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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Obama's State of the Union Speeches and Education: A Scorecard - Politics K-12

Set your DVRs: President Barack Obama will give his State of the Union speech next week, on Jan. 28. So that means a week from now, we'll all be mulling over the education portion. After all, Obama (and most other presidents) typically use their annual address to Congress to outline an edu-wish list for the year. It often includes at least one big idea (whether brand new or recycled from an earlier proposal).

Is Obama usually able to get what he wants from Congress? Short answer: Not so much. For the longer answer, check out these past State of the Union speeches:







Obama's State of the Union Speeches and Education: A Scorecard - Politics K-12 - Education Week

States With the Best (and Worst) Schools

For years, American students have consistently ranked poorly compared to most developed nations. And according to a recently released study, the U.S. education system remains mediocre, receiving a C− grade, for the third year in a row.


 

Click here to see the states with the best school systems

Click here to see the states with the worst school systems




Education news and research publication Education Week released its 18th annual survey of the status of education in all 50 states. The K-12 Achievement Index is one indicator in Education Week’s “Quality Counts” report that measures key education outcomes and provides ranks and grades for each state based on their commitment to improve educational policies and practices. This year, Massachusetts received the highest score, a B, while Mississippi got an F. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the states with the best and worst scores for K-12 achievement.

The discussion of quality of education often turns quickly to money. It appears that the states with the highest levels of achievement generally also spend more money on education. The states with the top five grades in achievement are all in the top 15 for funding per student, adjusted for the cost of living. Only one of the 10 worst states for student achievement was in the top 15 for spending per student, cost-adjusted.



Read more: States With the Best (and Worst) Schools - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/01/14/states-with-the-best-and-worst-schools-2/#ixzz2rBHtypzn
Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook






States With the Best (and Worst) Schools - 24/7 Wall St.


Related articles:
States with the Worst Schools (Yahoo Slideshow Gallery)

Education Week: Quality Counts 2014: State Highlights Reports

The Quality Counts 2014 Highlights Reports capture all of the data you need to assess your state's performance in key areas. The information is presented in a series of charts and graphs, and includes comparisons to national averages.







Education Week: Quality Counts 2014: State Highlights Reports

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Best Picture Oscar nominees got major tax breaks

Think the movie business is profitable? Turns out it may be even more revenue from films than expected, especially when tax incentives for shooting locations is a factor, often at the cost of the state providing a subsidy.




TaxVox

Best Picture Oscar nominees got major tax breaks - CSMonitor.com

Chris Christie faces new bullying charges. Are voters paying attention?

Gov. Chris Christie's No. 2 denies charges by the mayor of Hoboken, N.J., that the administration used Sandy aid to leverage support for a development project.







Chris Christie faces new bullying charges. Are voters paying attention? - CSMonitor.com

Monday, January 20, 2014

President Obama & family volunteer on MLK Holiday









President Barack Obama honored Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of service Monday by helping a soup kitchen prepare its daily meals and a host of administration figures fanned out across the capital to appear at holiday events. - See more at:

AAReports: President Obama & family volunteer on MLK Holiday

Final Public Comment on Jump Start Initiative

Superintendent White to Host Forum in Baton Rouge for Final Public Comment on Jump Start Initiative on January 21, 2014 at 5:00PM/CST.  The Forum to receive final public comment on Jump Start will be held at the Baton Rouge Community College Louisiana Board Room, Louisiana Building 201 Community College Drive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Access  Jump Start - Career Education documents.





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Date: 01/20
/2014
Contact: Public Affairs, (225) 342-3600, Fax: (225) 342-0193



***Advisory***Advisory***Advisory***Advisory***Advisory***
SUPERINTENDENT WHITE TO HOST FORUM IN BATON ROUGE FOR
FINAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON JUMP START INITIATIVE


BATON ROUGE, La. - Tuesday, State Superintendent of Education John White will host a forum in Baton Rouge with parents, students, educators, community members, and industry leaders to hear final public comment on a draft proposal outlining Jump Start, the state's new program for school districts, colleges, and businesses to collaborate in providing career courses and workplace experiences to high school students, certifying them for the career fields most likely to lead to high- wage jobs.  For nine months, Superintendent White has been touring the state discussing how best to provide every Louisiana student a path to the American middle class.  These meetings represent the final tour and a chance for members of the public to comment on specific policy proposals prior to discussion by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and the State Legislature.
Documents outlining the proposal will be posted on the Department's website (http://www.louisianabelieves.com/) for public review and comment for one month starting January 21.   

