Open Newswire

Pedro Sánchez respalda a De Cos para liderar el Banco Central Europeo y refuerza la apuesta española ante el futuro relevo de Christine Lagarde.

Camera trapping and genetic sampling are big cat monitoring techniques that can estimate population size, density and identify individuals. But they often provide limited information about an animal’s age, sex, reproductive status or health. A new study now suggests that the animal’s urine and scat could reveal more than its presence in a forest. Researchers […]

Министерство финансов РФ внесло в правительство проект бюджета на 2027 год и плановый период 2028 и 2029 годов.

Charles Fain says his three favorite letters in the alphabet are D-N-A.  In 2001, Fain was exonerated and released from an Idaho prison after nearly 20 years on death row for a rape and murder he did not commit, using DNA analysis spearheaded by the Idaho Innocence Project.   That project has been shuttered for more […]

اعتقل سبعة معلمين في مقاطعة ملوط بولاية أعالي النيل في جنوب السودان، بعد أن توجهوا The post اعتقال 7 معلمين في ملوط وسط نزاع حول المرتبات appeared first on Radio Tamazuj.

This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.With full campaign coffers and support from deep-pocketed school choice groups, incumbent school board member Angel Gutierrez is guaranteed to keep his seat after nobody filed paperwork to run against him. Gutierrez, a nonprofit leader and Garfield Ridge resident, is running unopposed to represent District 8a on the Southwest Side, where 60% of the population is Hispanic — roughly double the city’s overall percentage of Hispanic residents. The area has leaned more conservative than other parts of the city and is home to more families than single-person households. In 2023, voters here heavily favored mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO, over Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer. In 2024, most precincts favored Donald Trump for president.Gutierrez wants to improve special education, increase opportunities to learn skilled trades, and ensure access to reliable transportation, including school buses — proposals he said would benefit students attending their neighborhood schools. Many families in this district choose their neighborhood elementary schools but make other choices for high school. Gutierrez supports continuing CPS’ strategy of allowing families to choose from a range of schools outside their neighborhood. He is also the only board member calling for the state to opt into the Trump administration’s federal tax-credit scholarship program, which offers a tax credit for donations made to organizations that grant scholarships for students to attend private schools or to pay for other education needs. Illinois has not agreed to participate.Gutierrez sends his children to a Catholic school. Gutierrez will serve a four-year term after he won a two-year term in 2024 to represent District 8, which is now split into 8a and 8b. He previously beat Chicago Teachers Union-endorsed candidate Felix Ponce with 63% of the vote. The sweeping victory and financial support from deep-pocketed donors such as billionaire Michael Sacks could have deterred other candidates. Gutierrez is a champion of fiscal responsibility, pushing to get the district back on solid financial footing while improving the quality of education, he said. In 2024, Gutierrez said he was running to create a more balanced CPS budget. Two years later, he believes he can also improve school board governance. “If you pay attention and watch some of the ridiculousness that some of the board members bring, I bring that experience of knowing how to act with decorum, with respect to the institution, respect for the students, parents, and taxpayers,” he said.Earlier this year, he sided with other elected school board members to reject CPS’ proposed $10 billion budget. The budget, which assumes the district will receive $150 million more in state funding than projected, narrowly passed.The district’s finances remain a priority, he said. Families “are getting pinched with taxes everywhere you look,” whether it’s property taxes or sales taxes, he said, adding he plans to lead conversations about how to rightsize the district. “We’re teaching in a world of now and not tomorrow, so I think we have to reimagine what our footprint looks like,” he said. CPS has lost 45,000 students in the last seven years but has hired 10,000 more staffers. To balance the budget, Gutierrez said the board needs to look at how many schools are underutilized, how many students have been lost, and how many employees were hired with pandemic-era funds that are no longer available.“We have finite money,” he said. He is endorsed by the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, which represents thousands of CPS support staff and has split politically with the Chicago Teachers Union in recent years. He is also backed financially by the political arm of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and endorsed by two other groups whose policies also generally oppose the teachers union. Gutierrez leads fundraising and communications strategy for Enlace Chicago, a Little Village nonprofit. He previously led fundraising activities and developed programs for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Chicago Hope Academy, a Christian high school. He serves on the advisory board of the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance and as a member of the steering committee for Nuestro Futuro, a fund dedicated to Latino philanthropy, among other local nonprofits. He said his decades of experience as a nonprofit leader and public service consultant put him in a position to make “real decisions” about CPS’ leadership, hiring, staffing, and size. “As an executive leader, I’m someone who’s been there, made hard decisions, has had to do layoffs, has hired in a C-suite,” he said. His campaign contributors as of mid-September include big-pocketed donors such as local billionaire Michael Sacks and Jim Frank, executive chairman of the board of Wheels Inc. They have funneled tens of thousands of dollars to support candidates who support school choice. He has also received donations from committees for Southwest Side officials including Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) and Ald. Marty Quinn (13th). Thanks to thousand-dollar contributions from some of these donors, Gutierrez’s campaign fund grew exponentially over the past year. Read Gutierrez’ full questionnaire.Francia Garcia Hernandez covers Pilsen, Little Village and Back of the Yards for Block Club Chicago. Contact Francia at francia@blockclubchi.org.

