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After a trouble-plagued application overhaul, U.S. Department of Education officials have released next year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more than a week before its Dec. 1 target date. After last year’s rollout disaster, Education Department officials claim to have improved the application process following feedback from stakeholders. More than 167,000 students have successfully submitted their FAFSA application since Oct. 1, following four rounds of testing. The department can now “say with confidence” that the application is working and will serve as “the gateway to college access and affordability to millions of students.” “Already, over 650,000 more applicants are eligible for Pell Grants, and more students are receiving Pell Grants, this school year compared to last year,” Miguel Cardona, U.S. secretary of education, said in a news release. “We stand ready to help millions more students complete the FAFSA and get the financial aid they need to pursue their dreams of a college education.” Thousands of students faced numerous challenges when attempting to complete their financial aid application last year, following a form overhaul meant to simplify the application process, which instead made things more difficult. As a result, 29 percent fewer students completed their application in May compared with the same time in 2023. The department said it has made various improvements to ensure the same issues don’t occur during this year’s application cycle. Staffing has been increased by almost 80 percent to ensure students and their families can connect with representatives when calling for financial aid support. More than 700 agents have been added to the department’s contact center and an additional 225 agents are set to be hired in the coming weeks, to offset long wait times faced by callers last year. “We need a better FAFSA form to deliver financial aid to students going to college and other forms of education after high school,” James Kvaal, the undersecretary of education, said. “Thank you to everyone who has helped the 2025-26 FAFSA launch successfully and ahead of schedule, including students and families, Department staff, and financial aid administrators and counselors across the country.” While last year’s technical glitches have been addressed with the FAFSA form and system now in a “strong position,” one group was left vulnerable in the wake of the technical errors that occurred. Students whose parents did not have a Social Security number were reported to be blocked from filling out the financial aid form, resulting in nearly 9 percent fewer high school seniors and first-time applicants according to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The office of Federal Student Aid suspended the identity verification process that had barred contributors without Social Security numbers from logging into the online financial aid form for the 2025-26 application. However, ahead of his inauguration in January, President-elect Donald Trump’s administration has announced plans to shut down the Department of Education, posing significant threats of financial aid cuts, as well as plans to begin mass deportations. According to Stephen Barker, communication director for OneGoal — a Chicago nonprofit that assists students to enroll and graduate from postsecondary programs — this could leave mixed-status families vulnerable. OneGoal is looking carefully at the implications for students applying for financial aid for the first time or those from mixed-status families, Barker said, where one or more of their contributors don’t have Social Security numbers. While the National College Attainment Network has signaled that students “should use caution” when completing their FAFSA form, Barker said OneGoal doesn’t believe it’s “responsible to advise students whether they should or should not submit their FAFSA.” Instead, the nonprofit is being as transparent with students as possible about the potential risks. The Higher Education Act prohibits the use of students’ data for any purpose other than determining financial aid eligibility and awards to students. But with the incoming Trump administration signaling its priorities, Braker said there’s no way to ensure “this administration is not going to sort of supersede or overturn the rules of the Higher Education Act in order to sort of use this as a lever for accessing information.” “We can’t imagine a scenario where that’s likely, but we’re not policy experts, and can’t say for sure what an unpredictable administration is going to do,” Braker said. “We’re going to make sure that students have the information that they need and then they’re going to have to work with their families and their school counselors to determine if it’s safe for them to fill this out and provide that information.”NoneBy Yuko Mukai 8:00 JST, December 14, 2024 Shigeru Ishiba, whose Liberal Democratic Party suffered a disastrous defeat in the October general election, losing its majority in the House of Representatives, remains in his posts as LDP leader and prime minister of Japan. On Nov. 29, the