October 1, 2021

How some Iowa parents are threatening to defund schools over mask mandates

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake for a suburban Des Moines school district Friday if incensed parents follow through with a plan to artificially lower the district's enrollment numbers.

Ankeny Community School District families angry over a new mask mandate are threatening to unenroll their children from school ahead of the state's Oct. 1 student count date.

The number of students enrolled in a district on that date helps set funding levels for the next school year.

As part of the plan, some parents would then re-enroll their children on Oct. 2, effectively forcing the district to educate their children with less money.

Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2021/09/28/iowa-families-threaten-defund-schools-ankeny-unenroll-students-over-covid-mask-mandate/5885848001/

October 1, 2021

This year's Alaska Permanent Fund dividend amount is $1,114

This year’s Alaska Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,114, the Alaska Department of Revenue said Thursday.

The figure is slightly higher than a prior $1,100 estimate. Genevieve Wojtusik, a spokeswoman for the department, said the dividend amount is based on the amount remaining in the dividend fund, plus new appropriations, divided by the number of eligible recipients.

“These numbers and estimates are not fully known during the budgeting process, and as these calculations are finalized, the estimated dividend amount can fluctuate slightly than what is in the budget,” she said.

Last year’s dividend, estimated to be $1,000, turned out to be $992 when finalized.

This year’s payments will begin the week of Oct. 11 for Alaskans who chose direct deposit and whose applications were approved by Oct. 7, the department said. All applications that have been approved by the week of Oct. 21, plus Alaskans who requested a paper check, will receive their dividends starting the week of Oct. 25.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2021/09/30/this-years-alaska-permanent-fund-dividend-amount-is-1114/

October 1, 2021

Mayor Bronson defends use of Holocaust imagery by mask mandate opponents during heated second night

Mayor Bronson defends use of Holocaust imagery by mask mandate opponents during heated second night of Anchorage Assembly hearing


Opponents of a mask ordinance wore yellow Stars of David and shouted at Anchorage Assembly members, and four people were arrested during a second night of heated public testimony on a proposed mask ordinance for the city.

The testimony stretched until midnight and the Assembly did not vote on the ordinance. Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

As Alaska grapples with its worst COVID-19 surge yet, the ordinance would require masks in indoor public spaces and outdoors at large events.

Many spoke out against the proposal, which has drawn intense pushback from Mayor Dave Bronson, who has pledged not to enact any mandates to slow the spread of COVID-19. But many others urged the Assembly to move forward with a mask mandate.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, Bronson defended the use of yellow Stars of David by people opposed to the mask ordinance.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2021/09/29/tensions-run-high-over-proposed-mask-ordinance-at-second-night-of-anchorage-assembly-meeting/
(Anchorage Daily News)

October 1, 2021

Mayor Bronson defends use of Holocaust imagery by mask mandate opponents during heated second night

Mayor Bronson defends use of Holocaust imagery by mask mandate opponents during heated second night of Anchorage Assembly hearing


Opponents of a mask ordinance wore yellow Stars of David and shouted at Anchorage Assembly members, and four people were arrested during a second night of heated public testimony on a proposed mask ordinance for the city.

The testimony stretched until midnight and the Assembly did not vote on the ordinance. Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

As Alaska grapples with its worst COVID-19 surge yet, the ordinance would require masks in indoor public spaces and outdoors at large events.

Many spoke out against the proposal, which has drawn intense pushback from Mayor Dave Bronson, who has pledged not to enact any mandates to slow the spread of COVID-19. But many others urged the Assembly to move forward with a mask mandate.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, Bronson defended the use of yellow Stars of David by people opposed to the mask ordinance.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2021/09/29/tensions-run-high-over-proposed-mask-ordinance-at-second-night-of-anchorage-assembly-meeting/
(Anchorage Daily News)

October 1, 2021

Weekly WA newspaper fined $15,000 for selling election coverage

A weekly newspaper in Tacoma was fined last week for violating Washington state election law in a way that one official said threatens to undermine trust in both journalism and politics.

The Tacoma Weekly agreed to pay a $15,000 fine for telling political candidates last year that they could buy a news story — and even the newspaper’s editorial endorsement — as part of a $2,500 advertising package.

Accepting money in exchange for story placement or positive coverage goes against journalistic standards of ethics. But beyond that, it also violates Washington state law, which forbids news outlets from soliciting money in exchange for “an endorsement, article, or other communication in the news media promoting or opposing a candidate.”

Leaders of the Tacoma Weekly said they never actually ended up writing a story in exchange for money. But staff with the state Public Disclosure Commission — Washington’s campaign finance watchdog agency — found that two candidates who took the Weekly up on its advertising offer understood that they were each buying a cover story as part of an ad package. Those two candidates each paid $150 fines, agreeing that those news stories — which ran on the front page of the Weekly — didn’t contain the required disclosures that they were ads bought by the candidates.

Read more: https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/09/weekly-wa-newspaper-fined-15000-selling-election-coverage

October 1, 2021

A Fractured Carpenters Union Sits Together at the Bargaining Table for the First Time

After four failed attempts to bring their membership a fair contract, the Northwest Carpenters Union returned to the bargaining table today.

