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Since Hurricane Katrina, only 7 cities have adopted strong disaster preparedness plans

Hurricane Katrina made landfall 17 years ago this month, bringing widespread devastation to residents of Gulf Coast states Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, and is considered among the greatest natural disasters to ever hit the United States. 

However, new research from a team at Florida Atlantic University shows that within the past two decades, the country has not learned nearly enough from the catastrophe, and that “only marginal improvements have occurred with respect to evacuation planning in America’s 50 largest cities.”

Analyses show the cities with the strongest evacuation plans are Charlotte, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York City; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Researchers stressed other cities should look to these as models for disaster evacuations.

“While it is promising that more cities are developing evacuation plans, overall, it remains disheartening that not every city was able to learn the lessons of not being prepared, especially for carless and vulnerable populations, as showcased to the nation during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” said study co-author John L. Renne, professor and director at the Center for Urban & Environmental Solutions at the university in a statement.

The findings spell concern for residents as extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change are expected to become more prevalent in the future.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

To understand whether any changes were made in protocols throughout the 2010s and to assess the efficacy of these changes, researchers compared evacuation plans in the nation’s 50 largest cities throughout this time period with those recorded a decade earlier. 

Carless and vulnerable populations included those with low-incomes, the elderly, young individuals with specific needs, or tourists on vacation without a car.

Investigators also devised an evacuation preparedness rating system based on the following metrics: special needs registries; specialized transportation plans for individuals with specific needs; pick-up location plans; multimodal evacuation plans; and pedestrian evacuation plans.

Data were assessed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and cities were scored based on a composite evacuation preparedness rating system: weak, 0–4 points; moderate, 5–7 points; strong, 8–10 points; and N/A, plans that were not reviewed.  

A total of 17 cities, including Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois;  Detroit, Michigan; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; and Minneapolis, Minnesota didn’t make plans available to researchers or did not have plans at all. 

The six cities with the weakest ratings were Colorado Springs, Colorado; Honolulu, Hawaii; El Paso, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Indianapolis, Indiana. 

“Many cities that have strong plans, including Jacksonville, Miami, New Orleans, and New York are coastal cities that have experienced strong hurricanes in the past,” Renne explained.

“This study lends support to the theory that cities do not develop strong evacuation plans, ones that accommodate the needs of all people, unless they have already experienced a major disaster or are under a threat.” 

Because the data were collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers note the crisis may have led to updated emergency management plans for certain cities that are not reflected in the current study. 

Source: TEST FEED1

The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Revised economic numbers raise recession questions

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

NEWS THIS MORNING 

OK, we’ll take it!: 

The U.S. economy didn’t shrink as much between April and June as the federal government had first calculated, according to revised data. Here are some of the specific numbers, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA):

• Consumer spending: Rose 1.6 percent, rather than the initially estimated 1 percent  
• Spending on goods: It dropped 2.4 percent instead of the 4.4 percent drop that was previously estimated. 
• Spending on services: Rose 3.6 percent. 

This is good news, but keep in mind: “While the decline in growth was less severe than first estimated, the U.S. economy still appeared to contract for two consecutive quarters after Thursday’s revisions.”  

More on today’s updated numbers 

It’s Thursday. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

💸 In the White House 

But what about inflation?: 

President Biden’s plan to cancel at least $10,000 in student loan debt for most borrowers is coming under fire from some high-profile economists.

Like: Former Obama economic advisers Jason Furman and Larry Summers argue it could inflame inflation. 

Do experts agree? Some do, some don’t: “Experts are divided over the inflationary effects Biden’s plan. Most agree, however, that even if student loan relief does lead to higher prices, the change will be marginal.”  

^ Why?: “While Biden’s order will likely give student borrowers a total of at least $300 billion in relief over a decade, most experts don’t believe it will ignite a surge of consumer spending akin to previous rounds of stimulus checks doled out during the height of the pandemic.” 

