BREC Commission appoints interim superintendent
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The BREC Commission announced Janet Simmons as the park system's interim superintendent.
According to BREC, Simmons brings over 40 years of leadership experience and most recently served as the president and CEO of HOPE Ministries of Baton Rouge. She is set to take over as interim superintendent on June 1.
The commission appointed Simmons on May 23 after current Superintendent Corey K. Wilson announced he would not be seeking a contract renewal in March. Wilson's final day with the agency as its top leader is May 31. According to BREC, he will work with the agency in a contracted advisory role through January 2026.
'I remain fully committed to BREC's continued success and to ensuring a seamless leadership handoff,' said Wilson. 'While I had anticipated serving through January 2026, I respect the Commission's decision to begin the next chapter sooner. I am proud of what we've accomplished together and will continue supporting the organization in every way I can during this transition.'
The leadership transition allows the commission to start its national search for a permanent superintendent.
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Hamilton Spectator
14 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Friends identify victims in Horseshoe Bay bus crash
Community members are coming together to mourn a loss and rally support for a family after a four-year-old boy died after being struck by a bus driver in Horseshoe Bay last Wednesday. West Vancouver police responded to a crash at Keith Road and Bay Street around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, where three pedestrians were reported 'to be pinned beneath a transit bus,' according to a release from West Van police. Firefighters and paramedics were on scene to provide life-saving efforts for the three individuals, police said in a statement last week. Four-year-old Leonardo Machado died on scene. His mother, Silvana Schramm, is still in the hospital but in stable condition. The second woman, who is believed to be a family friend, was also taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. Theresa Morrison, a friend and co-worker of the boy's father, launched a GoFundMe Sunday to raise funds to help the family with funeral and transportation expenses and ongoing rehabilitation for the mother. Morrison has been overwhelmed by how much support she is seeing from the community to help the family. 'Just knowing how many people have been touched by this tragedy, I know … the message that [the father] has for everyone right now is that tragedies can and do bring people together, and tragedies can defeat you or you can succeed them,' Morrison said. Morrison and her husband are owners of AJ's Brooklyn Pizza Joint in Vancouver, where the boy's father, Clineu Machado, has worked for the last four years. The mother and son reportedly spent the day on Bowen Island before the tragic crash. 'On that beautiful Wednesday she wanted to adventure with Leonardo to Bowen Island for the day, as they loved to travel and see new things,' the GoFundMe post reads. 'They had a wonderful day, sharing pictures with Leonardo's father throughout.' Leonardo's parents are from Brazil but have been Canadian citizens and made Vancouver their home for many years. Now, the family is faced with the difficult decision to bring Leonardo home to Brazil for burial, if the mother can travel, or bring family members to Canada to say their final goodbyes. As of Tuesday morning, more than $120,000 had been raised to go towards the family, far surpassing their initial goal of $65,000. 'My team, the AJ family, they're very close, a number of [employees] who've worked together for many years, and so this has certainly impacted them,' Morrison said. 'We're leaning on each other and supporting each other as best as we can.' A post shared by AJ's Pizza (@ajsbklynpizzajoint) Since the crash, the aftermath has been felt by people across the community. A memorial has been growing on the Keith Road and Bay Street intersection with flowers and stuffed animals, steps away from where the fatal crash happened. Last week, West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager and municipal staff shared their condolences on the accident and thanked first responders for their efforts. 'The accident is a horrible tragedy and sad beyond all measure,' Sager said. 'On behalf of all of council, I want to express that our heartfelt thoughts are with the families and all those impacted. I would also like to express gratitude to everyone helping at this very difficult and unthinkably sad time.' The Horseshoe Bay Business Association is also pitching in to help, rescheduling their annual Taste of the Bay event with proceeds going to the family. Originally set to take place on the day of the crash, the event features dozens of businesses and musicians in the commercial district of Horseshoe Bay, where people can walk around and explore. Despite the heartbreaking incident, president of the business association Megan Sewell said she's noticed how the community is uniting together to help those impacted. 'It was a very tragic event that impacted everyone here in Horseshoe Bay, whether they were physically here or not, it definitely hits home for a lot of people,' Sewell said. 'The one thing that's special about Horseshoe Bay is how resilient our community is. We always unite together to make it through whatever the struggle might be.' 'I'm watching people put flowers down by the incident. You can just see that empathy and love and support the different members of the community are giving one another as they hold space for the family and the victims that witnessed the tragic incident,' she added. A post shared by Horseshoe Bay Business Association (@discoverhorseshoebay) Taste of the Bay will run Wednesday, June 11 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at Blenz and Tolls, she said. As the community helps raise funds, West Vancouver police are continuing their investigation into the cause of the crash. The local police department is working with Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) and the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) branch. The ICARS unit conducts forensic reconstruction of collisions that result in serious injury or death, from Pemberton to Boston Bar. Police said last week while the investigation is in the early stages, speed was not a contributing factor. The bus was taken in for a mechanical inspection. The bus driver was identified as a TransLink employee and is fully co-operating with investigators. Sgt. Chris Bigland said that the investigation will likely be completed six months from now. There are a number of support services available to help those affected by the tragedy. Anyone who directly witnessed or was involved in last week's incident can call West Vancouver police victim services line at 604-925-7468. The BC Mental Health & Crisis Response line is also available for those struggling with the aftermath of the event at 310-6789 (no area code needed). West Vancouver police ask witnesses or those who were in the area and have footage to call their non-emergency line at 604-925-7300, quoting file number #25-5042. Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Republicans Who Might Vote 'No' on Trump's Spending Bill