سەۆرک دۆناڵد ترامپ و مێلانیا ترامپ خانمی یەکەمی ئەمەریکا ئێوارەی ڕۆژی چوارشەممە لە فڕۆکەخانە لە واشنتن پێشوازییان کرد لە سەرۆکی چین شی جینپینگ و پانگ لییۆنی هاوسەری. بڕیارە ڕۆژی پێنجشەممە هەردوو سەرۆک لە کۆشکی سپی کۆببنەوە و وتووێژ لەسەر پرسە گرنگەکان بکەن. گرنگترین بابەتەکانی بەرنامەی کاری ترامپ لەم لوتکەیەدا بریتیە لە کورتهێنانی درێژمەودای ئاڵوگۆڕی بازرگانیی ئەمەریکا لەگەڵ چین و هەوڵەکانی ترامپ بۆ هێشتنەوەی باڵادەستی ئەمەریکا بەسەر چیندا لە بواری ژیریی دەستکرد و تەکنەلۆجیای سێمی...

رفضت الحكومة السودانية المتحالفة مع الجيش الانتقادات الأمريكية للحرب في البلاد، قائلة إن أي مبادرة The post السودان يرفض الانتقادات الأمريكية بشأن الحرب وجهود السلام appeared first on Radio Tamazuj.

This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.Two Latinas with backgrounds in public service are vying to represent a slice of the Southwest Side that has one of the highest shares of schools with the state’s top two performance designations. Incumbent Yesenia Lopez was elected to the school board in 2024 with the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union and then-U.S. Rep Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. Without the CTU’s backing this time, she faces a challenge from Erika Diaz-Chavez, a project manager at the Chicago Park District who attended private schools growing up. She is supported by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ political arm and The Urban Center, a centrist political organization that advocates for charter schools and school choice across public and private schools. Lopez is endorsed by the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, which represents thousands of CPS support staff and has split politically with the teachers union in recent years.There are 34 schools in District 7b, 13% of which rank among the top 10% in Illinois. District 7b schools serve the highest percentage of Hispanic students in CPS, but a few schools also serve predominantly Asian American students. About 84% of students come from families with low incomes, and around half are English learners. Both candidates say they want to provide more special education resources for students in response to parents’ concerns that their children aren’t getting the help they need. They also want to ensure CPS is doing enough to protect immigrant families amid increased immigration enforcement in the city. But their views diverge on Sustainable Community Schools, a program favored by the CTU that gives dozens of schools additional funds to partner with community organizations and provide extra services for families. The CTU represents roughly 30,000 teachers and other CPS staff and is known for its strong focus on social justice issues.Diaz-Chavez isn’t sure the model, which is now enshrined in CTU’s contract, is delivering results and wants to evaluate the program before spending more money on it. Lopez sees the model as a boon to families and supports it, though she agrees the district should track its progress. Lopez is a graduate of Juárez Community Academy High School in Pilsen. She’s worked and volunteered with several Southwest