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7xm app download play store Baroni: ‘Lazio aggressive and play with courage’French officials solved an awkward seating dilemma at the Notre-Dame cathedral re-opening yesterday by placing First Lady Brigitte Macron between US President-elect Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s wife and daughter in the front row at the ceremony. The presence of Trump and the outgoing president’s family presented protocol planners with a headache so soon after one of the most bitter election campaigns in US history. Trump ridiculed Biden as “Sleepy Joe” throughout, while Biden called Trump a “threat to democracy” and let it be known that he considered him a “fascist” on the eve of the November 5 vote. The future 47th president was treated as guest of honour yesterday in Paris, given the seat immediately to French President Emmanuel Macron’s right in the front row of the congregation. Jill Biden, representing the outgoing president, as well as the couple’s daughter Ashley, were also seated on the front row but with Brigitte separating them from Trump. President Biden, 82, decided against travelling to Paris and appeared visibly tired as he made a historic first visit by a US leader to Angola in southern Africa on Tuesday and Wednesday. Before the start of the ceremony, the US first lady and Trump found themselves seated on their own briefly and could be seen exchanging pleasantries. Trump made his trademark raised fist gesture — immortalised when he survived an assassination attempt in July — as he entered the cathedral. Wearing an uncharacteristic yellow tie, he stopped briefly to talk to Prince William, heir to the British throne, before taking his seat. Related Story QU launches 4th World Congress on Engineering and Technology Al Kuwari reelected president of Qatar Rugby and Hockey committeeJust hours after U.S. President Donald Trump named a labor secretary nominee seen by some union leaders and advocates as genuinely pro-worker, The Washington Post on Saturday detailed what the incoming administration and Republican Congress have planned for a federal agency designed to protect everyday Americans from corporate abuse. Initially proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) while she was still a Harvard Law School professor, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which Congress passed in response to the 2007-08 financial crisis. The first Trump administration was accused of “gutting the CFPB and corrupting its mission.” However, as the Post noted, “its current Democratic leader, Rohit Chopra, has been aggressive” in his fights for consumers, working to get medical debt off credit reports and crack down on “ junk fees ” for everything from bank account overdrafts and credit cards to paycheck advance products — efforts that have drawn fierce challenges from the financial industry. Chopra, an appointee of outgoing President Joe Biden, isn’t expected to stay at the CFPB, but Trump’s recent win hasn’t yet halted bold action at the agency. On Thursday, it announced plans “to supervise the largest nonbank companies offering digital funds transfer and payment wallet apps,” which is set to impact Amazon, Apple, Block, Google, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle, unless the Trump administration shifts course. The Post reported that Republican leaders “intend to use control of the House, Senate, and White House next year to impose new restrictions on the agency, in some cases permanently,” and “early discussions align the GOP with banks, credit card companies, mortgage lenders, and other large financial institutions.” According to the newspaper: “Of course Trumpers want to dismantle the only agency formed in decades dedicated to giving consumers a fair shake in a predatory economy,” Katrina vanden Heuvel, T he Nation ’s editorial director and publisher, said in response to the reporting — which came just a day after Forbes similarly previewed “big changes coming to Elizabeth Warren’s CFPB” when Trump returns. “The number of CFPB regulatory advisories and enforcement actions will likely shrink” and “bank mergers and acquisitions could see a boost too,” Forbes highlighted. “Even more noteworthy, the CFPB’s funding structure could be at increased risk,” with some congressional Republicans considering the reconciliation process as a path to forcing changes, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s May decision that allowed the watchdog to keep drawing money from the earnings of the Federal Reserve System. “Changing the CFPB’s funding structure would be an uphill battle since it would be perceived by many as an attempt to take the bureau’s budget to zero,” the magazine noted. “But the concept ‘has been on every wish list I’ve seen from House Republicans for the last 10 years or more since its creation,’ says a former Capitol Hill staffer who has worked with the House Financial Services Committee.” Warren, who won a third term in the Senate earlier this month, is optimistic about the agency’s survival. “The CFPB is here to stay,” she told the Post . “So I get there’s big talk, but the laws supporting the CFPB are strong, and support across this nation from Democrats, Republicans, and people who don’t pay any attention at all to politics, is also