Source: REACH Media / Reach Media
Here’s what you need to know for Thursday, December 22nd, 2022
1. Better Watch Out! Santa And a Winter Blizzard on The Way!
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What You Need to Know:
A powerful winter storm is on the move across the country, threatening holiday travel, on the roads, and in the skies. Just days before Christmas, tens of millions of Americans are currently under Winter weather warnings. Heavy snows and dangerous winds have moved from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Plains. By the end of the week, that storm system is on track to hit the North, South, and East. Officials have warned of life-threatening cold in places like Bismarck, ND, where windchills are expected to drop to negative 33 degrees.
2. Christmas Along Party Lines
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WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY
What You Need to Know:
A new Ipsos poll reveals startling differences about Christmas among Americans of various religions, backgrounds, and political party affiliations. Here are some of the exciting facts extrapolated from the data.
The majority (87%) of respondents say that waiting until at least after Thanksgiving is the most appropriate time to start playing Christmas music in public. This proportion is consistent across subgroups, where a majority says that waiting until at least after Thanksgiving is appropriate.
3. Audit Calls For Transparency on Evers’ COVID Relief Spending
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What You Need to Know:
A nonpartisan audit released Wednesday called on Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to be more transparent about how he distributes billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The Legislative Audit Bureau said that Evers’ Department of Administration did not provide information it claimed the governor based his decisions on when handing out some $3.7 billion in pandemic aid over the past two years. Republican lawmakers have criticized the governor’s spending choices and tried to give themselves control of the money.
4. It’s Never Too Late! Former Jackson State University Drum Major Graduates 31 Years Later
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WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE
What You Need to Know:
Jackson State University (JSU) held its 2022 Undergraduate and Graduate Ceremony on December 9, with guest speaker Roland Martin.
Amongst 500 graduates, one, in particular, took a well-deserved stroll. Ira Vaughn, a 54-year-old return student who is also a former Drum Major of JSU’s Sonic Boom of the South marching band, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in professional interdisciplinary studies after 31 years since he last enrolled at the Historically Black College College and University (HBCU).
5. Schools Struggle to Staff up For Youth Mental Health Crisis
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What You Need to Know:
Mira Ugwuadu felt anxious and depressed when she returned to her high school in Cobb County, Georgia, last fall after months of remote learning, so she sought help. But her school counselor kept rescheduling their meetings because she had so many students to see.
“I felt helpless and alone,” the 12th grader later said.
Despite an influx of COVID-19 relief money, school districts across the country have struggled to staff up to address students’ mental health needs that have only grown since the pandemic hit.
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Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know’ Here Comes Santa…and a Blizzard — Christmas Along Party Lines — It’s Never Too Late! was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
