Remarks by President Obama on No Child Left Behind Flexibility
eNews Park Forest –  schools to the latest textbooks to science labs that actually work. In return, we should demand better performance.  We should demand reform.  And that was the idea behind Race to the Top.  For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve gotten almost every state in the nation to raise their standards for teaching and learning.  

Plan seeks to improve job market through education  Bloomington Pantagraph – Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn holds an Illinois Pathways flyer while he announces the new program Thursday Feb. 9, 2012, at State Farm Insurance Cos.’s corporate headquarters in Bloomington

Ill. businesses to aid schools in technology, math  STLtoday.com – Illinois businesses will partner with public schools to encourage learning in science, technology, engineering and math. Gov. Pat Quinn announced the public-private partnership known as the …

Report: Illinois kids caught in ‘budget crossfire’  ABC7Chicago.com – Early investments in education are key to building a strong workforce and economic recovery, she said. “Where we had been making such gains for kids, … 

Bad economy hurts kids, too, charity says
Quad City Times – State and federal budget cuts that cause a harsh impact on children threaten the future for everyone, several advocates agreed at Thursday’s release of the 2012 Illinois Kids Count findings. “Being born poor was not a barrier for success in the past, but that’s not true in today’s economy,” said Sue Swisher, 

Cahill: Pension reform ‘scary’
Galesburg Register Mail – All the concerns are serious, but Cahill said the pension situation dwarfs the rest. He said Senate Bill 512, put forth by House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, “is basically business’ answer to the pension problem. There will be a constitutional challenge,” Cahill said of the Republican plan, if it becomes law.

Easing the pain  Southern Illinois community colleges are holding the line on tuition rates for 2013 and trying to find ways to help students afford college. 

Economy, revenue ‘trauma’ cause Harlem school cuts  Rockford Register Star – The Harlem School District will propose the elimination of $3.69 million in programs and jobs Monday. If the plan is approved, nearly 70 positions would be cut, and approximately 13 would be added.

Harlem Schools to Scale Back  WIFR – The Harlem School District plans to save nearly four-million dollars through some dramatic changes. In a desperate move to save millions of dollars District 122 wants to scale back. On everything from teachers to bus routes.

State school nurse organization backs Harlem school nurses  WREX-TV – school nurses organization backs Harlem school district nurses who may lose their jobs. Illinois Association of School Nurses President Susan Voss says having RN’s in schools is necessary but they don’t have the …

Harlem School Board Asked to Cut Staff  MyStateline.com – The Superintendent will ask the board to accept a budget four million dollars smaller than last years. And half that amount will come from staff cuts and reorganizations. “There’s many, many things that came together that have negatively affected our … 

Chicago Teachers Union, community members ask court to stop school closings …  Chicago Tribune – With an assist from the Chicago Teachers Union, local school council members from nine city schools are asking a Cook County judge to block Chicago Public Schools from closing or “turning around” 17 underperforming schools this year. 

Tempers flare, insults fly over Chicago public school closings  Chicago Sun-Times – Tempers flared and insults flew Thursday as opposing sides on the school closing issue held dueling news conferences in the lobby of Chicago Board of Education …

Local School Council members ask court to take action on proposed school closings  Chicago Tribune – Local School Council members, helped by the Chicago Teachers Union, are asking a Cook County court to intervene before the Chicago Board of Education votes on 17 proposed school closures and “turnarounds” later this month. 

Political News 

Illinois college chiefs back Quinn, call for more MAP money
Springfield State Journal Register – College and university presidents support Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to offer more grants to low-income students. Quinn on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting at the executive mansion with university and community college presidents. The governor is trying to shore up support for his State of the State pledge

Quinn still unpopular in Illinois, Tribune poll finds
Chicago Tribune – Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn finds his leadership under fire from Illinois voters unhappy with the state’s economy, a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows. The survey found 54 percent disapprove of Quinn’s job performance,

Families and legislators left in the dark
Springfield Illinois Times – Illinois lawmakers left a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, with few financial details on how the state plans to close the Jacksonville Developmental Center. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability held the meeting at the Capitol to hear the Quinn administration’s plan for potentially closing the center.     

Hit them where it really hurts  The Capitol Fax Blog – Pat Quinn will hold a press conference to “encourage people to support education and capital construction programs by playing Powerball,” according to his …

Half of Illinois voters back more casinos, Tribune/WGN-TV poll finds
Chicago Tribune – Last year, backers of a major gambling expansion got the closest they’ve come in two decades. Lawmakers approved five new casinos, including one in Chicago, but Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn blocked the deal. The governor, who wasn’t much involved in negotiations, cited concerns over allowing slot machines at horse racing tracks.

Gov Buys Lottery Ticket for $310M Jackpot
WIFR (CBS) 23 Rockford – CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says if he wins the $310 million Powerball jackpot this weekend, he’ll still keep his job. The Democrat purchased a $2 ticket Thursday

National News

Mich. governor ties extra school cash to learning
Southern Illinoisan – Michigan’s governor said Thursday that the state should capitalize on its brightest economic outlook in a decade by opening its checkbook to school districts _ but only those that can show their students actually are learning from year to year.

Evers upset with Walker over education bill  

Wisconsin state superintendent Tony Evers is upset with Gov. Scott Walker over an education reform bill they worked together on but that doesn’t place charter and private voucher schools under a new accountability system.

TIME.com Today’s Top Stories

The Foreclosure Deal: Obama and the Banks Win Big While Homeowners See Modest Reward

Overall, it’s a clear win for Obama and Democrats, a qualified win for the banks, and a minor, belated victory for homeowners

Can Arming the Rebels Bring an End to Syria’s Suffering?

So, even if Russia and China had not vetoed U.N. demands for an end to Syrian President Assad’s repression, Western powers remain reluctant to repeat the Libya experience

The Second Coming of Warren Jeffs: The Jailed Polygamist Leader Prepares His Flock for Doomsday

At one point, he seemed to be on death’s door, but now Warren Jeffs appears to have recovered enough to issue edicts and orders to thousands who remain faithful

Vive la Différence: Why American Kids Are Brats

Fears, Faith and Freedom at CPAC

The Washington Post
Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign stuck in lukewarm

Republicans are expressing fresh concerns that Mitt Romney is limping toward the presidential nomination, suffering new blows at the very moment he needs to grow stronger if he is to take on President Obama in November.