Side schools. She also served as the Latino outreach director for JB Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign in 2022. Most recently, she was deputy campaign manager for Patty Garcia, who is running for Garcia’s old seat in the 4th Congressional District. Lopez’s priorities include protecting immigrant families and increasing services to support student mental health. She recently called on the mayor’s office to move forward with creating a school board advisory panel focused on the needs of noncitizen students and families, as required by state law. SEIU, which endorsed Lopez, is a top contributor to her campaign, as it was in 2024.This time, however, she is not supported by the CTU. She won with their support two years ago, but her votes have sometimes veered away from those of CTU-aligned board members. Lopez said she was surprised not to have the CTU’s support this time: “I’m the candidate that is pro-public education, have attended public schools myself, and have been very vocal in supporting our neighborhood schools.” Most recently, Lopez abstained from voting on an amendment to the CPS budget championed by union-backed members. “I’ve shown that I’m truly independent,” Lopez said. Lopez did not respond to our questionnaire.A Chicago Park District employee for more than 20 years, Diaz-Chavez oversees The 606 trail on the city’s near Northwest Side and manages data for the agency’s culture and natural resources department. She decided to enter the race because she thinks the board should be doing more to improve student outcomes. “I think we are kind of failing our kids,” Diaz-Chavez said. “That needs to be our focus, 100%. How do we do the best we can for these kids academically?” Diaz-Chavez grew up in the Pilsen area and attended Catholic schools in Chicago and suburban Oak Park. She is a parent but does not send her children to CPS.She is endorsed and financially backed by The Urban Center, the pro-school choice political group. Diaz-Chavez says she would be an independent voice on the board. “I want to make sure that we can work with everybody, not just people who align the same way I do or are part of a slate,” she said.Diaz-Chavez said it would be easier to make decisions that are best for the district in the long term if there were more independent voices. That includes analyzing what to do when a school closure moratorium expires next summer. “Nobody wants to see schools close,” she said. But, she added, “we have to have a very honest conversation about how we can be sustainable for future generations.”Diaz-Chavez’s campaign has raised little money so far but has received contributions from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and The Urban Center, both of which support charter schools.Diaz-Chavez did not respond to our questionnaire.Emmanuel Camarillo is an education reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. Contact Emmanuel at ecamarillo@suntimes.com.

Natalya Moskvitina after venerating the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous Source: Natalya Moskvitina's Telegram channel <…