For those interested in viewing the discussion but cannot attend, the event will be streamed live over the internet. Click on the following link for the livestream: www.livestream.com/ldoecomm.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel, dies at 85 | haaretz.com



Sharon, a controversial military leader, launched a long and tumultuous political career that culminated in the disengagement from Gaza.  He died after 8 years in a coma at Tel Hashomer Hodpital in Tel Aviv.
Watch historical footage:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.546747




Related videos:































Friday, January 10, 2014

Target data breach much worse, affected 70 million customers ( video)

Target data breach much worse, affected 70 million customers ( video)





























West Virginia chemical spill cuts water to up to 300,000, state of emergency declared

West Virginia chemical spill cuts water to up to 300,000, state of emergency declared






































Six questions still lingering in the George Washington Bridge fiasco

Six questions still lingering in the George Washington Bridge fiasco
















After 43 years, activists admit theft at FBI office that exposed domestic spying

After 43 years, activists admit theft at FBI office that exposed domestic spying

Tyson Foods changes pig care policies after NBC shows undercover video

Tyson Foods changes pig care policies after NBC shows undercover video












Mercy for Animals
























Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Statement from Superintendent John White Regarding 19th Judicial District Court Ruling on Act 1

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Statement-from-Superintendent-John-White-Regarding-19th-Judicial-District-Court-Ruling-on-Act-1.html?soid=1104839106897&aid=U89IgdXTQdY

Holder's New School Discipline Guidelines: Stop Targeting Minorities



The Associated Press reports:
The Obama administration is issuing new recommendations on classroom discipline that seek to end the apparent disparities in how students of different races are punished for violating school rules.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan acknowledged the challenge is finding the balancing act to keep school safe and orderly, but when it comes to routine discipline the "first instinct should not be to call 911 when there's a problem."
Civil rights advocates have long said that a "school-to-prison" pipeline stems from overly zealous school discipline policies targeting black and Hispanic students that bring them out of school and into the court system.
Attorney General Eric Holder said the problem often stems from well intentioned "zero-tolerance" policies that too often inject the criminal justice system into the resolution of problems.
"In short, racial discrimination in school discipline is a real problem."
Holder and Duncan were interviewed on Tuesday on the Rev. Al Sharpton's radio show as part of a national effort to draw attention to the issue.  WASHINGTON(AP)


Among the other recommendations:


Holder's New School Discipline Guidelines: Stop Targeting Minorities










Breitbart Mobile APP


Breitbart News Network's iPhone app delivers quick, free and easy access to the largest source of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.

Related articles:








White House Recommends Changes In School Discipline To End Alleged Racial Bias


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WMAL App Center


Take WMAL with you on your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
   

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Scan QR codes or users go to:  iPhone/Apple iTunes App or Android Marketplace
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iPhone QR code


Bitcoin: How should it be taxed? - CSMonitor.com



Is bitcoin really money? Or is it a capital asset? How about a commodity? ? The IRS says it is studying the matter but has yet to issue any guidance. Until it does, it is anyone’s guess how bitcoin should be taxed.
Similarly, mining bitcoin (the process of obtaining the currency by solving a math problem) would also trigger tax. Taxing bitcoin would also require users to track cost basis—not so easy at the moment, although Bloomberg has begun publishing prices.


 
Tax VOX
Bitcoin: How should it be taxed? - CSMonitor.com


Photo credits: 
Bitcoin tokens in Sandy, Utah. The growing prevalence of bitcoin is raising questions about how it should be regulated.
Rick Bowmer/AP/File


RECOMMENDED: Bitcoin FAQ: 7 semi-clear answers to your questions

Monday, January 6, 2014

Full Session: Why Are You the One Who Got the Election Right?




          
Columnist, statistician, and prognosticator Nate Silver, whose website FiveThirtyEight.com is the only one to have correctly predicted the outcomes of the 2012 and 2008 elections, shares his perspectives with award-winning journalist Katie Couric. (He also really knows baseball!) Underwritten by Thomson Reuters.

