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State of Texas: 'Education freedom' bill brings praise and concern

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, chair of the Senate Committee on Education, filed Senate Bill 8 Friday evening, giving a detailed look into top Republicans' priority to use state money to subsidize private education.Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick chose Senate Bill 8 to carry one of his top 30 priorities of "empowering parental rights — including school choice." Governor Greg Abbott has advocated for creating state-funded "education savings accounts" that will give money to Texans to pay for education-related expenses, including private school tuition.Sen. Creighton said the goal is to provide as much as $8,000 to families with education savings accounts."I think we're in a different day and time in the outlook on educational opportunities than we even were five years ago. And I think that's why there's been a grassfire across this nation for parental choice and educational empowerment," Sen. Creighton said. "This is education freedom, this is making su...

Grandview, paced by Sienna Betts, beats Monarch for 6A girls title

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

Grandview entered the Class 6A girls’ state basketball tournament with nine losses on its resume, a humbling No. 11 seed, and a giant chip on its shoulder.Now they can say, “I told you so.”Or, as senior point guard Isa Dillehay put it: “I think everybody doubted us, but look where we are now.”Grandview defeated No. 4 Monarch, 38-28, Saturday afternoon at the Denver Coliseum for its second consecutive championship and fourth in six years. Sophomore center sophomore Sienna Betts, the Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year, led the way with 20 points and 20 rebounds.“When we got to this point, there was no way we were going to lose,” Betts said.And coach Josh Ulitzky, who has guided the Wolves to all four state championships, figured his team peaking at the right time.“We have kids who are composed and we played the toughest schedule in the state,” Ulitzky said. “That made a difference. Every single one of these girls came throu...

3 hospitalized after shooting in Azusa, police investigating

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa early Saturday morning.The victims were two men and one woman, according to the Azusa Police Department. Their identities have not been released.Officers responded to reports of a shooting on the 600 block of North Glenfinnan Avenue around 1:28 a.m.When police arrived, they found three victims with gunshot wounds, authorities said.Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa on March 11, 2023. (Key News)Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa on March 11, 2023. (Key News)Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa on March 11, 2023. (Key News)Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa on March 11, 2023. (Key News)Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa on March 11, 2023. (Key News)Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa on March 11, 2023. (Key News)Three people were hospitalized after a shooting in Azusa on March 11, 2023. (Key News)Three...

FDIC may make some uninsured Silicon Valley Bank deposits available Monday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

Saleha Mohsin, Lydia Beyoud and Sridhar Natarajan(Bloomberg) — US regulators overseeing the emergency breakup of SVB Financial Group are racing to sell assets and make a portion of clients’ uninsured deposits available as soon as Monday, according to people with knowledge of the situation.The initial payout — the amount of which is still being determined — would aim to tide over the firm’s distressed customers, many of them Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and their companies, with more cash to follow as the bank’s assets are sold. The amount will depend in part on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s progress in turning assets to cash by Sunday night.Figures being floated behind the scenes for an initial payment range from 30% to 50% or more of uninsured deposits, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private talks.A spokesperson for the FDIC didn’t respond to requests for comment on its plans.Silicon Valley Bank’s business clients are desperate to access their money...

Chinese city proposes lockdowns for flu — and faces a backlash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

A Chinese city has sparked a backlash on social media after saying it would consider the use of lockdowns in the event of an influenza outbreak.The city of Xi’an — a tourism hotspot in Shaanxi province that is home to the famous terracotta warriors — revealed an emergency response plan this week that would enable it to shut schools, businesses and “other crowded places” in the event of a severe flu epidemic.That prompted a mixture of anxiety and anger on China’s social media websites among many users who said the plan sounded uncomfortably similar to some of the strict zero-Covid measures China had implemented throughout the pandemic and which have only recently been abandoned.“Vaccinate the public rather than using such time to create a sense of panic,” one user wrote on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter.“How will people not panic given that Xi’an’s proposal to suspend work and business activities were issued without clear instruction on the national level to classify the diseas...

