In the news today: Israel’s parliament has passed two laws that could prevent the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees from being able to continue its work; conservatives could win control of some state school boards; and how artificial reefs can save lives. Also, this Halloween season, tourists are visiting the Lizzie Borden House, a home with a gruesome past. |
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Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by an Israeli bombardment near an UNRWA facility west of Rafah city, Gaza Strip, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Israel passes laws to restrict the work of a UN agency that is a lifeline for Gaza
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It’s the culmination of a long-running campaign against UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel contends has been infiltrated by Hamas. But supporters say Israel’s real aim is to sideline the issue of Palestinian refugees. Read more. |
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Conservatives could win control of Kansas and Nebraska state school boards
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At issue are familiar efforts by conservative Republicans and groups to limit what public K-12 schools can teach about racism, diversity, sexuality and gender. But also up for debate are skill-building lessons that conservatives reject as social engineering. Read more. |
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An effort to teach soft skills — such as persistence, tolerance for others and managing emotions — came after surveys in recent years suggested that businesses see them as crucial for future employees. But some parents, state lawmakers and groups see what’s sometimes called social and emotional learning, or SEL, as promoting liberal values.
Conservative parents, groups on the right and Republican officials across the U.S. who’ve wanted to ban some books and other materials are increasingly including SEL among the “woke” concepts or programs they want removed from the classroom. SEL has joined DEI — for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — and CRT for critical race theory, which centers on the idea that racism is systemic in U.S. institutions.
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Artificial reefs off a New York City beach can do more than just help sea creatures. They could also save lives
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Almost nothing stood in the way of the pounding waves that crashed into seaside homes in Staten Island’s Tottenville neighborhood when Superstorm Sandy struck the city 12 years ago. But after years of work, a system of artificial reefs largely completed this summer could help soften the blow of future hurricanes. Read more.
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Funded with $111 million in Sandy recovery money, the “Living Breakwaters” constructed about 1,000 feet (300 meters) off the Tottenville beach were conceived to protect residents from future storms. While the concrete and rock barriers can’t stop flooding, project designers say they will sap the force of ocean waves, reducing daily erosion and damage from future storms.
The artificial islands have the added benefit of reviving a bay ecosystem damaged by years of fishing, pollution and dredging. That’s because they integrate “living” features such as tidepools and textured surfaces in a traditional breakwater to better shelter oysters, crabs and fish.
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The concept is attracting the attention of other coastal cities, including Florida’s Cedar Key, which was battered last month by Hurricane Helene.
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Visitors tour the inside of the Lizzie Borden House, site of an 1892 double axe murder, in Fall River, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) |
As Halloween approaches, tourists visit a home with a gruesome past and tunnels said to be haunted
Many tourists are traveling to visit the Lizzie Borden house, the site of a famous – but never officially solved – 1892 double murder. While there is no scientific evidence that homes can be haunted or ghosts exist, polls indicate that one-third or more of Americans believe in such phenomena. For many others, the tours represent nothing more than a bit of spine-tingling fun.
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