This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.In this majority Latino district, a longtime pastor and activist who fought against overcrowded schools in Pilsen and was appointed to the school board by the mayor in 2024 is facing a younger challenger and Chicago Public Schools graduate who worked for a nonprofit after-school program for the past six years.Incumbent board member Emma Lozano is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, while Jesus Ayala Jr. has the backing of charter school advocates, pro-business groups, and the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, which represents thousands of support staff in CPS and has split politically with the teachers union in recent years. Ayala tried to run in 2024, but his name was removed from the ballot after a successful challenge to the signatures on his nomination paperwork.This Southwest Side district is home to 48 public schools. Last year, 64% received the state’s second-highest designation, “commendable,” while 4.5% received an “intensive” designation, indicating they are among the bottom 5% of low-income schools in the state or have a graduation rate of 67% or below.The students who attend District 7a schools are primarily Latino, and most come from families with low incomes. Nearly half are English learners. Both Lozano and Ayala identified protecting immigrant communities and securing progressive revenue among their priorities, but they want to take different paths to get there. For example, Lozano voted to pass a CPS budget that assumed additional revenue from the state. Ayala said relying on unsecured funds is a mistake. These differences have led to dueling endorsements in the race from the CTU and SEIU, labor unions that were once close allies, but are now fighting for influence on the school board. Lozano has long been known as an activist and advocate for immigrant rights. She’s supported efforts to ensure English learners have access to the same education as native speakers and backed policies limiting CPS cooperation with federal immigration authorities. She is also the pastor at Lincoln United Methodist Church in Pilsen. In 2006, a Humboldt Park church where Lozano served as pastor famously sheltered an undocumented woman facing deportation, becoming a symbol for a national movement of churches offering immigrants sanctuary. Lozano and her children attended or graduated from various CPS schools, including Juárez and Wells Community Academy high schools and Lozano Bilingual Elementary, a school named for Lozano’s brother. As a current appointed board member endorsed by the CTU, Lozano said she wants to keep her seat because she’s one of the few members who understands what it’s like to live as an immigrant in the city. That perspective is important, she said, as the Trump administration continues its aggressive immigration enforcement.One of her priorities is improving support for students from immigrant families. When enforcement operations peaked in the city last fall, Lozano urged CPS to consider offering remote learning to students who feared going to school. “If I’m not there, then I’m really worried because they have no voice,” Lozano said. She also wants to secure more state funding by advocating for policies such as increasing taxes on the wealthy. She was one of 11 board members who voted earlier this year for an amended CPS budget that assumed the district would receive an additional $150 million in state funding that had not been committed. Read Lozano’s full questionnaire.Ayala worked at MetroSquash from 2020 until August, when he left to focus on running for the school board. The nonprofit teaches competitive squash and provides academic support to students on the South Side and in Evanston. Ayala grew up in Bucktown and attended CPS as a child. He credited a CPS school with helping his dad acclimate to the U.S. That experience shaped Ayala’s belief that schools should be community anchors, he said. “I love that my dad found support at a neighborhood school while learning English and navigating a new country,” Ayala said. Ayala said volunteering with organizations that work with CPS students, such as Mikva Challenge, motivated him to seek a board seat. He saw a “disconnect between what the board was focused on and what our students need,” Ayala said. He thinks the board spends too much time discussing matters that involve a single school and should be tackling districtwide issues. Ayala wants to focus on improving students’ academic outcomes and evaluating the effectiveness of learning materials, such as the district’s Skyline curriculum, a set of lessons in math, reading, science, social studies, and other subjects.“Are students making the gains we want them to make and when they’re not, can we figure out why?” Ayala said. Ayala also wants to address high rates of absenteeism and thinks improving the student experience can help. For example, he wants the district to pay more attention to addressing bullying. The bulk of Ayala’s fundraising has come from a PAC affiliated with SEIU and the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee that is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks and says it aims to engage voters around “effective progressive policies.”Read Ayala Jr.’s full questionnaire.Emmanuel Camarillo is an education reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. Contact Emmanuel at ecamarillo@suntimes.com.

Enti Shtetëror i Revizionit (EShR) ka shprehur opinion të pafavorshëm për realitetin dhe objektivitetin e raporteve financiare të Inspektoratit Shtetëror të Tregut (ISHT) për vitin 2024, si dhe opinion me rezervë për përputhshmërinë e punës së tij me rregullativën ligjore. Problemet kryesore janë mungesa e stafit, digjitalizimi i ngecur, mangësitë financiare dhe pasiguria për kontrollet […]