Featuring Nate Silver and moderator Katie Couric

Streamed live on Jun 26, 2013

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Bill Clinton on Hillary's 2016 hopes: She'd rather be a grandmother than...



Clinton Global Initiative 2013

Former President Bill Clinton discussed with the "CBS This Morning" co-hosts Hillary's new position at the Clinton Global Initiative and what she has planned for 2016.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Volvo Ad Spoof Highlights Gas Shortage in Gaza





A group of young Palestinian film-makers have released a spoof of Jean Claude Van Damme's popular Volvo commercial. The parody is designed to highlight the shortage of fuel in the Gaza Strip. (Dec. 20)

Published on Dec 20, 2013

Friday, January 3, 2014

a lie that leads to an apology which receives an award.... What's next?... #GetCovered


"If you like your health care plan, you can keep it," President Barack Obama said -- many times -- of his landmark new law.
But the promise was impossible to keep.
So this fall, as cancellation letters were going out to approximately 4 million Americans, the public realized Obama’s breezy assurances were wrong.
Boiling down the complicated health care law to a soundbite proved treacherous, even for its promoter-in-chief.  Obama and his team made matters worse, suggesting they had been misunderstood all along. The stunning political uproar led to this: a rare presidential apology.


Lie of the Year: 'If you like your health care plan, you can keep it' | PolitiFact



Related videos:

Obama: I'm sorry if you lost insurance  




Published on Dec 18, 2013
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama meet with a group of moms in the Oval Office to discuss how health care reform could benefit their families, as well as the critical role moms are playing in helping their families access quality, affordable health care by encouraging their adult children, family members and peers to sign up for coverage. December 18, 2013.



Click her for #GetCovered - Trinace's Story .


 



 
 
 
 
 
 
President Obama and President Clinton Discuss Health Care
 
Published on Sep 25, 2013
President Obama joins former President Bill Clinton for a conversation about health care in the United States and around the world as part of the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. September 24, 2013.




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
  
President Obama: 'I am sorry'

Published on Nov 7, 2013
President Obama apologizes to the country after people have lost their health care plans because of Obamacare.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Tech Invention Allows Remote "Touching"





Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have invented a device that allows people to remotely manipulate objects using a camera that sees in three dimensions and what they call a motorized "pin screen." (Jan. 2)

Published on Jan 1, 2014

$1.5B in La. storm recovery aid remains unspent

Louisiana has yet to spend $1.5 billion of federal disaster recovery aid provided by Congress after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike ravaged the state in 2005 and 2008.



$1.5B in La. storm recovery aid remains unspent | DailyComet.com

'Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital'

Lessons from Katrina -
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital: Sheri Fink: 9780307718969: Amazon.com: Books















Related articles:

Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster. What happened next at Memorial Medical Center was a human catastrophe. Sheri Fink's latest book “Five
Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital,” describes the disastrous events that transpired in a New Orleans hospital post-Katrina. Read an excerpt in the Weekly Wonk.
 
The Weekly Wonk | Under the Sea & Back in the USSR

Your AdChoices - How interest based advertising finds you

YourAdChoicesWatch three short videos to learn how the Icon gives you control of when the right ads find you.


Your AdChoices - How interest based advertising finds you

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Wealthy Bag Lady: Media and Press Room

Linda Hollander  -

Linda Hollander is the industry leader in teaching entrepreneurs about small business success. She has over 20 years of experience as a small business owner and does small business consulting. Her clients include Disney, Cisco Systems, Mattel, Universal Studios, Yamaha, Sony, Revlon, Ocean Spray, Sears and Nissan.
Linda is the only person to be featured in both Entrepreneur and Female Entrepreneur magazines in the same month. She reaches 50,000 to 2 million people a week through radio interviews and is the official “Business Diva” on Diva Talk Radio.
She is the founder of the 10th Annual Women’s Small Business Expo, which will take place on every year in Los Angeles, California. She is also the president of Sponsor Concierge, which helps people get corporate sponsors.
 Wealthy Bag Lady: Media and Press Room

7 Signs You’re About to be Fired

7 Signs You’re About to be Fired