misinas, Matloob Hussain, Adil, Hussain, we'll, Takis Zotos, Zotos, Alam Shinwari, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Muhammad Ayub, Muhammad Yasin, Lefteris Papadimas, Renee Maltezou, Gibran Peshimam, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Titanic, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency, FIA, Pakistan's Foreign, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Greece, Athens, Stelios Misinas ATHENS, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Italy, Pylos, Turkey, Islamabad

☆ Sweden is considering making Koran burnings illegal, Aftonbladet reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, July 6 (Reuters) - The Swedish government is examining whether it could make setting the Koran or other holy books on fire illegal, as recent Koran burnings have damaged Sweden's security, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told Aftonbladet paper on Thursday. An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned the Koran outside a Stockholm mosque last week, causing outrage in the Muslim world and condemnation from the Pope. The Swedish Security services said such action left the country less safe. "We have to ask ourselves whether the current order is good or whether there is reason to reconsider it," Strommer told Aftonbladet. "We can see that the Koran burning last week has generated threats to our internal security," he said.

Persons: Gunnar Strommer, Pope, Strommer, Tayyip Erdogan, Johan Ahlander, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: NATO, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Iraqi, Sweden, Stockholm

Specialist asset managers minted CLOs worth more than half a trillion dollars in 2021, a year of heavy post-pandemic monetary stimulus. S&P Global estimates that more than one in 25 U.S. businesses and almost one in 25 European companies will default by March 2024. That has squeezed equity returns, and without equity investors, CLOs cannot be put together. S&P calculates that while CLO equity investors were able to get a 15% annual return before 2022, deals priced now would offer about 7%. "The (CLO) equity doesn't make enough money to justify buying it."

Persons: Florence Lo, CLOs, Morgan, Rob Shrekgast, KopenTech, Neha Khoda, It's, Marta Stojanova, You've, Aza Teeuwen, Laila Kollmorgen, Kollmorgen, tranches, BoFA, Naomi Rovnick, Chiara Elisei, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of America, Casino, Bed, TwentyFour, PineBridge Investments, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: CLOs, U.S

☆ One dead as rare summer storm hits Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In Amsterdam, several people were injured as dozens of trees were toppled by the storm, damaging cars and houseboats along the city's canals. The storm, named Poly, is the Netherlands' worst ever during the summer months and its strongest overall since January 2018, weather agency Weeronline said. The last heavy summer storm was in 2015 and was the first in over a century. The summer storm is causing much damage as trees are heavy with leaves and many of them have become brittle during an unusually long dry spell in May and June. The storm will move east over the north of the country and is expected to become less intense during the afternoon.

Persons: Weeronline, Bart Meijer, Toby Sterling, Andrew Heavens, Jan Harvey, John Stonestreet, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: National Meteorology Institute, Arriva, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Noord, Holland, Amsterdam's Schiphol

☆ At 20, an Upstate Arts Haven Keeps Breaking New Ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jennifer Schuessler | More About Jennifer Schuessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Given the personnel involved, “Illinois,” which will move to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater in January, would seem to have the makings of a popular hit. But for Gideon Lester, the Fisher Center’s artistic director and chief executive, it furthers the same exploratory mission as everything else the center does. “All of these projects are research, which is why they belong in a college,” he said. But the Fisher Center, nestled in a college long known as a bastion of the humanities, is making big plans. In October, it will break ground on a $42 million studio building designed by Maya Lin.

Persons: Gideon Lester, Fisher, ”, Maya Lin, Tania El Khoury Organizations: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Fisher, Mellon Foundation, for Human Rights, Arts Locations: Illinois, Hudson

☆ Does the Hudson Valley Beat Malibu? Ask Lorraine Toussaint.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Joanne Kaufman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The wildfire that destroyed Lorraine Toussaint’s house in Malibu, Calif., in November of 2018 did not leave her unsheltered — she had a rental apartment in Midtown Manhattan — but it did leave her unmoored. Home has to have dirt and plants,” said the Trinidad-and-Tobago-born Ms. Toussaint, 63, a series regular on the CBS crime drama “The Equalizer,” who is spending her summer playing Gertrude in the Shakespeare in the Park production of “Hamlet.” (Performances run through Aug. Almost exactly a year after that signal loss, Ms. Toussaint was shooting an indie film in and around Rhinebeck, N.Y., and began to explore. “I was really kind of desperate to find a place that would let me escape New York,” she said. “I love all that the city has to offer, but it’s a lot for me.”She had looked at a raft of prospective hideaways in New Jersey, but was now caught by the charms of the Hudson Valley.

