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The State Board of Education has the use of lessons in public elementary schools. Officials voted 8-7 on the measure during a hearing in Austin on Friday. The new curriculum, developed by Bluebonnet Learning and the Texas Education Agency, pertains to reading and language arts lessons for kids in grades K-5 and math lessons for kids in grades K-8. The teachings call into question the constitutionally of such tax-payer-funded instruction. It remains unclear if the curriculum would violate the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing a or providing official support for a religion. The instruction includes lessons on Biblical beliefs, including the stories of Moses, the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule and readings from the Book of Genesis. The curriculum is optional but schools could get additional funding if they implement the teachings, set to be available to educators in August 2025. Its approval is the latest development in a series of GOP efforts to bring Christianity into public school systems across the country. In Oklahoma, the state’s top educator, Ryan Walters, has ordered teachers to keep a copy of the Bible in classrooms. In Louisiana, officials hope to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms starting next year. Critics of the new Texas instruction raised concerns about how the lessons could inappropriately promote the Christian faith in classrooms, whether the materials are age-appropriate or will be effective. Those who support it, say the lessons could help develop students’ writing and reading skills. Following the vote, the Texas American Federation of Teachers said in a that the new teachings violate the state’s Code of Ethics by “infusing lessons with Bible-based references more appropriate for Sunday Schools than public schools.” The group argues the new teachings come from idealogues instead of educational experts and is asking districts not to use them. “At a moment of profound political division, this curriculum is a concerted effort to ‘other’ and exclude students of differing cultures and religions through state-sponsored instructional materials. “It is the latest evidence that Christian nationalists have bought their way into every governing body of the state, including the state Board of Education... We can anticipate what will come next, whether that’s the erasure of contributions of marginalized populations in social studies or the minimalization of climate change in science.” President-elect has called for the disbandment of the federal Department of Education, for a more conservative agenda in public schools and for banning educators from teaching on critical race theory. In 2023, Governor Greg Abbott asked the Texas Education Agency to develop a new curriculum pending approval from the state Board of Education. Abbott has praised the materials and they would help students “better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events like the signing of the US Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the American Revolution.”Former President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter died Sunday, coming up on two years after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Here's the latest: President Joe Biden has scheduled a state funeral in Washington for former President Jimmy Carter on Jan. 9. Biden also declared Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning across the U.S. Carter, the longest-lived former president, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100. Biden also ordered U.S. flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days from Sunday. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday praised Carter for his significant contributions to international peace through the Camp David Accords, the SALT II Treaty and the Panama Canal treaties. “President Carter’s commitment to international peace and human rights also found full expression after he left the presidency,” Guterres said in a statement. "He played a key role in conflict mediation, election monitoring, the promotion of democracy, and disease prevention and eradication. These and other efforts earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and helped advance the work of the United Nations. “President Carter will be remembered for his solidarity with the vulnerable, his abiding grace, and his unrelenting faith in the common good and our common humanity,” Guterres said. King Charles III joined leaders from around the world in issuing their condolences and sharing their reflections on the former president. “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of former President Carter," the king said in a public statement. “He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights. His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977." President Joe Biden broke from his family vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands to remember Carter, recalling his predecessor as a role model and friend. America and the world lost a “remarkable leader” with Carter’s death, Biden said, adding that he had spoken to several of the former president's children and was working with them to formalize memorial arrangements in Washington. Speaking for roughly 10 minutes, Biden remembered Carter as a humanitarian and statesman, someone he couldn't imagine walking past a person in need without trying to help them. He represented “the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away,” Biden said. The president repeatedly praised Carter's “simple decency” and his values, saying some will see him as a man of honesty and humility from a bygone era. “I don’t believe it’s a bygone era. I see a man not only of our time, but for all times,” Biden said. “To know his core, you need to know he never stopped being a Sunday school teacher at that Baptist church in Plains, Georgia.” Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said on X that Carter's significant role in achieving the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel "will remain etched in the annals of history.” He went on to say Carter's “humanitarian work exemplifies a lofty standard of love, peace, and brotherhood.” Carter will be remembered as “one of the world’s most prominent leaders in service to humanity,” el-Sissi said. President Joe Biden will speak about Carter Sunday evening. The president will make his address from a hotel in St. Croix, from the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he is on a holiday vacation with his family. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter had one of the great love stories and political partnerships in U.S. presidential history. The former president sometimes called his wife, who died Nov. 19. 2023, “Rosie,” which is a good way to remember how her name actually is pronounced. It is “ROSE-uh-lyn,” not, repeat NOT, “RAHZ-uh-lyn.” They were married more than 77 years but their relationship went back even further. Jimmy’s mother, “Miss Lillian,” delivered Eleanor Rosalynn Smith at the Smith home in Plains on Aug. 18, 1927. The nurse brought her eldest child back a few days later to visit, meaning the longest-married presidential couple met as preschooler and newborn. She became his trusted campaign aide and White House adviser, surprising Washington by sitting in on Cabinet meetings. Then they traveled the world together as co-founders of The Carter Center. Most of the nation saw the former president for the last time at Rosalynn Carter’s funeral. Jason Carter is now the chairman of The Carter Center’s board of governors. He said his grandparents “never changed who they were” even after reaching the White House and becoming global humanitarians. He says their four years in Washington were just one period of putting their values into action and that the center his grandparents founded in Atlanta is a lasting “extension of their belief in human rights as a fundamental global force.” Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter traveled the world advocating for democracy and fighting disease, but Jason Carter said they weren’t motivated by pity, or arrogance that a former American president had all the answers — they ventured to remote places because they could “recognize these people.” They too were from “a 600-person village” and understood that even the poorest people “have the power ... the ability ... the knowledge and the expertise to change their own community.” As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is remembering Carter as a man steeped “in devotion to public service and peace.” The California Democrat said in a statement Sunday that Carter was committed to “honoring the spark of divinity within every person,” something she said manifested in “teaching Sunday school in his beloved Marantha Baptist Church, brokering the landmark Camp David Accords to pave the way to peace or building homes with Habitat for Humanity.” Pelosi also said Carter led “perhaps the most impactful post-presidency in history.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted in a post on X the special contribution Carter made by brokering the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt and through his work with the Carter Center. “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad,” Starmer said. To commemorate Carter’s death, officials with the Empire State Building said in a post on social media that the iconic New York City landmark would be lit in red, white and blue on Sunday night, “to honor the life and legacy” of the late former president. In a statement issued Sunday, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said Carter’s beloved Maranatha Baptist Church “will be a little quieter on Sunday,s” but added that the late former president “will never be far away -- buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.” Noting the “hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews” to see the former president teach Sunday school, as he did “for most of his adult life,” the Obamas listed Carter’s accomplishments as president. But they made special note of the Sunday school lessons, saying they were catalysts for people making a pilgrimage to the church. “Many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.” The longest-lived American president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” The Carter Center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. In his 1975 book “Why Not The Best,” Carter said of himself: “I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. After he left office and returned home to his tiny hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia, Carter regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world. Former Vice President Al Gore praised Jimmy Carter for living “a life full of purpose, commitment and kindness” and for being a “lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement.” Carter, who left the White House in 1981 after a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. concentrated on conflict resolution, defending democracy and fighting disease in the developing world. Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, remains a leading advocate for action to fight climate change. Both won Nobel Peace Prizes. Gore said that “it is a testament to his unyielding determination to help build a more just and peaceful world” that Carter is often “remembered equally for the work he did as President as he is for his leadership over the 42 years after he left office.” During Gore’s time in the White House, President Bill Clinton had an uneasy relationship with Carter. But Gore said he is “grateful” for “many years of friendship and collaboration” with Carter. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, remember Carter as a man who lived to serve others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end." The statement recalled Carter's many achievements and priorities, including efforts “to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David." After he left office, the Clinton statement said, Carter continued efforts in "supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the statement said.

Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There's no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley's historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He's not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP's first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren't QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn't. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP's new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It's not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. "I don't think that's crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left," Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven't reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team's struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

School district defends decision to punish parents for wearing pink 'XX' wristbandsPat Bryant caught a 40-yard touchdown on fourth down with four seconds remaining as No. 25 Illinois rallied for a dramatic 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. With Rutgers playing cover-zero defense, Bryant caught Luke Altmyer's sidearm toss on fourth-and-13 at the 22-yard line in the middle of the field and ran in from the right side for a 36-31 lead. Bryant's dramatic catch came after Illinois initially decided to attempt a go-ahead 57-yard field goal into the wind. Following a timeout, the Ilini went for it on fourth down. Altmeyer's two-point conversion attempt to Bryant was incomplete, but the visitors recorded a safety on the game's final play. Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards, and his score came after Rutgers took a 31-30 lead on a 13-yard rushing TD by Kyle Monangai with 1:08 left. Monangai gave the Scarlet Knights the lead after Illinois overcame a nine-point deficit on Aidan Laughery's 8-yard TD run with 13:48 remaining and Altmyer's 30-yard run with 3:07 left. Bryant's clutch catch gave Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) eight wins for the second time in three seasons on a day when it committed 11 penalties. Altmyer finished 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and threw two touchdowns. He also gained a team-high 74 yards on the ground as the Ilini totaled 182 rushing yards. Monangai finished with 122 yards on 28 carries and Kaliakmanis completed 19-of-37 passes for 175 yards, but Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) was unable to win a third straight Big Ten game for the first time. Kaliakmanis also rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. The Scarlet Knights saw their losing streak against ranked teams reach 41 games after taking a 17-9 halftime lead and a 24-15 advantage early in the fourth. --Field Level Media

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SimonSkafar ONEOK, Inc. ( NYSE: OKE ) has a large growth trajectory in the coming year as the firm absorbs the remaining units of EnLink, adds the newly acquired assets from Medallion Midstream to its cash flow, and grows through organic capital Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Blue Owl Capital Inc. (NYSE:OWL) Position Increased by Natixis Advisors LLC

Judging by his most recent scientific production, Doctor of Science José Antonio Guardado Chacón has not wasted time or space in insisting on the potential of using anaerobic biodigesters, not only as a tool for the treatment of waste, but as a renewable energy source (RES). He has just done so, as the organizer of the 3rd Workshop: Biogas, Water and Sanitation Movements or Networks, held within the 2024 Cubasolar International Workshop , held between November 19 and 21 at Quinta de los Molinos. The scientific event had 160 participants from all Cuban provinces and speakers from Brazil, Guatemala, Spain and Colombia. The poor national media coverage is striking, right in the middle of an energy crisis that forces us to urgently look at the RES, a field in which Cubasolar has worked for 30 years. The workshop organized by Dr. Guardado Chacón was divided into three panels, which showed successful experiences of the Biogas Users Movement (MUB), both individual and in communities and pork production entities, according to the event’s rapporteur . But, although there is talk of Movement ― and since 2017 a book published by Cubasolar abounds on the subject ― the use of this RES is not widespread nor does it show the same results in the country. In fact, among the questions that presided over the panels of Cubasolar 2024 was a specific one: How have the MUB and other Renewable Energy Sources in some territories been able to overcome obstacles and become a thriving popular energy model and in other territories, this has not been possible? Guardado himself had, in part, answered the question in 2021, in an article cited by the IPS news agency. When asked why biogas was among the least developed renewable sources and how this could be reversed, given that Cuba needs to boost national food production, the article responded: According to the first projections of the RES, to produce