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KYIV, Ukraine — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday’s Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. Putin Issues Stark Warning to the West In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech to his nation that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia’s bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. “The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined,” he said. Related Story: Hungary’s Orbán Echoes Moscow’s Talking Points Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow’s talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasizing that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It’s not a trick... there will be consequences,” he said. Related Story: Czech Republic Expresses Support for Ukraine Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday’s missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He underlined that the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday’s previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations “in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who added this is not the first time such a threat has been received. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office continued to work in compliance with standard security measures, a spokesperson said. Related Story: Details of the Oreshnik Missile Attack Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile, whose name in Russian means “hazelnut tree,” was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region, and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. The missile had six nonnuclear warheads each carrying six submunitions and reached a spoeed of Mach 11, it said. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday’s attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles (6 1/2 kilometers) southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine’s fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country’s largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad. The stricken area was cordoned off and out of public view. With no fatalities reported from the attack, Dnipro residents resorted to dark humor on social media, mostly focused on the missile’s name, Oreshnik. Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia struck a residential district of Sumy overnight with Iranian-designed Shahed drones, killing two people and injuring 13, the regional administration said.. Ukraine’s Suspilne media, quoting Sumy regional head Volodymyr Artiukh, said the drones were stuffed with shrapnel elements. “These weapons are used to destroy people, not to destroy objects,” said Artiukh, according to Suspilne.MOUNT VERNON, S.D. — Reagan Rus is always ready to compete. Those who’ve known Rus since she was a little kid gracing the halls of Mount Vernon Public School saw the potential competitor she would become as a muti-sport standout for Mount Vernon/Plankinton's sports teams. ADVERTISEMENT Numerous school records, all-state recognition and state championships. All the accolades came from a simple lesson at an early age. “My mom has always taught us to try and do our best,” said Rus, now in her senior year at Mount Vernon. “Although we can put in the most effort and whatever we do to get in that extra practice, we do it so we can excel. My mom pushed me to be the best I can be for our team.” As the cliche, “Mother knows best,” holds true here, Rus has been at the top of her game. She’s been a state champion in track and field in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter relay, holding the school record in the latter. In basketball, Rus was an all-state player last season for the first time and committed to Division II Northern State University to play college hoops in August. However, Rus’ volleyball play this season went to the next level, setting the Titans’ single-season team record with 510 kills. She also added 356 digs, 42 aces, 18 assists and 12 blocks. Averaging over 14 kills and 10 digs in 35 matches played, Rus powered the Titans back to the Class A state tournament for the first time since 2015. Rus also added her first all-state first-team selection in volleyball for the seventh-place finishing Titans, recording double-doubles in all three tournament games, totalling 55 kills and 52 digs. She was named to the all-Southeastern South Dakota Conference team and wrapped her five-year varsity career as the Titans’ all-time leader in kills (1,477) and digs (1,130). For displaying a high level of consistency as one of the top attackers in the region and being an integral part of MVP’s return to the Class A state tournament, Reagan Rus was selected as the 2024 Mitchell Republic volleyball player of the year. ADVERTISEMENT Since 2001, the Mitchell Republic volleyball player of the year has been selected by the newspaper’s sports staff, and conducted via a point-based voting system, awarding five points to the top player, four points to the second player and so on. Rus tallied 19 total points with three first-place votes, joining 2014 and 2015 player of the year Makaela Karst as honorees to have donned the Titans’ colors. Other players garnering consideration were Burke’s Kailee Frank, who received the remaining first-place vote, Emmie Hausmann and Paige Bull, Winner teammates Keelie Kuil and Gracie Root, and Hanson’s Ava Doyle. Rus’ first exposure to volleyball came during instructional camps hosted mainly at Dakota Wesleyan University, quickly picking up on the basics of the sport. By her sixth-grade year, volleyball became her fall activity. But the jump from middle school volleyball to high school presented Rus with a new