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Federal prosecutors have launched a rare special grand jury probe into D.C. public schools, zeroing in on truancy, graduation rates and attendance records. The investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post , is examining the supervision and oversight of young people in the nation’s capital, according to people familiar with the matter. This is about "safeguarding youth in the District," a law enforcement official told Fox News. Teachers and other personnel at several D.C. Public Schools campuses have been contacted in recent days about student absences, graduation practices and the way attendance is documented, the Washington Post reported. At least one person has already testified before the panel, while others are expected to appear in the coming days, according to the outlet. DETROIT SCHOOLS OFFER STUDENTS UP TO $1,000 FOR PERFECT ATTENDANCE AS PROGRAM EXPANDS The use of a special grand jury is unusual. Fox News is told a judge must approve the creation of...

California could soon formally recognize two of Islam’s most important holy days under legislation that would give state workers greater flexibility to take them off and allow public schools to close in observance of the holidays. The measure, which overwhelmingly passed the state Assembly and is awaiting Senate action, would recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in state law and could soon head to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Assembly Bill 2017 , introduced by Democratic San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, passed the Assembly 64-1 in late May. It must clear the Senate before the legislative session ends Monday to reach Newsom. TRUMP DOJ EXPANDS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTIONS AFTER MAJOR SUPREME COURT RULINGS The bill would let state employees use existing paid holiday credits to take time off for Eid. Public schools and community colleges could also close for the holidays. "California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country, a...

Huo Jingnan / NPR : Analysis: AI chatbots challenged or didn't respond to 90%+ of 15 false narratives spread by Russia, China, and Iran; AI overviews did it 60%+ of the time   —  Since AI chatbots exploded in popularity and Google started offering AI-generated answers, people who research foreign influence campaigns …

A day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" amid a trade war with Canada, the leader of Seneca Nation of Indians asked him to reverse it. Calling his order "unpresidential," president J. Conrad Seneca on Friday wrote: "The President cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action. His order should be rescinded, and the name Lake Ontario should be left as it is, reflective of the Seneca people, other Haudenosaunee nations and all Indigenous people surrounding the lake." Seneca explained that the lake derived its name from Indigenous roots. TRUMP TAUNTS CANADA ON RENAMING LAKE ONTARIO THE 'LAKE AMERICA' AMID RISING BORDER TRADE RIFT "In our traditional Seneca language, its name is sga:nyodai:yoh, meaning ‘beautiful lake,’" he wrote in a message shared in the nation’s newsletter. "Long before the United States existed, and before settlers b...

Ann Davis Vaughan / The Information : Job listings and other indicators: SpaceX is working on a Bastrop, TX foundry to build blades for large gas turbines, which could ease its AI power crunch   —  Elon Musk intends to bypass the power supply chain for AI data centers in a way others assumed was impossible, by making highly complex components himself.

A waitress running for Congress in Wisconsin's third district was on the payroll of two left-leaning organizations with ties to billionaire investor George Soros' Open Society Foundation . Rebecca Cooke has portrayed herself as a working-class outsider, touting her experience as a waitress, small-business owner and nonprofit leader raised on a dairy farm. But a personal financial disclosure released two days after Wisconsin’s Aug. 13 primary shows she received more than $5,000 apiece for work with Third Way and the Pipeline Fund, two left-leaning organizations with financial ties to George Soros’ Open Society network. The Open Society network awarded $1 million to Third Way’s nonprofit research arm between 2023 and 2024, while the Pipeline Fund received $1.4 million directly from the Open Society Action Fund in 2024. Through the Open Society Foundation, which serves as the umbrella organization for Soros' philanthropy network, Soros has distributed tens of millions of dolla...