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New Jersey school district apologizes for offending Muslim group with question about ISIS terror group in quiz

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New Jersey school district apologizes for offending Muslim group with question about ISIS terror group in quiz


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A New Jersey school district apologized for offending a Muslim activist group this week after a middle school teacher featured a class quiz question naming the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, as a terror group.

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The Wayne Township Public Schools superintendent’s office sent out a statement to the district expressing regret over an “inappropriate” question that was asked during a quiz at Schuyler-Colfax Middle School earlier this week.

“The question was offensive and contrary to our values of respect, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity,” the office said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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A New Jersey school district apologized after a Muslim educators group accused one of its public schools of bigotry by calling ISIS a “terror group.” (AP)

The superintendent’s letter addressed a recent complaint made by the activist group “Teaching While Muslim” (TWM) on social media.

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The group, which describes itself on its website as a network of Muslim educators that confronts “discrimination, implicit bias, and institutional racism” against Muslims in public schools, shared an Instagram post condemning a quiz question that one teacher posed to his seventh-grade students about the Islamic State.

The group shared a screenshot of the question, which read, “It is a terrorist organization that commits acts of violence, destroys cultural artifacts, and encourages loss of life in order to achieve its goal of global rule under strict Islamic Sharia law.”

Students were prompted to choose the group from the multiple choices below, which included, “The Shining Path,” “al Qaeda,” “Islamic State,” and the “Palestinian Liberation Organization.”

The image featured the “Islamic State” bubble filled in, as it was the correct answer. TWM condemned the question in the post’s caption, stating, “We have seen anti Muslim & anti Palestinian sentiments, teachers, and content in our schools over and over again. But we must not allow it to continue. Call and email everyone that you can.”

“This is not okay on a million levels. Go. And yes. This is real,” the post added. It also included a screenshot of the school principal’s alleged apology for the question, as pointed out by conservative journalist Andy Ngo on X.

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GUNMEN OPEN FIRE AND KILL 4 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 3 FOREIGNERS, IN AFGHANISTAN’S CENTRAL BAMYAN PROVINCE

A photo provided by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), showing an ISIS flag among the belongings of a Hamas fighter. (Israeli Defense Forces)

A recent Congressional research document defined the Islamic State as “a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group. At its 2015 height, the group controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria from which it launched attacks in the region and beyond.”

The document continued, noting that “The 2024 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) of the U.S. Intelligence Community assessed that ‘ISIS will remain a centralized global organization even as it has been forced to rely on regional branches … [and will attempt] to conduct and inspire global attacks against the West and Western interests.’”

When asked to confirm details of TWM’s account against Schuyler-Colfax Middle School, the superintendent’s office provided its statement apologizing for the incident.

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It read, “First, I sincerely apologize on behalf of the school district. Such incidents are unacceptable and do not reflect the standards we uphold for our educational community. We understand the deep concern and disappointment this has caused among students, parents, and the broader community. It is also important to recognize that one question does not define our entire school community.”

The statement went on to say an “investigation” had been launched into the matter and found that “the test question was derived, in part, from software used as a resource for this class.”

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“It is crucial to emphasize that our schools are committed to fostering safe and respectful environments for all students, regardless of background, belief, race, or religion. We have a process in place for reviewing curriculum materials and have already initiated a review of this software,” it added, also mentioning that the school continues to “provide cultural sensitivity training to all teachers and staff.”





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Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026

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Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026


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Powerball winning numbers are in for the Wednesday, March 2 drawing with a jackpot that reached an estimated $20 million ($9.4 million cash option).

The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing are 7, 14, 42, 47, and 56, with Powerball number 6.  The Power Play number is 4.

Did anyone win the Powerball jackpot?

No one won the Powerball jackpot

When is the next drawing of the Powerball?

The next Powerball drawing is Saturday. Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

How late can you buy a Powerball ticket?

In New Jersey, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 9:59 p.m. on the night of the draw.

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What does it cost to play Powerball?

Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply nonjackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.

Are you a Powerball winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All New Jersey Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.99. For prizes over $599.99, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at New Jersey Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to New Jersey Lottery, Attn: Validations, PO Box 041, Trenton, NJ 08625-0041.

Winners can drop off their claim form and winning ticket in person at the New Jersey Lottery office where a secure drop box is available. Claim forms are also available at the office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Lawrence Park Complex, 1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle, Trenton, NJ 08648.

To find a lottery retalier, you can search the NJ lotto website.

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What is the Powerball payout?

The complete guide to winnings is:

  • Match 5 White Balls + Powerball: Jackpot
  • Match 5 White Balls: $1 million
  • Match 4 White Balls + Powerball: $50,000
  • Match 4 White Balls: $100
  • Match 3 White Balls + Powerball: $100
  • Match 3 White Balls: $7
  • Match 2 White Balls + Powerball: $7
  • Match 1 White Ball + Powerball: $4
  • Match Powerball: $4
  • Match 5 White Balls with Power Play: $2 million
  • Match 4 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $200,000
  • Match 4 White Balls with Power Play: $400
  • Match 3 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $400
  • Match 3 White Balls with Power Play: $28
  • Match 2 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $28
  • Match 1 White Ball + Powerball with Power Play: $16
  • Match Powerball with Power Play: $16

What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?

