Oct 10 Washington voters will see competing gun measures on their state ballot this year By Rachel La Corte, Associated Press OLYMPIA, Wash. — Two competing measures on the Washington state ballot this fall ask voters to take a stance on expanded background checks for gun sales. One is seeking universal checks for all sales and transfers, including private transactions. The… Continue reading
Sep 13 Watch ‘New York’s Picasso’ removed from iconic eatery after legal dispute By PBS News Hour After more than 12 hours of careful maneuvering, workers at New York's Four Seasons restaurant removed "Le Tricorne," a nearly-century old Picasso tapestry painting. The move follows a legal dispute between the building's owner and the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Continue watching
Sep 10 Texting while driving? Long Island DA wants to disable your phone By Corinne Segal In Long Island, drivers hooked on their phones could soon see new penalties for distracted driving. Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice has proposed the use of a “kill switch” to disable the phone of someone who has been convicted… Continue reading
Sep 04 Demanding higher wages, fast-food workers plan biggest national strike to date By Anna Christiansen The largest fast-food employee protest is poised to happen across the nation today. Organizers, including fast-food workers from KFC, Burger King, McDonald’s and other convenience restaurants, are demanding a pay bump to $15 an hour and fervently pushing to unionize. Continue reading
Aug 15 Watch Beyond Einstein: Exhibit challenges scope of genius By PBS News Hour How common are geniuses? An exhibit on display at the Morgan Library in New York City features dozens of priceless manuscripts and artifacts -- all reflecting the idea of genius throughout world history. But experts say society may be returning… Continue watching
Aug 13 Watch News Wrap: White House considering Yazidi rescue measures By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Wednesday, President Obama moved closer toward rescue steps for thousands of Yazidi refugees who are trapped on a mountain in Northern Iraq by fighters of the Islamic State group. The deputy national security advisor suggested a… Continue watching
Aug 10 Amid pressure, New York releases half of Common Core test questions By Carey Reed In response to requests by educators and parent-teacher associations, the New York State Department of Education released 50 percent of the Common Core-based English Language Arts and Math test questions for exams taken by students in the third through eighth… Continue reading
Aug 03 UPDATE: New York becomes latest state to challenge teacher tenure law By Tracy Wholf Two separate education advocacy groups have filed suits in New York challenging the state’s teacher tenure laws, claiming that current laws, which protect teacher employment, violate the constitutional rights of children and make it difficult to dismiss ineffective teachers. Continue reading
Aug 03 Watch Upwardly mobile: Paraclimbers overcome perceived limitations of disability By PBS News Hour Last month in Atlanta, 39 competitors took part in the first ever National Paraclimbing Championships sponsored by USA Climbing, the governing body of competitive climbing in the United States. NewsHour Weekend visited with some of the athletes in Brooklyn as… Continue watching
Jul 15 Watch Could Brooklyn hipsters help save the middle class? By PBS News Hour Frozen ginger slushies, tea-based pro-biotic drinks, a bed bug-killing steam machine -- these are just a few of the locally-grown products coming out of Brooklyn’s burgeoning artisan economy. But as popular as these start-ups may be, are they generating more… Continue watching