Latest news with #Taft
GMA Network
a day ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Zam Nolasco says Benilde's Game 1 win fueled by Round 1 loss that snapped their 43-game streak
By BEA MICALLER,GMA Integrated News De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde stepped into Game 1 of NCAA Season 100 women's volleyball finals on Sunday not just chasing another title, but also redemption. The Lady Blazers were pitted against Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which was the same team that snapped their dynastic 43-game winning streak dating back to the pandemic-hit Season 95 in 2020. The Lady Knights stunned them during their Round 1 meeting, pulling off a 25-22, 25-23, 26-24 shock sweep last March 8. The Taft crew made sure it wouldn't happen again, especially with a bigger prize at stake this time. Benilde, though, had to endure a first set hiccup before taking down the Lady Knights with a 26-28, 26-24, 25-16, 25-19 victory to move a win away from its fourth title in a row. "Nu'ng first round, may dalawang losses kami and 'yung isa doon sa Letran. Pinilit talaga namin na hindi na sila makakaisa pa ulit sa amin and makabawi," Zam Nolasco, who starred in that four-set romp, told GMA News Online. "Nakikita naman sa game namin na maganda naman 'yung nilalaro namin." [In the first round, we had two losses and one of those was to Letran. We tried hard not to let them get another over us and to bounce back... You can see it in our game, we are playing well.] Benilde had already avenged that loss when they secured a 25-18, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18 win over Letran in their Round 2 rematch where, incidentally, Nolasco also led the charge with 17 points built on 11 attacks and six blocks. In Game 1 of the championship round, the third-year middle blocker was also in command after dropping a team-high 21 points built on 12 attacks, eight blocks, and one ace. While momentum is clearly on their side, the 6-foot tower stressed that the team is focused on leaving the past behind—including the last three championships—as they aim to close out Letran and complete a rare four-peat on Wednesday. "Sinasabi sa amin na 'yung championship last season, 'yung mga nakaraan ay sa seniors na namin 'yun e," she added. "Kumbaga, ngayong season na 'to kukunin na namin and ayun 'yung magiging sa amin. Doon lang kami nagfo-focus." [We're told that the championship last season, that's for our seniors... This season, we want to win this and this is for us. That's what we're focused on.] —JMB, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Taft Middle School looks to propel students towards future in rocket science
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Students at San Diego's Taft Middle School are getting a taste of rocket science as part of a new program to further their STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math — curriculum. The program, which allows students to learn hands-on what it takes to send astronauts into space, is the only one of its kind in the city. 'We at Taft Middle School are on the cusp of what is up-and-coming and the next up-in-coming segment in engineering is aerospace,' said Hortencia Garcia-Rubio, principal of Taft Middle School. Behind the hedges: La Jolla's Secret Garden Tour returns this May 'I'd love to be the first person to step on Mars,' said Casen Addy, a student at Taft who participated in a launch event on Fiesta Island Friday, expressing excitement about the program. The aerospace initative was introduced as part of a collaboration with STEAMWorks, which provides all the parts needed for the students' projects. Students each load a rocket onto a launch pad and shoot them into the sky, simulating real-world aerospace engineering tasks. John Pacente, SteamWorks CEO, explained the experience gives students a leg up looking ahead to college applications, on top of sparking an interest in the industry as a potential career path. While many of these students are getting their first exposure to aerospace, at least one said it has been a dream for a long time. 'It inspires me. When I was like 3 [years old], I had an interest in rocket science stuff,' Kisen Durand, another student, said of his passion. 'I wanted to launch my own and today I did.' As the only middle school in San Diego with a rocket program, Taft is offering its students a unique chance to engage with aerospace technology in a way that could propel them to other opportunities in high school and beyond. With this program, Taft Middle School students are gaining valuable experience that could shape their future careers in aerospace and beyond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How William Howard Taft's approach to government efficiency differed from Elon Musk's slash-and-burn tactics
For four months, the world's richest man has played an unprecedented role in U.S. government. At the start of his 2025 term, President Donald Trump asked Elon Musk to cut government 'waste and fraud.' That translated into the Musk-driven firing of 121,000 federal workers, essentially closing entire government programs and departments. Many Americans protested Musk's work. His unsupervised access to sensitive government materials and unchecked influence over the firing of federal employees represents an unprecedented moment in the United States. An unelected billionaire sought to overhaul the federal government, empowered and legitimized not by Congress but only by the president. There are two individuals intrinsic to any presidential effort to restructure government: the president himself and the person he entrusts with the task. In 2025, Musk has been the person designated to carry out the president's aims. In 1910, it was Frederick Cleveland, an academic, who was President William H. Taft's designated head of his effort to streamline government. Both presidents, Taft and Trump, have said they wanted to improve how government functioned. But while Taft worked with Congress to launch his effort, Trump hasn't