Persons: Lorraine Toussaint’s, —, “, ”, Toussaint, Gertrude Organizations: CBS Locations: Malibu , Calif, Midtown Manhattan, Trinidad, Tobago, Rhinebeck, N.Y, New York, New Jersey, Hudson

☆ Prominent female Russian journalist and lawyer brutally attacked in Chechnya
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yelena Milashina, a well-known journalist for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, was travelling to the Chechen capital Grozny from the local airport with Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, when they were attacked. There was no immediate comment from Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Putin who rules Chechnya, a mainly Muslim southern region. But Soltayev, the Chechen rights official, was cited by the RIA news agency as calling the attack "a provocation" against the Chechen authorities. DEATH THREATSSome Russian lawmakers and officials in Moscow condemned the attack and demanded an investigation. Kadyrov denies rights abuses, saying such allegations are fabricated by ill-wishers trying to discredit Chechnya and its authorities.

Persons: Yelena Milashina, Alexander Nemov, Milashina, Mansur Soltayev, Nemov, Vladimir Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin, Mokhmad, Kadyrov, Zarema, Musayeva, Dmitry Muratov, Muratov, Andrew Osborn, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Novaya Gazeta, Kremlin, RIA, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Russian, Chechnya, Grozny, Moscow, Russia, Soviet, Milashina, Chechen

☆ Israeli lawmakers give first nod to new judicial overhaul bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, July 4 (Reuters) - Israeli lawmakers on Tuesday gave an initial nod to a bill that limits Supreme Court power to rule against the government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would press on with contentious changes to the justice system. In a stormy session broadcast live, Parliament's constitution committee, dominated by Netanyahu's nationalist-religious ruling coalition, voted in favour of the bill that limits "reasonableness" as a standard of judicial review. At present, the Supreme Court can rule against government and elected officials' decisions if they are deemed unreasonable. After the committee vote, the shekel weakened by 0.3% against the dollar. Netanyahu has defended the changes as restoring balance between branches of government and redressing what his coalition allies see as judicial overreach.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, Critics, Steven Scheer, William Maclean, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Netanyahu's, Israel's Ben, Washington, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Israel's Ben Gurion

☆ Inside the furious debate over New York City's new tax on drivers, which New Jersey Democrats are fighting against tooth and nail
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Long gone are the days of eerily deserted Manhattan streets as New York City ground to a near-halt during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cars fill Midtown amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 19, 2021 in New York City. The Empire State Building and Tourist District are seen while Traffic jam is reported along the route to New York City on August 17, 2022, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Komanoff said most congestion pricing advocates agree — they don't want drivers who enter lower Manhattan through the tunnels to pay the full congestion toll. But congestion pricing still has a long way to go, particularly as long as New Jersey leaders stand in the way.

Persons: Kathy Hochul's, Long, Kathy Hochul, Gottheimer, Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez, Phil Murphy, Noam Galai, it's, Charles Komanoff, Komanoff, Sam Schwartz, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, George Washington, Sen . Menendez, Bill Pascrell, Schwartz, Hochul, Murphy, Sarah Kaufman, University's, Ritchie Torres, Tom Williams, Torres, he's Organizations: Gov, New, New Jersey Democrats, Morning, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York Gov, Central Business District, Federal Highway Administration, MTA, Democratic, New York Supporters, New York, Mexico City, George Washington Bridge, Center for Transportation, New York Rep, Garden, Komanoff, Democratic Rep Locations: New York City, Manhattan, New Jersey, ., Jersey, New York, New, London, Stockholm, Singapore, York, Toronto, Mexico, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Jersey City , New Jersey, Holland, Lincoln, Bronx

☆ Fatal Shooting of a Teenager Shocks an Urban Oasis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Katherine Rosman | Chelsia Rose Marcius | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“His eyes were rolled up and he was gasping,” Mr. Peña said. “He was at the start of his life, this young man.” The boy was only 15. State Police officers arrived and raced to aid the boy, who had been shot in the chest and in the leg, Mr. Peña said. It was unclear on Sunday whether the teenager was targeted, or if he had been caught in crossfire. Riverbank Park, a long stretch of green space along the Hudson River from around West 137th to West 145th Streets, is an urban oasis.