The debate over whether canceling student debt will inflame inflation, via The Hill’s Karl Evers-Hillstrom and Sylvan Lane 

TIDBIT ABOUT PELL GRANT RECIPIENTS VS. OTHER BORROWERS: 
CNN’s MJ Lee pointed out, “One reason the Pell Grants piece of Biden’s student loan debt cancellation announcement today is so significant — some 60% of borrowers are Pell Grant recipients, per senior admin officials. That means majority of borrowers will qualify for $20,000 in loan forgiveness.”  

‘WHO QUALIFIES FOR BIDEN’S PLAN TO CANCEL $10,000 IN STUDENT DEBT?’: 
Here’s a helpful Q&A from The Washington Post’s Danielle Douglas-Gabriel and Jeff Stein 

‘10 OTHER WAYS TO GET YOUR STUDENT LOANS FORGIVEN’:
Also From The Washington Post’s Danielle Douglas-Gabriel

🌴 In Mar-a-Lago 

Archives will take good care of them: 

Via The Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey and Jacqueline Alemany, White House lawyer Pat Cipollone agreed that former President Trump’s records should be given to the National Archives, according to a newly revealed email.  

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) chief counsel Gary Stern said in an email to Trump lawyers in May 2021: “It is also our understanding that roughly two dozen boxes of original presidential records were kept in the Residence of the White House over the course of President Trump’s last year in office and have not been transferred to NARA, despite a determination by Pat Cipollone in the final days of the administration that they need to be.”  

More on the efforts Archives made to recover the documents from Trump 

‘WHY DID [TRUMP] RESIST RETURNING THE GOVERNMENT’S DOCUMENTS?’: 

“As with so much else with the former president, there is not one easy answer as to why he refused and ignited a legal firestorm. But here are some possibilities.”  

The New York Times’s Maggie Haberman lists and explains a few of the possibilities. 

‘JUSTICE DEPT. TO SUBMIT REDACTED AFFIDAVIT USED IN TRUMP SEARCH WARRANT’: 
Via The New York Times’s Glenn Thrush and Alan Feuer 

If this were 2008, Trump would change his Facebook status with McConnell from ‘it’s complicated’ to ‘enemy’:

Former President Trump called for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to be booted from his leadership post, accusing him of being a “pawn for the Democrats.” 

Trump said in a statement on Wednesday: “Mitch McConnell is not an Opposition Leader, he is a pawn for the Democrats to get whatever they want. He is afraid of them, and will not do what has to be done. A new Republican Leader in the Senate should be picked immediately!” 

The Federalist story Trump cited about McConnell and his wife, Elaine Chao’s, alleged ties to China

🐘 On the campaign trail 

Expect a MAGA-heavy House next year: 

“House Republicans are not only forecast to win control of the lower chamber in November’s midterm elections, they’re also poised to bring with them a roster of new arrivals who have embraced the former president and his false claims of fraud surrounding his 2020 defeat,” write The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Mike Lillis. 

Why that’s the case — primaries and retirements: “A number of Trump loyalists have bumped off more moderate Republicans in the summer primaries — a list that grew longer on Tuesday with conservative victories in Florida and New York — while a number of other centrists are stepping into retirement.” 

What this could mean for the next Congress 

Joe, could you stand over there? Ah, even further. Keep going. OK, right there!:

Via The Hill’s Brett Samuels and Alex Gangitano, “Some Democrats running in competitive reelection races in November are still reluctant to attach themselves to President Biden, even as he and the White House have been buoyed by a few weeks of good news.”  

Where things stand for Biden: “Biden has in recent weeks racked up a series of major legislative victories, and he’s seen his poll numbers rebound slightly from all-time lows earlier in the summer. But that has yet to translate to enthusiasm among Democrats to embrace him on the campaign trail.”  

Why some Democrats are still trying to keep their distance 

🦠 Latest with COVID 

➤ THE COVID-19 NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 93.6 million 

Death toll: 1,036,604 

Current hospitalizations: 32,512 

Shots administered: 607 million 

Fully vaccinated: 67.4 percent of Americans 

CDC data here. 

🐥Notable tweets 

I’m a little too excited about this: 

Bloomberg’s Steven Dennis tweeted, “USA now has 333M people per the Census. Soon will be 333,333,333.”  

⏱On tap 

The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris has no public events scheduled. 