Read full article >>
(Amy Gardner, Rosalind S. Helderman)

Jennifer Rubin: Santorum says ‘other types of emotions’ could preclude women in combat

For a candidate with virtually no staff and who tends to talk off the cuff, Rick Santorum has been nearly gaffe-free. However, this evening might have been his first, and it comes at a time when he is trying to convince voters he is more than “just” a social conservative.

Read full article >>
(Jennifer Rubin)

Ex-teammates describe heavy drinking by Huguely

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Graduation from the University of Virginia was within sight and a successful lacrosse season was wrapping up, yet George Huguely V was drinking heavily four times a week, so often and with such intensity that his close friends met to discuss an intervention, former teammates testified Thursday.

Read full article >>
(Mary Pat Flaherty, Jenna Johnson)

Editorial Board: ‘Robo-signing’ deal is rough justice

AT LONG LAST, federal and state authorities have reached an out-of-court settlement with five leading mortgage lenders, a major step in resolving the furor over “robo-signing” and other dubious foreclosure practices that came to light in October 2010. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial will pony up $26 billion in return for a measure of legal immunity; the figure could grow to $30 billion if an additional nine banks join the deal. The Obama administration and state attorneys general said the deal would salve an ailing housing market and deliver justice to “victim borrowers,” as U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. put it.

Read full article >>
(Editorial Board)

Killings in line of duty haunt police officers

Takoma Park police Lt. Tyrone Collington yelled to the masked bank robber to drop his gun and loosen his grip on the teller’s neck. It’s not worth it, man. Let the girl go, he shouted.

Read full article >>
(Allison Klein, Matt Zapotosky, Josh White)

Word of the Day for Friday, February 10, 2012

depone \dih-POHN\, verb:

To testify under oath; depose.

This change would return the regulations to original language that ensures students receive a full and comprehensive assessment by a highly qualified, certified school nurse who has had educational preparation to conduct this assessment. We all want to ensure that our students are evaluated by appropriately credentialed individuals.

Here is a fact sheet on the issue.

How can you help support this? Between Feb. 10 and March 26,there are two ways to send your comments supporting the changes that a full and comprehensive assessment will be done by a highly qualified, educated and certified school nurse.

1.  You can send an e-mail of support for the proposed changes to 23 Illinois Administrative Code 226.840 to the Illinois State Board of Education.
2. You can write to: Shelly Helton, Agency Rules Coordinator, Illinois State Board of Education, S-493, 100 North First Street, Springfield, Il 62777-0001. Here is a sample letter, if you’d like to use it.

The Administration endorsed plans by Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee. New Mexico’s application has not yet been approved.

“We’re encouraged by President Obama’s and Secretary Duncan’s efforts to provide NCLB waivers for relief,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.  “These states have committed to working with teachers, parents, and other community stakeholders to implement changes designed to better support students. Our members look forward to being part of a true partnership with school and community leaders to think creatively about how to help all students thrive with this new flexibility.”

“But this is only a stopgap measure. We will continue to work with Congress on a comprehensive bill that works for students and reflects the important federal role of ensuring equity while working with states and local school districts to support the public education system,” said Van Roekel. “Any ESEA reauthorization bill must ensure that all students have access to quality early education, well-rounded instruction, a safe and supportive learning environment, and access to qualified, caring, and committed teachers.  As a nation, we must do more to implement a new vision of public education that helps all students succeed.”

Van Roekel underscored the importance of the new version of ESEA legislation including provisions that ensure educators have a seat at the table for all key decisions, including the development and implementation of school improvement plans. “The face of public education is changing all over the country. We’re seeing great success and long-lasting progress when educators, school administration, parents, and communities come together for the students,” said Van Roekel.

For more information on NEA’s push for comprehensive NCLB reauthorization, please go to http://www.nea.org/home/NoChildLeftBehindAct.html.

Record number of students take advanced placement exams  The State Journal-Register – The Illinois State Board of Education says growth in participation rates was especially high among Latino students. The number of Latinos taking AP classes has quadrupled in the last decade.

D118 board decides to cut
Danville Commercial News – Sean Burns, the UniServe director for the Illinois Education Association, asked McKiernan if District 118 had enough money in its education fund to operate …

District 15 proposes staff cuts, larger class sizes to cut deficit
Arlington Heights Daily Herald – save $1.65 million annually, would be reinstituted if the 12,000-student district realizes savings through negotiated salaries and benefits with its bargaining units. That depends particularly on the teachers union, whose contract expires this summer. Thompson wouldn’t disclose specific contract figures, but said the administration believes that through successful negotiations,

D34 Plans $3.2 Mil In Cuts
Glenview Journal – Glenview Elementary School Dist. 34 officials put together $3.2 million in specific cuts presented at a school board meeting Monday. More than 100 people were in attendance at Monday’s Dist. 34 meeting reacting to the administration’s cost cutting proposal first released Friday.

St. Joseph-Ogden teacher faces assault charges
Danville Commercial-News – sexual assault of victims between 13 and 17 years old were filed Tuesday by the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office against the 33-year-old Jon A. Jamison, a special education teacher and coach at the high school. He was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon. According to the Champaign County Sheriff’s Department, investigators received information

SJ-O Superintendent Responds to Allegations and Possible Lawsuit
Champaign WCIA (CBS) 3 – A former high school student is looking to sue the St. Joseph-Ogden High School District, superintendent, and principal after she said her former coach touched her inappropriately.  The now 19-year-old college student’s attorney, Tom Bruno, faxed over a letter to the district Wednesday afternoon, alerting them his client planned to seek damages. 

Director: College Illinois! to stay afloat, even if that means taxpayer bailout  FOX Illinois – Illinois’ prepaid college tuition fund on which some 54000 families are relying is vowing to find some way to make up a $559.9-million deficit.

ISU’s Bowman: ‘Reasonable’ to help fund pensions
WJBC AM 1230 Bloomington – Illinois State University’s president said Wednesday he’s not opposed to the institution playing a bigger role in funding its teachers’ retirement plans. Al Bowman told WJBC Illinois State will do what it can to ease some of the state’s economic burdens.

Quinn to unveil education initiative at State Farm   Bloomington Pantagraph – ‎The governor and Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon will travel to State Farm Insurance Cos.’ corporate headquarters to outline a program called Illinois Pathways, which is designed to boost the number of Illinoisans with advanced academic degrees and certificates. 

