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VIDEO: Music teacher pens STAAR rap for students

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Teachers looking to encourage their students ahead of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR tests need look no further than an Austin music teacher. Lauren Diamond teaches music at the Harmony School of Science in Austin. She wrote and performed "Imma Staar" to get her kids motivated for the STAAR tests. According to the Texas Education Agency calendar STAAR testing calendar released in March 2022, STARR tests will occur April 18-28 for: Grades 3–8 Reading Language ArtsEnglish IEnglish IISTARR tests will occur Apr 25–May 5 for:Grade 5 ScienceGrade 8 ScienceGrade 8 Social StudiesBiologyU.S. HistorySTARR tests will occur May 2–May 12 for: Grades 3–8 Algebra IMathematicsSTARR tests will occur June 20–June 30 for:Algebra IEnglish IEnglish IIBiologyU.S. HistoryJudging by the call and response, seems the students enjoyed the song ahead of taking exams this week.

Trudy Rubin: The Pentagon documents leak will embolden Putin as he tries to outlast Ukraine

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

JERUSALEM — Here’s one of the most maddening aspects of the mindless leak of hundreds of classified documents by a group of young men and boys playing online war games: It may help Russia to emerge the winner in Ukraine, unless the United States takes critical action to prevent that — right now.Of course, the most maddening aspect is that a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman and racist gun collector could obtain highly classified documents, and post them to the 20 gamers in a group called Thug Shaker Central, just to show off to his pals. How can any close ally feel safe sharing secrets with a Pentagon that seems to have learned little about plugging leaks since the troves released by Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden?But when it comes to Ukraine, the documents — some of which were dated as recently as February — provide a bleak Pentagon assessment of how much territory Kyiv can regain in its much-awaited spring counteroffensive. They suggest that with...

DMV launches annual 'no empty chair' campaign

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (WTEN) - Each year, high schoolers across the state look forward to prom and graduation. That's why the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) launched its annual "No Empty Chair" campaign on Wednesday, making sure those memories don't turn meaningless. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "And that's why we're here today," stated Owen McShane, the Deputy Commissioner of the DMV. "To make sure there are no empty seats because of tragedy on the roads."At Albany Medical Center, those tragedies are on full display. One doctor remembered when his neighbor was in a serious crash, saying, "the doctors said he'll never move; he'll never talk again. Why don't you just make him comfortable?" NY firefighters call for benefits to help recruit volunteers That doctor- Kurt Edwards, the Chief of Albany Med's Division of Trauma and Critical Care- warned of a different type of chair. "So, I'm going to talk about, not an empty ...

Ask Amy: Dog parents bark at one another over sitter

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

Dear Amy: Several years ago, one of my neighbors asked if I would give her the name of my long-time (about 13 years at that point) dog sitter/walker.This neighbor said that she and her husband never traveled, so she would use the dog sitter only for occasional walks.I gave her the number.Now the neighbor and her husband have begun traveling and have been booking my dog sitter for a week (or longer periods) sometimes a year in advance, so that I can no longer rely on the availability of the dog walker.This neighbor has also given the name and number of the sitter to another neighbor.I asked them, out of courtesy, to alert me a few weeks before they plan to use my dog sitter and to get a dog sitter of their own if I need my original sitter.They both say they won’t do this. They won’t even allow me to use my dog sitter to walk my dog while they are using the sitter for week-long stays.What is the etiquette in this situation?— Dognapped WomanDear Dognapped: I understand how frustr...

Putin visits military headquarters in Ukraine's Kherson region

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

The Kremlin announced on 18 April that Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) visited the military headquarters of Ukraine's Kherson region and Luhansk, which is partly controlled by Russia.Putin was in Kherson to attend a meeting of military commanders. He heard reports from the commanders of airborne forces, the "Dnieper", army group as well as other senior officers about the situation in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Both regions have been declared part of Russia by Moscow.In anticipation of an offensive by Ukraine, Russian troops have reinforced their positions along the Dnipro River on the other side.Putin also visited the national guard headquarters of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk Region, another part that Moscow annexed in Ukraine last year.The Kremlin has not revealed when Putin attended these meetings.

Bridge: April 20, 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

I’ve heard an optimist defined as someone who finds his basement flooded and goes in search of a fishing pole. In some deals, declarer must be optimistic and assume the missing cards lie favorably.Today’s North-South push to four spades after West’s weak jump-overcall. West leads the queen of clubs, and South takes the ace, leads a trump to his queen and cashes the ace.West discards, so South has two trump losers, a diamond and a club. He has a two-way guess for the queen of hearts. Is his play really a guess?CLUB LOSERSouth must run the hearts to discard dummy’s club loser and ruff his last club in dummy. He must find East with four hearts; even if South locates the queen, a 3-3 break won’t help him since East will ruff the fourth heart and cash a high trump.So South should assume East’s hearts are Q-x-x-x. South leads to the ace and lets the ten ride. He leads a heart to his jack, throws dummy’s last club on the king and ruffs a club in du...

Word Game: April 20, 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — REPENTED (REPENTED: rih-PENT-ed: Felt regret or contrition.)Average mark 27 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 34 or more words in REPENTED? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — RUSTLED rest result rude rudest rued rule ruse rust rustle ulster used user sled slue slur slut strudel stud sued suer suet surd sure sutler true lest lues lure lust luster lute duel dues duet dulse dust dusterTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Ka...

Insteel Industries: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — Insteel Industries Inc. (IIIN) on Thursday reported earnings of $5.1 million in its fiscal second quarter.The Mount Airy, North Carolina-based company said it had net income of 26 cents per share.The maker of steel wire reinforcing for the concrete and construction industry posted revenue of $159.1 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on IIIN at https://www.zacks.com/ap/IIINSource

Snap-On: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Snap-On Inc. (SNA) on Thursday reported first-quarter earnings of $248.7 million.On a per-share basis, the Kenosha, Wisconsin-based company said it had net income of $4.60.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $4.14 per share.The tool and diagnostic equipment maker posted revenue of $1.18 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.15 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SNA at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SNASource

Forestar Group: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:55:00 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Forestar Group Inc. (FOR) on Thursday reported net income of $26.9 million in its fiscal second quarter.The Arlington, Texas-based company said it had profit of 54 cents per share.The real estate and natural resources developer posted revenue of $301.5 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FOR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/FORSource