Former owner of DC physiatry practice convicted in $5M health care fraud scheme

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

A physician who owned and operated a now-defunct physiatry and pain management practice in D.C. was convicted by a federal jury Saturday for a $5 million health care fraud scheme, prosecutors said.More Local NewsMore DC NewsMore Crime NewsFrederick Gooding, 71, of Wilmington, Delaware, was convicted on 11 counts of health care fraud.Prosecutors said that between 2015 and 2018, Gooding fraudulently billed Medicare over $5 million for injections he didn’t carry out, or didn’t provide as billed. This included complicated spinal injections Gooding did not possess the necessary equipment to carry out.Prosecutors said that Gooding is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and is looking at 10 years in prison on each count.Source

NASCAR-Xfinity United Rentals 200 Results

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

SaturdayAt Phoenix RacewayAvondale, Ariz.Lap length: 1.00 miles(Start position in parentheses)1. (11) Sammy Smith, Toyota, 200 laps, 55 points.2. (12) Ryan Truex, Toyota, 200, 35.3. (5) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200, 44.4. (10) Riley Herbst, Ford, 200, 43.5. (6) Chandler Smith, Chevrolet, 200, 33.6. (4) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 200, 33.7. (8) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 200, 39.8. (7) Josh Berry, Chevrolet, 200, 29.9. (38) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 200, 0.10. (3) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 200, 41.11. (14) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200, 33.12. (1) Cole Custer, Ford, 200, 30.13. (17) Brett Moffitt, Ford, 200, 24.14. (25) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 200, 28.15. (37) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 200, 22.16. (9) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 200, 21.17. (18) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 200, 20.18. (15) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 200, 19.19. (19) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 200, 18.20. (27) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 200, 17.21. (20) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 200, 16.22. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 200, 15.23. (21...

Scheffler has 2-shot lead at Players on record day of scores

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler won early, holing a chip from deep rough for eagle on the par-5 second hole at The Players Championship to win a bet against his caddie on the number of times the Masters champion chips in during the season.The bigger payoff was the way Scheffler navigated 26 holes on Saturday — eight in the morning to finish the rain-delayed second round, 18 in the afternoon when the TPC Sawgrass was as soft and vulnerable as it gets — for a 7-under 65 to build a two-shot lead over Min Woo Lee of Australia.Still to come: A chance for Scheffler to capture another big prize against a strong field, return to No. 1 in the world and cash a $4.5 million winner’s check.“I would much rather win the tournament than get back to No. 1 in the world,” Scheffler said. “So that will be my focus going into tomorrow, just going out and having a solid round of golf.”Scheffler capped his long day with what amounted to a two-shot swing.Lee, the younger brother of ...

High-schooler Sammy Smith wins Xfinity race at Phoenix

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Sammy Smith won the Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, the first victory for the 18-year-old high school student who is taking classes online so he can be a full-time driver.Making his 13th start in the last two years for Joe Gibbs Racing, Smith led the final 52 laps and held off Cup Series star Kyle Busch on two restarts to take the checkered flag for the first time in a NASCAR national series event.“It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true,” Smith said. “It’s awesome.”Ryan Truex finished second, followed by Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst and Chandler Smith. Busch was second following a final restart with 15 laps to go, but made contact with Chandler Smith on the final lap and ended up ninth.Sammy Smith put JGR in victory lane in Phoenix for the 16th time in the second-tier series and for the sixth consecutive year — with six different drivers. Christopher Bell (2018), Busch (2019), Brandon Jones (2020), Daniel Hemric (2021) and Ty...

Lowry back for Heat, comes off bench for 1st time since ’13

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:20:36 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Lowry played for the first time in more than a month, and did so without starting for the first time in more than a decade.The Miami Heat guard, who had missed his team’s last 15 games with left knee soreness, returned to game action at Orlando on Saturday night — coming off the bench. It was his first time playing as a reserve since Jan. 26, 2013.Lowry had started in each of his last 677 regular-season appearances, with 94 playoff games pushing that streak to 771. He checked in for the initial time with 6:21 left in the opening quarter.“He’s truly excited about getting back out there,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s worked very diligently behind the scenes to prepare for this. I’m excited to have him back in the mix. We could use another spark right now during this stretch run.”Gabe Vincent started at point for Miami, with the Heat running a set play for him to get a layup on their opening possession. The first player off the bench to celebrate that...