11/04/2012
Abbas comment sets off Hamas protest
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Hundreds of Hamas supporters took to the streets of Gaza on Saturday, protesting against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and accusing him of giving up a key demand from Israel: a so-called "right of return." Abbas, however, said he did no such thing. Abbas leads the Palestinian Fatah movement based in the West Bank, which has battled Hamas for power. Over the weekend, in an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Abbas spoke about being originally from the town of Safed in northern Israel. He said he would want to go back to visit, but not to live. "I want to see Safed. It's my right to see it, but not to live there," he said. "Palestine now for me is '67 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital," he added, referring to the borders that existed before the 1967 war. "I believe that West Bank and Gaza is Palestine, and the other parts is Israel." Many Palestinian officials have generally argued that Palestinians should have a right to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel. Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil, speaking at one of two Hamas rallies Saturday in Gaza, said Abbas "must apologize to the Palestinian people" for his remarks. Protesters trampled on posters of Abbas, saying he had abandoned the demand for a right of return. But Abbas insisted that he was only speaking for himself. Palestinian state-run news agency WAFA carried a quote from an Abbas spokesman saying that whoever "accepts a temporary state is the one who gives up the right to return." That idea has long been suggested: that Palestinians who would choose to live in an independent Palestinian state would give up demanding a right of return. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he had seen the interview, and heard that Abbas "has already gone back on what he said. But this only proves how important it is to get into direct negotiations without any preconditions. Only direct negotiations will allow us to clarify what the true positions are." Netanyahu added that if Abbas "is indeed serious and intends to push the peace process forward, as far as I am concerned, we can sit together immediately. Jerusalem and Ramallah are seven minutes apart. I am prepared to start the talks today." He called on Abbas "to return immediately to the negotiating table without conditions." CNN's Kareen Khadder, Talal Abu Rahma, and Josh Levs contributed to this report. |
New player in education jumps into state races
By Sarah Butrymowicz, The Hechinger Report A dozen states are poised to pass significant education reforms this year, depending on the outcome of next week's election. State-level candidates in many of them want to abolish teacher tenure and tie teacher evaluations to student tests. On the ground trying to make sure they win is a new organization, StudentsFirst, founded by former Washington D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. The group has infused cash and organizing into races in states such as California, Iowa and Michigan, where teachers unions have historically dominated politics and enshrined such policies as tenure and pay based on seniority in state law. StudentsFirst hopes to undercut unions' power and remove many of the labor protections that unions support. The 2012 election is the group's first real test. In Missouri, another state on the brink of wide-scale changes in education, StudentsFirst has poured more than $100,000 into campaigns since the primaries and recruited more than 40,000 members to push for the election of 21 candidates it has endorsed. Nationwide, the group has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in primary and general elections. Due to the reputation of its founder as a tough and unapologetic enemy of unions, StudentsFirst has the highest profile among a small number of similar groups, including Stand for Children and Democrats for Education Reform, that have emerged in the last few years to fight policies typically supported by unions. Most recently, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he had formed a super PAC to back candidates that support, among other things, the education reforms he has pushed in New York, including expansion of school choice. "Typically if you voted for school reform, you came under the wrath of the protectors of the status quo," said Tim Melton, the StudentsFirst legislative director, referring to the unions. "[We're a] new group that lets people know if they want to take some of those tough votes, someone's going to stand with them." For years, the unions have dominated the political landscape on education. They are often major campaign donors and organizers for candidates that they endorse. The rise of outside groups eager to influence education policy corresponds with a growing number of candidates who are paying attention to the issue. In recent years, nearly every state in the country has passed some sort of significant education reform bill. They have changed curriculum standards, expanded charter schools or revamped teacher evaluations. "When you look at education, it hasn't been something that has been a political dynamo issue for candidates to run on," Melton said. "You just now see in the last three years a major shift." More from The Hechinger Report
