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America’s poor math skills raise alarms over global competitiveness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Like a lot of high school students, Kevin Tran loves superheroes, though perhaps for different reasons than his classmates.“They’re all insanely smart. In their regular jobs they’re engineers, they’re scientists,” said Tran, 17. “And you can’t do any of those things without math.” Tran also loves math. This summer, he studied calculus five hours a day with other high schoolers in a program at Northeastern University. But Tran and his friends are not the norm. Many Americans joke about how bad they are at math, and already abysmal scores on standardized math tests are falling even further. The nation needs people who are good at math, employers say, in the same way motion picture mortals need superheroes. They say America’s poor math performance isn’t funny. It’s a threat to the nation’s global economic competitiveness and national security.___The Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, is documenting the math crisis facing schools and highlig...

PBS boasts slate of new shows unaffected by strikes, which it hopes will draw viewers in

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — PBS was looking forward to a relatively free lane to offer fresh television to viewers downtrodden by the Hollywood strikes this fall, but that advantage may only last a couple of months now.A tentative deal reached late Sunday in the crippling TV writers strike, with hopes that actors would soon follow suit, has given rise to hopes that new episodes of favorite scripted shows might return sometime this winter.With commercial networks largely bereft of fresh material beyond reality shows, sports and game shows, PBS has a fall schedule of new programming, including a heavy dose of nonfiction, led by Ken Burns’ look at “The American Buffalo.”“I have to believe that people are looking for new stuff,” said Paula Kerger, CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service.PBS’ plans were virtually unaffected by the strike. One exception is a delay making “American Historia,” a three-part documentary series helmed by actor John Leguizamo about Latino figures in history, Ker...

Leaf-peeping influencers are clogging a Vermont backroad. The town is closing it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

POMFRET, Vt. (AP) — Social media influencers take note: You won’t be able to snap that fall foliage selfie at a popular Vermont spot. The town has temporarily closed the road to nonresidents due to overcrowding and “poorly behaved tourists.” The normally quiet dirt road from Pomfret to Woodstock, home to the frequently photographed Sleepy Hollow Farm, will be open only to residents through mid-October. And local law enforcement plans to enforce it. In recent years, social media users and photographers have clogged the narrow road for selfies and fall foliage shots of the scenic private property, drawn by its colorful hillside trees, the barn and classic New England home.Locals say they understand the lure of the beautiful leaves and landscape, but say some visitors have gone too far: blocking traffic with their parked vehicles, obstructing access for residents and emergency vehicles, as well as picnicking and even relieving themselves on private land surrounding th...

South Korea’s Yoon calls for a strong military amid deepening North Korean-Russian ties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president on Tuesday urged his troops to build an “unwavering military spirt” and train harder, as he used an Armed Forces Day speech to vow immediate retaliation against any potential provocation by North Korea.President Yoon Suk Yeol’s speech came amid growing concern that North Korea is pushing to acquire Russian support to boost its nuclear arsenal in return for refilling Russia’s conventional arms stores exhausted by its war with Ukraine.“Above all, the cornerstone of our robust national defense lies in your unwavering military spirit, strong commitment, and a clear definition of who your enemies are,” Yoon said to troops during the Armed Forces Day ceremony, after reviewing soldiers and weapons systems at a military airport near Seoul.“I strongly urge you to train hard every day with the discipline demanded in real combat situations,” Yoon said.Yoon called North Korea’s advancing nuclear program “an existential threat to our people,̶...

Donald Trump, skipping GOP debate, eyes California delegate sweep in the state he loves to hate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Few corners of the U.S. may be less hospitable to Donald Trump than California, where he lost by more than 5 million votes in the 2020 election. But as the former president seeks to return to the White House, the liberal bastion may give him an unlikely boost.A state GOP rule change has opened the possibility that Trump could sweep each of the state’s 169 delegates on March 5, when California is among more than a dozen states participating in the so-called Super Tuesday contests. With Trump already leading his rivals in many state and national polls, a dominant performance in California could move him much closer to the GOP nomination.“This race is quickly consolidating,” said GOP fundraiser Charles Moran, a Trump delegate in 2016 and 2020. With a win in California, he added, “I truly think Trump could take the nomination on Super Tuesday — then this is over.”With less than four months before the Iowa caucuses officially kick off the GOP nomination process, the dy...