This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.Michael Neal, a South Side native and longtime pastor, is facing off against Brittany Kimble, a lawyer and Chicago Public Schools mom, to represent District 6b, which stretches from the wealthy Lakeshore East neighborhood downtown through the South Loop and Greater Grand Crossing. The two newcomer candidates are running in one of two school board races where no candidate has been endorsed by the district’s major labor unions, Chicago Teachers Union or the Service Employees International Union, which represents school support staff.Jessica Biggs, who currently represents this district, is running for school board president. District 6b includes 37 schools, many of which serve mostly Black students and have experienced some of the city’s biggest enrollment declines, while others closer to downtown have enrolled more students over the past decade. Families’ concerns range from wanting quality, well-resourced public schools in all neighborhoods to feeling welcome on their children’s campuses, according to the candidates. Neal was born and raised on the South Side and graduated from CPS and now runs a nonprofit. Kimble grew up in towns throughout Illinois and now sends her daughter to Ida B. Wells Preparatory Elementary Academy.Improving reading and math proficiency and fixing CPS’ budget are Kimble’s dual top priorities. Neal wants to improve early childhood education.The candidates are either endorsed by or have received financial support from groups that are often at odds with the Chicago Teachers Union and the mayor’s office.Neal was endorsed by Common Ground Collective, a new anti-CTU political action committee that is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks and says it aims to engage voters around “effective progressive policies.” Kimble’s campaign is endorsed by The Urban Center, a centrist political organization that advocates for school choice across public and private schools, and has received some contributions, though she insists the group has asked nothing of her. Neal, a pastor at Glorious Light Church in the Oakland neighborhood, said he’s always wanted to help his community beyond Sunday sermons. More than a dozen years ago, he began reading to children at a local elementary school, then started recruiting more Black men to do the same through a nonprofit he founded. His interest in education grew and he began serving on the Greater Bronzeville Community Action Council, which focuses on creating a plan to improve education.Running for school board “just seemed like it was just so natural because this is what I’ve been doing pretty much all of my adult life, especially since I became a father,” said Neal, whose grown daughters attended CPS schools. Neal’s nonprofit, Timothy Community Corporation, operated inside a closed CPS school until a few months ago, he said. It focuses on increasing access to health and wellness, literacy, and leadership skills, he said. Neal’s volunteer reading program now donates books to schools, Neal said. That work got him interested in improving early childhood education, which would be his main focus if elected. He said he wants to see more read-aloud programs at schools citywide and recruit more philanthropic organizations and corporations to provide volunteers and other support.Neal said his campaign is “not heavy on cash,” but people have provided in-kind help or volunteered, such as gathering signatures to get on the ballot. He called himself a “campaign novice,” noting that his wife created his website, one of his daughters offers advice occasionally, and a friend is helping to run the campaign.Read Neal’s full questionnaire.Kimble said she has tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to secure extra support in school for her daughter, including for speech-related issues and to combat bullying. The experience pushed her to homeschool her daughter at one point. Now, it’s pushing Kimble, a single mother, to run for school board. While she has tried to find extra support for her daughter outside of school, Kimble said not “every parent should have to do that.”Kimble said she grew up and attended public schools in several Chicago suburbs and Carbondale before pursuing law school.Kimble ran her own law firm for nearly a decade before filing for bankruptcy in February. Kimble said her financial problems followed years of struggling to keep her business afloat after the pandemic. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, Kimble owed $825,210 in various debts including for credit cards, student loans, and to the U.S. Small Business Administration, but she owned just $227,873 in personal property and real estate, including her home, according to court filings. “I have learned from my situation … I was able to come out of it with being able to file bankruptcy,” Kimble said. “CPS cannot file for bankruptcy, but CPS also cannot continue to spend the same way without more money coming in.” She remains a licensed attorney and hopes to one day reopen a law firm. For now, she said, she has become “anti-debt” and has cut expenses, such as getting rid of her car and taking her daughter to school on a CTA bus. As a board member, Kimble said she would first tackle the district’s persistent structural deficit in part by exploring cuts outside the classroom or reducing debt obligations. Her other priority would be improving math and reading proficiency.“To me, the math and the literacy rates of Chicago Public Schools (are) embarrassing, but I don’t think we can fix them until we fix everything else,” Kimble said of the budget. Kimble’s campaign received thousands of dollars in consulting and signature-gathering services from The Urban Center, which opposes the Chicago Teachers Union. In her questionnaire, Kimble said she’d “refuse money that would compromise my independence.” She told Chalkbeat The Urban Center funds helped her get on the ballot and that the group has “not asked anything” of her.She believes the group supports her because she homeschooled her child, but she emphasized that she is “inherently pro-public school.” Read Kimble’s full questionnaire.Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.