• 3:45 p.m.: Biden leaves for Montgomery, Md. 
• 5 p.m.: Biden participates in a reception for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). 
• 7 p.m. Biden participates in a DNC rally. 
• 8:25 p.m.: Biden returns to the White House. 

All times Eastern. 

📺What to watch 

• 12:45 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing. Livestream 

🍌 In lighter news 

Today is National Banana Split Day and National Whiskey Sour Day! 

And because you made it this far, here’s a dog with a flair for the dramatic. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Solving the student debt crisis instead of prolonging it

President Biden announced Wednesday that he will use executive power to cancel up to $20,000 in higher-education student debt for millions of Americans. There is the obvious legal question of whether loan forgiveness counts as spending, and therefore would need direct congressional approval. There is significant skepticism from experts in the president’s own party. And while the idea generally tests well with the public, 59 percent of Americans worry that student loan forgiveness could make inflation worse.

Despite the federal government trying to swoop in as the savior in the student debt crisis, it is a large source of the problem. As federal grants and loans expand, the total amount students are charged for tuition and fees also skyrockets, increasing the burden of obtaining a college degree on those who don’t qualify for outright aid and obscuring the real opportunity cost of going to college over other post-secondary options. If this investment, by both the government and private individuals, was creating a more educated and work-ready population, it might be worthwhile. But graduation rates within six years of starting a bachelor’s degree stand at just 62 percent — and one-third of those students are underemployed after graduation.

While those numbers might suggest a sizable number of Americans have debt from underutilized education holding them back, only about 14 percent of Americans currently hold student debt. Furthermore, total amounts of debt are significantly higher among those studying for jobs in high-paying fields like law, medicine and business, which will likely leave those borrowers well-suited to pay back the loans that set up their long-term financial success. This distorts the $1.6 trillion student loan figure, knowing much of it is held by Americans well on track to “pay their fair share.”

With President Biden’s announcement, more statistics about student debt will swirl around the internet. One figure that might be overlooked is buried in a recent survey from the left-leaning Data for Progress: 43 percent of those who have student loans don’t have a college degree. This highlights the uncomfortable fact that even if the president’s bold order is legal and makes a difference to students unduly pushed to college, it does not fix the incentives or mechanisms that lead to overborrowing.

In fact, many analysts predict that the government cancellation of student debt will ultimately lead to an increase in tuition, exacerbating the crisis in the long-run. And Biden’s plan does nothing to address the current or future post-secondary education and training needs of the 51 percent of Americans who reasonably question whether college is worth the investment for them.

All told, the estimated price tag of $300 billion could be spent in a way that reaches more Americans and provides the country more value. One way (which has the added benefit of reducing political friction) would be to return that federal money to the states so they can enact enrollment programs that are responsive to the specific needs and resources in local communities.

Washington state has the Running Start program, which lets high school students enroll in community and technical colleges, thus reducing the time and cost of completing a degree after high school. The program also exists in a similar form in Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire and Illinois. Oklahoma’s “Skills to Rebuild” program trains un- and underemployed workers, including those who already had a college degree, for critical technical jobs unfilled in local communities. These programs barely skim the surface of ways states are working to equip Americans with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in today’s world.

There is a higher education crisis in America, but cancelling existing student debt will not solve it. Our education system is failing to prepare students for the jobs that need to be filled and doing it in a way where the investment is worth the return for the individual. The states are well ahead of the federal government on this front.

If President Biden and Democrats really want to solve the post-secondary education crisis, they should let states keep the $300 billion for investment in programs that provide useful and affordable education and training.

Erin Norman is the Lee Family Fellow and a senior messaging strategist at State Policy Network.

Source: TEST FEED1

Pfizer's RSV vaccine candidate safe and effective in older adults

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a group of viruses that cause cold-like symptoms, including runny nose, coughing and sneezing. When it causes severe illness, it can lead to bronchiolitis, or inflammation in the small airways in the lungs, or pneumonia, infection in the lungs, in children under the age of 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are a few companies working on RSV vaccine candidates, and Pfizer in particular has announced results from their phase 3 clinical trials of their version called RSVpreF.

