Texas will take over Houston's public school district, one of the largest in the U.S.
CBSN
Texas officials announced on Wednesday that they would be taking over Houston's public school district, which is the eighth-largest in the U.S., deepening existing tensions between local Democratic leaders and the Republican majority-held statehouse.
In a letter sent to the superintendent and board members of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), Education Commissioner Mike Morath said that the recipients of the letter would be replaced with a new superintendent and board of managers chosen by the Texas Education Authority (TEA), and who will be officially instated on June 1.
Morath alleges that the board failed to improve student performance in Houston, citing Wheatley High School, which received a failing grade from the TEA in 2019, as an example. Additionally, Morath accuses the board of holding "chaotic board meetings marred by infighting," adding that an investigation revealed "multiple violations of law in the district."
President Biden on Monday signed into law a defense bill that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion despite his objections to language stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families.
It's Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is suiting up for his annual voyage from the North Pole to households around the world. In keeping with decades of tradition, the North American Aerospace Command, or NORAD, will once again track Santa's journey to deliver gifts to children before Christmas 2024, using an official map that's updated consistently to show where he is right now.
An anti-money laundering law called the Corporate Transparency Act, or CTA, appears to have been given new life after an appeals court on Monday determined its rules can be enforced as the case proceeds. The law requires small business owners to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, by Jan. 1, or potentially pay fines of up to $10,000.