Poshard backs Quinn’s call for MAP funds
Southern Illinoisan – College and university presidents support Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to offer more grants to low-income students. Quinn on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting at the executive mansion with

School reform organization gets average grades  Chicago Tribune – Over the last decade, a nonprofit teaching academy with strong political ties has launched an education revolution inside Chicago Public Schools, tearing down and rebuilding some of the city’s worst-performing schools.

Chicago Teachers Union accuses CPS of discriminating against African-American teachers
Chicago Tribune – The Chicago teachers Union filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Wednesday alleging that layoffs last summer targeted tenured African-American teachers

Teachers union suing Chicago Public Schools — twice
Crains Chicago Business – making failing schools and related matters is hitting the legal arena. In the first of two actions, the union today announced it has filed charges with a federal agency alleging that recent Board of education layoffs have disproportionately affected African-American teachers. The complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission contends that 43% of tenured teachers who were laid

Political News

Caterpillar rules Illinois out of plant plans  Rockford Register Star – Pat Quinn about the state’s business climate after Illinois raised income … After Caterpillar’s initial complaints, Quinn last year also signed into law

Quinn hopes to work with Caterpillar  Morton Times-News – Pat Quinn hopes to work on concerns that Caterpillar Inc. raised Tuesday when the company announced that the next plant it plans to build in North America …

Consolidating townships may not save money  Illinois Times – According to a report released this month for the Township Officials of Illinois, consolidating local governments such as townships could lead to more financial problems than it would solve.

House panel OKs raising federal employee pension contribution  Pensions & Investments – All government workers, including members of Congress, would contribute more toward their defined benefit pension plans under a proposal approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The bill would change the … 

National News

Obama to give 10 states a pass on No Child Left Behind deadline   Fox News – President Obama is set to give 10 states a pass regarding an approaching deadline under the No Child Left Behind law, after the states struggled to meet the proficiency standards for reading and math. The executive action will circumvent … 

White House to Issue Waiver List on No Child Left Behind   Wall Street Journal – The Obama administration will announce Thursday the list of 10 states it is releasing from key requirements of No Child Left Behind, according to a White House official familiar with the decision, in a major move away from the … 

10 states freed from some ‘No Child Left Behind’ rules   CNN – Ten states are being granted waivers to free them from parts of the No Child Left Behind law, a White House official told CNN Thursday. President Barack Obama will make the announcement Thursday, saying that the states “that have agreed to … 

Obama to Free 10 States From Education’s ‘No Child’ Requirements   BusinessWeek – President Barack Obama will announce today that he’s freeing 10 states from requirements of the No Child Left Behind law as they pursue alternate means of judging student progress, …

Changing Mindsets, Motivating Students  Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, 2 p.m. ET
Renowned psychologist Carol Dweck discusses how teachers can use new discoveries in cognitive development to improve student motivation and engagement. Hear about the most common mistakes teachers make in trying to motivate students and discover detailed strategies for promoting a “growth mindset” rather than “fixed mindset” in the classroom.
Register for this webinar now, or register for the entire series.

TIME.com Today’s Top Stories

Egypt’s NGO Crisis: How Will U.S. Aid Play in the Controversy?

As the diplomatic uproar continues over the arrests and likely trials. the question of U.S. financial support for Cairo may come into play

College Endowments: Why Even Harvard Isn’t as Rich as You Think

We all assume schools are sitting on a big pile of cash they could use to lower tuition. Here’s why that’s not true

Is Mark Zuckerberg too Powerful? Why Some Investors Are Worried about the Facebook IPO

The California State Teachers’ Retirement System, which has a $145 billion portfolio and owns Facebook shares through its private equity managers, plans to send Facebook a letter outlining its concerns

Oscars 2012: TIME’s Portraits of the Greatest Performers of the Year

The Art of Nazi Hunting: How the Mossad Found Adolf Eichmann

The Washington Post
U.S. likely to scale down plans for bases in Japan and Guam

TOKYO — The U.S. military will probably scale back plans to build key bases in Japan and Guam because of political obstacles and budget pressures, according to U.S. and Japanese officials, complicating the Obama administration’s efforts to strengthen its troop presence in Asia.

Read full article >>
(Chico Harlan, Craig Whitlock)

Editorial Board: Proposition 8 ruling was just but wobbly

IS IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL to forbid same-sex couples from calling their unions a “marriage” if — as is the case in California — they enjoy the same legal rights and responsibilities as opposite-sex partners in the state?

Read full article >>
(Editorial Board)

Rick Santorum’s strategy of focusing on low-key races paid off

Rick Santorum and his supporters moved quickly Wednesday to raise money and redirect their efforts after a surprising Tuesday sweep of three contests again put the former senator from Pennsylvania in position to contend for the Republican nomination.

Read full article >>
(Rosalind S. Helderman, Nia-Malika Henderson)

Prosecutors: George Huguely e-mail to Yeardley Love said, ‘I should have killed you’

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Drunken rages, romantic betrayals and teary reconciliations defined the relationship between University of Virginia students Yeardley Love and George Huguely V in their final months together, prosecutors said, deteriorating just days before her death in an e-mail from Huguely that said in part: “I should have killed you.”

Read full article >>
(Mary Pat Flaherty, Jenna Johnson)

Scaled-back ethics measure moves toward approval in House

A scaled-back ethics bill headed toward likely passage in the House on Thursday despite complaints from senators that Republican leaders had jettisoned several key provisions that won overwhelming Senate support last week.

Read full article >>
(Paul Kane)

Word of the Day for Thursday, February 9, 2012

screed \skreed\, noun:

1. A long discourse or essay, especially a diatribe.
2. An informal letter, account, or other piece of writing.
3. Building Trades. A. A strip of plaster or wood applied to a surface to be plastered to serve as a guide for making a true surface. B. A wooden strip serving as a guide for making a true level surface on a concrete pavement or the like. C. A board or metal strip dragged across a freshly poured concrete slab to give it its proper level.
4. British Dialect. A fragment or shred, as of cloth.
5. Scot. A. A tear or rip, especially in cloth. B. A drinking bout.

verb:
1. Scot. To tear, rip, or shred, as cloth.

