Midwest
Minnesota Walz-appointed board requires teachers to ‘affirm’ their students' gender identities
![Minnesota Walz-appointed board requires teachers to ‘affirm’ their students' gender identities Minnesota Walz-appointed board requires teachers to ‘affirm’ their students' gender identities](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/walztim.jpg)
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota has personally appointed members to the state’s teachers board, a body that will require educators to “affirm” their students’ gender identities, have “racial consciousness,” and learn to “disrupt oppressive systems,” public notices show.
The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) updated its Standards of Effective Practice with new guidelines for aspiring state teachers that are set to take effect throughout the state in 2025. Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, was behind the appointment of all 13 PELSB members during his tenure as governor.
The new standards will require teachers in Minnesota to take controversial stances in their approach to teaching, such as “affirming” their student’s “gender,” “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.”
In order to become a licensed educator, the new standards also require that a teacher “understands multiple theories of identity formation” and takes “culturally affirming, and proactive approaches to behavior.”
KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ, ENDORSED BY TEACHERS UNIONS, RECEIVE FAILING GRADE FROM SCHOOL CHOICE GROUP
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Andrew Harnik)
The eighth section of the new standards, titled, “Racial Consciousness and Reflection,” requires that a teacher “understands how ethnocentrism, eurocentrism, deficit-based teaching, and white supremacy undermine pedagogical equity.”
The practice also requires a teacher to assess “how their biases, perceptions and academic training may affect their teaching practice and perpetuate oppressive systems and utilizes tools to mitigate their own behavior to disrupt oppressive systems.”
Catrin Wigfall, education policy fellow at the American Experiment, a Minnesota conservative think tank, says that “there is concern that these changes will exacerbate the teacher shortage, discouraging aspiring educators from entering the profession out of fear they will be forced to incorporate ideological perspectives just to be able to do the job they love.”
‘HE IGNORED US’: LOCAL MINNESOTA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT SLAMS WALZ’S ‘NEGATIVE IMPACT’ ON K-12 EDUCATION
“Gov. Tim Walz’s Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) plowed forward with making controversial changes to state teacher licensure requirements despite overwhelming pushback and criticism from the public. The changes will require aspiring educators to infuse ideologically-driven content into their licensure coursework (regardless of where they plan to teach), and the expectation is that this will then be implemented in their classrooms,” Wigfall told Fox News Digital.
![classroom](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1725521064_771_Minnesota-Walz-appointed-board-requires-teachers-to-‘affirm-their-studentsx27-gender.jpg)
Those affected by the updated standards are “all teacher candidates completing an initial teacher licensure program in Minnesota and all teachers seeking an initial Tier 3 license via the licensure via portfolio process.” (Ridofranz)
“The changes also make concerning and insulting generalizations about our teachers — that they are to consider themselves as biased with intersecting oppressive identities and that they need to be trained on how to treat others of different demographics with respect and dignity, celebrate student diversity, etc,” Wigfall, a former public school teacher, told Fox.
Under the Walz-appointed board’s new rules, students will be taught about “power, privilege, intersectionality, and systemic oppression in the context of the various communities.”
![A few hundred people gathered outside Coffman Memorial Union to call for a cease-fire in Gaza before marching on the Northrop Mall and setting up an encampment on the lawn Monday afternoon, April 29, 2024, on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis.](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1725521064_221_Minnesota-Walz-appointed-board-requires-teachers-to-‘affirm-their-studentsx27-gender.jpg)
A few hundred people gathered outside Coffman Memorial Union to call for a cease-fire in Gaza before marching on the Northrop Mall and setting up an encampment on the lawn Monday afternoon, April 29, 2024, on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. (Jeff Wheeler)
Those affected by the standards are “all teacher candidates completing an initial teacher licensure program in Minnesota and all teachers seeking an initial Tier 3 license via the licensure via portfolio process.”