strong.” The senator’s comments about the CFPB’s popularity are backed up by polling conducted last weekend and released Thursday by Data for Progress. Although the progressive firm found that a plurality of voters (48%) lacked an initial opinion of the agency, they expressed support when introduced to major moves during the Biden administration. “More than 8 in 10 voters support the CFPB’s actions to protect Medicare recipients from illegal and inaccurate bills (88%), crack down on illegal medical debt collection practices like misrepresenting consumers’ rights and double-dipping on services already covered by insurance (86%), publish a consumer guide informing consumers of the steps they can take if they receive collection notices for medical bills (84%), and propose a rule to ban medical bills from people’s credit reports (81%),” the firm said. Data for Progress also found that voters back agency actions to “require that companies update any risky data collection practices (85%), rule that banks and other providers must make personal financial data available without junk fees to consumers (85%), confront banks for illegal mortgage lending discrimination against minority neighborhoods (83%), and state that third parties cannot collect, use, or retain data to advance their own commercial interests through targeted or behavioral advertising (80%).” After learning about the watchdog’s recent moves, 75% of voters across the political spectrum said they approve of the CFPB. The polling came out the same day Warren addressed Trump’s campaigning on a 10% cap for credit card interest rates. “I can’t imagine that President Trump didn’t mean every single thing he said during the campaign,” Warren told reporters. She later added on social media: “If Donald Trump really wants to take on the credit card industry, count me in. The CFPB will back him up.” While Trump’s latest electoral success was thanks in part to winning over key numbers of working-class voters, the president-elect has spent the post-election period filling key roles in his next administration with billionaires and loyalists, fueling expectations that his return to the White House — with a Republican-controlled Congress — will largely serve ultrarich people and corporations, reminiscent of his first term. The recent reporting on the CFPB has further solidified those expectations. In a snarky social media post, Aaron Sojourner, a labor economist and senior researcher at the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research who served on the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) during the Trump and Obama administrations, wrote : “#priorities Bringing back junk fees.” Joshua Smith, budget policy director for the Democrat-run Senate Budget Committee, said that “working- and middle-class people who voted for Trump did so for many reasons, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any who did so because they want higher overdraft fees.”

Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris, a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago. “Fred Harris showed us what is possible when we lead with both heart and principle. He worked to ensure everyone had a voice and a seat at the table,” said Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. Harris appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year as a guest speaker for the Oklahoma delegation, where he reflected on progress and unity. "Standing alongside him in Chicago this summer was a reminder of how his legacy continues to inspire,” Andrews said. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma and the DNC, said that there is no one else in public service whom she admired more than the former senator. “He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and my True North. Oklahoma and America have lost a powerful advocate and voice,” Free said in a statement. “His work for Indian Country will always be remembered.” Sen. Fred Harris of Oklahoma at a Democratic party commission meeting on March 1, 1969, in Washington. Credit: AP “Senator Harris truly was an Oklahoma treasure and was ahead of his time in so many ways,” said Jeff Berrong, whose grandfather served in the state Senate with Harris. “He never forgot where he came from and he always remained focused on building a society that would provide equality of opportunity for all.” Harris served eight years in the state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served another eight years before his 1976 presidential campaign. State party leaders commemorated his work on the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, or the Kerner Commission, to investigate the 1960s riots. Harris was the last surviving member of the commission. Shortly after his presidential campaign, Harris left politics and moved to New Mexico and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. —- Former Oklahoma Sen. Fred Harris stands outside his Corrales, N.M., home, Friday, July 23, 2004. Credit: AP/Jake Schoellkopf Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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“Gladiator II” asks the question: Are you not moderately entertained for roughly 60% of this sequel? Truly, this is a movie dependent on managed expectations and a forgiving attitude toward its tendency to