Peoria-area school districts wary of pension proposal
Peoria Journal Star – PEORIA — Taxpayers, teachers and, ultimately, children could lose, area school officials warned Tuesday, if local school districts are required to help clean up the under-funded mess in the state’s teachers Retirement 

District 34 considers class size increases, staff cuts
Glenview Announcements – “It’s never easy to cut staff. We’re looking forward to hearing more from the community on this,” said board member Jack Murphy. Several union teachers representing the Glenview Education Association also opposed the terminations. “Our bargaining process has been compromised by releasing this budget information to the public,” said Susan Debias 

District heads weigh teacher certification bonuses
Geneva Kane County Chronicle –  The benefit was introduced in the 2008 contract and is applicable to teachers with master’s degrees. “We were very surprised by it,” St. Charles Education Association President Pam Turriff said. Administrators in central Kane County likened the certification process to earning advanced degrees. Compensating teachers for certification 

Editorial: District 205 credibility gap remains  The Rock River Times – A new superintendent, a new communications officer, a new slate of school board members and a new administration building have done nothing to change the culture of deception within the Rockford Public School District 205 administration. 

Teachers are too rich?
Wednesday Journal – The high school’s teachers and the District 200 school board announced agreement on a new two-year contract last week. The contract provides no pay increase in the 2012-2013 school year, and teacher compensation will be limited to step and lane increases the next year. As a skeptic, I must admit I was surprised, and as a taxpayer, I was pleased by what is clearly a good contract. Nice job by all parties. 

Social Media in Schools
WICS ABC 20 (Springfield) – They’re also looking to change the policy concerning teachers’ and students’… Own personal social media sites. That’s where the Springfield Education Association says they have a few questions. 

Embattled former U. of I. official to join faculty with $109,000 salary
Chicago Tribune – to develop, and I believe that over time, as the full information comes to light, it will reveal the truth behind this matter,” she wrote. “Meanwhile, I’ll do my best to serve the university as a teacher and researcher.” U. of I. spokeswoman Robin Kaler said campus administrators and faculty leaders likely will meet to discuss the next steps. 

At AUSL, progress but not magic
The elementary schools run by the Academy for Urban School Leadership are performing, on average, better than comparable neighborhood schools. But achievement is mixed, and the toughest job ahead will be to improve student performance in reading.

Lawmakers file bills to rein in school closings, class sizes
Three Chicago lawmakers want CPS to put a halt on school actions, keep class sizes small and testify to the Legislature every year on its budget, including on plans to close, build or rehab schools.

To stop youth violence, ask students for answers
The Do the Write Thing challenge is a powerful program that asks middle-grades students to write about the impact of youth violence and how they can help to stop it, writes Robin Hulshizer, an attorney and chair of the Chicago program.

Teachers can’t thrive as ‘lone rangers’
For education reforms to bring real-world results, we can no longer afford to leave teachers isolated in their individual classrooms, wasting in-house expertise that they could be sharing with their fellow teachers, writes Jacob Gourley, a teacher at Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing. 

Political News 

Bumpy ride ahead for state budget  Chicago Tribune – Speaker Michael Madigan on Tuesday outlined grim budget news to House Democrats who left a closed-door meeting predicting deep budget cuts, particularly in health care for the poor. “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a very bumpy …   

Quinn wants schools, Medicaid providers to help balance state’s budget
Crains Chicago Business – Gov. Pat Quinn today strengthened his call for major Medicaid and pension reform this year and dropped some clear hints about who should pick up much of the tab: physicians and other medical providers,

Quinn offers details on pension, Medicaid cost cutting  Chicago Tribune – Pat Quinn offered up a small handful today, saying he wants to go after the “sacred cows” that drive up state spending.   

Lawmakers complain about no details at Jacksonville facility hearing   The State Journal-Register – The Gillespie building is seen on the grounds of the Jacksonville Developmental Center Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Jacksonville, Ill. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced that he plans to close the Jacksonville center for people with developmental … 

COGFA wants another hearing in Jax WLDS-WEAI News – It looks like a state panel will hold another hearing in Jacksonville regarding the closure of the Jacksonville Developmental Center. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability held a meeting in Springfield today to discuss the JDC and … 

Why Legislators rarely know cost of laws they pass Chicago Daily Herald – That means more than 98 percent of the new laws were passed without any basic information about the toll they’d take on the state’s finances.  That’s according to a report by the Illinois Policy Institute, a watchdog group on government spending practices. The group is pushing legislators to toughen its laws and require fiscal notes on more bills.

Legislative Scholarships On Chopping Block  MyStateline.com – Governor Quinn supports the idea and says the state should consider giving more MAP grants to help needy students afford college. 

National News

Teachers group gives Florida congressional leaders As and Fs  Sun-Sentinel (blog) – When it comes to how the National Education Association feels about Florida’s elected leaders, there aren’t many shades of gray. They either love them or hate them. The teachers’ group has given every Democrat … 

National Education Association report card gives Michigan Democrats straight …   MLive.com – American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, met with education writers last year.

Late yesterday and throughout today, Vince Giordano and NJEA were the targets of a smear campaign by the state Republican Party, conservative bloggers and websites, and others following an interview Vince did that aired last weekend on NJTV’s “New Jersey Capitol Report.”  The full interview can be viewed at this link: http://acieminteractive.com/clientele/caucus/njcr181/

Where ‘The Facebook Generation’ works, according to Facebook  Millennials have been nicknamed “The Facebook Generation.” So what better way to gain insight on the youngest members of the workforce than through the social media technology they’ve become synonymous with?

Tornado-Ravaged District Takes Digital Approach to Rebuilding  An ambitious 1-to-1 laptop effort emerges in the wake of the tornado that devastated Joplin, Mo.

Educators, Parents Hold Mixed Views on Testing  A survey shows that parents and educators prefer tests that are given to help shape instruction over those used to gauge students’ year-end   progress.

TIME.com Today’s Top Stories

Santorum Stuns Romney with Tuesday Sweep, Steals Momentum in GOP Race

Rick Santorum’s clean sweep of the three contests Tuesday night was a major triumph that revived lingering questions about Romney’s appeal to the party’s base

How ‘Shadow Inventory’ Is Killing the Housing Market

One factor hurting the prices of homes that are for sale is the enormous number of homes that aren’t for sale — but that should be

Haiti Papers Over the Past: The Re-Branding of Baby Doc Duvalier

The government of Michel Martelly — friend of Sean Penn and other U.S. celebrities — has decided not to pursue the ex-dictator-for-life for crimes against humanity — just corruption

The Politics of Contraception: How a Health Insurance Controversy Could Shape the Election

One of the Obama campaign’s central tasks will be to persuade its former supporters to back the candidate again

The Gay-Marriage Decision: Is It Too Narrow to Reach the Supreme Court?

