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‘Free Palestine’ is not hate speech, California superintendent says after student’s suspension

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District does not consider the phrase “Free Palestine” to be hate speech, Superintendent Wesley Smith said Tuesday.Smith, during the Nov. 14 school board meeting, addressed the suspension of a Corona del Mar Middle and High School student, allegedly for saying remarks deemed to be threatening, such as “Free Palestine,” to a classmate, according to social media posts circulating last week.“We want to make sure people understand this district does not consider ‘Free Palestine’ hate speech,” Smith said. “We absolutely are committed to free speech; we’re committed to making sure every single square inch of this district is safe for our students.”Smith did not go into details about what led to the student’s suspension, noting that district officials cannot disclose personal details about students and their disciplinary actions.“People get upset, and I understand why. It’s because they don’t get all of the story. They read the media, and at best, that’s hal...

Ghost Tire Memorial placed at site of Malibu crash that killed 4 Pepperdine students

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Family, community members and students from Pepperdine University gathered in Malibu on Tuesday, Nov. 14, a month after four students were killed in a crash along Pacific Coast Highway to call on Caltrans to improve safety conditions along the stretch of coastal road.Roughly 100 people stood along the 23600 block of Pacific Coast Highway where four “ghost tires” were placed to honor Niamh Rolston, 20; Peyton Stewart, 21; Asha Weir, 21; and Deslyn Williams, 21, all seniors at Pepperdine’s Seaver College of Liberal Arts.Friends and family members gather near Pepperdine University and sign white tires, one month after four students were killed. Four white tires were place in a lot by the collage in the memory Tuesday, Malibu CA. Nov 14, 2023.Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)Friends and family members place flowers and candles by four white tires near Pepperdine University one month after four students were killed. Four white tires were place in a lot by the collage in th...

Krugman: No, immigrants aren’t ‘poisoning the blood of our country’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Does Donald Trump ever visit Queens, the land of his youth? If he did, he would presumably be horrified. According to the census, Queens is the most racially and ethnically diverse county in the continental United States; it’s hard to think of a nationality or culture that isn’t represented there. Immigrants are almost half the borough’s population and more than half its workforce.And I think that’s great. When I, say, take a stroll around Jackson Heights I see the essence of America as it was supposed to be, a magnet for people around the world seeking freedom and opportunity — people like my own grandparents.And no, Queens isn’t an urban hellscape. It may not be leafy and green, but it has less serious crime per capita than the rest of New York City, and New York, although nobody will believe it, is one of the safest places in America. It’s also relatively healthy, with life expectancy around three years higher than that of the United States as a whole.Trump’s plansBut...

A spectacular estate property in Lafayette’s Happy Valley, boasting unrivaled luxury and development potential

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

An extraordinary estate property in Lafayette’s coveted Happy Valley offers over-the-top luxury and a unique opportunity to further develop in this prime setting.The gated two-parcel, almost 3.3-acre property at 3943 Happy Valley Road sits at the end of a private paver drive. A custom-designed and built two-level home graces 2.3 acres and is filled with fine features and finishes surrounded by outdoor terraces and resort-style amenities.Almost an acre of adjoining land is impeccably landscaped by the renowned David Thorne. It features enchanting garden paths meandering among shade and fruit trees, berry vines, a greenhouse, multiple raised vegetable beds, and lush foliage.Retain this expansive gardenscape or consider developing this property into another grand residence, add a guesthouse or an ADU while retaining each home’s exclusive ultra-private setting.Designed by Gorny and Associates Architects and built in 2012 and remodeled in 2023 by Young and Burton Inc., this home showcase...

Cadet's haunting suicide note prompts parents to file wrongful death claims against Air Force Academy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KXRM) — A haunting note written by a former United States Air Force Academy cadet has led her parents to file wrongful death claims against the academy."Do all that you can to make sure I am the last one," was the chilling directive 22-year-old Cailin Foster left in her suicide note to her parents on Nov. 7, 2021.Cailin Foster's suicide note to her family, November 2021At the time, her note seemed cryptic to her parents, Gary and Colleen Foster, who were largely unaware of what their daughter endured during her time as a cadet. "We didn't know she had thoughts of suicide ever. It never would have crossed our mind that she would ever have thought that at all. We had no idea," expressed Colleen. Security guard stops attempted robbery at King Soopers In the past two years, they found out about an alleged rape Cailin experienced during her freshman year in the fall of 2017 and the battles she faced with suicidal thoughts in the following years. On Oct. 27, wit...