challenge and new teammates. Nervous about integrating herself with the varsity roster at the beginning of the season, she attributes the feeling to not having much confidence in herself at the time. However, former teammate Maria Baker, who Rus credits as her influence for her own volleyball game, reached out to the then-eighth grader and helped Rus make the leap forward. “She was always really there for me if I needed to talk to someone and if I really needed support,” Rus said. “It was a big change for me and she helped bridge that gap. ... She was (MVP’s) go-to attacker at the time, and I just always wanted to be that go-to person.” ADVERTISEMENT Rus also credits Titans head coach Darcy Deinert for taking a chance on bringing her up to the varsity volleyball team when she did. However, Deinert was one of those that felt Rus had the potential to be a great player given her competitive spirit. “She has the determination and likes to be challenged,” Deinert said. “I knew she was physically and mentally capable of getting to a higher level because of her tenacity and her fire and will to compete at a level that challenged her.” Beginning to see valuable time on the floor at varsity as a freshman, Rus played exclusively in the front row, often getting rotated out depending on the point in a match. Always having the mindset of wanting to attack, the substitutions served as motivation to work on other skills valuable to a player. Rus’ focus immediately went to her passing and setting of the volleyball, always getting extra reps to time up her contact of the ball and putting the ball in position for teammates to make a play. Her defense also showed improvement, due to her willingness to get to the ball where others might look to someone else. “As a defender, you just want them to go get (the ball),” Deinert said, “And that was easy for her. She had to analyze what angle it’s coming from and to learn that this ball’s going over here or if a girl is taller than our blocker, and it came quite quickly.” “I hated coming out of the game,” Rus added. “I just wanted to be in there all the time so I can influence the game in whatever way possible. I worked as hard as I could when we had practice and got as many reps as I could so I didn’t have to come out.” ADVERTISEMENT Regardless of whether she’s collecting kills, draining triples or leaping over hurdles, Rus will always be found with a smile on her face. Even as the Titans grew together on the court or in the weight room, Rus was counted on with the other seniors on the roster to keep the atmosphere light and enjoyable, while also setting the example for the mostly young roster. One aspect of Rus’ personality is undeniable: her passion for sports. “She loves the game, whether it's volleyball, basketball or track,” MVP girls basketball head coach Preston Kristensen said. “She embraces every moment, and as she's gotten older, she's taken over that leadership role and understands that she's setting the tone and the girls feed off her.” “We talked about body language all the time and she's rocking a smile out there while still competing at a high level,” he added. “That's going to relax the rest of the teammates, you know, let them settle in.” Knowing about the added responsibilities of becoming the mentor she once looked up to as an eighth grader, Rus set a goal of being more positive on herself at the beginning of the volleyball season, knowing patience was going to be key as the team built chemistry on the floor. She noticed early on following the Titans’ Oct. 3 victory against Winner how it can guide a team towards their goals. “We were just really positive,” Rus said. “We all just wanted to win and that was our main goal for all of us together this year.” From there, the group began to rewrite their potential goals for the year, and Rus shifted her focus to developing a repertoire of attack shots, mainly to hit positions where holes might be created. By the time MVP faced conference foe and Class B third-place finisher Burke on Oct. 26 for the SESD tournament title, the adjustments on the floor were realized. ADVERTISEMENT The Titans came back from an ugly first set to beat the Cougars for the championship, cementing their status as a team poised to make a run towards the state tournament. The remaining matches brought a renewed focus along with a new demeanor from everyone. “We were bringing a lot of energy,” Rus said. “Those games were very loud for us and we were very positive, which helped our team chemistry. They were high-stakes games, so we just tried to minimize errors as much as we could and find those open spots.” “Reagan had a lot to do with that environment,” Deinert added. “When everybody feels like they’re fighting for something similar, I think the group just goes together and she had a big part in leading that. ... Just the willingness of the group to give to something bigger was pretty cool.” Rus will return to the hardwood for MVP girls basketball this year following a career season in 2023, where she averaged 16.