Biden awards Medal of Honor to Army helicopter pilot who rescued soldiers in a Vietnam firefight
President Joe Biden has awarded the Medal of Honor to an Army pilot from the Vietnam War who risked his life to rescue a reconnaissance team that was about to be overrun by the enemy โ facing almost certain death.
Texas House adds MLK and Frederick Douglass speeches to bill that would mandate teaching โinformed American patriotismโ
House Bill 4509 would mandate that students study documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. The bill's author added speeches from Black historical figures after criticism at a hearing last month.
Attorney: Former Negro league baseball player dies of hypothermia in winter storm
HOUSTON โ The lawsuits are piling up against the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and Centerpoint Energy after last weekโs winter storm. His attorney says he was healthy but with no power and no heat, his attorney said he had no way to survive. The family did everything they could,โ said Austin family attorney Larry Taylor. Austinโs family found him dead in his residence Tuesday morning. Our thoughts are with all Texans who have and are suffering due to this past week,โ wrote ERCOT spokesperson Leslie Sopko.
Point of Order: Funding Texas schools during a pandemic
Evan Smith, CEO of The Texas Tribune. (Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Sen. Larry Taylor, chair of the Senate Education Committee, about whether itโs possible to fully fund last session's school finance bill, learning loss, broadband access, the STAAR test and what he really thinks of Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.
Tornado, virus, protests rattle Nashville rideshare economy
Then came what she calls Nashvilles quadruple-whammy: a tornado, coronavirus closures, protests that rocked downtown, then more closures. Bicknese says business has gone from dismal to tolerable, but only because so many drivers have voluntarily stayed home. Bicknese chose to keep driving because she didn't think she could make her car and insurance payments on unemployment. Then what happened is so many drivers filed for unemployment and stopped driving that demand came back," she said. Instead of well-heeled tourists, Bicknese finds herself driving people on unemployment, factory workers and patients travelling to medical appointments.
New statewide โDo Not Hire Registryโ shows teachers whoโve had inappropriate relationships with students
Schools across the state now have access to a list of teachers who have crossed the line with students in the past. The Texas Education Agency rolled out the โDo Not Hire Registryโ this week which serves as a database for employers. Also, it created a registry of individuals who are not eligible for hire in a Texas public school based on misconduct or criminal history. In 2017 the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 7 which addressed inappropriate teacher student relationships and added more penalties. This piece of legislation, Senate Bill 1256 was amended to Senate Bill 3 and cost about $1.7 million.