The Ninth Circuit chose to look at whether Prop 8 denied a group of people a right enjoyed by others — not whether same-sex marriage itself is constitutional. And that may define what happens next in the legal saga

The Washington Post

CIA digs in as Americans withdraw from Iraq, Afghanistan

The CIA is expected to maintain a large clandestine presence in Iraq and Afghanistan long after the departure of conventional U.S. troops as part of a plan by the Obama administration to rely on a combination of spies and Special Operations forces to protect U.S. interests in the two longtime war zones, U.S. officials said.

Read full article >>
(Greg Miller)

Editorial Board: The U.S. must do more for Guatemala over STD study

IN THE FALL of 2010, the Obama administration acknowledged a shocking truth: From 1946 through 1948, officials working in Guatemala for the U.S. Public Health Service conducted tests on some 5,100 unwitting individuals and deliberately infected at least 1,300 with sexually transmitted diseases. None of the victims — who included prisoners, soldiers, the mentally ill and commercial sex workers — consented to this barbaric treatment. At least 83 people died, and many suffered permanent damage.

Read full article >>
(Editorial Board)

As Massachusetts governor, Romney had an unremarkable record on jobs

An overheated industry has gone bust. A tepid economy is not producing enough jobs. And a successful businessman promises he can use his private-sector experience to jump-start the economy.

Read full article >>
(Jia Lynn Yang)

Virginia adding ‘conscience clause’ to adoption laws

RICHMOND — Virginia will likely become the second state in the nation — after North Dakota — to allow private adoption agencies to turn away parents based on sexual orientation or religious and moral beliefs.

Read full article >>
(Anita Kumar)

Word of the Day for Wednesday, February 8, 2012

piacular \pahy-AK-yuh-ler\, adjective:

1. Expiatory; atoning; reparatory.
2. Requiring expiation; sinful or wicked.

IEA’s Director of Government Relations reports on the first meeting of the 2012 Illinois General Assembly. Jim Reed is urging IEA members to lobby lawmakers in their home districts via the IEA’s Back Home Lobby Days initiative.

The key dates lawmakers should be available in their home districts include: Feb. 13-17, March 12-16, April 2-6 and 9-13.

Click here for more information on Back Home Lobbying.

GPAs meet at the state capitol

Grassroots Political Activists and their GO-Team members met Feb. 3-4 for a legislative update, preview of the 2012 elections and a simulation that followed a bill through the committee process. The GPAs role-played as members of various advocacy groups and testified in a mock committee at the state capitol. After committee, GPAs and their teams enjoyed special access to the Senate floor and heard from Sens. John Sullivan (D-Rushville) and Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) about their roles in the legislative process.

Find out more about the GPA program on the IEA website

NBPTS candidate fee subsidy opens Feb. 15

The National Board Resource Center at Illinois State University has announced the window for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards candidate fee subsidy will open Feb. 15, for 500 first time candidates. Click here for more information on the ISU website.

Let your imagination soar with The Lorax and Read Across America

NEA’s Read Across America campaign will showcase the Lorax book as well as NBC/Universal’s The Lorax (featuring the voices of Taylor Swift, Zach Efron, Danny Devito and Betty White). The film opens nationwide March 2, and Universal, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House have joined NEA’s Read Across America, creating new posters and classroom guides for the campaign.

Let us be part of your plans by contacting IEA Listens. It’s not too early to begin the Seussational celebration!

Give your valentine a gift that sparkles

Shop for jewelry or that next vacation package with NEA Member Benefits Click & Save program. You’ll save money and make your someone special very happy.

Visit the NEA MB website to register or sign in to find all the values that your membership allows.

You could win tickets to see the Chicago Symphony     

Send us an email message with “Symphony” in the subject line and you’ll be entered to win two tickets to the April 5 performance at the Symphony Center.

The IEA Store is back, featuring your old favorites, new items and a new way to order!

With IEA Store items, you can:

• Show your pride in being a member of the Illinois Education Association-NEA;
• Provide incentive gifts for meeting attendance;
• Thank your members who volunteer;
• And more…

All with items available to you, at cost, featuring the IEA logo

State pension system: It ain’t no show car
Belleville News-Democrat – If you let your younger sibling drive your new car for a decade or two, you can’t expect to get back that pristine ’79 Firebird Trans Am. You are much more likely to get a rusted hulk belching blue smoke than a vehicle worthy of the next classic car show. So we get the trepidation with which local school districts are viewing the state’s plan to unload its obligations for education pension plans. After decades in the state’s hands, it ain’t no show car.

Our view: ISBE request is unrealistic
Geneva Kane County Chronicle –  All well and good. But area school officials have said they aren’t counting on any increase. And they are wise not to count on any of the 3.9 percent increase the ISBE is recommending for education funding in Illinois. The state of Illinois is broke. The money for such an increase simply is not there. 

Lovington schoolteacher gets hit with ‘widow’s tax’
Decatur Herald and Review – One of the things she had to do was report his death to Social Security, and she expected to receive survivor’s benefits. She got $255. The reason, they told her, is that she’s a teacher, and teachers pay into the Teachers Retirement System instead of Social Security; therefore, she can’t receive benefits from Social Security, not even as the widow of someone who did pay into it. 

U-46 to start peer-review program for struggling teachers
Arlington Heights Daily Herald –  The Peer Assistance and Review program, also known as PAR, is a collaboration between the Elgin Teachers Association, the National Education Association Foundation and district administrators. Kathryn Castle, president of the Elgin Teachers Association, and U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres, presented an update on the first phase 

School district to amend 2011-12 budget  The State Journal-Register – The original budget included a projected $9.5 million deficit in the education fund, which makes up most school spending and pays all instructional costs.