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, earning a spot on the Class A all-state third team. Rus enters 2024 only needing 17 more points to top 1,000 for her career. Following the spring track and field season, Rus will be off to Northern State to join the women’s basketball team, chasing a dream of hers from when she first picked up a basketball and through the countless pickup games against former teammate and current South Dakota State player Emilee Fox and her older brother Reed, who plays football for the University of South Dakota “I’ve been playing basketball for the last few years in the summer just trying to get my name out there,” Rus said. “I just knew I wanted to play basketball and college as it was always a dream of mine just to play in college.” ADVERTISEMENT As for high school, this volleyball season will forever be one of Rus’ lasting memories, and will miss going for those kills to clinch matches while rooting on her teammates along the way. Her impact beyond the walls of Mount Vernon competing for the Titans hasn’t gone unnoticed by those she’s been around and had the opportunity to compete under. “I hope she understands that all the hard work she put in for herself and all the work she did off the court to help build our programs is very appreciated,” Kristensen said. “The coaches couldn't thank her more for all her hard work and dedication.” “I hope she’s able to go into her next chapter in life and be able to say, ‘All right, I’m ready,” Deinert added, “‘I’m ready for this and I’m prepared.’ I hope she leaves prepared and knows that she and any player can believe in themselves and know they can do great things.” Here’s a look at the other players who received consideration, with their point totals in parentheses: Kailee Frank, Burke (14): A senior outside and middle hitter, Frank showcased her proficiency on both ends of the court, netting 375 kills and 337 digs, ranking second on the Cougars in those categories. She was also named to the Class B all-state first team for the second time, previously named to the first team in 2023 and as an honorable mention in 2022. Emmie Hausmann, Burke (9): A junior outside and middle hitter, Hausmann paced the Cougars with 378 kills and 90 service aces. She was named to three all-conference volleyball teams and helped Burke to a 35-4 record and a third-place finish at the Class B state tournament for the second consecutive season. Keelie Kuil, Winner (6): A senior outside hitter, Kuil helped lead Winner back to the Class A state tournament for the first time since 2019. Earning a Class A honorable mention, Kuil led the Warriors with 335 kills and finished among the team’s leaders with 321 digs and 39 aces. Gracie Root, Winner (5): A junior setter, Root finished with 848 assists for the season and was second on the team with 338 digs and third with 32 aces. The Warriors finished the season at 26-9 and came in eighth place in the Class A state tournament. Ava Doyle, Hanson (4): A sophomore setter and outside hitter, Doyle helped the Beavers to a 21-7 record and a Class A SoDak 16 appearance. She finished the regular season with 274 kills, 213 digs, and 56 service aces to her line, earning all-Cornbelt Conference recognition. Paige Bull, Burke (3): A senior middle hitter, Bull’s presence at the net garnered a Class B all-state honorable mention, finishing with 123 total blocks. Adding 309 kills and 15 aces for the third-place finisher Cougars, Bull concluded her prep volleyball career having accumulated 437 total blocks, including 200 solo blocks. Previous award winners: 2001: Marcy Jacobsen, Mitchell; 2002 (winter): Chelaine Knudsen, Andes Central; 2002 (fall): Chelsey Miller, Mitchell; (*Note: 2002 season switch) 2003: Katrina Brooks, Andes Central; 2004: Gina Baldwin, Mitchell; 2005: Kelli Fiegen, Parkston; 2006: Jena Doom, Wagner; 2007: Kelli Fiegen, Parkston; 2008: Keaya Weber, Wagner; 2009: Jilanne Doom, Wagner; 2010: Charlee Nelson, Mitchell; 2011: Dana Misiaszek, Mitchell; 2012: Taylin Alm, Mitchell; 2013: Anna Flitner, Lyman; 2014: Makaela Karst, Mount Vernon/Plankinton; 2015: Makaela Karst, Mount Vernon/Plankinton; 2016: Sierra Mesman, Bon Homme; 2017: Mackenzie Miller, Mitchell; 2018: Chelsea Brewster, Mitchell; 2019: Taylee Indahl, Burke; 2020: Julia Weber, Bridgewater-Emery; 2021: Karly VanDerWerff, Platte-Geddes; 2022: Adisyn Indahl, Burke; 2023: Karly VanDerWerff, Platte-Geddes; 2024: Reagan Rus, Mount Vernon/Plankinton

First Class Delta Passenger Finds Service Dog in His Seat, Told He's Been Downgraded: 'There's No Way That Dog Has Spent As Much As I Have'

Bianca Bustamante is set to join the GB3 Championship with Elite Motorsport. Photo from racerbia/Instagram Wrapping her two-year F1 Academy journey this year, Filipino American motorsport star Bianca Bustamante is set to take her racing career to greater heights as she joins the GB3 Championship with Elite Motorsport in 2025. Known for her stellar performance in the F1 Academy, where she secured podium finishes and victories that earned international acclaim, the first Filipina McLaren Development racer is ready to tackle the next challenge. In an Instagram post, Bustamante shared her excitement and gratitude for this significant milestone. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . A post shared by Bianca Bustamante 🏁 (@racerbia) “Wow, I honestly can’t believe I’m even writing this,” she began, describing her transition to the GB3 Championship as “a major leap forward from the F4 car.” The 18-year-old recently tested with Elite Motorsport in Spain, where she felt an immediate connection with the team and the professional environment they fostered. Driving the GB3 car for the first time was a game-changer for Bustamante. She highlighted the vehicle’s higher downforce and responsiveness, which boosted her confidence behind the wheel. “I spent two days testing with Elite in Spain last week with the old GB3 car, and it was very productive. We got off to a great start together and I felt so connected with the team straight away, a really professional environment,” she added. “It’s also been incredible driving higher downforce cars, the GB3 car is very responsive which gives me confidence to find the limits,” “I absolutely can’t wait to jump into the new car in January,” she shared, brimming with anticipation for the 2025 season. Reflecting on her journey, Bustamante acknowledged the challenges she overcame to reach this point. “Two years ago, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of being able to compete at this level,” she admitted, expressing deep gratitude to her sponsors, partners and Elite Motorsport for their unwavering support and belief in her potential. With the new season just weeks away, Bustamante is dedicating herself to rigorous preparation, focusing on building her strength and stamina. “I’m going to be pushing myself hard in the gym over the winter,” she declared, determined to make the next season her most remarkable yet. Want stories like this delivered straight to your inbox?Stay informed. Stay ahead. Subscribe to InqMORNINGAES Announces 2% Increase in Quarterly Dividend