Schools across the state are preparing to adopt these policies as Walz runs on the Democratic presidential ticket with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Read the full article from Here
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Detroit, MI
Detroit Tigers lose 6-5 to San Diego Padres on walk-off hit in 10th inning, drop to .500
![Detroit Tigers lose 6-5 to San Diego Padres on walk-off hit in 10th inning, drop to .500 Detroit Tigers lose 6-5 to San Diego Padres on walk-off hit in 10th inning, drop to .500](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/05/PDTF/75081852007-usa-20240904-sjb-pt-6-388-jpg.jpg?auto=webp&crop=4808,2705,x0,y250&format=pjpg&width=1200)
How is Detroit Tigers rare pitching strategy working?
Mark and Evan discuss the atypical pitching approach Tigers have been utilizing out of necessity. Full Days of Roar podcast (Sept. 3) out now.
Detroit Tigers reliever Jason Foley hung a second-pitch slider to Fernando Tatis Jr. with a runner in scoring position and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning.
That small mistake made a difference.
The Tigers lost, 6-5, to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday on a walk-off single from Tatis, who recently returned from the injured list, in the second of three games in the series at Petco Park.
The game ended when Tatis, a right-handed hitter, smacked the right-handed Foley’s middle-middle slider on the ground and through the left side of the infield, enough to score the free runner in extra innings from second base.
SHORTSTOP STOPPED: Detroit Tigers’ Javier Báez undergoes hip surgery, but too soon for timeline
“We had our chances,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters in San Diego. “We were chipping away, which got us the lead, and then they showed their quick-strike offense and shut-down bullpen. Tough game and a tough loss, especially getting into extra innings. We didn’t do anything with our extra runner. They were able to push theirs across.”
The Tigers (70-70) — following back-to-back losses — dropped to 5½ games back for the third and final spot in the American League wild-card race. Three AL teams are at 70-70: the Tigers, the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners, with the Tampa Bay Rays at 69-70.
Right-hander starter Keider Montero, who has a 5.47 ERA through 14 games in his rookie campaign, squandered a five-run lead by allowing the Padres to score five runs across the fourth and fifth innings.
Battle of bullpens
The Padres missed opportunities with the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh innings, stranding all three runners against right-handed reliever Beau Brieske in the sixth and right-handed reliever Shelby Miller in the seventh.
Meanwhile, right-handed reliever Will Vest made his job look easy against the Padres’ three best hitters — Tatis (swinging strikeout), Jurickson Profar (swinging strikeout) and Manny Machado (groundout) — in the eighth. Vest then returned for the ninth and retired three batters in a row to send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, the Tigers had runners on the corners with two outs against right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada, but right-handed Justyn-Henry Malloy, pinch-hitting for lefty Andy Ibáñez, flew out to center to end the inning.
The Padres walked-off the Tigers in the 10th. Before Tatis’ walk-off single, the Tigers intentionally walked contact-first left-handed hitter Luis Arraez, who wasn’t a favorable matchup because Foley historically struggles against lefties.
Also, Foley doesn’t miss bats.
“We’ll take our shot with a righty,” Hinch said. “I thought the ball could get on the ground, which it did, but you’re not in a good spot either way. We thought the better shot at getting the ball on the ground at somebody was going to be with the righty.”
Tatis, whose walk-off single ended the game, returned from the injured list before Monday’s series opener against the Tigers. He hadn’t played since June 21 because of a right femoral stress reaction.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple,Spotify) ]
Keider Montero’s start
Montero fell apart in the fourth inning.
Walking Xander Bogaerts put two runners on with one out for rookie Jackson Merrill, who collected his 22nd home run in his 136th game. He hit Montero’s middle-middle fastball for a three-run home run to left-center, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 5-3.
In the fifth inning, the Padres jumped Montero with back-to-back hits from Arraez (single) and Tatis (double) to put runners on the corners. Both hits occurred on pitches that Montero left over the middle of the strike zone.