Pfizer announced that their new RSV vaccine candidate is more than 85 percent effective in preventing severe lower respiratory tract illness in older adults, according to a statement on the company’s website. They define severe illness as three or more symptoms. The vaccine candidate is more than 66 percent effective at preventing illness overall, defined as two or more symptoms. The company tested this vaccine candidate in about 37,000 people ages 60 and older and are looking to recruit a total of 40,000. 

Importantly, it targets the two main strains of the virus, giving broader protection. “We are delighted that this first bivalent RSV vaccine candidate, RSVpreF, was demonstrated to be efficacious in our clinical trial against this disease, which is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality in older adults,” says Annaliesa Anderson, who is the senior vice president and chief scientific officer for vaccine research and development at Pfizer, in the statement. 

This vaccine could help a lot of people. Worldwide, RSV is suggested to be the reason for hospitalizations of 336,000 older adults each year, resulting in 14,000 deaths, according to a study from 2020. “Scientists and researchers have worked to develop RSV vaccines with little success for over half a century,” says Anderson in the statement. “These findings are an important step in our effort to help protect against RSV disease, and we look forward to working with the FDA and other regulatory agencies to make this vaccine candidate available to help address the substantial burden of RSV disease in older adults.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

Newsom donates $100K to DeSantis opponent Crist

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday announced a $100,000 donation to the campaign of Charlie Crist (D), who earlier this week secured the Democratic nomination to take on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in November’s general election.

“Time to make Ron DeSantis a one-term governor. I’m pledging $100k right now to @CharlieCrist. Who will join me in helping Charlie become the next Governor of Florida?” Newsom tweeted.

Crist on Tuesday won Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary to earn the party’s nomination to take on DeSantis, who is seeking a second term. The Cook Political Report rates the race “Likely Republican,” meaning the election analysis site predicts DeSantis is likely to win re-election.

The donation is the latest shot at Florida by Newsom, who has in recent months taken on a more national profile and spurred speculation about potential White House aspirations.

Newsom in July launched a new ad, which aired on Fox News, targeting DeSantis and GOP lawmakers over a wave of legislation in the state targeting LGBTQ rights, voting rights, so-called “critical race theory” and abortion. 

“I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight, or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom — freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate and the freedom to love,” Newsom says in the ad.

DeSantis is widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, and he has polled particularly well in instances where former President Donald Trump is taken out of the prospective field. He has earned plenty of media attention and praise from conservatives with legislation targeting discussion of sexual orientation in the classroom, and most recently suspended a local prosecutor who did not enforce the state’s abortion ban.

Source: TEST FEED1

O’Rourke’s first campaign ads of cycle focus on abortion

Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke released his first ads of the general election campaign cycle on Thursday, focusing on Texas’s stringent abortion restrictions on the same day the state’s trigger law takes effect. 

One ad shows a series of women blaming Gov. Greg Abbott (R), O’Rourke’s opponent, for the law, stating that they are no longer free to make decisions about their own body and noting that the law does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. 

“Women will die because of it,” the ad states. “All because of Greg Abbott’s abortion law.” 

The ad states that O’Rourke “will give women our freedom back.” 

Another ad shows a wife, identified as a lifelong Democrat, and a husband, identified as a lifelong Republican, saying that Abbott’s abortion law is the “most extreme” in the country. 

The wife references a University of Texas at Austin poll that showed only 11 percent of respondents said they supported providing no exception in cases of incest. The poll also showed that only 13 percent said they supported no exceptions in cases of rape. 

“This is a free country,” the husband says. “We need a governor who gets that.” 

The Texas Tribune reported that the ads will air in seven markets during a Houston Texans preseason NFL game on Thursday and a Dallas Cowboys game on Friday.

Abbott’s campaign did not immediately return a request from The Hill for comment.

Texas had previously a six-week abortion ban in effect since before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. 

The trigger law only permits exceptions to save the life of the mother and makes performing an abortion otherwise a felony. Doctors who perform them can face up to life in prison. 

O’Rourke’s ads come as Democrats may be seeing increased enthusiasm from their voters in the aftermath of Roe’s overturn. 