Former Kentucky WR Dane Key set for transfer to NebraskaWhat's Poppin': Dec. 7 and 8

When a man in his 60s transferred $70,000 to another bank account and wanted to withdraw the rest of his life savings of more than $600,000, a DBS Bank officer stepped in. Instead of providing a valid reason when the officer asked what it was for, the man grew agitated and refused to say much, which were immediate red flags. Recalling the case which took place in September, Mr Uthayakumar Chellappan Silvaraju, a senior associate with DBS’ anti-scam team, said he was determined to prevent the man from losing his life savings. Said Mr Kumar: “During the first two calls I had with him, he was evasive. On the third call, I asked him, ‘Are you sure you want to risk your life savings you worked so hard for?’ “That was when he broke down and said he was doing this under someone’s instructions, but he still refused to believe that he was being scammed.” The bank subsequently handed the case over to the police’s Anti-Scam Centre (ASC). At least $2.7m lost to property rental scams this year Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Timothy Ng, officer-in-charge at the ASC, said he suspected the man was a victim of a government official impersonation scam as his answers sounded coached and rehearsed. “At first he was evasive, then he told me he wanted to withdraw his life savings and put them in an account with better interest rates. “But knowing that a scammer impersonating the police had probably got to him, my role was to calm him down and tell him that he was not under investigation or in trouble with the authorities,” said DSP Ng. The next morning, the man realised he had been scammed, changed his mind about transferring the $600,000, and lodged a police report. DSP Ng said: “It was a relief because he would have lost such a large amount of money.” Not all scam victims can be convinced they are being duped. That is why the Protection from Scams Bill was introduced in Parliament on Nov 11. In what is believed to be a world first, it proposes giving the police powers to control the bank accounts of victims. If passed, the police will be allowed to issue restriction orders to banks, which will then limit the banking transactions of an individual’s accounts. Bank officers and officers at the ASC said they often need to spend a lot of time convincing victims they have been scammed. Dr Lim Boon Leng, a psychiatrist at Gleneagles Hospital, said scammers often spend a great deal of time and effort emotionally manipulating their victims to gain their trust. He said: “They often exploit psychological vulnerabilities of the victims, such as loneliness and greed. By doing so, they create an intense emotional bond with the victims, and these intense emotions override rational thinking.” Dr Lim said some victims could be in a state of grief after having already lost a certain amount of money. He added: “So, when the police or the authorities tell them they’ve been scammed, it is in a way confirming that loss, and they may refuse to listen because they are in denial about it.” In other cases, scammers may employ social engineering and tell the victim details of his own life, like how the scammer himself had been cheated before, to build rapport. Then, when the police or bank officers inform the victims they have been scammed, it is harder to convince them, as trust has already been built with the scammer, Dr Lim said. He added that in government official impersonation scams, scammers may even pre-empt their victims that there would be “other authorities” who would try to convince them that they have been scammed. Said Dr Lim: “This may then follow with threats that if the victim does not go through with the instructions given, there would be consequences. “So when the scammer’s narrative pans out and ‘another authority figure’ calls the victim, the victim would then be more likely to believe the scammer instead of the real authorities.” Government official impersonation scams were among the top 10 scams in the first half of 2024, with victims losing more than $67 million. DBS’ Mr Kumar said he has encountered victims who clearly have been coached in their responses. He said: “In such cases, we know that the victims have already been hooked by the scammers, and the banks can only do so much. “But we will still try our best to convince them, no matter the amount of money involved, because these are the savings our customers have worked so hard for.”Echo Pop, Fire Stick, and Ring Doorbell now discounted in surprise Amazon sale ahead of ChristmasPITTSFIELD — A 17-year-old Pittsfield High School student is suing Pittsfield Public Schools and her former male English teacher she claims sexually harassed her in class and that school leaders did nothing to stop or prevent it. Former Pittsfield High School English teacher Robert Barsanti, pictured here in 2014, is being sued by a