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Two major automakers are joining forces to surviveDana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. Related Articles National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak National Politics | Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson. ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.None
Kwasi Appiah remains the best Black Stars coach in the last decadeBy Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two of President-elect Donald Trump's most controversial nominees, Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, sought support from U.S. senators on Monday, but it remained uncertain whether they would get the near-unanimous Republican backing they will need to win confirmation. Former Fox News personality Hegseth held a second meeting with Senator Joni Ernst, a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor seen as a key to the decorated Army National Guard veteran's hopes for becoming secretary of Defense. Ernst's statement afterward seemed to open the door to voting for Hegseth. She said the nominee had committed to completing a Pentagon audit and selecting an official who would address the issue of sexual assault within the ranks. "As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources," Ernst said. Hegseth faces concerns about allegations of misconduct in his professional and personal life, including accusations of sexual assault, which he denies. Several of his supporters have called for his accusers to come forward publicly. Trump has kept his support strongly behind Hegseth, predicting he will be confirmed. Hegseth told reporters the meeting with Ernst had gone well, saying, "The more we talk, the more we are reminded that we are two combat veterans and we are dedicated to defense." Trump's fellow Republicans will hold only a slim 53-47 Senate majority next year, meaning nominees can afford just three Republican no's and still be confirmed, if Democrats unite against them. Former Representative Gabbard, Trump's choice for director of national intelligence, arrived for Senate meetings as the abrupt fall on Sunday of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad prompted renewed scrutiny of her 2017 visit to Damascus. Gabbard, a former Democrat who lacks significant intelligence experience, is also seen as soft on Russia, although her supporters say she has a healthy skepticism about foreign U.S. military involvement, in keeping with the America First policies of Trump, whom she endorsed this year. Her selection to be director of national intelligence in November sent shock waves through the national security establishment, adding to concerns that the intelligence community would become increasingly political. Gabbard did not respond on Monday when reporters at the Capitol asked her to respond to events in Syria. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .
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Immigration measures announced as part of Canada’s border response to president-elect Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat are starting to be implemented, beginning with a ban on what’s known as “flagpoling.” This is when someone who was in Canada on a temporary visa leaves for the U.S. then quickly re-enters Canada to access immigration services at a port of entry. The restriction on providing work and study permits to flagpolers takes effect today. Last week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that going forward temporary visa holders will have to apply online to extend their stay in Canada. The Canadian Border Services Agency processed more than 69,300 people who engaged in flagpoling in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. There are still rare exceptions where a person will be granted a work or study permit even though they meet the definition of flagpoling, including international truck drivers with a work permit, professionals under certain free trade agreements and American citizens. Miller first announced the plan to ban the practice on Dec. 17, alongside Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc who promised a border control package worth $1.3 billion. This includes removing the point value for having a job offer in Canada’s express entry immigration system. The stated goal of this change is to reduce and prevent immigration fraud. In a social media post, Miller said this will take effect in the spring and that it will be a temporary measure. A broader review of the express entry program is being conducted, and a future decision on the value of a job offer in that system will be made at that time. A labour market impact assessment, a key document required for an employer to hire a foreign worker, is currently worth 50 to 200 points in the express entry system. Applicants are not supposed to pay for these, but a black market has emerged where people are charging tens of thousands of dollars for these documents. Applications that are already in progress won’t be affected once this change takes effect. Miller also said the government is looking at ways to streamline Canada’s asylum system at that Dec. 17 press conference. This includes exploring options to “quickly deal with” illegitimate claims. The government’s broader border measures plan to respond to Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat also includes enhanced aerial surveillance and drug detection efforts.
