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Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Students flex civics knowledge at local round of National Civics Bee
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Several of the region's brightest young citizens demonstrated their civics knowledge and community service Wednesday at the Schuylkill County chapter of the National Civics Bee, hosted by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce. The event — the first-ever Schuylkill County edition of the civics bee — brought together 18 local students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades to compete in two rounds of multiple-choice quizzes, followed by a panel of questions for the top five contestants. The event was held at Penn State Schuylkill's John E. Morgan Auditorium. The students were selected based on essays they had submitted to the Civics Bee on a topic of their choice, exploring community service projects they wanted to undertake. Those essays were read by National Civics Bee judges across the country. The local event consisted of two initial rounds of multiple-choice questions on topics related to the federal government, citizenship and history. Audience members also had the chance to participate by joining on their phones. Topics included the role of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, the president's cabinet, the role of the president and the Senate in the treaty ratification process, the Little Rock Nine, and the impact of U.S. Supreme Court decisions like Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Munn v. Illinois (1877). The five students with the highest cumulative scores — out of 20 questions — advanced to a third round and answered questions from a panel of judges on the essays they had submitted to the Civics Bee. The top three students received cash awards and trophies: 1st place: Aaron K., Tamaqua Area — $1,000 prize2nd place: Mihir P., St. Ignatius Loyola — $500 prize3rd place: Mary A., North Schuylkill — $250 prize The three will advance to the state level of the competition om Harrisburg on June 13. The first-place winner from that round will be invited to compete in the national championship this fall in Washington, D.C. * The three winners include Mary A., Aaron K. and Mihir P. during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Mary claimed third, Mihir second and Aaron first. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * State Representative Jamie Barton speaks before the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Ava K., Schuylkill Haven, answers a question on her tablet during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * A question is projected onto a screen during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Mihir P., St. Ignatius Loyola, does a double fist pump after answering a question during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Student competiros listen as questions are asked during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Mary A., North Schuylkill, looks down at her tablet during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Robert S. Carl Jr. calls out a question during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Show Caption 1 of 8 The three winners include Mary A., Aaron K. and Mihir P. during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Mary claimed third, Mihir second and Aaron first. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Expand SEE THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY: The local finals for the National Civics Bee Aaron, whose essay topic was inclusive recreation, told the judges that he wants to work with local educators, leaders and community members to build inclusive sensory equipment for his old elementary school playground. He said he was inspired by his brother, who has autism. He stressed the importance of recess as a time to unwind and relax, and said it's crucial to have good equipment for it. '(My brother) has definitely needed a lot of care and attention, especially in a school setting,' Aaron said, 'and I think that this project could really benefit people like him.' Mihir P. talked about his proposal for an outdoor lighting project, which he said would improve safety, reduce crime and improve physical and mental well-being. When asked about how some property owners would object to having lights installed near their homes, Mihir pointed out it could raise the value of their homes due to the enhanced safety and, additionally, some sort of compensation could be provided to them. 'This will be a collaboration between local authorities, energy companies and residents, while honoring civic virtues,' Mihir said. Mary A.'s essay focused on book banning. She proposed raising awareness to protect access to books by writing, getting the word out and collaborating with librarians, politicians and school boards. 'All students deserve the right to read (books) by people like them,' she said, 'and authors, they deserve to have their voices heard.' The other students who made the final round were Aaron E., of Blue Mountain, whose topic was public safety; and Ava K., of Schuylkill Haven Area, whose topic was homelessness and poverty. Other entries from the local finalists included topics such as fighting blight, better life for strays, student mental health and lead contamination. The judges were state Sen. David G. Argall (R-29); Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess; Evelyn Datte, district coordinator at the office of Congressman Dan Meuser (R-9); Maureen Donovan, board member of the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership; and Thomas Teles, human resources manager at the Walmart Distribution Center in Schuylkill County. While 20 finalists had originally been selected for the event, two dropped out on short notice, and there was not enough time to replace those students, according to chamber President and CEO Robert S. Carl Jr., the event's emcee. Per National Civic Bee policy, students were identified at the event only by their first name and last initial, along with the school district they attend. According to the competition rules, one of the finalists — Mihir P., who attends St. Ignatius Loyola in Berks County — was allowed to take part in any county civics bee of his choice, Carl said. Carl congratulated the students and their parents, and advised them to remember the importance of the government and their education. 'Government never was intended to have a ping pong match of one side against another,' Carl said. 'It was created to be able to work in partnership to better be able to work together and make the right decisions, most importantly, on behalf of the people that elected officials serve.' The event also included remarks from Cory Scherer, interim chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill; state Rep. Jamie Barton, R-124; Mike Shaner, vice president of lending at Hidden River Credit Union, which sponsored the monetary awards; and Jim Cooksey, president of the Rotary Club of Pottsville, which sponsored the trophies. The National Civics Bee is hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The state and local rounds of the bee are held in partnership with the U.S. Chamber, the PA Chamber of Business and Industry and local chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania.