former student who claims he sexually harassed her in class. In a civil lawsuit filed on Sept. 26 in U.S. District Court in Springfield, the female student, who's now a senior, says that a Title IX investigator had found that Robert Barsanti engaged in “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that was so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive" that it affected her education. The student, who was 16 and a junior at the time, claims Barsanti directed sexually loaded comments and behaviors at her, including asking her to “go into a janitor closet with him” — which she refused to do. The student is now 17. The Eagle is not using her name at this time because she is a minor. She is represented by attorney Ryan P. McLane. Her lawsuit states that multiple witnesses corroborated her allegations in the school's investigation after she made a formal Title IX complaint to Pittsfield Public Schools on Nov. 1, 2023. Barsanti, 59, who was placed on leave from a previous teaching job in Nantucket for controversial behavior in his classroom, retired in June. He had taught at Pittsfield High since 2006. The student, who lives in Pittsfield, alleges Pittsfield Public Schools received other similar and “numerous complaints” about Barsanti during his tenure and that it did nothing to protect students, and “simply allowed him to retire without any reprimand at all.” The lawsuit says all of this violated the student's Title IX protections against discrimination that harmed her ability to get an education, affected her schoolwork, her experience and prompted her to switch classes to avoid Barsanti. She is also claiming a violation of her 14th Amendment rights to be free from discrimination as a female; negligence on the part of the school; and assault and battery by Barsanti for an “intent to cause a harmful or offensive contact” with her. Robert Barsanti, of Pittsfield, retired from Pittsfield High School in June. Barsanti is being sued by a former student who alleges he sexually harassed her during her time in his classroom. The student's lawsuit is seeking a jury trial, as well as damages and attorney’s fees. Barsanti did not immediately return a voicemail message seeking comment. A message left for his attorney, Jeffrey Trapani, was not immediately returned. Principal Maggie Harrington-Esko and Pittsfield School Superintendent Joseph Curtis also were left messages that were not immediately returned. Pittsfield Public Schools denied the allegations in its answer, dated Nov. 18, to the lawsuit. Barsanti has yet to answer the complaint. Students exit Pittsfield High School last week in the days following the arrest of Lavante Wiggins, a dean of students, for alleged drug trafficking. In the weeks preceding all this, a PHS senior filed a lawsuit in federal court against Pittsfield Public Schools and former English teacher Robert Barsanti, alleging he sexually harassed her and that school officials did nothing to prevent or stop it. The lawsuit precedes a crisis of trust in recent days at Pittsfield High that raises alarms about its hiring practices, school culture and now, its general oversight and transparency. The upheaval began last week when a dean of students, Lavante Wiggins, was arrested after an eight-month FBI cocaine trafficking sweep targeting alleged gang activity. Wiggins is on administrative leave. Pittsfield High's vice principal, Alison Shepard, also was put on administrative leave on Friday while the Department of Children and Families conducts an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors. Also on Friday, a former Pittsfield High employee, Taverick "Tank" Roberson, was placed on leave from his job at the Berkshire Family YMCA due to a new state investigation into some type of alleged inappropriate conduct with one or more students while working at the high school. In her lawsuit, the student alleges a “culture” problem at PHS that allows sexual harassment of girls. “By failing to prevent or punish Defendant Barsanti’s sexual harassment,” the lawsuit states, “Defendants created a culture where female students were denied equal access to benefits, services, programs and other activities at the same level as male students.” The lawsuit outlines incidents that were investigated in the school's Title IX probe and corroborated by "multiple witnesses.” In one instance in class, the student asked Barsanti to use a school computer to finish her schoolwork, to which he replied with comments about her mother using technology at home to “create pornography.” Barsanti stated that “she definitely uses it for porn” and “why would she make porn on the computer when she has a phone," according to the lawsuit. Barsanti also talked to her class about having worked at a strip club called the “'Golden Banana', and instructed his class to write a story based on the strip club.” The students, the lawsuit says, “were forced to research the strip club and were shown pictures of the club as well." The Golden Banana is located in Peabody. The student also claims that Barsanti subjected her and the other students in his English class "to learning about sexual behaviors between animals.” The student also alleges Barsanti made jokes about the male genitalia of a transgender student who identifies as female. The assault and battery count is based on an incident in which Barsanti on one occasion “put his hands on Plaintiff, taking Plaintiff’s head between his hands and expressed frustration with Plaintiff over her being resistant to participate in class due to her expressed dissatisfaction with Defendant’s vulgarity,” according to the lawsuit Pittsfield High School administrators allowed the student to change classes