With one out, Machado — the final batter of Montero’s start, regardless of the outcome — got just enough of a down-and-away changeup in a two-strike count, producing a ground-ball single to tie the game at 5-5.
LOOKING AHEAD: 5 storylines for Detroit Tigers in September 2024, including postseason push
Montero, 24, allowed five runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts across 4⅓ innings, throwing 71 pitches. He has surrendered at least four runs in eight of his 14 games since making his MLB debut in late May.
Yu Darvish’s start
Right-hander Yu Darvish, a five-time All-Star, was placed on the restricted list in early July while tending to a personal matter. The 38-year-old made his long-awaited return Thursday against the Tigers, but he wasn’t sharp.
OUTSIDE THE ROTATION: All hail The Opener, an untapped ace
The Tigers worked Darvish for numerous deep counts, forcing his exit after 63 pitches in the third inning. He allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts across 2⅔ innings.
Matt Vierling put the Tigers ahead, 1-0, when he turned on an up-and-in 95 mph fastball with two strikes and two outs in the first inning. It was his 16th homer of the season.
The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 in the second inning, thanks to a leadoff walk from Spencer Torkelson. He came around to score on a single from Jace Jung, a wild pitch by Darvish and an RBI groundout from Dillon Dingler.
A leadoff walk from Riley Greene created another scoring opportunity in the third inning, which the Tigers took advantage of with Colt Keith’s two-out RBI single for a 3-0 lead. The single from Keith, who had been slumping for the past week, chased Darvish.
Facing left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui, rookie shortstop Trey Sweeney put the Tigers ahead, 5-0, in the fourth inning with a two-run home run on an up-and-in fastball with two strikes. Jung, a fellow left-handed hitter, kickstarted the run-scoring inning by working a leadoff walk, just like Torkelson in the second and Greene in the third.
It was Sweeney’s first home run against a left-handed pitcher in the 2024 season, following 15 homers in 107 games in Triple-A and two homers in 15 games in MLB.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Milwaukee, WI
DOT adds concrete barriers to Holt Avenue park-and-ride lot
![DOT adds concrete barriers to Holt Avenue park-and-ride lot DOT adds concrete barriers to Holt Avenue park-and-ride lot](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e02b84d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1008+0+36/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx-default-stgec.uplynk.com%2Fause%2Fslices%2F965%2F44c3f81cadf84cf5a6f4e6d100388208%2F96567241e77d4ff39fe7397484c5538b%2Fposter_75406c2b388b41c8ac57c25a0086850f.png)
MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation added a new step to stop people from living at local park-and-ride lots.
The DOT added concrete barriers at the Holt Avenue lot along I-94.
“I mean first of all you don’t want to be out here. Now you’re feeling like you’re being closed in,” Tracy Bennett said.
Bennett lived in her car at the park-and-ride. She and her husband had nowhere to turn after being evicted in May, but stumbled upon the parking lot in July.
“This isn’t a joyride. This isn’t something we expected, we planned on. It’s not life. It’s not,” Bennett explained.
For months, TMJ4’s Megan Lee has covered the encampments. However, these concrete barriers are new.
People living in the parking lot said the barriers went up a few weeks ago.
When Lee asked the DOT about the barriers, she got this response:
Over the past several months, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has notified individuals living at park and ride lots of the need to vacate. During this time, over 65 individuals have worked with Milwaukee County Housing Services staff to find safer and more suitable housing. Efforts to connect remaining individuals with available resources continue to be ongoing, and WisDOT has reconfigured the Holt Avenue Park and Ride lot with concrete barriers and fencing to maintain the progress seen in decreasing abandoned vehicles, long-term parking violations, and litter at the lot. Partnering agencies will continue to monitor park and ride lots and evaluate further actions to return park and ride lots to their intended use.
Bennett is worried she will have nowhere to go. She said, “ya know next week they’ll come and push them a little bit farther, come and push them a little bit farther until there’s no place to go.”