Democrat Pat Ryan won a special election for New York’s 19^th Congressional District on Tuesday in what was considered a possible bellwether race for the November midterm elections. Ryan campaigned heavily on abortion rights in the swing district, while his Republican opponent focused on the economy. 

Democrats are hoping passion to defend abortion rights can help them avoid or minimize the historical trend that usually sees the president’s party lose seats in Congress during the midterm elections.

Source: TEST FEED1

As governments shun ransomware payments, cyberattacks may cost taxpayers even more

Rather than pay $20 million in ransom to a Russian hacking gang that took dozens of government and public entities offline for two months, Costa Rican officials sought other options. As the local economy reportedly bled about $30 million a day, much of it in lost productivity, Costa Rica set out to restore each attacked ministry, one at a time. Efforts are ongoing.

The response stands in sharp contrast to most other attacks on public entities, which — often on advice of their insurers and in a rush to restore public confidence — pay ransom because they determine it costs less and takes a shorter amount of time than other efforts to recover data or rebuild a system. In the last couple of years, the University of California paid hackers a ransom of $1.14 million; the city of Riviera Beach, Fla., handed over $600,000; and the town of Lafayette, Colo., made a $45,000 ransom payment. And the list goes on.

In fact, nearly half of the world’s government entities paid ransom in 2021, compared to just 32 percent of financial institutions. The average payment was $214,000, although many say it’s higher. That is a lot of taxpayer money being used to pay off hackers.

But the potential costs of these attacks are about to get higher.

In order to remove incentives for attacking amid the growing outcry of spending taxpayer money on ransom, some U.S. states have outlawed it, with more likely to do so. This is tied to the trend of companies in the private sector not publicly reporting ransomware attacks or payment of ransom, partly out of concern that it could further motivate future attackers, and also because victimized companies often don’t want law enforcement officials involved.

Banning ransom payments makes sense as far as removing motivations for hackers. But at the same time, if ransom fades as an option, government and public entities could end up paying more to mitigate an attack, as the case of Costa Rica shows. Another example comes from Israel, where a public hospital was banned from paying ransom, but still reportedly had to spend about $11 million of taxpayer and state money mitigating an attack last year.

Rather than focus on banning ransom payments, governments and public institutions need to be doing more to shield taxpayers from cyber attack expenses. And the answer does not lie in requiring increasingly expensive cyber security insurance or increased post-attack transparency.

Governments and public entities need to be smarter about the efforts and resources they commit to strengthening resiliency. They need to follow the model that the private sector is increasingly embracing, mainly following a real-world risk-based approach to defense in addition to complying with government or industry standards.

Governments and other public institutions, like libraries, schools and medical centers, should carry out regular risk quantification and cost of breach assessments, and be able to put a dollar value on cyber exposure, just as many companies do. This allows them to see how much taxpayer money and assets are at risk, to make sure they are spending in the right places to truly increase security, and to budget accordingly in case of an attack.

To make the best decisions about what to protect, government and public entities need to be engaging in constant threat hunting, in order to identify and respond to emerging threats, and testing their security with ethical hacking. The public deserves to know that its tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively when it comes to cybersecurity spending.

Because attacks are inevitable, there needs to be a well laid out cyber response plan, in terms of incident response, training and simulation, including how to achieve a comprehensible status report within the required time and how to best communicate with the press.

This part of an attack — and the valuable amount of time and public money spent on it — is actually in the hands of the victim, and should be as efficient and effective as possible. If done well, this stage of response can also help the organization better defend against future attacks.

In addition, government agencies and branches need to have their data and activities under a central defense structure. For example, organizations need to comply with standards put forth by CISA, but CISA also needs to better understand each sector and where it fits into the overall cybersecurity landscape, and what needs protecting in order to implement an effective defense.

The recently enacted State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act, which is designed to improve coordination between CISA and state and local governments, allowing them to share tools, procedures, and information more easily, is a step in the right direction. Another new law, The Cyber Workforce Program Act, which allows U.S. federal cybersecurity and IT workers to rotate roles and jobs across government agencies, will also help in developing a more centralized approach. But other tax-funded or public infrastructure — such as hospitals, schools, and utilities — that are not directly part of the government need to be fully included in such agreements and other cyber security mandates.

