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An Education Week analysis of measures tracked by the National Conference of State Legislatures found that state lawmakers proposed 442 bills and resolutions related to school safety and guns in schools since the Sandy Hook shooting. Of the 77 of those bills that were signed into law, 42 were related to school emergenc... |
At the federal level, most efforts have also stalled or failed. |
After the shootings, the Department of Education went to work on new safety guidelines for schools, which were issued in July. |
In January, President Barack Obama's administration unveiled a wish list of proposals that needed legislative approval, including new restrictions on gun sales and a litany of new federal programs aimed at bolstering school safety and student mental health. None of the proposed new programs included in that list has be... |
Mr. Obama sought a ban on assault weapons sales, magazine-capacity limits, and increased background-check requirements for gun purchasers. Those efforts failed for lack of congressional support. |
The president also proposed $150 million in new money for school-based resource officers and mental-health professionals, $50 million for training new social workers, $30 million to help districts revamp their emergency-preparedness plans, and $15 million in new funding to train teachers in "mental-health first aid." C... |
Senate committees approved legislation that would authorize funding for security infrastructure upgrades, encourage states to help districts implement new mental-health programs, and allow states and schools to use money under the roughly $60 million Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Activities progra... |
Erica Lafferty, daughter of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim Dawn Hochsprung, right, consoles Carlee Soto, sister of victim Victoria Soto, after victims' families addressed the media on Dec. 9, 2013, in Newtown, Conn. Newtown is not hosting any formal events to mark the one-year anniversary on Saturday. |
Mr. Obama also tapped Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to launch a national conversation on mental health. This has not since been a significant focus for Mr. Duncan or the administration. The Education Department did point to a few outcomes from the dialogue,... |
In the absence of federal action, several states have addressed mental-health issues through their schools. Minnesota beefed up an existing school-based mental-health program, Texas added training in mental-illness recognition to its teacher licensure requirements, and Nevada created mental-health screening pilot for s... |
Beyond louder conversations about policy and personnel, an enduring effect of Sandy Hook will be a continued rethinking of how schools are designed to promote safety, policymakers have said. Ten new state laws passed since the shooting focus on improving school facilities through state-level building standards related ... |
Jim LaPosta Jr., the chief architectural officer for JCJ Architecture, a Hartford, Conn., firm that consults with school districts, said architects have seen more instances of "systemic review" of school building security measures following Newtown than they saw after previous acts of school violence. |
Instead of bullet-proof whiteboards, said Mr. LaPosta, schools should focus on ensuring that buildings allow greater visibility in common areas and hallways, controlled access at entrances, and simple products—like shatter-resistant film on exterior glass—that can slow would-be shooters. |
Schools should be learning-focused and not "fortresses," Mr. LaPosta said. "If it becomes the overriding mission of a school to keep kids safe, we worry about the kind of school it will be for kids." |
Buried in many efforts since Sandy Hook is the mistaken idea that one law or one new building feature is the perfect response, school safety professionals said. |
"We saw a lot of knee-jerk reactions [to the Sandy Hook shooting]," said Kenneth S. Trump, the president of the Cleveland-based National School Safety and Security Services consulting firm. |
He said district leaders and policymakers must instead emphasize effective disciplinary practices, constant training, and evaluation of the school safety measures already in place. |
Mr. Dorn, of Safe Havens International, said schools shouldn't forget about common problems like bullying and playground accidents as they rush to address the rare threat of school violence. |
"I tell my clients, let's talk about this school resource officer, but do you also have a school nurse?" he said. |
Assistant Editor Alyson Klein and Associate Editor Michele McNeil contributed to this article. |
“Sandy Hook: Words and Actions,” December 11, 2013. |
“Collection: The Newtown School Shootings,” December 14, 2012. |
EXcelon's eXtensible Information Server (XIS) stores and manipulates XML data with an emphasis on high performance and high concurrency, though the software lags slightly behind in query standards support. XIS 3.1 Service Pack 1 started shipping in March, and it runs on Windows, Solaris, and HP-UX. Pricing starts at $4... |
The database uses XPath as its query languagenow a dated approach that doesn't allow for joins or sorted query results. This release has partial XQuery support, with full support expected in a June 2002 Service Pack 2 update. Proprietary extension tags for XPath let you take advantage of XIS's full-text search feature... |