The overall odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.

How do I find the Powerball winning numbers?

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also lived streamed on Powerball.com. The winning numbers are posted to the Powerball and New Jersey Lottery websites.



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New Jersey

NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes

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NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes


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Last June, the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark launched a review called “We Are His Witnesses,” which aimed to consider potential consolidations or closures of some of its 211 North Jersey parishes.

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But amid confusion and pushback from many parishioners, Cardinal Joseph Tobin said Wednesday that the archdiocese will now extend its review to allow for further study and conversations.

In a letter published on the Archdiocese website March 4, Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, noted the challenges remain the same: a steady decline in membership and a shortage of priests projected to grow worse in the coming years. He did not specify how much longer the process would take but said he would have more to announce in June.

The largest of New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses, the Newark Archdiocese serves approximately 1.3 million people in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

Story continues after gallery.

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Some parishioners, Tobin wrote, “came to believe — incorrectly — that the overall goal of We Are His Witnesses is to close churches. That has never been the purpose.

“This work is not driven by downsizing, but by mission: by the call to strengthen parish life so that it can truly form disciples and reach those who are not yet engaged in the life of the Church.”

The program’s aim is not to close churches, but to “strengthen parish life” he added.

He said a follow-up announcement would come on June 12 but reassured parishioners that “there is no need to fear that an immediate and wholesale closure of parishes will be announced.”

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‘The Church is not a museum’

Current circumstances demand Church leaders to make difficult decisions, he said. “The challenges we face are real: fewer priests, fewer people in the pews, communities that look very different than they did even a generation ago, and financial strain. Ignoring the changed landscape does not preserve parish life; it weakens it. The Church is not a museum to preserve what it once was,” he wrote.

The initiative kicked off last summer, with meetings at churches around the region to allow parishioners to offer feedback. Many expressed fears about their future of their church, Tobin said.

Parishioners at many of the meetings and in letters to Tobin expressed concerns about the program. As a result, Tobin concluded that “it is clear that the communities of the Archdiocese need more time for honest discernment. We are extending this phase of our work to allow for deeper reflection and broader consultation throughout our local Church.”

“This is not a pause in mission. It is a call to take the mission seriously and to ask ourselves, with renewed honesty, what it means to be a missionary Church today.”

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Msgr. Richard Arnhols, pastor emeritus of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Bergenfield and a member of a committee of pastoral leaders helping to guide the review, said that, “Based on the input from the priests and people of the parishes which took place last fall, Cardinal Tobin has approved a period of additional study and reflection before any decisions are made.”

The first step is further conversation among parish priests, which will take place this month, he said.

Gregory Hann, a religious instructor at St. Vincent Academy in Newark, applauded Tobin’s decision. “If we continue to do things the way we have been doing them, we become a stagnant Church and we allow the comforts of our culture and the outside to keep us from moving from the Cross to glory.”

Nicholas Grillo of Bloomfield, a parishioner who attended several listening sessions at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City, approved of the decision. “Hopefully the pause will give them time to reevaluate this going forward,” he said.

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He added that it was a “waste of money” to pay large sums of money to a consultant that “doesn’t understand the intricacies of the Archdiocese of Newark,” he said, referring to the Catholic Leadership Institute, a Pennsylvania group that the archdiocese has engaged.

Instead, Grillo suggested, “they should put together a group of lay parishioners and priests from the diocese who can collaborate on a better path forward.”



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Devils Out to Rattle the Leafs | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils

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Devils Out to Rattle the Leafs  | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils


THE SCOOP

The Devils began their season-high seven-game homestand with a decisive victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. The win was their second consecutive victory after picking up a win in St. Louis earlier in the week. 

There’s not a lot of runway left in the season, and stringing together a run of victories is at the top of their minds. New Jersey is 11 points out of the final Wild Card spot, and 13 out of third in the Metropolitan Division. Tuesday will mark the Devils final game before the NHL Trade Deadline, which is on Friday at 3 p.m.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are having a down year, based on where the expectations were set heading into the season. The Leafs have struggled to gain any traction in their season and sit just two points ahead of New Jersey with 64. Toronto is 12 points out of third in the Atlantic Division, and nine points out of a Wild Card spot. 

The Leafs have a tendency to give up an abundance of shots to their opponents, ranking first in the league in shots against, per game with 31.8, which bodes will for a Devils team that averages 29.4 shots per game, ranking sixth in the league. Despite their overall struggles, the Leafs do have the league’s fourth-best penalty kill, working at an 83.1 percent efficiency.

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