The five infant orangutans found roaming a woodland in Odisha earlier this month may have been trafficked across several international borders — and now face a long journey home through the different legal and bureaucratic systems of India and Indonesia, conservationists say. “This starts with hunting in the wild, separating babies from their mothers, and […]

The Congress moved the Calcutta high court on September 23 over apparent discrepancies in the candidature of BJP’s Nandigram candidate for the upcoming bypolls, Hasirani Rath. In her election affidavit, Rath mentioned her age as ’60+’, but she also claimed she passed her Class X board examination in 1965. Hasirani is the mother of the […]

This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.The race to represent downtown Chicago on the school board pits a former lobbyist who leads a statewide advocacy organization with an incumbent advantage against two challengers — a special education classroom assistant backed by pro-school choice groups and another who is an education researcher and consultant whose campaign is operating more independently. Anusha Thotakura was appointed by the mayor in 2024 after coming in second among three candidates in the first school board election and is hoping to keep her seat with support from the Chicago Teachers Union and the Service Employees International Union, which represents school support workers. Isaiah White, a school support worker, is running with thousands of dollars from The Urban Center, a centrist political organization that advocates for school choice across public and private schools, and the political arm of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. He also is endorsed by an anti-CTU political action committee that is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks and says it aims to engage voters around “effective progressive policies.”Brenda Lee Anderson, a Northwestern University lecturer on leave, is not backed by major special interest groups. Given its location as part of the commercial and business epicenter of the city, District 6a has just 14 public schools — the fewest of any school board electoral districts — and none are neighborhood high schools. The students who attend Chicago Public Schools here are diverse, but the schools have more white and Asian American students than CPS as a whole.Thotakura’s and White’s main priorities are to boost reading and math scores. Anderson’s main goal is to fix CPS’ chronic budget crisis. In her nearly two years on the school board, Thotakura said one of her biggest accomplishments was sponsoring the Healthy Green Schools resolution that called on CPS to invest in more clean energy projects and use energy savings toward building improvements, such as mold remediation. The resolution came after the district’s new labor agreement last year with the CTU to build more environmentally friendly schools when funding is available. As of August, the district was working on six pilot projects to add solar panels or electrify HVAC systems at schools in response to the resolution, according to district memos Thotakura provided. Thotakura’s top priority for another board term is to boost academic outcomes for students by pushing CPS to meet goals outlined in its five-year strategic plan. She said she wants the district to publicly share data more often about students’ academic progress so the board can hold leadership accountable. She also wants to find ways to make all of her district’s neighborhood schools more enticing for families, who often tell her that they’re sending their kids elsewhere. She said part of that effort includes expanding access to pre-K seats, saying families are often waiting for spots to open. Thotakura broke with one of her biggest backers, the CTU, last year by voting for CPS’ proposed budget, which did not include high-cost borrowing. This year, she was one of 11 board members who voted in line with the union to amend the district’s proposed budget based on the assumption that CPS will get $150 million more in state funding than anticipated. If that money doesn’t come through, schools may need to lay off staff midyear. Thotakura defended her decision in part because she believes more funding from the city could come through in the form of dollars from special taxing areas, known as Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, districts. “I think it is worth it for us to mobilize, to use this momentum, to go down to Springfield,” Thotakura said. Thotakura has often voted in alignment with the teachers union, but she pointed to her budget vote last year as an example of thinking independently. “If you look at my vote record, it shows that I am an independent minded person that ultimately takes some information from all stakeholders but acts on behalf of the best interests of students,” Thotakura said. Read