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Two Iowa community colleges will use grant funding from the state to expand their career training capabilities for high school students. The Iowa Department of Education announced in a news release that it and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds have awarded $2 million in Career Academy Incentive Fund grants to Iowa Western Community College and Ellsworth […]

The post Bluedot announcement appeared first on Athens County Independent.

Озодликда халқаро хабарлар тафсилоти билан танишинг.

Two months after it was placed on the November ballot, the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) is weighing in on Amendment 3, the proposed property tax cut that, if enacted, could reduce local government funding by billions of dollars in the coming years. The group is one of the most powerful when it comes to policymaking […]

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced in-person classroom instruction to go virtual, students suddenly needed to have their own laptops or tablets in order to interact with teachers and complete assignments. Most states used federal pandemic funding to address the digital divide. This refers to the gap between students and families who had their own tablets, […]

(The Center Square) - With three fires in northern Spokane costing an estimated $3.45 million to fight as of Monday morning, Gov. Bob Ferguson has requested additional emergency assistance from the Trump Administration after the flames destroyed more than 600 structures over the weekend. Local, state and federal officials said Sunday that about 60,000 had evacuated so far as the Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview Fires turned neighborhoods into ash. The National Interagency Fire Center still reported 0% containment as the sun came up on Monday, with 920 personnel fighting the flames. Ferguson said Sunday that he had spoken to President Donald Trump and U.S. Homeland Security Sec. Markwayne Mullin. The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized funding for 75% of eligible firefighting costs, but thousands of people are still wondering if they’ll have anything to come home to. “There are just so many Washingtonians who have literally lost everything,” the governor said during a press conference with Mayor Lisa Brown and other local, state and federal officials. “It's difficult to find words when folks have experienced a loss like that, but … know that we are all here for the long haul.” The three fires have burned a combined 8,026 acres, according to the NIFC’s Monday situation report, and the officials said Sunday that the cause is still under investigation, but NIFC reports it as “human.” Spokane Fire Chief Tom Williams said Sunday that the fires are among the worst in the city’s history. Ferguson said he had requested food and housing assistance, debris removal, and other support from FEMA. He’s declared a state of emergency, along with Brown and the Board of County Commissioners. The governor said longer-term relief could take time as property owners wait to see whether they can obtain temporary housing, funding to rebuild, and other support from FEMA if insurance won’t cover it. State Rep. Jenny Graham, a Republican of Spokane, confirmed to The Center Square on Sunday that her home was among those destroyed by the fires just before her family planned to put it up for sale. “We worked so hard. I was literally painting the den when we had to evacuate,” Graham wrote in a text message. “I don’t even know if that neighborhood is still there. We are alive and heartbroken.” FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grants reimburse 75% of eligible firefighting costs, but they don’t cover property losses. Assuming the federal funding covers that much of the effort so far, FEMA would be paying about $2.59 million of the firefighting costs, leaving about $862,000 in nonfederal support. Brown said officials are mapping damage to public utilities and infrastructure as part of their request. Insurers paid out roughly $212 million in claims after the 2023 Gray and Oregon Road Fires destroyed 366 homes and over 20,000 acres outside of Spokane, according to the state insurance commissioner. FEMA assistance supplements insurance, and the total loss is unknown as the flames continue to burn. “Obviously, we don't have anywhere near that information for all sorts of obvious reasons,” Ferguson said Sunday. “There will come a time when we gather that information — that does take some time.” Ferguson is holding another press conference with state and local officials in Spokane at 10:30 Monday morning.

As international debate surrounding Somaliland’s recognition has returned to global headlines in recent months, questions of sovereignty and diplomacy have dominated the conversation. Reports of Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December and Somaliland’s opening of an embassy in Jerusalem on 16 June have placed the territory’s political future firmly back in the international spotlight. Yet amid discussions of geopolitics and statehood, another story remains largely absent: almost every girl in Somaliland is expected to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM). “When a girl is born here, many people already know what will happen to her,” says Haboon Feysal, a student midwife […] The post Whilst the World Debates Somaliland’s Recognition, Its Girls Remain Invisible appeared first on African Arguments.

The state of Wisconsin should be lauded for trying to make campaign finance information — famously a shadowy process with plenty of loopholes — more accessible to the public. Your Right to Know: Campaign finance site a big improvement is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Researchers with the Audubon Seabird Institute counted 200 active puffin burrows on the island, up from 188 in 2019. They also spotted a razorbill chick.

Les feux de forêt se multiplient en Amérique du Nord, des incendies fulgurants qui ont ravagé ces derniers jours Spokane, la deuxième plus grande ville de l'État de Washington, à l'est de Seattle. Ils s'inscrivent dans un contexte de sécheresse extrême et de fortes chaleurs dans la région.

El aclamado director británico señala un defecto fundamental en la crítica cinematográfica aficionada y defiende el uso de los recursos narrativos.

La guerre au Proche-Orient et le blocage du détroit d'Hormuz continuent de peser lourdement sur l'économie mondiale : le pétrole fait le yoyo depuis fin février, les cours du Brent montent à chaque regain de tension, redescendent au moindre signe d'apaisement… Si le cours du gaz s'est montré lui aussi très volatile, il est en revanche resté bien plus haut qu'avant-guerre. À tel point que les Européens ne sont pas sûrs de pouvoir reconstituer leurs réserves avant l'hiver.

In Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, two men call themselves president. One is Lieutenant General Tadesse Worede, appointed with Addis Ababa’s approval to run the region until elections could be held. The other is Debretsion Gebremichael, chairman of the party that governed Tigray for decades and led it through a war (2020-2022) that killed an estimated 600,000 people and displaced two to three million. On 5 May, a regional council that had not met in more than three years reunited and elected him. Addis Ababa treats that council as an illegal body: it was abolished under the […] The post Two Presidents, No Government: Why Tigray’s War Is Coming Back appeared first on African Arguments.

Суд в Париже в понедельник 3 августа отклонил апелляцию российской телеведущей, бывшей главы RT France Ксении Федоровой на выданное ранее властями предписание покинуть Францию, а также на решение заморозить ее активы. Об этом сообщают французские медиа. Административный суд Парижа постановил, что Федорова не смогла доказать, что депортация из Франции повлечет за собой "серьезные личные последствия". На прошлой неделе власти обязали Федорову покинуть страну. Министр внутренних дел Лоран...

Tra attacchi, rialzi assicurativi e rotte bloccate, lo Stretto di Hormuz mostra la sua insostituibilità. Quali Paesi rischiano di più e come la crisi incide su benzina e bollette.

Російські військові регулярно з різних видів озброєння – ударними БпЛА, ракетами, КАБами, РСЗВ – атакують українські міста і цивільну інфраструктуру в усіх регіонах України

Whyteface by A. Igoni Barrett Graywolf, Aug. 4 In Whyteface, a Nigerian man mysteriously wakes up White and embarks on a journey through Europe and through notions of race, ethnicity, nationality, and belonging. Barrett’s sharp satire and humor illuminate some of the most absurd conceptions of Africa and African immigrants.  Buy on Bookshop Save a […] The post 9 New Antiracist Books Arriving in August appeared first on The Emancipator.

Armenia’s new parliament controlled by the ruling Civil Contract party elected its speaker on Monday during its inaugural session marked by bitter accusations traded by pro-government and opposition lawmakers.

(The Center Square) – The Michigan Supreme Court overturned a key permit for the construction of Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. The court ordered state energy regulators to reconsider their environmental review for the project, which environmental groups and Native American tribal nations have been fighting against since it was first proposed in 2018. The plaintiffs applauded the decision. “For years, Tribal Nations, communities, and thousands of people across the country have raised their voices to protect the Great Lakes,” said Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle. “This decision gives us another opportunity to honor our treaty rights, protect our waters, and consider the generations who will inherit this place.” The proposed changes would move a section of the pipeline into a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, which is the four-mile wide waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, dividing Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The pipeline currently lies on the bottom of the Straits. The transmission line is owned by Canadian company Enbridge and goes 645 miles from Superior, Wis., through the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario. The 72-year-old pipeline currently moves more than 500,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily. On Monday, Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy shared the company’s statement on the decision with The Center Square. “We disagree with the court’s decision and are disappointed at the additional delay that remand will cause to a project that has already been under review for close to a decade,” it said. “Enbridge is reviewing the opinion and assessing our legal options.” This is the latest setback for the controversial project, which has faced years of legal challenges and regulatory delays. It also comes just weeks after a significant win for the project, when Michigan regulators approved key permits for the tunnel. The Michigan Supreme Court’s decision was nearly unanimous, with a vote of 6-1. “The PSC erred,” the court said, referring to the Michigan Public Service Commission’s approval of the tunnel project. It cited potential “additional environmental harm” with the "the extension of Line 5's operational life." The plaintiffs said they are ready to continue fighting the project’s permit approval as it heads back to the commission for further review. “The court’s decision upholds the bedrock principles of Michigan environmental law,” said Earthjustice Senior Attorney Adam Ratchenski. “Enbridge’s application to build the tunnel now heads back to the Michigan Public Service Commission, where we will be prepared with robust arguments in defense of Tribal rights and the Great Lakes.” Supporters of the project argue the tunnel would make the pipeline safer and Michigan’s economy stronger, while opponents are pushing for Line 5’s closure. “Whether Line 5 is suspended in the water or encased in a tunnel, it is simply a terrible idea to pump more than half a million barrels of oil every day through the middle of the Great Lakes,” said Managing Attorney David Gover with the Native American Rights Fund. “There is a brighter future on the horizon. We can get oil out of the Great Lakes, protect Tribal sovereignty, and preserve our freshwater for generations to come.” Enbridge said it will continue to push for the tunnel. “Despite the Michigan Public Service Commission’s rigorous, fact-based process in approving the replacement of the Line 5 pipeline segment into a deep underground tunnel, an approach specifically designed to enhance environmental protection of the Great Lakes while maintaining critical energy reliability for the region, there will be yet another lengthy delay,” their statement said. “What remains unchanged is our commitment to operating Line 5 safely and responsibly, incorporating enhanced safety measures in the Straits, and protecting Michigan’s natural resources for generations to come.” The project is currently being expedited under President Donald Trump’s day-one executive order declaring a national energy emergency. Under that order, Trump said that to solve high prices and remedy the “numerous problems” with America's energy infrastructure, the delivery of energy infrastructure must be “expedited” and the nation's energy supply facilitated “to the fullest extent possible.”

The European Union is stepping up its oversight of artificial intelligence this week, as the main provisions of its landmark AI Act became applicable, giving regulators stronger powers to inspect advanced models and sanction companies that break the rules.