electricity given the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, biogas is among the least developed (27 MW). This may be due, among other reasons, to the lack of knowledge of what can be contributed from the locality with many small solutions and social inclusion, based on scientific-popular criteria. Related Posts Oscar Paglieri: the anointed one of “La Estrella de Italia” in Cuba December 1, 2024 What is there to celebrate on Economists’ Day in Cuba? November 30, 2024 Pork in Cuba, in sustained decline November 28, 2024 Nafsika Mouzakiti, from the International Barlady Competition: “Cuba is the country of cocktails” November 26, 2024 var jnews_module_314295_0_6752348541399 = {"header_icon":"","first_title":"Related Posts","second_title":"","url":"","header_type":"heading_1","header_background":"","header_secondary_background":"","header_text_color":"","header_line_color":"","header_accent_color":"","header_filter_category":"","header_filter_author":"","header_filter_tag":"","header_filter_text":"All","post_type":"post","content_type":"all","number_post":"4","post_offset":0,"unique_content":"disable","include_post":"","exclude_post":314295,"include_category":"13903,13904,13906,13905,13907","exclude_category":"","include_author":"","include_tag":"","exclude_tag":"","sort_by":"latest","date_format":"default","date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","force_normal_image_load":"","pagination_mode":"nextprev","pagination_nextprev_showtext":"","pagination_number_post":"4","pagination_scroll_limit":0,"boxed":"","boxed_shadow":"","el_id":"","el_class":"","scheme":"","column_width":"auto","title_color":"","accent_color":"","alt_color":"","excerpt_color":"","css":"","paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_21"}; In addition, biogas is not precisely for generating electric power, but to stop consuming electricity. Its direct use is much more efficient than if we transform it into electric power. To reverse this position, biogas technology must be assessed integrally, taking advantage of all its final products. This includes the supply of basic nutrients for the fertilization of soils that directly affect food production. In this regard, work is being done on the organization approved by the highest leadership of the country, which foresees greater participation of the actors of Cuban society, both at the state and non-state levels. At that time it was estimated that there were about 5,000 biodigesters in Cuba, and the institutional design aimed at each municipality having “a development program and strategy regarding biogas, whose management and implementation must be articulated with the plans of the province.” For this note, we found no evidence that these strategies exist in all the Cuban municipalities, as indicated by Ministerial Order 395 of April 2021, of the Ministry of Energy and Mines. They must not be very complete when the Cubasolar 2024 Rapporteur lists as one of the key questions of the event: What hinders the development of local energy self-sufficiency in the municipality? Why are other urgent issues put before energy in the strategies? Maximizing the contributions of biogas, on paper The truth is that of the best-known RES, biogas is the only one that, in addition to its energy potential, has a very high component of environmental sustainability, by using polluting waste from the agricultural and agri-food sectors. Scientific production on this topic is abundant. From the one that explores the introduction of technologies and their economic and environmental feasibility ( Biogás y sostenibilidad en Cuba ) — “in the 1970s, around 550 small biogas installations were built, with traditional Chinese and Indian technologies, in dairy farms and pig farms” — through to recommendations for the construction of biodigesters ( Diseño y construcción de plantas de biogás sencillas ) — published in 2007 — to the assessment of the potentials and the preparation of a Atlas de Bioenergía. Cuba Edición 2022 . Reading this latest article, with its detailed analysis of the calculation of the biogas production potential — from excrement associated with the raising of pigs, poultry, and cattle — it is difficult to assimilate that this RES has not advanced further along the path that, right now, is proposed as mandatory by Decree Law 110/2024 of the Council of Ministers, whose First Transitional Provision establishes that “high consumers existing at the time of publication of this Decree in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba, have a period of up to three years to install renewable energy sources, to generate at least fifty percent of the electricity they consume during peak daytime hours.” According to Atlas , “the total biogas production potential, which includes the associated agricultural and industrial production, amounts to 615,595 m3/year, which is equivalent to 189,227 tep/year or 710,095 MWh/year. 63% of the total corresponds to agricultural production.” Of this potential, more than half is concentrated in six provinces: Matanzas, Holguín, Mayabeque, Santiago de Cuba, Ciego de Ávila, and Cienfuegos, as shown in the map prepared by the group of authors. The chapter dedicated to biogas concludes by stating that, “taking into account the potential for biogas production and the structure of electricity and fuel consumption, it has been found more reasonable to consider that biogas be used for electricity production rather than for replacing fuels in furnaces and boilers.” Likewise, the analysis of the potential impact that can be achieved by using biogas for power generation, confirmed the researchers, “allows us to see that 44% of the electricity consumed by the three sectors included in this report can be generated. The power generation potential in AZCUBA is 34% of its total consumption; in the agricultural and forestry sector it is 117% and in the food industry 6.5%.” In other words, three sectors that consume a lot of electricity in Cuba have the energy potential to be self-sufficient in their own backyards — or at least to reduce their dependence on the National Electric Power System — and, nevertheless, the experiences of its application can be counted on one hand. All this even though the Policy for the prospective development of renewable sources and the efficient use of Energy 2014-2030 , approved a decade ago, proposes in its Strategic Objective (SO) 6: “maximize the use of renewable energy sources with a circular economy approach to contribute to food security, sustainability and sovereignty and the reduction of the environmental footprint of the agro-industrial and food production sector”; and in SO 7: “maximize the energy contributions of the agro-industrial and forestry sector.” Even so, the practical and validated examples of the use of biogas are concentrated, fundamentally, in the microlocal scenario. This is the case of the El Colorado Porcine Base Business Unit (UEBP) and the surrounding rural community, located in the Cabaiguán municipality, in the province of Sancti Spíritus, where the GEF-UNDP Biomas-Cuba project (of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) made it possible to build two fixed dome biodigesters (modified Chinese model) in 2020, with 45 m3 and 50 m3 of digestion, respectively. Both biodigesters treat the excrement of 600 pigs (50% of the animal mass of the UEBP). The 90 m3 of biogas produced daily not only supplied the porcine entity but also reached more than 30 homes through a high-density polyethylene network that distributed the biofuel. Electricity consumption automatically decreased by between 30 and 60%, equivalent to 18.3 MWh/year. From an environmental point of view, “the daily consumption of 90 m3 of biogas for cooking made it possible to avoid felling 24 ha/year, avoided the emission of 59.8 t of CO2eq/year, or 1,255 tons of methane, and produced 4 t/year of effluents, which is used as biofertilizers for soil improvement.” An example of biodigesters on another scale is being developed in the Martí municipality, in Matanzas. In April 2023, the IPS agency elaborated on the scope of the local development project with international cooperation (European Union and UNDP) that would put public buses into circulation with biomethane as fuel, while producing electricity and biofertilizers for organic crops, with direct benefit for the 22,000 inhabitants of the municipality and surrounding areas. Although the local press has recently referred to the project, the progress of the investment is not specified, which is expected to be completed this year according to the initial design. But, just as one swallow does not make a summer, isolated good practices in the use of anaerobic biodigestion of waste do not allow for the qualitative and quantitative leap with this technology. Hence, in July 2021, Doctor of Science Roberto Sosa Cáceres, deputy director of the Center for Information Management and Energy Development (Cubaenergía), stated in the Renovable.cu bulletin that Cuba has untapped biogas potential, both in the state sector and in the cooperative and individual farmer sector. In Sosa’s opinion, the country does not have the necessary technologies to build industrial biogas plants and it is necessary to create “a technological culture of efficient use of this resource, high knowledge and production of specialized equipment.” A decade ago, the same expert, then director of the Center for Promotion and Development of Biogas at the Porcine Research Institute, was more optimistic. In an interview with Granma , he spoke of a national program to manufacture a thousand biodigesters annually until 2020. There would be, at least, 6,000 new sites to date, but ― as we pointed out at the beginning ― in 2021, less than 5,000 were estimated. Although there has been a gradual increase in gross power generation from waste since 2019 (from 2.5 Gigawatt/hour to 159 in 2023), biogas plants (plus emerging groups, according to the nomenclature of the Statistical Yearbook. Cuba. Mining and Energy. 