Thotakura’s full questionnaire.By the time White began attending Brooklyn Tech, one of the nation’s most selective public high schools, his mother had died and his father had recently left home, he said. After a weekslong period of homelessness, he moved in with his friend’s family in Brooklyn, he said. A guidance counselor checked in on him and made sure he could pay AP exam fees and get free lunch, White said. That experience informed his run for school board, he said. “I am a case of what can happen when the schools really do a very, very good job taking a child, who is humbled with what they have, and helping him or her or them grow and enter the world as an individual able to live a lovely, happy life and contribute to the rest of society,” White said. “I want that to be available to the next generation.” White moved to Chicago three years ago with his spouse and began substitute teaching at CPS in 2024. He also worked on the 2024 campaign of the current school board representative for District 6a Jessica Biggs, who is now running for board president. Last year, White unsuccessfully ran for Cook County commissioner. White has amended his campaign website’s references to some past experiences. His website previously stated that he was the chair of family services for the River North Residents Association, but the association’s president told Chalkbeat that White was a volunteer coordinator who worked on two events, including a back-to-school bash. White said his role felt like that of a chair, but after the association president brought the correct title to his attention, he said it was “fairly an oversight” and corrected his website. The reference to the association was gone as of mid-September. The website had also said White managed multiple campaigns, including Biggs’. Biggs told Chalkbeat that White oversaw field and volunteer operations. The reference to Biggs’ campaign was removed as of mid-August, but White maintained that he managed her campaign and said he didn’t mean to remove the reference on his website. As of publication, the Biggs reference is still gone.If elected to the school board, White’s main priority would be improving reading and math scores, in part by boosting pay for teaching assistants and finding ways to hire more effective school leaders. White’s campaign has received funding from political committees for The Urban Center, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, and the Common Ground Collective, all groups that generally oppose CTU’s policy directions.White said he hasn’t spoken to these organizations about their priorities, but he believes they “properly recognize that CTU is not acting in the best interest of children.” “But I’m going to do what is in the interest of my community, and … if that means they don’t support me in reelection, that’s fine,” White said. Read White’s full questionnaire.Anderson wants to use their experience as an education and social policy researcher to address inequities and increase school funding. Schools were among Anderson’s “safe spaces” growing up in Ohio and Tennessee as they lived in and out of foster care while their mother struggled with addiction. The experience taught them why stable school environments and supportive neighbors are important, eventually leading them to earn a doctorate degree, Anderson said.Anderson moved to Chicago a few years ago. Anderson’s LinkedIn page and our CPS School Board questionnaire said they teach at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, but a university spokesperson said Anderson’s employment ended in mid-July. Anderson said they plan to return for the university’s winter and spring quarters, after the election, and are taking on other education-related consulting work.Anderson’s top priority is to fix the CPS budget by seeking additional untapped federal funding, which currently makes up about 9% of the district’s budget, and pushing for more state funding. If elected, Anderson said they would look to evidence-backed policies, rather than special interests, to inform their decisions. They also said they would work to build relationships and coalitions made up of people with varying political beliefs, from other local elected officials to working class and low-income people to billionaires. “When all of these activists and these organizers were thinking about a school board, I believe that I was in their vision: Someone that wanted to be centered on students, that wants to keep public education as public as possible, and someone that is willing to talk to everyone,” Anderson said. “The first rule in organizing is that you have to organize people that don’t always agree with you, right?”Unlike their opponents, Anderson has not been endorsed by major unions or special interest groups. Read Anderson’s full questionnaire.Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.