Not your mom’s home ec class  Northwest Herald – VanSickle said that what many folks don’t realize, however, is that “home economics” courses have undergone an educational renaissance that began in 1993, …

‘School within a school’: District 201 has a plan to help at-risk …  Belleville News Democrat – Pat Quinn said he supported the idea. But state Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, said he thought it was a bad idea to try to force older students to go to school …

IBHE to vote on performance-based funding  Daily Eastern News – The Illinois Board of Higher Education will vote today on the performance-based …

Graduated withholding rate may aid UI grad assistants  Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette – URBANA — A new graduated withholding rate could help several hundred University of Illinois graduate assistants who are taxed on their tuition waivers, 

Longer school day not so easy  SouthtownStar – CPS and the union seem committed to more time for core subjects as well as more art, music and physical education instruction and more recess.

Sick, sick, sick
Chicago Tribune – they artificially inflated the salary figure used to calculate pension benefits. That’s $265 million that could have been used to educate kids, buy supplies, heat buildings, pay the best teachers. Instead, it went to CPS employees as a bonus, most of it for unused sick days. To people who work in the private sector, this is maddening. They are allowed sick days so when they get sick,

Don’t blame budget on teachers
Chicago Sun Times – letter – I get tired of seeing teachers used as punching bags by everyone who wrings their hands about the budget woes faced by the state, city, and Board of Education. Teachers aren’t the problem;

Political News

Medicaid, pension put a ‘squeeze’ on economy, budget director says  Recapitulating much of Gov. Pat Quinn’s State of the State address last week about Illinois moving forward, Illinois Budget Director David Vaught talked about the state’s economic climate Monday to about 20 people at John A. Logan College.

Pat Quinn signs Chicago speed camera bill  Rockford Register Star – Pat Quinn will improve safety for the city’s students. The legislation allows Chicago to use automatic speed enforcement cameras to monitor drivers around

Quinn at Ag School: ‘Jobs follow brain power’  SouthtownStar – Pat Quinn speaks Monday at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences to highlight legislation that allows students in urban areas more access to

Surgeon: Sen. Kirk’s condition upgraded
Quad City Times – Doctors say Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk has been upgraded to good condition and is continuing to improve after a major stroke. Northwestern Memorial Hospital neurosurgeon Richard Fessler says Kirk is visiting with family. Fessler said Kirk watched the Super Bowl. In a Monday statement,

National News

In what other profession… – Topeka K-12 | Examiner.com  In what other profession are the licensed professionals considered the LEAST knowledgeable about the job? You seldom if ever hear “that guy couldn’t possibly know a thing about law enforcement – he’s a police officer”, or “she can’t be trusted talking about fire safety – she’s a firefighter.”

Exclusive: Facebook governance a concern for Calif pension fund
Chicago Tribune – which give shareholders little say in how the social networking website would be run as a public company, are raising the hackles of one of the largest U.S. investors, the California State teachers’ Retirement System. The pension fund, which has a portfolio valued at around $145 billion, is planning to send a letter to Facebook, hoping to engage the social networking

TIME.com Today’s Top Stories

Obama Seeks to Cool War Fever While Keeping Up Pressure on Iran

Nobody likely envies the challenge President Barack Obama faces getting his “messaging” right on Iran

The New Upper Class and the Real Reason We Dislike Them

Resentment of the wealthy elite is at an all-time high, but it’s not just their money that sets them apart

The Abominable Snow Protests of Russia: Moscow’s New Cold War

The weather was frightful, but tens of thousands of people showed up in Russia’s capital for dueling demonstrations — though one side may have made appearing hard to refuse

Rick Santorum: With Tuesday Caucuses, a Second Chance to Shine

Tuesday’s contests present a second chance for Rick Santorum to elbow his way back into the picture as the chief conservative alternative to the Massachusetts governor

Between Lots of Rocks and Hard Places: Greece’s Bad Options

Faced with austerity, debt and the potential return to the drachma, the Greeks have nothing but bleakness in their immediate future

Word of the Day for Tuesday, February 7, 2012

crib \krib\, verb:

1. To pilfer or steal, especially to plagiarize.
2. To confine in or as if in a crib.
3. To provide with a crib or cribs.
4. To line with timber or planking.
5. Informal. A. To use a crib in examinations, homework, translating, etc. B. To steal; plagiarize.
6. (Of a horse) to practice cribbing.

noun:
1. A child’s bed with enclosed sides.
2. A stall or pen for cattle.
3. A rack or manger for fodder, as in a stable or barn.
4. A bin for storing grain, salt, etc.
5. Informal. A. A translation, list of correct answers, or other illicit aid used by students while reciting, taking exams, or the like; pony. B. Plagiarism. C. A petty theft.
6. A room, closet, etc., in a factory or the like, in which tools are kept and issued to workers.
7. A shallow, separate section of a bathing area, reserved for small children.
8. Any confined space.
9. Slang. A house, shop, etc., frequented by thieves or regarded by thieves as a likely place for burglarizing.
10. Building Trades, Civil Engineering. Any of various cellular frameworks of logs, squared timbers, or steel or concrete objects of similar form assembled in layers at right angles, often filled with earth and stones and used in the construction of foundations, dams, retaining walls, etc.
11. A barrier projecting part of the way into a river and then upward, acting to reduce the flow of water and as a storage place for logs being floated downstream.
12. A lining for a well or other shaft.
13. Slang. One’s home; pad.
14. Cribbage. A set of cards made up by equal contributions from each player’s hand, and belonging to the dealer.
15. A cheap, ill-kept brothel.
16. A wicker basket.
17. British, Australian. Lunch, especially a cold lunch carried from home to work and eaten by a laborer on the job; snack.

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2012 IEA RA Tentative Schedule of Events

Schools criticize Quinn idea to shift pension costs
Springfield State Journal Register – Cash-strapped Illinois could save more than $1.3 billion a year if it passes its portion of public teacher retirement benefits to schools and colleges, but administrators say it could mean ruin for some school districts. Gov. Pat Quinn has expressed support for shifting the cost to local school 

State pension reform idea worries Rock River Valley schools  Local superintendents and school district officials fear that a pension reform proposal being kicked around by lawmakers in Springfield could lead to deep cuts, higher taxes or a combination of the two. 