Like all other products here besides Tamino XML Server, eXcelon uses an XML-based language for updates. It also offers Java- and COM-based programming APIs, database triggers, and XSLT transformations. Getting an XML database initially filled with data was especially easy, because XIS can import data from any OLE DB or... |
XIS has separate index types for text and numeric data. It also supports transactional updates and has an aggressive in-memory cache. As with Ipedo XML Database 3.0, it locks at the node level, improving the speed of update-intensive applications. And XIS goes a step farther: Like Oracle's, its multiversioning concurre... |
Unfortunately, XML validation happens only once, when files are imported. If later updates cause a mismatch to the DTD, eXcelon does not complain. |
Working from home is often a significant change from your usual environment – there is no boss looking over your shoulder, your colleague’s chatter is limited to Skype or Whatsapp, and you need to provide your own office equipment. |
One of the first hurdles you will need to pass, however, is setting up. For your time working at home to be a success, preparation is key – so how exactly can you set up the perfect home office? |
While obvious, these two things are the most important parts of your new office. You will spend 100% of your time working on these and as such they must be the right size, supportive and functional. There’s nothing worse than having a too-small desk or a too-small chair – it’s worth finding the best quality possible, a... |
Your employer will more than likely provide you with a computer to work from, but how best can you utilise this for your own working habits? Firstly, you will need to install Skype – the ability to communicate with people cannot be understated. Effective communication with other members of your team is important not on... |
A recent employee survey found that the number one desire from workers in an office is music, with 44% rating it above chatting (41%) and even free snacks (27%) – the power of a good playlist is huge for motivation and productivity. Best of all, in your new home office, you will be the one and only decision maker! |
It’s no use trying to work next to the washing machine – find a quiet spot and start from there. Ideally it needs to be well lit, well ventilated and spacious. While you can work on the kitchen table, there is a far greater likelihood of distraction, resulting in a lower quality of work. |
The aim of a perfect home office is to set up an environment where your work is the best it can be. You need to minimise distractions, and get rid of anything that detracts from your work quality. Follow these tips, and both you, and your work environment will be the best they can be! |
A prayer vigil is held in front of the Chicago Police Department headquarters in memory of Laquan McDonald and to call for a federal investigation into the case, Nov. 30, 2015. |
Activist Jedidiah Brown, left, attempts to chain the doors shut at the Chicago Police Department headquarters after a vigil in memory of Laquan McDonald on Nov. 30, 2015. |
Activists take to the streets in reaction to the release of a Chicago police dash-cam video showing the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, 17, by an officer in October 2014. |
Y'all done gone and done it. No, seriously. Y'all, and by y'all, I mean Empower Texans done gone and made me defend John Cornyn. It's absolutely the last thing I thought I'd ever do since he has been the subject of criticism a few times here on the blog. |
Alright, now let's think about this objectively before we get emotional. I know, it's hard to do in politics, but it's necessary. Would you want someone with a preconceived agenda, even if you agreed with it? My answer, NO. Judges are supposed to be impartial. They aren't supposed to announce ahead of time on how they ... |
The thing about Empower Texans and, well, ALL of us is that we're writing articles that simply confirm our own bias. Like in the video Keynes vs. Hayek Rap Battle Round Two, when Hayek says, "Are they doing real science or confirming their bias?" I think that's something that we could apply to this situation here. Read... |
Justice Willet has made this same statement time and time again, judges should not declare how they will rule on any case until they hear the case in front of them, just as Scalia did before him. Cornyn was saying that there is a difference between a pro-life judge and one who declares ahead of time that they are activ... |
What happened to objectivity? I guess that's gone by the wayside along with manners and civil discourse. Honestly, I'm writing this as someone who cares deeply for the health of the Republican party and for our unification efforts going forward into November. It seems that Empower Texans is only capable of attacking Re... |
As predicted yesterday, basketball-heavy night = basketball-heavy morning roundup post. If you're not much of a basketball fan, you've been warned. For the rest of you, let's get down to business. |
The Lakers didn't go down easily, at least. |
And they could have. they were down 17 in the third quarter to the Spurs last night. Later, they trailed by 16 with seven minutes to go in the game. But despite that deficit, and despite once again playing without their top three frontcourt options, the Lakers managed to cut the deficit to three and get the ball with 1... |
But this wasn't quite the same Lakers team we've seen recently - in a good way. Magic Johnson, who's ripped the team continuously this season, praised the Lakers when it was over for not giving up. And in a vacuum, losing to one of the best teams in the league on the road by three points when they're at full strength a... |