The Senate is back in session — and facing a steep challenge right out of the gate. At the top of its agenda: President Trump's sweeping tax and immigration package, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill. Republicans hope to pass it by July 4, but that timeline is already in doubt. Several GOP senators — including Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski — have raised concerns about the bill, which squeaked through the House last month by a single vote. The stakes are high. The outcome could reshape everything from border enforcement to corporate taxes, and test just how unified Republicans really are heading into the 2026 midterms. House Speaker Mike Johnson has even crossed the Capitol to urge Senate Republicans to stay in lockstep and make 'as few modifications as possible.' Here's a look at the internal pushback — and the parts of the bill causing the biggest rift. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has emerged as one of the loudest Republican critics of Trump's sweeping budget plan, arguing it would send the national debt soaring. 'There's no one left in Washington who cares about the debt if I vote for this,' Paul said Sunday on Face the Nation. 'The GOP will own the debt once they vote for this.' His concern isn't without merit: the House-passed bill raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion, while a Senate-approved blueprint from earlier this year calls for a $5 trillion increase. But as Paul argues, 'the math doesn't add up.' Instead of backing the full package, Paul is pushing a more limited alternative: a $500 billion short-term debt ceiling hike that would buy time for Republicans to confirm whether promised spending cuts are actually being enforced. Still, Paul's opposition has drawn the ire of the president, who wrote on Truth Social that Rand 'never has any practical or constructive ideas.' Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is sounding the alarm over proposed changes to Medicaid, a program she says is vital to her state and not equipped for what's coming. She's particularly concerned about new work requirements, warning they could be 'very challenging, if not impossible' to implement given Alaska's outdated administrative systems. The legislation, passed by the House, would require childless, nondisabled adults ages 19 to 64 to meet work requirements to maintain coverage. It would also require states to conduct more frequent eligibility checks — a provision Murkowski fears could disrupt care for vulnerable residents, especially in tribal communities that rely heavily on Medicaid. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is a somewhat unexpected voice of dissent on this issue, given his close alignment with President Trump. But he's sounding alarms about potential Medicaid cuts — particularly their impact on low-income Americans and rural communities. In a New York Times op-ed earlier this month, Hawley called 'slashing health insurance for the working poor' both 'morally wrong and politically suicidal.' He's also criticized efforts to freeze provider taxes, warning it could force rural hospitals to shut their doors. 'If rural hospitals close, what's the difference between that and a benefit cut?' he said. And Hawley hasn't stopped at statements. Earlier this year, he joined Sen. Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins in supporting an amendment to strip a directive from the budget resolution that would have instructed lawmakers to cut $880 billion from Medicaid, though the effort ultimately failed. Maine Sen. Susan Collins has been a consistent voice against cuts to federal Medicaid funding. 'Medicaid is a critically important program for Maine's health care system and a vital resource for many seniors, low-income families, disabled patients, and those who cannot work,' she said in a recent statement. Like Sen. Josh Hawley, Collins warns that shifting more health care costs to states could push already struggling hospitals and providers 'to the edge of insolvency.' Though she joined Murkowski and Hawley in backing a Medicaid amendment earlier this year, Collins seems poised to support the final bill. For her, the need to keep the party united and push the administration's priorities may outweigh earlier reservations. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is calling for deeper spending cuts than those proposed in the current package. He went so far as to dismiss the plan's $1.5 trillion reduction, saying it 'isn't squat.' Like Sen. Paul, Johnson supports breaking the bill into smaller parts and favors a short-term spending hike extension. While he hasn't explicitly said he will oppose the final bill, Johnson has signaled that conservative lawmakers could push back hard. 'We need to be responsible, and the first goal of our budget reconciliation process should be to reduce the deficit,' he told CNN last weekend. 'This actually increases it.' North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis is pushing back on the bill's proposed rollback of energy tax incentives, warning it could have serious economic consequences for his state. He argues that ending the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy credits would derail years of planning and leave many companies scrambling to adapt. Adding to the pressure, Trump adviser Elon Musk — though not an elected official — has denounced the package as an 'abomination' that would balloon the deficit. With criticism mounting from both inside and outside the party, the question now isn't just whether the bill will pass, but what it might cost to get there. The post The Republicans Who Might Vote 'No' on Trump's Spending Bill appeared first on Katie Couric Media.