As Gen. Milley steps down as chairman, his work on Ukraine is just one part of a complicated legacy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

OSLO, Norway (AP) — On a frigid U.S. air base in Germany, the top U.S. military officer was in his element. Striding along the training area in his fatigues, Army Gen. Mark Milley bellowed at the Ukrainian troops gathered around him.“Slava Ukraini!” he hollered, again and again, the “glory to Ukraine” battle cry. A bit nervously, the Ukrainians shouted back the traditional response, “Heroyam slava,” meaning glory to the heroes.It was a classic scene of a powerful general rallying the troops, but one that would have made Biden administration officials wince. They’ve consistently stressed that this is Ukraine’s war, not America’s, as they fear further escalating tensions with Moscow.But Milley can’t help himself when he is in battle mode. He yelled encouragement and bantered with the soldiers as they learned how to use American weapons. Soon they’ll be back on the front lines fighting the Russians, he told them, so they’ll need to fight hard and use what they h...

With a government shutdown just days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a government shutdown five days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode as Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces an insurgency from hard-right Republicans eager to slash spending even if it means curtailing federal services for millions of Americans.There’s no clear path ahead as lawmakers return with tensions high and options limited. The House is expected to vote Tuesday evening on a package of bills to fund parts of the government, but it’s not at all clear that McCarthy has the support needed to move ahead. Meanwhile, the Senate, trying to stave off a federal closure, is preparing its own bipartisan plan for a stopgap measure to buy some time and keep offices funded past Saturday’s deadline as work in Congress continues. But plans to tack on additional Ukraine aid have run into trouble as a number of Republicans in both the House and Senate oppose spending more money on the war effort. Against the mounting chaos, President Joe Biden warned the R...

Man arrested in Mambo Grill shooting that wounded 4 in Downey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

A 37-year-old Simi Valley man has been arrested for attempted murder in connection with a shooting that wounded four at a bar in Downey, authorities announced Monday.  According to the Downey Police Department, the shooting took place shortly before 1:20 a.m. at Mambo Grill, located in the 11000 block of Downey Avenue. Upon arriving on scene, officers discovered four victims – three men and one woman – suffering from gunshot wounds. They were each transported to area hospitals in serious condition.   The men’s conditions were later updated to stable, but the woman was fighting for her life, authorities said.   Police said that the suspects were last seen fleeing the area in an unknown-colored vehicle.  Temo Gaxiola, 37, from Simi Valley was arrested on Sept. 25 in connection with the shooting at Mambo Grill that wounded four people in Downey on Sept. 23, 2023. (Downey PD)On Monday, authorities identified and arrested Temo Gaxiola in connection...

Man arrested in connection with North Fair Oaks arson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

REDWOOD CITY – A 41-year-old Redwood City man was arrested on suspicion of torching a vehicle Sunday night in North Fair Oaks, authorities said.Deputies were called to a commercial property in the 2900 block of Flood Avenue around 8:05 p.m. for a report of an arson involving a vehicle, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The fire reportedly caused major damage to the vehicle.The man left the scene, but deputies found him hiding in the area, the sheriff’s office said.An investigation revealed that the man gained access to the property without permission and used spray paint to vandalize the property, the sheriff’s office said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Redwood City police seek public’s help in identifying assault suspects Crime and Public Safety | Man killed in hit-and-run crash on Highway 101 Crime and Public Safety | Daly City man sentenced to 12 years in prison after assaulting, robbing Lyft driver...

The SF Giants started a young lineup vs. San Diego. Two veterans led the way in the end

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:43 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — With the 2023 San Francisco Giants now only owning a microscopic chance of making the postseason after a disastrous road trip, those in attendance on Monday night at Oracle Park got a good look at what could be the nucleus of the 2024 team.Expanding on a theme that began in their just-completed four-game series in Los Angeles, the Giants started two rookies in the infield and two rookies in the outfield against the San Diego Padres to go with the one they already have behind the plate.But leave it to two Giants veterans to lead the wayWith the bases loaded with two outs, Michael Conforto sent a Robert Suarez fastball down the left field line, scoring two runs to help give the Giants a 2-1 win that kept their tragic number at two.Logan Webb escaped a ninth-inning jam to throw his second complete game of the season, as he struck out seven to help the Giants start their season-ending six-game homestand on a positive note.With runners on second and third and no out...