embattled prime minister delivered a policy speech to the Diet outlining the policy agendas of his flailing Cabinet. In his remarks, Ishiba cited a 1957 policy speech by then Prime Minister Tanzan Ishibashi, ostensibly to help frame his key point. Journalist-turned-politician Ishibashi had said: “As a main principle of our national policy, we will institute the practice of exchanging views in a straightforward manner at all times and work together while also clearly stating our individual stances. We must endeavor to keep pace with global progress while engaging in this ready cooperation.” Ishibashi, who became prime minister after World War II, had been an outspoken critic of Japanese expansionism during the war, even advocating the abandonment of colonies such as Manchuria, Korea and Taiwan. His foreign policy was known by the slogan “small Japan,” and his goal was to establish the country as a peaceful trading nation rather than a military power. Prime Minister Ishiba is known to highly respect Ishibashi. In a new book published this August, Ishiba referred to Ishibashi’s foreign policy and claimed that diplomacy in which one side gains and the other side loses cannot last. The following passage from Ishiba’s recent speech underscores how the new prime minister’s thinking on foreign policy aligns with that of his 1950s predecessor: “Naturally, the United States has its own national interests, just as Japan has its own. Therefore, I believe that by exchanging views candidly and mutually enhancing the national interests of both countries, we can contribute to the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific. I look forward to holding candid discussions with President-elect [Donald] Trump and elevating our alliance to even greater heights.” In his speech, Ishiba did not mention the idea of creating an Asian version of NATO, which has been criticized both at home and abroad. However, he did express his willingness to revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which has been maintained since 1960, stating that he would work to resolve the various problems associated with the stationing of U.S. troops in Japan. Ishiba may be viewed as a foreign policy hawk by many international observers, as he served as defense minister and has been outspoken on foreign affairs and security issues. However, simply presenting him as a hawk may be misguided. Ishiba’s thinking on foreign policy is in fact quite unique within the LDP. Under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, a large number of U.S. troops are stationed in Japan. Most of them are in Okinawa Prefecture for geopolitical reasons. Revising the SOFA to reduce the burden on Okinawa is a policy that has been vociferously advocated by Japan’s liberal-leaning opposition parties but not clearly by the LDP. So, why does Ishiba hold policies advocated by the opposition parties? An explanation for this paradox perhaps lies in Japanese domestic politics. During the years that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — a powerful conservative leader who was fully aware of the problems of communist China’s ambition and hegemony — advocated a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” Ishiba was Abe’s biggest intraparty rival. During Abe’s long tenure, Ishiba worked tirelessly, and publicly, to present himself as a political contrast to Abe’s policies. Consequently, he gained popularity among many segments of the general population, including opposition supporters, who were critical of Abe’s conservative policies. In a manner of speaking, Ishiba was leading an active opposition party within the LDP. It is not appropriate for Ishiba to still regard the Japan-U.S. alliance as “unilateral,” and to think that it should become “equal” through revision of the SOFA. Over the past 10 years, when Abe and his successors were prime ministers, the Japan-U.S. alliance deepened, and substantive equality increased. Japanese leaders have been strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance by making Japan’s Self-Defense Forces more active. Ishiba’s thinking diverges from this direction. Since Ishiba spent a decade in opposition within the party, his awareness of current security issues seems to have not kept up with the times. In fact, a former senior U.S. government official who spoke with me dismissed Ishiba’s foreign and security policies as “out of date.” To be sure, the Japanese in general view the current SOFA as an issue. In response to calls to reform it, the LDP included the idea that the SOFA should be revised in its election pledges, while using vague expressions such as making the SOFA “what it should be.” The agreement grants legal privileges to U.S. forces operating in Japan, and the Japanese government does not control the bases. As a result, Japanese police were barred from the crash site when a U.S. military helicopter crashed into a college in Okinawa in 2004. It’s worth noting that Ishiba was then director general of the Defense Agency, which ostensibly deepened his awareness of the issue. Ishiba recently questioned whether Japan should be genuinely called “a sovereign nation,” and in October he presented a proposal in the Diet to station SDF troops in the United States, arguing that the revision of the SOFA was intended to enhance the sustainability of the Japan-U.S. alliance. However, Washington has been consistently reluctant to revise the SOFA. Successive LDP administrations have been aware of the problem but have exercised restraint regarding formal suggestions to revise the SOFA to Washington. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was also seen as an idealist, publicly rejected the idea of formal suggestion. To explain why, he said, “It is important for Japan and the United States to communicate with each other and deal with the issue in a realistic manner.” To be clear, discussion of this agreement would be a Pandora’s box for the Japan-U.S. alliance. One cannot forget the serious damage done to the Japan-U.S. alliance in 2009 by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of the Democratic Party of Japan, which tried to take a new path on policies regarding Okinawa. Who will receive the most benefit if the U.S.-Japan alliance is damaged? Of course, China. Interestingly, China has welcomed Ishiba, and President Xi Jinping, who met with Ishiba for the first time in Peru in November, quoted Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, who achieved normalization of diplomatic relations with China in 1972, in calling for improved relations between the two countries. Ishiba once studied under Tanaka. While wary of Ishiba’s approach on the issue of Taiwan, Beijing is relieved that he has distinguished himself from Abe by refraining from visiting Yasukuni Shrine and on the issue of Japan’s recognition of the history of its invasion of China. The Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party media outlet, opined that although Ishiba belongs to the conservative camp, his policy positions are relatively “balanced and moderate.” Okinawa, strategically located along the so-called first island chain, could become the front line for cooperation between the U.S. military and the SDF if a Taiwan contingency occurs and the U.S.-Japan alliance gets involved. Now that Ishiba is prime minister, he should set aside his idealistic policies and explore strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance in more realistic ways that can also be accepted by the Japanese public. It is admirable for a politician to have ideals. However, when it comes to leading a country, the ability of a politician is truly tested when they must reconcile their ideals with reality. It seems that Ishiba’s words and actions from his past as a bystander to real politics are now haunting him. Ishiba should not fall into China’s trap by creating discord in the Japan-U.S. alliance himself. The prime minister, no longer on the sidelines, must remember that a strong Japan-U.S. alliance is the greatest deterrence against China, given the severe security environment surrounding Japan in East Asia. Political Pulse appears every Saturday. Yuko Mukai Mukai is a Washington correspondent of The Yomiuri Shimbun.
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Tayshawn Comer scores 18 to lead Evansville past Campbell 66-53
Over the years, the country’s education system has been operating with insufficient funding, which has resulted in inadequate facilities, outdated learning materials, a shortage of teaching personnel, and low performance in standardized proficiency examinations. Many public schools all over the country continue to struggle with these challenges, negatively impacting students’ ability to learn and grow academically. One significant factor hindering the student learning process is the low salary rates and insufficient number of teachers. The shortage of teachers has seriously affected the density of students in each class, with some classrooms even packed with up to almost 50 students. Outdated textbooks and poor access to technology are other shortcomings that diminish students’ learning. The issue of overcrowded classrooms hinders academic performance, critical thinking, and the mental well-being of students, making them feel overlooked or disconnected. Undoubtedly, addressing this issue requires better infrastructure, hiring more teachers, and maintaining optimal student-teacher ratios to foster a more effective and equitable learning environment. The issue of inequity in educational resources is already at an alarming stage. While all schools are generally under the Department of Education, only a select few enjoy the privilege of adequate and advanced technology in learning. This scenario weakens students’ self-esteem and fosters a wide disparity among learners. Interestingly, many would argue that the lack of resources enhances students’ resilience and critical thinking skills, as they learn to adapt and study despite limitations. However, the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits. The persistent resource deficiencies have led to a noticeable decline in the quality of education. As a student in the public school system, it is disheartening to witness the eagerness of peers to learn, only to be hindered by shortages of