The Texas State Board of Education has approved a set of lesson plans for elementary students that includes stories from the Bible. TEXAS - The Texas State Board of Education has approved a set of lesson plans for elementary students that includes stories from the Bible . The state board chose to add the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum to a list of approved learned materials on Friday afternoon. The curriculum covers kindergarten through fifth grade and has some lessons that incorporate well-known Bible stories. The decision was made by a narrow 8-7 vote. "It overwhelmingly emphasizes Christianity above any other religion, and that's unconstitutional and so we want to call attention to that and make sure that all religious backgrounds are respected and treated equally," Texas Freedom Network Political Director Rocio Fierro-Perez said. "The teachers aren't going in there to preach to students, right, we're looking at different subjects and bringing up Christian values that will basically, it’s a brushstroke of things throughout the scriptures," Pastor Richard Vega said. The State Board of Education is moving forward with a plan to allow the use of textbooks that include stories from the Bible. Critical votes are being made, with a final vote coming later this week The 15-member board includes 11 Republicans and four Democrats. One of the board members is a Republican who was appointed to the board just weeks ago by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to temporarily fill a vacant seat. Days after that appointment, a Democrat who ran unopposed was elected to fill that same board seat starting next year. Abbott has publicly expressed his support for the learning materials. The resources were initially presented to the State Board of Education in the summer, but have since been revised after analysts found that they relied too heavily on religion in their teachings. "Had it not been for the Christian bias in this content, I do really find value in how a lot of these lessons are laid out," Texas State Board of Education member Marisa Perez-Diaz said. "I just do not feel that these materials are yet reflective of the experience and nuance of Texas students," Texas State Board of Education member Staci Childs said. One lesson on the Golden Rule, mentions the Sermon on the Mount. That lesson also notes how other religions have variations of the Golden Rule. The lessons come with examples from the stories of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. A lesson on classical art shows how stories from the Book of Genesis were used by painters and there's a study section on poetry that mentions the Book of Psalms. Critics argued the optional teaching materials blur the line between the separation of church and state. Supporters said the materials are not limited to Judeo-Christian texts and can have current world operations. "Does it work? Well, I have a school district, a district in my SBOE district that did it, and I went and watched it. I watched it. I sat in the classroom, and I think it works," said Tom Maynard, a member of the State Board of Education. In a last-ditch effort to squash part of the proposed material, the vote was split between Bluebonnet Learning English, Language Arts, and Reading, and Bluebonnet Learning Math. "Eight, seven, the motion passes," Texas State Board of Education Chair Aaron Kinsey said. Bluebonnet English, Language Arts, and Reading narrowly passed. "Thirteen, two, the motion passes," Texas State Board of Education Chair Aaron Kinsey said. Bluebonnet Math passed. Texas school districts will be able to choose what curriculum they want to use, but the state will offer a financial incentive of $60 per student to any district using Bluebonnet Learning. The curriculum is expected to be available by August 2025. Sections below include examples of how religion is presented in Bluebonnet Learning materials. Kindergarten The section below is from Bluebonnet Learning's lesson on the Golden Rule. "Several books of the Christian Bible describe a man who lived a long, long time ago—nearly 2,000 years ago—in a part of the world that is very far from here. The man was named Jesus. One of the books of the Bible describes Jesus giving a talk atop a small mountain. During this talk he wanted to share some very important lessons, so he climbed the mountain and spoke to a group of people who were gathered to hear him. The talks Jesus gave were called sermons. A sermon is a talk, like a lesson shared by a teacher, but the focus of the lesson is on a religious or moral subject. When Jesus talked about morals in his sermons, he was talking about the right and wrong way to act. Because Jesus shared this sermon up on a mountain, this talk is called 'the Sermon on the Mount.'" Read the full instructional materials here . First Grade The section below is from Bluebonnet Learning's lesson on the prodigal son. "The text for today’s lesson, a story on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, is derived from the Book of Luke, a book of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The parable recounts the story of a rebellious son and his forgiving father. The term "prodigal son" has become ubiquitous in popular culture as a way to describe a wayward child. The inclusion of the parable in this unit helps build background knowledge useful for students in future studies of literature and history." Read the full instructional materials here . Third Grade The section below is from Bluebonnet Learning's lesson on Ancient Rome. "Two thousand years ago, when Augustus Caesar ruled the Roman Empire, a Jewish man who lived in Judea would ultimately have a very significant impact on the history of the empire and beyond. His name was Jesus of Nazareth. The Roman historian Josephus described some of Jesus’s life and his death at the hands of Roman authorities." "The Christian Bible explains that throughout his life, Jesus taught about God’s love and forgiveness, and performed many miracles. For many early Christians and Christians today, accounts of miracles performed by Jesus are an important part of their beliefs, and it encouraged a rapid spreading of the faith. Some of these miracles included healing the sick, walking on water, and calming a raging storm." Read the full instructional materials here . Fifth Grade The section below is from Bluebonnet Learning's lesson on Juneteenth. "Abraham Lincoln and other leading abolitionists relied on a deep Christian faith and commitment to America’s founding principles that people should be equal under the law to guide their certainty of the injustice of slavery." Read the full instructional materials here. Information in this article comes from the Texas State Board of Education, the Associated Press, Bluebonnet Learning materials and previous FOX reporting.AP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:46 p.m. EST
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