so that she did not “have to endure” Barsanti’s classroom, according to the lawsuit. When the student's mother went to the the school principal with her daughter’s allegations, the principal told her that “Pittsfield Public Schools has known about Defendant Barsanti’s sexual harassment, having received numerous complaints about Barsanti in the past.” And yet, there was “no meaningful discipline” against Barsanti, the lawsuit says, and school officials “did nothing while Barsanti was engaged in the aforementioned conduct.” When he retired from PHS in June, a Facebook post on the school’s account congratulated “three retirees,” one of whom was Barsanti. “We [wish] you all a happy and healthy retirement!” the message said. “You will always have a ‘Home Under the Dome.’” “Home Under the Dome” refers to Pittsfield High School's domed roof. McLane, the student's attorney, said his client is looking for accountability from school officials who are "responsible for this guy." Through McLane, the student and her mother consented to publishing her name; nevertheless, The Eagle is not naming her at this time because she is a minor. Moreover, McLane told The Eagle he would be amending the lawsuit to add the mother's name to the lawsuit. "The fact that she [the student] had to file a lawsuit to get any recourse, and that the school knew about [past complaints], is frustrating," said McLane. According to a 2003 article in the Cape Cod Times, headlined “ Controversial Island Teacher Faces Probe ,” Nantucket High School put Barsanti on “paid leave pending an investigation of his classroom behavior.” “During the 2002 fall semester, Barsanti took an unpaid leave of absence” from his teaching job at Nantucket High, the paper reported. “He left last September after discussions with administrators about his teaching style, a style that reportedly included the use of foul language and sexual innuendo in the classroom.” Students and parents, the Cape Cod Times story continues, “have complained over the years about this alleged behavior.” In 2020, Barsanti settled a defamation lawsuit filed against him and the City of Pittsfield by a former Pittsfield Public Schools student. The female student said the letter of recommendation he wrote for her college applications contained false and malicious information that "discredited" and held her up to “scorn, hatred, ridicule.” Barsanti, also an author, lives in Dalton, according to his LinkedIn profile. On his social media, he links to his Substack profile on which he writes essays and publishes them. It’s called, “Barr’d for Life.” In his LinkedIn profile, Barsanti says this about himself: "I am a highly skilled, motivated, and experienced English teacher. I have taught in both public and private schools, but have spent the most time at Nantucket High School and Pittsfield High School. For more than thirty years, I have taught Ap English Literature, AP English Language and Rhetoric, and AP Research. I have been a reader (rater?) for many years; this year I have become A Table Leader for AP Research. "I am also a writer. I have primarily written about Nantucket. For the last fifteen years, my work has appeared in Yesterday's Island and N magazine. Other essays of mine have been printed by the New York Times, The Boston Globe, and several educational titles. In the last few years, I have been writing novels and I am filling the slush piles at various agencies." He concludes with, "I lose golf balls, ski indifferently, and body surf. I cook well enough to stay married, mow the lawn before I am told to, and am a fool."

Danbury seniors celebrate collegiate signings

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Danbury seniors celebrate collegiate signingsBRUSSELS : Apple on Wednesday hit out at Meta Platforms, saying its numerous requests to access the iPhone maker's software tools to its devices could impact users' privacy and security, underscoring the intense rivalry between the two tech giants. Under the European Union's landmark Digital Markets Act that took effect last year, Apple must allow rivals and app developers to inter-operate with its own services or risk a fine of as much as 10 per cent of its global annual turnover. Meta has made 15 interoperability requests thus far, more than any other company, for potentially far-reaching access to Apple's technology stack that could affect users' privacy and security, the latter said in a report.

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Social media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general's office, falsely claiming that it's proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report's finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That's false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau's informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day's events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney's office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office's counterterrorism division told the inspector general's office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report's findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!" reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray's resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray's announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a press release about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI's involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.” — Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck .Iranian 'mothership' linked to drones in New Jersey mysteriously missing from its port in Persian Gulf

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