overserve. More of a thrash-and-burn schlock epic than the comparatively restrained 2000 “Gladiator,” also directed by Ridley Scott, the new one recycles a fair bit of the old one’s narrative cries for freedom while tossing in some digital sharks for the flooded Colosseum and a bout of deadly sea-battle theatrics. They really did flood the Colosseum in those days, though no historical evidence suggests shark deployment, real or digital. On the other hand (checks notes), “Gladiator II” is fiction. Screenwriter David Scarpa picks things up 16 years after “Gladiator,” which gave us the noble death of the noble warrior Maximus, shortly after slaying the ignoble emperor and returning Rome to the control of the Senate. Our new hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), has fled Rome for Numidia, on the North African coast. The time is 200 A.D., and for the corrupt, party-time twins running the empire (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), that means invasion time. Pedro Pascal takes the role of Acacius, the deeply conflicted general, sick of war and tired of taking orders from a pair of depraved ferrets. The new film winds around the old one this way: Acacius is married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, in a welcome return), daughter of the now-deceased emperor Aurelius and the love of the late Maximus’s life. Enslaved and dragged to Rome to gladiate, the widower Lucius vows revenge on the general whose armies killed his wife. But there are things this angry young phenom must learn, about his ancestry and his destiny. It’s the movie’s worst-kept secret, but there’s a reason he keeps seeing footage of Russell Crowe from the first movie in his fever dreams. Battle follows battle, on the field, in the arena, in the nearest river, wherever, and usually with endless splurches of computer-generated blood. “Gladiator II” essentially bumper-cars its way through the mayhem, pausing for long periods of expository scheming about overthrowing the current regime. The prince of all fixers, a wily operative with interests in both managing gladiators and stocking munitions, goes by the name Macrinus. He’s played by Denzel Washington, who at one point makes a full meal out of pronouncing the word “politics” like it’s a poisoned fig. Also, if you want a masterclass in letting your robes do a lot of your acting for you, watch what Washington does here. He’s more fun than the movie but you can’t have everything. The movie tries everything, all right, and twice. Ridley Scott marshals the chaotic action sequences well enough, though he’s undercut by frenetic cutting rhythms, with that now-familiar, slightly sped-up visual acceleration in frequent use. (Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo are the editors.) Mescal acquits himself well in his first big-budget commercial walloper of an assignment, confined though he is to a narrower range of seething resentments than Crowe’s in the first film. I left thinking about two things: the word “politics” as savored/spit out by Washington, and the innate paradox of how Scott, whose best work over the decades has been wonderful, delivers spectacle. The director and his lavishly talented design team built all the rough-hewn sets with actual tangible materials the massive budget allowed. They took care to find the right locations in Morocco and Malta. Yet when combined in post-production with scads of medium-grade digital effects work in crowd scenes and the like, never mind the sharks, the movie’s a somewhat frustrating amalgam. With an uneven script on top of it, the visual texture of “Gladiator II” grows increasingly less enveloping and atmospherically persuasive, not more. But I hung there, for some of the acting, for some of the callbacks, and for the many individual moments, or single shots, that could only have come from Ridley Scott. And in the end, yes, you too may be moderately entertained. MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence) Running time: 2:28 How to watch: Premieres in theaters Nov. 21.Economic stability boost for industryTrump confronts liberal panic over Musk: ‘He’s not going to be president’

Nigeria’s military and security forces have delivered a crushing blow to the shadowy illegal oil trade. By dismantling 56 bunkering sites, authorities are attempting to drain the lifeblood of this underground economy. Despite being Africa’s biggest crude oil producer, Nigeria has faced significant setbacks due to large-scale oil theft and pipeline sabotage. These issues have slashed output, reduced exports, crippled government finances, and posed a serious challenge for President Bola Tinubu. In a recent crackdown, the country’s army and other security agencies have also seized at least 88 cooking drums and recovered 1.2 million liters (317,000 gallons) of stolen crude oil. Authorities have destroyed at least 15 illegal refining sites in the Okorodia forest of Yenagoa, Bayelsa state. Thousands of liters of stolen crude oil and illegally refined automotive gas oil were also recovered. Seventeen suspects were also arrested and vehicles and oil refining equipment seized. Between 2009 and 2020, Nigeria lost approximately 620 million barrels of crude oil, valued at $46 billion (€42 billion), according to the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which