Schools fear idea of shifting pension costs to local districts
Dixon Telegraph – Making local school districts pick up the employers’ portion of teacher retirement benefits could save more than $1.3 billion a year for Illinois’ beleaguered state treasury. It also could mean financial ruin for some local school districts, 

Who should pay for teacher pensions? If costs are dumped into local school districts’ laps, your tax bill could go up
Belleville News-Democrat – State legislators from the metro-east say they’re open to the idea of shifting some of the state’s costs for teacher pensions to local school districts, but they aren’t fully embracing the idea just yet.  Local school leaders are bracing themselves. They say it could be a huge expense coming at a time 

Pension idea would be problem
Champaign News Gazette – But Quinn as well as House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton already have dropped some big hints about some changes they would like to see in funding pensions for retired teachers and public university employees. Unfortunately, one of their big ideas is not so much reform as passing the buck to local school boards and university administrators. 

Technology: Best chance for public schools?
Southern Illinoisan – As Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon has worked the past several months to help improve Illinois public education, she was startled during her travels by the use of technology in the classrooms. 

Rockford School District pushes new health plan for teachers
Rockford Register Star – Among the terms of the district’s most recent offer are higher monthly health insurance premiums and deductibles. There is, however, a potentially less costly insurance option to Rockford Education Association members: a health savings account plan that carries a higher deductible but no premium. The teachers union has successfully bargained for lower health insurance premiums 

Single-gender classrooms work for some girls, boys  Both students and school officials call the Springfield School District’s program of gender-specific classrooms, which also includes the Capital College Preparatory Academy, a success, saying they’ve seen the benefits of fewer disciplinary problems and improved test scores. 

Good news: Union comes to students’ rescue
Streator Times-Press – THUMBS UP TO… the Ottawa Township High School Education Association, which last week donated $1,000 to the school’s prom committee. The student group found itself a grand short after administrators made the difficult decision to switch locations  

Marion weighs options on schools  MARION – As the Marion Unit 2 Board of Education weighs its options for an upcoming decision on redistricting, a political action committee has proposed an alternative to a plan that would pair the four in-town elementary schools.

Shawnee teacher honored for work with students, levees  Jamie inspires us all – not just her students,” Della McMahan-Shepard said of Jamie Nash-Mayberry, the Shawnee High School teacher who was honored Sunday afternoon by residents for the work she and her students have done to keep area residents 

Both sides file lawsuits in flap over city pension fund investments
Chicago Sun Times – The money manager, DV Urban Realty Partners, has responded with its own lawsuit in Cook County, hoping it can keep managing $68 million in pension funds for Chicago police officers, teachers, transit workers and city employees. Officials of the pension funds, including Mayor Rham Emanuel’s two top financial advisors, say their investments have been poorly managed by DV Urban.  

Chicago Teachers Union Calls CPS Unused Vacation, Sick Days Payout Report ‘Unfair’ (VIDEO)
City Best Chicago – The Chicago teachers Union on Friday stated that a report finding that Chicago Public Schools, since 2006, paid out $265 million to ex-employees due to their unused vacation and sick days “unfairly characterizes 

School reform organization gets average grades  While the Academy for Urban School Leadership has ‘turned around’ several failing Chicago Public Schools, some critics say improved test scores don’t tell the whole story 

Political News 

State Senate president optimistic on pension reform
Peoria Journal Star – He also suggested that separately he would be interested in attracting downstate support to restructure who bore the cost for state pension contributions for teachers, noting that $2.4 billion of next year’s pension bill comes from the state’s required contribution to the teachers’ Retirement System.  

Finke: The state of the State of the State
Peoria Journal Star – complaints last week about Gov. Pat Quinn’s State of the State speech and its lack of detail about what he intends to do about Illinois’ ongoing financial crisis. The response from Quinn and others was that a State of the State speech is not a budget speech. The spending plan is coming, so be patient. “I didn’t expect to hear him talk about the budget,” 

Fact check: Quinn’s State of the State speech  Gov. Pat Quinn took a shotgun approach to his State of the State address last week, firing a wide blast that hit on topics from jobs to education to mortgages. But he was stingier when it came to details. That left questions about his views on Illinois’ condition and where he’d like to take the state. 

Erickson: Quinn’s speech disconnected from reality
Bloomington Pantagraph – It would be easy to cast the reaction to Gov. Pat Quinn’s State of the State as just another case of partisan uproar between a Democratic governor and Republicans in the minority party. But that wouldn’t be right. 

Editorial: State of disbelief: Guv shows he’s out of touch
Crains Chicago Business – The title of Gov. Pat Quinn’s speech last week was “State of the State.” But it was more like a 5-year-old’s Christmas list: mostly unrealistic (. . . and I want a new iPad and a . . .). 

Our View: Lawmakers need to act if Illinois is to escape fiscal abyss
Rockford Register Star – its bills on time, provides necessary services for the disadvantaged and never again gets mentioned in the same sentence with California as states that are approaching the fiscal abyss. Gov. Pat Quinn undoubtedly shares that vision, but his State of the State speech last week ignored the realities of the state’s financial condition. Perhaps we expected too much. 

A few issues for Springfield to address
Arlington Heights Daily Herald – There is much to be done, and if Quinn and the General Assembly need any direction on that, a good starting point might be most of the priorities laid out by The Civic Federation in November. The organization set a pretty good agenda. 

Address danced around state’s problems
Decatur Herald and Review – the speech is supposed to be about the state of Illinois, not necessarily the state of the government. Even with that in mind, however, we have to wonder what kind of fantasy land Gov. Pat Quinn is living in. If there was ever a time for a speech that laid out the state’s problems and spoke clearly to the citizenry and General Assembly about sacrifices needed to solve those problems, 

Deeds, governor, not empty words
Dixon Telegraph – Gov. Pat Quinn apparently has big plans for Illinois this year. During Wednesday’s State of the State address, he outlined a series of initiatives he said Illinois should embrace to keep the state 

OUR VIEW: Gov. Quinn, we have a problem
Streator Times-Press – THE ISSUE: Quinn’s State of the State address OUR VIEW: Governor is woefully out of touch with fiscal reality Illinois is behind on its bills to the tune of $8.5 billion, a figure expected to grow to $35 billion 

Simon Poll: Public’s mood generally dark  CARBONDALE – The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute has released its results and analysis of the fourth annual Simon Poll, and the results might not prove entirely shocking given the current financial atmosphere and often-voiced disgruntlement with state and federal government. The poll showed consistent support for electoral reform measures and for reforming the legislative redistricting process. 