The Peter J. McGuire group, a group of rank-and-file carpenters, is especially sick of the union bargaining team not delivering. These carpenters want good family wages, paid parking, and a $15 raise over three years. The last failed contract offer, which the membership rejected in a 56% to 44% vote, included a 20.4% increase in wages and benefits over  four  years, stronger harassment and discrimination protections, and more parking reimbursement – some areas only being reimbursed $1.50 per hour.

A “vocal minority” of about 100 carpenters who were displeased with this offer went rogue last week and picketed over 13 unsanctioned construction sites in two days, shutting down those sites and drawing strong condemnation from union leaders. Many sites are under no-strike agreements, so those wildcat strikes could put the union in legal and thus financial trouble, union leaders warned.

Today will be the first time PJM has a representative at the table in the negotiation process. PJM’s chair, Art Francisco, who did not elect to represent the group at the bargaining table, told Jacobin that “the negotiations were not gridlocked between the union leadership and the contractors; they were gridlocked between the membership and the union leadership.”

Read more: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2021/09/30/61593735/a-fractured-carpenters-union-sits-together-at-the-bargaining-table-for-the-first-time

October 1, 2021

A Fractured Carpenters Union Sits Together at the Bargaining Table for the First Time

After four failed attempts to bring their membership a fair contract, the Northwest Carpenters Union returned to the bargaining table today.

The Peter J. McGuire group, a group of rank-and-file carpenters, is especially sick of the union bargaining team not delivering. These carpenters want good family wages, paid parking, and a $15 raise over three years. The last failed contract offer, which the membership rejected in a 56% to 44% vote, included a 20.4% increase in wages and benefits over  four  years, stronger harassment and discrimination protections, and more parking reimbursement – some areas only being reimbursed $1.50 per hour.

A “vocal minority” of about 100 carpenters who were displeased with this offer went rogue last week and picketed over 13 unsanctioned construction sites in two days, shutting down those sites and drawing strong condemnation from union leaders. Many sites are under no-strike agreements, so those wildcat strikes could put the union in legal and thus financial trouble, union leaders warned.

Today will be the first time PJM has a representative at the table in the negotiation process. PJM’s chair, Art Francisco, who did not elect to represent the group at the bargaining table, told Jacobin that “the negotiations were not gridlocked between the union leadership and the contractors; they were gridlocked between the membership and the union leadership.”

Read more: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2021/09/30/61593735/a-fractured-carpenters-union-sits-together-at-the-bargaining-table-for-the-first-time

October 1, 2021

California woman finds Crater of Diamonds' largest gem of year, 4.38 carats

A 4.38-carat diamond found Sept. 23, 2021, at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is shown atop a quarter for scale. Noreen Wredberg of Granite Bay, California, found the gem sitting on top of the ground within an hour of beginning her search. It is the largest diamond found so far this year at the park. Photo by Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism


MURFREESBORO, Ark. — A woman visiting from California found the largest diamond of the year so far — a 4.38-carat gem with a pear shape and a lemonade yellow color — at Crater of Diamonds State Park.

Noreen Wredberg found the diamond on top of the ground within an hour of beginning her search, according to a news release from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

She named it Lucy's Diamond after her husband's kitten, which has slight tints of a similar yellow in her fur. She said she is not sure what she will do with it but may have it cut, depending on the quality.

"I don't even know what it's worth yet. It's all new to me," she said.

Read more: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texarkana-region/story/2021/sep/30/california-woman-finds-crater-diamonds-largest-gem-year-438-carats/890846/

October 1, 2021

SpaceX Prepares To Launch Largest Rocket Ever Despite Ongoing FAA Review

There’s only one road to SpaceX — Texas Highway 4. It runs parallel to the Rio Grande, from Brownsville to Boca Chica Beach.

The 40-minute drive takes visitors past dense thickets of thorn scrub, the preferred habitat of endangered ocelots. The spiny vegetation eventually gives way to coastal flats, dunes and a peaceful beach, home to endangered sea turtles, as well as migratory birds not found elsewhere in Texas.

On a Tuesday in early September, a Cameron County sheriff’s vehicle blocked off the road.

“The Highway’s closed until further notice,” a deputy told David Newstead, a program director with the nonprofit research and conservation group Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program.

Read more: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/spacex-prepares-to-launch-largest-rocket-ever-despite-ongoing-faa-review/

October 1, 2021

Threatening a US Congressman lands man in federal prison

A Denton man has been sentenced to prison for threatening a federal official.

Guy Zachary Klossner, 33, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2021, to threatening a federal official and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison last month by U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan.

“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that EDTX takes seriously any death threats to public officials,” said acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “In our democracy, there is room for disagreement and even dissent. However, we will not tolerate threats of violence, particularly those made against our elected representatives.”

According to information presented in court, on July 24, 2020, an individual using the name “You’re F. Dead” sent a threatening email message to U.S. Congressman Theodore Yoho (R) of Florida’s 3rd Congressional District. The message contained a threat to kill Congressman Yoho and his family. An investigation determined that the message originated from a computer at a location in Denton, Texas. Klossner was identified as the user of the computer. Further investigation revealed that Klossner also made threats against U.S. Congressman Clay Higgins (R) of Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District through his Facebook account and in a voice-mail message. Klossner, who admitted to law enforcement officials that he made the threats, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 15, 2020.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police in Washington, D.C. and the Denton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Batson.

https://www.heralddemocrat.com/story/news/2021/09/30/threatening-us-congressman-lands-man-federal-prison/5932498001/
(Sherman Herald Democrat) (no more at link)