promotes accountability in managing the nation’s oil, gas, and mining revenue. Oil theft in Nigeria is nothing new, but its scale and sophistication have increased in recent years. The oil-rich Niger Delta is considered the main hot spot. According to Umaru Ahmadu, a financial consultant on oil and gas, oil theft will continue unless the government first tackles social and economic justice in the region. He told DW that successive governments had neglected the residents in the oil-producing areas. “They don’t have the infrastructure, they don’t have the basic social and economic support. There are no social safety nets. They’ve lost their means of livelihood. Their environment has been jeopardized and obliterated completely,” he said. Ahmadu believes that as long as the government continues to extract the mineral resources without caring for the local community, “the chances and the propensity to continually sabotage the government by stealing crude oil by refining in an illegal refinery would not stop.” “As long as we continue to pay lip service to their issues and nobody is interested and we just come extract their crude oil, destroy their their environment and they don’t get any reasonable financial reward, They will always resort to self help through either stealing the crude or refining it illegally,” Ahmadu stressed, adding that by addressing these issues, the government can find a lasting solution to the problems caused by crude production. Benjamin Boakye, executive director at Africa Centre for Energy Policy in Ghana, told DW that the situation in Nigeria is a case of people getting away with crimes and only looking out for money and not responding to regulation and protecting the environment. Boakye noted that the issue persists because the same politicians and security agencies responsible for preventing environmental pollution and enforcing the law often operate within the same circles. “Unless there is a political will to clean up the mess and get people accountable. We would just be speaking about this and not get a solution to the bigger picture,” he added. He further emphasized the need to hold people accountable for the power and mandate given to them to protect state resources and ensure that they do not allow individuals driven by profit to destroy the environment. Studies have shown that oil theft has contaminated the air, land, and water, leading to devastating effects on residents’ health and livelihoods. Ahmadu shared similar sentiments, saying that illegal mining significantly impacts the environment “because these guys are not experts; they are not specialists.” “They go about doing this thing in the most crude form. As a result, the environment gets affected,” he said. In extreme cases, fire outbreaks have occurred due to oil theft. Ahmadu noted that the Nigerian government is losing massive revenue due to the ongoing destruction of pipelines and other oil infrastructure, hindering progress. Source: Deutsche WelleThe man who ended Nadal's career helps the Netherlands beat Germany to reach the Davis Cup finalNSW Premier Chris Minns has called for a review of laws to prevent the targeting of places of worship following the heinous firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. The firebombing of the Melbourne synagogue led to former treasurer Josh Frydenberg demanding Prime Minister Anthony Albanese take action on rampant antisemitism in the country by declaring the attack on Friday a terrorist event. Mr Minns has affirmed the Melbourne synagogue attack as “an act of terrorism”. On Wednesday, at least 70 pro-Palestinian activists gathered outside Sydney's Great Synagogue calling for sanctions against Israel, while members of the Jewish community were locked inside. The NSW Premier’s intention to look at law reforms to protect places of worship is in its early stages after he asked state Attorney-General Michael Daley to consider options. Mr Minns said he was “horrified” by the attack at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, as well as the “recent sight of protests” outside the Grand Synagogue in Sydney. “I’ve asked the Attorney-General and the cabinet office to look at ways we can better protect places of worship from protests and provide reform options to the government,” he said. “Being heckled on the way in to observe your faith is not consistent with the principles of a multicultural, multifaith community where all are protected by law from someone stopping them from prayer. “It is the bedrock of our multicultural state. People have the right to feel safe in their own city, in their own churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship.” The potential laws would regulate protesting outside of religious institutions which seeks to intimidate worshippers. The Premier said “holding the line” was no longer feasible and the government needed to make sure the freedom of religion was “protected”. Mr Minns’ strong stance on antisemitism has been praised by the Jewish community, with The Australian revealing on Monday that Rabbi Benjamin Elton, a chief minister at Sydney’s Great Synagogue, called the NSW Premier “extraordinarily strong” on the issue. Last month, Mr Minns admitted he was concerned about further anti-Israel incidents against Sydney's Jewish community