The Daily Slice, your Black Hills News podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at https://snd.click/dailyslice
Proposal of “education savings accounts”
PIERRE, S.D. – The proposal of so-called “education savings accounts” in the governor’s budget has left a sour taste in some mouths in the education community. Sandra Waltman is the communications director of the South Dakota Education Association, a public-school lobbying group. She says when you’re looking at a budget shortfall and needing to make tough decisions, this is not a time to be starting a program like this. That proposal would cost state taxpayers $4 million. Governor Noem proposed it is only the beginning of the savings account proposal.
Rapid City Area Schools Received a Million-dollar Grant
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Rapid City Area Schools have received a million-dollar grant to bolster local school safety. The money, and the associated changes, will be distributed over the next three school years. The money is a part of the US Department of Justice Stop School Violence program and will promote school safety and expand student access to mental health resources. Acting superintendent Cory Strasser said it will fund new social work positions within RCAS. The district estimates these social workers and mental health services will reduce outside referrals for students by one-tenth.
Middle East latest: Israeli strikes hit Gaza and also target suspected weapons sites in Syria
Israeli strikes have hit suspected chemical and long-range weapons sites in Syria and the foreign minister says the aim is to keep them from rebels who seized Damascus. Palestinian health officials meanwhile say six people died in Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza overnight. The U.N. Security Council plans to hold emergency closed consultations on Syria later Monday at the request of Russia, which said it granted asylum to its longtime ally Syrian leader Bashar Assad. The Kremlin spokesman said Russian President Vladimir Putin personally made the decision to offer asylum to the former Syrian leader.Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her.
Russia has used its hypersonic Oreshnik missile for the first time. What are its capabilities?
A Russian attack on a military industrial facility in central Ukraine on Nov. 21 marked the first use of a powerful new weapon -– a hypersonic ballistic missile with multiple warheads. In the past, such missiles were designed to carry nuclear warheads. The Oreshnik missile struck its target with submunitions that apparently were unarmed but had enough kinetic energy so that their impact delivered the equivalent force of tons of explosives. With the attack, President Vladimir Putin delivered a stern warning to Ukraine’s Western allies that Moscow could use the Oreshnik against Ukraine’s NATO allies who allowed Kyiv to use their longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia.
Notre Dame reopens
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened on Saturday after a five-year restoration project following its devastating 2019 fire. French officials hosted a ceremony attended by world leaders, including Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Prince William, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump and Zelensky also met with Macron earlier in the day, amid ongoing discussions about U.S. support for Ukraine. The cause of the 2019 fire remains undetermined, though it’s believed to have been accidental. Public masses will resume but may require reservations.
Tik Tok Ban
TikTok lost its challenge to a U.S. law that may ban the app unless its Chinese parent, ByteDance, sells it by January 19, 2025. A federal appeals court upheld the legislation, which threatens fines for app stores hosting TikTok after the deadline. TikTok plans to appeal to the Supreme Court. President-elect Donald Trump could influence the ban after taking office, while President Biden could grant a one-time extension, though no indication has been given. The platform is used by over 170 million Americans.