Of course, the issue is that nothing does happen in a vacuum, and the fact that the most encouraging Lakers game in a while was still a loss is more than a little stunning, when you think about the preseason expectations for this group (like us picking them to win the West, for example). Them making a game of it in San... |
The Clippers have Chris Paul, and usually that's enough. |
While the Lakers were finally getting it together a bit last night, the Clippers weren't having their finest night. They trailed the Mavs, a team that came into the Staples Center with a 13-22 record, 75-65 late in the third quarter last night. They turned the ball over 21 times. And it's not like they were being undon... |
But these Clippers are different from the ones of yesteryear. And while there are many reasons for that one stands out above all else: these Clippers have Chris Paul. He spearheaded a fourth quarter comeback with six points and six assists in the period, leading the Clippers to a 99-93 win that moved them to 28-8 on th... |
Barnes' performance showcases the Clippers' depth, how they have multiple guys who can carry a team on a given night. But make no mistake: they're one of the best teams in the league because they have the best in the league running the show. There's a reason the team went from 32-50 two seasons ago to 40-26 last year, ... |
Lots of games last night. Let's go through them quickly. The Raptors pulled away from the Sixers in the second half, winning 90-72. Every Toronto starter hit double figures. The Jazz rode Al Jefferson's 26 and eight to a 112-102 win over the Bobcats in Charlotte. The Cavs rode Kyrie Irving being Kyrie Irving (33 points... |
Elsewhere: the Hornets ended the Rockets' winning streak with a 29-10 fourth quarter run powering them to an 88-79 win in New Orleans. Greivis Vasquez continued his strong play, with 17 points and 11 assists, while James Harden scored 25 points again. The Thunder routed the perpetually-shorthanded T-Wolves 106-84 as Du... |
...but no real upsets. Well, uh, No. 24 UNLV fell to No. 25 New Mexico, so there you go. Upset city! Otherwise everyone held serve. See you tomorrow in what may be a less populated edition of WHLN. It'll still be basketball-focused, but there's less basketball on tonight. We'll find a way. |
Actor Scott Eastwood will be trading cowboy boots for one of the super hero variety. |
Actor Scott Eastwood will be trading cowboy boots for one of the superhero variety. |
The 29-year-old Hollywood hunk confirmed to Entertainment Tonight Monday that he's "doing a movie called 'Suicide Squad." |
That means Clint Eastwood's son is joining a superteam of big-name actors, headlined by Will Smith (Deadshot), Jared Leto (The Joker) and "The Wolf of Wall Street's" Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), already cast in the flick. |
Producers have yet to reveal the younger Eastwood's role, though its expected to be a small one in the movie, which hits theaters on Aug. 5, 2016. |
Eastwood, the spitting image of his father, has become a hot property in recent years, with a starring role in the Nicholas Sparks romantic drama "The Longest Ride," which opens April 10. |
"Suicide Squad" will reunite him with director David Ayers, who helmed Eastwood's breakout role in last year's "Fury." |
Part of Warner Brothers' ambitious 14-movie superhero slate, "Suicide Squad" also stars Jai Courtney of "Terminator: Genysis," Joel Kinnaman of "The Killing," and model Cara Delevinge. |
As comic book fans know, "Suicide Squad" focuses on a band of DC Comics' marquee supervillains forced to perform dangerous secret missions for the government. |
The European Union’s top court has ordered Poland to immediately halt large-scale logging in an ancient protected forest, one of many cases that has pitted the nationalist, eurosceptic government in Warsaw against the bloc. |
The EU’s executive commission earlier this year sued Poland at the European court of justice (ECJ) over logging in the Białowieża forest, a Unesco World Heritage site. |
Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, it is one of Europe’s last primeval forests and home to its largest herd of European bison as well as unique birds and insects. |
In an interim decision, the ECJ said the logging should stop immediately as it could cause “serious and irreversible damage” to the forest. The main case filed by the commission against Warsaw at the ECJ could take years to conclude. |
The commission has said the logging violates the bloc’s wildlife protection laws. Poland’s environment ministry, which declined to comment on the ECJ announcement, says it is needed to protect the forest from an invasion of beetles. |
The ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) has also tripled the quota of wood that can be harvested in Białowieża. |
Environmentalists say the vast majority of trees felled so far were not affected by the beetles. They have been holding regular protests to try to halt the logging and Unesco has also appealed to Poland stop cutting down the trees. |
“If Polish authorities do not respect the (ECJ) decision, it will be in serious conflict with EU law,” said Agata Szafraniuk, a lawyer at ClientEarth, an environmentalist group. |
Poland’s environment minister Jan Szyszko – who enjoys the backing of forester and hunting lobbies – was quoted as saying on Friday that more than one million trees must be cut down in Białowieża this year because of the beetle invasion. |
As well as stoking tensions with Brussels, the issue has deeply divided Poles – as have other moves by PiS, including its tightening of control over state media and the courts and its refusal to host any refugees who arrive in the EU. |