leading up to Christmas after two assailants targeted residents in Woollahra, in the city's eastern suburbs, defacing almost a dozen cars and homes with “f*k Israel". The Premier visited Emanuel Synagogue in Woollahra, spoke with Jewish leaders and insisted no one should be attacked based on their religion or race or feel harassed or intimidated in their home. "I know that members of the Jewish community since the horrifying terrorist attacks on October 7 have felt unsafe in their own town and I’m deeply sorry for that," he said. Mr Minns appeared angry as he stressed police and the NSW government would "throw the book" at anyone who made antisemitic acts of violence against the public. "We are taking these violent criminal acts very seriously. They are motivated by hate, they are hateful acts on members of our community and this police force is working incredibly hard to track down those who have committed this horrifying act," he said.

NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP) — Chris Mubiru had 13 points to lead Northwestern State to a 71-58 victory over North Alabama on Sunday. Mubiru finished 5 of 6 from the field for the Demons (3-4). Jerald Colonel scored 12 points and added six rebounds. Landyn Jumawan had 12 points with two 3-pointers. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest sports news delivered right to your inbox six days a week.Segilola Resources Operating Limited (SROL), a subsidiary of Thor Explorations Ltd and the operator of Nigeria’s first commercial gold project, the Segilola Gold Mine in Osun State, achieved significant milestones in November, underscoring its leadership in the Nigerian mining sector. From its far-reaching Community Medical Outreach on November 8th-9th to its influential participation in the just-concluded Nigeria Mining Week (November 18th-20th) in Abuja and a dynamic Stakeholder Reception on November 19th, SROL continues to set the standard for responsible and innovative mining. In addition to its participation in Nigeria Mining Week, where it reaffirmed its status as an industry leader by serving as a Diamond Sponsor and delivering a thought-provoking keynote address, SROL hosted a Stakeholder Reception that convened prominent dignitaries, partners, and stakeholders. Key attendees included Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment; Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, Director General of the Mining Cadastre Office; a Deputy Director of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC); and representatives from VUKA, PWC and other notable organizations. The event began with welcome remarks from Thor CFO, Mr. Chris Omo-Osagie, who highlighted Thor/SROL’s remarkable achievements in 2024. He noted the company’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s Top 10 Non-Oil Exporters and celebrated its HR accolades, including the 2024 Responsible Resourcing Award for Labour at Mining Indaba and the 2024 CIPM Oscar Award for HR Best Practice in the Mining Industry. In his keynote address, Mr. Austin Menegbo (the SROL Country Manager) emphasized the company’s dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles and its commitment to responsible mining. Delivering a goodwill message, Dr. Oduwole commended SROL for its resilience and significant contributions to Nigeria’s economic diversification: “Non-oil exports are crucial for this economy. It’s a priority of Mr. President; it’s a priority of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. It is what we need for the Nigerian economy. We need the productivity, the competitiveness, and we need to encourage firms.” She also acknowledged SROL as a Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Export Champion, stating: “I know when he [the Thor CFO, Mr. Chris Omo-Osagie] kept on repeating that it has not been easy—I know. I know, and we’re proud of you for the work that you do, for the perseverance, for the indefatigable spirit of the Nigerian entrepreneurs. Keep serving your nation and building the economy.” The reception featured an engaging ESG panel discussion that showcased SROL’s transformative initiatives, including the Segilola Women’s Initiative Programme, the Segilola Scholarship Scheme, and the Livelihood Restoration Programmes, amongst many others. A powerful video presentation shared testimonials from beneficiaries, resonating deeply with the audience and highlighting the positive impact of these programmes. Further underscoring its commitment to social responsibility, SROL successfully concluded its second annual community medical outreach on November 8th and 9th. This initiative provided critical healthcare services to nearly 2,000 individuals, including residents of Imogbara, Odo-Ijesha, and Iperindo, as well as inmates from the local prison system. Services ranged from consultations and advanced diagnostics to medication distribution, surgical bookings, and health awareness campaigns designed to promote long-term wellness. SROL remains steadfast in its mission to drive sustainable development while enhancing the well-being of its host communities. The company extends its heartfelt gratitude to stakeholders, partners, and volunteers who have supported its journey and looks forward to building on these accomplishments to foster continued progress and innovation.