This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.The two candidates battling to represent a large swath of the West Side are taking a second stab at securing a school board seat. Incumbent school board member Michilla “Kyla” Blaise started a campaign in 2024 but withdrew at the last minute, while her challenger, Anthony Hargrove, failed to make the ballot two years ago. Blaise, a political aide who was appointed to the school board by Mayor Brandon Johnson in 2024, is backed by the Chicago Teachers Union. Hargrove, who runs programs to help dropouts get back in school, has support from business and charter school advocates. District 5b is one of the school board’s most economically diverse, stretching from the wealthy West Loop to historically disinvested neighborhoods such as North Lawndale and Garfield Park. It has the most public schools of any school board district with a total of 63. There are several neighborhood high schools struggling with declining enrollment, as well as some of CPS’ most in-demand magnet schools. Students who attend school here are mostly Black and Hispanic. The candidates have homed in on different issues. Blaise said she is focused on increasing funding for CPS, addressing declining enrollment, and improving student mental health, while Hargrove has zeroed in on improving reading and math proficiency, refining special education, and expanding vocational and career education.The two candidates align on some issues. They both support stronger restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence and cellphones in the classroom, and both oppose closing schools for any reason.Blaise is proud of her status as a “lifelong Chicagoan.” She said her family has lived on the West Side for four generations.She sent her kids to LaSalle Language Academy Elementary School and Kenwood Academy High School, which showed her the value of magnet schools, she said. She wants parents to have choices beyond their neighborhood schools. As a school board member, she said she also supports neighborhood schools and wants to find ways to revitalize them, pointing to Marshall Metropolitan High School in East Garfield Park as an example. The school enrolled around 200 students last year. In the 1960s, when the school was overcrowded and Blaise’s father was a student there, Marshall enrolled some 5,000 students, she said.The school has assets including an Olympic-size swimming pool, a commercial kitchen, and competitive sports teams. Blaise said the school board should help it reach its full potential by considering turning it into a sports magnet school or adding middle school grades.Blaise typically votes with a school board bloc aligned with the CTU and got the union’s endorsement. She notably spearheaded the effort to change CPS’ budget this year, introducing an amendment that reversed some planned cuts by assuming CPS would receive an additional $150 million in state funding that had not been committed. “I want to be a real advocate for making sure people understand how woefully underfunded our schools are, and also making sure that folks understand there’s an opportunity to really change the conversation here,” Blaise said.Blaise said her experience living in a range of neighborhoods — East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Lincoln Park, and Wicker Park — helps her understand the city and the differing needs of her district.“I have real friends and family that are across the city that attend CPS. I think I have a finger on the pulse,” she said. “I’m hoping that we can all just have the conversation in terms of the issues.”Read Blaise’s full questionnaire.Born and raised on the West Side, Hargrove touts his many connections to CPS. He attended CPS schools as a child and graduated from Orr Academy High School. Two of his children are current CPS students, and two others have graduated. He’s also worked for the district in several capacities, including as a security officer, social worker assistant, and parent worker at schools including Marshall, Phillips Academy High School, and Orr Academy High School.Currently, he leads programs “that help reconnect young people to school and prepare them for success beyond the classroom,” according to his campaign website. Hargrove has been endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee that is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks and says it aims to engage voters around “effective progressive policies.” He also has the backing of The Urban Center, a centrist political organization that supports charter schools and advocates for school choice across public and private schools. Hargrove, who didn’t make himself available for an interview, said in our CPS school board questionnaire that his past experience in the district has uniquely prepared him to serve on the school board.“I’m running for every parent in my district who felt their voice wasn’t heard, for every student who felt unseen, and for every family that simply wants the best for their child,” he wrote. “I’ll bring a community-centered voice focused on accountability, opportunity and putting students first.”Hargrove wants CPS to consider more community partnerships to make use of underutilized school buildings.“The board should make transparent, data-driven decisions that put students first, strengthen neighborhood schools and ensure resources are used wisely,” he wrote of how he’d like to see CPS address declining enrollment.Read Hargrove’s full questionnaire.Mary Norkol is a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. Contact Mary at mnorkol@suntimes.com.

Как заявил спикер Путина, в Кремле «определятся и дальше проработают тему через дипломатические каналы»

Statele Unite și China au convenit să prelungească până la 10 ianuarie 2027 armistițiul comercial cunoscut drept „Acordul de la Busan”, a anunțat miercuri secretarul american al Trezoreriei, Scott Bessent.

Vào lúc tổng thống Hoa Kỳ tiếp đón trọng thể chủ tịch Trung Quốc và phu nhân tại căn cứ quân sự Andrews gần thủ đô Washington hôm qua 23/09/2024, bộ Tài Chính Mỹ thông báo hai bên đồng ý triển hạn thỏa thuận về thương mại thêm hai tháng cho đến đầu năm 2027. Trên nguyên tắc thỏa thuận này sẽ chấm dứt vào ngày 10/11/2026.