resources. The persistent shortcomings in our education system serve as a reminder that quality education is not a privilege but a right that every child deserves. The lack of resources, overcrowded classrooms, and inequitable access to modern tools for learning have left many students struggling to achieve their full potential. While resilience may emerge from adversity, it should not come at the expense of equal opportunities for academic growth and personal development. Addressing these issues today ensures that no child is left behind, paving the way for a generation equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow and drive meaningful societal progress.I'M a Celebrity fans have backed our Jane Moore for calling out Dean McCullough after he threw a strop over camp chores. Tonight's episode of I'm a Celebrity saw Loose Women star and Sun columnist Jane , 62, forced to hit back at Dean , 32. The radio presenter accused Jane of "sleeping all day" following her terrifying trial on Tuesday night. As Dean continued to moan about his own job - collecting the water with Melvin Odoom - Jane pointed out that she got straight to work on camp chores when she returned after the challenge. And fans were quick to jump to Jane's defence on social media, with some recalling Dean's row with Alan Hasall over being woken up . One wrote: "Sorry Dean having a pop at Jane about her sleeping after a trial. More on I'm a Celebrity "Yet we forgetting what happened when Alan asked him to get up when he was sleeping to help??" Another said: "Not Dean saying 'you weren’t your best self, Jane' when his best self is f****** awful." And a third added: "Dean shouting at Jane for being tired after doing a trial meanwhile he hasn’t done one in days and hasn’t been helping with his chores." Dean's fall-out with Alan came after he decided to take a nap instead of helping Jane with chores. Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 After Alan stepped in, Dean squared up to him and said: “Listen to me. If you’re gonna wake me up, you need to give me a minute, alright? "It takes a couple of minutes for my contact lenses to get back working again, alright? "So you don’t need to turn around to me and say, ‘Do you not fancy it, OK?’ And then turn around and walk away.” Alan responded: “I’ve listened to you. Jane was halfway down here, that’s why I went." ITV is logging all votes online at itv.com/vote or you can download the I’m A Celebrity app on your phone. Every time Ant and Dec announce a new trial you can cast five votes. Jane would love you to use all of them to get her another Bushtucker challenge. Later this week, vote to SAVE Jane from eviction.
The Baltimore Children and Youth Fund paid for several individuals, including an assistant deputy mayor and a Baltimore City Public Schools employee, to go on a trip to Missouri in November, documents obtained by Spotlight on Maryland show. The fund, which is entirely supported by taxpayer dollars, was approved by voters in 2016. Baltimore City is required to give millions of dollars to BCYF every year with no sunset date. Unlike city agencies, the city auditor is not required to conduct biennial performance audits of the fund. BCYF operates as a nonprofit outside city government. Spotlight on Maryland previously reported the fund paid for 100 local activists to go on a trip to Alabama in February 2024 for its “Opening Plenary,” which CEO Alysia Lee called a “city-wide learning series to explore racial justice and liberatory practice in youth-centered organizations.” But new documents show BCYF continued dishing out money for travel in 2024, including for a November trip to St. Louis for the fund’s racial equity committee to attend the annual “Facing Race” conference. Members of the racial equity committee also sit on the BCYF board of directors, which is deeply tied to Baltimore City Hall. The fund’s website says two voting seats on its board must be occupied by a representative from the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success and a designee chosen by the City Council president. Noell Lugay, who serves as Mayor Brandon Scott’s interim assistant deputy mayor for equity, health and human services, is one of the city hall representatives who sits on the BCYF board. She earns a $137,917 annual salary in her role on Scott’s staff. BCYF paid her way to the St. Louis conference, prompting her to send an email to BCYF leaders expressing her excitement. “PACK ME UP NOW!” Lugay wrote to the BCYF board in September, an email obtained by Spotlight on Maryland through a public records request shows. A spokesperson for Scott did not return a request for comment from Spotlight on Maryland about Lugay’s trip to St. Louis on BCYF’s dime. Lugay declined to comment on the trip when reached by Spotlight on Maryland. She previously worked in the Office of School Supports at Baltimore City Public Schools. BCYF also paid for a current Baltimore City Public Schools employee, Chan’nel Williams, to go on the St. Louis trip. Williams makes $116,089 per year working for the city school system as a fine arts coordinator. Like Lugay, Williams sits on the BCYF board