Artisans from around the world hand carve 1,000 tons of ice into sculptures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Friday, "ICE!" at the Gaylord Rockies opens. It will feature scenes from the holiday movie "A Christmas Story," a two-story tall slide, tunnels and arches all made from two million pounds of ice. Ice castles are not new to Colorado: Looking back on Leadville’s Ice Palace Walk through the handcarved sculptures that took around six weeks and 12,000 man-hours to create."ICE!" at Gaylord Hotels (Courtesy of Gaylord Hotels)"ICE!" at Gaylord Hotels (Courtesy of Gaylord Hotels)Slides at "ICE!" at Gaylord Hotels (Courtesy of Gaylord Hotels)"A Christmas Story" at "ICE!" at Gaylord Hotels (Courtesy of Gaylord Hotels)"A Christmas Story" at "ICE!" at Gaylord Hotels (Courtesy of Gaylord Hotels)Forty professional artisans from Harbin, China - which is also known as "Ice City" - came to Aurora to build the ice carvings.Harbin is home to the world’s largest annual ice and snow sculpting festival in the world. Some of the artisans who participated in the Harbin festival also wor...

Germany suggests UN take control in Gaza after Israel-Hamas war ends

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Germany has floated that the United Nations could take control in Gaza once the Israel-Hamas war is over, according to a document seen by POLITICO. However, both the Palestinians and some EU diplomats have serious doubts about the feasibility of the idea, with a senior Palestinian figure in Europe calling it “unacceptable.”Israel has been striking the densely populated Gaza Strip in reaction to an attack by Hamas on October 7, during which the militant group killed around 1,200 Israelis. According to data from the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.  Discussions are ongoing about how to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and how to stop the fighting. But there are also increasing discussions on scenarios for after the war. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month that an “effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority” should ultimately govern Gaza but offered no indications on how to...

Hunters press von der Leyen to revise rules for shooting wolves

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

European hunters want Ursula von der Leyen to do more to protect farmers from wolves and speed up the ongoing review of the large carnivore’s protection status.In a letter sent to the European Commission president Wednesday, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation asked von der Leyen to engage in “swift action to establish practical management frameworks for coexistence.”The hunters’ association asked the Commission to review wolves’ protection status by amending the annexes of the EU Habitats Directive — something that environmental groups are pushing back against. The large carnivore is currently under strict protection, meaning that shooting wolves is banned in most cases but can be allowed in specific circumstances, notably when the animal poses a danger to people and livestock.The hunters also called to “clarify the flexibility” given to EU countries to manage wolves and “implement a new approach to assess the conserv...

PMQs scorecard: Rwanda and reshuffle rows on a tough day for Rishi Sunak

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from the latest session in POLITICO’s weekly run-through.What’s going on? It’s been a blockbuster week in Westminster … and it’s only Wednesday. The most recent OMG moment came on Wednesday morning with the Supreme Court ruling that the government’s much-hyped plan to send refugees to Rwanda is unlawful. And even if it feels like it was weeks ago, on Monday, the prime minister sacked his troublesome Home Secretary Suella Braverman and reshuffled his Cabinet to include former top dog David Cameron as his new foreign secretary. Now, onto the drama…What they sparred about: At first, David Cameron. “The prime minister obviously thinks so little of his own MPs that he has had to peel David Cameron away from his seven-year exile in a shepherd’s hut and make him foreign secretary,” quipped Labour Leader Keir Starmer. Sunak described his new forei...

Top court blows €60B hole in Germany’s climate financing plans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

The German government’s decision to fund its green transition by reallocating €60 billion in unused debt unlocked during the COVID-19 pandemic is unconstitutional, Germany’s top court ruled Wednesday.The judgment deals a major blow to Germany’s coalition government at a time of tense budget negotiations.The reallocation violated the so-called debt brake, a constitutional provision that caps government borrowing except during emergencies and recessions, the Federal Constitutional Court said in a press release.In February 2022, the federal government shifted €60 billion in emergency loans, which were originally intended to help cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, to a climate fund meant to help finance the country’s green transition.The government’s decision was subsequently challenged in court by lawmakers from the center-right opposition.“The Court’s decision means that the volume of the Climate and Transformation Fund is reduced by EUR 60 billion,&#...