Persons: Mr, Peña, “, Brian P, Webster Organizations: State Police, New York State Police, Police, 145th Locations: West, Upper Manhattan

☆ Smoke will keep pouring into the US as long as fires are burning in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Alaa Elassar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Massive fires burning in remote areas – like some of those currently burning in northwestern Quebec – are often too out of control to do anything about. Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds the view of the Statue of Liberty on Friday in New York. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Smoke and haze is seen from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, June 27. Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images Smoke from Canadian wildfires obscures the visibility in Pittsburgh on June 8. Another issue is the increase in the wildfires are caused by climate change, and are simultaneously making climate change worse.

Persons: ” Robert Gray, you’ve, they’re, “ There’s, don’t, ”, Daniel Perrakis, ” Gray, Shiraaz Mohamed, Gray, “, ” Perrakis, Ed Jones, David Dee Delgado, Gary Hershorn, Haze, Gene J, Jim Watson, Megan Smith, Kamil Krzaczynski, Cpl Marc, Andre Leclerc, Drew Angerer, Shannon Stapleton, Ronald Reagan, Saul Loeb, Matt McClain, Emmalee Reed, Hannah Beier, Mandel Ngan, New York City, Timothy A, Clary, Mike Segar, John Minchillo, Shanita Hancle, Seth Wenig, Matt Rourke, Ting Shen, Matt Slocum, Amr Alfiky, John Meore, Leah Millis, George Washington, Peter Carr, Yuki Iwamura, Kareem Elgazzar, Carlos Osorio, Frank Franklin II, Merrily Cassidy, Spencer Colby, Jason Rock, BJ Fuchs, Anne, Sophie Thill, we’ve, it’s Organizations: CNN, Canadian Forest Service, Firefighters, Getty, ” “, Nature Conservancy, Rockefeller Center, North, Corbis, PNC Park, Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Traffic, Chesapeake, Lincoln Memorial, USA, People, Canadian Forces, Reuters, BC, Service, Xinhua, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Capitol, Trade, AP Transit, T, Alberta Wildfire, New, New York City, Getty Images Workers, Citizens Bank, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Empire, George Washington Bridge, New York State Thruway, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cape Cod Times, Anadolu Agency, Canadian Press, AP, Wildfire Service, Communications, Space, NASA, Reuters Firefighters, Kamloops Fire Rescue, Shining Bank Locations: Wisconsin, Vermont, North Carolina, Canada, Quebec, Canadian, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, France, AFP, New Jersey, Manhattan, New York, North America, New, Pittsburgh, Stevensville , Maryland, Washington ,, Chicago, Lake Michigan, Mistissini, Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington , Virginia, Washington, Philadelphia, Elmont , New York, Baltimore, Evansburg , Alberta, Brooklyn , New York, Piermont , New York, Fort Lee , New Jersey, George, West Nyack, New York's, New York City, Cincinnati, Rock Harbor, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Ottawa, Fort Nelson, Shelburne County , Nova Scotia, Communications Nova Scotia, Shelburne , Nova Scotia, Fort St, John, Kamloops, Shining Bank , Alberta, Lytton

☆ Exclusive: Ukraine brings first charges for deporting Kherson orphans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, the charges were filed in Ukraine, a pre-trial stage when prosecutors determine there is sufficient evidence to suspect a person of committing a criminal offence. They may have been illegally adopted by Russian citizens, or taken to Russian institutions, she said. The bulk of the orphans were taken on Oct. 21, 2022 under the supervision of the lead, Russian suspect. "We want to hold accountable all the war criminals, all the people that committed horrible international crimes against our Ukrainian children." Ukrainian prosecutors shared a video allegedly showing one of the suspects helping to load the children onto a bus marked with the pro-Russian symbol "Z".