2023 Edition ), barely produce 1.03% of the total electricity in Cuba. The current levels of pork and beef production in the country, with a sustained decrease in mass, also constitute a major obstacle to the generation of energy through anaerobic biodigesters, as the waste from these activities is the main source of energy. However, any organic waste can be converted into fuel. That is why experts continue to firmly believe that “anaerobic technologies have a promising future in their implementation in the agricultural and industrial framework of Cuba, by promoting the development of the circular economy, promoting the recovery of resources.” This is what researchers Deny Oliva and Ileana Pereda say in a scientific article on the subject. They conclude: It is worth emphasizing that in order to increase the application of this type of technology, a significant effort is needed from the scientific, specialized, and business community and decision-makers in the country to appropriate them and to “tropicalize” the technological solutions, in addition to adapting the national industry to assume part of the components necessary for its expansion. It is essential to increase scientific research and innovation in-house that allows the implementation to be adjusted to the specific conditions of the country. 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LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Andrej Jakimovski converted an off-balance layup with 8 seconds left, and Colorado handed No. 2 UConn its second loss in two days at the Maui Invitational, beating the two-time defending national champion 73-72 on Tuesday. A day after a 99-97 overtime loss to Memphis that left Huskies coach Dan Hurley livid about the officiating, UConn (4-2) couldn't shake the unranked Buffaloes (5-1), who shot 62.5% in the second half. With Colorado trailing 72-71 in the closing seconds, Jakimovski drove to his right and absorbed contact from UConn’s Liam McNeeley. He tossed the ball toward the glass and the shot was good as he fell to the floor. Hassan Diarra missed a 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer for UConn. Elijah Malone and Julian Hammond III scored 16 points each for Colorado, and Jakimovski had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Huskies led 40-32 at halftime and by nine points early in the second half, but Colorado quickly closed that gap. McNeeley led UConn with 20 points. Takeaways UConn: Hurley's squad is facing its first adversity in quite a while. The Huskies arrived on Maui with a 17-game winning streak that dated to February. Colorado: The Buffaloes were held to season lows in points (56) and field goal percentage (37%) in a 16-point loss to Michigan State on Monday but shot 51.1% overall and 56.3% (9 of 16) from 3-point range against the Huskies. Key moment Hurley called timeout to set up the Huskies' final possession, but the Buffs forced them to take a contested 3. Key stat Colorado had a 28-26 rebounding advantage after being out-rebounded 42-29 by Michigan State. Up next Colorado will play the Iowa-Dayton winner in the fifth-place game on Wednesday. UConn will play the loser of that matchup in the seventh-place game. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball .Pat Bryant caught a 40-yard touchdown on fourth down with four seconds remaining as No. 25 Illinois rallied for a dramatic 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. With Rutgers playing cover-zero defense, Bryant caught Luke Altmyer's sidearm toss on fourth-and-13 at the 22-yard line in the middle of the field and ran in from the right side for a 36-31 lead. Bryant's dramatic catch came after Illinois initially decided to attempt a go-ahead 57-yard field goal into the wind. Following a timeout, the Ilini went for it on fourth down. Altmeyer's two-point conversion attempt to Bryant was incomplete, but the visitors recorded a safety on the game's final play. Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards, and his score came after Rutgers took a 31-30 lead on a 13-yard rushing TD by Kyle Monangai with 1:08 left. Monangai gave the Scarlet Knights the lead after Illinois overcame a nine-point deficit on Aidan Laughery's 8-yard TD run with 13:48 remaining and Altmyer's 30-yard run with 3:07 left. Bryant's clutch catch gave Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) eight wins for the second time in three seasons on a day when it committed 11 penalties. Altmyer finished 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and threw two touchdowns. He also gained a team-high 74 yards on the ground as the Ilini totaled 182 rushing yards. Monangai finished with 122 yards on 28 carries and Kaliakmanis completed 19-of-37 passes for 175 yards, but Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) was unable to win a third straight Big Ten game for the first time. Kaliakmanis also rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. The Scarlet Knights saw their losing streak against ranked teams reach 41 games after taking a 17-9 halftime lead and a 24-15 advantage early in the fourth. --Field Level Media

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