StudentsFirst came to Missouri in January after being approached by both Democratic and Republican members of the state Legislature. It worked to get a charter school bill passed, but fell short on a bill that would reform Missouri's teacher tenure law. The legislation would have extended the time before a teacher can receive tenure from five years to 10. It passed narrowly in the House, but failed in the Senate. Union officials say five years is more than enough time to weed out low-performing teachers. StudentsFirst plans on returning to the issue after the election is over, and Melton is hopeful the numbers will be on his side this time. "It could be one or two members in a chamber that could make a significant difference," Melton said. The Missouri National Education Association (MNEA) and StudentsFirst have endorsed opposing candidates in eight races, including the race for lieutenant governor, and the same candidate in five. Chris Guinther, MNEA president, stressed that the union did not pay attention to the StudentsFirst endorsements. Her organization does its own independent selection process, she said. Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter But she is unhappy about the presence of StudentsFirst in state politics. "I would hope the Missouri legislators are willing to listen to those who work in our public schools every day rather than someone who flies in from California," she said. "Who in public education, who in service to our children doesn't put students first?" The Missouri Association of Teachers has found even less common ground with StudentsFirst. The union supports only one candidate that StudentsFirst also endorsed. In an open letter on its website, the association said the campaign of any candidate that takes StudentFirst money will be considered "anti-public education." Melton said he was unaware of the letter. "They represent their members, we represent the interest of students. I would hope that we can find [joint interest]," he said. "You can give them my phone number if they actually want to have a real conversation about that." Watch the Top Videos on NBCNews.com Whether StudentsFirst will have the impact it's hoping for, however, remains to be seen. Only 10 of 17 candidates the group endorsed in Missouri's primary elections last spring won. StudentsFirst could gain as much power as the unions, eventually, said Mike Antonucci, director of the Education Intelligence Agency, a group that monitors teachers unions. That won't happen any time soon though, he said. The unions have a built-in organizational structure that others have yet to match. Teachers' unions push to get educators elected "It looks to me like StudentsFirst has money; they don't have the organization," said Antonucci. "If you're going to compete with [the unions], you have to have both." Nov. 6 will provide the first clues as to whether StudentsFirst is likely to be a true player in state elections. "Part of what we perceive to be their influence will actually be determined next Tuesday," Guinther said, noting that her group was braced to have a tenure debate again. "I'm sure they'll be back." This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education-news outlet based at Teachers College, Columbia University. More content from NBCNews.com:
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NYC crime falls by one third in wake of Sandy
By Reuters NEW YORK - New York City crime dropped by a third in the days after superstorm Sandy, but there was a slight increase in burglaries after at least 15 people were charged with looting empty businesses and homes blacked out since the disaster. Between Monday - when the storm hit, killing 41 people in the city - and Friday, murder dropped by 86 percent, rape fell 44 percent, robbery decreased by 30 percent, assault by 31 percent, larceny by 48 percent and car thefts by 24 percent. Burglaries rose by 3 percent. Experts say flooding in the Big Apple can be prevented in the future by building seawalls, levees or gigantic surge barriers. NBC's Richard Engel reports. During that period, overall crime declined in New York City by 32 percent from the same week the year before. "Overall, there were 1,061 crimes over the last five days compared to 1,541 last year," New York police spokesman Paul Browne said in a statement. "Police continued to be deployed to storm-affected areas by the thousands on extended tours of duty to provide security and recovery assistance." Read more Sandy coverage on NBCNews.com The drop in crime comes as New York police have been stretched to respond to one of the worst natural disasters to hit the region, sparking dangerous rescue efforts and concerns about crime in storm-darkened neighborhoods. Browne said that earlier on Saturday, a man wearing a Red Cross jacket was arrested for burglary on Staten Island after police saw him checking the front doors of unoccupied houses. With collapsed roads and destroyed homes along the New York area shore, the changes have altered the coastline and accelerated beach erosion. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports. Police presence at gas stations was increased on Saturday, said Browne, after at least 10 people were arrested on Friday for various disputes over line jumping. Drivers have been lining up for hours and tempers have been fraying as gas became scarce. Five other people were arrested for disorderly conduct at gas stations on Saturday, he said. In Queens, more than 15 people have been charged with looting and a man was charged with threatening another driver with a gun after trying to cut in on a line of cars waiting for gas, District Attorney Richard Brown said earlier this week. More content from NBCNews.com:
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11/03/2012
Police helicopter crash kills 2 in Atlanta
Atlanta (CNN) -- It started as a helicopter search for a missing 9-year old boy. About two hours later, the police chopper lay in pieces on a city street, two officers were dead and hundreds of northwest Atlanta residents had no power. The helicopter with two officers on board crashed late Saturday night, just miles from downtown. It was flying low to enable the officers to conduct a more thorough search, according to Atlanta Police Chief George Turner. Both officers died on impact. "Losing an officer is the most difficult thing a police chief can face," Turner said. "Losing two is an unthinkable tragedy. Our hearts go out to the families of these officers and our thoughts and prayers are with them. This is a difficult day ... it is a reminder of their bravery and the sacrifices made by our officers every day." There were no injuries on the ground, but the crash knocked out power to 1,300 Georgia Power customers. "I don't know specifics of what happened in that crash. We believe it is a result of the helicopter," said John Kraft, a spokesman for Georgia Power. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. Turner said his department has cordoned off the area, but has turned the investigation over to the federal authorities. The boy was found safe. CNN's Maggie Schneider and Ayana Smith contributed to this report. |