While these new federal initiatives are admirably aimed at improving cybersecurity, more needs to be done in terms of protecting the public from the costs of attacks.

At this point, the public and the government are asking more of companies when it comes to responsibility and accountability for cybersecurity. For example, proposed new SEC regulations seek to increase cybersecurity disclosures to shareholders. We should also be asking more of governmental and public entities themselves — especially as paying ransoms fades as a legal or ethical option.

Elad Leon is a cyber intelligence analyst and senior CTI expert at cyber security firm CYE. He previously served as a cyber intelligence analyst for the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Source: TEST FEED1

DC attorney general pushes to revive antitrust lawsuit against Amazon

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D) filed a notice of appeal Thursday to revive the antitrust case against Amazon that a judge dismissed earlier this year. 

The lawsuit, first filed in 2021, alleges Amazon has used its position as a giant in the e-commerce field to maximize profits at the expense of consumers, third-party sellers and wholesalers. It accuses Amazon of using anticompetitive practices by keeping third-party sellers from offering lower proxies for products elsewhere.

A judge dismissed the case in March in an oral ruling. 

“We’re appealing the lower court’s decision because District consumers deserve a fair marketplace that promotes competition, innovation, and choice,” Racine said in a statement. “And we’re filing this appeal because the antitrust laws and the facts are on our side—and on the side of District residents. We look forward to making our case before the Court of Appeals.”

The appeal is Racine’s latest attempt to push the first government-led antitrust case against Amazon forward. In April his office filed a motion asking the court to reconsider the ruling. 

The Department of Justice (DOJ) also urged the court to reconsider the decision to dismiss the case. DOJ attorneys wrote in an April filing that if “left uncorrected, the Court’s ruling could jeopardize the enforcement of antitrust law by improperly raising the bar on plaintiffs challenging anticompetitive contractual restraints in the District of Columbia.” 

A spokesperson for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has previously pushed back on the allegations in the lawsuit. 

Source: TEST FEED1

US forces strike Iran-affiliated militants following Syria rocket attacks

U.S. forces struck at Iran-affiliated militants after rocket attacks on bases in northeastern Syria left three American troops injured, the military said Thursday.   

In a statement on Thursday, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said American forces struck at the militants with AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, AC-130 gunships, and M777 artillery following attacks on Mission Support Site Conoco and Mission Support Site Green Village.

Four “enemy fighters” were killed and seven enemy rocket launchers were destroyed, the statement added.

“We will respond appropriately and proportionally to attacks on our servicemembers,” CENTCOM commander Michael Kurilla said.

“No group will strike at our troops with impunity. We will take all necessary measures to defend our people,” he continued.

Centcom said Wednesday evening that several rockets landed inside the perimeter of Mission Support Site Conoco at around 7:20 p.m. local time. Shortly afterward, rockets landed in the vicinity of Mission Support Site Green Village.

One service member was treated for a minor injury and was returned to duty at Conoco. Two others were under evaluation for “minor injuries,” though it was unclear where they were located.

U.S.  forces responded to the attack, destroying three vehicles and equipment used to launch some of the rockets.  

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Centcom said Wednesday that initial assessments indicated that “two or three” suspected Iran-backed militants who conducted one of the attacks were killed during the U.S. response.

Source: TEST FEED1

Ban the culture war from classrooms

As America’s children start getting back to school this month, our country needs a grown-up conversation about public education’s future. The odds of having one this fall are slim.

It’s more likely that the midterm election campaign will intensify today’s noxious trend toward politicizing public schools. That’s reprehensible, because our children, who suffered severe learning losses and emotional stress during the pandemic, deserve better than to be treated as hostages in the nation’s vitriolic culture wars.

Republicans, who seem to be at war with all of America’s public institutions, are the worst offenders. But Democrats aren’t blameless, and even as they fend off the right’s demagogic attacks on public schools, they need to come to grips with the valid reasons why parental frustration is boiling over.