The Independent
28-01-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Whistleblower raises alarm that Kash Patel ‘broke protocol' over hostage rescue
Kash Patel, the Trump loyalist tapped to lead the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, reportedly broke national security protocol in 2020 by publicly speaking about a hostage rescue in Yemen without authorization – the latest concern among Democrats already questioning his judgement during high-stakes moments. Patel, who served as a senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence Ric Grennell, allegedly 'inserted himself inappropriately' in the hostage recovery mission that took place in October 2020 and disclosed information about it to the Wall Street Journal 'several hours' before the hostages were confirmed in U.S. custody. That's according to an unnamed whistleblower who disclosed the 'highly credible information' to Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, CBS News reports. Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the committee, relayed the information to Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Acting Treasury Secretary David Lebryk in a letter on Tuesday. Expressing concern, Durbin asked for information related to the hostage recovery mission including all communications between Patel and the team that assisted in the rescue of Sandra Loli and Mikael Gidada as well as the recovery of Bilal Fateen's remains from Iranian-backed militants in Yemen. The whistleblower claims the Wall Street Journal published Patel's comments hours before the hostages were confirmed to be in custody and families were notified – breaking protocol that is intended to ensure hostage exchange operations go smoothly. 'This is the second known instance of Mr. Patel breaking hostage recovery protocol to inappropriately insert himself in a sensitive or high-profile recovery mission,' Durbin said in the letter. 'An official who puts missions and the lives of Americans in jeopardy for public notoriety and personal gain is unfit to lead the country's primary federal law enforcement and investigation agency.' Alex Gray, the former chief of staff for the National Security Council during Trump's first term, told CBS News the allegations are 'absurd' and touted that Patel 'put the interests of the American people, and particularly the interest of Americans hostages and unlaw detainees and their families first.' '[Patel] is a professional who devoted his career to keeping America safe, and to bringing our hostages home. These anonymous smears are the last gasp of the NeverTrump bitter-enders,' Gray wrote on X. A transition official also pushed back on the report in a statement to Fox News. 'Mr. Patel was a public defender, decorated prosecutor, and accomplished national security official that kept Americans safe,' the official said. 'He has a track record of success in every branch of government, from the court room to congressional hearing room to the situation room. There is no veracity to this anonymous source's complaints about protocol.' Patel has also been accused of nearly mishandling a sensitive operation in Nigeria in 2020 by mistakenly assuring Defense Department officials that State Department officials received permission from the Nigerian government for the U.S. to use its airspace to rescue an American hostage. However, Nigeria had not. It was nearly too late, as U.S. Air Forces were bringing Navy SEALs to carry out the operation. At the last minute, the State Department received clearance and the mission went forward without issues. Patel is one of Trump's most controversial cabinet picks. He has unwaveringly supported and followed Trump for years, going as far as to write a children's book that shared doubts over the legitimacy of the Steele dossier and portrayed Trump as a 'king'. Like Trump, Patel has elevated conspiracy theories related to 'the deep state' and claimed the government is weaponized against the president and his allies. Like Trump, Patel has promised to use power to go after enemies such as the media and even published a list of people he believes should be investigated such as former President Joe Biden and former attorney generals Merrick Garland and Bill Barr. He has proliferated conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election and claimed former president Barack Obama runs a 'shadow network' in charge of the intelligence community. Senator Adam Schiff, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Patel is 'the last person' who should serve as FBI director. 'In addition to being dishonest, untrustworthy, lacking in character… his only real qualification is he was the guy in the first Trump administration that you went to when no one else would do the dirty work the president wanted done,' Schiff said. Patel will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about his nomination on Thursday.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whistleblower raises alarm that Kash Patel ‘broke protocol' over hostage rescue