as well as the fund’s racial equity committee. The fund also allowed individuals who do not sit on the racial equity committee to go on the St. Louis trip, including Lee and her executive assistant. Jerel Wilson, who runs a local nonprofit, indicated in an email obtained by Spotlight on Maryland that he registered to have the fund pay for his travel to the conference. Wilson’s nonprofit, For My Kidz Inc., is a BCYF grantee. BCYF paid for travelers to stay at the Marriott St. Louis Grand and covered the cost of their airfare, meals, conference registration and $75 worth of ground transportation, according to an email from Lee reviewed by Spotlight on Maryland. A spokesperson for BCYF did not return a request for comment from Spotlight on Maryland about the trip and whether it was an appropriate use of taxpayer money. The purpose of BCYF is to provide grants to community-based organizations supporting Baltimore City youth. The architect of the fund, former Baltimore Mayor Jack Young, called on BCYF earlier this month to realign itself with his original vision instead of paying for adults to take trips. “Right now, [BCYF] is not anything that I envisioned,” Young told Spotlight on Maryland in a phone interview. “That fund was created so that community-based organizations could get funding for the programs they had for the youth. Not a junket for grownups.” The financial management of BCYF has also caught the attention of Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Cumming and Baltimore Comptroller Bill Henry, whose office says it is working to build “a stronger relationship with BCYF to understand their strategies and be a resource for fiscal prudence.” Three former BCYF employees told Spotlight on Maryland that the fund’s former vice president of finance warned BCYF leadership that the fund’s spending could “get [them] in trouble.” The former employees say the fund’s in-house finance team was dissolved shortly thereafter. Spotlight on Maryland is keeping the identities of the former employees confidential due to fear of retaliation in their current lines of work. BCYF did not address the matter when reached for comment. Spotlight on Maryland is a joint venture by FOX45 News and The Baltimore Sun. Got a story idea or news tip? Reach out to Julian Baron on X or via email at jtbaron@sbgtv.com .
Tayshawn Comer scores 18 to lead Evansville past Campbell 66-53
‘Rules have to be same for all’: Lopetegui hits out at Arsenal’s set-piece strategyNoneCanada is already examining tariffs on certain US items following Trump's tariff threatand both recently could be indicative of a wider scheme targeting professional athletes, prompting the NFL to issue a security alert to teams and the players' union, . The memo that went out to NFL teams and the players union warned that homes of professional athletes have become "increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups," according to the AP. This applies to athletes across multiple sports. player was also the victim of a recent burglary. Portis did not reveal what specifically was stolen from his home, but said "several prized possessions" were taken. The 10-year NBA veteran believes he was targeted because the home invasion occurred as with the began, . Portis filed a police report. I consider Milwaukee my home. Last night, while I was at work, my home was burglarized, and many of my prized possessions were stolen. If you have any tips or info, please send them to info@bobbyportis.com. Rewards for info leading to recovery or arrests! — Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) River Hills, Wisconsin police chief Michael Gaynor told that the Portis burglary showed "similarities" to the Mahomes and Kelce incidents, but did not indicate that they were linked. However, his department has been in contact with law enforcement in at least three other states where other professional athletes have been burglarized. guard Mike Conley Jr. had his home broken into and jewelry stolen on Sept. 15 while he was a guest at a Minnesota Vikings game, according to the . Former and NFL star Reggie Bush was also the target of , though he was home during the incident. Investigators across several states have suspicions that a South American crime ring may be behind these high-profile burglaries, . Any possible connection, however, has yet to be confirmed. "You don't want to discount a local person," a law enforcement source told ABC News, referring to the Mahomes and Kelce burglaries. "It's very easy to find out where these guys are going to be on Sunday." The FBI issued a briefing to the NFL and other professional sports leagues last Friday, . "Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood. "Burglars have entered through side doors, via balconies or through second-floor windows. They've targeted homes in secluded areas and focused on master bedrooms and closet areas." Local police were called to Mahomes' home in the Kansas City area just after midnight on Oct. 6, . The break-in was reported by a member of the Chiefs star's security team. One day later, Kelce's home was broken into while the were playing the and $20,000 in cash was stolen.