Environmentalists say Szyszko’s real motives are political and economic because increased logging brings more revenues to the local community, one of the poorest in Poland, helping to boost support for PiS. |
“Around half of the wood sold was from trees more than 100 years old,” said another green group, Wild Poland Foundation. |
Plans several years ago to extend the protected area of the forest ran into stiff local opposition. |
Szyszko is a powerful figure in the PiS government because of his close links to the ultra-Catholic broadcasting network of a politically influential priest, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk. |
PiS has built an increasingly close alliance with Rydzyk, who encourages his followers to back the party in return for financial grants for his various business projects. |
Poland still has several days to react to the ECJ interim decision. Should Poland lose the main case at the ECJ, it could be fined a lump sum of more than €4m and possible daily penalties of up to €300,000 for every day in which Warsaw fails to adhere to the court’s decision. |
FREDERICA, Del.- The South Frederica Interchange has opened to traffic in Kent County, signaling the nearing completion of a $40 million road project on State Route 1. |
Drivers have been able since Tuesday morning to take the exit ramps from Route 1 onto to the interchange and use the overpass to get to roads on either side of the highway and to access the DE Turf Sports Complex. |
Until now, drivers have needed to use crossovers along the highway to access roads like Tub Mill Pond and Milford Neck roads. |
Delaware Department of Transportation Engineer Craig Blowers said heavy rains in recent months had delayed the opening of the interchange. |
"We have about a month's worth of night paving here to get done before we can say we're wrapped," he said. |
The interchange now allows southbound drivers on Route 1 to drive to the DE Turf Sports complex without having to travel to the Thompsonville Road intersection to turn around and access the facility from the northbound lanes. |
Blowers said the Route 1 crossover located between Milford Neck and Tub Mill Pond roads will also be removed permanently. |
The big banks are reporting that profits are up. Citigroup is celebrating a 46% gain in share prices and net income of $1.31 billion. |
Wells Fargo just reported strong profits.Yet there are many reasons to doubt the good news. As I've said before, it is more likely that they are toast. |
First, the income reports result in large part from reductions to loan loss reserves. |
Yes, banks are partying like it is 1999—everything is hunky-dory so there is no reason to sock away reserves against possible defaults. Heck, no one is going to default in 2011. |
Right? Move those reserves into the profits column. |
Banks are not making any money in traditional lines of business—that is, by making loans. No one wants loans. The economy is down for the count. Other than pulling money out of loan loss reserves, banks can only make profits by revaluing assets. |
The write-downs of trashy mortgages need to be reversed. Banks trade trash with each other at higher prices, recording profits. They sell trash to the government at inflated prices—more on that below. And they jack up late fees on homeowners, credit card users, and other debtors. Even though none of those borrowers can... |
But here is the much bigger problem: the banks are getting sued from here to Pluto by homeowners, soldiers and sailors, Fannie and Freddie, PIMCO, the NYFed, and just about anybody with access to a lawyer. And, increasingly, the banks are losing. |
JPMorgan-Chase was caught stealing homes from military personnel. The bank admitted 14 outright thefts—improper foreclosures. It is illegal to foreclose on active duty personnel. But illegal activity is routine business practice at the big banks. They flaunt the laws. They then claim they had some paperwork problems. O... |
Ok, next problem on the docket. Citigroup is still selling trash—to Freddie, no less. A recent audit has disclosed that 15% of the mortgages Citi sold to Freddie in 2010 were frauds. Folks, these are not the old trash Citi originated in the heyday of fraudulent loans back in 2004-06. No, these were all new originations... |
Indeed, Sanjiv Das, CEO of CitiMortgage (that originates loans for Citi) argued that with "only" a 15% rate of fraudulent mortgages, that qualifies as "one of the most outstanding stories" of Citi's business model; it represents a "fantastic job" he claimed. True, it is down from a 30% fraud rate in the fourth quarter ... |
So, fantastic improvement, Citi. The bank has cut its fraud rate in half. Still, just about one out of every seven mortgages it sells is a fraud. Just what kind of business can stay in business with a fraud rate like that? Oh, a big "too big to fail" sort of bank. Experts say that "the percentage of acceptable quality ... |
Meanwhile, Citigroup upped its reserves to cover buybacks to $952 billion. Credit Suisse reckons it will need between $2.2 billion and $4.3 billion for defective mortgages it sold between 2005 and 2008. But like all estimates of the size of this catastrophe, that will prove to be orders of magnitude too small. In the t... |
In a similar scam, Bank of America agreed to settle with Freddie and Fannie. Countrywide (taken over by BofA) had faced $127 billion in buyback claims for faulty securities it sold. Again, the problem was that the underlying mortgages did not meet the "reps and warranties" the bank had provided. It paid Freddie $1.28 b... |
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