Quinn names commission to boost Dream Act
WJBC AM 1230 Bloomington – Gov. Pat Quinn named seven members of a state commission that will raise scholarship money for college-bound students from immigrant families. Quinn announced a diverse group of educators and community leaders

National News 

Forcing kids to sit at a desk until they are 18 won’t advance their education
Belleville News-Democrat – at a minimum a high school diploma; we wish every school in our area had a 100 percent graduation rate. But we know that’s not the reality. Some students don’t want to be in school, and their teachers and parents can’t convince them otherwise. These teenagers can’t wait until they turn 16 so they can drop out.  

TIME.com’s Top Stories

Romney Set to Advance in Nevada, But Is He Falling Behind Obama?

Las Vegas may be the American capital of gambling, but the odds aren’t very exciting in Saturday’s Nevada Republican caucuses

More Killing in Cairo as Protesters Confront Authorities over Soccer Riot

Four more die in a day of violent clashes, as anger over alleged police complicity in a stadium tragedy unleashes pent-up frustrations

Twenty Years After Reforms, Meet the Children of the New India

What the New Employment Figures Mean for Obama

Some Obama opponents are struggling to find a cloud in the silver lining of January’s jobs numbers, which estimated that there was a 243,000-job boost and a big drop in the unemployment rate, from 8.5% to 8.3%, last month

Why a Bad Photo Could Be the Start of Good Things in Venezuela

It is a disgusting picture. Seated beneath a mural of Jesus Christ holding a gun, three children covering their faces with political bandanas brandish assault rifles as an adult proudly stands beside them

Super Bowl XLVI: Shifting the Focus from Peyton to Eli Manning

Super Bowl 46: A Break From Peyton Manning

Mitt Romney Rolls to Easy Win in Nevada GOP Caucuses

Massacre in Syria: Reports of Hundreds Killed in Homs, While Diplomats Fiddle at the U.N.

Friday night, Syrian security forces carried out what the opposition Syrian National Council called a “horrific massacre” targeting Homs in one of the worst in the 11-month uprising.

Is ‘Made in America’ Back in Style?

My grandparents had two criteria for buying a car: It had to be blue, and it had to be American.

India Hangs Up on Its Mobile Phone Industry

India’s Supreme Court decided yesterday to cancel 122 controversial mobile phone licenses ending nearly three years of uncertainty but opening up a new round of skepticism about India as a destination for foreign investment.

A Tale of Two Passes: How the New York Giants Won the Super Bowl

Russia and China Challenge the West on Syria: What Implications for Iran?

The breach among the Permanent Five members of the U.N. Security Council in Saturday’s vote on Syria’s increasingly bloody power struggle could have profound implications for Syria’s immediate future

Giant Eye Will Peer at the Sky

At least three giant-telescope projects are now under way, and the biggest of them, the European Extremely Large Telescope, is finally breaking ground in Chile

Is American the Worst Managed Airline In America?

AA is an airline that always seems to be mad at someone: employees, competitors, passengers, governments, OPEC. The company has been at war with its unions for years

The Komen Controversy: Planned Parenthood Claims a New Kind of Victory in the Culture War

While the Komen episode generated an immediate response by Planned Parenthood’s supporters, legislative attacks against the organization last year resulted in barely a social media

The Washington Post
Unemployment report: January job gains have economists rethinking outlooks

An unexpectedly rosy jobs report set off a chain reaction Friday, upending economists’ gloomy predictions for the coming year, leading to a surge on Wall Street and potentially boggling the political calculus of the 2012 presidential campaigns.

Read full article >>
(Peter Whoriskey, David Nakamura)

Susan G. Komen foundation revises policy that barred Planned Parenthood funding

Caught in a maelstrom of public reaction to its decision to cease funding Planned Parenthood, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation announced Friday that it would reverse course.

Read full article >>
(Sarah Kliff, N.C. Aizenman)

Do Nevada’s caucuses matter?

Presidential contests are inherently an expectations game, and because of that, the expectation is that Saturday’s contest in Nevada doesn’t mean much.

Rightly or wrongly, when a state isn’t competitive, we generally discount its broader impact on the presidential race.

Read full article >>
(Aaron Blake)

American Airlines’ request for pension bailout draws criticism

American Airlines has saved $2.1 billion since 2006, thanks to two congressional measures that allowed it to reduce contributions to its pension plans. The company said it would make up any shortfall later.

Read full article >>
(Steven Mufson)

Editorial Board: The Senate tightens up on insider trading

THERE IS a certain belt-and-suspenders quality to the ban on insider trading by members of Congress that was just passed by the Senate. Current law may prohibit such practices. But to the extent that there is ambiguity, it is important, for purposes of both potential prosecution and public perception, to make clear that such activity is indeed illegal. If anything, the measure does not go far enough.

Read full article >>
(Editorial Board)

For GOP candidates, February lull a time to regroup

After a blockbuster few months, the race for the Republican presidential nomination may be about to hit the snooze button.

Read full article >>
(Sandhya Somashekhar)

Egypt to prosecute Americans, including Sam LaHood, in NGO probe

CAIRO — Nineteen Americans will face criminal charges as part of a probe of the funding of pro-democracy groups, Egyptian officials announced Sunday, a provocative move that could deprive Egypt of crucial aid from the United States and upend one of Washington’s most important bilateral relationships.

Read full article >>
(Ernesto Londoño, William Wan)

For some black women, economy and willingness to aid family strains finances

The Great Recession carried special pain for black women like Jane Ladson.

She had always been the one her family turned to when they needed help, and she didn’t hesitate to give it. She helped pay for weddings and rent. She made room for her nephew when her brother died of AIDS. And even now in her 50s, she took in a baby that wasn’t her own.

Read full article >>
(Ylan Q. Mui, Chris L. Jenkins)

Editorial Board: A line of would-be immigrants? There isn’t one.

IN THE VENOMOUS debate over illegal immigration, there is a point of agreement between President Obama and some of his would-be Republican rivals, including former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. They’d like to see undocumented immigrants “get to the back of the line” for citizenship. Unfortunately, that convergence of views distorts rather than illuminates the debate.

Read full article >>
(Editorial Board)

Word of the Day for Monday, February 6, 2012

filiopietistic \fil-ee-oh-pahy-i-TIS-tik\, adjective:

Pertaining to reverence of forebears or tradition, especially if carried to excess.

The key dates lawmakers should be available in their home districts include: February 13-17, March 12-16, April 2-6 and 9-13.

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