Lee asked Bennett if there was a lack of affordable housing in Milwaukee.
“I do. Perfect example. Perfect example right here,” she said.
Bennett is working to get assistance to move into a more stable living situation.
“You can only ask some people so many times for money, for help, for food. You can only ask so many times,” she said.
Talk to us:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip
Minneapolis, MN
How the Spoon and Cherry sculpture found a home in Minneapolis
![How the Spoon and Cherry sculpture found a home in Minneapolis How the Spoon and Cherry sculpture found a home in Minneapolis](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/08/07/69e34a97-300b-4b77-bb4c-1da81daa8b7c/thumbnail/1200x630/1d3b7cc0a6c4380da2f58bfecc18be27/gettyimages-590652173.jpg?v=631cf5f2b4e8db7f9bc428589402864d)
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s recognizable not just in Minneapolis, but across the country, and for good reason.
It’s the center piece of the Walker Art Center’s sculpture garden. And in many ways, it’s become a state symbol. Roughly 600,000 people a year visit the Spoon and Cherry.
“It’s bigger than the sculpture garden. It’s bigger than the Walker. It’s something that has become emblematic of the state of Minnesota in general,” said Siri Engberg, Senior Curator and Director of Visual Arts for Walker Art Center.
Last year the Spoonbridge and Cherry, as its technically called, celebrated 35 years on site. In the late 80’s artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen were tasked with creating something special for the sculpture garden.
“Claus Oldenberg is known for whimsical pop art, infused works that are very much everyday objects and changing them in surprising ways,” said Engberg.
In Chicago, Oldenberg had an idea to use a spoon as a bridge into Lake Michigan. It didn’t work out. But he found a place for the utensil in Minneapolis. His thought was the bowl of the spoon could be associated with the prow of a Viking ship, over the water.
“I think the cherry with the color, the red, that’s what pops it out,” said Vicki Friedman who is visiting with her husband Gary from St. Louis, Missouri.
Van Bruggen thought so too. She’s the one who convinced Oldenburg that the fruit would be “the cherry on top” for his masterpiece.
The cherry weighs about 1,200 pounds. And the spoon portion of the sculpture is nearly 3 tons. It’s made out of stainless steel and aluminum and it took two years to build on the east coast. Then it was shipped by flatbed trailer to Minneapolis. In May of 1988, two cranes finally put the spoon and cherry in its place.
“It’s pretty cool. It shoots water out of the stem,” said Ximena Fernandez, who was visiting the sculpture garden.
The sculpture is a giant fountain surrounded by a wet meadow. Oldenburg designed it that way as a shout-out to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. When the wind changes direction, you feel the mist coming from the stem.
The sculpture needs to be cleaned after a long winter and repainted every so often. But maintaining that shine is what’s helped it become the picture capitol of Minneapolis. People get creative with their photos and some will go to great heights to get a closer look.
“I love it. It’s so unique. I don’t think there’s anything like it in the world,” said the Friedmans.
“It’s neat. You can’t see this kind of merging between art and nature anywhere else,” said Engberg. “The scale of this piece is monumental. Against the Minneapolis skyline it’s kind of an incredible object.”
Again, the Spoonbridge and Cherry is surrounded by a wet meadow with native plants. It’s all designed to help recycle rainwater through the fountain.
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump sets intense pace with campaign events as questions swirl about Harris' policy positions
-
News1 week ago
Former national security adviser McMaster says he won’t work for Trump again
-
World1 week ago
Who is Telegram CEO Pavel Durov? What to know about his arrest in France
-
World1 week ago
Commission mandarin flags convergence of digital with industry
-
Science1 week ago
How much more water and power does AI computing demand? Tech firms don't want you to know
-
World1 week ago
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 915
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Slingshot (2024) – Movie Review
-
World1 week ago
Swiss court convicts two executives of embezzling $1.8bn from 1MDB