Persons: Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Karim Khan, Andriy Kostin, General's, Usenko, Anthony Deutsch, Andrii Pryimachenko, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, Hague, Court, Kherson Children's, ICC, Russian, Children's, Wednesday, Kherson Regional Children's, Criminal Court, Kherson Region Children's, Russian Ministry of Health, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kherson, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Crimea, Ukrainian, Vyshhorod, Geneva, Kherson Region, Ukraine's, Kyiv

☆ Opinion: The Supreme Court rewrites American society once again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +25 min

But learning the facts - that affirmative action is critical for fostering equal access and opportunity in our academic institutions -cemented my belief that affirmative action is necessary if we want to create an equitable nation. The court’s decision Thursday is consistent with its view that race-based preferences should and would have a limited shelf life. Jon Wang, who revealed himself as a plaintiff in this Supreme Court case, was rejected by Harvard but was accepted at and is now attending Georgia Tech. Affirmative action enabled my ability to experience different ways of thinking and to form the lasting friendships I have made. Affirmative action has been a tool used by many countries to ensure underrepresented communities are included in areas they normally are not.

Persons: who’d, Tan, ”, Ana Fernandez, Richard Kahlenberg, Peniel Joseph, Peniel Joseph Kelvin Ma, Kelvin Ma, retrenchment, Bakke, Shelby, Holder, John F, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Peniel, Joseph, Barbara Jordan, “, ” Lanhee Chen, Bollinger, Sandra Day O’Connor, Lanhee Chen Lanhee J . Chen, J, Chen, David, Diane Steffy, Romney, Ryan, Roxanne Jones, Andrew Johnson, Jones, WURD, Richard Sander, –, Richard Sander Fiona Harrison, Jeff Yang, Ed Blum’s, Jon Wang, Michael Wang, Williams, Jian Li, Bruce, Hudson Yang, Natasha Warikoo, Ketanji Brown Jackson, ” Natasha Warikoo Alonso Nichols, John Roberts, Brayden Rothe, Biden, can’t, Joe Biden, Brayden Rothe Patrick O'Leary, Pell Organizations: CNN, Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard, Harvard College, Cuban, American Council, Education, Wellesley College, Renaissance Studies, Black, Tufts University, Blacks, Ivy League, Federalist Society, John Birch Society, Trump, Democratic Party, GOP, Center, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Racial Justice, University of North, University of North Carolina Chapel, Public Policy, Hoover Institution, California State, Republican, Democratic, White, Fair, Supreme, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN, New York Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, The University of California, UCLA, University of California, UC, Georgia Tech, Department of Education, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Princeton University, Institute for, Digital Intelligence, Harvard University, College, Social Sciences, of Sociology, Equity, University of Minnesota Locations: today’s, Philippines, Taiwan, Los Angeles, Portland, White, American, United States, West Linn , Oregon, Cuban American, Miami, Havana, Cuba, Miami , Florida, America, Austin, University of North Carolina, California, lockstep, Berkeley, Asian America, Florida, Texas

☆ 18 Hasidic Schools Failed to Provide Basic Education, New York City Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Eliza Shapiro | Brian M. Rosenthal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If the findings are upheld by the state education department, as is expected, the schools could be required to submit detailed improvement plans and face government monitoring. The law, however, does not make clear what consequences the schools might face if they do not commit to improving. A spokesman for the city’s Department of Education said in a statement that it had performed a “thorough, fair review” of the Hasidic schools. “Schools that are found to not provide a substantially equivalent education will work with the Department of Education to create and implement a remediation plan,” the spokesman, Nathaniel Styer, said. Hasidic leaders have defended the schools previously, saying they prepared students for happy and fulfilling lives in the Hasidic community.

Persons: Nathaniel Styer, “ Organizations: city’s Department of Education, “, Department of Education, ”, The New York Times Locations: Brooklyn, Hudson

☆ Brazil cenbank chief signals he supports changing inflation target time frame
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, June 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto indicated on Thursday he supports adopting a continuous time frame for the monetary authority to pursue inflation targets, ditching the current system of tracking a calendar year. His remarks came as Brazil's National Monetary Council (CMN), the country's top economic policy body, is scheduled to meet later on Thursday to set its 2026 inflation target. Haddad has publicly supported changing the time frame, arguing a longer-term approach provides more room to accommodate price shocks without requiring monetary tightening. Campos Neto also said at the press conference that policymakers do not think there was inconsistency between the statement and the minutes of their latest policy meeting. The central bank held interest rates at a cycle-high of 13.75% for the seventh consecutive policy meeting last week.