Transcript: Rep.-elect Sarah McBride on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Nov. 24, 2024

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Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha The Ministry of Finance announced the inauguration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center of the World Economic Forum in Qatar, on the sidelines of the 22nd Doha Forum, held under the slogan “The Imperative of Innovation”, from December 7 to 8 of this year. The Center is a leading independent, non-profit policy and governance organization for emerging technologies. The primary focus will be on sustainable development and economic competitiveness, in line with the country’s national priorities and the Qatar National Vision 2030. Minister of Finance HE Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari said, “Based on Qatar’s long-standing partnership with the World Economic Forum and our commitment to sustainable development, we are pleased to launch the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center in Qatar, and in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, this center will serve as a catalyst to accelerate sustainable economic growth and achieve our country’s strategic priorities.” The minister explained that the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Qatar focuses on building an environment that encourages the flourishing of innovative ideas and technologies. The center aims to provide practical knowledge to support companies in adopting Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, in addition to providing the necessary advice to develop flexible policies and experiment with innovative projects with tangible impact. “At a time of global fragmentation, it is imperative that innovation and technology drive our shared priorities of sustainable development, cooperation and resilience, which have always been a key priority for Qatar’s leadership,” said World Economic Forum President Borge Brinde. “The new center in Doha joins a growing network and platform, as it will serve as a key hub for fostering innovation and unlocking growth opportunities in the region and beyond,” added the WEF. The Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution serves as a platform for stakeholder collaboration, bringing together the public and private sectors to maximize technological benefits for society, while minimising risk. Copy 08/12/2024 10(The Center Square) – The State Board of Education (SBOE) on Friday approved the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) proposal for Texas’ state-owned textbooks, known as Bluebonnet Learning. It passed by a vote of 8-7. It includes new Mathematics curriculum for K-8 students, new Language Arts material for K-5 students and additional instructional support for teachers. Gov. Greg Abbott lauded the vote, saying, “The passage of Bluebonnet Learning is a critical step forward to bring students back to the basics of education and provide the best education in the nation.” He also notes that the materials are voluntary and free for use. Parents and the public are able to access the materials at tea.texas.gov/bluebonnet . The “transformative educational materials ... will ensure young Texans have access to high-quality, grade-level appropriate curricula that will provide the necessary fundamentals in math, reading, science, and other core subjects and boost student outcomes across Texas,” Abbott said. The new curriculum stems from HB 1605, filed in 2023 by state Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Killeen, which passed the legislature and Abbott signed into law. It requires the TEA to provide Open Education Resources (OER) textbooks for core subjects, including reading and math for Pre-K to 8th grade. It also directed the TEA to appoint an advisory board to ensure the materials are high quality and compliant with state standards. The materials were subject to approval by the SBOE. The curriculum is voluntary, but school districts will receive additional funding if they use them. If they opt-in to use Bluebonnet Learning, a second stream of additional funding will be made available to defray printing costs. Abbott said in May when the materials were made available for public review that they will “provide the necessary fundamentals in math, reading, science, and other core subjects” and “allow our students to better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events like the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the American Revolution,” The Center Square reported . Of the several issues opponents criticized, chief