Public faith in the K-12 system is approaching an all-time low. Only 28 percent of Americans express confidence in their schools. Many parents have been voting with their feet — public school enrollment has dropped by about 1.4 million students since the pandemic began.

Republicans see political gain this fall in fusing parents’ anger over school closings and learning losses with conservative bugaboos like mask and vaccine mandates, critical race theory and classroom discussions of race and gender. That’s the formula Glenn Youngkin used last year in making education the galvanizing issue of his successful race for governor in Virginia.

About a quarter of Virginia voters named education as their top issue, after the economy. Youngkin, who branded his campaign events as “parents’ rallies,” won these voters by 15 points. That helped him carry independents as well as Virginia’s suburbs, reversing former President Trump’s losses the year before.

Since then, red-state legislators have passed a slew of “parents’ rights” laws aimed at restricting classroom about race, sexual orientation and gender identity. And GOP governors with presidential ambitions, notably Florida’s Ron DeSantis, routinely stoke conservative white parents’ anger at “woke” school authorities.

Across the country, normally soporific school board meetings are erupting into screaming matches, and board members are targeted for online abuse, including death threats. Previously low-key elections for school superintendent suddenly are becoming hotly contested arenas of partisan conflict.  

The volatile new politics of education poses a dilemma for Democrats, who historically have dominated the issue.

According to a recent survey by Impact Research, by a 47-43 percent margin, U.S voters now trust Republicans over Democrats to handle education issues. The GOP lead is bigger among parents (9 points) and voters of color (10 percent).

Another survey by the American Federation of Teachers found Republicans have a narrow (39-38) advantage on education in seven key battleground states with competitive elections. 

Both polls show that, by enormous margins, voters want schools to concentrate on teaching math and reading rather than race and gender issues. The striking finding here – which may come as a shock to liberals – is that U.S. voters think Democrats are more fixated on these issues than Republicans.

How can Democrats regain public trust on education and keep our schools from becoming a culture war killing field?

First, by focusing on the fundamentals of learning. They should challenge school authorities around the country to accelerate the pace at which students regain lost ground and make sure poor and minority students don’t fall even further behind.

Over the past year, younger students have made up about a quarter of reading and math learning they lost when schools closed. But older students are recovering more slowly, and low-income and Black and Hispanic students also are struggling to catch up.

Second, by reclaiming the Clinton-Obama mantle of public-school reform, unwisely discarded by the Biden administration and congressional Democratic leaders.

The party establishment seems locked in a marriage of political convenience with an outdated K-12 system run by change-averse district school bureaucracies and powerful teachers’ unions. But parents want more than a return to the status quo pre-COVID-19.

The best way to blunt the GOP education offensive is to offer restive voters a progressive vision for reinventing public schools for the digital age. Drawing on the well-documented success of public charter schools, which performed more nimbly during the pandemic and saw their enrollment grow, Democrats should call for expanding parental choice, shifting decisions from central offices to school leaders, and shutting  down schools that chronically fail their students.

They also should push for closing the international achievement gap between U.S. students and their counterparts overseas, especially in China. And to ease the transition from school to work, U.S. high schools need to do a better job of exposing students to careers and creating work-study opportunities with local employers. 

Third, by forcefully rejecting the cultural left’s attempts to suppress free expression and discredit America’s founding ideals, which are all that holds this pluralistic, multiethnic democracy together. Their illiberal brand of identity politics is the mirror image of the right’s white ethnic nationalism, and just as damaging to our country.

On abortion and other issues, our country is in danger of splitting into separate red and blue zones where conflicting laws and social mores hold sway. We can’t let that happen to public education.

Our children need to know the true history of the nation — both its sins and its contributions to human progress. Bigotry, discrimination and injustice are part of the American story; so are unceasing struggles to overcome them and extend the blessings of individual freedom, civic equality and democratic self-government to all citizens.

This is what we should teach kids in school. Today’s cultural warriors want to indoctrinate by telling kids what to think; our public schools should expose kids to facts and reasoned arguments and help them learn how to think for themselves.

Will Marshall is president and founder of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI).

Source: TEST FEED1