followed that route. And the men each president asked to lead their efforts were vastly different in the responsibility given to them, and different in values as well as temperament. Among the many historic attempts by presidents to streamline federal government, Taft's administration provides a distinct parallel to an administration attempting to make government more efficient. The Taft administration's early 20th-century equivalent to the Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was called the Commission on Economy and Efficiency. Unlike DOGE, created by presidential fiat via an executive order, Taft's efficiency commission was funded by Congress. Taft also delegated the work of this reorganization to trusted Cabinet subordinates, rather than an outsider who was not confirmed by Congress. Other presidents of Taft's generation would have found it unthinkable to delegate such consequential work to someone outside of the bureaucracy to the extent that Trump has empowered Musk. The work of Taft's commission took place during a time of turmoil for the role and power of the president, as the country itself became more powerful and its governance more complex, calling for increased efficiency through streamlining. Taft organized his commission in 1910, a year into his presidency. It lasted until his divided party led to his election defeat in 1912. The commission's aims were tied to economy and efficiency – as the commission itself was named. Indeed, Secretary of the Navy George von Lengerke Meyer, one of Taft's trusted Cabinet members, concisely explained how the 'main object was the establishment of a system which would enable the Secretary to administer his office efficiently and economically, with the advice of responsible expert advisers, ensuring continuity of policy for the future.' Taft came to the presidency in 1909 with clear concepts of how the nation's top office needed to become more powerful to meet the growing country's burgeoning needs. The presidency, he believed, also needed to expand its power to meet the modernizing demands of the Progressive Era in early 20th-century America. This era put new demands on government to be responsive to the country's expanding needs, from grassroots demands by voters for greater government activism to professionals seeking more efficient support for their businesses from the government. Taft was critically aware of existing inefficiency, with bureaucratic work overlapping at expense to the government, without any clear mandate, job description or hierarchy. The vision of the commission is clear in a diagram for the War Department that sought to streamline the bureaucracy, conglomerating the existing 18 divisions into eight. The Commission on Economy and Efficiency focused on providing solutions for this clearly defined problem of government inefficiency. At the time of Taft's final message to Congress in 1913, the commission had submitted 85 reports to Taft encouraging the reorganization of executive departments, including new and specifically defined roles for government employees. Unlike the radical unilateral actions taken by DOGE, the Taft commission recommended action to Congress for the long term, while making more targeted changes to the executive bureaucracy behind the scenes. Despite Taft's pleas stressing the need to sustain these changes beyond his tenure, Congress was tired of the empowerment of the executive by Republican presidents Theodore Roosevelt, followed by Taft, and had no incentive to support reorganization. This is in direct contrast to Trump and Musk's less substantiated concerns over 'fraud and abuse' or ongoing vague concerns over the size and cost of the federal government. That phrasing may inspire more consensus over the problem, but not necessarily the solution. Taft's choice to head his commission, Frederick Cleveland, was a kindred spirit who believed in a strengthened presidency. Cleveland was an academic with past affiliations with the University of Pennsylvania and New York University. Congress accepted Cleveland's nomination, seeing him as a pioneer in the realm of public administration. Cleveland fit the Progressive Era's mantra of employing experts. As a professional but not a member of the wealthy elite, and having been considered by Congress, Cleveland represents a clear distinction from Musk, who appears to have little understanding of what an average American may need from an operative federal bureaucracy. Cleveland reflected the Taft administration's approach of wanting to remold the government without animosity toward federal workers specifically or the government more broadly. He embraced the Progressive Era ethos in seeking to rectify inefficiency. Streamlining did not equate to big cuts. The priority remained ensuring the American government could meet the increased demands of the new century. Similar to DOGE, the White House was the command center for the Commission on Economy and Efficiency. That enabled Taft to manage reorganization of the executive branch from the Oval Office. Not all of the modernizing and streamlining of the federal government would come at the behest of Taft's commission. Impatient to implement change while awaiting the commission's reports, and with the commission hampered by a decrease in congressional funding in 1912, Taft had immediately sought improvement within his own administration. But when the commission's reports were finally available, Taft was in the unfortunate position of being a lame duck and could do little besides emphasize the need for further action. While limited in the short term, the commission's reports were later credited for major changes: 'Although the report fell on deaf ears in Congress, it would become an essential roadmap for the budget reforms of 1921. The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 addressed and mirrored the concerns and proposals of the Commission's Report,' as described by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. Unlike DOGE, the approach of Taft and his commission focused on streamlining rather than gutting federal bureaucracy. That approach was reflective of an era when experts were revered and sought after rather than maligned. As an experienced bureaucrat, Taft characteristically directed that the problem of government inefficiency be studied. This secured his legacy, as his agenda was eventually put into practice and embraced, proving his reflective approach to be ahead of its time. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Laura Ellyn Smith, Arizona State University Read more: President Trump promises to make government efficient − and he'll run into the same roadblocks as Presidents Taft, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush, among others Efficiency − or empire? How Elon Musk's hostile takeover could end government as we know it Trump's DOGE campaign accelerates 50-year trend of government privatization Laura Ellyn Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
High school boys' volleyball: City Section playoff results and pairings
THURSDAY'S RESULTS DIVISION I QUARTERFINALS #1 Taft d. #8 Cleveland, 25-14, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14 #5 Marquez d. #4 South East, 14-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 19-17 #3 Marshall d. #6 Kennedy, 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 #2 Carson d. #7 Van Nuys, 25-18, 26-28, 20-25, 25-18, 19-17 DIVISION II SECOND ROUND #1 VAAS d. #17 LACES, 25-7, 25-13, 25-23 #8 Roosevelt d. #9 North Hollywood, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 25-17 #5 Poly d. #12 Panorama, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18 #4 Fairfax d. #13 Reseda, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20 #3 Banning d. #14 San Pedro, 3-1 #6 Sylmar d. #11 Diego Rivera, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20 #10 Legacy d. #7 Vaughn, 30-28, 13-25, 24-26, 25-20, 19-17 #2 Mendez d. #18 Bravo, 25-16, 25-14, 25-13 DIVISION III SECOND ROUND #1 East Valley d. #16 Animo Robinson, 25-18, 25-18, 25-18 #8 Foshay d. #9 Central City Value, 3-0 #5 Downtown Magnets d. #12 Manual Arts, 25-16, 25-20, 25-19 #4 SOCES d. #20 King/Drew, 3-0 #19 San Fernando d. #3 Larchmont Charter, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 15-8 #6 Angelou d. #11 Chavez, 23-25, 23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 15-13 #7 Maywood CES d. #10 Orthopaedic, 3-1 #2 Gardena d. #15 Animo Bunche, 25-21, 25-11, 24-26, 25-21 DIVISION IV SECOND ROUND #1 Garfield d. #17 Sotomayor, 25-18, 23-25, 25-15, 25-14 #8 Hamilton d. #9 Rise Kohyang, 25-11, 15-25, 16-25, 25-20, 15-5 #5 Animo Venice d. #12 LA Leadership, 25-9, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18 #20 Belmont d. #4 Burton, 22-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-18, 15-12 #3 Sun Valley Magnet d. #19 Animo Watts, 25-22, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18 #11 University Prep Value d. #6 Magnolia Science Academy, 25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18 #10 Port of LA d. #7 Contreras, 25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 25-15 #2 Huntington Park d. #15 West Adams, 25-14, 25-23, 25-23 DIVISION V SECOND ROUND #1 Wilson d. #17 USC-MAE, 25-9, 25-15, 25-9 #9 Magnolia Science Academy d. #8 Bert Corona, 25-17, 25-20, 25-21 #12 Arleta d. #5 Animo Brown, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17 #4 Animo South LA d. #13 Community Charter, 25-17, 28-26, 20-25, 27-25 #3 Harbor Teacher d. #14 New West Charter, 25-18, 25-17, 25-22 #6 New Designs University Park d. #11 University Pathways Medical, 25-0, 25-6, 25-14 #10 Washington at #7 University Pathways Public Service Academy #2 Dorsey d. #15 Academia Avance, 25-14, 25-18, 25-10 MONDAY'S SCHEDULE (Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) QUARTERFINALS DIVISION II #8 Roosevelt at #1 VAAS #5 Poly at #4 Fairfax #6 Sylmar at #3 Banning #10 Mendez at #2 Mendez DIVISION III #8 Foshay at #1 East Valley #5 Downtown Magnets at #4 SOCES #19 San Fernando at #6 Angelou #7 Maywood CES at #2 Gardena DIVISION IV #8 Hamilton at #1 Garfield #20 Belmont at #5 Animo Venice #11 University Prep Value at #3 Sun Valley Magnet #10 Port of LA at #2 Huntington Park DIVISION V #9 Magnolia Science Academy Reseda at #1 Wilson #12 Arleta at #4 Animo South LA #6 New Designs University Park at #3 Harbor Teacher #7 University Pathways Public Services/#10 Washington at #2 Dorsey TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE (Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) SEMIFINALS OPEN DIVISION #4 Granada Hills at #1 Venice #3 El Camino Real at #2 Chatsworth DIVISION I #5 Marquez at #1 Taft #3 Marshall at #2 Carson Note: Semifinals in Division II-V, May 14 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Finals in all divisions May 16-17 (sites and times TBD). Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Firefighter accused of stealing $200,000 from union
A Fairfield County firefighter is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a firefighter's union, according to our news partner WBNS Columbus. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Eric Taft, who was serving as the union's secretary/treasurer, has been charged with aggravated theft and tampering with records, according to WBNS. TRENDING STORIES: Several union firefighters with the Violet Township Fire Department on 8700 Refugee Road spoke with a deputy. The firefighters told the deputy they had elected new leadership and were calling for an audit, WBNS says. The union president had several members meet and conduct an audit. It was at this audit that Taft admitted to taking around $100,000 from the union over the past four years, WBNS says. Taft told the representatives that he would pay them back. The union's vice president is compiling a spreadsheet of fraudulent transactions, according to WBNS. Taft is accused of taking money between 2019 and 2024, WBNS says. The union president says that auditors estimate Taft misappropriated over $200,000, according to WBNS. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