among them is proposed curriculum in the Language Arts material related to Christianity and the Bible. The American Federation of Teachers-Texas Chapter also took issue with additional state funding only being made available to school districts that opt-in, arguing the process is unethical and violates educational standards. “Every educator in this state agrees to a Code of Ethics . Among the standards we are expected to uphold by the state of Texas is that we shall not exclude a student from participation in a program, deny benefits to a student, or grant an advantage to a student on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, national origin, religion, family status, or sexual orientation,” AFT-Texas Chapter President Zeph Capo said . “Texas has a way of forcing us to violate this standard, usually about the time that the Legislature ends its session and the governor puts his pen to the signature line of so many counterproductive, detrimental bills. Today, though, it is the State Board of Education that has put us in the position of defying our Code of Ethics once more. “On Nov. 22, in a close vote that crossed party lines and was separated only by a last-minute political appointee, the SBOE voted to approve Bluebonnet Learning materials as curriculum resources for Texas public school districts.” Capo also said the materials “are not just inappropriate – they’re bad at what they proclaim to do. Instructional experts have expressed deep concerns about the age-appropriateness of the materials and whether they will be effective reading instruction.” The vote was held after significant public input. On Monday, more than 150 people signed up to testify before the board about the curriculum. On Tuesday, board members took a preliminary vote, 8-7, indicating it had enough votes to adopt the curriculum. This is after thousands weighed in after the material was made public in May. “A highly transparent, three-month public feedback period began in May 2024, giving the public an opportunity to review and offer comments on the proposed materials. The SBOE also welcomed several hours of public testimony at its September meeting where additional feedback on the product was received. TEA used these comments and feedback to further refine, edit and ready the product for final submission as part of the SBOE’s Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process - ensuring the materials are aligned with state standards and values,” the TEA explains. “The branding of Bluebonnet Learning began with feedback from teachers and parents seeking a clear, distinctive name to make the materials easier to recognize for educators and school systems. Bluebonnet Learning materials are Texas Open Education Resources (OER), meaning they are owned by the state, made available free to anyone, and can be modified over time to make them better for students and teachers.”The chalky ground beneath me threatens to crumble away. I am some 80 metres up the White Cliffs of Dover, using tufts of grass as ladder rungs to haul myself further into the sky. The top of the cliff lies just a few metres above, but getting there means a sideways traverse, away from the stable grass holds, and onto an exposed arête sliced between two overhangs. My stomach lurches as I train my eyes down the slope, trickles of dislodged pebbles bouncing off into the void beneath me. As my palms dampen with sweat in the searing July heat, the realisation hits me that a descent would be riskier than to continue up. I suddenly feel very small, very alone, and a long way from the flat refuge of Cambridge. It may be famed for its minds, but Cambridge is no place for climbers. Characterised by a relentlessly flat landscape shaped by centuries of the River Cam’s drainage, this is the UK’s flattest city. Spots like Midsummer Common or Jesus Green offer open, uninterrupted skies, with the iconic towers of King’s Chapel visible on the horizon from miles around. This flatness has seen biking become the city’s favoured mode of transport. While this is handy if you’re running late to a lecture, the landscape can feel stifling and monotonous for those seeking more varied terrain. Despite being 40 miles inland, much of Cambridge’s elevation sits at only 10 metres; some of the county’s areas are even sea level. So, it was here, in these endless fens, that my inspiration came to seek an entirely different landscape – to climb the White Cliffs of Dover. “The desire to climb is not new to the University, with the ‘night climbers’ perhaps being one of Cambridge’s most fascinating secret societies” “Ottavio,” I said, pointing