The Hill
17 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump bill takes unfriendly fire from GOP allies
President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' took unfriendly fire from several White House allies Tuesday, including Elon Musk, complicating its path out of the Senate and to the president's desk. Musk offered stinging criticism of the bill just days after he left the administration, calling it 'a disgusting abomination.' 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' Musk posted on his social platform X. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' the tech mogul continued, taking direct aim at House Republicans and drawing rebukes from GOP leaders in Congress. It's all a matter of bad timing for the president, who just went into overdrive seeking to win over GOP critics of the House bill. Trump made a series of calls in recent days as he begins the effort to get the bill through the Senate, where it faces calls for more spending cuts from the likes of Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). Separately, GOP senators such as Josh Hawley (Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) have other worries, ranging from what the bill would do to those on Medicaid to green tax credits. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had to react to the Musk missive in real time, as a reporter read her his post. 'The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,' she said, brushing off Musk's bruising commentary. 'It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one, big, beautiful bill and he's sticking to it.' A few GOP senators, though, quickly sided with Musk. Paul backed the billionaire's comments after he had doubled down on his own objections to the bill, saying that he strongly opposes raising the debt ceiling, which would be hiked by $4 trillion under the current legislation. The president earlier Tuesday had directly slammed Paul, accusing the Kentucky lawmaker of voting 'NO on everything' and 'never' having 'practical or constructive ideas.' Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also backed Musk, calling the deficit increase 'nothing short of stunning.' Johnson, another Trump ally, has harped on the need for the bill to be slashed in size in a series of cable news interviews. The White House on Tuesday signaled it wasn't worried about the GOP criticism. 'Those senators, it's not news that they disagree with this president on policy and the president has vocally called them out for it and for not having their facts together,' Leavitt said, calling the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) 'historically wrong' over its cost projections of the GOP plan. 'He's entitled to his opinion. I think that's a bit strong,' added Tillis, who told The Hill earlier in the day that he would oppose the House bill if that were the final version. 'I think there's a fair amount of policy in the bill. I think what Elon is talking about is a fraction of the bill. I don't believe he's focusing on a number of the things that even the American people's not focused on.' The airing of grievances comes at a make-or-break moment for the GOP, as they try to complete work by July Fourth, which members have laid out as a goal date as they attempt to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent and eliminate taxes on tips, among other things. Trump is getting in on the action, speaking over the phone or meeting in person with Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Hawley, Johnson and Paul in recent days. 'He knows the list,' said one source familiar with the Senate state of play, referring to the members who must be won over. According to Johnson, Trump called him recently after his multiple TV appearances where he has heaped criticism on the House bill and talked up the needed spending cuts. 'He understands my concerns. He would love to return to reasonable, pre-pandemic spending,' Johnson said of Trump. '[That's] hard to accomplish in the House, I recognize that fact as well. … He expressed his concerns and I expressed mine. They're legitimate concerns on both sides.' The Wisconsin Republican also noted that he spoke on Monday night with White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who subsequently appeared at the weekly Senate GOP luncheon on Tuesday. Trump is 'deeply involved' with 'personally advocating' for the bill and there will be additional meetings going forward between the administration and lawmakers to get it passed, a White House official told The Hill. Hawley told The Hill that their discussion is part of a 'rolling' one centered on his opposition to Medicaid benefit cuts — an opposition that Trump shares. 'We talk on a pretty consistent basis,' he said. 'He's so involved. On the House side, they wouldn't have landed the plane without him.' 'He's very — to put it mildly — very, very involved, and I think he'll be, as the bill comes into focus on this side, I think he'll get more involved,' Hawley continued. 'He's how [Speaker] Mike Johnson passed it. Without him, they would never have passed it.' Scott said that he met with Trump at the White House at the president's behest to discuss the avenue to getting it done. The Florida Republican has been aligned with Johnson and Lee in the hopes of increasing spending cuts. Paul also said that he had a 'lengthy' call with the president in recent days. The Kentucky Republican has long been believed to be the toughest GOP member to win over, given his opposition to the debt ceiling hike. 'He did most of the talking,' Paul said. Although members concede Trump's impact is more acute with House members, given the political dynamics in the chamber, they still see the president as having real sway to get the package over the finish line. 'He's the closer,' Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told The Hill. 'The president clearly is very dialed in right now.'