Kash Patel, the Trump loyalist tapped to lead the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, reportedly broke national security protocol in 2020 by publicly speaking about a hostage rescue in Yemen without authorization – the latest concern among Democrats already questioning his judgement during high-stakes moments. Patel, who served as a senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence Ric Grennell, allegedly 'inserted himself inappropriately' in the hostage recovery mission that took place in October 2020 and disclosed information about it to the Wall Street Journal 'several hours' before the hostages were confirmed in U.S. custody. That's according to an unnamed whistleblower who disclosed the 'highly credible information' to Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, CBS News reports. Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the committee, relayed the information to Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Acting Treasury Secretary David Lebryk in a letter on Tuesday. Expressing concern, Durbin asked for information related to the hostage recovery mission including all communications between Patel and the team that assisted in the rescue of Sandra Loli and Mikael Gidada as well as the recovery of Bilal Fateen's remains from Iranian-backed militants in Yemen. The whistleblower claims the Wall Street Journal published Patel's comments hours before the hostages were confirmed to be in custody and families were notified – breaking protocol that is intended to ensure hostage exchange operations go smoothly. 'This is the second known instance of Mr. Patel breaking hostage recovery protocol to inappropriately insert himself in a sensitive or high-profile recovery mission,' Durbin said in the letter. 'An official who puts missions and the lives of Americans in jeopardy for public notoriety and personal gain is unfit to lead the country's primary federal law enforcement and investigation agency.' Alex Gray, the former chief of staff for the National Security Council during Trump's first term, told CBS News the allegations are 'absurd' and touted that Patel 'put the interests of the American people, and particularly the interest of Americans hostages and unlaw detainees and their families first.' '[Patel] is a professional who devoted his career to keeping America safe, and to bringing our hostages home. These anonymous smears are the last gasp of the NeverTrump bitter-enders,' Gray wrote on X. A transition official also pushed back on the report in a statement to Fox News. 'Mr. Patel was a public defender, decorated prosecutor, and accomplished national security official that kept Americans safe,' the official said. 'He has a track record of success in every branch of government, from the court room to congressional hearing room to the situation room. There is no veracity to this anonymous source's complaints about protocol.' Patel has also been accused of nearly mishandling a sensitive operation in Nigeria in 2020 by mistakenly assuring Defense Department officials that State Department officials received permission from the Nigerian government for the U.S. to use its airspace to rescue an American hostage. However, Nigeria had not. It was nearly too late, as U.S. Air Forces were bringing Navy SEALs to carry out the operation. At the last minute, the State Department received clearance and the mission went forward without issues. Patel is one of Trump's most controversial cabinet picks. He has unwaveringly supported and followed Trump for years, going as far as to write a children's book that shared doubts over the legitimacy of the Steele dossier and portrayed Trump as a 'king'. Like Trump, Patel has elevated conspiracy theories related to 'the deep state' and claimed the government is weaponized against the president and his allies. Like Trump, Patel has promised to use power to go after enemies such as the media and even published a list of people he believes should be investigated such as former President Joe Biden and former attorney generals Merrick Garland and Bill Barr. He has proliferated conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election and claimed former president Barack Obama runs a 'shadow network' in charge of the intelligence community. Senator Adam Schiff, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Patel is 'the last person' who should serve as FBI director. 'In addition to being dishonest, untrustworthy, lacking in character… his only real qualification is he was the guy in the first Trump administration that you went to when no one else would do the dirty work the president wanted done,' Schiff said. Patel will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about his nomination on Thursday.
