Author: rpnadmin

A second-grade teacher in Atlanta has created a designated corner in her classroom where students can pass gas without leaving the classroom — a solution that has gone viral on TikTok and sparked a broader debate about classroom etiquette. Candy Sydney-Browning, 36, calls the spot the “gas station,” with a specific area she has nicknamed the “gusty winds area.” She keeps air freshener nearby and marks the corner with a small yellow sign, according to TODAY.com. Ms. Sydney-Browning said she designed the system after noticing students would ask to leave class or make a scene when they needed to pass…

The pilot and three passengers killed when a small plane crashed in shallow waters near a remote coastal town in Alaska have been identified. Alaska Department of Public Safety on Thursday identified the pilot as Eric Middlebrook, 68 of Anchorage. It identified the passengers as Ronald Schmidt, 65, Lance Schmidt, 20 and Daniel Simons, 82, and said in its statement that all three were from California. The Piper PA-24 was headed Wednesday for the airport in the small town of Seldovia after taking off from Anchorage when it crashed. Seldovia’s airport is about 135 miles (220 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage.…

ICE Officer Christian Castro walked out of a Texas jail early Thursday, free for the first time in 90 days, after Minnesota’s bid to get him extradited to face assault charges stalled. Officer Castro had been held for 90 days — the maximum time under Texas law — while he resisted extradition. Minnesota said Texas was required to transfer him, but Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has said he needs more time to consider the case. He questions whether Office Castro counts as a “fugitive” from Minnesota. A federal judge on Wednesday rebuffed Minnesota’s request for a restraining order directing…

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Dolly formed Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean far from land, and forecasters said it could bring heavy rain to portions of the Caribbean. The storm was about 1,555 miles (2,500 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Dolly was moving west. The storm and its name had no connection to Dolly Parton’s death Tuesday. Storm systems are named by procedures set by the World Meteorological Organization, and the lists of names are reused every six years. For the Atlantic…

The Army has selected five companies to build and operate nuclear microreactors on five military installations across the country, the service announced Wednesday. It’s the latest development in a military-wide push to ensure bases have reliable power supplies that function independently of local power grids, which could become targets in a future conflict. The Army initiative is known as the Janus Program, named after the Roman god of transitions. Officials expect to have more than 20 nuclear microreactors eventually at Army installations. The initial round of awards is worth a combined $2.2 billion, officials said.  “Since launching the Janus Program,…

Fans visiting Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, reacted Wednesday to the death of country music icon Dolly Parton at 80. Jonah La Grand, a fan visiting the theme park, praised Parton for her music and her contributions to the community. “It’s great to see someone become so famous these days just through her own kindness because nowadays so many people get famous for all the wrong reasons.” Carla Potts, visiting Dollywood for the first time, described Parton as a “great, great lady” and “wonderful entertainer,” praising her for spreading hope and joy. Potts, a retired teacher, also highlighted Parton’s Imagination…

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department’s request to erase Trump ally Steve Bannon’s criminal conviction for refusing to testify before the congressional committee that investigated a mob’s Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. But it may not be a final decision on the matter. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled that prosecutors failed to properly explain their motivations for seeking the dismissal of Bannon’s indictment. However, the judge said the government is free to renew its request in a manner that follows the law. Nichols ruled several months after the U.S. Supreme Court…

BANGKOK — The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier will make a stop in Thailand after its grueling deployment in the Middle East, Thai officials said Wednesday. The Lincoln was supporting the U.S. war against Iran, and its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies including food and hygiene products. Thai defense ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said the Lincoln will stop in Thailand next week for rest and recovery before returning to its U.S.…

TORONTO — U.S. President Donald Trump says his country does not need Canada. But every day, roughly 4 million barrels of Canadian crude oil flow south, helping fuel American cars, trucks and airplanes and supply U.S. industry. And oil is only the beginning. Canada also supplies aluminum, potash to U.S. farms and parts for an auto industry built on both sides of the border. “WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!” Trump posted this week, repeating his long-running claim. Yet Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian aluminum while acknowledging this week that the United States badly needs the…

BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho judge has set the timeline for Bryan Kohberger’s attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in the murders of four University of Idaho students, and he is warning attorneys on both sides that he will hold any new evidence in the case to a strict legal standard. Fourth District Judge Steven Hippler, who sentenced Kohberger to life in prison without parole after Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders last year, set out the guidelines for how the case will proceed in a written order Wednesday morning. The judge did not grant Kohberger a hearing on his…