to the cliffs towering above us back in the summer. “Reckon someone could reach the top of that?” “I doubt it,” my friend replied. “Way too steep. Maybe if, well actually I don’t think...” And so, the seed was planted. The cliffs loomed large in my mind in the ensuing weeks of corporate monotony during this interval between academic years. When our days off aligned, we returned to Dover. Our location was Samphire Hoe, a nature reserve composed of nearly five million cubic metres of rubble deposits from the Channel Tunnel excavation. We chose this section of the cliff as it is less steep than the vertical, postcard-esque cliffs above the Port of Dover a kilometre down the coast. Instead of the panoramic skies offered at Cambridge, here we indulged in expansive horizons of the English Channel, with distant ferries like caterpillars on an infinitely blue leaf, and France visible just 22 miles away. Like Cambridge, the Dover Cliffs are entrenched in history. They represented the bastion of British freedom from a seemingly imminent Nazi invasion during the early years of World War II. Soldiers were stationed in tunnels here, using pioneering technology developed by many of the brilliant minds of the time. King’s College alumni Alan Turing, for instance, cracked the German Enigma code, significantly helping Britain’s war victory. But the history of these cliffs dates back much further. “The University has also produced pioneering adventurers over the years, most notable of which was early Everest explorer George Mallory, who studied at Magdalene between 1905 to 1909” Around 30 years before Cambridge University was founded, Henry II built Dover Castle in the 1180s. Some 500 years prior, Saint Augustine brought Christianity to Britain when he landed a few miles up the coast – a legacy reflected in the iconic church architecture of Cambridge’s college chapels. The desire to climb is not new to the University, with the ‘night climbers’ perhaps being one of Cambridge’s most fascinating secret societies. Shrouded in mystery, this group have scaled some of the town’s most iconic buildings in the cover of darkness since the early 20th century. One member abseiled into a Trinity Ball in 2000, and in 2009, the group made national headlines are after leaving four Santa hats on the spires of King’s Chapel. “By contrast, the Rambling Club are unbothered by this lack of elevation” The University has also produced pioneering adventurers over the years, most notable of which was early Everest explorer George Mallory, who studied at Magdalene between 1905 to 1909. In his book , Emmanuel Fellow Robert Macfarlane recounts his Cantabrigian longing for elevation: “Stuck on the tablelands of Cambridgeshire... I lusted for a break. The only relief was the dark church towers which punctuated the horizon, and the white spires of the colleges, pirouetting away into thin air.” By contrast, the Rambling Club are unbothered by this lack of elevation. “The flatness can mess with your mind on long distances when you see the expanses of impossible vastness, but it’s kind of exciting when that happens,” their Treasurer tells me. “I love mountains, but the flat land here has charm and character too.” Cambridge’s Mountaineering Club (CUMC) keeps this spirit of adventure alive, offering regular trips to the Peak District. READ MORE An ode to the welfare walk For me, this longing led me to Dover. Upon reaching the beach that scorching July day, we gazed at the rock above, drawing a potential route in our minds. Far from being a place of barren sterility, the cliff face was alive. During my free-solo ascent (no safety ropes), I passed beetles, orchids and bees, all thriving in this isolated utopia, a place idyllic for them but perilous for us. Reaching the top was a moment of bliss, earned through fear and fatigue as the panorama of the English Channel unfurled in front of me. But my thoughts drifted back to Cambridge. Returning here reminded me that adventure isn’t confined to the highest places or most dazzling viewpoints; it can be found anywhere with serenity, challenge and the space to dream. Cambridge may not soar, but it gives us the wings to do so. Support is the independent newspaper for the University of Cambridge, established in its current form in 1947. In order to maintain our editorial independence, our print newspaper and news website receives no funding from the University of Cambridge or its constituent Colleges. We are therefore almost entirely reliant on advertising for funding and we expect to have a tough few months and years ahead. 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