Persons: Roberto Campos Neto, Campos Neto, Fernando Haddad, Simone Tebet, Haddad, Marcela Ayres, Andrea Ricci, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: National Monetary Council, Finance, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brasilia

☆ US House Republicans seek testimony from Hunter Biden investigators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - U.S. House Republicans sought testimony on Thursday from more than a dozen officials from the Justice Department, FBI and other government agencies involved in the federal tax investigation of President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. House Republicans have long made investigations of the president, his family and his administration a top priority. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy warned earlier this week that Garland could face impeachment over the whistleblower allegations. Thursday's testimony requests came from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith. "The committees seek to examine whistleblower claims that the ... investigation of Hunter Biden was purposely slow-walked and subjected to improper and politically motivated interference," they said in a letter to Garland.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Hunter, General Merrick Garland, Donald Trump, Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Garland, Jim Jordan, James Comer, Jason Smith, Hunter Biden, David Morgan, Sarah N, Lynch, Scott Malone, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: . House Republicans, Justice Department, FBI, Representatives, Internal Revenue Service, DOJ, Republican, Republicans, Justice, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson

☆ UK mortgage rates rise again, turning screw on homeowners and buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Major British lenders on Thursday announced another increase in mortgage rates offered via brokers, pushing many products above the 6% mark in painful news for many homeowners and potential buyers. Barclays (BARC.L), NatWest (NWG.L) and Virgin Money (VMUK.L) informed brokers that rates on many mortgage offerings will rise again on Friday, according to emails seen by Reuters. "As mortgage rates continue to rise, the property market is being pushed further towards a cliff edge and there's no real help in sight," mortgage broker Lewis Shaw of Shaw Financial Services said. Two-year swap rates - a key determinant of mortgage borrowing costs - have soared by 0.83 percentage points over the course of June. Mortgage rates of 6% represent the same financial burden from repayments as they did in the late 1980s, even though mortgage rates were around 13% then, according to housing market analyst Neal Hudson, founder of consultancy BuiltPlace.

Persons: Lewis Shaw, Andrew Goodwin, Liz Truss, Neal Hudson, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: Bank of England, Barclays, NatWest, Virgin, Reuters, Nationwide Building Society, Shaw Financial Services, Oxford, Oxford Economics, Thomson

☆ A Photographer’s Self-Portraits of Multiple Sclerosis and Medical Care - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Sara J. Winston | Photographs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chronic illness is well hidden from society. Before I had a name for what ailed my body, I thought of myself as dehydrated and out of shape. At that time, I looked at chronic illness as an outsider. In the fall of 2015, under the care of a neurologist, I began a monthly intravenous treatment of medication that blocks immune cells from entering the brain and spinal cord. I travel 65 miles to a site in the Hudson Valley for the infusion therapy.

Organizations: NewYork, Presbyterian Hospital Locations: Hudson

National police said on Thursday night that officers faced new incidents in Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse and Lille, including fires and fireworks. The local prosecutor said the officer involved had been put under formal investigation over voluntary homicide and would be held in prison in preventive detention. Under France's legal system, being placed under formal investigation is akin to being charged in Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions. He said the officer had aimed down towards the driver's leg but was bumped, causing him to shoot towards his chest. The unrest has revived memories of riots in 2005 that convulsed France for three weeks and forced then-president Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Pascal Prache, Mercedes, Nahel, Gonzalo Fuentes, Laurent, Franck Lienard, didn't, Lienard, Prache, Macron, Jacques Chirac, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Layli, Noemie Olive, Leigh Thomas, Michel Rose, Richard Lough, John Stonestreet, Frank Jack Daniel, Alexandra Hudson, Daniel Wallis, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Nike, National, Lille, Le Vieux Port, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Paris suburb NANTERRE, Algerian, Nanterre, Paris, Rivoli, Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse, France's, Le Vieux, Provence, Paris suburb, Clichy, Blanc Mesnil

☆ ‘Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed’ Review: A Closeted Star’s Story
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rock Hudson Photo: Lee Garlington/HBOThe seismic tremors generated in 1985 by the news that Rock Hudson was dying of AIDS may be hard to comprehend now, partly because Rock Hudson himself is such an artifact. The late-era product of a studio system that would mold a star and manicure his image, Hudson was a creation, one who emanated a certain sense of plenty—in looks, talent, charm and modulated machismo—that fit America’s sense of itself. That he was gay was simply too much for some people, though as made very clear in “Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed,” that fact was among the worst-kept secrets in Hollywood.

Persons: Lee Garlington, Hudson, Rock Hudson Organizations: Hudson Locations: Hollywood

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